Ukrainian paratroopers defend the borders of the Donetsk region as Russia begins its push into the region, as these images show.
The move comes after Russia captured the key city Lysychansk, cementing its hold on the neighboring Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian soldiers can be seen in the footage fighting Russian troops on the borders of the Donetsk region. They can be seen traveling on an armored personnel carrier, piloting a drone, and operating a tank in the rural countryside.
The tank can be seen opening fire on unseen enemy positions before apparently covering a retreat to a wooded area as the footage ends.
The footage was obtained from the 79th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which is based in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv during peacetime.
The 79th Air Assault Brigade said in a statement on Monday, July 4: “Combat days on the front line: Mykolaiv paratroopers firmly hold Ukrainian positions and destroy Russian invaders.
“Soldiers of the 79th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade of the Special Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to defend the borders of Ukrainian Donetsk region and destroy the Russian occupiers under constant fire from the enemy from various artillery systems, including the use of phosphorous ammunition.”
They also said: “Death to the Russian invaders! VAT [the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces] – Always First! Glory to Ukraine!”
We contacted the 79th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces for further comment, as well as the Russian Ministry of Defense, but haven’t received a reply at the time of writing.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin continues to call a “special military operation.” July 4 marks the 131st day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and July 4, Russia had lost about 36,200 personnel, 1,589 tanks, 3,754 armored combat vehicles, 804 artillery units, 246 multiple launch rocket systems, 105 air defense systems, 217 warplanes, 187 helicopters, 658 drones, 144 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 2,629 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 65 units of special equipment.
The leaders of dozens of countries, as well as international organizations and companies are gathering in Switzerland to elaborate a “Marshall Plan” roadmap to rebuild Ukraine after the war is over.
Russia claimed that it has captured the eastern Ukrainian city of Lysychansk, in the Sievierodonetsk Raion of the Luhansk Oblast region. This has now also been confirmed by Ukraine’s military, who said they had withdrawn their troops from the city after heavy fighting in order to “preserve the lives of the defenders”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Ukrainian forces would retake the city “thanks to the increase in the supply of modern weapons.”
The fall of Lysychansk comes just over a week after the nearby city of Sievierodonetsk fell to the Russians.
Sloviansk, an eastern Ukrainian city in the Donetsk Oblast region, was hit by shelling on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of at least six people, with 20 others injured, according to the city’s mayor, Vadim Lyakh.
The Ukrainian Governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Haidai, has said that Russian forces are now likely to shift their focus to the neighboring Donetsk region.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has visited Kyiv, with Australia vowing to send over $100 million in new aid to Ukraine.
Turkish authorities have detained a Russian cargo ship carrying grain allegedly stolen from Ukraine. The ship is said to contain over 7,000 tons of grain that Russian officials said would be sent to “friendly” countries.
Ukraine has dismissed Russian claims that its forces targeted civilian areas in the city of Belgorod, in Russia, killing three people.
Russian state media has claimed that two more Brits captured by Russian troops in Ukraine have been charged with mercenary activities. They have been named as Dylan Healy, a chef who had been volunteering as an aid worker, and Andrew Hill, who was shown by Russia in military uniform.
The announcement comes after two other British men, Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin, were sentenced to death last month.
The European Court of Human Rights has intervened, demanding that the sentences not to be carried out but this was rejected by Russia, saying that it would not be implementing the court’s decisions anymore and that the decision to execute the men lies with the pro-Russian, so-called Donetsk People’s Republic.
