These images show a Ukrainian kamikaze drone hitting a Russian heavy self-propelled gun.
The footage shows the Ukrainian drone honing in on its target, with the images cutting to a feed from a second drone filming the moment and showing it hitting the Russian war machine.
The images were obtained from the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Wednesday, 13th December, along with a statement saying: “Fighters from the 72nd OMBr demonstrated successful work in the eastern direction. An FPV drone operator hit a 203-mm heavy self-propelled gun 2C7 ‘Pion’ (or its Russian modification ‘Malka’).”
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 659th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 14th December 2023, Russia had lost about 342,800 personnel, 5,692 tanks, 10,616 armoured combat vehicles, 8,088 artillery units, 920 multiple launch rocket systems, 605 air defence systems, 324 warplanes, 324 helicopters, 6,206 drones, 1,606 cruise missiles, 22 warships, 1 submarine, 10,675 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 1,185 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Russia launched a large-scale attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Wednesday after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met his counterpart US President Joe Biden in Washington DC.
Ukraine shot down all 10 of the Russian missiles that had targeted the capital, with at least 53 people reported injured.
EU leaders are meeting today, Thursday, for inside to discuss beginning talks on Ukraine’s membership bid to join the European Union, with Hungary’s leader Viktor Orban still threatening to block it.
Orban is also threatening to block EUR 50 billion of financial aid for Ukraine.
The head of the summit, Zelensky said of his encounter with Orban in Argentina on Sunday: “I was very direct … He has no reasons to block Ukrainian membership in the EU. I asked him to tell me one reason … I’m [still] waiting for an answer.”
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s Chief of Staff, said that Ukraine has “much to offer” the EU, saying: “Values-wise and ideologically, Ukraine is an indisputable part of Europe – which is precisely why Russia attacked us … Without Ukraine, the ‘Europe’ puzzle cannot come together.”
Arriving in Brussels for the summit, Donald Tusk, Poland’s new Prime Minister, said “apathy on Ukraine” was “unacceptable”.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold his annual end-of-year press conference today, adding: “On December 14, Vladimir Putin will sum up the results of the year. It will be a combined format of the direct line and the president’s final press conference.”
