These images show Ukrainian troops training to shoot with a German-made Gepard anti-aircraft gun.
The footage shows the Ukrainian troops training to use the Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard, better known as the Flakpanzer Gepard, a German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun that originally entered service in the 1970s and has undergone a number of upgrades over the years.
The images show the German-made war machine in action, with it seen opening fire and with a soldier seen inside the vehicle operating it.
The anti-aircraft gun can then be seen taking out a mock enemy target.
The images were obtained from Air Command ‘South’ of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Thursday, 23rd February, along with a statement saying: “Soldiers belonging to ‘Gepard’ anti-aircraft system combat crews are on duty 24 hours a day to protect our sky from the enemy.
“Our soldiers skilfully use equipment provided by partner countries, with the help of which a significant part of Russian air targets are shot down.
“The fight continues! Together to victory!”
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 365th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 23rd February 2023, Russia had lost about 145,850 personnel, 3,350 tanks, 6,593 armoured combat vehicles, 2,352 artillery units, 471 multiple launch rocket systems, 244 air defence systems, 299 warplanes, 287 helicopters, 2,029 drones, 873 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,215 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 228 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
US President Joe Biden has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a “big mistake” by suspending Russia’s participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty.
Russia’s parliament approved Putin’s move to suspend the treaty on Wednesday.
The US government is reportedly considering releasing information that it thinks shows that China is considering whether to supply weaponry to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and called it “an affront to our collective conscience” at a meeting of the General Assembly in New York.
Oleksandr Prokudin, the Ukrainian head of the regional military administration in Kherson, has said that an 81-year-old woman and a 68-year-old man were killed during Russian shelling of the village of Novotyahinka on Wednesday.
President Biden has said that the United States will defend “literally every inch of NATO” territory.
Biden was speaking ahead of a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the leaders of the Bucharest 9 (B9), the most eastern nations of NATO’s Alliance and the closest to Russia’s borders.
Wang Yi, China’s most senior diplomat, has met Putin in Moscow, with China and Russia reaffirming their close relationship.
Wang reportedly told Putin that China will play a “constructive” role in reaching a political settlement on Ukraine, according to Russian state-owned TASS news agency.
Putin has praised Russia’s soldiers, who he said are fighting “heroically, courageously, bravely” to “defend the Fatherland”. He was speaking at a rally in Moscow to mark a year of war in Ukraine.
UK Defence Minister Ben Wallace has said that Britain has begun to “warm up” production lines to replace weaponry sent to Ukraine and to increase artillery shell production.
The US-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has said that it is likely in the future that Russia will control Belarus and that NATO must “seriously plan” for this.
The ISW said that Putin will “very likely secure significant gains in restoring Russian suzerainty over Belarus” and that it is likely that he will use it as a basis to further threaten Ukraine and NATO’s eastern members.
