This is the moment a special military unit from Ukraine’s National Guard destroys Russian soldiers in the Donetsk region.
The footage shows fighters from the special unit ‘Omega’ launching strategic attacks on Russian armoured vehicles and manpower near the city of Avdiivka.
The unit was reportedly able to annihilate seven units of armoured vehicles and more than half a dozen Russian invaders in a single week.
The images were obtained by Newsflash from the National Guard of Ukraine on 27th December, along with a statement: “The ‘Omega’ National Guard unit continues to destroy occupiers in the Avdiivka direction.
“The forces of Ukrainian soldiers destroyed seven units of armoured vehicles and more than fifty Russian invaders in a week.”
The statement also quoted the unit’s commander, who has not been named, as saying: “The enemy is trying to enter Avdiivka from the flank, but our military managed to keep this strategic satellite on the approaches to Donetsk with fantastic efforts.
“There has not been such activity in this direction since June. The enemy is advancing with mechanised units, sometimes in several directions, carrying out massive artillery fire.”
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 307th day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 27th December, Russia had lost about 103,220 personnel, 3,016 tanks, 6,024 armoured combat vehicles, 1,998 artillery units, 418 multiple launch rocket systems, 212 air defence systems, 283 warplanes, 267 helicopters, 1,707 drones, 653 cruise missiles, 16 warships, 4,652 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 179 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for a “peace” summit with Russia at the United Nations, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as mediator.
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov responded with an ultimatum for Ukraine to either surrender Russian-controlled territory or have the Russian army decide for them.
And a UN spokesperson said that the secretary-general would only agree to meditate only “if all parties want him to mediate”.
Ukraine called for Russia to be removed as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, accusing it of violating international law.
Nearly nine million Ukrainians are left without electricity as power shortages keep persisting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
A drone believed to be Ukrainian reached deep into Russia’s airspace, causing a deadly explosion at the main base for Moscow’s Tu-95 and Tu-160 nuclear-capable strategic bombers.
The Russian military reported that it shot down a Ukrainian drone approaching the Engels airbase, where three servicemen were killed by falling debris.
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed no Russian aircraft were damaged in the explosion.
The Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported that former Chief of Staff of the Eastern Military District Lieutenant General Evgeny Valerivich Nikiforov, a Wagner Group-linked Russian officer, was appointed commander of the Russian Western Military District.
Nikiforov has previous experience commanding elements of the Wagner Group in Donbas from 2014 to 2015.
Russia’s Federal Security Service claimed that a Ukrainian “sabotage group” had allegedly been eliminated while trying to enter the Bryansk region, which lies near the Ukrainian border.
