Russia has said that it has hit Ukrainian military positions near Lyman in the south of the country using a multiple launch rocket system.
The footage purports to show the Russian ‘Grad’ multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) driving through a forested area before manoeuvring into position in a clearing.
It can then be seen deploying its ordnance and firing a salvo of rockets into the sky.
The images then cut to a number of explosions, reportedly the Ukrainian positions being hit.
The Russian war machine can then be seen manoeuvring away to avoid return fire.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Tuesday, 15th August, along with a statement claiming: “On the Krasnolimansky direction, the calculations of the reactive salvo fire systems (RSZO) of the BM-21 ‘Grad’ of the Central Military District (CMD), by sequentially concentrating and shifting fire, delivered a devastating blow to enemy manpower concentrations in the forest belt.
“After receiving target coordinates, artillery crews arrived in the combat deployment area, swiftly transitioned their combat vehicles from travel to combat positions, and carried out a series of shots using fragmentation-high-explosive rockets at distances exceeding 10 kilometres. Fire adjustment and target impact control were conducted with the assistance of unmanned aerial vehicles.
“The coordinated work of the ‘Grad’ RSZO crews enables swift delivery of firepower to identified enemy personnel and equipment concentration points, as well as providing support for assault groups.”
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 538th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 15th August 2023, Russia had lost about 254,920 personnel, 4,313 tanks, 8,370 armoured combat vehicles, 5,128 artillery units, 714 multiple launch rocket systems, 482 air defence systems, 315 warplanes, 314 helicopters, 4,242 drones, 1,387 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 7,584 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 769 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Russia reportedly launched three waves of drone and missile attacks against the key southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa on Monday, with the Ukrainian Air Force saying that it had intercepted all of them.
The governor of Odesa, Oleh Kiper, said that falling debris from the intercepted drones and missiles damaged a residential building, a dormitory and a supermarket.
He added that two supermarket employees were injured and hospitalised, with the building burning down overnight.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky visited troops involved in attacks on Soledar, a Russian-held town north of Bakhmut, on the eastern Ukrainian frontline in Donetsk on Monday.
The United States announced on Monday that it will send Ukraine further security assistance to the tune of USD 200 million, including air defence ammunition, artillery ammunition, and mine-clearing equipment.
Lynne Tracy, the US Ambassador to Russia, has met with jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, according to American officials.
A US State Department spokesperson said: “Ambassador Tracy said that Evan continues to appear in good health and remains strong, despite his circumstances.”
Russia has claimed that Gershkovich was caught attempting to obtain military secrets while in the city of Yekaterinburg, but has not provided any details to support the allegations, which have been denied by the Wall Street Journal.
The Russian rouble has fallen to its weakest point in 16 months, momentarily slipping below the RUB 100 to USD 1 mark on Monday, as Russia faces a collapse in export revenues and increasing military expenditure.
Germany’s Minister of Finance, Christian Lindner, arrived in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Monday for his first visit since the beginning of the Russian invasion and said that his country stands “shoulder to shoulder” with Ukraine.
He added that he would be holding “very concrete” discussions with Ukrainian officials about how his country’s Finance Ministry can help Ukraine.
The Dutch Ministry of Defence said it scrambled to F-16s early on Monday after two Russian bombers were detected flying towards Dutch airspace.
The United Kingdom said that its Typhoon fighter jets had intercepted two Russian patrol bombers in international airspace north of Scotland on Monday.
Twenty-two Russian diplomats have left the Moldovan capital Chisinau after Moldovan officials ordered most of Russia’s staff to leave last month as relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement: “This unfriendly step of official Chisinau will undoubtedly have consequences for Russian-Moldovan relations.”
