These images show Ukrainian paratroopers taking out a Russian tank with an anti-tank guided missile after setting up an ambush.
The Ukrainian paratroopers explained that the tank had been damaged previously and they were sure that the Russians would return to try to retrieve it. So they set up an ambush.
Soon enough, a second Russian tank arrived on the scene to tow the damaged Russian tank away and this is when the paratroopers struck.
The images show the Ukrainian paratroopers firing an anti-tank guided missile at the second tank, which they say they destroyed.
The images were obtained from the 79th Separate Amphibious Assault Brigade of Mykolaiv of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces on Wednesday, 30th November, along with a statement saying: “The anti-tankers destroyed the tank, setting up an ambush near the enemy tank they had knocked out earlier.
Paratroopers from the anti-tank unit of the 79th separate airborne assault brigade continue to successfully hunt enemy equipment in Donbas.
“Yes, the other day they seriously damaged an enemy tank, due to which the enemy crew was forced to abandon the combat vehicle and ‘take to the hills’. Realising that the Russians would want to evacuate the damaged but not destroyed equipment in order to put it into service, the 79th anti-tank fighters set up an ambush near it.
“The ingenuity of the paratroopers was rewarded: soon another tank arrived at the scene to carry out the evacuation. Next, for specialists from the anti-tank unit, it was already a matter of technique: having well aimed the anti-tank guided missile, they aimed at the enemy combat vehicle, destroying it.
“Death to the Russian invaders! Glory to Air Assault Forces! Glory to Ukraine!”
The images were also relayed by the General Staff 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 281st day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 1st December, Russia had lost about 89,440 personnel, 2,915 tanks, 5,877 armoured combat vehicles, 1,904 artillery units, 395 multiple launch rocket systems, 210 air defence systems, 280 warplanes, 261 helicopters, 1,562 drones, 531 cruise missiles, 16 warships, 4,441 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 163 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
A Ukrainian embassy worker in Madrid has been lightly injured in an explosion after opening a letter bomb addressed to the Ukrainian ambassador to Spain on Wednesday.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has urged all Ukrainian embassies abroad to strengthen their security “urgently”.
Kuleba has also said that Ukraine needs US-made Patriot missile defence systems to protect civilian infrastructure, which is under heavy attack from Russia.
He added that he would be looking into the issue with the German government. The comments come after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned NATO against providing Ukraine with the systems.
Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, has proposed the formation of a special war crimes tribunal to investigate and prosecute Russia for its actions in Ukraine.
The tribunal would be set up by the European Union and backed by the United Nations.
Von der Leyen said: “We are ready to start working with the international community to get the broadest international support possible for this specialised court.”
The Ukrainian military has said that Russian forces have tried to advance in eastern Ukraine and targeted the city of Kherson in the south of the country with tank, artillery and mortar fire. Ukraine’s General Staff said that it had killed over 500 Russian soldiers in the last day alone.
The Ukrainian State Emergency Service has said that there have been 106 residential fires in the last day as civilians try to heat their homes, leading to nine people losing their lives.
Sergei Shoigu, the Russian Minister of Defence, has said that his country will focus on new infrastructure for nuclear weapons in 2023. This includes facilities to accommodate new missile systems.
Shoigu said: “When preparing the list of major construction facilities for 2023, special attention will be paid to construction in the interests of the strategic nuclear forces.”
The City Council of the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa has decided to move a monument dedicated to Empress Catherine the Great of Russia to a new location as it has been repeatedly vandalised since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
