The Wagner Group threat to Moscow – what looked like an armed invasion of Russia by Putin’s own mercenaries – is over, at least for now.
However, all is no well for Putin these days. He still has a war to fight in Ukraine that is sapping Russia’s strength.
What happens now? Well, we know social media will have a lot to tell us.
Video: Russian BMP-1 Destroyed In Donetsk Oblast
A Russian BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle was taken out by the Ukrainian 10th Mountain Assault Brigade in Donetsk Oblast back towards the end of March, and the precision strike was caught on camera.
The video footage, shared by the Ukrainian military and reposted to Twitter, shows the infantry fighting vehicle stationary in the middle of a field.
Moments into the video, a missile can be seen entering the frame from the right and striking the center of the vehicle.
In the wake of the strike, the vehicle remains stationary and begins to emit smoke. The initial blast looked substantial enough to cause damage, though it did not appear to completely destroy the vehicle.
In a Twitter post, Ukraine Weapons Tracker noted that the strike occurred in Bilohorivka.
“The Ukrainian 10th Mountain Assault Brigade destroyed a Russian BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle with an ATGM strike in Bilohorivka, #Donetsk Oblast,” the post reads.
It is unclear whether the BMP-1 struck in the video was stationary because it was abandoned or damaged or if the operator had simply temporarily stopped without knowing Ukrainian forces were tracking the vehicle.
Ukrainian troops often strike stationary and abandoned vehicles to prevent Russian forces from recovering the vehicle for repair or to use as spare parts to repair similar vehicles and weapons.
German Tanks and Infantry Fighting Vehicles Arrive In Ukraine
While the BMP-1 in the video from Bilohorivka proved somewhat resistant to an ATGM strike, it remains one of the oldest pieces of military hardware being used by the Russian military in Ukraine.
The vehicle was one of the very first modern infantry fighting vehicles to be developed and was first introduced to the Soviet military in 1966.
Even when fitted with modern armor and upgraded internal components, however, the BMP-1 is substantially less advanced than the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles promised by the United States to Ukraine in January.
The White House’s promise to send the tracked armored combat vehicles came after France promised a batch of AMX-10 RC fighting vehicles. Germany also promised 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles in January. In fact, many of those weapons platforms are in Ukraine now fighting, and the White House just announced more Bradleys will be headed to Ukraine soon, thanks to a new aid package.
#Ukraine: The Ukrainian 10th Mountain Assault Brigade destroyed a Russian BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle with an ATGM strike in Bilohorivka, #Donetsk Oblast. pic.twitter.com/rMDFJ2T7Gv
— ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) March 27, 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.
