These images show a column of Russian armour advancing across a battlefield in Ukraine when they are suddenly hit by Ukrainian artillery, causing a massive explosion as one of the vehicles is obliterated.
The footage shows at least six Russian armoured vehicles advancing across the battlefield on what appears to be a dirt track when a small explosion appears to hit the column’s first vehicle, quickly followed by a very large explosion as the second vehicle in the column appears to suffer a direct hit.
A massive fireball erupts into the air, with black smoke rising quickly into the sky as the drone filming the scene from above advances into the smoke and comes out the other side.
The third vehicle in the column briefly comes to a halt, with the footage then looping back to the moment of the explosion.
The images were obtained from the Office of Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Wednesday, 9th November, along with a statement that said: “Our artillery turns their dirty a*ses into molecules!!”
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 259th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 9th November, Russia had lost about 77,950 personnel, 2,801 tanks, 5,666 armoured combat vehicles, 1,802 artillery units, 393 multiple launch rocket systems, 205 air defence systems, 278 warplanes, 260 helicopters, 1,483 drones, 399 cruise missiles, 16 warships, 4,227 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 159 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that his military forces will not yield “a single centimetre” of land as they battle with Russia over control of the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Zelensky added: “The activity of the occupiers remains at an extremely high level – dozens of attacks every day.”
He also said: “They are suffering extraordinarily high losses. But the order remains the same – to advance on the administrative boundary of Donetsk region. We will not yield a single centimetre of our land.”
Zelensky said that approximately four million people are currently without electricity across Ukraine as a result of systematic and targeted attacks by Russia on the country’s energy infrastructure.
The Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom has said that Russia is preparing new fortified lines deep inside the territory in Ukraine that it currently controls “to forestall any rapid Ukrainian advances in the event of breakthroughs”.
The Russians are also reportedly installing large concrete barriers to stop tanks, notably near Mariupol, to protect the “land bridge” Moscow has established since the beginning of the invasion between occupied Crimea and Russia.
Zelensky has called for the Black Sea grain export deal, which was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, to be extended. The deal is currently set to expire on 19th November.
Zelensky addressed the COP27 climate summit in Egypt by video link and said that world leaders will be unable to tackle the climate crisis unless Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of his country comes to an end.
Zelensky said: “There can be no effective climate policy without peace.”
The President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, has said that Putin will join the G20 summit next week “if the situation as possible”. He added that Putin might attend virtually instead.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Putin would decide by the end of the week if he was going to attend the summit in person.
Zelensky is set to take part in the G20 meeting, most probably by video link, according to his spokesperson. It has previously been stated that Zelensky was not going to attend if Putin was present.
