This is the shocking moment a Ukranian missile launching vehicle spins out of control at a parade dress rehearsal – smashing into a storefront.
Kyiv is preparing to hold a large-scale military parade showcasing Ukraine’s military strength on Independence Day.
This moment shows the moment the dress rehearsal for Friday went terribly wrong, as a missile carrier careered into an office building surrounded by people.
The Buk missile carrier was developed in the Soviet Union and is still in operation in Ukraine
The missile carrier (pictured) careered into a concrete wall of an Astaria store in Kiev, Ukraine
Horrified onlookers watched as the vehicle, loaded with four missiles, smashed into the store in Kiev on Saturday – but there have been no reported injuries.
But it isn’t known if the carrier – which can seat up to four soldiers – had any injuries to its occupants.
Reports in Ukraine suggest the carrier was actually being towed, and not moving under its own power. Reports also suggest the incident took place at about 8.40 pm local time.
The incident sparked a flurry of activity on social media in Ukraine with one user, Vlad Vash, writing on Facebook: ‘Here’s a parade for you! First, a tank nearly hit me but was able to stop. Following it (a Buk) also nearly ran over us and drove into an office building.’
The self-contained, road-mobile, medium-range SAM is most notorious for shooting down Malaysian Airlines flight 17 over Eastern Ukraine in 2014 – killing 298.
The missile system remains in service in a number of configurations in dozens of countries around the world, including China, Pakistan and Egypt.
In this case, the loaded carrier was of Ukrainian origin.
Crowds gathered to watch the parade in Ukraine’s capital, Kiev on Saturday evening
Spectators initially fled the scene before crowding around the missile carrier to take pictures
The incident occurred on August 18th, 2018 during a practice run for Ukraine’s Independence Day parade in Kiev.
As people look on and use video camera to record the practice run the missile carrier swings out of control and crashes.
People can then be seen gasping and running away from the scene. One woman was holding a young child as a loud bang is heard.
The clunking metal beast labelled ‘805’ seems to be the only carrier of a convoy that loses control.
Police can be seen arriving with a fire engine as people crowd around the stricken SAM taking videos and pictures.