This aerial footage apparently shows a Russian tank spewing flames and then exploding in a fireball following a strike from a British-made missile system.

Newsflash obtained the footage from the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade – a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces – earlier today (Tuesday, 26th April).

The 128th Mountain Assault Brigade said: “Visual demonstration of the effectiveness of foreign aid to the Armed Forces – Russian T-72 tank destroyed by attack aircraft of 128th Separate Mountain Assault Zakarpattia Brigade.

“The tank was hit by an NLAW anti-tank missile system made in Great Britain and Sweden.

“The tandem missile pierced the armour of the T-72 from above and destroyed the target, the crew died instantly.

“Video from the drone captures how the destroyed tank burns from the inside, the smoke even travels through the barrel of the gun. And in a few seconds the ammunition detonated – the tank exploded, its turret was blown off and thrown a few metres.

“The enchanting night video of the explosion of a Russian tank burning in the woods is more spectacular than any computer graphics of Hollywood blockbusters. It shows the real impressive power of the NLAW anti-tank missile, which together with the American Javelin and the Ukrainian Stugna has become a real horror for the crews and troops of Russian armoured vehicles.”

The brigade did not say where the strike took place.

NLAW stands for Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon. It is manufactured mainly by Saab Bofors Dynamics – in Karlskoga and Linkoeping, Sweden – and Thales Air Defence – in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The United Kingdom has supplied thousands of NLAW systems to Ukraine, with a senior Ukrainian military officer claiming they were the “weapon of choice” for his troops, responsible for 30 to 40 per cent of Russian tanks destroyed.

The T-72 is a family of Soviet/Russian main battle tanks that entered production in 1969 and now has over 40 operators worldwide.

Russian troops invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is now calling a “special military operation” to “protect Donbass”, the eastern Ukrainian region home to a large number of Russian speakers.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said earlier today that Russia had lost 918 tanks, 2,308 armoured vehicles, 416 artillery systems, 149 multiple launch rocket systems, 69 anti-aircraft systems, 184 warplanes, 154 helicopters, 1,643 military vehicles, eight vessels, 76 fuel tankers, 205 drones and four mobile short-range ballistic missile systems over the course of the invasion thus far.