This footage reportedly shows Ukrainian special forces blowing up at least two Russian tanks with rocket launchers in the breakaway, pro-Russian Donetsk region of Ukraine.
The video begins with a rocket firing a missile, while the camera then pans around to the person controlling the rocket launcher via a computer. The computer screen then shows the missile hitting the Russian tank.
The footage then shows the elite soldiers doing the same thing again with a different tank. Shouts of joy can be heard as the footage ends as the soldiers celebrate successfully destroying the enemy vehicle.
The footage was obtained from the National Guard of Ukraine on Thursday, August 18, along with a statement saying: “Fighters of a special unit of the National Guard destroyed two tanks in the Donetsk direction.
“While performing the task at the occupied position, the guards discovered a column of equipment consisting of several units of tanks, which was moving towards one of the settlements.
“As a result of quick and accurate work, the fighters managed to knock out two tanks. After that, the guards passed the information to the adjacent units for further destruction of the remaining manpower and equipment of the occupiers.”
The images and statement were also relayed by the Office of Strategic Communications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Zenger News contacted the National Guard of Ukraine for further comment, as well as the Russian 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”. 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.
