The war in Ukraine is a mess of a conflict thanks to Putin’s illegal invasion.
Both sides are losing thousands of soldiers every month, however, it seems like Russia is clearly losing weapons platforms much faster.
How will the conflict keep going for?
‘Totally Destroyed’: Ukraine Video Shows Lancet ‘Kamikaze Drone’ Attack
Footage shared online back in April shows the moment that a Ukrainian Tor air defense system was taken out by a Russian loitering munition as it was being transported.
The video shows a Tor missile system, transported on the 9K330 transporter erector launcher.
What We Know
At the beginning of the video, the air defense system is shown in several different positions, both stationary and moving.
As the transporter travels along a highway, close to a residential neighborhood, the Russian loitering munition offers a view from behind.
The video then cuts to a different shot, recorded by another drone, that shows the loitering munition quickly catching up to the vehicle and striking its rear.
The video was shared by Ukraine Weapons Tracker, a popular war-tracking Twitter account, which noted the incident took place in Kherson Oblast.
“A Ukrainian 9A330 TLAR of the Tor air defense system was taken out of action by a Russian Lancet loitering munition in #Kherson Oblast,” the account writes, adding that the video is the first confirmed loss of a Tor air defense system for the Ukrainians.
“The first confirmed loss of this AD system, very rare in Ukrainian service,” the post reads.
While the impact did not appear to destroy the vehicle entirely, the blast was significant enough to have potentially caused damage to the electronic components found within it.
Ukraine Strikes
In March, video footage emerged showing how Ukrainian forces successfully destroyed a Russian Tor system also using a kamikaze drone.
The video depicted the fourth such strike that month alone back in April.
Just weeks earlier, in February, a rare Tor-M2DT arctic air defense system was destroyed by Ukrainian forces for the first time using artillery.
After the location of the air defense system was identified by a scouting drone, Ukrainian artillerymen took the missile system out using multiple shells.
Video footage of the strike was shared by the Ukrainian Ministry of defense on Twitter.
The video documents the process of identifying the air defense system, and shows the moment it was struck.
After an initial explosion, which created a large plume of grey smoke, the air defense system erupts into flames. Russian soldiers could also be seen attempting to put the fire out with fire extinguishers, before additional shells caused further damage.
#Ukraine: A Ukrainian 9A330 TLAR of the Tor air defense system was taken out of action by a Russian Lancet loitering munition in #Kherson Oblast.
The first confirmed loss of this AD system, very rare in Ukrainian service. pic.twitter.com/df8AmmXNsh
— ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) April 26, 2023
“The Arctic TOR-M2DT air defense system became the star of russian television when it was sent to Ukraine,” the ministry’s official Twitter account wrote.
“But soon a Ukrainian drone introduced it to Ukrainian gunners. It burned brightly, the fire extinguisher did not help.”
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.
