A dramatic video released by Ukraine's military on Thursday shows a line of Russian tanks blown up in an ambush while on their way to attack Kyiv. The video shows a drone footage wherein several tanks and other armored vehicles can be seen exploding in the attack by Ukrainian defenders using artillery shells or mines, according to the Times of London.
The chilling footage once again proves the extent of losses being suffered by the Russian military in the war. Also, the ambush that saw more than a score of tanks and armored vehicles being destroyed is yet another major setback for the Russian as they continue to struggle to capture Kyiv.
Turned into Ashes
The Red Army was moving closer to Kyiv on Wednesday night when a surprise attack from the front and back of the convoy obliterated a number of Russian T-72 tanks and other vehicles, forcing those who survived to turn and flee.
The devastating artillery strike, which hit a column of 30 tanks and support forces, including a terrifying TOS-1 thermobaric launcher, left Russia lamenting the loss of yet another senior commander. The ambush took place at Brovary.
Drone footage posted online captured the 'Battle of Brovary', named after the north-eastern Kyiv suburb in which it took place.
The 45-second video, posted by Ukraine's military forces, is a montage of the battle on the road, that shows the relentless bombardment on the tanks by Ukrainian forces. Because of the film's poor quality, the fighting may not have occurred on Thursday.
The video shows explosions erupting around the Russian tanks, sending plumes of black and grey smoke into the atmosphere. Smoldering shells of Moscow's machinery sat abandoned beside the road on Wednesday.
Several military analysts described the video as authentic, saying it revealed surprise Russian tactics, such as the deployment of more than 20 tanks and other armored vehicles on a vital road near the city.
Setback for Russia
Besides the tanks, a TOS-1 thermobaric launcher was also destroyed in the ambush, exposing Russia's war strategy. The UK Ministry of Defense stated on Wednesday that Russia had admitted to employing "vacuum bombs" in Ukraine.
Russia has confirmed using a mobile rocket-launching system with thermobaric warheads, which suck up the air around targets and potentially rupture people's lungs, according to the British agency. Officials from the United States have previously verified the presence of thermobaric-capable launchers in Ukraine, but they couldn't determine whether they had been utilized.
The 'Battle of Brovary' definitely is a major setback for the Russian. The footage is overlaid with an audio of what appears to be a Russian officer reporting an attack to his superiors. This is presented as an effective commentary on the fighting shown.
However, the audio says a lot about the regiment's helplessness during the ambush. In the video, a Russian soldier could be heard saying: "Commander, the commander's dead!"
"Sixth regiment lost," the officer tells headquarters. "I cannot report about the 6th regiment. I'm collecting data. Lots of losses. They waited for us. Head of the convoy got into the ambush. Regiment commander killed in action."
Later, Ukraine's Ministry of Defence named the dead Russian commander as Colonel Andrei Zakharov, of the 6th Tank Regiment of the 90th Tank Division, whom its statement describes as having been "liquidated".
In 2016, Vladimir Putin had awarded the Order of Courage to Zakharov and the two were photographed shoulder to shoulder.
Zakharov's death, which could not be verified, is yet another setback for Putin, following the deaths of Major General Vitaly Gerasimov, the 41st Army's chief of staff, who was reportedly killed in fighting in Kharkiv on Monday, and Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky, the 41st Army's deputy commander, who was killed early in the invasion.
