The war in Ukraine became even more intense now that the Wagner group went into open rebellion.
And while the revolt ended with Wagner ending its march towards Moscow, Ukraine’s offensive continued to press on.
What will happen now? We know that social media will continue to give us many key clues in the weeks to come.
Putin Is Feeling the Drone Pain in Ukraine
Video footage shared by the Ukrainian military this week shows the moment that Ukrainian forces took out an active Russian air defense system somewhere in Donetsk Oblast.
The incredible footage, which appears to have been recorded from a rotary blade unmanned aerial vehicle, shows a Russian Strela-10 air defense system close to a hedgerow and in the corner of what looks like an agricultural field.
The air defense system is seen moving into the bushes and under a camouflaged tent designed to prevent drones from spotting the system. A Russian soldier can also be seen walking slowly behind the vehicle as it moves into the trees.
Once the vehicle is stationary, the clip shows a Ukrainian rocket instantly destroying the system. The blast that followed is enormous, too, stretching what looks to be hundreds of feet to the side of the vehicle, and also into the air. The blast also appears to have ignited ammunition onboard the air defense system, creating a series of secondary blasts. Ammunition can easily be seen flying into the air in multiple directions as a result of the blast, some of which may have included thermobaric rounds.
After initially being shared by the Ukrainian military, the video was later reposted on Twitter by a number of war-tracking accounts. Ukraine Weapons Tracker notes that the Ukrainian forces destroyed the air defense system using a guided multiple rocket launcher.
“A Russian Strela-10 short-range air defense system was destroyed by a GMRLS strike of the Ukrainian Army, North of Kodema, #Donetsk Oblast,” Ukraine Weapons Tracker writes.
The video, as with most videos shared by both the Ukrainian and Russian military, is also accompanied by dramatic music.
What is the Strela-10?
The Strela-10 is a Soviet-era short-range surface-to-air missile system that has been in service since 1976. The vehicle is designed to provide Russian forces with an effective defense against low-altitude craft and threats, including helicopters.
Originally, the Strela-10 was designed to use the 9M37 missile, but over the years it has been adapted to use a range of other missiles, including the 9M31M, 9M37, 9M37M, and the 9M333.
The most recent version of the air defense system is the MIM-72G, which was introduced in the 1980s – meaning that even the most modern versions of this air defense system are still several decades old.
The system has been used in the Angolan Civil War, Operation Desert Storm in Iraq, the Kosovo War, the Syrian Civil War, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
#Ukraine: A Russian Strela-10 short-range air defense system was destroyed by a GMRLS strike of the Ukrainian Army, North of Kodema, #Donetsk Oblast. pic.twitter.com/IQz3xwGJte
— ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) June 25, 2023
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.
