Video footage appears to show a Russian armoured vehicle reversing over soldiers in the latest embarrassing blow to Vladimir Putin.
In a clip posted to the Telegram messaging app by Ukraine’s “Kraken” specialized unit a Russian BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle appears to reverse, turn and then plough into a group of soldiers on the ground.
Some appear to scramble clear of the war machine’s path before the footage cuts away to what appears to be footage of the vehicle exploding.
Express.co.uk has not been able to independently verify the video, first shared by Newsweek.
The BMP-2 is designed to support main battle tanks during attacks and has a welded steel turret at its centre where the commander and gunner sit.
In February, Forbes reported Russia was running so low of BMP-2s to deploy in Ukraine that it was having to reactivate obsolete Soviet era BMP-1s.
In the months since Russia invaded Ukraine, Putin’s army has spent roughly £134billion on the conflict, according to figures revealed by the same publication.
The numbers are based on calculations from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from data gathered between February 24, 2022, and August 24, 2023.
However, the estimate does not include constant defence spending unrelated to direct military operations.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian special forces claimed they had struck two Russian airfields, destroying swathes of Russian hardware.
Kyiv said they had taken out nine Russian helicopters, an anti-aircraft missile system and an ammunition warehouse with the use of US-supplied Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).
The attacks reportedly took place in Berdyanskand at an airfield near Luhansk.
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry says Russia has to date lost more than 5,000 tanks, 7,057 artillery systems, 320 aircraft and 324 helicopters.
It also maintains 294,700 Russian service personnel have been killed since the wider conflict began on February 24, 2022. Ukraine does not release figures for its own losses.
Express.co.uk has not been able to independently verify the ministry’s figures.
