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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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