This footage shows a Ukrainian drone bomb exploding in a Russian soldier’s face.
The images show the drone dropping a first bomb directly into the trench, causing three Russian soldiers to seek shelter, with two of them hiding in a hole inside the shallow trench.
The footage then shows the drone dropping a second bomb on the Russian soldiers, with them then seen scrambling for cover again, but this time one of them is not fast enough and the bomb blows up in his face.
Visibly injured, he can then be seen apparently beckoning to one of his colleagues for help before the other soldier picks up an assault rifle and begins to fire at the drone, which flies away as the footage ends.
The images were obtained from the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Konstantin Ostrozky of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Thursday, 6th April, along with a statement saying: “One and a half orcs were destroyed, this saved the life of one of our defenders.”
Ukrainian troops often refer to the invading Russian forces as “orcs”.
The images were also relayed by the Office of Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Friday, 7th April.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 408th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 7th April 2023, Russia had lost about 177,110 personnel, 3,633 tanks, 7,016 armoured combat vehicles, 2,722 artillery units, 533 multiple launch rocket systems, 281 air defence systems, 306 warplanes, 292 helicopters, 2,291 drones, 911 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,587 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 304 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has said that China’s President Xi Jinping is willing to talk to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The move comes after French President Emmanuel Macron urged China to persuade Russia to end its war in Ukraine.
Xi reportedly said that he hoped that Russia and Ukraine could hold peace negotiations as soon as possible.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has held talks with his Belarusian counterpart, the authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, to discuss increasing their economic and defence ties.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia’s notorious Wagner mercenary organisation, has said that there are currently no indications that Ukrainian forces are leaving Bakhmut.
Oleksii Reznikov, the Ukrainian Minister of Defence, is in Greece for talks and was reportedly promised further shipments of artillery and small arms ammunition, as well as access to Greek hospitals for injured soldiers.
The Greeks also promised to provide Ukraine with further Soviet-era infantry fighting vehicles.
Nikos Panagiotopoulos, the Greek Minister of Defence, said that his country “will provide every support to Ukraine at this very important, crucial stage of the war”.
General Serhiy Golubtsov, the Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, has said that his forces are in need of F-16 fighter jets, which he said were “four or five times” more effective than the Soviet-era aircraft currently being used by Ukraine to fight Russia.
Slovakia and Poland have started to provide Ukraine with their MiG-29 fighter jets, but the Ukrainian general said that the aircraft are not capable of fully counteracting Russia’s large air force.
Russia’s Interfax news agency has said that a court in Moscow will consider an appeal by lawyers representing the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
Gershkovich was arrested by the Russian authorities on charges of espionage. The hearing, which will take place behind closed doors, is reportedly set for 18th April.
