This is the moment Ukrainian soldiers send a “New Year’s gift to occupiers” by blowing up a Russian ammunition depot.
The footage shows a small group of Russian soldiers stepping out of the warehouse reportedly located on the outskirts of Svatovo, in eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk region.
The video then cuts to a black-and-white shot of the same warehouse getting struck by a Ukrainian shell.
A violent explosion then makes the depot completely disappear behind the tall columns of fire and smoke rising to the sky.
And another scene shows the ammunition depot being completely levelled with the ground after the devastating blow delivered by Ukrainian fighters.
The images were obtained by Newsflash from the Ukrainian Ground Forces, which relayed it from unit CODE 9.2 of the 92nd Ivan Sirko Separate Mechanised Brigade, on 3rd January, along with a statement: “Svatovo, destroying an enemy ammunition depot.” (sic)
The information was also relayed by the Office for Strategic Communications (StratCom) of Ukraine.
The StratCom reported that Ukrainian defenders had been monitoring the base for almost two weeks.
And, Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, who also relayed the video, called it a “New Year’s gift for the orcs”.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 314th day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 3rd January, Russia had lost about 108,190 personnel, 3,036 tanks, 6,100 armoured combat vehicles, 2,033 artillery units, 424 multiple launch rocket systems, 214 air defence systems, 283 warplanes, 270 helicopters, 1,839 drones, 723 cruise missiles, 16 warships, 4,735 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 181 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry has claimed responsibility for an attack in Makiivka, a Russian-held city in Donetsk that allegedly killed around 400 Russian soldiers.
The Russian Ministry of Defence 63 soldiers of recently mobilised troops died in the attack on Makiivka when Ukraine hit “a temporary deployment facility” with four US-supplied Himars missiles.
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said it also “successfully” shot down 39 (Iranian-made) Shahed drones, two Orlan-10 drones and a Kh-59 cruise missile.
Russian drones have attacked infrastructure in Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv and the surrounding regions, damaging energy facilities and causing some power outages, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Russia is preparing a drone attack campaign to “exhaust” Ukraine.
“It is probably banking on exhaustion. Exhausting our people, our anti-aircraft defences, our energy,” Zelenskyy said in his Monday address.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s armed forces have shot down more than 80 drones since the beginning of 2023.
The UK Ministry of Defence said Russia’s attacks near Bakhmut in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region are unlikely to yield a significant breakthrough in the near future.
And former NATO general Hans-Lothar Domrose said a truce between Russia and Ukraine can be expected during 2023, possibly even in the early months.
