These images show Russian soldiers and vehicles removing mines from the side of a road.
The footage shows Russian troops removing mines by the side of a road. A soldier can be seen with a detector sweeping for mines before finding one and carefully unburying it.
The footage then shows two mines being detonated by the side of a road.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Wednesday, 15th March, along with a statement claiming: “The sappers always go first. Not a single movement of Russian units can do without engineering intelligence. Whether it’s redeployment, patrolling, or the movement of a humanitarian convoy.
“A fist raised above the head means that there may be an explosive object here. A sapper with a mine detector advances to the place.
“Retreating, the nationalists mined the roads. Along the highways, our sappers daily find many installed anti-tank mines and land mines. Those that cannot be removed are destroyed on the spot.
“This time, anti-tank mines were found, with which the road was mined, where Russian tanks were moving to support the advancing assault detachments of the Airborne Forces.
“Thanks to the fearless, skilful and competent actions of Russian paratroopers, the mines were detonated on the spot. The road for our tanks was open, which allowed them to arrive in a given area in a timely manner and support the advancing paratrooper units with fire from closed firing positions.
“In addition, the UR-77 self-propelled demining unit, also known as the “Serpent Gorynych”, is widely used during the special military operation, which carries two powerful charges. After firing them at the minefield, the blast wave destroys everything around. So sappers create a passage for tanks.
“Having advanced behind the tanks, the installation approached the minefield. Bypassing the standing tank in front, which covered the demining installation and controlled the perimeter, the UR-77 struck and with a powerful explosion made a wide passage in the wine-explosive barriers, thereby opening the way for the advancing airborne units.”
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 385th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 15th March 2023, Russia had lost about 161,520 personnel, 3,492 tanks, 6,799 armoured combat vehicles, 2,528 artillery units, 502 multiple launch rocket systems, 262 air defence systems, 304 warplanes, 289 helicopters, 2,132 drones, 907 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,377 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 257 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
A Russian fighter jet has collided with a US Reaper drone, causing it to crash into the Black Sea in what the United States said was an “unsafe and unprofessional” manoeuvre.
The US’ European Command said the incident took place shortly after 7am on Tuesday, 14th March, when two Russian Su-27 fighter jets approach the American drove over international waters west of Russian-occupied Crimea.
The US State Department summoned Russian ambassador over the incident in what White House officials said was a unique incident.
Anatoly Antonov, the Russian Ambassador to the United States, has reportedly called the incident a provocation.
Antonov reportedly added: “We do not want any confrontation between the United States and Russia. We are in favour of building pragmatic relations.”
The Pentagon, meanwhile, has said that the drone was on a routine intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission.
US Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryders said that Russia was not currently in possession of the drone but did not say whether or not Moscow was seeking to obtain the wreckage to analyse it.
The Russian Ministry of Defence has said that its fighter jets “did not use weapons and did not come into contact” with the drone.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and the heads of the Ukrainian military have agreed to continue defending the besieged eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said that defending Bakhmut was of “paramount strategic importance” and that it was “key to the stability of the defence of the entire front”.
The Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, has said that his country could supply MiG fighter jets to Ukraine in the coming four to six weeks.
