Russian influencer video shows Ukrainians how to drive abandoned armored vehicles

A Russian influencer has gone viral for posting a video to TikTok explaining how to drive a Russian armored personal carrier, or APC.

“If you happen to find a free or abandoned armored personnel carrier, here’s a life-hack on how to start it,” a blonde in a beanie and thick winter coat tells viewers in Russian before walking them through a console covered in buttons and switches. 

@nastyatyman Если вам попадётся свободный или брошенный БТР - держите лайфхак как его запускать☝🏻 #настятуман #авто #бтр #автознания ♬ оригинальный звук - Туман Настя

The woman is Nastya Tuman, a car mechanic and influencer in Russia, reports VICE News. According to a profile on Yandex, “Russia’s Google,” Tuman learned to work on cars at 18 after getting ripped off by male mechanics. She and her husband now run YouTube channels that teach car maintenance and maintain a presence on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

When the video went viral, users incorrectly assumed Tuman was a Ukrainian showing her countrymen how to pilot the armored carrier reportedly abandoned by Russian troops as they ran out of gas. Videos of Ukrainians heckling stranded troops or commandeering APCs has gone viral.

On this video the #Ukrainian civilians are stealing Russian APC. The driver laughs: "It's a nice vehicle to drive for the firewood!" His passenger adds in a jargon: "Russians got what they didn't expect." #Ukraine https://t.co/LckhvxmImo

— Victor Kovalenko (@MrKovalenko) February 28, 2022

VICE reported that the original video of Tuman in an APC is actually a year old. The TikTok video uses footage from an Instagram post from Feb. 23, 2021, celebrating Defender of the Fatherland Day, but was re-edited with a new introduction relevant to current events.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Настя Туман (@tymannastya)