Russia has said that its soldiers are engaged in intensive training combat in Belarus as this footage purports to show, with troops learning to drive and fire from armoured vehicles.
The footage reportedly shows Russian soldiers training to drive armoured vehicles through a forested area before the images show Russian armoured vehicles opening fire on what appears to be a training ground.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Monday, 14th November, along with a statement claiming that they show “Military personnel of the Western Military District continue intensive combat training at training grounds in the Republic of Belarus.”
The Russian MoD also claimed: “Russian servicemen, who are part of the regional grouping of troops, continue the course of intensive combat training at the training grounds of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus.
“Classes on combat training and combat coordination of units are held in the daytime and at night.
“At the training grounds, military personnel of the Western Military District improve shooting from standard weapons, driving military vehicles, passing a psychological obstacle course, learning tactical medicine skills and other disciplines.
“Earlier, military personnel, equipment and weapons of the units of the Western Military District arrived in the Republic of Belarus by rail as part of military echelons.”
We have not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 265th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 15th November, Russia had lost about 82,080 personnel, 2,861 tanks, 5,773 armoured combat vehicles, 1,850 artillery units, 393 multiple launch rocket systems, 208 air defence systems, 278 warplanes, 261 helicopters, 1,511 drones, 399 cruise missiles, 16 warships, 4,351 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 160 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 recapturing the southern city of Kherson has marked “the beginning of the end of the war”.
He added: “We are moving forward. We are ready for peace, peace for all our country.”
Visiting the southern Ukrainian city on Monday, Zelensky said: “I’m really happy, you can tell by the reaction of the people, their reaction is not staged.”
But the Ukrainian President also said that Russian troops had “destroyed absolutely all critical infrastructure” in the city.
He added: “There is no electricity, no communication, no internet, no television … Russian occupiers destroyed absolutely all critical infrastructure for the people.”
Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, the head of Ukrenergo, which is an electricity transmission system operator in Ukraine and the sole operator of the country’s high-voltage transmission lines, said: “The energy facility that provided power supply to the entire right bank of the Kherson region and a significant part of the Mykolaiv region, is practically destroyed.”
The General Assembly of the United Nations has called for Russia to make reparation to Ukraine. The resolution was approved by the assembly, with 94 of the 193 members approving it.
The Assembly said that Russia “must bear the legal consequences of all of its internationally wrongful acts, including making reparation for the injury, including any damage, caused by such acts.”
The Assembly also said that member states in cooperation with Ukraine should create an international register so they could report claims and evidence against Moscow.
CIA director William Burns met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service, in Turkey’s capital Ankara on Monday to discuss what “the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons by Russia” would be.
The move is part of ongoing efforts from the US to “communicate with Russia on managing risk” and to discuss “unjustly detained US citizens”, according to US National Security Council.
