Russian BMP-2 Destroyed by Man-portable ATGMs Near Donetsk – On Monday morning, Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) posted a minute-and-a-half-long video that showed the destruction of a Russian BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) after it was hit twice with anti-tank guided missiles.
The incident reportedly occurred in the vicinity of the village of Vodyane in the Donetsk Oblast.
The footage, recorded by a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), appeared to show the Russian IFV as it crossed open ground when it took a direct hit that immobilized it.
A rear hatch could be seen blown off, and the crew then attempted to make a desperate run for cover.
The vehicle subsequently took a follow-up hit from an anti-tank guided-missile, and video ends as the vehicle was engulfed in fire.
A second damaged BMP-2 was also spotted nearby and subsequently destroyed by an ATGM.
These are just the latest vehicles to disabled or destroyed in an area that has become a graveyard of Soviet-era armored vehicles.
Western-made man-portable anti-tank weapons and mobile launchers have continued to destroy Russian vehicles in numbers that can only be described as “staggering!”
Kyiv’s forces also have managed to successfully employ drones to target the Russian vehicles.
Heavy Combat Continues
Fighting has remained heavy in the western suburbs of Donetsk since last August, and the village of Vodyane (Vodiane) has reportedly been completely devastated.
It was in January that a convoy of eight to nine Russian BMP-2s was hit by Ukrainian fire, with most of the vehicles disabled or otherwise immobilized, while two T-72Bs were also destroyed.
Though much of the armor and heavy vehicles are still operated by the Russian Army, the Kremlin’s troops are now reported to be supporting the pro-Russian Donetsk People’s Republic militia forces – including the infamous “Somalia Battalion.”
That unit was first formed in 2014 and it was then engaged in the Donbas War.
Though not actually made up of foreign mercenaries or any volunteers from Somalia, it took its name for its original motley appearance that hardly resembled a professional combat force and instead resembled “Somali pirates.”
Other claims are that the battalion earned its colorful moniker for being as “fearless as Somali pirates.”
The unit had previously taken part in the siege of Mariupol, and the Kremlin has widely shared images of the militia troops being greeted as heroes in what has been labeled a staged victory parade last spring.
The battalion has been recently equipped with T-64 and T-72 tanks, as well as BMP-1, BTR-709, MT-LB and BRDM-2 armored fighting vehicles.
It is unclear which units were operating the BMP-2s, but it does appear the commander didn’t employ the best tactics to attempt to cross open ground with little to no support.
It appeared that the recent attacks only added to graveyard of destroyed military hardware.
However, according to recent reports, even as Moscow struggles to produce new weapons and other military hardware it has decade’s worth of vehicles in storage.
It can dig deep into its Cold War-era and even older stocks to make up in numbers what it may have lost in technology.
And while it is running out of trained crews, there seems to be plenty of cannon fodder to send into the fight.
As the video depicted above is graphic we have not embedded it. You can, however, watch it here.
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.
