Drone footage has emerged showing the destruction of a Ukrainian armored personnel carrier as it transported an infantry unit to positions near the town of Chasov Yar in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic.
The vehicle, likely a Ukrainian-designed Kozak-7 APC based on a commercial Ford Super Duty chassis, was captured in drone surveillance footage driving off road towards a wooded area. The APC, which is seen firing its mounted machine gun towards an unseen target, is suddenly obliterated by a powerful blast.
The carrier apparently hit an anti-tank mine, which judging by the magnitude of the explosion was either reinforced by additional explosives or featured two munitions stacked on top of each other. The vehicle ended up overturned and caught fire. Two of its crew apparently survived the blast, rushing to hide in nearby shrubbery after escaping the wreckage.
Chasov Yar, which has long served as a key logistics hub and a major stronghold for Ukrainian forces in the conflict with Russia, has seen active fighting over the past few weeks. The town, split in two uneven parts by a major canal, is located some 10km west of the city of Artyomovsk (known in Ukraine as Bakhmut), which was the scene of intense combat for months before being captured by Russian forces in May 2023.