A column of 11 Russian tanks and armored vehicles was destroyed in a single Ukrainian attack, grainy battlefield footage shows, in a blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The losses – mainly caused by FPV kamikaze drones – have outraged pro-Putin war observers and showed Kyiv’s military success amid the war’s ongoing stalemate.
But the images also emerged amid continued reports that President Volodymyr Zelensky is on the verge of ousting 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 attacks took place in the Novomykhailivka area of the Russian-occupied Donetsk region, located in eastern Ukraine.
Three T-72s were knocked out, along with five amphibious (MTLBS) tracked armored fighting vehicles and an infantry fighting vehicle.
A still image from a video recorded with a drone-mounted camera shows the moment before the UAV crashed into a Russian armored vehicle that was part of a column of eleven Putin’s war machines that were destroyed in a Ukrainian drone strike
The blistering Ukrainian attacks took place in the Novomykhailivka area of the Russian-occupied Donetsk region, located in eastern Ukraine. Pictured: Russian tanks catching fire in the aftermath
Two more modernized amphibious (MTLBM) tracked armored fighting vehicles were also destroyed, one by an anti-tank guided missile.
Cameras from both the drones used in the attack and from drones flying over the battlefield captured the precise attacks on the Putin convoy maneuvering near the front lines, which stretch for hundreds of kilometers in eastern Ukraine.
The drone-mounted cameras show the UAVs speeding toward the Russian tanks, with the video cutting off just before they strike.
In the footage that has emerged this is shown again and again, with the later videos flying over the smoking wreckage of the destroyed Russian armor.
From a distance, grainy images show the dark shapes of the tanks rolling across the battlefield as plumes of smoke and fireballs erupt with each attack.
Ukraine’s Beluga Telegram channel said: ‘The (Russian) column was spotted around 12:50. The convoy was broken up at 3.20 pm.’
The number of military personnel losses resulting from the attacks is unclear, but the attack has angered pro-war “Z” channels, which promote the conflict for Putin.
Such groups are irritated by the failures of its military commanders, which left the tanks and other armored vehicles as if they were left behind.
One comment from Romanov Light asked, “How can you afford to lose so much equipment in one day and so many people?
‘Complete stupidity and incompetence. The (Russian) Armed Forces do NOT have massive protection against enemy drones.
The Russian column passed through the Novomykhailivka area of Russian-occupied Donetsk before it was attacked by a slew of Ukrainian kamikaze drones
From a distance, grainy images show the dark shapes of the armored vehicles rolling across the battlefield as plumes of smoke and fireballs erupt with each attack.
Drone-mounted cameras show the UAVs speeding toward the Russian tanks, with the video cutting out just before they hit their targets
“Everything they install is long outdated and does not cover the enemy’s new frequencies. The problem requires emergency measures.”
In addition, a Russian radar facility was destroyed at the important Belbek military airport in occupied Crimea.
Footage shows the dramatic attack believed to have come from Storm Shadow, a type of cruise missile supplied by Britain to Ukrainian forces.
Russia also said Thursday that its air defenses shot down 11 drones over its territory overnight.
“Last night, an attempt by the regime in Kiev to use aerial drones to carry out a terrorist attack on locations on Russian territory was thwarted,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Air defense intercepted and destroyed drones over the Belgorod (four drones) and Kursk (one drone) regions,” the report said.
Around 0330 GMT, four more drones were shot down over the Belgorod region and two over the Voronezh region, the report said.
Ukraine has been under sustained aerial bombardment by Russian forces for almost two years and has called on allies in the West to strengthen its defense systems. It is estimated that thousands of people were killed in the bombings.
In recent months, Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks on Russian territory, mainly targeting border regions, but also the capital Moscow and the northern city of St. Petersburg, both of which are deep within Russia.
The deadliest attack took place in the city of Belgorod on December 30, when 25 people were killed, about 100 were injured and hundreds of others were evacuated.
Ukrainian soldiers fire an artillery gun at the front line, towards Kreminna, as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on January 30.
A Ukrainian soldier stands with an artillery unit on the front line, heading towards Kreminna as the Russian-Ukrainian war continues in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on January 30.
Meanwhile, speculation continues that Zelensky is about to oust his military commander General Zaluzhnyi.
According to the report, the successor could be Military Intelligence Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, 38, or the commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi.
CNN reported that a decree ousting Zaluzhnyi is expected this week.
Rumors that Valerii Zaluzhnyi would be fired were denied by Zelensky’s office and the Defense Ministry this week, and the hugely popular top commander still holds his post.
But the reports have fueled expectations of his impending resignation, which could be a boon for Russia as the war approaches its second anniversary.
His departure would mark the most serious shake-up at the top of the Ukrainian military since the Russian invasion, as the country struggles with serious ammunition and personnel shortages after a failed summer offensive.
It could also damage the morale of Ukrainian troops, who have been fighting heavy fighting for almost two years.
A Ukrainian official in Europe who spoke to The Associated Press said Zelensky told Zaluzhnyi at a meeting on Monday that he should resign if they cannot reach a common solution on key issues.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the meeting was emotional and suggested mobilization was a point of contention.
This aerial view shows a destroyed church and other destruction in the village of Bohorodychne, Donetsk region, on January 27, 2024
The official said tensions were rising between the two men and that the general would not leave his post voluntarily.
Reports about Zaluzhnyi’s possible dismissal appeared in the Ukrainian media on Monday. The Ukrainian Mirror of the Week, citing unidentified sources close to Zelensky and Zaluzhnyi, said the president had asked the general to resign.
Zaluzhnyi was offered a position as an advisor but turned it down, the reports said.
Requests for comment from the president’s office and Zaluzhnyi’s office were not returned when contacted by the Associated Press.