Drone footage has revealed the devastating accuracy of a US Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) after it obliterated Russia’s most advanced tank on the Ukrainian battlefield.
Vladimir Putin’s ‘world-best’ T-90, said to be worth £3.5 million, was reduced to scrap after being disabled and peppered with projectiles.
The tank appeared to suffer multiple close-range hits in the village of Stepove, in the eastern region of Donetsk.
It lost control before crashing into a tree in footage released by Ukraine’s armed forces.
In another clip, a ‘Bradley’ is seen blitzing three of the Kremlin’s BMP-2 armoured vehicles, coming to the rescue of Ukrainian troops trying to defend Stepove.
The Bradley IFVs were shipped to Ukraine from the US early last year, with more than 150 thought to have been operating on the frontlines by September, according to reports.
Germany also delivered a number of cutting-edge Leopard-2 tanks in the hope they could make a ‘decisive contribution’ to the war frontlines.
Former British tank commander, Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, said it was likely the T-90 had fallen to a Bradley because the Kremlin continues to favour firepower and mobility over heavier, more protective armour, according to the Daily Telegraph.
A Russian tank exploding after an onslaught from a Bradley IVF
The US ‘Bradley’ destroyed Russian tanks with devastating accuracy (Picture: Telegram)
‘It shows just how vulnerable Russian tanks are, because protection comes a distant third to firepower and mobility,’ he said.
The tank may have been operated by an ill-prepared crew, he added.
‘They might be getting enough tanks back on track but they just can’t come up with the trained crews, which is proving a real problem for Russia,’ Colonel de Bretton-Gordon said.
Some 315,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded in the conflict, according to a US intelligence report – far more than the Kremlin has admitted and far outpacing Ukrainian loses, Forbes reported.
Rishi Sunak insisted Ukraine ‘would never be alone’ as he pledged £2.5bn of military aid.
Russia-Ukraine war: Everything you need to know
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, the country has suffered widespread damages and loss of life amid a major bombing campaign.
Millions of people have fled the country, with thousands of British people opening up their homes to Ukrainian refugees.
During the course of the war, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has remained in Kyiv, despite the Ukrainian capital being subjected to a barrage of bombing.
Zelensky has continuously pushed for aid and support from world leaders, as well as pressing for fast-tracked NATO membership.
Meanwhile, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has been widely condemned for his attack on Ukraine.
His actions have been met by harsh economic sanctions, bans from competing in major sporting events, and countries moving away from using Russian oil.
Vladimir Putin retaliated by declaring war on Britain’s fishing industry – amid reports he is ready to terminate a Cold War deal that allows UK boats to fish in the Barents Sea, a stretch of the Arctic Ocean located between Russia and Norway.
A top military officer warned people could face conscription after Nato admitted it is preparing for an all-out war with Russia.
Nato’s military committee chairman, Admiral Rob Bauer, said large numbers of civilians must be mobilised in case World War Three breaks out, adding: ‘anything can happen at any time’.
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