These images purport to show tanks belonging to the pro-Russian Donetsk People’s Republic hitting Ukrainian positions near Avdiivka.
The footage begins by showing what appears to be a Russian-made tank, along with a significant amount of ordnance nearby. The tank can be seen bearing the now-infamous white Z symbol.
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.
The war machine can then be seen manoeuvring into position before the images cut inside the tank, showing its operators opening fire with it and reloading.
The images then show the tank firing again with the footage cutting to explosions reportedly showing the shells hitting Ukrainian positions.
The images were obtained from the People’s Militia of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) on Wednesday, 26th October, along with a statement claiming that the footage shows “unique shots from the first person: tankers of the 1st Slavic brigade hit the enemy.”
The DPR also claimed: “Tanks are a formidable weapon that allows you to effectively destroy the enemy in any tactical and weather conditions. Using vast combat experience, the tankers of the 1st ‘Slavic’ brigade of the People’s Militia inflict accurate and crushing blows on the enemy, hitting the enemy’s fortifications in the Avdiivka direction.”
We have not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage.
Avdiivka is a city in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 246th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 27th October, Russia had lost about 69,220 personnel, 2,631 tanks, 5,364 armoured combat vehicles, 1,690 artillery units, 379 multiple launch rocket systems, 192 air defence systems, 271 warplanes, 249 helicopters, 1,398 drones, 351 cruise missiles, 16 warships, 4,078 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 150 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly overseen multiple military exercises involving strategic nuclear forces and the launch of multiple cruise and ballistic missiles.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the exercises were to simulate a “massive nuclear strike” by Russia in response to a nuclear attack.
Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that the Russians had given no sign that they were going to abandon the city of Kherson, with the Russian-installed authorities reportedly telling locals to move to the eastern bank of the Dnieper River.
Vladimir Saldo, a Russia-installed official in Kherson, has said that 70,000 civilians have left the Kherson region in a week.
Oleksiy Reznikov, the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, has said that poor weather and the terrain had slowed down the advance of the Ukrainian military in the Kherson region.
Reznikov also said that he did not believe that Putin would use nuclear weapons.
Ukraine has reportedly exhumed approximately 1,000 bodies, including those of civilians and children, in the recently liberated region of Kharkiv. This figure includes 447 bodies found at a mass burial site in Izium.
The Russian Ministry of Defence has said that Defence Minister Shoigu has spoken by phone with his Chinese and Indian counterparts and raised Russia’s supposed concerns about the possibility of Ukraine using a “dirty bomb”.
This is after Shoigu spoke by phone with NATO defence ministers. There is currently no evidence to support Russia’s claim.
Martin Griffiths, the United Nations aid chief, has said that he is “relatively optimistic” that the UN-brokered Black Sea grain export deal would be extended beyond mid-November.
There are plans for the European Union to introduce a price cap on gas this winter to tackle price spikes, if members give Brussels the power to propose the measure.
