This is the aftermath of a successful bombing campaign by Ukrainian paratroopers on Russian positions.
The 81st Airmobile Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces (DShV) said on May 9: “The video shows the result of the successful completion of combat mission by soldiers of our brigade’s reconnaissance and artillery units to destroy equipment and manpower of the Russian occupiers.”
One brigade paratrooper said: “Our ancestors, together with the Allies, defeated Nazism, and now we will defeat racism!
“Today, we are not only defending our homeland, but also the entire democratic people of free Europe from the aggression of Russian invaders.
“We will definitely win! Death to the Russian occupiers! DShV – Always First!”
Russian troops invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is now calling a “special military operation” to “protect Donbass”. Today marks the 76th day of the campaign.
From 24th February to 10th May, the total combat losses of Russian troops stand at around 26,000 personnel, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military also claims that Russia has lost 1,170 tanks, 2,808 armored fighting vehicles, 519 artillery systems, 185 multiple launch rocket systems, 87 anti-aircraft systems, 199 warplanes, 158 helicopters, 1,980 motor vehicles, 10 fuel tankers, 12 vessels, 380 unmanned aerial vehicles, 41 units of special equipment and 94 cruise missiles.
This week, Vladimir Putin addressed a huge military parade on Red Square in Moscow to commemorate the defeat of Nazi Germany at the hands of the Soviet Union in World War II.
The Russian President used his speech to claim that Russian troops in eastern Ukraine were “defending the motherland”. He also said that the “special military operation” in Ukraine was necessary and was provoked by the West.
Meanwhile, the southwestern Ukrainian port city of Odesa has been rocked by Russian missile strikes, which hit a shopping centre and a depot, reportedly killing one and injuring five.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that the Russian blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports threatens global food supplies.
