These images show Ukrainian marines fighting Russian forces in a push toward the occupied city of Kherson.
The footage was obtained from the 35th Marine Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Navy – also known as the 35th Separate Marine Infantry Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Ostrogradskyi – on Tuesday, July 26, along with a short statement saying: “Artillery soldiers from the 35th separate brigade of marines named after Rear-Admiral Mykhailo Ostrogradsky are diligently ‘practicing’ on enemy positions in the Kherson direction.”
They added: “The Cossack bloodline will never die, its glory has been flowing since ancient times.”
The Cossacks are predominantly an East Slavic Orthodox Christian people group originating in the steppes of Ukraine. They have historically been semi-nomadic and known for their martial prowess. The Turkic kazak word ‘cossack’ typically means “adventurer” or “free man”, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.
The images and the statement were also relayed by the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, which operates under the umbrella of the Ministry of Culture and Information of Ukraine.
Zenger News contacted the 35th Marine Infantry Brigade for further comment, as well as the Russian Ministry of Defense, but had not received a reply at the time of writing.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is calling a “special military operation”. Wednesday marks the 154th day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and July 27, Russia had lost about 40,070 personnel, 1,738 tanks, 3,971 armored combat vehicles, 883 artillery units, 258 multiple launch rocket systems, 117 air defense systems, 222 warplanes, 190 helicopters, 726 drones, 174 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 2,847 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 75 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower, but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have said that they have hit the Antonivskiy Bridge in the Russian-occupied region of Kherson in southern Ukraine in a bid to disrupt enemy supplies destined for the occupied city of Kherson.
Kharkiv Oblast’s regional governor Oleh Syniehubov has said that Russian forces resumed strikes on civilian infrastructure in the city of Kharkiv on the morning of Tuesday, July 26.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit the Russian resort of Sochi on August 5, his office has said. It is expected that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Turkey’s Ministry of Defense has said that a Joint Coordination Center (JCC) for Ukrainian grain exports, operating under an UN-brokered deal, is set to open in Istanbul.
The European Union has watered down plans to ration gas in winter in a bid to avoid exacerbating the energy crisis caused by Russian supply cuts. The energy ministers of 27 EU member states, with the exception of Hungary, have backed a voluntary 15-percent reduction in gas consumption over the coming winter.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of cutting natural gas supplies to cause a “price terror” against Europe. He said: “Using Gazprom, Moscow is doing all it can to make this coming winter as harsh as possible for the European countries. Terror must be answered – impose sanctions.”
