UKRAINE, Donetsk – The purported footage shows Russian Air Defence crews protecting their fellow soldiers from Ukrainian air attacks and reconnaissance weapons.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement obtained by Clipzilla: “South of Bakhmut, units of Far Eastern paratroopers are protecting crews of ‘Verba’ man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS) from air strikes.

“Anti-aircraft paratroopers are constantly on combat duty for air defence and covering formation units during active combat operations.

“To detect and destroy air targets, the paratroopers equipped air observation points, which allow them to timely detect and destroy enemy aircraft.

“Having received a combat mission to search and destroy an enemy reconnaissance UAV, the air defence unit with the ‘Verba’ MANPADS began to carry it out.

“After detecting an air target, the anti-aircraft gunner fired a missile from the launch position from the ‘Verba’ MANPADS and destroyed the ‘Leleka-100’ reconnaissance drone of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“During the entire period of the special military operation, the air defence crews of the Primorsky paratroopers accounted for dozens of downed various UAVs of the Ukrainian troops.”