Ukrainian forces have reacted with puzzlement at the sight of this Russian tank driving through a minefield before it suddenly blows up.
Two Russian tanks make their way across a plowed field, as these images show.
Although there is a road running parallel just next to them it appears to be blocked by wreckage of an earlier incident and as a result, the tanks head over the field in single file.
Suddenly, the first tank apparently hits a mine, causing a large explosion. The vehicle comes to a stop, with the second tank stopping a safe distance behind it. A third tank can be seen having joined the convoy a short distance behind the second tank.
The footage then cuts to what appears to be a Russian military vehicle having made its way close to where the tank at the head of the convoy blew up, perhaps in a bid to rescue any soldiers still alive inside it.
The images were obtained from the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, along with a short statement on Monday, June 27, saying: “An offensive or an annoying suicide? Sometimes it is difficult to work out what the Russian troops are doing.”
And 93rd Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which also relayed the images, jokingly added: “We are starting the week with optimistic videos. May more Russian tanks burn on our land!”
While the Strategic Communications Department (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said: “We will win the war together, 93rd Mechanized Brigade!”
We contacted the Armed Forces of Ukraine 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 is still calling a “special military operation.” June 27 marks the 124th day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and June 27, Russia had lost about 35,000 personnel, 1,552 tanks, 3,687 armored combat vehicles, 771 artillery units, 243 multiple launch rocket systems, 101 air defense systems, 217 warplanes, 184 helicopters, 636 drones, 137 cruise missiles, 14 warships, 2,575 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 60 units of special equipment.
At least 14 missiles have hit the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials. The strikes come as G7 leaders meet in Bavaria, in Germany, for a three-day summit. Military support for Ukraine is at the top of the agenda. The G7 is made up of Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Other missiles have reportedly hit the central city of Cherkasy, as well as the strategically vital port city of Odesa.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the G7 leaders and said that he wanted the war to end before the end of the year. He repeated his request for anti-aircraft defense systems, as well as further sanctions on Russia. He also repeated his request for help to export grain from Ukraine.
Russian troops have been accused of pillaging vast quantities of grain from farmers in occupied areas of Ukraine, as well as other crops including sunflower seeds. They have also been accused of stealing fertilizer and agricultural equipment.
The eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk is now in Russian hands after Ukrainian troops were ordered to retreat following weeks of siege.
The United Kingdom and the United States, as well as Japan and Canada, are set to ban imports of Russian gold. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the ban will “strike at the heart of Putin’s war machine.”
Last week, the European Union approved Ukraine’s application to become a candidate for admission to the bloc, which is currently made up of 27 countries. The decision was hailed in both Brussels and Kyiv as a “historic moment”, with President Zelenskyy saying that “Ukraine’s future is in the EU.”
Russian Foreign Ministry press secretary Maria Zakharova said that Moscow’s response to Lithuania banning the transit of goods, sanctioned by the EU, to Kaliningrad will not only be diplomatic but also practical.
But Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte accused Russia of lying over the blockade, saying that people are still able to travel between Russia and Kaliningrad and that the blockade only affects 1 percent of goods.
Last week, Russia conducted an anti-ship missile exercise in the Baltic Sea amid escalating tensions with NATO member Lithuania after the latter country blocked the transit of some goods to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
