Ukrainian combat swimmers told how they evacuated civilians by water right under the enemy’s nose and saved them from getting trapped in Russian-occupied areas in this newly-released footage.
The video tells what operations the swimmers of the 73rd Marine Centre, named after chieftain Antin Holovaty, participate in and shows footage of unique combat operations.
It also shows footage of the landing on the liberated Zmiiny Island in the Black Sea.
An astounding total of 500 people were reportedly saved during a single operation carried out by the Naval unit.
The swimmer soldiers said that they evacuated the civilian population from the occupied territories on boats and among them were very young children.
They also added that, usually, on the eve of a landing operation, a group of divers would study the approach routes and the landing site on the shore.
On the day of the operation, the group can go ashore, gain a foothold and wait for the main attack group, they added.
Divers also study the landing site, make sure it is not mined and secure is a safe exit, the soldiers said.
The footage was obtained by Newsflash from the Command of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on 21st December, along with a statement: “Combat swimmers of the 73rd Marine Centre told how they evacuated civilians by water from under the nose of the enemy, and did not allow civilians to end up in occupation.
“On their account are landings on Russian-occupied territories, evacuation of fellow soldiers, demining of sea waters and, of course, destruction of Russian occupiers.
“During the war, our ‘Seals’ perform many combat missions where human capabilities seem to reach their limits. But not for them.”
The 73rd Marine Centre and the Centre of Strategic Communications (StratCom) of Ukraine also relayed the footage and statement.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 302nd day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 22nd December, Russia had lost about 100,400 personnel, 3,003 tanks, 5,981 armoured combat vehicles, 1,978 artillery units, 413 multiple launch rocket systems, 212 air defence systems, 283 warplanes, 267 helicopters, 1,693 drones, 653 cruise missiles, 16 warships, 4,615 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 178 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to Washington, DC to meet with US leaders on 21st December with a plea for military aid.
Zelenskyy called the tens of billions of dollars in US military and economic assistance to Ukraine an investment in democracy and “not charity”.
And the US Congress is set to announce an additional aid package for Ukraine that would include nearly USD 45 billion (GBP 37 billion).
The Kremlin warned that increasing the supply of US weapons to Ukraine would aggravate the war.
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that Russia needs to prepare an “appropriate” response to NATO’s military expansion near Russian borders, including Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership aspirations, and proposed to expand the military.
And Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that Russian forces had faced challenges with mobilization, lack of drones and new equipment.
The head of the local grid operator in Kyiv, Serhiy Kovalenko, said power outages in Ukraine’s capital remain the most difficult.
He added that the situation may improve if the remaining 40 per cent of transformers do not get hit in new attacks.
Moreover, heavy fighting has been going on in Donetsk, Eastern Ukraine, as Russian forces attempt to make further advances in the region.
General Staff spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun said Ukrainian forces repelled attacks around more than 25 populated areas in the Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The bodies of seven civilians, including a teenage girl, were found in a mass grave in the village of Pravdyne in southern Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian defence minister.
In other developments, the former Russian deputy prime minister and former director of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, was wounded in the Ukrainian bombing of a hotel in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk.
