These images show a Ukrainian drone tracking a group of Russian soldiers before blowing them up.
The footage, shot from a drone, shows at least 3 Russian soldiers making their way through the remains of an urban area that appears to have been heavily bombed.
The drone then drops a bomb on them, apparently injuring one of the soldiers as his two colleagues help him to a building.
The footage then cuts to a large explosion, with the building having apparently been destroyed by Ukrainian artillery.
The images then show seven Russian soldiers running across the battlefield, with them then apparently seen finding shelter in a house.
That building is then also apparently hit by Ukrainian artillery.
A third group of Russian soldiers can then be seen being targeted before the footage ends with a drone apparently dropping a grenade on other soldiers.
The images were obtained from the 92nd Ivan Sirko Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces on Saturday, 4th February.
The images were also relayed by Operational Command ‘East’ of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Sunday, 5th February.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 348th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 6th February 2023, Russia had lost about 132,160 personnel, 3,231 tanks, 6,415 armoured combat vehicles, 2,231 artillery units, 461 multiple launch rocket systems, 227 air defence systems, 294 warplanes, 284 helicopters, 1,958 drones, 796 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,104 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 203 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, is reportedly set to be replaced by the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, Major General Kyrylo Budanov.
This is according to Davyd Arakhamia, the head of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party in Parliament, it emerged on Sunday, 5th February.
The move comes after Reznikov is increasingly embroiled in a growing scandal about financial impropriety within the Ministry of Defence and after it emerged that the ministry had been paying twice to three times supermarket food prices to supply troops on the frontlines.
Kyiv is said to be bracing for a potential Russian offensive this month before the first anniversary of the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on 24th February.
Speaking on Sunday, President Zelensky said: “There are already many reports that the occupiers want to do something symbolic in February to try to avenge their last year’s defeats.”
He added: “We see this increased pressure in various areas of the frontline, as well as pressure in the information field.”
Defence Minister Reznikov has said that Ukraine has enough reserves to hold back Russia’s forces despite having not received the latest Western military equipment.
He said: “Not all of the western weaponry will arrive in time. But we are ready. We have created our resources and reserves, which we are able to deploy and with which we are able to hold back the attack.”
He added: “Despite everything, we expect a possible Russian offensive in February. This is only from the point of view of symbolism; it’s not logical from a military view. Because not all of their resources are ready. But they’re doing it anyway.”
Reznikov also said that Moscow was losing “500 killed and wounded every day in Bakhmut”.
The British Ministry of Defence has said that Bakhmut was becoming “increasingly isolated”.
The UK MoD also said that Russia now had two main routes into the town that were under threat from Ukrainian artillery, which is making it harder to supply defending Russian forces in the town.
Iran and Russia are reportedly looking into building a factory in Russia that could provide over 6,000 drones for its war in Ukraine.
