Ukrainian fighters sent “holiday greetings” to Russian invaders in a fiery salvo of rockets which wiped out their military positions, as these images show.
The footage shows a multiple rocket launcher positioned above a field area and shooting dozens of rockets into the air which then blast through a small forested area.
The images were obtained by Newsflash from the 25th Separate Airbone Sicheslav Brigade on 25th December, along with a statement that said: “Sicheslav gunners send holiday ‘greetings’ to the Russian invaders!
“Nothing will stop us on the way to Victory! Because the truth and our native country are on our side, – say paratroopers!
“Celebrate, Ukraine! We will cover!”
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 307th day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 27th December, Russia had lost about 103,220 personnel, 3,016 tanks, 6,024 armoured combat vehicles, 1,998 artillery units, 418 multiple launch rocket systems, 212 air defence systems, 283 warplanes, 267 helicopters, 1,707 drones, 653 cruise missiles, 16 warships, 4,652 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 179 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for a “peace” summit with Russia at the United Nations, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as mediator.
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov responded with an ultimatum for Ukraine to either surrender Russian-controlled territory or have the Russian army decide for them.
And a UN spokesperson said that the secretary-general would only agree to meditate only “if all parties want him to mediate”.
Ukraine called for Russia to be removed as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, accusing it of violating international law.
Nearly nine million Ukrainians are left without electricity as power shortages keep persisting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
A drone believed to be Ukrainian reached deep into Russia’s airspace, causing a deadly explosion at the main base for Moscow’s Tu-95 and Tu-160 nuclear-capable strategic bombers.
The Russian military reported that it shot down a Ukrainian drone approaching the Engels airbase, where three servicemen were killed by falling debris.
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed no Russian aircraft were damaged in the explosion.
The Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported that former Chief of Staff of the Eastern Military District Lieutenant General Evgeny Valerivich Nikiforov, a Wagner Group-linked Russian officer, was appointed commander of the Russian Western Military District.
Nikiforov has previous experience commanding elements of the Wagner Group in Donbas from 2014 to 2015.
Russia’s Federal Security Service claimed that a Ukrainian “sabotage group” had allegedly been eliminated while trying to enter the Bryansk region, which lies near the Ukrainian border.
