Russia has claimed that its paratroopers have captured a Ukrainian position north of Bakhmut, as these images purport to show.
The images appear to show a number of Russian military vehicles and infantry trying to take the Ukrainian position in a treeline.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Wednesday, 29th November, along with a statement claiming (in English): “Ivanovo-based paratroopers capture AFU stronghold north of Artyomovsk [Bakhmut].
“Airborne Troops artillery struck Ukrainian units in defence and after that paratroopers assault detachments engaged the enemy.
“Using small arms, RPG-30 and RPG-26 anti-tank rocket launchers paratroopers overcame the resistance of Ukrainian militants, captured the stronghold, and entrenched on it. Personnel of Ukrainian units in defence was eliminated.”
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 644th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 29th November 2023, Russia had lost about 327,580 personnel, 5,538 tanks, 10,312 armoured combat vehicles, 7,908 artillery units, 910 multiple launch rocket systems, 600 air defence systems, 323 warplanes, 324 helicopters, 5,944 drones, 1,567 cruise missiles, 22 warships, 1 submarine, 10,348 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 1,121 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s Secretary-General, has urged members of the alliance to “stay the course” in their support of Ukraine.
He said: “It’s our obligation to ensure that we provide Ukraine with the weapons they need.”
The European Union has reportedly agreed to more than quadruple its spending on training Ukrainian soldiers and will invest about EUR 200 million more in its programmes.
Olaf Scholz, Germany’s Chancellor, has said that supporting Ukraine militarily and financially is of “existential importance” to Europe.
Speaking to the German Parliament, he reportedly said: “We will continue with this support as long as it is necessary.
“This support is of existential importance. For Ukraine … but also for us in Europe. None of us want to imagine what even more serious consequences it would have for us if Putin won this war.”
Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have said that their foreign ministers will boycott an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meeting in North Macedonia on Thursday and Friday over the expected attendance of Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence has said that Russia has made small advances on the northern axis and has carried out a pincer movement in its bid to surround the strategically important city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Marianna Budanova, the wife of Ukraine’s intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, was reportedly poisoned and received hospital treatment, according to a Ukrainian military intelligence official.
She reportedly fell ill after eating food that had been laced with “heavy metals”.
Weather experts forecast that tornadoes will hit the Black Sea region after a storm killed 14 and left more than two million people without power in Russia and in Ukraine.
Russia has been forced to return all of its naval vessels and missile carriers to their bases as a result of the storm, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
The Institute also suggested that the storm would increase the threat of mines drifting in the Black Sea.
The storm may also have damaged railways in coastal areas, which could adversely impact Russia’s capabilities in military logistics in occupied Crimea and in southern Ukraine, still according to the Institute.
The damage has reportedly affected “the tempo of military operations along the frontline in Ukraine.”
