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Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

New Video from Ukraine Shows Javelin Missile Attack on Russian Forces

The Javelin has been seen as an ideal weapon for use in urban fighting. Because it produces very little back-blast – especially when compared to other anti-tank systems – it can be fired from within a close structure. As seen in the clip, it stirred up little more than some dust.

Ukraine
A U.S. Marine with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, fires a shoulder-fired Javelin missile during exercise Bougainville II at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, April 18, 2021. Bougainville II is the second phase of pre-deployment training conducted by the battalion designed to increase combat readiness through complex and realistic live-fire training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jacob Wilson)

Javelin Attack caught on video: In a new video shared on social media on Friday, a Ukrainian soldier was seen armed with a U.S.-made FGM-148 Javelin, which he uses to engage an enemy target from within a badly damaged structure. The location where the video was filmed was undisclosed, but urban fighting in the villages, towns, and cities of the Eastern Donbas region has been ongoing for months.

In the nearly 30-second-long clip, the soldier was recorded readying his rocket launcher, carefully taking up a position by a blown-out window, and then firing at an enemy position. The second individual filming the video moves briefly to the window, but it is difficult to completely make out what was targeted.

At one point in the video, several other antitank weapons and various small arms can be seen leaning up against a wall, suggesting this may have been a fairly well-defended position for the Ukrainian forces.

Straight to the Point With the Javelin 

The Javelin has been seen as an ideal weapon for use in urban fighting. Because it produces very little back-blast – especially when compared to other anti-tank systems – it can be fired from within a close structure. As seen in the clip, it stirred up little more than some dust.

The fire-and-forget platform also utilizes automatic infrared guidance, which allows the user to fire and immediately take cover – as seen in this video. This Ukrainian soldier helped prove that the Javelin is very much the right tool for the job.

The United States has supplied Kyiv with thousands of anti-tank weapons, which have been employed to destroy countless numbers of Russian tanks and other armored vehicles. However, so many Javelin rounds have been expended that Ukrainian forces have had to be far more “selective” when it comes to targets of opportunity.

Moreover, last year, U.S. President Joe Biden called for production of the weapons and ordnance to ramp up to replenish depleted U.S. military stockpiles.

Modern Warfare

This video further highlights why it is all too easy to see why the fighting around Bakhmut and other urban areas of Eastern Ukraine is being compared to the Battle of Stalingrad, while the combat in the surrounding countryside has evoked comparisons to the Western Front of the First World War.

In fact, apart from the modern camouflage, tactical ballistic helmet, and choice of weapon, the scene is otherwise reminiscent of the “house to house” fighting that occurred in this very land just a century ago during the Russian Civil War (1918-22), where the Red and White Armies engaged in some of the most brutal combat of that conflict. It was also where the forces of Nazi Germany fought against the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War.

History is simply repeating itself – different uniforms and weapons but the same tragic story is being played out again. Much like what the Nazis faced in 1942-43, the Russian aggressor is now being stopped by a determined defender seeking to drive out that hostile invader.

Author Experience and Expertise: A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.

Written By

Expert Biography: A Senior Editor for 1945, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,000 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.

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