Russia has said that it has taken out “foreign tanks” operated by Ukrainian forces near Lyman using Ka-52 ‘Alligator’ combat helicopters.
The footage shows a Russian combat helicopter being prepared for takeoff, with military personnel loading it with ordnance.
It can then be seen taking to the skies after spinning up its rotors before flying low over countryside and unleashing its deadly ordnance.
The images then cut to the video purporting to show the Ukrainian-operated “foreign tanks” being hit before the helicopter is seen returning to base.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Tuesday, 4th July, along with a statement claiming: “The crews of the Ka-52 and Mi-28N helicopters of the Central Military District destroyed enemy military equipment in the Krasnolimansky direction.”
The Russian MoD added: “In the Krasno-Limansky direction, the crews of the Ka-52 attack and reconnaissance helicopters of the Central Military District (TsVO) destroyed the armoured vehicles of the nationalists using the Vikhr-M aviation anti-tank missile system.
“Acting in combat pairs, the Ka-52 and Mi-28N pilots carried out covert approaches to the target at extremely low altitude, hitting enemy ground targets with guided and unguided projectiles.
“The basis of the affected equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was made up of foreign tanks and infantry fighting vehicles supplied by Western countries.
“The command of the Central Military District notes the high efficiency of the crews of the Ka-52 and Mi-28 helicopters, which successfully perform combat missions during a special military operation.”
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 496th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 4th July 2023, Russia had lost about 231,030 personnel, 4,059 tanks, 7,908 armoured combat vehicles, 4,252 artillery units, 647 multiple launch rocket systems, 394 air defence systems, 315 warplanes, 309 helicopters, 3,602 drones, 1,264 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 6,843 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 590 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
At least two people have been killed and 19 have been injured, including a five-year-old boy, after a Russian drone attack on the city of Sumy in northern Ukraine.
Ukraine said on Monday that its forces had retaken more land on the eastern and southern fronts, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying that progress had been “difficult”.
Lynne Tracy, the US Ambassador to Russia, has met with Evan Gershkovich, the jailed Wall Street Journal reporter, in Moscow.
Zelensky and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Monday for the Black Sea grain deal to be extended.
Grigory Karasin, the head of the international committee in the Federation Council, which is Russia’s upper house of parliament, said on Sunday that Russia had brought 700,000 children from confidence in Ukraine into Russian territory.
An international office to investigate Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine opened in The Hague on Monday.
It is the first step towards setting up a tribunal to try the Russian authorities for war crimes.
Russian state media, quoting the head of the State Duma defence committee, Andrey Kartapolov, said on Monday that the country did not need to begin a new mobilisation effort to replace Wagner fighters who have left the battlefields of Ukraine.
The Russian-installed leader of occupied Kherson, Andrey Alekseyenko, has said that damage to the Chongar Bridge, which links Kherson to Crimea has now been repaired.
