Ukrainian Artillery Takes Out Russians Who Poached Geese For Dinner With Commander

This footage shows Ukrainian artillery taking out Russian soldiers who can be seen poaching some geese for a dinner with their commander.

The video begins by showing one of three Russian soldiers shooting a goose while one of his colleagues can be seen with a dead bird already at his feet.

The images then show the Russian soldiers returning to a civilian building they were occupying with the dead animals slung over their shoulders.

A military vehicle that was reportedly transporting the local Russian commander can then be seen approaching the house down a nearby road.

The buildings in the area are then shelled by Ukrainian artillery in a cloud of smoke as the footage ends.

The images were obtained from the State Border Service of Ukraine on Friday, 2nd December, along with a statement saying: "The hunters became the prey: the border guards taught the occupiers who were 'hunting' the goose.

"In Donetsk region, in one of the occupied villages, with the help of a UAV, the border guards discovered the invaders who were 'hunting' the poultry of civilians.

"The marauders shot and carried the goose to one of the houses, in which they had set up their command and observation post.

"The border guards reported the coordinates of the enemy to their fellow artillerymen, who later fired at the object from Rapier guns and destroyed the invaders together with their unit commander, who also came for a treat."

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a "special military operation". Today marks the 285th day of the war.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 5th December, Russia had lost about 91,690 personnel, 2,924 tanks, 5,900 armoured combat vehicles, 1,914 artillery units, 395 multiple launch rocket systems, 211 air defence systems, 281 warplanes, 264 helicopters, 1,582 drones, 531 cruise missiles, 16 warships, 4,497 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 163 units of special equipment.

Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.

Avril Haines, the United States Director of National Intelligence, has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is now “better informed” about the challenges his army is facing in Ukraine.

It had previously been assessed that Putin was being shielded by his inner circle from the worst news about his troops’ performance in Ukraine.

Haines said that Putin was “becoming more informed of the challenges that the military faces.”

Haines also said that there will likely be a “reduced tempo” in fighting over the winter, adding: “Most of the fighting right now around Bakhmut and the Donetsk area has slowed down with the withdrawal of Russia from the western Kherson area to the east of the river. And we expect that’s likely to be what we see in the coming months.”

There is ongoing heavy fighting near the key town of Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, where the Russian military has struggled for the last six months to make any substantial progress.

Ukrainian forces are also said to be making headway on the east bank of the Dnipro River after taking control of the city of Kherson.

Russia has also been intensifying its artillery attacks on the Kherson region since abandoning it and withdrawing to the east bank of the river.

There is reportedly a draft resolution circulating at the United Nations proposing a Nuremberg-style tribunal to hold Moscow to account for its crimes in Ukraine.

Rob Malley, the US special envoy on Iran, has said that the Islamic Republic has locked itself into a “vicious cycle” regarding the ongoing protests gripping the country and over providing Russia with weapons.

He said: “The more Iran represses, the more there will be sanctions; the more there are sanctions, the more Iran feels isolated.”

Malley added: “The more isolated they feel, the more they turn to Russia; the more they turn to Russia, the more sanctions there will be, the more the climate deteriorates, the less likely there will be nuclear diplomacy. So it is true right now the vicious cycles are all self-reinforcing.”

Some 500 localities in Ukraine remained without electricity on Sunday after weeks of Russian missile strikes targeting the country’s power grid, according to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry.