These images show the Ukrainian Commander-In-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi apparently channelling the Force with the help of Baby Yoda.
The footage begins by showing Zaluzhnyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, poring over maps along with his staff in a command centre.
The images then show him relocating to another command centre where he can be seen in full combat gear poring over yet more maps but this time a patch apparently representing Baby Yoda from the popular Star Wars TV series The Mandalorian can be seen on the front of his flak jacket.
It is currently unclear why he was sporting the Grogu patch and whether it was a gift, a coded message, or just a bit of fun.
The images were obtained from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi on Monday, 19th June, along with a statement saying: “Together with the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Serhiy Shaptala, they conducted work in groups of troops that perform the most difficult tasks in the areas where the fiercest battles are taking place.
“The enemy is trying to prevent the advance of our units. For this, he deployed a system of fortifications with dense mining of the terrain and a large number of reserves.
“Despite the furious resistance of the occupiers, our soldiers are doing everything possible to liberate Ukrainian territory. The operation continues as planned.
“Thanks to everyone who brings Victory closer!”
The images and statement were also relayed in part by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
It is not the first time that the Ukrainian side has channelled the Force, with Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, doing a voice-over for the Ukrainian air defence alert system app.
Back in March, it emerged that Hamill had done the voice-over to be used in the official Ukrainian Air Alert app urging people to seek shelter whenever there is an alert regarding an incoming Russian missile.
Hamill can be heard in the app saying “Attention. Air raid alert.” before adding “Proceed to the nearest shelter” and “Don’t be careless,” as well as “Your overconfidence is your weakness.”
And after the air alert has passed, his voice says: “Attention. The air alert is over. May the Force be with you.”
Hamill said he had decided to lend his voice to the Ukrainian air defence app after admiring the Ukrainian resistance to Russia’s invasion last year, which he said allowed for some easy comparisons with Star Wars.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 482nd day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 20th June 2023, Russia had lost about 221,460 personnel, 3,997 tanks, 7,750 armoured combat vehicles, 3,888 artillery units, 614 multiple launch rocket systems, 372 air defence systems, 314 warplanes, 306 helicopters, 3,393 drones, 1,214 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 6,645 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 531 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Ukraine has said that it shot down 32 out of 35 Shahed drones launched overnight by Russia, primarily at the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
Ukraine’s Ministry of the Interior has said that four settlements and 818 homes remain flooded on the right bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson following the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam.
The FSB, the Russian security service, has claimed that it has detained a Ukrainian citizen suspected of espionage in the Kabardino-Balkaria region.
British military intelligence has said that both the Ukrainian and the Russian side have reported heavy casualties two weeks into the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Ukraine has claimed to have killed or injured some 4,600 Russian soldiers since the beginning of the counteroffensive two weeks ago.
Hanna Maliar, Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister, said on Monday that her country needs to prepare itself for “a tough duel”, adding that the “biggest blow is yet to come”.
She also said that Russia was concentrating a significant number of forces on the eastern front but that Ukrainian soldiers were stopping their advance, adding that the situation was “difficult”.
Ukraine said on Monday that it had recaptured the village of Piatykhatky, described as a heavily fortified settlement on the frontline near the shortest route to the Azov Sea.
Ukraine’s Western allies will reportedly only protect the country’s multibillion-dollar post-war recovery process if a strategy is agreed upon to ensure there is progress in combating judicial corruption in the country, among other requirements.
The European Union is set to release a report this week revealing whether Ukraine has met two out of seven conditions to begin its membership negotiations.
The Russian mercenary organisation Wagner has reportedly called for people aged 21 to 35 with a “background in gaming” to enlist as drone specialists as it seeks to make up for heavy losses.
US President Joe Biden has said that threats by Russian President Vladimir Putin to use tactical nuclear weapons are “real”.
This comes days after nuclear weapons were reportedly deployed to Belarus, a staunch Russian ally.
The British government has announced further sanctions against Russia, including the introduction of legislation to ensure that Russian assets remain frozen until the Russian government agrees to pay compensation to Ukraine.
