This is the astonishing moment a Daily Mail documentary team flee from Russian forces after witnessing a Ukrainian missile launch.
New Footage from the Daily Mail’s Frontline YouTube series shows Ukrainian soldiers rushing around a vehicle and loading missiles into the launcher, before taking cover a few feet away and firing two rockets in quick succession.
Daily Mail reporters Richard Pendlebury and Jamie Wiseman reported live from the frontline, accompanying a special unit in the defence of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast.
‘The unit has now fired two ranging rockets and I think they are about to fire a volley, and then they, we, are going to get out of here as fast as possible,’ Mr Pendlebury said as soldiers got the rocket ready for launch in the background.
Everyone scatters from the launcher as a soldier shouts to the unit commander that the rockets were ready to go.
Shortly after, they can be seen shooting out at high speed towards a concentration of Russian troops and vehicles nearby, which were preparing to advance on the city.
‘The amount of dust picked up by the backblast is terrific. It can be seen for miles. We can’t hang around – to do so would be death,’ Mr Pendlebury commented while soldiers hastily got the launch vehicle ready for departure.
But as everyone retreated in a hurry, Mr Wiseman can be heard saying: ‘Where the f*** is my GoPro. For f*** sake,’ after seemingly mislaying the camera somewhere in the wooded area.
Footage shows Ukrainian soldiers rushing around a vehicle and loading missiles into the launcher, before taking cover a few feet away and firing two rockets in quick succession
Everyone scatters from the launcher as a soldier shouts to the unit commander that the rockets were ready to go. Shortly after, they can be seen shooting out at high speed towards a concentration of Russian troops and vehicles nearby, which were preparing to advance on the city
But as everyone retreated in a hurry, Mr Wiseman can be heard saying: ‘Where the f*** is my GoPro. For f*** sake,’ after seemingly mislaying the camera somewhere in the wooded area
Mr Wiseman finally said ‘there we are’, as he bent down to retrieve the camera from the ground, where it was hidden by high grass
He then filmed the launch vehicle as it turned around and sped away while the driver punched the air in triumph
Mr Pendlebury estimated that the whole escape from the launch site could have only taken about two minutes. But the reporter also warned: ‘We’re not out of the woods yet’
‘The escape begins. Ours is not a cool withdrawal. It’s chaotic, verging on panic-stricken,’ Mr Pendlebury commented.
In the footage, Mr Pendlebury can be heard calling out for Oleks – their translator – and his colleague Mr Wiseman, who is then seen marching through the frame while looking for the GoPro camera.
Mr Wiseman finally said ‘there we are’, as he bent down to retrieve the camera from the ground, where it was hidden by high grass.
He then filmed the launch vehicle as it turned around and sped away while the driver punched the air in triumph.
The tactic of trying to hit the opponent hard before escaping is called ‘shoot and scoot’.
Mr Wiseman then ran towards the second car as someone urged: ‘Come on Jamie, get into the car!’ – ‘I’m coming, I’m coming,’ Mr Wiseman replied.
Just after jumping into the vehicle, it sped off, leaving behind a cloud of dust.
Mr Pendlebury estimated that the whole escape from the launch site could have only taken about two minutes. But the reporter also warned: ‘We’re not out of the woods yet.’
Watch the full video on Daily Mail’s Youtube channel.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
