NewsRescue
A video posted on Wednesday by a Russian Telegram channel purports to show a drone striking a Ukrainian-made MAXX Pro Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle.
The video shows what looks to be the MAXX Pro vehicle stopped at the edge of the tree line near a gravel road. The first segment of the footage is supposedly captured directly from the drone as it approaches its target. The frame then shifts to show the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) striking the vehicle directly. The MAXX Pro then vanishes in a massive plume of smoke after the explosion.
According to a Russian media article released this week, the strike occurred in late September, apparently in Zaporozhye Region.
The Telegram post claims that a Lancet drone was used for the attack. In mid-September, the Financial Times described these UAVs, which are able to autonomously track their targets, as a “particular menace” to Ukrainian troops. The paper said that the Lancets are giving Moscow an edge in the conflict when it comes to drone warfare since Ukraine lacks similar UAVs.
Russian troops have repeatedly publicised films of drones destroying Western military equipment delivered to Kiev, including Lancets. The Russian Defence Ministry released three such videos in late September, showing the destruction of two German-made Leopard tanks and a Swedish variant of the armour. Lancets were apparently fired at all of the tanks.
Hundreds of heavy weapons were delivered to Ukraine by the US and its allies ahead of its much-touted counteroffensive. However, Kiev has mostly failed to seize any land since the campaign began in early June.
