A video emerged online on Saturday, allegedly showing a battle in which an advancing Ukrainian armored convoy, featuring German-made Leopard 2A6 tanks and US-supplied Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, was caught in a minefield and destroyed by Russian forces.
The clip, which first appeared in the Ukrainian media, was apparently shot in Russia’s Zaporozhye Region by a camera on one of the Bradleys involved in the clash, which is said to have taken place near the village of Malaya Tokmachka on Wednesday.
The video shows the US-supplied infantry fighting vehicle repeatedly firing in the direction of the nearby woods.
Two more armored vehicles in the picture appear to be abandoned, while another Bradley explodes as it passes by, after apparently hitting a mine.
The rest of the clip shows attempts by the surviving Ukrainian soldiers to evacuate under Russian fire, while trying to create a smoke screen to cover their retreat.
Aerial footage from the same battle was earlier posted by the Russian Defense Ministry and military bloggers. The clips captured several Ukrainian Leopard 2A6 tanks and Bradley vehicles being destroyed or abandoned.
The images are considered to be the first solid proof of Western armor, provided to Kiev by the West for its counteroffensive, being eliminated by the Russian military.
According to the The New York Times, which verified the authenticity of the Russian videos, Ukraine lost at least three Leopard 2 tanks and eight Bradley fighting vehicles in that battle.