Ukraine admits its forces blew up Russian armored personnel carrier and crew

Ukrainian Armed Forces on Thursday admitted blowing up a Russian armoured personnel carrier BTR-82 and its crew. Footage showing the Ukrainian soldiers bombing the Russian armoured vehicle was verified as authentic by the head of the public relations service for the Ground Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Major Fityo Volodymyr when reached out by Zenger News. The visuals were first accessed via Ukraine's 53rd Mechanized Brigade also known as the 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade which has been named after Prince Volodymyr Monomakh of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"Minus one BTR-82 with a crew, plus 10 'Ladas'" Ukraine's 53rd Mechanized Brigade said in a statement. 

Ukraine's forces had also earlier similarly blown up a Russian armoured personnel carrier Stugna-P anti-tank guided missile. Stugna-P is an anti-tank guided missile system manufactured by Ukraine in 2010 that also downed a Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter. 

Fityo Volodymyr on Thursday confirmed that the recent visuals of the Russian armoured vehicle bombed by Ukrainians are authentic and that it was carried out "from the brigade's drone." The Russian Ministry of Defense meanwhile did not make comment or admitted to the loss of soldiers. The footage widely circulated showed a missile launched toward its target and blowing up into a massive explosion causing fire and a thick plume of smoke. Some images were also relayed by the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"Soldiers of a separate mechanized brigade named after Prince Volodymyr Monomakh continue to destroy the Russian invaders and their equipment successfully. We continue to carry out combat missions and destroy the enemies of Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine!" Ukraine's 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade wrote. 

Ukrainians blew up Russia's Stugna-P anti-tank guided missile system

Last month the Command of the Airborne Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine later shared separate footage of blowing up a Russian tank and later admitting in a statement that its troops carried out a successful operation. The Russian armoured vehicle was blown up by the 80th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine garrisoned in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, they said. 

"Lviv paratroopers continue to successfully destroy Russian armoured vehicles together with their crews. The video shows the effective use of the modern Ukrainian Stugna-P anti-tank guided missile system against enemy armoured vehicles," they wrote in a statement. Furthermore, the statement revealed that the Lviv paratroopers, together with other units of the Armed Forces and other components of the defence forces of Ukraine, "knocked out nine Russian tanks, and seven units of other armoured vehicles (APCs and BMPs), one truck and destroyed about 70 occupiers." The BMPs stand for the infantry fighting vehicles, and APC implies the armoured personnel carrier which is widely used in combat. 

"We continue to carry out combat missions and destroy the enemies of Ukraine! Death to the Russian invaders! Airborne Assault Troops - Always First! Glory to Ukraine!" Command of the Airborne Assault Troops said.