Russia has said that it thwarted a Ukrainian attack and destroyed equipment near Zaporizhzhia.

The footage purports to show the Ukrainian attack being thwarted by Russian ordnance.

A number of Ukrainian military vehicles can be seen on the battlefield, with some apparently being hit as soldiers flee.

A first vehicle can be seen being hit, with soldiers running from it.

A short while later, a second one can be seen being hit as smoke rises into the air.

The footage then shows a third Ukrainian military vehicle turning around on a dirt road and heading back where it came from, with Ukrainian soldiers seen fleeing across the battlefield as the footage ends.

The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Monday, 20th March, along with a statement claiming: “The Russian Ministry of Defense published footage of the destruction and disruption of the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Zaporizhzhia direction by the forces of motorized rifle units of the Southern Military District.”

The Russian MoD added: “Servicemen of the units of the Russian Armed Forces repelled another attack by Ukrainian nationalists in one of the areas in the Zaporizhzhia region.

“The enemy made an attempt to break through the positions of the Russian troops with up to two armoured groups on foreign-made tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. The movement and deployment of nationalists in battle formations was detected by intelligence forces and unmanned aerial vehicle crews.

“During the battle, Ukrainian fighters were defeated by cannon and rocket artillery fire, enemy equipment was destroyed by guided missiles of anti-tank systems.”

We have not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage.

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 390th day of the full-scale war.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 20th March 2023, Russia had lost about 165,610 personnel, 3,537 tanks, 6,869 armoured combat vehicles, 2,577 artillery units, 507 multiple launch rocket systems, 270 air defence systems, 305 warplanes, 290 helicopters, 2,160 drones, 907 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,416 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 265 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 an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague against Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “turning point” in the ongoing conflict.

He said that the warrant signified a “truly significant international legal result for Ukraine, for justice […].”

Zelensky added that it represents “the moment after which it becomes undeniable that the end of this aggression for Russia will be the full range of its responsibility.”

Ministers of justice from over 40 countries are set to meet in London to hold discussions about boosting support for the ICC regarding its investigations into Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic, who has previously stated he has a close personal relationship with Putin, has criticised the international arrest warrant against him, saying that it will prolong the conflict.

He said: “I think issuing an arrest warrant for Putin, not to go into legal matters, will have bad political consequences and it says that there is a great reluctance to talk about peace [and] about truce.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to begin a state visit to Russia, reportedly seeking to present his country as a global peacemaker and strengthen ties with Russia.

Putin has reportedly visited a command post located in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, according to the Russian state-owned news agency TASS.

The move comes after Putin visited Russian-occupied Mariupol and Crimea.

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has said that Putin visited Mariupol “under the cover of night” to avoid showing the Russian people the scale of the destruction in the city.

The Ukrainian MoD said that “darkness allows them to highlight what he wants to show, and keeps […] It’s few surviving inhabitants away from prying eyes.”

There is reportedly a shortage of explosives in Europe including gunpowder, plastic explosives and TNT, which could mean that Europe’s defence industry is hampered when it comes to meeting orders from the European Union to supply Ukraine with ammunition.