This footage shows a massive explosion as Ukrainian forces blow up a Russian ammunition warehouse in the Kharkiv region to cries of “hallelujah” and “Slava Ukraini!”.
The images show a large area with smoke emanating from it before all of a sudden, there is a huge explosion as the ammunition store detonates.
Ukrainian soldiers monitoring the operation can be heard shouting “hallelujah” and “Slava Ukraini!” in the background as the Russian ordnance goes up in smoke.
The images were obtained from the National Guard of Ukraine on Tuesday, 4th October, along with a statement saying: “Great BOOM: soldiers of the 5th Slobozhan brigade of the NSU [National Guard of Ukraine] effectively destroyed a rashist ammunition warehouse in Kharkiv region.”
‘Rashist’ is a term that is often used by the Ukrainian forces when referring to the Russian invaders. It is a combination of the words ‘Russia’ and ‘fascism’.
The images and statement 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.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 224th day of the war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 5th October, Russia had lost about 61,000 personnel, 2,435 tanks, 5,038 armoured combat vehicles, 1,414 artillery units, 341 multiple launch rocket systems, 177 air defence systems, 266 warplanes, 232 helicopters, 1,032 drones, 246 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 3,841 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 132 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 has said that Ukrainian forces have now liberated dozens of regions from Russian occupation. Ukrainian troops are now approaching the city of Kherson, with President Zelensky praising their “fast and powerful advance” on Tuesday.
President Zelensky said: “The Ukrainian army is making a rather fast and powerful advance in the south of our country in the course of the ongoing defensive operation.”
He added: “Dozens of settlements have already been liberated from the Russian pseudo-referendum this week alone.”
Christian Salazar Volkmann, Director of the Field Operations and Technical Cooperation Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations has presented a report on rights in Ukraine to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The report details “disturbing accounts” of civilian and POW rights being violated by Russian forces, adding that arbitrary detention had become “widespread” in territories under Russian control.
Ukrainian police have said that they have uncovered a “torture chamber” in the recently liberated town of Pisky-Radkivski in eastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. The police added that they had found a container full of extracted gold teeth, among other disturbing items.
US President Joe Biden has told President Zelensky that the United States will provide Ukraine with USD 625 million in new security assistance, including fresh high mobility Artillery rocket system (HIMARS) launchers.
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have told President Zelensky that the United States “will never recognise” Russia’s annexations.
The White House also said that President Biden “affirmed the continued readiness of the United States to impose severe costs on any individual, entity, or country that provides support to Russia purported annexation.”
The head of the Russian delegation to the United Nations Disarmament Commission, Konstantin Vorontsov, said on Tuesday: “The United States continues to pump more weapons into Ukraine, facilitating the direct participation of its fighters and advisers in the conflict.
“Not only does this prolong the fighting, but it also brings the situation closer to a dangerous line of a direct military clash between Russia and NATO.”
European Union finance ministers have agreed to integrate the bloc’s support payments to Ukraine into its 2023 budget, in a bid to make them more structured.
The World Bank has estimated that Ukraine’s economy will shrink eight times faster than Russia’s this year as a result of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
Russia’s retreat from the city of Lyman in eastern Ukraine has triggered strong criticism on Russian state television of how the war is being managed. Vladimir Solovyov, the host of a prime-time talk show on the state television channel Russia 1, who is also one of Putin’s biggest supporters, has said: “We need to pull it together, make unpopular, but necessary decisions and act.”
North Korea has recognised the results of Russia’s referendums in eastern Ukraine, making it the only member of the United Nations apart from Russia to do so.
