A Daily Dose of Destruction

Our friends at Funker 530 provide us with a daily dose of visual intel on the war in Ukraine. Today we look at drone footage purported to show two distinct artillery shellings on Russian targets. The first shot seems to be on target, and what appears to be Russian fighting vehicles are damaged. Unfortunately, the resolution of this footage is not high enough to conduct an accurate battle damage assessment. The second round impacted a civilian building used to hide and store various types of Russian ammunition. A fire is started, and large plumes of smoke take to the sky. Once the smoke dies down, a drone moves in for a closer look.

Author’s Note: The footage provided to us from The Sun via YouTube is the same as that which appears on the Funker website. Technical issues keep us from posting it here.

Ukraine’s Azov Special Forces Regiment destroys enemy military vehicles and an ammo depot. Video courtesy of YouTube and The Sun.

In the video’s lower right-hand corner, we see the redesigned Azov unit crest. Its three swords recall the “Three Swords Monument” in Mariupol. This monument commemorates those of the Azov Regiment who have thus far died in the Ukrainian war against Russia. From their suspended Twitter account, the Ukrainian Struggle Center calls it “a symbol of military glory and a promise of revenge on enemies.” 

https://twitter.com/UA_struggle/status/1530477497934131200?s=20&t=ginCidqWUUtr6JdfoWdNMQ

Post courtesy of @UA_struggle via Twitter

No Love From the Russians

There is no love lost between the Russian government and the Azov regiment. Back in May, The Telegraph reported that Russian officials participating in peace talks at the time suggested the death penalty for Azov fighters. Leonid Slutsky, a deputy of the State Duma of Russia, told Russia’s lower house of parliament that his nation “should think carefully” about capital punishment for regiment members.

Why? He explained, “They do not deserve to live after the monstrous crimes against humanity that they have committed and that are committed continuously against our prisoners.” There are videos out there making the rounds on social media that purport to show members of the Azov regiment shooting Russian POWs in the legs. This is known as “kneecapping” and permanently disables the victim (if they survive it) because the shot originates from the back of the knee and blows out the kneecap.

Content Warning: The Twitter post below is not safe for work and probably should not be viewed by children or anyone with a weak constitution. It shows the true violence of war and possible war crimes. This is why Russian officials are calling for the death of Azov fighters.

 

https://twitter.com/justgoldsworthy/status/1508778581199052807?s=20&t=smIII52mzNG7kqUOl2ad-g

NSFW Content – View at your own discretion. Video courtesy of @justgoldsworthy via Twitter

Below, The Sun provides more video of the Azov regiment at work. They are shown in this April 8th, 2022, footage taking out a Russian BMP. For those of you not in the know,  a BMP is a Soviet-designed amphibious and tracked Russian infantry fighting vehicle. At least that’s what armyrecognition.com tells us. Newer variants are equipped with the AU-220M combat module and a 57mm cannon. The module can carry multiple high explosive (HE) rounds with a maximum effective range of up to nine miles. Some of their munitions are capable of piercing through the side armor of a main battle tank.

Video content courtesy of YouTube and The Sun.

The Azov fighter locates his target (the BMP) at a reasonably close range. He aims with his anti-tank weapon, fires, and quickly scores a direct hit. Once his round impacts the target, you can hear him yell, “destroyed!” The video here seems to be looped; I don’t believe he is firing on the same target multiple times. I should note that he is in the direct line of sight of the BMP, and it could have easily ended his entire day. It was a good shot.

If you’d like to learn more about the Azov regiment, their website is an excellent place to do that. They even have a phone number posted there. I wouldn’t call them, though; they’ve been pretty busy lately. If you are using the Chrome browser, be sure to right-click on the page and select “translate to English” if your Ukrainian is a bit rusty.

Azov barracks and map
Screenshot taken from the Azov regiment webpage showing their location in Kyiv and a shot of a barracks bay.

You can even sign up for the regiment from their website. Honestly, I’m not sure if they take applications from foreigners or not. If you do sign up, however, bear in mind that the Russian Supreme Court has recently declared the Azov regiment to be a terrorist organization. That means that any captured fighters may now be tried as terrorists.