These images show a Polish howitzer in action against Russian troops as the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces praises the country’s allies for their military support.
The footage was obtained from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, 48, on Friday, July 1, along with a statement saying: “We did not attack anyone. We protect our own. We are the first army of peace.
“Arms, ammunition, and equipment provided by partner countries help us protect peace in Ukraine and throughout Europe.
“The video shows the work of Polish self-propelled guns ‘Krab’.”
The footage shows a Polish AHS Krab, a self-propelled tracked gun-howitzer in action. The video ends with an on-screen message saying: “The Armed Forces of Ukraine are sincerely grateful to the Polish people for the effective support and assistance. We feel your reliable shoulder to lean on!”
The information was also relayed by the General Staff and the Office of Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Polish howitzer was originally designed by the Polish defense contractor Huta Stalowa Wola by combining a British AS-90M Braveheart turret with a South Korean K9 Thunder chassis. Later versions use French and German parts.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin calls a “special military operation.” Today marks the 128th day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and July 1, Russia had lost about 35,750 personnel, 1,577 tanks, 3,736 armored combat vehicles, 796 artillery units, 246 multiple launch rocket systems, 105 air defense systems, 217 warplanes, 186 helicopters, 645 drones, 143 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 2,610 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 61 units of special equipment.
According to regional governor Maksym Marchenko, a missile strike on Odessa has killed 18 people, including two children, with over 30 people hospitalized. Ukrainian Brigadier General Oleksii Hromov has said that Russia is using inaccurate missiles from old Soviet stockpiles in over half of its strikes on the country.
Ukraine’s top brass has said that they have forced the Russians to abandon Snake Island and have derided Kremlin officials for claiming that they left as a “gesture of goodwill.” Ukraine’s military added that the Russians had fled the island in speedboats after being hit by a barrage of missile strikes and artillery.
The situation in the eastern Ukrainian city of Lysychansk has been described as “extremely difficult,” with Russian shelling making it impossible for civilians to evacuate.
British foreign secretary Liz Truss has said that pushing Russian forces out of Ukraine completely was a “realistic” ambition and justification for providing additional weapons.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said that a new “iron curtain” is appearing between Russia and the West.
Russia accused Norway of disrupting critical supplies from being delivered to its Svalbard islands on Wednesday, June 29, threatening to retaliate. But Norway said that it was not blocking access to the archipelago in the Arctic, stating that it was only applying international sanctions and that the Russians had other ways of getting there.
There is a Russian company that operates a mine on Svalbard island.
NATO leaders have called Russia “the most significant and direct threat to allies’ security and stability,” and announced a new “strategic concept” in response to President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. NATO is planning to boost its quick reaction forces from 40,000 troops to over 300,000 troops.
President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. will increase its military forces across Europe.
NATO has also formally invited Sweden and Finland to become members of the alliance. The move comes after Turkey agreed to support Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said Sweden and Finland will formally sign the NATO accession protocol on Tuesday, July 5.
Turkey had initially opposed the countries’ bids to join the military alliance, accusing both of harboring Kurdish militants. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson at the NATO summit in Madrid, and the three countries reached an agreement.
President Erdogan has since said that Turkey could still block Finland and Sweden from joining the alliance if they failed to meet his expectations to extradite people designated by Turkey as suspected terrorists.
