Kremlin propagandist Aleksandr ‘Sasha’ Kots is often embedded with Russian forces in Ukraine, cheerleading their wanton destruction. But it seems he recently got too carried away, inadvertently revealing their position during a live report. It didn't take much effort at all for the Ukrainians to geolocate the weapon and destroy it, the self-propelled heavy mortar detonated in a gigantic fireball. The crew of 5 incinerated.

Well done, 'Sasha'. Ukraine salutes you.

Source: Forbes

As Russian troops attempt to break through Ukrainian lines in the Donbas region and encircle forces defending the city of Severodonetsk, it’s employing a variety of rare, specialized weapons including BMP-T ‘Terminator’ anti-personnel tanks and KUB-BLA kamikaze drones.

Recently, Russian military reporter Aleksandr ‘Sasha’ Kots revealed Russia was also employing its super-sized 2S4 “Tyulpan” (“Tulip”) 240-millimeter self-propelled mortars, designed to penetrate and destroy heavy fortifications and large buildings.

According to Forbes, Russia used to have hundreds of these things that were built decades ago but now only have about 40-50 in service. Their strengths are that they have immense power, "giant mortars belt out gigantic 288-pound F864 shells more akin in effect to air-dropped bombs out to a range of 6 miles at a stately maximum fire rate of one round per minute." And "laser-guided rounds, 3B11 nuclear shells, and 3O8 ‘Nerpa’ rocket-assisted cargo shells with a maximum range of 12 miles that can release a hail of cluster bomblets."

The problem and the reason that they're not used at all in the West is that they're so slow and vulnerable to counterattack.

However, within 24 hours after Kot’s report went live, the Ukrainian military released a video shot by a drone peering down on a location close to the building Kots had been filming from. It shows a 2S4 consumed by flames. Abruptly, its ammunition—up to 40 oversized rounds—detonates in a gigantic fireball.

Though we don’t know for sure, it seems distinctly possible Ukrainian forces geolocated the 2S4’s approximate position using the imagery from the TV segment.