Viral video reportedly shows Russian attack helicopter dodge Wagner missile

A movie purportedly showing a Russian military helicopter narrowly dodging a missile fired by the rebel Wagner mercenary group has long gone viral on social media, clocking up far more than 510,000 views.

Wagner troops faithful to the group’s chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claim they have seized the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, and are reportedly several hours from Moscow immediately after heading north in a greatly armed convoy. In an tackle to the Russian people President Vladimir Putin explained Prigozhin’s actions as “treason” and “a knife in the back of our men and women.”

The insurrection could severely weaken Russian forces in Ukraine, as they contend with a counterattack introduced by Kyiv, although also throwing domestic Russian politics into chaos and even increasing questions about the survival of the Putin routine.

Incredible movie posted on Twitter appears to clearly show a Russian helicopter, recognized as a Ka-52 Alligator, narrowly avoiding a missile fired by Wagner fighters soon after launching flares to distract it. The 12-second clip, taken from a higher vantage place, shows the helicopter traveling about a road junction, while releasing the flares. Soon after about 10 seconds a missile is noticed taking pictures previous the helicopter at shut range.

This video clip was shared by ‘War Translated,’a U.K.-centered account with around 434,000 followers, which tracks the conflict in Ukraine.

Newsweek has not been ready to independently validate the video’s authenticity. The Russian Ministry of Defense has been contacted for remark via e-mail.

Accompanying the clip the account wrote: “The Ka-52 heli defense method enables the plane to dodge an anti-plane missile fired from the Strela-10 air protection method of the Wagner PMC.”

Personal military services company, or PMC, is a phrase broadly employed to explain non-governmental mercenary groups. The Strela-10 is a quick-range, surface area-to-air missile process normally utilised to engage very low-flying plane these as helicopters. The footage has been given more than 510,000 sights, and has been retweeted in excess of 420 periods.

The online video was also shared by Jimmy Rushton, a Kyiv-primarily based security specialist, attracting another 30,000 sights.

He wrote: “A Russian Ka-52 ‘Alligator’ assault helicopter survives a incredibly near shave with a area to air missile the helicopter is saved by its flare countermeasures.”

Sebastien Roblin, a New York-primarily based protection specialist who has appeared on NBC, explained: “What flare decoys saving an assault helicopter seems to be like, courtesy of the Wagner coup.”

Talking to Newsweek, retired U.S. typical Ben Hodges explained the Wagner rebellion could escalate “perhaps even to a civil war.”

He added: “This could decide on up momentum of study course, depending on the really huge question—what will the army do?

“Will they respond to Putin’s orders, will they obey everything from (Russian) MoD or Basic Staff members? Or will they either change sides or continue to be on the sidelines?

“I think about a whole lot of these troopers presently deployed in Ukraine will be wondering extended and challenging about how enthusiastic they should really be battling against Ukrainians in a scenario that have to look progressively apparent to them that it is for a shedding result in.”