Eagle

Oct 02, 2023

Video shows eagled-eyed soldiers spotting a Russian truck hiding in Ukrainian woodland before blowing it up into a ball of fire.

Zenger obtained the aerial footage from the elite Ukrainian Air Assault Forces (DShV) earlier Friday.

The DShV said (in Ukrainian): "The video shows how in one of the areas of combat missions, artillerymen of the 79th Separate Assault Brigade of the Mykolayiv DShV of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed a Ural truck with ammunition and a dugout of the Russian occupiers."

"The paratroopers note: 'Enemies will not hide from us, all will be destroyed sooner or later! We continue to carry out combat missions, protecting Ukraine and its citizens!'

"Together to victory! DShV - always first! Glory to Ukraine!"

The DShV - a rapid deployment force and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) - did not specify where in the country the footage was filmed.

The Ural-4320 is a general-purpose off-road 6×6 vehicle, produced at the Urals Automotive Plant in Miass, Russia. It has several users, including both Russia and Ukraine.

Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin initially called a "special military operation" to "demilitarize and denazify" the country.

The Kremlin now says the aim of its operation is to "protect Donbass."

The General Staff of the AFU reported that from February 24 to May 6, Russia had lost 24,900 troops, 1,110 tanks, 2,686 armored fighting vehicles, 502 artillery systems, 171 multiple launch rocket systems, 83 anti-aircraft systems, 199 warplanes, 155 helicopters, 1,926 vehicles and fuel tankers, 11 vessels, 324 tactical unmanned aerial vehicles, 38 units of special equipment and 90 cruise missiles.

As the Ukraine-Russian war enters its 72nd day, Russia has claimed victories including the destruction of multiple Ukrainian positions in heavy fighting overnight Thursday, claiming they killed 600 Ukrainian soldiers.

The Kremlin has also gone on the defensive to deny Ukrainian claims that the troops are currently storming the last Mariupol strongholds, and insisted that the humanitarian corridors were still open. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also told Kyiv that they should persuade the troops in the area to lay down their weapons to end the fighting in the besieged city.

They have also accused the West of feeding intelligence to Ukraine to support their fight against what Russia calls a "special military operation." The U.S. has denied the claim, including the suggestion that they told Ukrainians how they could track down and target Russian generals for assassination by snipers. It was also suggested more recently that intelligence in Washington is what helped Ukraine sink the Russian warship Moskova.

Russia is believed to be desperate to take Mariupol before the May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow which marks the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany.

So far some 500 civilians have been evacuated from Mariupol and some other areas of southern Ukraine in a rescue operation organized under the auspices of the U.N. and the International Red Cross. The numbers were confirmed by the Ukrainian president's office.

Meanwhile, a host of international organizations have banned Russia, already hit by economic sanctions, from taking part in sporting and cultural events, such as this year's FIFA World Cup in Qatar, in response to the country's invasion.

This story was provided to Newsweek by Zenger News.