Russia has released footage which they claim shows some of their attack helicopters conducting electronic warfare.
A pair of Russian Mi-8 attack helicopters take to the sky before they are seen traveling close to the ground over the countryside somewhere in Ukraine.
They then appear to be at a higher altitude, just above the clouds, before they are again seen lower in the sky as they come in to land, as these images show.
Mi-8 helicopters are used by the Russian military as transport vehicles as well as mobile command posts, gunships and for reconnaissance purposes.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) on Monday, June 27, along with a short statement claiming that the images show “the work of the crews of Mi-8 helicopters with modern electronic warfare systems installed on board”, with “servicemen using the modern electronic warfare systems at maximum altitude.”
The Russian MoD also claimed: “This allows for the greatest coverage of the area of ​​electronic impact on anti-aircraft missile systems and enemy aircraft, making it impossible to detect objects and direct guided missiles of the air-to-air, ground-to-air and air-to-ground classes.”
We contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense for further comment, as well as the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, but haven’t received a reply at the time of writing.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation.” June 27 marks the 124th day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and June 27, Russia had lost about 35,000 personnel, 1,552 tanks, 3,687 armored combat vehicles, 771 artillery units, 243 multiple launch rocket systems, 101 air defense systems, 217 warplanes, 184 helicopters, 636 drones, 137 cruise missiles, 14 warships, 2,575 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 60 units of special equipment.
At least 14 missiles have hit the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials. The strikes come as G7 leaders meet in Bavaria, in Germany, for a three-day summit. Military support for Ukraine is at the top of the agenda. The G7 is made up of Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Other missiles have reportedly hit the central city of Cherkasy, as well as the strategically vital port city of Odesa.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the G7 leaders and said that he wanted the war to end before the end of the year. He repeated his request for anti-aircraft defense systems, as well as further sanctions on Russia. He also repeated his request for help to export grain from Ukraine.
Russian troops have been accused of pillaging vast quantities of grain from farmers in occupied areas of Ukraine, as well as other crops including sunflower seeds. They have also been accused of stealing fertilizer and agricultural equipment.
The eastern Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk is now in Russian hands after Ukrainian troops were ordered to retreat following weeks of siege.
The United Kingdom and the United States, as well as Japan and Canada, are set to ban imports of Russian gold. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the ban will “strike at the heart of Putin’s war machine.”
Last week, the European Union approved Ukraine’s application to become a candidate for admission to the bloc, which is currently made up of 27 countries. The decision was hailed in both Brussels and Kyiv as a “historic moment”, with President Zelenskyy saying that “Ukraine’s future is in the EU”.
Russian Foreign Ministry press secretary Maria Zakharova said that Moscow’s response to Lithuania banning the transit of goods, sanctioned by the EU, to Kaliningrad will not only be diplomatic but also practical.
But Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte accused Russia of lying over the blockade, saying that people are still able to travel between Russia and Kaliningrad and that the blockade only affects 1 percent of goods.
Russia conducted an anti-ship missile exercise in the Baltic Sea last week amid escalating tensions with NATO member Lithuania after the latter country blocked the transit of some goods to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
