Footage shows Russian column of tanks destroyed in Ukrainian ambush

By William On Mar 31, 2023

Stunning footage shows an entire column of Russian tanks and armored vehicles being destroyed one by one in an extraordinary ambush by Ukrainian marines.

Video shows five Russian tanks advancing through a devastated village in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, where fierce fighting has reduced homes to rubble.

But soldiers from the 36th Separate Marine Brigade had been watching their advance from their bunkers and launched a series of US-supplied Javelin missiles at the tanks, destroying them one by one in a scene of utter carnage.

A missile can be seen hurtling through the air before crashing into one of the tanks, which erupts in a ball of flame. At one point another missile hits another tank and we see desperate Russian soldiers fleeing the burning wreckage.

The Javelin missile has been an integral part of Ukraine’s arsenal since the beginning of the war, as it can effectively engage Russian tanks by flying from a height and striking the target from above.

Stunning footage shows an entire column of Russian tanks and armored vehicles being destroyed one by one in an extraordinary ambush by Ukrainian marines

A missile can be seen racing through the air before crashing into one of the tanks, which erupts in a ball of flame

At one point another missile hits another tank and we see desperate Russian soldiers fleeing the burning wreckage

The missile, part of a series of weapons sent to Ukraine by Western countries such as the US and UK, is particularly deadly against tanks because their armor is thinnest at the top.

The footage shows five Russian tanks driving through a devastated village before a Ukrainian soldier fires the Javelin missile at the column of military vehicles.

The rocket is seen racing through the air and crashing into the tank, which bursts into flames. Plumes of black smoke rise into the sky and the four other tanks try to run and avoid Ukrainian fire.

The same Ukrainian marine fires two missiles in quick succession at the tanks in a field, causing them to erupt in massive fireballs.

The Ukrainian troops launch another missile at the floundering Russian troops, hitting another tank.

After being hit, the Russian tank manages to frantically drive away in an attempt to avoid the bombardment of missiles. But another missile manages to hit the tank as it races across the field, forcing the Russian soldiers to flee the burning wreckage.

Three Russian soldiers manage to jump out of a burning tank and run across the blackened field in different directions in chaos.

The same Ukrainian marine fires two missiles in quick succession at the tanks in a field, causing them to erupt in huge balls of fire

Three Russian soldiers manage to jump out of a burning tank and run in different directions across the blackened field in chaos

The same Ukrainian marine fires two missiles in quick succession at the tanks in a field, causing them to erupt in huge balls of fire

Another tank races across the field and a missile misses it by inches. The Russian tank then begins to back up frantically before firing at the Ukrainian troops.

Javelin anti-tank guided missiles

Countries they shipped: UK, Estonia and USA

How much has Ukraine received? Over 5,500 from the US, unknown of the others

Cost: £130,000 ($175,000) each just for the missile

How they work: Javelins work by using infrared systems to lock onto their targets, meaning troops don’t have to keep aiming after pulling the trigger.

Once the missile is fired, it shoots out of the tube with a small charge – so it can be fired in a small space – before the main missiles ignite.

The missile then flies up to 150 meters into the air before landing on its target from above – known as a ‘curveball’ shot.

This makes them especially deadly against tanks as their armor is thinnest at the top, although Javelins can also be used to blow up buildings.

Fact file: The FGM-148 Javelin is a US-made missile designed primarily to destroy tanks, using a combination of ‘curveball’ attack – meaning it strikes its targets from above – and dual high-explosive warheads to destroy them. to turn off.

Javelins were developed in the 1990s and have been in service since 1996 – during the Second Iraq War they encountered Russian-designed T-72 tanks where they proved to be particularly effective.

Russia still uses T-72 tanks – with dozens of T-72Bs now deployed near Ukraine – and although they have undergone several rounds of improvements since Saddam’s time, they are still believed to be vulnerable to the rocket ship.

But the rebellious Ukrainian marines respond by firing another missile at the tank, and smoke envelops the vehicle.

Within seconds, the Ukrainian forces fire another Javelin missile at another tank and it explodes in a massive fireball with large pieces of debris shooting from the wreckage. The footage then cuts to the burning tanks on the field that have been torn apart by large craters as a result of the heavy fighting.

The 36th Separate Marine Brigade said of the footage: “How the javelin throwers of the 36th separate brigade of marines, named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilinsky, burn Russian armored vehicles in the Donetsk region is a real art.”

Elsewhere on the frontline, Ukraine said Russian forces continued their assault in the east, particularly on Bakhmut and nearby towns, as well as on the town of Avdiivka, about 60 kilometers southwest of Bakhmut.

Bakhmut has been the site of the bloodiest infantry battle in Europe since World War II, with Russian troops seeking their first victory since mid-2022.

“Our defenses hold the city and repel numerous enemy attacks,” the Ukrainian military said on Facebook Thursday evening.

Interviewed on Ukraine’s NV Radio, Ukrainian military analyst and journalist Andriy Tsaplienko said Russian troops in Avdiivka were trying to replicate what happened in Bakhmut.

“The city is under constant, daily shelling. They understand that they cannot just conquer it and instead start destroying Avdiivka as much as possible,” Tsaplienko said.

The Ukrainian army had said a day earlier that Russian fighters had some success in Bakhmut. Evhen Dikyi, a Ukrainian military analyst interviewed on Ukraine’s NV Radio, said Russian forces controlled more than half of the city.

“I can tell you that Bakhmut is holding his ground. But there is fierce fighting in the city and the city center is getting closer and closer,” he said.

If Russian troops are said to have made “any progress,” it’s probably because they crossed the Bakhmutka River. They come wave after wave and we are talking about a few hundred meters,” Dikyi added.

A month ago, it seemed that the Ukrainian army was going to leave Bakhmut, but it has since decided to stay and fight for it, hoping to exhaust and exhaust the Russian strike force.