Ukraine’s armed forces have shared a video they say shows the destruction of Russian military vehicles in Donetsk.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted a clip on its Facebook page which included a description of an operation of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) in the oblast’s grey zone.
It said in the post that the SSO had been given orders to destroy enemy equipment that lay nearby. Its troops managed to pass through mine and explosive barricades before reaching the armed vehicles from which documents, weapons and radios were seized.
The video shows infrared images of an explosion and smoke billowing into the sky, which was described by the post as the Russian T-72 tank and BMP-1 “blown up right in front of the enemy,” according to a translation. The BMP-1 is a Soviet-era amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle.
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Newsweek reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry via email for comment.
The release of the undated video, which has not been independently verified, comes as Russian media reported the much-heralded arrival of the Russian Army’s T-14 Armata tanks.
These “breakthrough” tanks have made it to Ukraine, the RIA state news agency reported, although the high-tech vehicles are yet to appear on the frontlines and have been instead firing on Ukraine’s forces at a distance.
Kremlin-friendly media have been anticipating the T-14, which has been in development for more than a decade but has faced delays and manufacturing problems. While the vehicles would give Russian forces a propaganda boost, British defense officials have said that deploying such new equipment in a battle situation would be risky.
Танк і БМП противника знищили воїни ССО України у сірій зоні на Донеччині.Ворожа техніка перебувала між позиціями воїнів сил оборони і росіян – в 150 метрах від ворога. Ця ділянка добре проглядалася спостерігачами противника. Попри це бойова група ССО України висунулася до сірої зони з наказом про знищення російської техніки.Пройшовши мінно-вибухові загородження воїни ССО дісталися бронемашин. Під час огляду було знайдено важливі трофеї: документи, зброю і радіостанції, які наші оператори забрали із собою.Замінувавши техніку, бойова група успішно повернулася назад. А російські танк Т-72 та БМП – 1 були підірвані прямо на очах противника.Командування Сил спеціальних операцій ЗС України
3-й окремий полк СпП імені князя Святослава ХороброгоPosted by Генеральний штаб ЗСУ / General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Ukraine will receive the American-supplied M1 Abrams tanks, which United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said would arrive in “coming weeks” as part of an “expedited” process as part of a commitment to arm Kyiv announced in January by President Joe Biden.
Abrams tanks can weigh more than 73 tons, travel up to 42 miles per hour and are renowned for their firepower and maneuverability. The tanks are part of a package of military aid agreed upon by Ukraine’s allies, including France and the United Kingdom, which has supplied Challenger tanks.
On Tuesday, British Armed Forces Minister Jeames Heappy said that the U.K. had sent “thousands of rounds of Challenger 2 ammunition to Ukraine, including depleted uranium armor-piercing rounds.”
Since the start of its invasion, Russian forces have lost 1,906 tanks, according to the open-source weapons tracker Oryx, as of Wednesday.
Meanwhile, British defense officials said on Wednesday that “heavy, short-range fighting” was continuing between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the western districts of Bakhmut, the city in Donetsk Oblast fought over for months.