Throughout the war in Ukraine, video footage shared on social media has shown Ukrainian soldiers using drones to destroy abandoned Russian equipment time and time again. The videos often prompt questions from social media users who wonder why Ukrainian forces would destroy vehicles and tanks that could theoretically be saved, repaired, and redeployed.
In many instances, that’s exactly what Ukrainian – and Russian – forces do. When vehicles are abandoned and easily accessible, recovery vehicles may be used to bring the equipment back to safe positions and repair them.
However, in many cases, the abandoned vehicles may be closer to enemy positions, making it more likely that enemy troops will recover vehicles. In other cases, troops may simply not have access to the kind of recovery equipment and vehicles required to move tanks, IFVs, and armored vehicles.
When tanks and armored vehicles cannot be easily repaired or recovered, drones can be used to destroy them – but video footage shared online shows how Ukrainian troops have the tools and knowledge required to save vehicles wherever possible.
Watch Ukrainian Troops Recover Vehicles In Zaporizhzhia Oblast
Video footage shared on social media shows how Ukrainian forces used a Bergepanzer 2 ARV to recover damaged equipment in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. It’s just one of many examples of Ukrainian forces recovering abandoned or damaged equipment with the intent of repairing and redeploying the machines.
In the clip, recorded on a cell phone by a soldier, troops are seen attempting to pull heavy machinery out of the mud. The vehicles are sunk into the soft, wet ground, but they look perfectly repairable – at least from the exterior.
The video was shared directly by the soldiers who recorded the clip and later reuploaded to war-tracking Twitter accounts, including Ukraine Weapons Tracker.
Among the vehicles that Ukrainian troops are seen recovering are two U.S.-supplied Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs).
“A Ukrainian Bergepanzer 2 ARV recovering damaged equipment including two M2A2 Bradley ODS-SA IFVs, South of Mala Tokmachka, #Zaporizhzhia Oblast,” the account writes.
What Is a Bergepanzer?
The Bergepanzer 2 is an Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV) that’s designed to make recovering damaged vehicles possible on the battlefield. The Bergepanzer 2 is a German vehicle that was originally developed and deployed in the mid-1950s. Since then, the vehicle has been used by the armed forces of more than a dozen countries, including Australia, Belgium, Italy, Canada, Poland, and Ukraine.
The vehicle is manned by four troops, including a driver, commander, a bow machine ganner, and one additional crew member.
#Ukraine: A Ukrainian Bergepanzer 2 ARV recovering damaged equipment including two M2A2 Bradley ODS-SA IFVs, South of Mala Tokmachka, #Zaporizhzhia Oblast. pic.twitter.com/321JuwW4to
— ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) July 1, 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.
