Remember when a Ukrainian M2 Bradley battled it out with two Russian armored vehicles?

In June 2024, combat footage from the frontline in Ukraine showed an M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle engaging with, and then quickly destroying, two Russian armored vehicles that attacked the lone Ukrainian weapon.

The encounter was released by the press service of the 47th Mechanized Brigade on June 2nd on the brigade's Telegram channel and it revealed exactly how effective the American-made M2 Bradley could be when up against a Russian foe. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @brygada4

The M2 Bradley crew quickly knocked out and destroyed two Russian BTR-82A armored personnel carriers after a Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance drone spotted the hostile armor units advancing into the 47th Brigade's area of defense.

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Vitaly V. Kuzmin, CC BY-SA 4.0

The BTR-82A is an eight-wheeled Russian armored personnel carrier first unveiled in 2009 and put into service in 2012 according to Army Technology. The vehicle requires a three-soldier crew but can carry up to seven troops into battle. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Vitaly V. Kuzmin, CC BY-SA 4.0

The BTR-82A is equipped with a 30mm dual cannon that fires armor-piercing rounds as well as a secondary 7.62mm PKTM coaxial machine gun. The vehicle armor is made up of multilayered laminated Kevlar and has a reinforced hull to protect from explosions. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Vitaly V. Kuzmin, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Ukrainian military news website Militaryni reported that the crew of the M2 Bradley made their way to a good firing position and waited for the Russian BTR-82As to move into open terrain before opening up on the Russians. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @brygada4

The Russian BTR-82As advanced along a tree line into an area of open field covered in what may have been hundreds of charred shell marks from previous encounters before the Ukrainians sprung their trap on the armored vehicles.  

Photo Credit: Telegram @brygada4

“Russian infantrymen were riding on armored vehicles covered with anti-drone ‘grills,’ so the Ukrainian gunner first fired at the areas where the infantry were located,” the military website explained about the short battle that ensued. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @brygada4

The M2 Bradley crew then targeted the armored personnel carriers. One of the Russian BTR-82As quickly burst into flames, likely because the M242 Bushmaster 25mm gunner on the M2 hit the vehicle's hull and ignited its ammo. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @brygada4

Several Russian soldiers could be seen running away from the damaged infantry vehicles after the encounter and the video appeared to show that both of the BTR-82As could not move following the encounter. The combat footage showed that the Russian vehicles were later targeted and destroyed. 

Photo Credit: Telegram @brygada4

“Once again, the Bradley of the 2nd Mechanized Battalion of the brigade demonstrated its capability by stopping two BTR-82 vehicles filled with infantry, identified by aerial reconnaissance,” the brigade reported in its Telegram post according to Defence Blog.

Photo Credit: Telegram @brygada4

Defence Blog’s Dylan Malyasov added that the encounter underscored “the significant role of advanced Western military equipment in bolstering Ukraine’s defense against Russian forces.”

According to the U.S. State Department, Washington has provided the Ukrainians with more than 300 M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles as of June 7th, 2024. All of these Bradleys are fielded by Ukraine’s 47th Brigade according to Forbes. 

“Ukraine’s Bradleys, and their crews and passengers, have proved highly survivable in a war that has eaten thousands of less durable,” wrote Forbes’ David Axe, who reported that the Kyiv’s M2 Bradley’s “might be the most effective armored vehicles” of the war. 

The open-source intelligence Oryx has reported at the time that Ukraine had lost 91 M2 Bradley’s since the invasion began. However, that number could be higher since the estimate is only based on verifiable photo or video evidence of the losses. As of December 19th, that number reached 119 M2 Bradley's lost. 

“The Bradley Fighting Vehicle, known for its robust armor and powerful weaponry, has been instrumental,” Dylan Malyasov wrote about the M2 Bradley, “The vehicle’s advanced targeting systems and mobility make it a formidable asset on the battlefield.”

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