The footage was obtained from the 22nd Motorized Infantry Battalion on Friday, August 19.
The footage was obtained from the 22nd Motorized Infantry Battalion on Friday, August 19.
This footage shows a Ukrainian T-64BM tank blowing a Russian anti-aircraft cannon to smithereens with a well-aimed shot.
The images show the Russian anti-aircraft cannon having been detected by a Ukrainian drone before the footage shows the Ukrainian T-64BM tank hiding among some trees.
It fires a well-aimed shot and obliterates the Russian war machine. It then fires a second shot that destroys a nearby building.
The ruined building immediately catches fire, with drone images then showing that there was a Russian armored vehicle hidden inside the building. A white ‘Z’ can be seen on the destroyed vehicle.
The ‘Z’ is one of the symbols, as well as the letters ‘V’ and ‘O’ that can be seen painted on Russian military vehicles taking part in the invasion of Ukraine.
The footage was obtained from the 22nd Motorized Infantry Battalion, also known as the Kharkiv Battalion, of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, on Friday, August 19, along with a statement saying: “The weapon – no matter how cool it is – is controlled by brave Ukrainian soldiers who have been defending the Ukrainian land from the Russian occupation forces for the 177th day of the war.
“During reconnaissance in the area of ​​responsibility of the 22nd Separate Motorized Infantry Battalion, our soldiers discovered enemy armored vehicles.
“The servicemen nicely demonstrated how they hit the ZU-23-2 from a T-64BM tank, which the invaders thought was securely hidden.
“We destroy the Russian invaders along with their armored vehicles. The enemy will be destroyed, and the Ukrainian land will be completely cleansed of enemy invaders.”
The T-64BM ‘Bulat’ is a Ukrainian tank that has been produced in the country since 2005. It is a modified version of the Soviet T-64.
The ZU-23-2 is a Soviet-era anti-aircraft autocannon that can be mounted on armored vehicles, as seen in the footage.
The images were also relayed by the Office of Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Zenger News contacted the 22nd Motorized Infantry Battalion for further comment, as well as the Russian Ministry of Defense, but had not received a reply at the time of writing.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Friday marks the 177th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and August 19, Russia had lost about 44,700 personnel, 1,899 tanks, 4,195 armored combat vehicles, 1,016 artillery units, 266 multiple launch rocket systems, 141 air defense systems, 234 warplanes, 197 helicopters, 795 drones, 190 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 3,130 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 94 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower, but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures. The Pentagon said last week that Russia had suffered between 70,000 and 80,000 casualties – deaths and injuries – since the beginning of its invasion.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has confirmed that China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin will both attend the G 20s summit in Bali in November.
Ukraine’s military intelligence has warned that Russian forces may be preparing to stage a “provocation” at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that he is “gravely concerned” about the situation at the nuclear power plant – Europe’s largest – and has called on the Russian military to urgently withdraw from the site. He added: “We must tell it like it is – any potential damage to Zaporizhzhia is suicide.”
The Kharkiv regional governor, Oleh Synehubov, has said that at least 17 people were killed and 42 injured in two separate Russian strikes on Kharkiv before dawn on Thursday.
Four explosions reportedly hit an area near a major Russian military airport in Crimea on Thursday. Russia has so far denied that any damage was done.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine has not changed its stance on potential peace negotiations with Russia, saying that talks with Russia would only be possible if Moscow’s forces withdrew from illegally occupied territory.
“The heavy attrition of Russian Main Battle Tanks in Ukraine is highly likely partially due to Russia’s failure to fit and properly employ adequate Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA)”, British intelligence said in a statement on Thursday, August 18.
The statement also said: “Used correctly, ERA degrades the effectiveness of incoming projectiles before they hit the tank. This suggests that Russian forces have not rectified a culture of poor ERA use, which dates back to the First Chechen War in 1994.”
