Ukrainian Territorials Armed A BMW 7 Series With 122-Millimeter Rockets
The rocket car helped Ukrainian forces retake Kupiansk
On Nov. 20, Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, claimed Russian forces were in control of the city of Kupiansk in eastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv Oblast. Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin repeated the claim a day later.
It was a lie. Russian forces infiltrated Kupiansk but never consolidated. And a decisive Ukrainian counteroffensive by the Ukrainian 2nd National Guard Corps returned the city to Ukrainian control by early December. On Dec. 12, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelensky shot selfies while standing just a mile or so from the city center.
The Kupiansk counterattack was a rare bright spot for Ukrainian forces who are falling back in several other key sectors along the 700-mile front line: in particular, around Siversk, Pokrovsk and Huliaipole. And the 2nd National Guard Corps had some stylish support—from a BMW armed with three 122-millimeter rockets.
The rocket-armed BMW 7 Series belongs to the Ukrainian 114th Territorial Defense Brigade. Photos and videos of the BMW in action depict the crew driving along muddy roads, jacking the car into place to stabilize it and aiming their rockets tubes using an app on a tablet.
…whatever it takes ! 🇺🇦👍🏽🔥