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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Ryan Merrifield

Panicking Russian tank crew 'blow up their own comrades' during Ukrainian ambush

A panicking Russian tank crew blasted their own comrades during an ambush by Ukrainian forces, it has been claimed.

A video appears to show the Moscow troops blowing up one of their own armoured vehicles from just yards away in an alleged friendly fire incident.

It was filmed by a Ukrainian drone in the village of Dmytrivka, just to the west of capital Kyiv, as Kremlin forces prepared to pull out of their stuttering advance.

The bunched up Russian tanks are seen being suddenly attacked by a litany of blasts and explosions thought to be by enemy drones and artillery.

Ukrainian drone footage shows the attack on Russian tanks (TikTok)

The clip, filmed on March 31, shows the Kremlin vehicles marked with the distinctive 'V'.

One of the tanks fires its main canon at another tank from almost point blank range.

It could be that this was done intentionally if the tank had been disabled during the skirmish to rend it useless should Ukrainian forces capture it.

According to reports, the incident saw Kyiv forces hit seven BMP-2 and one BMD-2 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as six T-72 main battle tanks.

It is thought Russian tanks fired at each other (TikTok)

Eight soldiers were said to have been killed.

Five weeks into the invasion, Russia began pulling out of its advance on Kyiv.

It is thought President Vladimir Putin is now massing his forces in the country's east in an effort to record a battlefield win in the Donbas border region.

Critics say it's a face saving exercise in time for the country's Victory Day parade on May 9 when Russia celebrates defeating Nazi Germany in the Second World War.

The vehicles involved had the 'V' symbol painted on them (TikTok)

The retreating troops have left behind a trail of devastation in the towns and villages around Kyiv, leading to allegations of war crimes.

Ukrainian prosecutors are investigating civilian massacres in northwestern suburbs such as Bucha, Makariv and Borodyanka.

The Prosecutor-General's Office also said yesterday it is looking into events in the Brovary district in the northeast.

It comes as the body of a Ukrainian teen, who was allegedly raped and shot in the head by Russian soldiers, has been discovered among 400 corpses in a mass grave in Bucha.

Destroyed military equipment of the Russian army is seen near the village of Dmytrivka, Bucha district, Kyiv (Future Publishing via Getty Imag)

Karina Yershova, 16, who was described as "bright and talented", was shot in the back of the head before she was thrown in the "trash", according to a family friend.

Among the accusations of war crimes is a sickening report of a Russian soldier, Alexei Bychkov, raping an infant before sharing footage of the horrifying attack with a comrade online.

Soldiers have also been accused of raping an 11-year-old boy in front of his mum, who was tied to a chair.

Broken tanks, combat vehicles, and the dead body of a Russian invader are seen near the village of Dmytrivka (SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Other accusations include drawn-out ordeals of sexual violence, with one woman, Elena, claiming she was raped for 12 hours, while Natalya, 33, said she was repeatedly attacked by the vile soldiers for hours after her husband was executed.

One group of women, aged between 14 and 25, say they were held captive by the troops and systematically raped. Nine of them say they are now pregnant.

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