A graphic point-of-view video shows a Russian tank burning in a forest with its still-smoking access hatch apparently blown clean off it and flung far away from the war machine.
The footage shows the tank burning some distance away from the person filming after apparently being hit by Ukrainian weaponry, with the camera then panning to the right and showing what appears to be its still-smoking access hatch lying in the forest.
A Ukrainian soldier gives the camera a thumbs-up as the footage ends.
Zenger News obtained the images from the 25th Airborne Brigade – also known as the 25th Separate Airborne Sicheslav Brigade – of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces, on the morning of Tuesday, July 12, along with a short statement saying: “Good morning, Ukraine! The next Z-dance is on fire from the meeting with Sicheslavtsi! And so it will be with everyone who came to our land! We are working… Glory to the DShV [the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces]!”
It is unclear where exactly in Ukraine the images were filmed, but the 25th Airborne Brigade, in peacetime, is headquartered in Hvardiiske, a town in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast region in central-eastern Ukraine.
The images were also relayed by the Command of the Airborne Assault Troops and the Office of Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Command of the Airborne Assault Troops said in a statement: “Sicheslav paratroopers continue to destroy the armored vehicles of the Russian occupiers.
“The video shows how another ‘Z-tank’ burns after a meeting with the soldiers of the 25th Separate Airborne Sicheslav Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“And so it will be with everyone who came with the war to our native land! Death to the Russian invaders! The Air Assault Forces – Always First! Glory to Ukraine!”
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.
We contacted the 25th Airborne Brigade 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 calling a “special military operation.” July 12 marks the 139th day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and July 12, Russia had lost about 37,470 personnel, 1,649 tanks, 3,829 armored combat vehicles, 838 artillery units, 247 multiple launch rocket systems, 109 air defense systems, 217 warplanes, 188 helicopters, 676 drones, 155 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 2,699 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 66 units of special equipment.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has hinted at plans to put together a “million-strong army” equipped with NATO weaponry to fight Russian troops, but the comments have been viewed more as a rallying cry than a concrete plan.
Russia is making gains in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region and is continuing to hit areas across Ukraine with missile strikes.
Reznikov has said that Western weaponry needs to be delivered to Ukraine faster. He said that for every day that they have to wait for howitzers to arrive, the country can lose up to 100 soldiers.
At least 34 people are now confirmed dead after a Russian missile hit an apartment building in the city of Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine. Emergency workers continue to sift through the rubble looking for survivors.
At least six people have died after Russian rockets hit Kharkiv, in north-eastern Ukraine, on Monday morning. And Oleksandr Syenkevych, the Mayor of Mykolaiv, in south-western Ukraine, has said that at least four people were injured by shelling on Tuesday morning.
Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of Ukraine’s eastern region of Donetsk, has said that 80 per cent of civilians have fled, with about 340,000 people remaining.
Germany and the Czech Republic have signed a joint declaration, vowing to overcome their dependency on Russian fossil fuel and to speed up the transition to low carbon energy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree that makes it easier for Ukrainian citizens to acquire Russian citizenship.
The Kremlin has said that Putin plans to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after they discussed how to facilitate the export of grain from Ukraine.
The United States has warned that Iran plans to supply Russia with drones. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that intelligence suggests that Iran is making preparations to train Russian troops to use its drones.
