Russian soldiers targeted while riding on top of armored vehicles is now a 'daily occurrence,' pushing up its death toll, US soldier says

• Video shows a Russian armored vehicle with soldiers riding on top being attacked.
• A US veteran fighting in Ukraine said it was "a daily occurrence" that had killed many Russians.
• Warning: The video contains graphic scenes of warfare that may be disturbing.

Footage showing Russian soldiers being targeted while they are riding on top of an armored vehicle highlights a "daily occurrence" that has driven Russia's death rate way up, according to a US veteran serving in Ukraine.

The video was shared by Ukraine's Strike Drones Company, part of Ukraine's 47th Mechanized Brigade.

It shows about a dozen Russian soldiers riding on top of a fast-moving armored vehicle that has smoke pouring out from it.

As it slows to a stop behind another vehicle, the soldiers all rush to jump off as shells are seen exploding around them.

The attack then increases.

Some of the troops appear to be directly hit. Some lie unmoving, and it is unclear if they are waiting, injured, or killed.

The Strike Drones Company said the soldiers involved were trying to storm Ukrainian positions but were defeated before they reached their targets.

Ryan O'Leary, a US veteran in Ukraine, described what happened in the video as "a daily occurrence. 30-45 min apart for over a month straight."

He said that this had driven up Russia's death toll.

"Which is why when people say x amount of Russians have been killed, don't actually understand anything. Hundreds of Russians were sent to their deaths before more elite were sent in," he added.

O'Leary is part of the Chosen Company, a group of international volunteer fighters supporting Ukraine's fightback against Russia.

He's a 10-year US Army National Guard veteran and did tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to Politico.

O'Leary said his unit had a machine gunner "who literally sat there and shwacked" a platoon element "as they dismounted. Over and over again."

Russia does not publish its casualty figures, and only estimates are available for Russian losses in Ukraine.

The UK Ministry of Defence said over the weekend that Russia had likely seen 355,000 personnel killed or wounded since it launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

It also said that Russia's daily casualties in February were the highest since the invasion began, at an average of 983 a day.

Russia has been accused by its own soldiers, by Ukraine, and by Western intelligence of treating its own troops as disposable, and of using "meat grinder" tactics to advance.