Russian Soldier Obliterated by Anti-Tank Missile Hit in Ukraine: Video
Footage of the moment a Russian soldier was purportedly targeted and hit by a Ukrainian anti-tank missile has gone viral online.
The 21-second clip, first shared online by Twitter user Alex Bond, shows a missile moving towards a soldier running across a field before an explosion takes place.
Bond, who describes himself as a "Ukrainian volunteer" in his Twitter profile, said the strike showed the "high professionalism of the operator." In response to a question about the price of the missiles, Bond replied: "Agree that it is not cost efficient, but guys said it was all worth it. Can't go into detail."
Very rare and unusual usage of Ukranian "Stugna" anti tank system.
But it shows high professionalism of the operator 🫡
Video done by our good friends 🙂 pic.twitter.com/aMG4V3xeQI — Alex Bond (@AlexBondODUA) August 1, 2023
No location or date was given for the unverified video, although it was timestamped May 24 of this year. Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.
The Stugna-P, also known as Stuhna-P, is a Ukrainian anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system developed in the early 2010s by Luch Design Bureau, a unit of the Ukrainian defense ministry.
Soon after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, defense publication 19fortyfive.com reported that the Stugna was proving to be very effective for Kyiv's forces on the battlefield. Weighing 200 pounds, it is less portable than the Javelin ATGMs which have been supplied by the West, but it has a longer range. Its operator can semi-automatically steer the missile mid-flight.
Many videos have emerged showing their success in striking targets. One clip in July 2022 showed Ukraine's 36th Separate Marine Brigade using the ATGM to destroy Russian ammo depots in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson Oblast.
In April this year, video purportedly shows a Stugna-P demolishing four Russian tanks within three minutes near Izyum, Kharkiv region, with each vehicle reportedly valued up to $3 million.
Ukrainian tank crew stands on tank PT-91 Twardy on July 24, 2023, in Donetsk Oblast. Video shared online purportedly shows Ukrainian forces using a Stugna-P anti-tank guided missile system to target a Russian soldier. Roman Chop/Getty Images
Also this week, Ukraine's armed forces released video it said showed a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) being used in a strike that reportedly took out 200 Russian soldiers on a beach in the occupied Kherson region.
Ukraine's armed forces posted undated footage of the strike on camps on the island of Dzharylhach in the Black Sea, which came amid Kyiv's counteroffensive to retake Russian-occupied territory that started around June 4.
Meanwhile on Wednesday, a clip on social media purports to show a missile strike at the Gvardeyskoye airfield, north of Simferopol, which is home to Russia's 37th Air Regiment, part of the country's Southern Military District.
Source: Newsweek
