These images show Ukrainian Marines taking out Russian special forces and tanks near Avdiivka.
The images show Ukrainian ordnance pummelling the Russian side, with what appears to be artillery and a number of drone bombs hitting the Russian positions and tanks.
The images were obtained from the 36th Separate Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilinskyi of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Monday, 3rd April, along with a statement saying: “Another part of the video material about how the Marines eliminated the Russian ‘Storm’ special forces near Avdiivka.
“Incendiary work of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilinskyi and the 503rd Separate Marine Infantry Battalion.”
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, on Tuesday, 4th April, along with a statement saying: “Ukrainian soldiers ‘calmed’ the enemy special forces with coordinated actions.
“Near Avdiivka, a Russian ‘storm’ tried to approach the position of the Defence Forces, but thanks to the defenders of Ukraine, the danger was eliminated from the air.
“Combat work was carried out by the soldiers of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilinskyi together with the Marines of the 503rd Separate Battalion of Marines.”
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 405th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 4th April 2023, Russia had lost about 175,690 personnel, 3,627 tanks, 6,999 armoured combat vehicles, 2,697 artillery units, 528 multiple launch rocket systems, 280 air defence systems, 306 warplanes, 291 helicopters, 2,277 drones, 911 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,562 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 298 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that Finland will formally become the 31st member of the world’s largest military alliance today (Tuesday, 4th April).
Stoltenberg said that the last country to ratify Finland’s membership, Turkey, would hand over its official texts to the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, with the NATO Secretary-General then inviting Finland to do likewise.
Russia has reportedly said in response that it will increase its defences near the Finnish border if NATO troops are deployed inside the country.
Mike Pompeo, the former US Secretary of State, visited Ukraine on Monday and said that he will work towards the United States providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets and long-range missiles.
Asked if he was in favour of supplying Kyiv with F-16s and long-range missiles, Pompeo reportedly said: “Yes. And the training and the software and all the things needed to actually protect and defend your own land.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to visit Poland on Wednesday for talks with his Polish counterpart, President Andrzej Duda.
Poland has reportedly already delivered a first batch of soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Kyiv, according to Marcin Przydacz, the Head of Poland’s International Policy Office.
Russian drones have hit the strategic Ukrainian port city of Odesa overnight, with local Ukrainian authorities saying that the city had suffered some “damage”.
Ukrainian officials have said that the Russian side is “very far” from capturing the embattled eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, where the notorious Russian mercenary organisation Wagner claims to have raised a flag over the city hall.
The Russian police have arrested a woman named as Darya Trepova, suspected of delivering a bomb that killed prominent pro-war Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, real name Maxim Fomin, in a cafe in central Saint Petersburg on Sunday.
