These images show Ukrainian border guards repelling a Russian attack by Wagner mercenaries near Bakhmut.
The Call-of-Duty style POV footage shows intense fighting in the area, with Ukrainian troops opening five heavy machine guns on the enemy.
The images, which were partially blurred by the Ukrainian military to censor sensitive information, also show Ukrainian soldiers firing mortars at the invaders.
The images were obtained from the State Border Service of Ukraine on Thursday, 12th January, along with a statement saying: “The defenders of the fortress city of Bakhmut, including military personnel of the State Border Service of Ukraine, conduct daily combat work to destroy the occupiers.
“So, the other day, border aerial reconnaissance detected a group of Wagnerites with heavy weapons. The invaders planned to advance and secure new positions.
“At the command post of the border unit, in online mode, a decision was made to conduct a counter-fight. Thanks to information received in time, with the help of a drone, the border guards managed to outrun the enemy in opening fire. With a sudden blow to the flank, the Russian mercenaries, significantly outnumbering our forces, were destroyed.”
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 324th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 13th January, Russia had lost about 114,130 personnel, 3,098 tanks, 6,167 armoured combat vehicles, 2,086 artillery units, 437 multiple launch rocket systems, 218 air defence systems, 286 warplanes, 276 helicopters, 1,865 drones, 723 cruise missiles, 17 warships, 4,833 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 184 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that his country’s soldiers fighting to defend the towns of Bakhmut and Soledar in eastern Ukraine will be provided with all the necessary equipment to counter Russia’s forces.
Hundreds of civilians are reportedly trapped in Soledar, where intense fighting is ongoing. The Ukrainian Governor of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said that 559 civilians, including 15 children, are currently trapped in Soledar and could not be evacuated.
Ukraine’s military has denied a claim that Russian forces have taken Soledar. Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar has also said that Ukrainian forces are “holding on” amid “fierce fighting”.
Ukraine’s military has claimed that it killed over 100 Russian soldiers in a single strike in Soledar.
Over a dozen senior EU officials are set to meet members of the Ukrainian government in the capital Kyiv on 2nd February ahead of a key EU-Ukraine summit, according to the European Commission.
Ukraine’s Air Force Command has warned that missile strikes on Ukraine could take place from Belarus.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia’s notorious Wagner mercenary group, has claimed that his forces have found the body of one of two British aid workers who had been reported missing in eastern Ukraine.
Prigozhin also claimed that his forces had found identity documents pertaining to both missing aid workers on the man’s body.
Andrey Kartapolov, the head of the Russian State Duma Defence Committee, has suggested that Moscow could increase the upper conscription age limit from 27 to 30 ahead of a draft campaign in the spring.
The Belarusian Ministry of Defence has said that Oleg Salyukov, the commander of Russia’s ground forces, visited Belarus on Thursday to inspect the combat readiness of joint Russian and Belarusian forces stationed there.
Turkey has summoned the Swedish ambassador over a Stockholm protest during which a puppet of Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan was hung from its feet. Pro-government Turkish media said the effigy was hanged by supporters of the PKK, a Kurdish militant group.
Sweden still requires Turkey’s approval to join NATO, with the Turkish government saying that Sweden needs to crack down on Kurdish groups that it views as “terrorists”.
