‘Annihilated’: How Ukraine Launched a Massive Artillery Strike on Russian Armor

Before the war in Ukraine, many experts believed that Russia’s military might actually be among the best on Earth – maybe even second to the United States. 

However, we can say that Moscow’s forces are quite a few steps below Washington and maybe a few other nations. 

The evidence keeps growing with each passing day as Ukraine destroys more and more of Russia’s forces – and we can see it all on social media. 

Ukraine Annihilated Russian Armor 

The Ukrainian 45th Separate Artillery Brigade has racked up another “kill” in the Luhansk Oblast, destroying a Russian BMD-4M airborne infantry fighting vehicle. The incident occurred back in June of this year.

The unit was first raised in August 2016 and has continued to share videos of its actions on social media.

According to a post from Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) back in June, the unit successfully targeted the IFV on the outskirts of the city of Kreminna in the Luhansk Oblast.

In the nearly one-minute-long clip, the BMD-4M can be seen burning after taking a direct hit.

This strike comes just days after as many as 100 Russian soldiers were killed in the area when they came under attack while waiting to hear a motivational speech from their commander.

Instead of hearing him deliver his remarks, the troops were lined up when a Ukrainian M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) targeted the position.

The BMD-4 in the Crosshairs

The BMD-4 was developed to transport Russian Airborne Troops (VDV), and the amphibious IFV is essentially an upgraded version of the BMD-3. In fact, it was originally designated as the BMD-3M as it shares the same chassis. Though it was first introduced in 2004, a modernized version with a new chassis – the BMD-4M – was developed a few years later, and was officially adopted by the Kremlin in 2016.

Approximately 200 are reported to have been delivered to the Russian military, but it is unknown how many have been deployed to the frontlines in Ukraine.

The BMD-4M can be paradropped from military cargo aircraft with the crew inside, and on the ground and is meant to serve as an armored transport vehicle while also providing fire support for airborne troops. However, due to strict weight requirements, the IFV has relatively thin armor – which can provide protection only from small arms fire and artillery shell splinters. It can be equipped with add-on armor, but only for ground operations that don’t require it to be deployed by air.

Despite its light armor, the BMD-4M can still pack a punch as it is armed with a 2A70 100mm main gun, fitted with an autoloader, as well as a 2A72 coaxial 30mm automatic cannon. The maximum rate of fire of the main gun is 10 to 15 rounds per minute – while it can also fire 9M117M1-3 Arkan laser-guided anti-tank missiles in the same manner as ordinary projectiles. Missiles are fitted with tandem HEAT warheads and have a range of up to 5.5 km.

The missiles can penetrate 750mm of steel armor, even behind explosive reactive armor (ERA), which is sufficient to destroy even the latest Western main battle tanks (MBTs). The IFV’s digital fire control system also enables it to shoot accurately in all weather conditions, day or night. Additional armament includes a PKTM 7.62mm coaxial machine gun.

Given the capabilities of the BMD-4M, it is easy to see why Ukraine’s 45th Separate Artillery Brigade went to such lengths to destroy the vehicle and then brag about it on social media.

#Ukraine: A Russian BMD-4M airborne IFV was destroyed by artillery fire of the Ukrainian 45th Artillery Brigade near Kreminna, #Luhansk Oblast. pic.twitter.com/4gm0IHmNc4

— ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) June 16, 2023

Author Experience and Expertise

A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.