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Vue normale

Reçu aujourd’hui — 21 septembre 2025
✇Euromaidan Press

A drone, a moving Russian tank-bulldozer, and one perfect hit: Nemesis shares footage of a rare IMR-3M kill (video)

Par :Yuri Zoria
21 septembre 2025 à 07:25

drone moving russian tank-bulldozer one perfect hit nemesis shares footage rare imr-3m kill (video) frames unit’s released video move (left) moment munition drop (center) vehicle engulfed flames after impact (right)

A Ukrainian drone unit released video footage of the destruction of a heavily armored Russian engineering vehicle, marking only the third confirmed loss of this type since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. The report does not mention the exact date or location of the attack.

Ukrainian drones continue targeting Russian equipment and disrupting supply routes behind the frontlines. Military engineering vehicles like the IMR-3M play a key role in clearing minefields and obstacles, as well as preparing positions for advancing infantry. The IMR-3M remains rarely deployed, and Russia has never publicly disclosed how many of these vehicles were produced.

Ukrainian drones strike rare Russian IMR-3M path-clearing vehicle

On 21 September, Ukrainian military drone unit Nemesis, part of the 412th Separate Regiment of Unmanned Systems Forces, shared a video clip showing the destruction of a Russian IMR-3M military engineering vehicle. Footage shows that the drone pilot hit the IMR-3M while it was in motion, dropping a munition directly onto the moving vehicle. Later, two more munition drops finished off the immobilized and burning vehicle.

The target was not just any vehicle — the IMR-3M is a highly specialized Soviet-designed armored bulldozer tank, rarely seen on the battlefield, Militarnyi notes. Designed to assist Russian motorized infantry in breaking through heavily obstructed terrain, it clears minefields, removes rubble, and performs other combat engineering tasks in frontline conditions. Its role is to pave the way for Russian offensive units, especially in heavily mined areas.

According to Militarnyi, such vehicles are in high demand at the front due to their ability to support assault operations by preparing the path for other units. However, confirmed battlefield losses of IMR-3Ms remain extremely limited.

A Russian IMR-3M engineering vehicle equipped with a bulldozer blade, telescopic arm, and mounted machine gun. Photo: Russian media via Militarnyi
A Russian IMR-3M engineering vehicle equipped with a bulldozer blade, telescopic arm, and mounted machine gun. Photo: Russian media via Militarnyi

Since 2022, it is only the third such vehicle that has been visually confirmed as destroyed. The previous confirmed kill occurred over a year ago.

In contrast, Russia’s earlier IMR-2M model has suffered far greater losses — at least 49 destroyed or damaged since the full-scale invasion began, according to Oryx Blog equipment losses tracker.

A nuclear-shielded “terminator” turned wreckage

Russian sources often refer to the IMR-3M as a “terminator on tracks.” Built on the chassis of a T-72 tank, it was adopted by Russian army engineering units in 1999. It’s heavily armored and features radiation shielding, allowing it to operate in high-risk zones, including those affected by nuclear strikes.

Its equipment includes a universal bulldozer blade for clearing, grading, and obstacle removal; a telescopic boom mounted on a full-rotation turret that can be outfitted with a bucket, gripper, or other engineering tools; and a mine-clearing system equipped with a blade and electromagnetic mine trawl, capable of neutralizing both contact and magnetic mines, including anti-track and underbelly varieties.

Despite its rugged design and defensive capabilities, this particular IMR-3M failed to withstand the drone strike captured in the footage. The Nemesis unit’s precise strike left the machine ablaze — a rare and symbolically important loss for Russian forces relying on such equipment to support assault breakthroughs.
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