This footage reportedly shows how Ukrainian Navy artillery gunners rained down hell on a group of Russian military vehicles hiding among trees, killing at least six enemy soldiers.
The images were shot somewhere on the front lines between Kherson and Donetsk in southern Ukraine, on Tuesday, August 16, according to the Ukrainian Navy.
The images, which appear to have been shot from a drone, reportedly show a number of Russian military vehicles hiding among some trees before a massive explosion appears to target them.
The footage was obtained from the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Wednesday, August 17, along with a statement saying: “On August 16, in the Donetsk and Kherson directions, servicemen of the military units and marine units of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of the groups steadfastly and courageously resisted the Russian invaders on the fortified areas of the front.
“Our artillery units struck the concentration of manpower and equipment of the occupiers, as a result of which six invaders were destroyed.”
Zenger News contacted the Ukrainian Navy for additional comment and they confirmed that the footage was authentic and the information accurate.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Thursday marks the 176th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and August 18, Russia had lost about 44,300 personnel, 1,889 tanks, 4,179 armored combat vehicles, 1,010 artillery units, 265 multiple launch rocket systems, 136 air defense systems, 234 warplanes, 197 helicopters, 793 drones, 190 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 3,061 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 93 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower, but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures. The Pentagon said last week that Russia had suffered between 70,000 and 80,000 casualties – deaths and injuries – since the beginning of its invasion.
Russia has replaced the head of its Black Sea fleet, Admiral Igor Osipov, 49, with a new commander, Vice-Admiral Viktor Sokolov, 60, according to Russian state-owned news agency RIA. The move comes after a series of explosions at three locations, including an airbase, an ammunition depot and an airfield, in Russian-occupied Crimea.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense has said that China is sending troops to Russia to take part in joint military exercises that are “unrelated to the current international and regional situation”.
On Wednesday, Ukraine performed disaster response drills near the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant – Europe’s largest – following repeated shelling.
Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak, 50, has said that the main bridge that connects Crimea to Russia must be “dismantled”. Podolyak called the bridge an “illegal object”, adding that it “must therefore be dismantled. Not important how – voluntary or not.”
Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, Oleksii Reznikov, 56, has said that his country had not lost any U.S.-supplied HIMARS systems, contradicting Russian claims.
