THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
The Ukrainian Witness project film crew was hit by an enemy drone 20 kilometers from the line of contact where they were with soldiers of the 15th operational brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. Two servicemen were slightly injured, and the vehicle is inoperable, Novynarnia reports.
The project’s press service reported this on April 4 and published a video of the moment of the attack.
Ukrainian Witness journalist Oleksa Zhovtyi and the servicemen were traveling to film the firing position of the Hiatsynt-B towed cannon of the 15th brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine.
On the way, when they were 20 kilometers from the line of contact, their Nissan Navara pickup was hit by an enemy Lightning UAV. This aircraft-type strike drone is guided by the operator as an FPV.
It has a flight range of over 30 km and a warhead of up to 5 kg. For comparison, the TM-72 anti-tank mine has an explosive charge weight of 2.5 kg, and the TM-62 anti-track mine has a charge weight of 7.5 kg.
“The occupiers have increasingly begun to use the Lightning in our rear, which seriously affects the logistics of the army. Driving on roads that were previously considered relatively safe is now dangerous for both the military and the civilian population,” the project emphasizes.
On the way to the positions, even before the explosion, the first deputy commander of the 2nd artillery division and chief of staff, Major Andrii “Mazhor” Moyiseienko, said that a month ago, they were transferred to the Kharkiv Region from the Pokrovsk Axis.
“After Pokrovsk, it’s like kindergarten,” says “Mazhor.” “After the dynamics of Pokrovsk, after the number of FPVs, after the number of enemy personnel that we burned, it’s like a child’s walk. That is, with our level of brigade, with our level of training of personnel on all fire weapons, so to speak, it’s easy.”
But the events that occurred a few minutes later prove that even in the Kharkiv Region, where the fighting is not so intense, it is also very dangerous, Ukrainian Witness emphasizes.
As earlier reported, the Lightning hit a car, so the explosion felt like a mine explosion. The soldiers and the journalist immediately left the pickup. They took shelter in the nearest building to call for evacuation and examine the wounded. Ihor Lavrov, the brigade’s press officer, received more serious injuries. Quite quickly, a car arrived for the group, which took the wounded and the journalist to the nearest village, where it was supposed to be safer to wait for medical evacuation. “Mazhor” remained not far from the damaged pickup to wait for its evacuation.
“When the group arrived in the nearest village, it was possible to relax a little and treat the wounds. With the arrival of medical evacuation, the tension subsided and the military began to discuss the circumstances of the incident and even joke. The driver emphasized that the crater from the explosion was so large that they were smaller than those from ordinary FPVs. The military is already restoring the damaged pickup truck to working condition at their repair shop. The car has a cracked rear wheel rim, the wheel itself is torn, fragments have passed through the bottom (therefore, the soldiers’ legs are mainly injured), and the gearbox, exhaust pipe, gas tank, and transfer case are damaged. Serious bodywork needs to be carried out, and the glass needs to be replaced,” the journalists said.
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