This POV footage shows Ukrainian recruits conquering an assault course during intensive training.
The images show the Ukrainian soldiers crawling under barbed wire and climbing over the assault course walls while also learning to navigate trenches.
The images were obtained from the 114th Territorial Defence Brigade of the Kyiv region of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Tuesday, 23rd May, along with a statement saying: “The obstacle course will now help the soldiers of the Buchansk Territorial Defence Battalion to become even more agile and more prepared in the fight against the Russian invaders.
“During the last year of the war, units of the Territorial Defence of Kyiv region organised the operation of training centres, equipped locations for training, and improved the material and technical base for the preparation of the civilian population for national resistance.
“Today we are keeping our formation, but whoever comes to replace us must be as ready as possible to give battle to the Russian occupier.”
The images and statement were also relayed by the Office of Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Wednesday, 24th May.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 456th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 25th May 2023, Russia had lost about 205,260 personnel, 3,795 tanks, 7,432 armoured combat vehicles, 3,359 artillery units, 570 multiple launch rocket systems, 327 air defence systems, 309 warplanes, 296 helicopters, 2,907 drones, 1,015 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 6,148 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 444 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
White House spokesperson John Kirby has said that the US is looking into reports that American military vehicles were used inside Russia.
The Kremlin has said that the alleged use of American-made equipment by self-styled Russian partisans who conducted a raid on the Russian border region of Belgorod this week is proof of the West’s growing involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
The Russian military claimed on Tuesday that it had routed militants who attacked the Belgorod region with armoured vehicles and killed over 70 “Ukrainian nationalists”.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Iran to reconsider supplying kamikaze drones to Russia.
Addressing Iran, Zelensky said: “The simple question is this: what is your interest in being an accomplice to Russian terror?”
He added: “What is the benefit to Iran of such cynical killing?”
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that Ukraine will not be able to join NATO while the war is going on.
Stoltenberg said: “I think that everyone realised that, to become a member in the midst of a war, is not on the agenda.”
He added: “The issue is what happens when the war ends.”
The head of the notorious Russian mercenary organisation Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has said that he has lost 20,000 fighters so far in the battle for Bakhmut.
This figure is in stark contrast to Moscow’s claims that it has lost just over 6,000 soldiers in the war.
The Dutch Minister of Defence, Kajsa Ollongren, has said that her country wants to provide Ukrainian pilots with F-16 fighter jet training as soon as possible.
Ollongren added that the training programme would be the result of coordinated work between Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, with other countries also able to join.
Ukraine’s main Orthodox Church has said that it has decided to change the date it celebrates Christmas to 25th December in a move that is seen as a bid to distance itself from Russia.
Orthodox Christians typically celebrate Christmas on 7th January.
