Russia has said that its Su-25SM fighter jets fired missiles at Ukrainian military positions near Lyman.
The footage purports to show one of the Russian aircraft being prepped for takeoff before two of them can be seen taking to the skies and flying low over countryside.
The aircraft can then be seen firing their ordnance at unseen targets before coming back in to land.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Tuesday, 18th July, along with a statement claiming: “The crews of the Su-25SM Central Military District launched a missile attack on the firepower of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Krasnolimansky direction.”
The Russian MoD added: “Crews of Su-25SM attack aircraft of the Central Military District (TsVO) completed combat missions to destroy firepower and manpower of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Krasnolimansky direction in the zone of the special military operation.
“Over 150 cumulative-fragmentation unguided aircraft missiles (S-8KOM) with a calibre of 80 millimetres were used by Russian Su-25 attack aircraft during combat missions to destroy manpower and firepower of the Ukrainian army in the zone of the special military operation.
“For maximum stealth from enemy anti-aircraft weapons, the pilots approached the line of contact at a speed of 800 kph, skirting the terrain at a height of no more than 25 metres [82 feet].
“Missile launches were carried out on area targets with a pitch-up technique, accompanied by a sharp climb and lifting the nose of the aircraft above the horizon to set a certain angle for the launched missiles.
“After hitting the target, the pilots performed an anti-missile manoeuvre, accompanied by the release of heat traps, and returned to their base airfield to prepare for the next flight.”
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 510th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 18th July 2023, Russia had lost about 239,010 personnel, 4,119 tanks, 8,051 armoured combat vehicles, 4,542 artillery units, 689 multiple launch rocket systems, 428 air defence systems, 315 warplanes, 310 helicopters, 3,839 drones, 1,273 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 7,086 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 677 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Russia has pulled out of the UN-brokered Black Sea grain deal and said the decision is final, warning that it could not guarantee the safety of ships.
US Secretary Of State Antony Blinken has labelled the decision “unconscionable”, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he did not accept Moscow’s explanations regarding why it terminated the agreement.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the deal must continue and could do so without Russia’s participation, adding: “Africa has the right to stability. Asia has the right to stability.”
A deadly attack on the Kerch Bridge linking the Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland has halted traffic in one direction, although the parallel rail bridge was not hit.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said that the Ministry of Defence in Moscow was preparing a response to the attack.
Ukraine has not yet officially claimed responsibility for the attack although Ukrainian media said that the Ukrainian security services had used maritime drones in the attack on the bridge.
And Ukrainian security service spokesperson Artem Degtyarenko said that his agency would reveal details about the attack after Kyiv had won the war against Russia.
