These images purport to show a Russian anti-aircraft missile system intercepting targets in the air.
The footage reportedly shows a Russian Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missile system manoeuvring into position and deploying its antenna.
Russian soldiers can then be seen communicating to pinpoint a target, with the images then apparently showing a drone being shot down.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Tuesday, 13th December, along with a statement claiming: “The air defence units of the Southern Military District perform round-the-clock tasks of combat duty to protect the airspace in the area of responsibility from air and missile strikes.
“The Tor-M2 complex is capable of detecting four dozen objects in the sky at once at a distance of more than 30 kilometres from the area and is capable of hitting them, including while it is moving. To perform firing from a fixed location, several minutes are required to deploy the antenna and prepare the complex for launch.
“After the launches of anti-aircraft missiles on targets, the crew of the air defence system immediately change positions. This is a key requirement to ensure the safety of equipment and the safety of the crew.”
We have not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage.
The Tor is a low- to medium-altitude, surface-to-air Russian missile system designed by the Soviet Union to destroy aircraft, cruise missiles and UAVs, among other potential targets.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 289th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 13th December, Russia had lost about 97,260 personnel, 2,966 tanks, 5,928 armoured combat vehicles, 1,929 artillery units, 397 multiple launch rocket systems, 211 air defence systems, 281 warplanes, 264 helicopters, 1,617 drones, 592 cruise missiles, 16 warships, 4,544 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 169 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Ukraine has asked Western countries to provide it with Patriot missile systems.
Denys Shmyhal, the country’s Prime Minister, has said that Western air defence systems are needed in order to counter Russian President Vladimir Putin’s missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Jan Egeland, the head of Norway’s refugee council, has said that he expects hundreds of thousands of refugees from Ukraine to flee to Europe over the winter due to “unliveable” conditions.
He said: “Nobody knows how many, but there will be hundreds of thousands more [people leaving Ukraine] as the horrific and unlawful bombing of civilian infrastructure makes life unliveable in too many places.”
The European Union has reached an agreement to send EUR 18 billion in financial aid to Ukraine.
The EU has managed to strike a deal with Hungary after the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban blocked the deal.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked G7 leaders to hold a special global summit during the winter to bring peace to Ukraine.
Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout has become a member of the Kremlin- loyalist ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR).
The move comes after the “Merchant of Death” was freed after 14 years in US custody in a prisoner swap with American basketball player Brittney Griner.
Ivan Fedorov, the exiled mayor of Melitopol, has said that Moscow’s forces are “redeploying” and “panicking” after Ukraine attacked the Russian-occupied city over the weekend.
Putin will not hold an end-of-year press conference for the first time in over 10 years, in what many consider to be a break with protocol as a result of the war in Ukraine.
