Sniper of the Ukrainian Separate Special Battalion Berlingo appears to repel a Russian attack.
Chilling footage appears to show Ukrainian snipers holding off a Russian assault using night-vision gear.
Shots are fired at thermal images of figures in a war-torn landscape — which is unknown.
Experts say improved night-vision equipment could give Ukraine a tactical edge against Russia.
Chilling footage appears to show Ukrainian snipers from the special unit ‘Berlingo’ holding off a Russian assault at night, as improved Western-supplied night-vision technology provides a tactical edge for Ukraine.
The footage posted on social media appears to show Ukrainian fighters repelling Russian attacks in the pitch dark. The video shows a sniper’s view into a darkened war-torn landscape as shots are fired at thermal images of figures moving among destroyed buildings.
The seven-minute video, which has been viewed more than half a million times on Twitter, gives a sense of what it is like to fight in the war at nighttime and appears to show Ukrainian fighters shooting Russian attackers.
The footage has not been independently verified by Insider.
—Dmitri (@wartranslated) June 21, 2023
Kyiv’s soldiers make the most of Western-provided night-vision capabilities
This comes after Russian sources claimed Ukrainian forces might have “tactical advantages” during night assaults thanks to new Western-donated equipment that comes with “superior night optics systems,” according to a recent report by the Institute for the Study of War.
According to the report, a Russian military blogger claimed that Ukrainian forces now have “excellent” night-vision optics due to equipment supplied by the West, which has encouraged Ukraine to increasingly carry out nighttime operations during the ongoing counteroffensive, Insider previously reported.
Western-donated equipment includes night-vision goggles and scopes to drones equipped with thermal imaging.
Ukrainian military member looking in a thermal weapon sight during advanced training in military tactics on September 11, 2022, in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine.
Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
On the other hand, an expert recently told Insider’s Chris Panella that Russia can’t afford to equip its forces with expensive night-vision equipment and fight Ukrainian forces at night, which is another reason Ukraine has an advantage in the dark.
“Whenever we enable the Ukrainians to exploit a tactical or operational edge, they’re really good at it,” George Barros, a Russia analyst at the ISW, previously told Insider, adding that this showed Western allies should continue investing in Ukraine.