According to BBC, “Russia has lost some 460 tanks and over 2,000 armored vehicles”, but Ukraine is claiming Russia has lost more than 680 tanks. “What Syria taught us about tanks”, is that any tank is vulnerable to the proliferation and continued development of long-range ATGM’s. Ukraine’s remotely controlled homegrown anti-tank weapon, the Stugna-P ATGM (a.k.a. Skif), developed by Luch Design Bureau, is shredding Russian armored columns. The Stugna-P is a true force multiplier, says Brent M. Eastwood of 19fortyfive.com. He writes (abridged):
Russian tanks are dying at the hands of another anti-armor system you may have yet to hear of.
The Stugna-P anti-tank guided missile packs a wallop and it is torturing Russian tanks. This is a home-grown Ukrainian weapon that the defenders have mastered. The laser-guided system has a long-range and ample penetration capability.
Compilation of Stugna-P “Skif” ATGM’s used against Russian Military
It provides an additional anti-tank option beyond the Javelin, NLAW, and AT-4. The use of the Stugna-P is so straightforward that even a former Ukrainian politician, now turned soldier, is firing it against the Russians.
The Stugna-P, also known as the Skif, which is the export version, is produced by Kyiv-based Luch Design Bureau. The great thing about the Stugna-P is that it can be set up on a tripod and camouflaged. Then the operators can hide up to 164-feet away from the launcher.
It is fired by remote control from a module that looks like a laptop. The crew is safe-from counter-fire in their covered and concealed positions. After launch, Russian tanks never know what hit them.
The Stugna is so easy to use that a former Ukrainian Member of Parliament has put on an army uniform and become an anti-tank warrior with the weapon. 42-year-old Tetiana Chornovol became a lawmaker in 2014, then put her political career on hold to cover the Donbas border war as a journalist.
After the invasion, Chornovol had seen enough on the sidelines and wanted to be a soldier. The mother of two has been assigned as a Stugna operator in the Kyiv area of operations.
Meet Ukrainian Stugna-P ATGM Operator & Mother of Two, Tetiana Chornovol – Former Member of Parliament
Chornovol has seen combat with the Stugna-P. “We saw tanks appearing and we literally ran to our position. I ran to my operator’s case,” she told a reporter.“I switch it on and see tanks on the screen. They just entered with the range of my missile. I took aim and destroyed the first tank … I shot it right at the fuel cells and the ammunition load was detonated. The tank literally flew off the road and now it is somewhere in the road ditch in the forest.” […]
Watch Ukrainian Stugna-P ATGM Operator Take out Four Russian Armored Vehicle’s in a Row
#Ukraine: Сrazy first-person footage of a Ukrainian Stugna-P ATGM operator taking out four Russian tanks and BMPs in a row in the vicinity of Izium, #Kharkiv Oblast.
[Part 1] pic.twitter.com/drlk6TtyjE— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) April 25, 2022
If a Stugna-P can be fired by someone with no prior military experience, like a former politician, it shows how valuable this system is. Easy to understand and straightforward to use, the Stugna-P is a true force multiplier. Look for it to continue to ambush Russian tanks for the duration of the war.
Watch Ukrainian Stugna-P ATGM Operator Take out Russian Ka-52 “Alligator” Attack Helicopter
A Ukrainian Stugna-P ATGM team shoots down a hovering Russian Ka-52 “Alligator” attack helicopter with a very well timed shot.🔥🇺🇦pic.twitter.com/R3xHFEyNdE
— Jimmy (@JimmySecUK) April 5, 2022
