This footage purports to show a Russian ‘Cornet’ anti-tank guided missile system in action in Ukraine.
The video begins with Russian soldiers loading the weaponry onto a pickup truck before they are seen traveling along a dirt track. They then disembark from the pickup truck which, can be seen sporting the now infamous ‘Z’ symbol, and set up their weapon system.
The ‘Z’ is one of the symbols, as well as the letters ‘V’ and ‘O’ that can be seen painted on Russian military vehicles taking part in the invasion of Ukraine. After calibrating their sites, the video allegedly shows the Russian soldiers opening fire on unseen Ukrainian positions somewhere in Ukraine.
An explosion occurs but it is unclear if they hit anything from the video. They then hastily discard their used missile casing before quickly leaving the area. Footage then shows soldiers, while it is unclear if they are the same soldiers, firing what appears to be an anti-tank guided missile from a treeline.
The images then show a number of anti-tank guided missiles being fired in what appears to be a montage showing different locations and soldiers. The video then shows what appears to be the positions of Ukrainian soldiers being hit with troops ducking for cover in a shallow trench as the footage ends.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defense on Monday, August 29, along with a statement claiming that the images show the “calculations of anti-tank missile systems (ATGM) ‘Cornet’ of the Western Military District hit the strongholds of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during a special military operation.
“The calculation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) detected the presence of camouflaged armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“Crews of ‘Cornet’ anti-tank missile systems of the Western Military District advanced to a combat mission near the front line of the enemy’s defense. The task of the mobile group was to defeat the platoon stronghold, which was fortified in the area of ​​dense forest plantation.
“Artillery crews used the tactics of wandering guns. To do this, they used mobile highly passable pickups. This allows the enemy to move almost silently to the location, take up positions, and in a matter of minutes conduct an accurate controlled shot before retreating to cover.
“During the battle, according to the received coordinates, the crews of anti-tank missile systems destroyed the firing positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, armored objects, long-term firing points and other engineering structures. The result of the defeat was recorded by means of objective control of the UAV.
“The ‘Cornet’ anti-tank missile system is designed to destroy modern and advanced tanks equipped with dynamic protection, fortifications (pillbox, bunker, reinforced concrete bunkers, etc.), extended unarmored and lightly armored targets, and hovering helicopters.”
Zenger News has not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage.
Zenger News contacted the Russian MoD for further comment, as well as the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, but had not received a reply at the time of writing.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Monday marks the 184th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and August 29, Russia had lost about 47,100 personnel, 1,947 tanks, 4,269 armored combat vehicles, 1,060 artillery units, 279 multiple launch rocket systems, 149 air defense systems, 234 warplanes, 203 helicopters, 844 drones, 196 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 3,188 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 101 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower, but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he held a secret meeting with representatives from the country’s defense and security sectors on Sunday, adding: “All the issues we considered are important, but secret, I cannot go into detail.”
The meeting was reportedly attended by armed forces chiefs, the heads of the intelligence agencies, representatives from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, and others.
Ukrainian officials said on Sunday that Russian forces had shelled Ukrainian towns across the Dnieper River from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant with artillery.
Oleksandr Starukh, the Governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, said that Russian forces had hit civilian infrastructure in the city of Zaporizhzhia and in the town of Orikhiv, to the east.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is waiting for its officials to receive clearance so they can visit the plant. But Ukrainian Energy Minister Lana Zerkal has said she is not convinced that Russia is negotiating in good faith.
The United States’ State Department has said in a statement that Russia does not want to acknowledge the grave radiological risk at the nuclear power plant, adding that it was the reason it has blocked the final draft of a nuclear non-proliferation treaty deal.
Ukraine is set to experience its coldest winter in decades, according to the head of the state gas company Naftogaz, Yurii Vitrenko. Germany has said that it is replenishing its gas stocks faster than expected despite Russian supply cuts.
The European Union’s foreign ministers are expected to make it harder for Russian tourists to get visas as of next week. The move falls short of banning Russian tourists outright, but it is expected to make obtaining travel documents significantly more complicated and costly.
