Ukrainian forces were befuddled at the sight of a Russian tank driving through a minefield before it suddenly blows up.
Two Russian tanks make their way across a plowed field, shown in images released by Ukrainian military officials.
Although there is a road running parallel just next to them, it appears to be blocked by wreckage of an earlier incident and as a result, the tanks head over the field in single file.
Suddenly, the first tank apparently hits a mine, causing a large explosion. The vehicle comes to a stop, with the second tank stopping a safe distance behind it. A third tank can be seen having joined the convoy a short distance behind the second tank.
The footage then cuts to what appears to be a Russian military vehicle having made its way close to where the tank at the head of the convoy blew up, perhaps in a bid to rescue any soldiers still alive inside it.
The images were obtained Monday from the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, along with a short statement: “An offensive or an annoying suicide? Sometimes it is difficult to work out what the Russian troops are doing.”
The 93rd Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which also relayed the images, added: “We are starting the week with optimistic videos. May more Russian tanks burn on our land!”
While the Strategic Communications Department (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said: “We will win the war together, 93rd Mechanized Brigade!”
Zenger News contacted the Armed Forces of Ukraine 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 still calling a “special military operation.” Monday marks the 124th day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and June 27, Russia had lost about 35,000 personnel, 3,552 tanks, 5,687 armored combat vehicles, 771 artillery units, 243 multiple launch rocket systems, 101 air defense systems, 217 warplanes, 184 helicopters, 636 drones, 1137 cruise missiles, 14 warships, 2,575 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 60 units of special equipment.
The Russian missile strike on a shopping mall in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk has been described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as one of the “most brazen terrorist acts in European history.” More than 1,000 people are said to have been inside the building when it was hit by missiles, with 18 reported killed as of Tuesday morning.
At least 14 missiles hit the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv as G7 leaders met in Germany at the beginning of a three-day summit. Military support for Ukraine is at the top of the agenda. The G7 is made up of Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. G7 leaders described the shopping mall missile strike as “abominable.”
Zelensky addressed the G7 leaders and said that he wanted the war to end before the end of the year. He repeated his request for anti-aircraft defense systems, as well as further sanctions on Russia. He also repeated his request for help to export grain from Ukraine.
NATO is planning to boost its quick reaction forces from 40,000 troops to over 300,000 troops. World leaders are set to approve plans to increase the number of NATO troops on high alert at a summit in Madrid.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is meeting Finland’s Sauli Niinisto and Magdalena Andersson of Sweden at the NATO summit in Madrid to try to resolve their issues.
Russian missiles have also hit the central city of Cherkasy, as well as the strategically vital port city of Odesa.
The eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk is now in Russian hands after Ukrainian troops were ordered to retreat following weeks of siege warfare.
The U.K. and the U.S., as well as Japan and Canada, are banning imports of Russian gold. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the ban will “strike at the heart of Putin’s war machine.”
Russian troops have been accused of pillaging vast quantities of grain from farmers in occupied areas of Ukraine, as well as other crops such as sunflower seeds. They have also been accused of stealing fertilizer and agricultural equipment.
More than 345 million people around the world are facing “acute levels of food insecurity” as the war in Ukraine heads into the fifth month, says the World Food Program (WFP).
Johnson said the Russian invasion of Ukraine has had a direct effect on the cost of living around the world.
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