Blown up !

Numerous people have sent versions of this to us as vidcaps from a 4th Special Operations action on December 10 of last year. It is actually earlier Russian activity against Chechen rebels, and still quite spectacular. (Thanks to Anthony Knific for this information.)

Further information from Cadman:

It was Afghanistan, it is a BTR-60 armored personnel carrier, and the people on it are Afghans. That much is correct.


It was not taped as an ambush, or to record damage. It was taken, if I remember correctly, by a European news crew.

The explosion was caused by an anti-tank mine, not a bomb. You will note that after its all said and done, the bodies of the injured and dead are still mostly intact, and the vehicle is in only a couple of pieces. That is because the explosion that lifted the vehicle is only 40 pounds or so. I say "only" and "explosion" in the same sentence, because if it was a LGB, the vehicle, and the occupants/riders, and probably the cameraman would have been hamburger. The smallest LGB is about 500 pounds, and makes for a mighty kaboom. Take a look at the gulf war pics. An APC hit by 500 pounds looks like a pepsi can hit by a 12 gauge at close range.

I saw the video of this in, about 1996 or 1997, well before Chechnya, and it was in a documentary or other. I can't remember the title, but it was about the ongoing strife in the former Afghanistan, etc. etc.

They had another great one of a helicopter getting hit by an RPG as it hovered off the ground 50 feet or so. Quite the impact.