A column of 11 Russian tanks and armoured vehicles were destroyed in a single Ukrainian onslaught, grainy battlefield footage has shown, in a blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The losses – mainly inflicted by FPV kamikaze drones – have outraged pro-Putin war-watchers and show a Kyiv military success amid the on-going stalemate of the war.
But the footage also emerged amid continuing reports that president Volodymyr Zelensky is poised to oust his commander-in-chief General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, despite his status as a national hero for leading the war effort against Putin’s forces.
The blistering Ukrainian strikes came in the Novomykhailivka area of Russian-held Donetsk region, found in the east of Ukraine.
Three T-72 were taken out along with five amphibious [MTLBS] tracked armoured fighting vehicles and an infantry fighting vehicle.
Two more modernised amphibious [MTLBM] tracked armoured fighting vehicles were also destroyed, one by an anti-tank guided missile.
Cameras on both the drones being used in the attack and on drones flying over the battlefield captured the pin-point strikes on the Putin convoy manoeuvring near the frontlines, which stretch for hundreds of miles in Ukraine’s east.
The drone-mounted cameras show the UAVs speeding towards the Russian tanks, with the video cutting off moments before they strike.
In the footage that has emerged, this is shown over and over again, with the later videos flying over the smoking wrecks of the destroyed Russian armour.
From a distance, grainy footage shows the dark shapes of the tanks rolling across the battlefield as plumes of smoke and balls of fire erupt with each strike.
Beluga Telegram channel in Ukraine said: ‘The [Russian] column was spotted around 12:50. At 15:20 the convoy was broken up.’
The number of losses of military personnel from the strikes is unclear – but the attack has infuriated pro-war ‘Z’ channels who propagandise the conflict for Putin.
Such groups are exasperated by failures of his military commanders which left the tanks and other armoured vehicles as sitting ducks.
One comment from Romanov Light demanded: ‘How can you afford to lose so much equipment in a day, so many people?
‘Complete stupidity and incompetence. The [Russian] Armed Forces DO NOT have any massive protection against enemy drones.
‘Everything they install has long been outdated and does not cover the enemy’s new frequencies. The problem requires emergency measures.’
Separately, a Russian radar facility was destroyed at key military airport Belbek in occupied Crimea.
Footage shows the dramatic strike believed to be by Storm Shadow, a type of cruise missile supplied by Britain to the Ukrainian forces.
Russia also said on Thursday that its air defences had shot down 11 drones over its territory overnight.
‘This night, an attempt by the Kyiv regime to commit a terrorist attack with aerial drones against sites on Russian territory was foiled,’ the ministry said in a statement.
‘Air defences intercepted and destroyed drones over the regions of Belgorod (four drones) and Kursk (one drone)’, it said.
Around 0330 GMT, four more drones were shot down over the Belgorod region and two over the Voronezh region, it said.
Ukraine has been under persistent aerial bombardment by Russian forces for nearly two years and has appealed to allies in the West to bolster its defensive systems. Thousands of people are estimated to have died in the bombings.
In recent months, Ukraine has upped drone attacks against Russian territory, mainly targeting border regions, but also the capital Moscow and the northern city of Saint Petersburg which are both deep into Russia.
The deadliest such attack occurred in the city of Belgorod on December 30, when 25 people were killed, some 100 wounded and several hundred others evacuated.
Meanwhile, speculation continues to swirl that Zelensky is set to oust his military commander General Zaluzhnyi.
Report says the successor could be military intelligence chief Lt-Gen Kyrylo Budanov, 38, or commander of Ukrainian ground forces Oleksandr Syrskyi.
CNN reported that a decree is expected this week ousting Zaluzhnyi.
The rumours that Valerii Zaluzhnyi would be sacked were denied by Zelensky’s office and the Defence Ministry this week and the immensely popular top commander still retains his post.
But the reports have fueled expectations of his imminent resignation, which could be a boon for Russia as the war approaches its second anniversary.
His departure would be the most severe shakeup of Ukraine’s top military brass since the Russian invasion as the country grapples with dire ammunition and personnel shortages following a failed summer counteroffensive.
It also could hurt the morale of Ukrainian troops, who have been fighting grinding battles for nearly two years.
A Ukrainian official in Europe speaking to The Associated Press said Zelensky told Zaluzhnyi during a meeting on Monday that he must resign if they cannot come to a common solution on key issues.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly, said the meeting was emotional, and suggested that mobilisation was one area of disagreement.
The official said that tensions between the two men are rising and that the general would not leave his post voluntarily.
Reports about Zaluzhnyi’s possible dismissal appeared in Ukrainian media Monday. Ukraine’s Mirror of the Week said, citing unidentified sources close to Zelensky and Zaluzhnyi, that the president had asked the general to step down.
Zaluzhnyi was offered a post as an adviser, but he rejected that, the reports said.
Requests for comment by the president’s office and Zaluzhnyi’s office were not answered when approached by the Associated Press.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
