This is the moment a kamikaze drone flown by the Ukrainian special forces destroys a Russian multiple launch rocket system while it was firing its ordnance.
The footage shows the Ukrainian drone approaching its target, with the Russian war machine seen firing missiles into the air.
The Ukrainian drone can be seen circling around its target before honing in on it and hitting it as the video feed cuts.
The images were obtained from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on Wednesday, 8th March, along with a statement saying: “The special forces of the SBU destroyed a Russian ‘Solntsepyok’ with an FPV [First Person View] drone.
“Soldiers of the ‘A’ Special Operations Centre of the Security Service burned the Russian heavy flamethrower system ‘Solntsepyok’ right at the moment of its salvo.
“The ‘World’s Second Army’ was left without another ‘analogue’. We continue to work until complete Victory.”
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 379th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 9th March 2023, Russia had lost about 156,120 personnel, 3,441 tanks, 6,736 armoured combat vehicles, 2,465 artillery units, 488 multiple launch rocket systems, 254 air defence systems, 303 warplanes, 289 helicopters, 2,098 drones, 873 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,331 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 237 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
The Ukrainian capital Kyiv, the key port city of Odesa and Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv, were all hit by Russian missile strikes earlier today, on Thursday, 9th March.
Ukraine’s Air Force has said that the country’s defence systems shot down 34 cruise missiles out of a total of 48 Kalibr-type cruise missiles fired by Russia at Ukrainian cities.
The Ukrainian regional officials have said that power was knocked out in several areas.
Vitali Klitschko, the Mayor of Kyiv, said that there were reports of explosions in the south-western part of the city and that rescue services were being deployed.
He added: “After the missile attack, due to emergency power outages, 40 per cent of the capital’s consumers are currently without heating. Water supply works normally.”
Ukraine’s state energy company Energoatom said that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant had been cut off from the power grid as a result of the Russian strikes.
The company said in a statement: “Today, the last line of communication between the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP and the Ukrainian power system has been cut off. Fuel for operation remains for 10 days.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he will not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin until Moscow’s forces leave Ukraine.
Zelensky said: “We don’t have any circumstances to talk to the Russian Federation president because he doesn’t hold his word” and “Russia should leave our territory.
“And after that, we’re happy to join the diplomatic tools. In order to do that, we can find any format with our partners just after that.”
NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine could fall to the Russians in the next few days.
He said: “What we see is that Russia is throwing more troops, more forces and what Russia lacks in quality they try to make up in quantity. They have suffered big losses, but at the same time, we cannot rule out that Bakhmut may eventually fall in the coming days.”
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the notorious Russian mercenary organisation Wagner, has claimed that Russian forces are now fully in control of the east of the city of Bakhmut.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Wednesday that “the enemy, despite significant losses, continues to storm the town of Bakhmut.”
Avril Haines, the US Director of National Intelligence, has said that Russia is unlikely to be able to take control of significantly more Ukrainian territory this year.
She added that Moscow’s military forces would probably be incapable of continuing their current level of fighting, even if they capture Bakhmut.
The Pentagon has been accused of impeding the sharing of US intelligence with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague regarding Russian war crimes committed in Ukraine.
The US Department of Defence is reportedly said to be strongly against using the ICC to hold Russia accountable for war crimes because this could lead to a precedent that could be used against US soldiers.
Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign affairs chief, said on Wednesday that the EU should spend EUR 1 billion to jointly procure ammunition for Ukraine and to replenish their own stockpiles.
