WATCH Russian missiles wipe out Ukrainian armor column – reports

Russian forces have conducted a coordinated strike against a large gathering of Ukrainian reserve forces across the border from Russia’s Kursk Region, according to new video shared on social media by military bloggers.

Hostilities have been ongoing in the border areas of Russia’s Kursk since Kiev launched a major incursion earlier this month. While Ukrainian forces continue their attempts to push deeper into Russian territory, Moscow has sought to push them back while striking rear targets in Ukraine's adjacent Sumy Region.

On Saturday evening, a new video emerged purportedly showing one such strike targeting a column of Ukrainian reinforcements south of the city of Sumy, approximately 40 kilometers from the Russian border.

This week in the Ukraine conflict Russian surveillance reportedly discovered the enemy's rear reserves earlier in the day but decided to let them accumulate to inflict maximum possible damage, according to the Telegram channel NgP_raZVedka, which first shared the footage.

The strike was reportedly launched around 8pm on Saturday when up to 20 vehicles clumped together along a 600-meter stretch of road.

According to the surveillance drone footage, Russian forces conducted a combined strike, first hitting the column with two ballistic missiles, presumably Iskanders, equipped with cluster and high-explosive fragmentation warheads. Following that, the Ukrainian forces were apparently pounded by a salvo from a multiple launch rocket system.

The Defense Ministry has yet to officially confirm the latest strike. However, on Saturday morning, the Russian military reported the destruction of a “large warehouse with rocket and artillery weapons” in the same area.

In a video released by the Russian military, it was stated that the location was struck by a ballistic missile launched from an Iskander-M system, with the military claiming that surveillance confirmed “prolonged repeated detonations” at the facility and its subsequent “complete burnout.”

Russian Armed Forces liberate Kirovo settlement in Donetsk People’s Republic

Russian Armed Forces liberated the settlement of Kirovo in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

"Units of the Center battlegroup have actively liberated the settlement of Kirovo in the Donetsk People's Republic and continue to advance deep into the enemy's defenses," the ministry said.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine lost up to 455 servicemen in one day in the area of responsibility of Russia’s Center battlegroup, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

"The 44th mechanized, 95th airborne assault, 142nd infantry, and 71st hunter brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Grodovka, Kalinovo, Mykhailivka, Rozovka and Druzhba in the Donetsk People's Republic. Seven counter-attacks by the assault groups of the 32nd, 53rd mechanized, and 68th hunter brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 37th marine brigade were repelled. The enemy's losses amounted to 455 servicemen, one armored combat vehicle, three vehicles, two 152mm Msta-B guns, three 122mm D-30 howitzers, and one 105mm M101 howitzer," it said.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine also lost up to 125 servicemen and two vehicles in the Liptsov and Vovchansk directions in one day. "Units of Russia’s North battlegroup in the Liptsov and Vovchansk directions inflicted losses on formations of the 92nd Airborne Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 113th Territorial Defense Brigade in the area of the settlements of Alisovka and Vovchanskie Khutor in the Kharkov region. The enemy lost up to 125 servicemen and two vehicles," the ministry said.

Russia’s Air Defense System shot down four ATACMS operational-tactical missiles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Russia’s Air Defense System shot down four ATACMS operational-tactical missiles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in one day, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

"Over the day, the air defense systems shot down four US ATACMS operational-tactical missiles, six French Hammer guided air bombs, six Czech Vampire missiles, and 48 unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.

According to the ministry, since the beginning of the special military operation, a total of 641 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 30,749 unmanned aerial vehicles, 575 anti-aircraft missile systems, 17,790 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,433 multiple launch rocket system combat vehicles, 13,846 field artillery pieces and mortars, and 25,474 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed.

Russia’s Vostok group improves frontline situation, Ukraine loses up to 125 servicemen

Russia’s Vostok battlegroup improved the situation along the front line, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 125 servicemen, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

"Units of the Vostok group of forces improved the situation along the forward edge, inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of the 72nd mechanized, 58th motorized infantry brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Vodyanoye and Ugledar of the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.

According to the report, "A counterattack by the assault group of the 31st mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was repelled. The enemy lost up to 125 servicemen, a tank, an armored combat vehicle, and four cars.".

Russia’s South group takes more advantageous positions, Ukraine loses up to 780 servicemen

Russia’s South battlegroup took more advantageous positions over the day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost up to 780 servicemen and one Uragan MLRS, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

"The units of Russia’s South battlegroup took more advantageous positions, inflicted losses on the personnel and equipment of the 28th, 30th mechanized, 143rd infantry, and 56th motorized infantry brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Chasov Yar, Zaliznyanskoye, Kurdyumovka and Konstantinovka of the Donetsk People's Republic. The counter-attack of the 24th mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was repelled. The enemy has lost up to 780 servicemen," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian forces also lost a tank, a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier, four vehicles, a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer, a UK-made 155mm FH-70 howitzer, a 152mm D-20 gun, two 122mm D-30 howitzers, two US-made 105mm M119 guns, a 220mm Uragan multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle, and two electronic warfare stations. Two ammunition warehouses were also destroyed.

Ukrainian Armed Forces lose up to 460 servicemen in Russia’s West battlegroup’s zone

Russia’s West battlegroup has improved its tactical situation and the Armed Forces of Ukraine have lost up to 460 servicemen in its area of responsibility, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

"The units of Russia’s West battlegroup improved their tactical position and defeated the forces and equipment of the 14th mechanized, 3rd assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the 1st Brigade of the National Guard and the 119th Territorial Defense Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Petrovpavlovka, Lozovaya in the Kharkov region, Novovodanoye, Chervonay Dibrova in the Lugansk People's Republic, Grigorovka in the Donetsk People's Republic and Serebryanskoye forest. They repelled two counter-attacks by units of the 77th Airmobile Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The enemy's losses amounted to 460 servicemen," the ministry said.

The ministry specified that the Ukrainian military lost two armored combat vehicles, six cars, a 152-mm howitzer Msta-B, a 105-mm gun M119, three electronic warfare stations Anklav-N. In addition, six field ammunition dumps were destroyed.

Ukrainian Armed Forces lose up to 455 servicemen in Russia’s Center battlegroup’s area

The Armed Forces of Ukraine lost up to 455 servicemen in one day in the area of responsibility of Russia’s Center battlegroup, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

"The 44th mechanized, 95th airborne assault, 142nd infantry, and 71st hunter brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Grodovka, Kalinovo, Mykhailivka, Rozovka and Druzhba in the Donetsk People's Republic. Seven counter-attacks by the assault groups of the 32nd, 53rd mechanized, and 68th hunter brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 37th marine brigade were repelled. The enemy's losses amounted to 455 servicemen, one armored combat vehicle, three vehicles, two 152mm Msta-B guns, three 122mm D-30 howitzers, and one 105mm M101 howitzer," it said.

Russia’s Dnepr battlegroup defeats four Ukrainian brigades

Russia’s Dnepr battlegroup defeated four brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in one day, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

"Units of the Dnepr battlegroup inflicted losses on the formations of the 65th mechanized, 141st infantry, 128th mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and the 39th coastal defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Novodanilovka, Orekhov, Nesteryanka in the Zaporozhye region, Kazatskoe, Sadovoe in the Kherson region, and the city of Kherson. The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 80 servicemen, eight vehicles, a 155mm M777 self-propelled howitzer, a 155mm AS-90 self-propelled artillery gun, and an electronic warfare station," the statement said.

The ministry noted that two ammunition warehouses and a warehouse with military-technical items of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were also destroyed.

Japan Typhoon Shanshan At least 6 dead And Thousands cheer on defiant palm tree

High waves brought on by Typhoon Shanshan hit a coastal area Wednesday in Ibusuki, Japan. (Hidetaka Komukai/Kyodo News/AP)

Tropical Storm Shanshan is heading slowly eastward across Japan, bringing record rainfall to wide areas. The Meteorological Agency says bands of heavy rainclouds that cause torrential rain could occur Saturday night over the regions of Tokai and Kanto-Koshin - including Tokyo.

At least six people were dead as Typhoon Shanshan crept eastward through Japan on Saturday, drenching large areas with torrential rain, triggering landslide and flood warnings hundreds of kilometres from the storm's centre.

Footage on national broadcaster NHK showed homes with roofs partly sheered off while cars drove wheels-deep on flooded roads in the country's southwest. The storm made landfall in Kyushu on Thursday, bringing record levels of rainfall.

One person was missing and more than 100 have been injured, said Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency. More than 35,000 homes were without power in southern Kyushu's Kagoshima prefecture, according to Kyushu Electric.

Shanshan, centred in the Pacific Ocean some 480 km (300 miles) southwest of Tokyo at 12:50 p.m. (0350 GMT), triggered heavy rain as far away as the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, despite being downgraded to a tropical storm on Friday. Winds were gusting up to 25 metres per second (90 kph, 55 mph).

Authorities have issued flood and landslide warnings around the country since the storm's arrival, halting air and rail services and shutting factories. The storm is forecast to weaken to a tropical depression over the weekend but is expected to continue to bring heavy rain, NHK reported.

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Rainfall is forecast to reach up to 400 millimeters in Tokai during the 24 hours through Sunday evening, up to 300 millimeters in Kanto-Koshin, 200 millimeters in Kinki.

Shanshan has caused at least six deaths. More than 120 people around Japan have been injured. Several prefectures have issued alerts for landslides.

As the storm approached, the almost 12-hour stream by a Japanese weather station captured the lanky tree on the coast of Kyushu, the country’s southwestern-most main island, whipping back and forth violently — but never toppling. The dramatic display of resilience won the hearts of thousands online, many of whom flooded the comments to root for the tree — known affectionately as “Yasshi” — to survive.

“Endure!” and “Hold on Yasshi!” some cheered. “Extreme guts,” another wrote. More than one commenter even confessed that they were losing sleep over whether Yasshi would pull through — never mind the typhoon barreling toward them. Another likened the footage, which shows Yasshi illuminated brightly against a dark landscape, to a Rembrandt painting.

Still, on Thursday, many eyes were on the defiant palm tree. At one point, more than 12,000 people were watching Yasshi’s fight in real time, according to Jeffrey J. Hall, a Japan-based researcher who shared the stream on social media. The footage now has 1.5 million views.

One poetic comment got at what may have compelled so many: “Flexibility overcomes strength,” it read, framing the swaying tree as an underdog — a David to Shanshan’s Goliath.

The storm is expected to gradually weaken and turn into a tropical depression on Monday. But people are advised to be on the alert for heavy rain.

The operator of Tokaido Shinkansen, linking Tokyo and Osaka, has suspended all train services between Mishima and Nagoya stations for Saturday and Sunday.

The operator says the bullet train at other sections could also be suspended, depending on the rain volume.

The Sanyo Shinkansen, linking Osaka and Fukuoka, is running with services reduced.

Major air carriers, including All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines, have canceled dozens of flights, most of which were to and from airports in the Kyushu, Chugoku and Shikoku regions.

Some sections of expressways across the country are also closed. Highway operators are calling on motorists to consider changing their schedules and to check the latest road information, as traffic restrictions may be widely imposed for extended periods.

Ukrainian Conflict Escalation Can Lead to ‘Global-Ending’ Nuclear War - Scott Ritter

©Wikipedia/Public Domain

Ukraine attacking Russia using long-range weapons provided by the US “might be interpreted by Russia as a direct attack by the US, by NATO, on Russian territory,” former US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter tells Sputnik.

Such an attack, Ritter explains, might be regarded as a prelude to a “larger military incursion” meant to accomplish the US’ ultimate goal, “the strategic defeat of Russia.”

“Russia has made it clear that as a nuclear power, it not only will not, but cannot be defeated strategically - because if such a possibility manifested itself, Russia would be required to use its nuclear arsenal to ensure that outcome would never, never occur. This means general nuclear war,” he says.

Ritter also recalls the warnings made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov who questioned the US’ apparent belief that a Russia-NATO conflict would be limited to Europe and who said that a Russian retaliatory strike against the United States is possible if such a conflict were to break out.

“This is a very dangerous escalation, one that could rapidly create the conditions conducive for not limited nuclear conflict, but a general nuclear war, a global-ending global disaster, the destruction of the US, the destruction of Russia, the destruction of Europe, the destruction of the world. Why? Because the US and NATO will not be honest about the state of affairs in Ukraine today,” laments Ritter.

Ukraine has already “lost the war," he adds, and nothing that Kiev might do to try and “tip the scales” in its favor is going to change that.

“All it will do is provoke Russia into enlarging this conflict so that it's not just Ukraine that pays the price, but Europe, the US, and the rest of the world,” Ritter says. “Hopefully, the Ukrainian Defense Minister Andrei Yermak will be received by the US, and have their recommendations regarding using long-range weapons to strike deep inside Russia rejected. Because there's only one outcome if the US greenlights this escalation, and that is total nuclear war.”

Lavrov Warns Russia-Ukraine Talks Will Get Harder With Time

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned those who are trying to hinder peace talks between Russia and Ukraine that negotiations would become tougher as time passed.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned potential negotiations a year and a half ago. He said we had nothing against them... Opponents must understand that the longer they take, the harder it will be to agree on anything. It was easy to agree in Istanbul, less than a month after the start of our special military operation. But Ukraine did not want it," Lavrov said in an interview to the RT broadcaster for the documentary Bridges to the East.

©Sputnik/Ramil Sitdikov/Go to the mediabank

The top Russian diplomat stressed that Ukraine's joining NATO was non-negotiabl.

Turkiye hosted several rounds of Russian-Ukrainian peace talks in Istanbul in March 2022, which ultimately failed. It also helped mediate the UN-backed Black Sea Grain Initiative in July 2022, which provided for safe maritime exports of Ukrainian food until it expired the following summer.

Russian President Putin said in June that Russia would cease fire and start talks with Ukraine as soon as Kiev withdrew troops from regions that Russia saw as its own and abandoned plans to join NATO.

VIDEO - Man tasered at Trump rally

A man at Donald Trump's rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, stormed into the press area as the former president spoke Friday but was surrounded by police and sheriff’s deputies and was eventually subdued with a Taser.

On July 13, Trump had a brush with death when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at him during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The would-be assassin had taken position on a nearby rooftop that gave him an unobstructed view of his target. The man fired several rounds, one of which grazed the former president’s right ear. One rally attendee was killed and two others were seriously injured. The shooter was subsequently killed by return fire from the Secret Service.

According to media reports, the man made it over a bicycle rack surrounding TV reporters and cameras, and began climbing the back of a riser where they were perched.

This guy had an electrifying ⚡️⚡️⚡️ experience at the Trump rally and got a free ride to jail. You could actually hear the taser. 😂😂

⚡️ FAFO ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/oxvE4ows1l

— ❥❥❥ᗰoᒪᒪie❥❥❥ (@mollie_don) August 30, 2024

Attendees near the area tried to pull the offender off the structure, with police officers eventually subduing him with the help of a taser.

The incident came shortly after Trump took a swipe at the media over what he described as unfavorable coverage of his presidential campaign and an alleged bias in favor of his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris.

The crowd cheered the police as they led the man away, with the GOP hopeful quipping: “Is there anywhere that’s more fun to be than a Trump rally?”

Just now: a protester was ejected after hopping the press fence, jumped up onto the riser at Trump’s PA rally. @CBSPolitics @CBSNews

— Taurean Small (@taureansmall) August 30, 2024

It is not clear what motivated the offender, and whether he was a Trump supporter or opponent.

Soon thereafter, law enforcement personnel handcuffed another man in the crowd and escorted him from the event. It remains unknown whether his detention had anything to do with the original incident.

Shortly after this incident, police detained another man in the crowd and escorted him out of the arena. It remains unclear whether this second detention was related to the initial altercation.

The disturbance took place amid heightened security measures at Trump rallies following an incident where a gunman fired at the former president, grazing his ear, during an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Security at political events has been noticeably tightened since that shooting. It is not clear what motivated the man who stormed the press area or whether he supported or opposed Trump.

Trump's criticism of the media is a frequent feature of his rally speeches, often prompting his supporters to boo and gesture toward the press section. As the incident unfolded, Trump remarked to the crowd, "Is there anywhere that's more fun to be than a Trump rally?" His comment came just moments after police had led the man away. The rally continued without further incident.

Israeli strikes kill 20 in Nuseirat, including seven members of one family

At least 20 people have been killed by Israeli Terrorist attacks in Nuseirat, central Gaza, among at least 34 killed across the Strip today, medical sources tell our team on the ground.

The siege of Jenin city by Israeli Terrorist forces leaves Palestinian residents without food, water, electricity or internet access, as the most intense military raid on the occupied West Bank in decades continues.

Jenin is a ghost town. All of the shops are closed. Nobody is leaving their homes.

We’re right outside the refugee camp and we’ve been hearing exchanges of gunfire and loud explosions for the past 40 minutes. Israeli military jeeps and armoured personnel carriers have been zooming in and out of this area, leaving skidmarks on the road.

We are having difficulty getting information from inside the camp, as have paramedics. Telecommunications have been obstructed. There is no electricity. It’s difficult to ascertain whether there are people injured or not.

Paramedics have told me this is the most difficult assault on Jenin they’ve seen in a very, very long time.

Palestinian health ministry confirms killing of two in Hebron

The ministry announces Muhammad Ihsan Yaqin Marqa and Zahdi Nidal Abu Afifa have been shot killed by the Israeli forces in the north of the occupied West bank governorate.

Earlier, Israel’s military said troops shot and killed two Palestinians in two separate incidents in the occupied territory.

The army said one infiltrated an Israeli settlement and another shot at soldiers after his car exploded.

‘Growing sense of turmoil’ in Nuseirat after night of deadly attacks

Strikes have hit residential areas in the Strip, causing a great deal of destruction.

We have especially seen the impact in Nuseirat refugee camp, where 20 people have been killed since yesterday evening, according to Palestinian authorities. The vast majority of them were targeted without any sort of warning.

Emergency workers told Al Jazeera they struggled to pull victims out from under the rubble.

There is a growing sense of turmoil in the area, especially as full residential squares have been under heavy bombardment.

But not only Nuseirat has been targeted. Medical sources at Al-Aqsa Hospital told Al Jazeera that Palestinians have been killed and wounded from an overnight strike on a residential home in Khan Younis.

There have also been air strikes in Gaza’s north, where our sources said the main focus of confrontations between Hamas fighters and Israeli terrorist forces is Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood. This is a very tiny area that has been repeatedly stormed by the Israeli army. The level of destruction in the north is beyond imagination.

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Donbass breakthrough, Kursk border battle and infrastructure strikes: This week in the Ukraine conflict

A Russian 2S7 Pion 203mm self-propelled cannon firing at Ukrainian positions on 24 August, 2024. © Sputnik / Sergey Bobylev

The past week in the Ukraine conflict has seen intensive combat along the front line, with the most active hostilities continuing in the border areas of Russia’s Kursk Region, as well as in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), where Moscow’s troops have liberated several communities.

Russian forces have also managed to make new gains in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR). The country’s Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday the liberation of Stelmakhovka, a large village located immediately to the east of the border between the LPR and Ukraine’s Kharkov region.

The heavily fortified village had been serving as the key Ukrainian stronghold in the area, with its fall potentially opening a way for Russian troops to approach the Oskol River, located some 15km to the west. Should Moscow’s forces be able to reach it, the Ukrainian forces will end up cut in half in the area, with the potential development likely forcing them to retreat beyond the Oskol, which flows north to south across Kharkov Region.

Donbass push continues

The Russian military has made new gains in the DPR, continuing their advance to the northwest of the town of Ocheretino, once a key logistics hub and a major stronghold for Ukrainian troops, where they had unsuccessfully tried to stop Moscow’s forces after the fall of Avdeevka early this year.

Over the week, Russian troops continued their westward push in the area while simultaneously expanding their zone of control to the north and south of their main axis of advance. The Russian Defense Ministry has announced the capture of the villages of Orlovka, Nikolayevka, Kamyshevka and Mezhevoye, located to the southwest of Ocheretino.

The development means that Russian forces have reached the immediate vicinity of the towns of Selidovo and Novgorodovka, as well as advanced towards the city of Pokrovsk (also known as Krasnoarmeysk), the last major settlement under Ukrainian control in the area. Uncorroborated footage circulating online suggests the country’s forces have already actually entered Novgorodovka, as well as seized a coal mine and a major spoil tip to the northeast of Selidovo.

The towering spoil tip has been one of the key points for the Ukrainian defenses in the area, given its dominant position over the town itself.

Active hostilities have also continued to the northwest of the city of Gorlovka, with Russian forces advancing on the satellite town of Toretsk (also known as Dzerzhinsk).

Following the liberation of the villages of New York (also known as Novgorodskoye) and Zalizne (Artemovo) last week, Russian troops forces have reportedly entered Toretsk itself, with active combat continuing inside the town.

The battle of Kursk

Hostilities have been ongoing in the border areas of Russia’s Kursk Region since Kiev launched a major incursion earlier this month. While the Ukrainian forces have continued their efforts to push deeper into Russian territory, Moscow has been seeking to push them back while striking rear targets and incoming reserves in Ukraine's adjacent Sumy Region.

The Ukrainian advance has been halted, with the situation effectively turning into an oncoming battle with no distinctive frontline, centered around multiple settlements, including the villages of Korenevo, Kremyanoye, Malaya Lonya, Martynovka, Borki and other locations.

Over the past week, Ukrainian forces have sustained heavy casualties in the area, with military convoys and smaller infantry groups repeatedly ending up ambushed, while staging areas have been subjected to heavy missile, artillery and aerial strikes.

A new drone video from Kursk Region circulating online, for instance, shows several pieces of Ukrainian armor, including a US-made Stryker armored personnel carrier (APC) overturned, apparently by a powerful explosion nearby. The vehicles bear the distinctive white triangle markings used by the invasion force.

The Russian military has actively been using FPV kamikaze drones to fend off the attack. For instance, a video shared by Apty Alaudinov, the commander of the Akhmat Special Forces from Russia’s Chechen Republic, shows a Ukrainian convoy ambushed by FPV drones operators with the unit.

Footage shows an Australian-supplied Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle sustaining a hit, with a Stryker APC seen on fire in the background. The extremely low altitude of the drone and the exceptional quality of the footage suggests that the FPV was being operated using a fiber-optic cable, rather than by radio.

Another video shared by the Russian Defense Ministry shows a Ukrainian T-72M1 tank, likely received by Kiev from Eastern Europe, sustaining an FPV drone hit in the rear of its turret. The tank was spotted by a surveillance drone rolling out of a wooded area between two fields, firing at unseen targets. The FPV hit caused an internal explosion of the tank’s ammo stock, which ripped its turret clear off, obliterating the vehicle.

According to Moscow’s latest estimates, Kiev’s forces have suffered massive casualties in the attack on Kursk Region, losing more than 7,400 servicemen in just over three weeks, as well as sustaining heavy material losses. Up to 74 tanks, 36 infantry fighting vehicles, 64 APCs, as well as some 486 other armored vehicles have been destroyed. Kiev has also lost some high-value assets, including two artillery and one aerial radar, five anti-aircraft launchers, 10 electronic warfare stations, four US-made HIMARS and one M270 MLRS multiple rocket launchers.

Strikes on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure

On Monday, the Russian military conducted a massive strike with ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as kamikaze drones on Ukraine’s critical dual-use infrastructure, namely energy generation facilities used to service Kiev’s military-industrial complex. It was one of the largest-scale attacks to have taken place during the conflict.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it has targeted multiple facilities across Ukraine, including electrical substations and gas pumping stations, as well as stockpiles of aircraft munitions, delivered to Kiev by its Western backers.

Footage circulating online purports to show the aftermath of a cruise missile strike on Kiev Hydroelectric Power Plant, located in the town of Vyshgorod to the north of the Ukrainian capital. The facility was apparently hit by several projectiles; a large plume of black smoke has been seen billowing from it.

Another video from the scene suggests the plant’s generator hall sustained at least one hit, while the dam itself was damaged as well; the road running across it was littered with debris.

A large fuel depot was among the targets, with several large tanks ending up destroyed in explosions and resulting fire, footage from the scene shows.

Hunt for HIMARS systems

The Russian military has continued its effort to find and destroy Ukrainian HIMARS-family multiple rocket launchers, supplied to Kiev by the US and some other Western nations, reporting the destruction of several pieces over the week.

Long-touted by Ukrainian propaganda as an ultimate high-precision tool for striking high-value Russian assets, HIMARS-family launchers have been repeatedly used by Kiev to launch indiscriminate attacks deep into the country’s territory. In recent months, however, the systems have seen more actual combat use, providing fire support for troops or striking logistics, presumably due to the exhaustion of Ukraine’s Soviet multiple rocket launcher systems, both from domestic stocks and deliveries from abroad.

On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the destruction of two HIMARS launchers in Ukraine’s Sumy Region. The launchers were apparently being used to support Kiev’s forces in Russia’s Kursk Region.

One system was hit by a ballistic missile fired by an Iskander-M launcher, when it was discovered traveling from its firing position to a hiding spot in a wooded area near the village of Stepanovka. The strike caused multiple secondary detonations at the site and a massive blaze, footage shared by the ministry shows.

Another system was caught at a resupply point in the border village of Kondratovka. The HIMARS was hit by an airstrike, with the ammo stockpile, a transporter-loader vehicle and an escort car destroyed in the blast as well, according to the Russian military.

A few days ago, a M270 MLRS, a heavier tracked cousin of HIMARS, was destroyed in Ukraine’s Nikolayev Region, footage circulating online suggests. The vehicle was discovered by a surveillance drone deep in Ukrainian territory, some 60km away from the front line, near the village of Berezingovatoye.

Drone footage shows the launcher, a transport vehicle and a soft road car poorly concealed in a wooded area. The location was hit by a ballistic missile, apparently fired by an Iskander-M system.

The powerful blast triggered the detonation of an ammunition stockpile, which turned out to be stashed in an agricultural hangar nearby. All the vehicles there ended up destroyed; the hangar was completely obliterated by the ammunition explosion.