Russia has said that it has fired on Ukrainian positions with self-propelled guns.
The footage begins by showing some of Russia’s ‘Giatsint’ self-help guns manoeuvring into position in a field before they can be seen preparing to open fire.
The guns then open fire on unseen targets.
The images then appear to show explosions near a forested area, supposedly on the positions of Ukrainian forces.
The Russian war machines can then be seen manoeuvring away to avoid return fire.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Tuesday, 31st January, along with a statement claiming: “Artillery crews of 152-mm self-propelled guns ‘Giatsint’ of the Central Military District destroyed the positions, equipment and manpower of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“Soldiers spend no more than 4 minutes preparing the gun for firing. Self-propelled vehicles advance to a firing position, aim and fire a shot.
“Then comes the adjustment of fire with the help of unmanned aircraft and forward detachments of artillery reconnaissance. This interaction allows you to significantly increase the accuracy of shooting. The speed and high rate of which is ensured by the modern automatic loading system, which saves time and effort of the personnel of the calculation.”
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 342nd day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 31st January 2023, Russia had lost about 127,500 personnel, 3,201 tanks, 6,378 armoured combat vehicles, 2,197 artillery units, 454 multiple launch rocket systems, 221 air defence systems, 293 warplanes, 284 helicopters, 1,951 drones, 796 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,048 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 200 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
US President Joe Biden said on Monday that the United States will not provide F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Andriy Yermak, one of Ukraine’s most senior presidential advisers, has suggested that Poland is willing to supply Kyiv with F-16 fighters.
But Mateusz Morawiecki, Poland’s Prime Minister, has said that his country would only act after consulting with NATO allies.
Russian forces claimed a series of territorial gains in the east of Ukraine on Monday. Russia also continued attacks on frontline positions near the eastern Ukrainian cities of Bakhmut and Donetsk.
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has called for weapons to be supplied to his country faster. Zelensky said that Russia is hoping that the war will drag out and exhaust Ukraine’s ability to resist.
He added: “So we have to make time our weapon. We must speed up the events, speed up the supply and opening of new necessary weaponry options for Ukraine.”
Zelensky said that the situation in Bakhmut and Vuhledar was “very tough” and that the areas, as well as other parts of the Donetsk region were “under constant Russian attacks”.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned the West that supplying more weapons to Ukraine would lead to a “significant escalation” of the war, saying that Ukraine “demands more and more weapons” while NATO countries were “more and more becoming directly involved in the conflict”.
The Russian government has prohibited domestic oil exporters and customs bodies from submitting to western-imposed price caps on Russian crude.
The UK’s Minister of Defence, Ben Wallace, has said that the tanks donated to Ukraine will arrive on the frontline “this side of the summer”.
