New Footage Shows Ukrainian U.S.-Supplied Bradley Fighting Vehicle Destroying Friendly Armour

A Ukrainian Army Bradley infantry fighting vehicle has destroyed a friendly vehicle of the same class during a training incident, firing repeatedly from its M242 25mm automatic cannon into the other vehicle’s turret. The cause of the incident and the fate of the crew responsible remain uncertain. The incident is far from the first or the most serious involving newly delivered Western equipment, and occurred as concerns have repeatedly been raised that rushed training to prepare units for frontline operations has undermined their proficiency. Bradleys were first delivered to Ukraine in April, and have since taken heavy losses in combat with over 80 reported to have been lost in combat of which Western sources acknowledge more than 50. The first images of the vehicles taking heavy losses emerged in June, with later footage released by multiple Russian sources on July 22 showing multiple Bradleys destroyed on the frontlines in Ukraine’s Zaporozhye region. The class’ armour protection levels and survivability have been very frequently criticised since it was in its development stages, with the high attrition rate seen even compared to other vehicles in Ukrainian service largely vindicating these concerns. The United States maintains thousands of Bradleys in its domestic stockpiles where they were previously expected to remain until retirement, however, allowing them to be delivered quickly and in large numbers.