Russia Says Its Paratroopers Destroyed Ukrainian Military Positions

Russia has said that its paratroopers have destroyed Ukrainian military positions, as these images purport to show.

The footage begins by showing the Russian paratroopers manoeuvring into position with an armoured vehicle before they can be seen calibrating a mortar.

The images then cut to what appear to be Ukrainian soldiers, with a Russian armoured vehicle then seen opening fire.

The Russian paratroopers can then be seen operating a mortar and repeatedly firing it.

The images then show the Russian armoured vehicle firing again before the images cut to the machine manoeuvring away and what appears to be a dead Ukrainian soldier being searched by a Russian soldier.

The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Thursday, 23rd February, along with a statement claiming: “Armoured groups of the Airborne Forces, with the support of mortar crews and assault units, destroyed a large number of personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the zone of the special military operation.

“The Russian Defence Ministry publishes footage of the combat work of an armoured group of Russian paratroopers paired with mortar crews, supported by assault units, capturing a stronghold of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in one of the directions in the zone of a special military operation.

“A reconnaissance group of paratroopers with the help of a UAV discovered a platoon stronghold of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the forest.

“To capture and destroy it, an air assault unit was sent with the support of an armoured group on BMD-2K-AU airborne combat vehicles, paired with mortar crews of paratrooper artillerymen.

Russian paratroopers fire at Ukrainian military positions from BMD-2K-AU airborne combat vehicles in undated footage. The footage was released by the Russian MoD on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023. (Ministry of Defense of Russia/Newsflash)

“The crews of military vehicles, having made a march on standard equipment, approached the enemy and opened heavy fire on him.

“Acting professionally, resolutely and well-coordinated, showing courage and bravery, the soldiers of the ‘winged infantry’, with fire support from mortar crews of artillery paratroopers, captured the enemy’s defensive positions, destroying a large number of personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and capturing captured weapons.

“After completing the task, the armoured group promptly retreated to a safe area, and the crews of the 82-mm mortars “Tray” changed their firing positions.”

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 365th day of the full-scale war.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 23rd February 2023, Russia had lost about 145,850 personnel, 3,350 tanks, 6,593 armoured combat vehicles, 2,352 artillery units, 471 multiple launch rocket systems, 244 air defence systems, 299 warplanes, 287 helicopters, 2,029 drones, 873 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,215 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 228 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 has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a “big mistake” by suspending Russia’s participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty.

Russian paratroopers fire at Ukrainian military positions with mortars in undated footage. The footage was released by the Russian MoD on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023. (Ministry of Defense of Russia/Newsflash)

Russia’s parliament approved Putin’s move to suspend the treaty on Wednesday.

The US government is reportedly considering releasing information that it thinks shows that China is considering whether to supply weaponry to Russia for its war in Ukraine.

The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and called it “an affront to our collective conscience” at a meeting of the General Assembly in New York.

Oleksandr Prokudin, the Ukrainian head of the regional military administration in Kherson, has said that an 81-year-old woman and a 68-year-old man were killed during Russian shelling of the village of Novotyahinka on Wednesday.

President Biden has said that the United States will defend “literally every inch of NATO” territory.

Biden was speaking ahead of a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the leaders of the Bucharest 9 (B9), the most eastern nations of NATO’s Alliance and the closest to Russia’s borders.

Wang Yi, China’s most senior diplomat, has met Putin in Moscow, with China and Russia reaffirming their close relationship.

Wang reportedly told Putin that China will play a “constructive” role in reaching a political settlement on Ukraine, according to Russian state-owned TASS news agency.

Russian paratroopers fire at Ukrainian military positions from BMD-2K-AU airborne combat vehicles in undated footage. The footage was released by the Russian MoD on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023. (Ministry of Defense of Russia/Newsflash)

Putin has praised Russia’s soldiers, who he said are fighting “heroically, courageously, bravely” to “defend the Fatherland”. He was speaking at a rally in Moscow to mark a year of war in Ukraine.

UK Defence Minister Ben Wallace has said that Britain has begun to “warm up” production lines to replace weaponry sent to Ukraine and to increase artillery shell production.

The US-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has said that it is likely in the future that Russia will control Belarus and that NATO must “seriously plan” for this.

The ISW said that Putin will “very likely secure significant gains in restoring Russian suzerainty over Belarus” and that it is likely that he will use it as a basis to further threaten Ukraine and NATO’s eastern members.