Recently, an unusual video surfaced online, capturing a combat episode involving a russian BTR-82 armored personnel carrier. Western media have already described it as one of the most bizarre battlefield scenes involving this vehicle. The footage shows an FPV drone attack on a russian BTR, followed by chaotic cannon fire.
The video caught the attention of The War Zone. To summarize the episode briefly: first, the footage shows a BTR-82 stationary in the middle of a field, already emitting smoke. Later, the video captures an FPV drone striking the vehicle, which is equipped with standard anti-drone protection.
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The cannon of the Russian BTR-82 starts shooting spontaneously after being hit by a drone. pic.twitter.com/7SIBxmMhVV— Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) January 19, 2025
The next sequence, recorded by a reconnaissance UAV, shows the moment of impact on the BTR. Almost immediately, its 30-mm 2A72 automatic cannon begins firing uncontrollably into the air. This bizarre event lasts for about 20 seconds before the BTR ceases fire. The vehicle’s fate remains unknown.
It is unclear whether the BTR crew managed to escape (as suggested by the open hatches) or if they remained inside at the moment of the FPV drone strike. One might speculate that they were attempting to shoot down another drone with the cannon—after all, last year, a Ukrainian Bradley IFV famously shot down a russian FPV drone.
However, the most likely explanation is a malfunction. It remains uncertain whether the cannon stopped firing due to mechanical failure or simply running out of ammunition.
Interestingly, a similar incident of uncontrolled firing occurred in May 2023. That time, the culprit was a T-90M tank, whose machine gun fired chaotically—likely due to damaged electronics.
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