Story By: Ana Marjanovic, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Newsflash
This is the moment Russian troops line up their Msta-S self-propelled howitzers and unleash an almighty strike against Ukrainian targets.
The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on 10th June: “Combat work of the artillery units of the Airborne Forces during the special military operation [in Ukrainian territory].”
“Combat crews of Msta-S self-propelled howitzers travelled to the designated area, immediately took up firing positions, and struck at the identified enemy targets.”
The Russian military did not state where or when the attack took place.
Russian troops invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 107th day of the campaign.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 10th June, Russia had lost 31,900 personnel, 1,409 tanks, 3,450 armoured fighting vehicles, 712 artillery pieces, 222 multiple launch rocket systems, 97 anti-aircraft systems, 212 warplanes, 178 helicopters, 2,438 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, 13 warships, 572 tactical drones, 54 pieces of special equipment and 125 cruise missiles.
Over 1,000 Ukrainian troops captured in Mariupol have been transferred to Russia, according to Russian media. Ukrainian officials estimate that at least 21,000 civilians have been killed in the city.
Two British men, Aiden Aslin, 28, and Shaun Pinner, 48, have been sentenced to death by a court in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine after being captured while fighting with the Ukrainian army in Mariupol against Russian troops.
An aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine is losing up to 200 troops a day.
President Putin has said that the West will not be able to wean itself off from Russian oil and gas for years. US officials have now also admitted that Russian profits on energy might even be higher than they were before the war started.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, walked out of a Security Council meeting after his country was blamed by European Council president Charles Michel for triggering a global food crisis.
President Zelenskyy has requested that a corridor be set up so that the country may export grain currently stuck in Ukrainian ports.
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution recommending that the European Union grant Ukraine the status of candidate country for EU membership. Some 438 MEPs voted in favour of the resolution, with 65 voting against and 94 abstaining.
