Ukraine Troops Say US Bradley Armored Vehicles Improve Impact, Save Lives

The Bradleys are far stronger than Russian infantry fighting vehicles. Troops inside them are more likely to survive mines, as well as attack by artillery, high caliber machine guns and drones. JL 

Sinead Baker reports in Business Insider, image Serhii Nuzhnenko, Reuters:

Ukrainian soldiers say US-supplied Bradley infantry fighting vehicles save their lives under attack against Russian forces. Bradleys are stronger than the Soviet-era infantry fighting vehicles. "We were hit multiple times " by a combination of mines, high-caliber guns, and attack drones. "If we were using some Soviet armored personnel carrier we would all be dead after the first hit." They were able to get out of the vehicle and find cover. They later found the Bradley on the battlefield, and drove it away after finding its engine still worked.

Ukrainian soldiers said that US-supplied Bradley infantry fighting vehicles saved their lives when they came under attack during a recent counteroffensive against Russian forces.

The two soldiers, Serhiy and Andriy, told ABC News that they were hit early on in the offensive — which started this month — by a combination of mines, high-caliber guns, and attack drones.

Andriy, who drove one of the fighting vehicles, said that he and some of his comrades were in a Bradley when they came under fire as they approached Russian positions: "We were hit multiple times."

"Thanks to it, I am standing here now," he said, adding: "If we were using some Soviet armored personnel carrier we would all probably be dead after the first hit."

 

The vehicle behind him was also hit by a drone, killing his unit's commander, ABC News reported. It's not clear what kind of vehicle the commander was in.

Andriy said that after they got hit "almost all of my guys were concussed, and they were really disoriented." But they were able to get out of the vehicle and find cover.

ABC News reported that Andriy was hospitalized for concussion, but left the hospital the next day, found the abandoned Bradley on the battlefield, and drove it away after finding its engine still worked.

Serhiy said he was also driving a Bradley nearby when it was badly hit, but that he and his comrades escaped any major injuries.

 

"It's a very good car if you are inside. I've checked on myself and on my team. Only one guy had a concussion," he said.

The soldiers are part of Ukraine's 47th brigade, according to ABC News, which is fighting near Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine.

The strength of Bradleys is well documented.

Bradleys are stronger than the Soviet-era infantry fighting vehicles Ukraine was relying on earlier in Russia's invasion, Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said on Twitter earlier this month.

He added that their destruction is also much less likely to result in the deaths of those inside.

 

Ukraine's deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar, shared photos earlier this month of what she said was a Bradley that took a direct hit from a Russian Grad rocket system, but that was able to keep going without suffering casualties.

Even so, open-source analysis by Dutch website Oryx said in mid-June that 16 Bradleys had been destroyed, damaged, or abandoned in Ukraine.

The US has sent 109 Bradleys to Ukraine, and this month pledged to send 30 more.

The armored vehicle moves on tracks rather than wheels, is armed with a 25 mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun and a 7.62 mm M240C machine gun, and can transport around 10 soldiers.

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder described it as "not a tank, but it's a tank killer."

Serhiy and Andriy told ABC News that Ukrainian troops were also often able to recover Bradleys after Russian attacks, and in one case a Bradley was recovered and its parts used to repair two other Bradleys.

While Ukraine is getting modern weapons and ammunition from Western partners, many Ukrainian soldiers still have to rely on Soviet-era weaponry.

Analysts told Insider's Chris Panella earlier this month that Western countries' hesitation in giving more weapons to Ukraine is likely hindering Ukraine's counteroffensive efforts, and gave Russian forces "a lot of time to build up their defenses."