Video released by Russian military officials shows a mobile short-range ballistic missile system in action in Ukraine, with surveyors producing a map before the vehicle fires its ammunition.
Footage shows a Russian military vehicle with a smudged white “Z” on the side stopping at the side of a road bordering a lush green field. We can then see soldiers running hastily on the ground and taking refuge in bushes before setting up equipment.
The footage then shows the same activity repeated in a different location, with two soldiers – it is unclear if they are the same soldiers – setting up their equipment. After making their measurements, the data is passed to other soldiers who print out a map, which is passed to other soldiers before a short-range mobile ballistic missile system is seen being deployed. He draws his gun at the end of the sequence.
Ministry of Defense of Russia/Zenger
It is currently unknown where exactly in Ukraine the footage was filmed, but the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) said in a brief statement obtained Monday evening that the footage shows the “combat work of military topographers from the Western Military District and crews of the Iskander”. OTRK during a special military operation.”
The Western Military District is one of the five military districts of the Russian army, its scope of activity being mainly in the central-western region of European Russia. The Iskander OTRK is a mobile short-range ballistic missile system built and operated by Russia.
Zenger News has contacted Russian and Ukrainian officials for comment, but has not received a response at the time of writing.
Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin still calls a “special military operation.” June 14 marks the 111th day of the campaign.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and June 14, Russia lost 32,500 troops, 1,434 tanks, 3,503 armored fighting vehicles, 721 artillery systems, 229 multiple rocket launchers, 97 anti-aircraft systems, 213 combat aircraft. , 179 helicopters, 2,473 motor vehicles and tankers, 13 warships/boats, 588 drones, 54 special equipment and 125 cruise missiles.
All bridges to the besieged Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk would have been destroyed, local governor Serhiy Haidai said. Ukrainian forces are now cut off from any possible retreat and fierce street-to-street fighting is taking place in the town, which has been the focus of Russian artillery fire for weeks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian attacks on the towns of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk had turned them into “ghost towns”. An aide to Zelensky said Ukraine was losing up to 200 soldiers a day.
Zelensky repeatedly requested additional weapons from Ukraine’s allies.
The UK and US have said they will send long-range missile systems to Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of further attacks in Ukraine if the West sends in long-range weapons.
Ukrainian officials said the weapons were not arriving fast enough. An adviser to Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, said that to end the war they needed “1,000 155mm caliber howitzers; 300 [Multiple Launch Rocket Systems]; 500 tanks; 2000 armored vehicles; 1,000 drones.”
Podolyak added: “The meeting of the contact group of defense ministers is taking place in Brussels on June 15. We are waiting for a decision.”
This story was provided to Newsweek by Zenger News.
