While Putin might have taken Bakhmut, the war in Ukraine rages on.
The West will continue to send Kyiv the best weapons it can, and Russia will struggle to try and hold ground.
We know one thing: social media will capture the latest developments:
Britain’s FGM-148 Javelin, a portable surface-to-air missile system that can easily be used by a single soldier, has proven one of the most effective ways for Ukrainian soldiers to take out Russian armor and tanks since the early days of the conflict.
The missiles, which were sent in abundance to Ukraine by the United Kingdom and the United States, continue to provide Ukrainian soldiers with vital firepower as Russia launches a fresh offensive in eastern Ukraine – and a video shared on social media a few months back shows just how powerful these missiles can be.
What We Know
In the clip, which was shared on Facebook by the official account for the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a Russian BMP infantry fighting vehicle is seen getting totally destroyed by two Javelin missile strikes.
The Javelin missile is seen striking the vehicle the moment the clip begins, leaving behind a warped mass of metal emitting plumes of white smoke. Sections of the vehicle’s armor, as well as other parts of the vehicle, can also be seen flying into the air upon impact.
Soldiers standing around the vehicle can also be seen fleeing the scene. Around half a dozen soldiers look as though they successfully escape the strike, though one soldier can be seen running and then falling to the ground as though he was injured.
“Two missiles for Russian BMP,” the original Facebook post reads.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces credited the strike to the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade, which was named after Corporal General Mark Bezruchka.
Russians Check Out Javelin At Weapons Expo
According to a report by Breaking Defense, Russians took a keen interest in Javelin missile launchers and other Western weapons during a weapons manufacturer expo in the Middle East months back.
The report describes how U.S. Army soldiers showcasing NATO’s advanced weapons and missile systems were visited by Russian guests at the Naval Defence and Security Exposition held in Abu Dhabi.
According to a soldier who attended the event, at least one of the Russians picked up a Javelin missile system to inspect it.
“In fact, one soldier told Breaking Defense, a large number of Russians had come over from their booth to check out the US stand — and the mood was, perhaps surprisingly, jovial. So much so, he said, that he traded patches with one Russian,” the report reads, adding that Russian and American exhibitors were separated by a single other display at the event.
The video is embedded below but may not show in all instances if this piece is posted by a syndication partner. You can see the footage here as well at the source on Twitter.
Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
