FLIR footage captured by Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut allegedly shows the destruction of several buildings full of Russian troops. From this video alone, it's hard to tell if those claims are real, or if the buildings were destroyed for other tactical reasons.

There's a few things about this video that are worth noting. First and foremost, reports coming out of Bakhmut from Russian sources have been consistent with this style of attacks. According to recorded Ukrainian tactics in Bakhmut, it is not uncommon for Ukrainian forces to lure Russian forces into large buildings, only for the buildings to then be destroyed via the remote detonation of pre-placed high explosives. On that same note however, this video shows a key inconsistency against the claims made by the Ukrainian sources who published the footage.

The inconsistency is visible in the first few seconds of the video when a massive jump cut occurs moving straight to the detonation of the building. This could have been an editing choice made by the person who published the video to speed up the timeline, however it's unclear at this time if that is the case. According to the Ukrainian sources, this video shows a large group of Russians maneuvering into the building to set up a forward operating base just before the building is destroyed.

About the Author

Josh Brooks

Josh is an American writer and former USMC machine gunner with eight years of experience in ground combat arms throughout the GWOT. He is currently based in Texas and specializes in combat footage analysis and digital marketing.Follow Josh at OfficialJoshBrooks.com