Ukraine’s counteroffensive began last week as Kyiv tries to push Kremlin forces out of the southern and eastern regions of the country.
With weapons still arriving from Western allies, Ukraine is expected to step up assaults in the coming weeks but is proceeding cautiously for the time being.
Nonetheless, results are being seen on the ground, and striking battlefield footage is emerging on social media.
Ukraine Destroys Russian BMP-3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Incredible footage shared by war-tracking Twitter account Ukraine Weapons Tracker shows the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) hitting a Russian BMP-3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) with a First Person View (FPV) loitering munition.
BMP stands for Boevaya Mashina Pekhoty, which translates to “infantry combat vehicle.”
BMP-3 IFVs were first put into service by the Soviet Union in 1987 and Russian forces ordered hundreds more in 2015.
The footage shows the FPV drone descending from a height of 90 meters. A Russian BMP-3 appears stationary in a roadway surrounded by open fields. The footage then shows the devastating drone strike, which causes a massive explosion, tossing the vehicle’s turret hundreds of feet into the air.
The footage certainly leaves an impression as the ammunition inside the vehicle explodes, and the turret toss occurs, a phenomenon known in tank warfare as the “jack-in-the-box” effect.
“The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) destroyed a Russian up-armoured BMP-3 IFV with a FPV loitering munition. Impressive ammo detonation included,” the tweet from UAWeapons reads.
More ‘Jack-in-the-Box’ Devastation
Additional footage was shared on Twitter this January by UAWeapons, showing Russia’s vulnerability to “jack-in-the-box” attacks and the potential of powerful Ukrainian weapons to inflict serious damage.
The video shows a number of Russian tanks and a BMP proceeding along a ravaged area of the countryside, surrounded by destroyed residential buildings. The video then shows a number of clips of Ukrainian servicemembers firing Air To Ground Missiles (ATGMs), including an FGM-148 Javelin. The ATGMs strikes successfully hit a number of Russian tanks, as well as the BMP, as they make their way across Vodyane in Donetsk Oblast.
The final strike leads the largest fireball, causing a massive “jack-in-the-box” impact as the turret explodes outward hundreds of feet into the air.
#Ukraine: The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) destroyed a Russian up-armoured BMP-3 IFV with a FPV loitering munition.
Impressive ammo detonation included. pic.twitter.com/EecCAAdlLh
— ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) June 15, 2023
As UAWeapons describes, “three Russian tanks (presumably T-80BV) and a modernized BMP-2M infantry fighting vehicle were destroyed by the Ukrainian 36th Marine Brigade using ATGMs including FGM-148 Javelin in Vodyane, Donetsk Oblast. An impressive turret toss included.”
#Ukraine: Three Russian tanks (presumably T-80BV) and a modernized BMP-2M infantry fighting vehicle were destroyed by the Ukrainian 36th Marine Brigade using ATGMs including FGM-148 Javelin in Vodyane, #Donetsk Oblast.
An impressive turret toss included. pic.twitter.com/4sLUvyUN68
— ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) March 30, 2023
Paul Brian is an author and freelance journalist who has reported for Reuters, BBC, and Foreign Policy, and contributed to the Spectator, the Federalist and the American Conservative. He has covered global events from Europe, the former Soviet Union, and the Middle East to South America.
