A video circulating online allegedly shows a failed Ukrainian attempt to evacuate soldiers from the front line with an infantry fighting vehicle that picks up a combat team but is destroyed by a powerful explosion shortly thereafter.
The two-minute-long clip shows a crater-dotted field and a line of dead trees, among which a group of soldiers are apparently taking cover from enemy fire. The armored vehicle swoops in and stops near their position, waiting for the troops to get inside.
At least one person was apparently injured and had to crawl, while a total of eight infantrymen can be seen escaping their hideout.
The soldiers successfully reach the vehicle, even as clouds of dust – likely kicked up by stray bullets – billow around them. The vehicle speeds away, but is suddenly obliterated in a powerful blast that scatters debris high in the air. It remains unclear what caused the explosion.
The video was uploaded this week by a pro-Russian social media account but could not be verified. According to the description accompanying the post, the footage was taken from a drone and shows an attempted retreat of a Ukrainian unit after a failed probing attack on Russian positions.