(ZAPORIZHZHIA OBLAST, UKRAINE) – A video shared by a Russian serviceman has shown the aftermath of a Ukrainian strike on a Russian military position, revealing a large impact crater and the remains of a destroyed building. The footage, filmed shortly after the attack, shows extensive structural damage and debris scattered around the site, indicating that the strike caused casualties among Russian forces present at the location.
The individual recording the video describes a powerful explosion that destroyed the building and left what appears to be a deep and wide crater beside it. He states that several soldiers were killed in the strike, confirming that the site was actively used by Russian troops at the time. The tone of the recording suggests surprise at the scale and precision of the attack.
Military analysts reviewing the footage have questioned the type of weapon used. Initial speculation suggested a Storm Shadow cruise missile, which carries a warhead of around 450 kilograms, equivalent to about 992 pounds. However, experts note that the size of the crater appears larger than what would normally be expected from that missile, particularly as the impact seems to have occurred adjacent to the building rather than as a direct hit.
Attention has therefore turned to the possibility that the strike involved a Ukrainian Flamingo missile, which is believed to carry a significantly heavier warhead of approximately 1,150 kilograms, or about 2,535 pounds. Previous confirmed Flamingo strikes have produced similarly large and deep craters, strengthening the assessment that this system may have been used in this attack.
Other Ukrainian munitions appear less likely. The Neptune missile carries a smaller warhead, estimated at between 150 and 260 kilograms, or roughly 331 to 573 pounds, depending on the variant. Glide bombs such as AASM Hammer or JDAM are known for high accuracy and typically strike targets closer to the front line, usually within a range of several kilometres. In this case, the apparent miss distance and the scale of destruction suggest a different weapon profile.
While the exact location has not been officially confirmed, reports link the strike to a position used by Russia’s 57th Brigade, which has operated in areas near the Huliaipole sector. If the site was a command post or headquarters located further behind the front lines, as the footage suggests, senior officers may also have been present at the time of the strike.
The video adds to a growing body of evidence that Ukraine continues to conduct effective precision strikes against Russian military infrastructure. Targeting active military facilities rather than civilian locations underlines Kyiv’s focus on degrading Russia’s operational capability.
