These images show Ukrainian soldiers being trained by Australian forces to conduct urban warfare operations.
The footage shows the Ukrainian recruits storming a building with practice guns, with the images also showing them clearing rooms and using flashbang grenades.
An Australian Army platoon commander can then be seen explaining the contents of the training course.
A Ukrainian soldier can then be seen explaining that he joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the beginning of the Russian invasion of his country and that he is grateful to be able to pass on his knowledge to others and fight for freedom.
The images were obtained from the Australian Department of Defence on Monday, 20th February, along with a statement saying: “Under the instruction of personnel deployed on Operation KUDU, Armed Forces of Ukraine Recruits are now lethal in operation, survival, occupation and denial in the urban environment.
“Having completed their exercise on Urban Operations, the trainees have worked as a team to breach buildings, identify improvised explosive devices (IEDs), move and fight in built-up areas.”
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 364th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 22nd February 2023, Russia had lost about 145,060 personnel, 3,334 tanks, 6,569 armoured combat vehicles, 2,345 artillery units, 471 multiple launch rocket systems, 243 air defence systems, 299 warplanes, 287 helicopters, 2,026 drones, 873 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,212 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 226 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
US President Joe Biden has marked the first year of the full-scale war after Russia invaded Ukraine with a major speech in Warsaw saying that “Kyiv stands strong”.
Biden praised Ukraine’s resilience against Russia’s aggression and said it was a triumph of democracy over autocracy. He also reiterated the West’s support for Ukraine.
He told a crowd of about 30,000 people, many waving Polish, US and Ukrainian flags: “One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv.
“Well, I’ve just come from a visit to Kyiv, and I can report, Kyiv stands strong. Kyiv stands proud. It stands tall. And most important, it stands free.”
Biden’s speech came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a lengthy, televised, national address to the Russian parliament in which he blamed Western powers for starting the war in Ukraine, which he again referred to as a “special military operation”.
Putin also announced that he was suspending Russia’s participation with the United States in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty.
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s Secretary-General, said that he regretted Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the treaty, urging Moscow to reconsider its position.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukrainian troops were holding their positions on the front lines in eastern Ukraine.
Zelensky’s statement comes after Russia said that it was advancing on its goals in the area.
Russian strikes in southern Ukraine’s city of Kherson have left at least six people dead and 12 injured.
Austria has been criticised for allowing 18 Russian Members of Parliament to attend a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna on Friday on the first anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Austria, which is not a NATO member, was also criticised for inviting the Russian attendees to a nationalist ball.
Austria’s far-right Freedom party (FPOe) has reportedly invited the Russian MPs to its annual black-tie nationalist ball at the Hofburg Palace, which is the permanent seat of the OSCE.
Ukraine has said that it will boycott the meeting, saying that Russia would take advantage of the event to “justify its aggression” and “whitewash war crimes”.
