That thing looked like it took a 90 degree turn to what they were aiming at. I’d hate to be sitting at a traffic light in Moscow somewhere and get a Russian missile to the face.
If you were Russian, you might not mind so much.
You can really see how full of bullshit and “well it doesn’t affect me so just let me GO” russian culture/society is through this.
My country is a mess but if there ever was a mass attack that required soldiers to be walking around with MANPADs/guided anti-air missile launchers on public highways and bridges, I sure as hell know those soldiers wouldn’t stand with a public road WITH TRAFFIC MOVING ON IT between them and their target while aiming the rocket launcher, and the surrounding civilians sure as hell wouldn’t just sit by as vehicle after vehicle passes right in front of a soldier attempting to fire a guided missile pointed directly at cars from point blank without speaking up.
It really shows how little any individual in russia gives a shit about any of the cultural and societal norms around them being related to reality at all, it also exposes a pathetic lack of basic safety culture in russia.
Nobody had a plan there, they were all just bullshitting. There is no excuse for russia to not have established air defense plans this late into the war, russia is a broken, dysfunctional country.
Edit if the US starts giving ICE agents Stinger launchers for drones we could definitely see that kind of incredibly incompetent and dangerous casual wielding of a missile launcher around civilians, I meant the actual US military not the Gestapo. Even still though, in the US people would be yelling “go to the other side of the road what the hell are you doing???”.
Ukrainian pre-school teachers make it look so easy…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gVDfBO8qzAMan, I was watching those people standing pretty much behind some of the MANPADS guys. I’d assume that Russian MANPADS (presumably this is a Verba?) are comparable to the Stinger.
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/44-18-1/Ch2.htm
During annual service practice firing, there should be no personnel closer to a firing point than 50 meters (164 feet). Under combat conditions, personnel within 15 meters (50 feet) of the weapon run a high risk of being injured by flying glass and debris. The team chief should be close to the gunner’s side to insure that he is not endangered by the weapon’s backblast. Allow at least 5 meters (16 feet) safety distance from equipment. Under combat conditions, these safety distances for personnel and equipment may not always be feasible. Damage to radio equipment may result if it is within the backblast area. Always inform the unit that you are supporting of the noise and backblast safety hazards.
Wear ear protectors, helmet, and flack jacket when firing. Personnel within 125 meters (about 400 feet) should also wear ear protectors.
“Let me just stand on this traffic congested road full of cars and people and randomly fire my MANPAD, maybe it will lock on to something along the way.”
Also loving that no matter in which direction the camera pointed the entire horizon is covered in smoke from countless fires. That area got absolutely devastated.
maybe it will lock on to something along the way
Assuming that this is like a Stinger, I’m pretty sure that it did have a lock on something. That’s that high-pitched sound you hear shortly before the operator fires — it plays when its infrared sensor sees something bright, something hot:
Stinger lock-on tone recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KSJVM9Ymck
Now, it does look like it wound up heading after something other than what the operator intended, but I believe that he had something hot in its sights at the time that he squeezed the trigger.
It also looks like he’s pointing that thing loaded towards the ground. Which seems unwise…
Wtf, doesn’t look like they locked on the flyers at all. Missile went on an excursion.
😆
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