This footage shows a Ukrainian drone dropping a bomb right on top of a Russian soldier.
The video, shot from above by a Ukrainian combat drone, begins by showing the Russian soldier walking in what appears to be a ditch running parallel to a road.
As soon as he pauses, the drone drops a bomb on him. He tries to dodge it at the last second, but it explodes right next to him.
He keels over, apparently injured. His assault rifle lies idly next to him and his breathing appears to become shallow as the footage ends.
The images were obtained from the 10th ‘Edelweiss’ Mountain Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian ground forces on Monday, 10th October, along with a statement saying: “This is how the ‘Edelweiss’ hunts muskrats in the wild to prevent their population from increasing.”
The edelweiss flower features on the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade’s coat of arms. It is a wildflower that is typically found in the Alps.
Newsflash contacted the head of the public relations service of the Ground Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Major Fityo Volodymyr, who confirmed that the footage was authentic and that the information was accurate.
The images and statement were also relayed by the Office of Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 229th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 10th October, Russia had lost about 62,870 personnel, 2,495 tanks, 5,149 armoured combat vehicles, 1,486 artillery units, 353 multiple launch rocket systems, 181 air defence systems, 267 warplanes, 235 helicopters, 1,097 drones, 249 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 3,908 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 136 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has labelled the explosion on the Kerch Bridge linking Russia-occupied Crimea to mainland Russia on Saturday, 8th October, an “act of terror” and has directly blamed Ukraine for the attack.
Putin said on Sunday evening that the attack had been carried out by the “Ukrainian secret services”, adding: “There is no doubt. This is an act of terrorism aimed at destroying critically important civilian infrastructure.”
Ukraine has not yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Sergei Aksyonov, Moscow’s governor in Crimea – which Russia annexed in 2014 – said: “Of course, emotions have been triggered and there is a healthy desire to seek revenge.”
The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, has said that Putin will convene the country’s National Security Council today, Monday, to discuss the explosion on the Kerch Bridge.
Russian shelling in Zaporizhzhia left at least 14 people dead on Sunday morning.
The attack hit civilian infrastructure including a nine-storey building, with the Ukrainian Regional Governor, Oleksandr Starukh, saying that more people could still be trapped under the rubble.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that debris was still being cleared. He added: “More than 70 people were injured, including 11 children.”
Russia has named Air Force General Sergei Surovikin as the commander of its forces fighting in Ukraine, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence.
The move comes after Russia dismissed two of the commanders of its five military regions days earlier following significant reversals in eastern and southern Ukraine.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement on Sunday that since the beginning of October, Ukrainian forces have been considerably increased their shelling of territories currently held by Russia.
