This footage shows Ukrainian soldiers blowing up a Russian tank with an American-made Javelin missile.
The footage shows the Russian tank on what appears to be a road or dirt track, already giving off smoke after having apparently been hit once before. It suddenly explodes in a large fireball, with grey smoke rising swiftly into the air.
It was reportedly hit by Ukrainian forces wielding an American-made Javelin anti-tank guided missile system somewhere on the front lines in Ukraine.
The images were obtained from the 93rd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces – also known as the 93rd Independent Kholodnyi Yar Mechanized Brigade – on Saturday, 6th August, along with a short statement saying: “The 93rd Kholodny Yar brigade continues to destroy the occupation forces in Ukraine.”
They also confirmed that the tank had been hit with a Javelin.
The images were also relayed by the Office of Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who said that the “Ukrainian Safari” continues. They joked: “The Rashist tank overheated, so its roof blew off.”
‘Rashist’ is a term that is often used by the Ukrainian forces when referring to the Russian invaders. It is a combination of the words ‘Russia’ and ‘fascism’.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 166th day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 8th August, Russia had lost about 42,340 personnel, 1,811 tanks, 4,070 armoured combat vehicles, 960 artillery units, 261 multiple launch rocket systems, 132 air defence systems, 223 warplanes, 192 helicopters, 754 drones, 182 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 2,993 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 86 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower, but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Ukrainian and British military authorities have said that Russia is fortifying its positions and the number of its troops on the southern front in Ukraine, either in preparation of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive or preparing themselves to attack.
The Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom said: “Russian troops are almost certainly amassing in the south, either waiting for a Ukrainian counteroffensive or preparing to attack. Long convoys of Russian military trucks, tanks, artillery and other things continue to move from the Donbas to the south-west.”
Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other for the repeated shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest.
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has called for new international sanctions on Russia, accusing it of “nuclear terror”.
The UN’s nuclear watchdog has called for all military actions near the nuclear power plant to cease after it was hit by shelling on Saturday night. The shelling reportedly caused a reactor to shut down, creating a “very real risk of a nuclear disaster”.
The Ukrainian military has said that Russia shelled dozens of towns in eastern and southern Ukraine, along the front lines, on Saturday.
The Ukrainian military also said that Russian forces tried to carry out attacks in six different areas of the Donetsk region but did not manage to gain any territory after being successfully held back by Ukrainian troops.
President Zelensky on Sunday that negotiations with Russia would not be possible if it proceeds with carrying out ‘referendums’ in occupied areas of Ukraine.
Four more ships carrying grain and food left Black Sea ports in Ukraine on Sunday. The first grain ship exporting food from Ukraine under a deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations reached Turkey on 2nd August after setting out from Odesa.
Amnesty International has apologised for the “distress and anger” caused by a report that accused Ukraine of endangering civilians.
The move comes after the head of Amnesty Ukraine Oksana Pokalchuk said that she was resigning because she was against the report being published, arguing that Amnesty International had “created material that sounded like support for Russian narratives of the invasion”.
Ukraine’s chief war crimes prosecutor has said that the country is investigating nearly 26,000 cases of suspected Russian war crimes.
