Home » Ukrainian Forces Claim To Have Used The Tank From A Toyota Mirai Hyrogen Car To Blow Up A Russian Position

Ukrainian Forces Claim To Have Used The Tank From A Toyota Mirai Hyrogen Car To Blow Up A Russian Position

Hydrogen Car Bomb Ts
ADVERTISEMENT

If somebody told you Toyotas were being used in the war in Ukraine, you’d probably think that sounded about right. Toyota trucks have been used in warzones around the world for half a century. If somebody told you they were talking about the hydrogen-powered Mirai, though, you might raise an eyebrow.

As covered by Euromaiden Press, a news source that is generally pro-Ukraine, Ukrainian forces used Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell sedan in a July attack on a Russian position in the ongoing War in Ukraine (and small parts of Russia). However, the Mirai wasn’t used as transport. Instead, it was stripped for parts, with its hydrogen tank used as a munition.

Vidframe Min Top
Vidframe Min Bottom

The attack involved a drone ground vehicle, which was reportedly used to attack an aggregate plant in Vovchansk, Ukraine. The facility was held by Russian forces, prized for its elevated position overlooking the city. The drone was loaded with the Mirai tank, filled to the brim with hydrogen, and plenty of plastic explosives. The whole assembly weighed over 400 pounds.

A censored video of the attack was published by Reporting from Ukraine on YouTube. The drone can be seen inching its way along a damaged bridge on its way into the aggregate plant. The attack culminated in a towering explosion at the target.

ADVERTISEMENT

It’s unclear how much difference the hydrogen tank may have made to the size of the explosion. We also don’t know which generation Mirai was used. In any case, the first-generation Mirai featured two fuel tanks, with a combined volume of 122 liters. They store hydrogen at an immense pressure 70 MPa (~10,000 psi) with a total capacity of 5 kg (11 pounds) of hydrogen. The second-generation model featured three tanks with a total capacity of 5.6 kg (12.3 pounds).

In the video, we only get a shot of a single hydrogen tank. It’s not obvious how the hydrogen tank was fitted onto the drone, nor whether one or both of the Mirai’s tanks were used. As for how the tank was topped off with gas, that too remains a mystery.

The Salvagetak
The tank salvaged from the Mirai. The hydrogen vessel was combined with plastic explosives to (at least theoretically) create a more powerful warhead.
Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell Cutaway
A hydrogen tank as seen in a first-generation Toyota Mirai, pictured at the  Salão Internacional do Automóvel show in São Paulo, Brazil in 2016. Credit: Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz, CC BY-SA 4.0

Incidentally, prior to Russia’s major invasion in 2022, work was ongoing to establish hydrogen vehicle infrastructure in Ukraine. Notably, in 2021, the Odessa Journal reported on the pending installation of the country’s first hydrogen refueling stations, and the importation of the Toyota Mirai. It may be that the Russian invasion prevented this work, as there are no available reports on the opening of hydrogen filling stations in the country. It’s plausible that the lack of infrastructure provided all the necessary justification for stripping the Mirai for wartime use.

The Ukraine Hydrogen Council did put out a press release on October 2023, regarding the donation of a Toyota Mirai to the Zhytomyr Polytechnic University. It appears to be a first-generation model. The Zhytomyr campus is a full 438 miles from the Kharkiv region where this drone attack occurred. It’s perhaps unlikely this exact car was stripped for the drone attack. However, it’s indicative that the first-generation Mirai was delivered to Ukraine, and was perhaps the most likely source of parts for the drone strike. Indeed, photographic evidence exists of a white Mirai delivered to Ukraine, too.

Zhytomyr1
The Mirai donated by the Ukrainian Hydrogen Council in 2023.

Using Mirai parts in this way is certainly new and innovative in a military context. All the more so given that the Mirai is not exactly a common vehicle—in Ukraine, or anywhere else for that matter. However, the idea of salvaging useful hardware from cars has become a key part of the Ukrainian war effort. In particular, Euromaiden Press reports that Tesla vehicles have been a key source of batteries for Ukraine’s critical drone forces.

ADVERTISEMENT

Normally, when Toyota shows up in a war story, it’s the Hilux making the headlines. Indeed, the Japanese trucks are so widely used as light military technicals, they gave their name to the Great Toyota War of 1986-1987 on the Chad-Libya border. These days, Toyota has strict policies against supplying its trucks to paramilitary users. One doubts, however, that they ever expected the Mirai to be used in this way.

Toyota Mirai 2015 Images 4
The first-generation Toyota Mirai landed in 2014.

We’ve talked about the Toyota Mirai before. Toyota has spent over a decade on its development, investing in multiple generations, but it’s still not catching on. EV infrastructure and technology has progressed by leaps and bounds in that time. Meanwhile, it’s still virtually impossible to refuel a hydrogen car anywhere outside California. Ultimately, hydrogen fuel cells haven’t been able to make any headway against the gradual rise of battery-powered EVs.

2024 Toyota Mirai 010
Toyota continues to market the Mirai, with limited success.

It’s unlikely that hydrogen tanks from fuel cell cars will become a key part of Ukraine’s offensive arsenal. Parts are rare, and their performance as munitions is questionable and largely undetermined. Still, it’s clear that Ukraine’s forces are keen to use any ingenious advantage they can find—even if it comes at the expense of Toyota’s flagship hydrogen vehicle.

Image credits: Reporting from Ukraine via YouTube screenshot, Toyota, Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, Hydrogen.ua

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on whatsapp
WhatsApp
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on reddit
Reddit
Subscribe
Notify of
47 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Freelivin2713
Freelivin2713
2 months ago

Wow, this blows my mind…ha ha

Cheap Bastard
Cheap Bastard
2 months ago

Seriously, why bother with a Mirai tank when ANFO is a thing?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANFO

AMGx2
AMGx2
2 months ago

Hy-ro-gen power!

Querty
Querty
2 months ago

I’m glad someone finally found a use case for Hydrogen cars

Dodsworth
Dodsworth
2 months ago

So the bomb was grounded to the ground?

OttosPhotos
OttosPhotos
2 months ago

Meanwhile, it’s still virtually impossible to refuel a hydrogen car in the US anywhere outside California.

Fixed it for you.

Col Lingus
Col Lingus
2 months ago

And for our next trick we intend to drive thru Russian villages with fighters on a flatbed truck lighting off their farts.

Just wait til they start leaving flaming bags of dog shit all over the petrol trucks.

“And if that don’t work we will begin to launch large farm animals at you with a catapult…”

“We will show you commie fucks how to really fight a war, eat shit Putin.”

Last edited 2 months ago by Col Lingus
RC
RC
2 months ago

I’m guessing Ukraine’s hydrogen infrastructure is largely a byproduct of the NG industry.

In any case, the energy stored by a kg of hydrogen is roughly 33kwh; the 5k is roughly 150kwh, or about the 3x the energy one would get from gasoline (the bigger issue with hydrogen has less to do with energy density and more to do with storing it, which requires a lot of energy in the form of compression or cryogenics).

It’s also not super useful as a thermobaric; hydrogen is very light. 5 kilos of hydrogen would be roughly the same as (god, I hate units) spraying 15kg – or about 5 gallons of gasoline – all on the ceiling (hydrogen will always rise above atmospheric air). US fuel-air explosives didn’t use hydrogen, mostly because actually fueling said bombs would have required infrastructure that’s sorta inconvenient.

If I had to guess, the tank was used to store something that wasn’t hydrogen under pressure and then used to detonate it. Ukraine does have a pretty talented chemical industry adjacent to their energy industry, so I’ve no doubt they could come up with something very dangerous to pair with a 10kpsi tank.

Andy Individual
Andy Individual
2 months ago
Reply to  RC

I immediately thought CNG, or even propane which is more likely to spread at ground level.

Nathan
Nathan
2 months ago
Reply to  RC

Something with an oxidizer in the tank would be very dangerous.

There could also be two separate detonators for the plastic explosives with a slight delay. The first one punctures the tank and the second one detonates a few milliseconds later which ignites the gas mixed with air.

M K
M K
2 months ago
Reply to  RC

I agree. H2 would just go up and away before mixing with enough O2 to do anything exciting.
They were taking advantage of a lightweight 10kpsi tank and filling it with something else.

Cheap Bastard
Cheap Bastard
2 months ago
Reply to  RC

Its not even that. The Mirai needed multiple tanks to contain 5 kg of hydrogen so if it was hydrogen this single tank would have contained much less than 5kg and MUCH less if they had a much more common 3k psi pump. At which point using hydrogen is a dumb idea.

While I agree something much more dangerous could have been used I don’t see why a Mirai tank was used at all. Those things were built to resist exploding. Gasoline and diesel are widely available and can be deployed in old vodka bottles.

Last edited 2 months ago by Cheap Bastard
Manwich Sandwich
Manwich Sandwich
2 months ago

 Parts are rare, “

Well not that rare given there are over 300 of them for sale in the USA right now.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/all-cars/toyota/mirai/beverly-hills-ca?newSearch=true&searchRadius=0

Here’s one for just $2200:
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/722384072

Freelivin2713
Freelivin2713
2 months ago

Wow, I always thought that if somebody needed a newer vehicle for cheap, they could get one like that $2200 one and just put a rebuilt gas engine in it. Yeah, it’s a lot of hassle but when they’re done they basically have a new car that will last a long time. Yes, it would be a lot to take out the engine, tank, lines, etc and replace then add gas tank. Also the ECU and all that…ok nevermind, it’s a lot. Just curious if anybody has thought of this? Was just a wild idea

Manwich Sandwich
Manwich Sandwich
2 months ago
Reply to  Freelivin2713

Given that it’s already an electric car of sorts with an electric motor, I think a better option is to rip out the tank and fuel cell and figure out a way to greatly increase the size of the battery pack it already has using the space freed up that the fuel cell and tank previously occupied.

And the other thing that would need to be figured out would be adding an onboard charger so it can be plugged in.

SomeIntern
SomeIntern
2 months ago
Reply to  Freelivin2713

You’re better off buying a car with a blown engine off marketplace and swapping it if you have the facilities and know how to do that. You can find a nice mk6 GTI if you want something fun or Honda Civic if you want something basic off marketplace that needs an engine for $1000 and put a Chinese engine in for 3k rather than frankensteining a Mirai.

Freelivin2713
Freelivin2713
2 months ago
Reply to  SomeIntern

That’s a good point…yeah, it was a far fetched idea anyway

Cheap Bastard
Cheap Bastard
2 months ago
Reply to  Freelivin2713

I’ve literally been saying this for years:

Step 1: Buy a gently used Mirai, preferably the much more attractive 2nd gen rather than the hideously ugly 1st gen.

Step 2: Procure a drive train from a wrecked Prius or a Camry hybrid, whichever makes more sense.

Step 3: Convert drive train from step 2 to run on CNG with parts from the vast Toyota international parts bin.

Step 4: Replace the fuel cell drivetrain with the CNG hybrid drivetrain

Step 5: Convert fill port to CNG.

And there you have it, a car that should run pretty much forever on the most abundant fuel available (it’s renewable AND a fossil fuel).

As a bonus since CNG has a lot more energy per gallon than hydrogen the 35 gallon capacity of the later gen Mirai should yield about 800-1000 miles of range.

Come to think of it the 2nd gen Mirai is RWD so if you have the option of keeping it RWD or going AWD if the Prius/Camry motor is transferred over as well.

Kant Smathers
Kant Smathers
2 months ago

“Incidentally, prior to Russia’s major invasion in 2022…”

Has there ever been a “minor” invasion of one country by another?

I’m as “pro” Yekaterinburg as anyone, but this is none of our business.

If my neighbor forgot to turn off the hot water heater before they left for several months, I will happily turn it off for them. BUT, I’m sure as shit not mopping their floors while I am there.

OverlandingSprinter
OverlandingSprinter
2 months ago
Reply to  Kant Smathers

Has there ever been a “minor” invasion of one country by another?

Brought our kids to Canada several times. They acted like Americans, to my spouse’s and my chagrin.

Kant Smathers
Kant Smathers
2 months ago

That’s about as Canadian as it gets.

RC
RC
2 months ago
Reply to  Kant Smathers

Has there ever been a “minor” invasion of one country by another?

It’s a nice way of hand-waving away Russia’s previous invasion of Crimea/Ukraine in 2014, which was more or less ignored by the West.

Kant Smathers
Kant Smathers
2 months ago
Reply to  RC

Do we talk about Africa now, or, is that not profitable enough? Oh, that’s right. They don’t control the pipeline to Germany,

I fail to see the correlation between 10 years ago and the “hand-wringing” of today. A hearty and sturdy platform of guaranteed profits is what is fueling the enthusiasm for the “outrage” at the moment. Unlike 2014, when we all shrugged shoulders and said, “That stinks for them.”

AMGx2
AMGx2
2 months ago
Reply to  Kant Smathers

The article is about using a hydrogen storage tank from a CAR, in the war in Ukraine. Sure we can add references to ANY conflict in the world, but pointing fingers to what is happening somewhere else in world is totally irrelevant for the discussion above.

If you feel bad about something, perhaps write on websites talking about conflicts in Africa, and not on websites for car enthusiasts.

SomeIntern
SomeIntern
2 months ago
Reply to  Kant Smathers

This isn’t the War Zone, unless something automotive related and significant happens I doubt this site will cover it.

RC
RC
2 months ago
Reply to  Lewin Day

No worries, I understood what you were saying. Not everything needs to be about geopolitics, and my intent really wasn’t sarcastic – like, it’s a concise way of putting “Yes, Ukraine was invaded before, but we’re talking about the war that exists in the consciousness of most Westerners.”

Kant Smathers
Kant Smathers
2 months ago
Reply to  Lewin Day

I know. My closest were there right before then, working with Ural Motors. I was simply making the point that times/priorities have changed.

Excellent writing, as always.

Flashman
Flashman
2 months ago

Hope they’re paying you enough Mr Day because at the moment you seem to be single-handedly publishing a car culture magazine.

Wezel Boy
Wezel Boy
2 months ago

I wonder if they are using it for a thermobaric device.

Michael Beranek
Michael Beranek
2 months ago

Jeez, maybe we coulda finished up in Viet Nam by deploying a shitload of Pintos with full gas tanks.

Cars? I've owned a few
Cars? I've owned a few
2 months ago

They could’ve just picked up a used Ford Pinto and driven it at high speed in reverse.

Michael Beranek
Michael Beranek
2 months ago

Uh, that was weird

Eddie Wuncler
Eddie Wuncler
2 months ago

So what you’re telling me is when they decide to make a hydrogen hilux you’ll be able to slap a technical on it,blow it up and still drive away with it.

Mrbrown89
Mrbrown89
2 months ago

Better use the Toyota solid state battery aka the b*tt plug on those Russians lol

Sbzr
Sbzr
2 months ago

Amazing free marketing for Toyota they must be thrilled to help Ukraine????

Chronometric
Chronometric
2 months ago

Japanese manufacturers have been anticipating a hydrogen vehicle explosion.

Canopysaurus
Canopysaurus
2 months ago

Never thought I’d live to see the day when hydrogen cars would be bombing down the road. Picturing Slim Pickens slapping his cowboy hat and yeehawing.

Last edited 2 months ago by Canopysaurus
Ranwhenparked
Ranwhenparked
2 months ago

Well, I guess there’s a solution for those all those dealers in the other 49 states who keep accidentally buying these things somehow

The Stig's Misanthropic Cousin
The Stig's Misanthropic Cousin
2 months ago
Reply to  Ranwhenparked

I looked out of curiosity and found one for sale here in Tampa. It is for sale for $5,900, which strikes me as a bit high for a car that needs to be shipped 4,900 miles round trip to fill up the tank.

I am tempted to offer them $500 to get it off their lot. It would be an interesting lawn ornament, if nothing else.

Ranwhenparked
Ranwhenparked
2 months ago

If they refuse, call back in a month and offer $400

The Stig's Misanthropic Cousin
The Stig's Misanthropic Cousin
2 months ago
Reply to  Ranwhenparked

Not sure if that would work. It has been listed for 280+ days without a price reduction. I’m starting to think that car lot may not be run by the best and brightest in the industry.

PlugInPA
PlugInPA
2 months ago
Reply to  Ranwhenparked

Ukrainians buy a lot of salvage vehicles and fix them up for sale locally. I could imagine that this Mirai was bought just like those ones that end up orphaned in Ohio, except Ohio doesn’t have Russian occupiers to blow up, just Putin fan JD Vance.

PlugInPA
PlugInPA
2 months ago
Reply to  PlugInPA

I would like to amend this to clarify that I am not calling for violence against JD Vance, just noting how his goals and Putin’s line up.

Col Lingus
Col Lingus
2 months ago
Reply to  PlugInPA

Violence rarely solves anything. Ask the Jan. 6th crowd about this.

But eye make up on a VP candidate can change the world. Just saying.

Cheap Bastard
Cheap Bastard
2 months ago
Reply to  Col Lingus

Counterpoint: Violence solves EVERYTHING! Why else would we have a military?

47
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x