Russian drone takes out US-made armor in Kursk Region – MOD (VIDEO)
A Russian kamikaze drone has destroyed a Ukrainian US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) in Kursk Region, the Defense Ministry has said, releasing a video of the strike.
In a statement on Friday, the ministry said the IFV was hit by Russia’s North military group, which has been countering Ukraine’s large-scale cross-border incursion that began last summer but has since been contained.
The ministry added that the drone was guided through a fiber-optic cable physically attached to the aircraft, rather than by remote control. According to media reports, this practice has become widespread in Kursk Region, where Ukrainian forces heavily rely on electronic warfare measures to hamper radio-guided drones.
The short clip released by the ministry shows the drone descending at relatively low speed on the Bradley, which is parked on the side of the road and covered by what appears to be an anti-drone net. The aircraft strikes the front of the vehicle, which is unprotected by the net, and the signal goes off. It is unclear whether any members of the Ukrainian crew were killed or injured in the attack.
Ukraine launched a large-scale attack on Kursk Region in early August, initially making some advances, but was soon stopped by Russian forces. Earlier this month, Kiev started a major attempt to expand its foothold on Russian soil, but the attack was defeated.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Kiev has lost more than 50,000 servicemembers and almost 300 tanks in the area since the start of the incursion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the Kursk incursion as a reckless “adventure” which sought to distract Moscow from other sectors of the front – which he said has completely failed – adding that the Ukrainian forces will eventually be driven out.
