These images show how Ukrainian border guards defeated a platoon of Russian troops during an intense battle near Bakhmut.
The footage, shot from a Ukrainian drone, shows the Russian troops being hit by Ukrainian firepower in actions that reportedly cost the lives of 12 Russian soldiers and wounded 17 others.
The images were obtained from the State Border Service of Ukraine on Tuesday, 17th January, along with a statement saying: “Detachments of the State Border Guard Service as part of the Defense Forces of Ukraine in the Bakhmut direction are holding the defined boundaries and destroying the Russian invaders.
“Yesterday, during the day, border guards repelled an enemy assault on one of the forward strongholds near the fortress city of Bakhmut. Under the cover of artillery, the enemy forces conducted several prolonged attacks on the Ukrainian defenders.
“Military personnel of the border unit worked on attack aircraft with small arms, mortars and grenade launchers from UAVs. In addition, fire support to our defenders was provided by means of the command of the Defense Forces in this direction.
“The attack of the occupiers choked. In the course of the defensive battle, losses were inflicted on the enemy’s manpower – 12 killed and approximately 17 wounded.”
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 328th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 17th January 2023, Russia had lost about 116,950 personnel, 3,121 tanks, 6,215 armoured combat vehicles, 2,104 artillery units, 441 multiple launch rocket systems, 220 air defence systems, 286 warplanes, 276 helicopters, 1,872 drones, 749 cruise missiles, 17 warships, 4,877 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 190 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Monday that over 7,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
The OHCHR added that it believes that the actual death toll is “considerably higher” but said that it is currently hard to determine due to numerous pending reports and the inaccessibility of parts of the country where intense fighting is currently ongoing.
Turkish ombudsman Seref Malkoc has said that Russia and Ukraine have been putting together a large prisoner exchange deal they could see 1,000 prisoners swapped between the two countries.
Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary of the United Kingdom, has confirmed that the UK will send a squadron of Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine.
Speaking to the British Parliament, he defined the military support as “the most significant package of combat power to date to accelerate Ukrainian success”.
The announcement makes the UK the first Western power to supply Ukraine with main battle tanks, with Wallace also urging Germany to allow for Leopard tanks to be supplied to Kyiv.
Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said that Germany should take “decisive actions” and send “all sorts of weapons” to Ukraine to help the country defend itself against Russian aggression.
Russia and Belarus have begun joint air force drills, increasing fears in Kyiv and among Ukraine’s western allies that Moscow could be pushing its ally into launching a new offensive on Ukraine.
The Norwegian authorities have said that a Russian citizen, named as Andrey Medvedev, who reportedly fought for the notorious Wagner group, a private mercenary organisation that has been operating closely with conventional Russian forces in Ukraine, has crossed into Norway and requested political asylum.
