WATCH | German Shepherd watches on as Russian drone kills injured Ukrainian soldier being evacuated by robotic platform in viral video
There was nothing the soldier or the dog could do as the Russian suicide drone closed in, the viral video showed | X
In yet another haunting video from the warfronts, an injured Ukrainian soldier being evacuated on a self-driven robotic platform in the company of a military dog was seen taken out by a Russian fibre optic FPV drone. The undated video showed the injured soldier looking at the enemy suicide drone with horror as it fast approached from behind while he lay helpless on the slow-moving evacuation platform.
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A German Shepherd walked a few metres in front of him and looked on as the platform was obliterated by the Russian drone. An aerial view following the detonation showed the charred platform in the middle of the road. The soldier was wrapped in a blanket as he lay on the platform, the viral video showed. There were no injury marks on his face, and it is possible that he was injured in his lower torso — further explaining why he didn't try to jump off and escape the UAV.
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The video, which THE WEEK couldn't independently verify, had the emblem of the 25th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of Russia's 6th Combined Arms Army. Many similar pro-Russian videos from the battlefields released over the years — including one that showed a drone strike on Ukrainian armoured vehicles trying to evacuate injured and retreating soldiers — bore the same logo, we found.
Robotic evacuation platforms
Ukraine has been using the Tarhan ("Cockroach") ground robotic system to evacuate injured soldiers to safety. The 20th K-2 Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment confirmed the use of the robotic systems in June to save the lives of infantrymen. There were reports of the "Cockroach" being used to carry servicemen for distances of over 10 kilometres.
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However, the ill-fated soldier in the viral video seems to be riding on a FoxTac platform. Also used for battlefield evacuations, the remotely controlled FoxTac platforms were developed by 'Brave1', a Ukrainian governmental initiative for DefenseTech. The four-wheel-drive system enables it to operate both on wheels and on tracks, depending on the terrain, and it has a range of 10 kilometres.
Ukraine-Russia war
Russia has intensified its offensives on two fronts in Ukraine, scattering Kyiv's precious reserve troops and threatening to expand the fighting to a new Ukrainian region as each side seeks an advantage before the fighting season wanes in the autumn. Vladimir Putin's forces aim to maximise territorial gains before seriously considering a full ceasefire, analysts and military commanders were quoted as saying by news agency Associated Press. Ukraine wants to slow the Russian advance for as long as possible and inflict heavy losses.
WATCH THE VIRAL VIDEO HERE:
In an effort to prevent Moscow from bolstering those positions in the east, Ukrainian forces are trying to pin down some of Russia's best and most battle-hardened troops hundreds of kilometers away, in the northeastern Sumy region, the news report added.
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