Video shows Ukrainian fighter firing Javelin missile at Russian tank

A video shared online by the Ukrainian military showed a soldier taking out a Russian tank with a US-made Javelin missile.

The clip was originally shared Sunday night by the official Facebook page of Ukraine’s 81st Airmobile Brigade, part of the country’s Air Assault Forces. It begins with a shot of a soldier firing from a shoulder-mounted Javelin launcher before switching to an overhead drone shot that captures the explosive results as the missile hits a Russian tank. It’s unclear from the post where the strike took place, although the 81st Brigade is headquartered in Donetsk, a region in eastern Ukraine that was the scene of intense conflict during the Russian invasion.

“Another short story about a Russian tank losing a catch-up game against a Ukrainian missile,” read the post, translated by Google software. “And we’re on the hunt.”

Javelin anti-tank missiles are among the numerous rounds of military equipment the US has provided to Ukraine to help counter Russian forces that began the invasion in February 2022. Earlier last month, the US shipped around $30 billion worth of hardware to Ukraine. According to a Department of Defense (DoD) report on the 33rd round of relief, which was valued at around $400 million. A forbes A December report noted that the US had deployed a total of 8,500 Javelin missiles by that time.

Despite opposition from some Republicans who oppose continued aid, President Joe Biden has repeatedly reiterated that the US will continue to support Ukraine’s fight against Russia.

“When Russia invaded, it wasn’t just Ukraine that was tested,” Biden said during a speech in Poland just ahead of the invasion’s one-year anniversary. “The whole world has been facing a test for ages. Europe was put to the test. There shouldn’t be any doubt. Our support for Ukraine will not waver. NATO will not be divided. And we don’t get tired.”

The video shared on Sunday is not the only clip of Javelin missiles deployed in Ukraine that has recently circulated online. On Thursday, Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade posted a video on Facebook showing marines using javelins to take out several tanks in a column near the Donetsk village of Vodyane. In the clip, one of the tanks attempts to return fire before being hit a second time and knocked out. Another tank catches fire and eventually explodes.

news week has reached out to Ukrainian military officials for comment.