These images show Ukrainian forces taking out two Russian tanks that were trying to break through their defences.
The footage shows the first Russian tank gushing smoke after it was apparently hit by Ukrainian ordnance, with the second tank seeing moving across the battlefield before it is suddenly hit in a large explosion.
It continues to move before eventually being hit again after reaching a dirt track.
The images were obtained from the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Yakov Handziuk on Tuesday, 4th April, along with a statement saying: “Once again, Russian tanks tried to break through to the positions of the Armed Forces. But our soldiers are always on the alert, so they greeted the uninvited guests warmly.
“The first tank was hit immediately. The crew of the second one tried to escape. And for a moment it even seemed that they would succeed.”
The images and statement were also relayed by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The images were also relayed by the Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security, which operates under the umbrella of the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Information, along with a statement saying: “The occupiers definitely lost to the defenders of Ukraine in terms of speed and accuracy.
“Ukrainian fighters of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Yakov Handziuk powerfully stopped an enemy breakthrough attempt at the position of the Defence Forces.
“Our soldiers greeted the uninvited guests properly. The first tank was hit immediately, and the crew of the second tried to escape…”
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 406th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 5th April 2023, Russia had lost about 176,240 personnel, 3,629 tanks, 7,005 armoured combat vehicles, 2,707 artillery units, 532 multiple launch rocket systems, 280 air defence systems, 306 warplanes, 291 helicopters, 2,283 drones, 911 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,573 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 299 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Finland has become the 31st member of NATO after Pekka Haavisto, the Finnish Foreign Minister, handed over accession documents to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Brussels.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said: “It is a great day Finland.”
He said that it was a new era for his country and that Finland would be a reliable ally, adding: “Security and stability are those elements which we feel very strongly; if people can live in secure stable circumstances that’s the basic element of happy life.”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: “This will make Finland safer and NATO stronger.”
Finland’s accession to the alliance means that Russia’s border with NATO has now doubled.
US President Joe Biden has welcomed Finland’s accession to the military alliance and has urged Hungary and Turkey to finish their ratification processes for Sweden to join the Alliance.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and French President Emmanuel Macron, are set to arrive in China today, Wednesday, in a bid to “reset” ties with Beijing over Ukraine and trade.
Russian investigators have formally charged Darya Trepova, 26, with terrorism over the death of the pro-war military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky who was killed when a bomb hidden inside a small statue went off in a cafe in Saint Petersburg on Sunday.
The Russian state-owned news agency TASS has said that the number of people who were injured in the explosion has now risen to 40.
The authoritarian President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, is set to travel to Moscow today for two days of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the Kremlin.
The parliament of Lithuania has banned Russian nationals from buying property in the country, saying that it is a national security matter.
