Russia has said that its paratroopers have captured Ukrainian positions and secured trophies including foreign-made weaponry.
The footage purports to show Russian weaponry being fired at and drone bombs being dropped on Ukrainian positions in a forested area.
The images then show a Russian tank opening fire on unseen targets.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Thursday, 30th March, along with a statement claiming: “The next strongholds of the enemy are ours!
The Russian MoD added: “Combat work of the Airborne Forces units to capture strongholds of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during a special operation.
“In the course of hostilities, assault detachments of the Airborne Forces, supported by artillery from parachute regiments, as well as unmanned aircraft and tanks, captured several enemy strongholds.
“Under the onslaught of the paratroopers, the enemy, having suffered significant losses in personnel and equipment, was forced to introduce additional reserves in order to prevent further loss of their positions. Despite reinforcements, the enemy could not hold their positions and left the defensive line.
“As trophies, the paratroopers received a large number of small arms, including foreign-made ones.”
We have not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 400th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 30th March 2023, Russia had lost about 172,900 personnel, 3,610 tanks, 6,974 armoured combat vehicles, 2,671 artillery units, 526 multiple launch rocket systems, 278 air defence systems, 306 warplanes, 291 helicopters, 2,239 drones, 911 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,518 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 291 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has said that his country has stopped informing the United States about its nuclear activities, including missile test launches, following Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the New Start treaty.
Washington has said that it would also cease exchanging information with Moscow about its nuclear forces following Russia’s decision.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday that it had begun carrying out exercises with Yars thermonuclear intercontinental ballistic missile systems and thousands of troops.
The German government has agreed to spend an additional EUR 8 billion on purchasing weapons and equipment for Ukraine, and EUR 4 billion to replenish its own stocks.
Spain’s Defence Minister Margarita Robles has said that her country will send six Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine after Easter.
There was reportedly an explosion near a Russian military airbase in Russian-occupied Crimea, with Sergey Aksyonov, the Moscow-appointed head of Crimea saying that “a UAV was shot down in the Simferopol region” and there were “no casualties or damage”.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia’s notorious Wagner mercenary organisation, has said that the battle for Bakhmut had “practically destroyed” the Ukrainian army, but he added that his forces had also been “badly damaged”.
The Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom has said that Russian forces attempting to encircle the town of Avdiivka had only made small gains in recent days despite losing a significant number of armoured vehicles, including a tank regiment.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has invited his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to visit Ukraine. Zelensky said: “We are ready to see him here. I want to speak with him.”
Zelensky has also said that Ukraine needs 20 Patriot batteries to protect itself against Russian missile attacks, adding that even that might not be enough “as no country in the world was attacked with so many ballistic rockets”.
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