Video from a drone being used for forward observations shows Russian tankers retreating from their armor with a wounded or dead Russian Soldier after a direct impact from a Ukrainian artillery round.

This video was released to Twitter by the public affairs team of the Ukrainian 45th Separate Artillery Brigade. That unit specifically has been providing fire support in and around the Bakhmut region of Ukraine, and they have been heavily employed these past few months.

For the uninitiated, what you're looking at in this video is a new innovation. It may not seem like it by now, since this type of video is pretty common place due to the longevity of the war in Ukraine, but until this war artillery was rarely this accurate.

In the past, forward observers would be kilometers away from their target making rough adjustments using a bracketing technique. First they would make large adjustments around the target, and over time they would get the rounds on target for accurate suppression. In Ukraine though, drones are often just a few hundred feet away from the impact site, allowing the forward observer to give near exact adjustments to the artillery crews in real time without the need for a radio.

For that reason, we're seeing direct hits with artillery rounds which were previously thought of as just area suppression weapon systems.

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