The war in Ukraine is with out a doubt the most bloody and tragic conflict to hit Europe since World War II.

Despite the fact that the U.S. military thought Ukraine would lose the fight, Kyiv has shown a strong will to keep fighting on and even achieve a win against Putin.

What happens next? We know that social media will provide us with all vital clues on how the conflict is shaping up. 

And if history keeps repeating itself, it seems we will be watching many videos on this conflict for at least months to come. 

Social Media Explains the War in Ukraine

A Twitter video post shows the moment a Russian T-72 B tank was destroyed in Ukraine back in March of last year.

The 51-second video shows aerial footage of a Russian T-72 maneuvering on a dirt path in a heavily forested area near the bank of the Dnipro River.

As the T-72 moves off the dirt path and weaves among the trees, the video cuts to what is presumably a Ukrainian texting on a cell phone, probably to assist with targeting or firing. 

Then, the moment of impact: An M982 Excalibur strikes the tank, its action shown from the perspective of a tablet screen.

The tank explodes instantly.

The last 20 seconds or so of the video show the aftermath of the strike.

The tank burns.

Gradually, the fire spreads to the trees and underbrush immediately surrounding the tank, consuming a wider and wider swath of forest.

A dense column of grey smoke billows from the site of the attack.

Where Does the Video Come From

The video was posted by Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons), an account with more than 800,000 followers, whose bio reads:

“Debunking & Tracking Usage/Capture of Materiel in Ukraine.” The video in question bears the caption: “#Ukraine: A Russian T-72B tank was destroyed by a M982 Excalibur strike from the Ukrainian 406th Artillery Brigade on the left bank of the Dnipro River near Chelburda, #Kherson Oblast.”

When the footage was taken is unclear.

There is no snow on the ground, so perhaps the video is not especially recent.

The forest in the video appears to be made up of evergreens, which keep their needles year-round and are therefore not much help in helping the untrained eye determine the season. 

Regardless, the video is consistent with the notion that Russian forces are suffering from egregious tank attrition during their invasion of Ukraine. 

Meet the T-72

The T-72, for example — the tank shown in the video — entered production in 1969. The B-variant, which @UAWeapons claims is the tank pictured, was developed in 1984 with an upgraded main gun, stabilizer, sights and control system, and armor.

Still, the tank is a nearly 40-year-old design.

And as the video demonstrates, the T-72B is no match for the M982 Excalibur — a 155 millimeter extended-range guided artillery shell developed by the United States.

#Ukraine: A Russian T-72B tank was destroyed by a M982 Excalibur strike from the Ukrainian 406th Artillery Brigade on the left bank of the Dnipro River near Chelburda, #Kherson Oblast. pic.twitter.com/hOWWZ02hey

— ???????? Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) March 7, 2023

The M982 is an excellent example of how the weaponry that the West is donating to Ukraine is proving vital to bolstering the Ukrainian defense.

Since the Russo-Ukraine War began last year, the U.S. has given Ukraine more than $100 billion in assistance — billions of that total is in the form of weapons and equipment such as the M982.

And as the @UAWeapons video demonstrates, U.S. military aid is making a difference in the field, allowing Ukraine to target and destroy advancing tanks. 

About the Author: Harrison Kass 

Harrison Kass is a Senior Editor with over 1,000 articles published. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

All images are Creative Commons.