Russia has released this footage allegedly showing an attack helicopter in action while claiming to have destroyed Ukrainian fighter jets and a Multiple Launch Rocket System.
An attack helicopter was used to fire a missile from a wooded area, along with another missile being fired at night as can be seen from these images.
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed on Monday, July 4, that the footage shows ongoing attacks in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Russia and pro-Russian forces are now shifting their focus to the Donetsk region after having captured the city of Lysychansk in the Luhansk region.
The Russian MoD claimed (in English): “Russian Federation Armed Forces continue the special military operation in Ukraine. Within the counter-battery warfare, high-precision attacks launched by Russian Aerospace Forces have resulted in the neutralization of 4 Ukrainian MRLS platoons near Tarasovka, Novaya Poltavka and Ulyanovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
“Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery have neutralized: two AFU [Armed Forces of Ukraine] command posts, three munitions depots near Spornoye (Donetsk People’s Republic), as well as AFU manpower and military equipment in 61 areas.
“Russian fighter has shot down one Su-25 of Ukrainian Air Forces during an air combat near Yasnaya Polyana (Donetsk People’s Republic).
“Russian air defense means have shot down eight Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Konstantinovka, Avdeyevka (Donetsk People’s Republic), Kornaukhovka, Kochubeyevka, Ivanchukovka (Lharkov region), Shevchenkovo (Zaporozhye region) and Tomina Balka (Kherson region).”
They also claimed that “11 projectiles launched by Uragan MRLS have been intercepted near Sukhaya Kamenka, Dolgenkoye (Kharkov region), Avdeyevka, Yasinovataya (Donetsk People’s Republic) and Popasnaya (Lugansk People’s Republic).”
Russia and pro-Russian forces are now shifting their focus to the Donetsk region after having captured the city of Lysychansk in the Luhansk region.
We contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for further comment, as well as the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, but haven’t received a reply at the time of writing.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is calling a “special military operation”. July 5 marks the 131st day of the invasion.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and July 4, Russia had lost about 36,200 personnel, 1,589 tanks, 3,754 armored combat vehicles, 804 artillery units, 246 multiple launch rocket systems, 105 air defense systems, 217 warplanes, 187 helicopters, 658 drones, 144 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 2,629 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 65 units of special equipment.
The leaders of dozens of countries, as well as international organizations and companies are gathering in Switzerland to elaborate a “Marshall Plan” roadmap to rebuild Ukraine after the war is over.
Russia has claimed that it has captured the eastern Ukrainian city of Lysychansk, in the Sievierodonetsk Raion of the Luhansk Oblast region. This has now also been confirmed by Ukraine’s military, who said they had withdrawn their troops from the city after heavy fighting in order to “preserve the lives of the defenders”.
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has said that Ukrainian forces would retake the city “thanks to the increase in the supply of modern weapons”.
The fall of Lysychansk comes just over a week after the nearby city of Sievierodonetsk fell to the Russians.
Sloviansk, an eastern Ukrainian city in the Donetsk Oblast region, was hit by shelling on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of at least six people, with 20 others injured, according to the city’s mayor, Vadim Lyakh.
The Ukrainian Governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Haidai, has said that Russian forces are now likely to shift their focus to the neighboring Donetsk region.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has visited Kyiv, with Australia vowing to send over $100 million in new aid to Ukraine.
Turkish authorities have detained a Russian cargo ship carrying grain allegedly stolen from Ukraine. The ship is said to contain over 7,000 tonnes of grain that Russian officials said would be sent to “friendly” countries.
Ukraine has dismissed Russian claims that its forces targeted civilian areas in the city of Belgorod, in Russia, killing three people.
Russian state media has claimed that two more Britons captured by Russian troops in Ukraine have been charged with mercenary activities. They have been named as Dylan Healy, a chef who had been volunteering as an aid worker, and Andrew Hill, who was shown by Russia in military uniform.
The announcement comes after two other British men, Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin, were sentenced to death last month.
The European Court of Human Rights intervened, demanding for the sentences not to be carried out but this was rejected by Russia, saying that it would not be implementing the court’s decisions anymore and that the decision to execute the men lies with the pro-Russian, so-called Donetsk People’s Republic.
