Ukrainian Troops Jump Off Tank And Fan Out After Being Hit While Pushing Into Russian Lines

This footage shows Ukrainian troops jumping off a tank and fanning out after being hit by Russian ordnance while pushing into the enemy’s lines as they make rapid advances to retake occupied parts of their country.

The footage begins by showing a group of Ukrainian soldiers on top of a tank and going down a dirt road in a forested area.

Suddenly, the vehicle appears to be hit twice by incoming ordnance. The tank comes to a stop and the Ukrainian soldiers jump off, quickly taking cover in a ditch by the side of the road.

Small arms fire can be heard breaking out as the Ukrainian troops take up their positions. A Ukrainian soldier can be seen readying what appears to be a portable anti-tank guided missile system before the footage ends.

Picture shows Ukrainian soldiers on an armored fighting in forest in Ukraine in undated footage. Ukrainian forces are pushing to consolidate their recent advantage over the Kremlin’s forces and are said to be making significant gains towards liberating territory in the east and the south of the country. (@AFUStratCom/Newsflash)

A second piece of footage shows Ukrainian armoured vehicles advancing at speed under artillery fire from the Russian enemy. The video begins with a shower exploding right in front of some of the Ukrainian vehicles as they advance quickly.

They then appear to turn around and head back, passing a tank and leaving the situation for the heavier war machine to deal with.

The images were obtained from the Office of Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Thursday, 6th October, along with a statement saying: “Here are the conditions under which our defenders advance, liberating Ukraine from the katsap. It is hard work that comes with enormous risk. But the Armed Forces cannot be stopped!”

Bomb fall near the vehicle of the Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine in undated footage. Ukrainian forces are pushing to consolidate their recent advantage over the Kremlin’s forces and are said to be making significant gains towards liberating territory in the east and the south of the country. (@AFUStratCom/Newsflash)

‘Katsap’ is a derogatory Ukrainian term for a Russian.

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 225th day of the war.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 6th October, Russia had lost about 61,330 personnel, 2,449 tanks, 5,064 armoured combat vehicles, 1,424 artillery units, 344 multiple launch rocket systems, 177 air defence systems, 266 warplanes, 232 helicopters, 1,047 drones, 246 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 3,854 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 134 units of special equipment.

Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.

Ukrainian soldiers clash with Russian troops on the battlefield in Ukraine in undated footage. Ukrainian forces are pushing to consolidate their recent advantage over the Kremlin’s forces and are said to be making significant gains towards liberating territory in the east and the south of the country. (@AFUStratCom/Newsflash)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has apparently admitted how serious Russian losses are in Ukraine, insisting that he would “stabilise” the situation in the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which he illegally tried to annex last week.

Putin said: “We are working on the assumption that the situation in the new territories will stabilise.”

Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is heading to Kyiv to discuss a plan to create a security zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is Europe’s largest. He said that he and his team were “on our way to Kyiv for important meetings”, adding that the need for a security zone was “more urgent than ever”.

Two people were killed after Ukraine’s south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhia was reportedly hit by Russian missiles in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Ukrainian soldiers clash with Russian troops on the battlefield in Ukraine in undated footage. Ukrainian forces are pushing to consolidate their recent advantage over the Kremlin’s forces and are said to be making significant gains towards liberating territory in the east and the south of the country. (@AFUStratCom/Newsflash)

The Ukrainian regional governor, Oleksandr Starukh, said one woman died in the attack, with another person pronounced dead in an ambulance. He added that “at least five people were under the rubble of buildings”.

Starukh said that Russia had “fired seven rockets at high-rise buildings”. Rescuers are reportedly working to free people trapped under rubble.

Ukrainian forces are continuing to push their advance in the east and the south of the country, forcing Russian troops to retreat under pressure.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country’s military forces had made significant, rapid advances against Russian troops over the course of the last week, liberating dozens of towns in eastern and in southern Ukraine that Russia had previously declared to have annexed.

Ukrainian soldiers advance on the battlefield while being bombed by the Russian artillery in Ukraine in undated footage. Ukrainian forces are pushing to consolidate their recent advantage over the Kremlin’s forces and are said to be making significant gains towards liberating territory in the east and the south of the country. (@AFUStratCom/Newsflash)

Ukraine’s Southern Command has said that its military forces have increased the country’s area of control in the Kherson region by between six and 12 miles.

Russia’s latest military failures are spilling over onto state television. Olga Skabeyeva, Russia’s top state TV host, recently asked a Russia-appointed official in Luhansk: “Why do we advance metre by metre when they advance village by village?”

And Roman Saponkov, a prominent war correspondent, said of Russia’s recent retreats: “I really don’t know what to say to you. The retreat… is catastrophic.”

Poland has said that it has asked the United States to install nuclear weapons on its territory amid growing fears that Putin could resort to using such weapons in Ukraine.