Ukrainian "tank killer" shoots down Russian armor near Bakhmut stronghold

On March 21, the military website 19fortyfive posted a video that it described as showing the destruction of a Russian BMP-2 armored vehicle near the city of Bakhmut, Donbass. The weapon used by the Ukrainian side was a Stugna-P anti-tank guided missile.

The video, filmed by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), shows the BMP-2 moving when it was targeted. The missile fired hit the Russian armored vehicle, causing the weapon to explode.

Ukrainian tank destroyer blows up Russian armor near Bakhmut stronghold

The anti-tank missile appeared to have been activated in a “fire and forget” mode that allowed automatic control of the missile’s flight path using a targeting laser beam. The UAV was tasked with locking on to the target, while the missile was likely fired via remote control with the launcher placed in an ambush position.

The Stugna-P "tank killer" was developed by the Luch design bureau in Kiev, Ukraine in the mid-2000s. The missile consists of a launcher that can be mounted on a tripod or integrated into a military vehicle. The complete system includes surveillance and aiming equipment, a laser rangefinder, a semi-automatic laser guidance system, a thermal imager and a missile axis control system.

According to the specifications, the Stugna-P can launch a variety of 130mm and 152mm guided missiles, with a maximum range of up to 5.5km depending on the exact target it is aiming at. These missiles can be guided manually or in semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS) mode, which allows the missile's trajectory to be controlled via a laser beam. The missile is equipped with different warheads depending on the specific type of target.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/sat-thu-diet-tang-ukraine-ban-no-thiet-giap-nga-gan-thanh-tri-bakhmut-20230321144732027.htm