Skill and Steel: DIU Soldier Rescues Disabled MaxxPro from Combat Zone

A special forces soldier of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) successfully performed an extreme evacuation of a damaged MaxxPro armored vehicle directly from the battlefield.

The press service of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine released the video of the operation.

The incident took place in the Kupiansk sector during a combat mission by the special forces group of the Timur unit.

The American M1224 MaxxPro armored vehicle was hit—one of its wheels was destroyed in the strike. However, it protected the crew, who managed to disembark and continue the maneuver on foot. The armored vehicle itself remained in the line of fire.

A soldier from the logistics group quickly assessed the situation on the ground, confirmed that the engine was still operational, and started evacuating the vehicle on his own.

Despite having lost a wheel, the MaxxPro sped across the terrain—the driver demonstrated exceptional skill, keeping the armored vehicle under control, expertly handling skids, and maintaining full command throughout the maneuver.

This isn’t the first time extreme driving in the multi-ton American armored vehicle has been captured on video.

In fact, at the end of May 2024, a video surfaced online showing the driver of a similar armored vehicle executing rapid maneuvers under heavy enemy fire.

Despite artillery strikes and drone attacks, he skillfully operated the vehicle at high speed, avoiding hits and maintaining full control throughout the intense situation.

MaxxPro

The M1224 MaxxPro is an American MRAP-class armored vehicle designed primarily to protect its crew from mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The armored vehicle can withstand detonation of mines or IED under the bottom with a mass of explosive up to 7 kilograms in TNT equivalent.

The armor has two layers of protection: one shatters a bullet or debris, the other stops it.

The bulletproof glass weighs almost 120 kilograms, there were cases when it stopped shelling from a heavy machine gun.

The total weight of the vehicle is 14 tons.