Russian artillery destroyed in Massive explosion
A video showing a Russian tank being obliterated by a Ukrainian missile has gone viral on social media, as tensions between the two countries escalate over the disputed Crimean Peninsula.
The footage, captured by a Chinese TV crew, shows the tank being hit by a M982 Excalibur, a precision-guided artillery projectile, and exploding in a huge fireball. The tank’s turret is seen flying through the air before landing on the ground.
The incident occurred on May 13, 2023, near the city of Kyiv, where Russian forces had been besieging the Ukrainian capital for months. The video was posted on Twitter by Igor Sushko, a Ukrainian journalist and activist, who claimed that the tank was part of a Russian convoy that was trying to break through the Ukrainian defenses.
Sushko’s tweet, which has been viewed over 4.3 million times, said: “‘We are very lucky Russian soldiers are so stupid,’ exemplified.”
The video has not been independently verified, but it appears to be consistent with other reports of Ukrainian forces using advanced weapons to counter the Russian invasion. According to the Dutch open-source outlet Oryx, which monitors both Ukrainian and Russian military losses, Ukraine has destroyed more than 2,000 Russian tanks since the conflict began in early 2022.
The Excalibur missile, developed by the US Army and Raytheon, is a GPS-guided munition that can hit targets up to 40 kilometers (25 miles) away with an accuracy of 2 meters (6 feet). The missile can also penetrate reinforced concrete and armored vehicles, making it a lethal weapon against Russian tanks.
The US has been providing military aid to Ukraine, including Excalibur missiles, Javelin anti-tank missiles, and drones, to help the country defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The US has also imposed sanctions on Russia and its allies for their role in the aggression.
