Russia has said that it has fired at Ukrainian positions using artillery, as these images purport to show.
The footage begins by showing Russian soldiers apparently liaising with command while calibrating a piece of artillery which can be seen camouflaged with tree branches.
The war machine can then be seen opening fire before Russian soldiers are seen reloading it.
They can then be seen reloading the artillery piece and opening fire a number of times.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Tuesday, 28th March, along with a statement claiming: “Crews of 152-mm ‘Msta-B’ howitzers of the Western Military District launched an artillery strike on the fortified positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“Artillery units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to carry out combat missions of the special military operation. They suppress Ukrainian artillery batteries, destroy enemy defences, destroy enemy command posts, and destroy weapons and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“Thus, the calculations of 152-mm towed ‘Msta-B’ howitzers of the Western Military District launched an artillery strike on the fortified positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which were identified by reconnaissance using an unmanned aerial vehicle. The distance to the target was about 10 kilometres.
“The firing was carried out with high-explosive fragmentation shells, which made it possible to inflict maximum damage on enemy fortifications and manpower.”
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 398th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 28th March 2023, Russia had lost about 171,730 personnel, 3,602 tanks, 6,966 armoured combat vehicles, 2,653 artillery units, 525 multiple launch rocket systems, 277 air defence systems, 305 warplanes, 291 helicopters, 2,235 drones, 911 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,502 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 287 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Eighteen much-awaited Leopard 2 main battle tanks that Germany promised to provide Ukraine with have reportedly been handed over to Ukrainian forces, along with 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles.
The cutting-edge German tanks join British Challenger 2 main battle tanks which have already arrived, according to Ukrainian reports.
Vitaliy Klitschko, the Mayor of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, said that explosions were reported in the city on Monday night.
No casualties have been reported and Ukrainian air defence said they had shot down all the drones involved.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has told the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, that Ukraine could only guarantee safety at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after Russian forces withdraw.
The pair met on Monday to discuss the situation at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and according to Grossi they had a “rich exchange”.
Zelensky’s office said that he had visited “advanced positions in the Zaporizhzhia region on Monday, learning about the operational situation and presenting awards to the military.”
Western companies selling their business operations in Russia and leaving the country now face a compulsory 10 per cent direct donation to the Russian government after a ruling by Russia’s foreign investment commission.
The United Nations Security Council declined on Monday a Russian request to investigate who was behind the explosions that hit the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
Russia, China and Brazil all voted in favour but the motion failed to gain the nine votes required to be carried forward.
The US Deputy Ambassador, Robert Wood, said that there was no need for a separate investigation as there are already other investigations underway.
The head of Ukraine’s parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, has reportedly told British lawmakers that his country is ready to send its pilots to be trained to use Western fighter jets.
Echoing Zelensky’s trip to the British Parliament in February, and speaking during a visit to the United Kingdom, Stefanchuk said Kyiv could bring about “joint victory for Ukraine and the world” after it “gets the wings”.
Hungary’s parliament has approved a bill that will allow Finland to join NATO. Turkey is now the only member which has yet to ratify Finland’s accession to the Western alliance.
