These images show Russian soldiers trying to find cover from a Ukrainian drone bomb in a trench near Bakhmut.
The footage shows the Ukrainian drone dropping its bomb on a group of Russian soldiers in the trench, with the explosive device landing right on top of them, with one of them falling to the ground before attempting to get back up as the footage ends.
The images were obtained from the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade ‘Kholodnyi Yar’ of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Saturday, 11th February, along with a statement saying: “The occupiers continue to storm Ukrainian positions under the compulsion of their commanders. But the more they climb, the more they are crippled and die.
“The work of one of the mechanised battalions of the 93rd Kholodny Yar brigade in the Bakhmut area.”
The images were also relayed by the Operational Command ‘East’ on Saturday, and the images and statement were relayed by the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Sunday, 12th February.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 355th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 13th February 2023, Russia had lost about 138,340 personnel, 3,283 tanks, 6,492 armoured combat vehicles, 2,290 artillery units, 465 multiple launch rocket systems, 234 air defence systems, 296 warplanes, 286 helicopters, 2,007 drones, 857 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,150 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 217 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
The UK Ministry of Defence has said that Russian forces have likely suffered their highest rate of casualties since the first week of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The UK MoD said in an intelligence update: “Over the past two weeks, Russia has likely suffered its highest rate of casualties since the first week of the invasion of Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian General Staff release daily statistics on Russian casualties. Although Defence Intelligence cannot verify Ukraine’s methodology, the trends the data illustrate are likely accurate.
“The mean average for the last seven days was 824 casualties per day, over four times the rate reported over June-July 2022. Ukraine also continues to suffer a high attrition rate.
“The uptick in Russian casualties is likely due to a range of factors including lack of trained personnel, coordination, and resources across the front – this is exemplified in Vuhledar and Bakhmut.”
General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said on Saturday that Kyiv’s forces are holding the frontline in Donetsk, with fierce battles raging in Vuhledar and Maryinka.
He added that Russia was carrying out approximately 50 attacks per day in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has blamed Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, for the war with Russia. It is not the first time that the former Italian Prime Minister has done so.
Berlusconi said on Sunday: “I would never have gone talking to Zelensky because we are witnessing the devastation of his country and the slaughter of its soldiers and civilians.”
He also said that if president Zelensky had stopped attacking the two separatist republics in the Donbas, the war would not have happened.
Berlusconi added: “So I judge, very, very negatively, the behaviour of this gentleman.”
Italy’s current Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, responded to the comments by reiterating Italy’s “firm support” for Ukraine.
Thomas Bach, the head of the International Olympic Committee, has rejected president Zelensky’s call to ban Russian athletes from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Bach said, while at the World Ski Championships in France, that although he shared the “grief and human suffering” of Ukrainian athletes, governments should not decide who takes part in the games.
