Russia Says It Has Fired On Ukrainian Positions With Msta-S Self-Propelled Howitzers

Russia has said that it has fired on Ukrainian military positions using Msta-S self-propelled howitzers, as this footage purports to show.

The images begin by reportedly showing two Russian self-propelled howitzers manoeuvring into position somewhere in Ukraine.

They can then be seen raising their long guns before opening fire on unseen targets at the same time. The footage ends with them beginning to manoeuvre to a new location to avoid return fire.

The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Monday, 9th January, along with a statement claiming: "Self-propelled artillery crews of the Central Military District (TsVO) daily defeat the manpower and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from different firing lines. The accuracy of the fire is provided by advanced spotters from among the military personnel of intelligence units and UAV operators.

"The well-coordinated and effective actions of the artillerymen prevent the transfer of enemy reserves and support the offensive operations of the ground forces in all directions."

We have not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage.

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a "special military operation". Today marks the 320th day of the war.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 9th January, Russia had lost about 111,760 personnel, 3,080 tanks, 6,147 armoured combat vehicles, 2,069 artillery units, 434 multiple launch rocket systems, 217 air defence systems, 285 warplanes, 275 helicopters, 1,856 drones, 723 cruise missiles, 16 warships, 4,809 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 183 units of special equipment.

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

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that his country’s forces are repelling numerous attacks on the city of Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

Zelensky said on Sunday night: “Bakhmut is holding on despite everything. And even though most of the town has been destroyed by Russian strikes, our soldiers are repelling constant Russian attempts to advance. Soledar is holding on, even though there is even greater destruction and things are very difficult.”

Russia has said that it has killed over 600 Ukrainian soldiers in a strike on the eastern Ukrainian town of Kramatorsk, but Ukraine’s military and the town’s mayor have rejected this claim.

Ukrainian officials have said that at least two people have been killed in fighting in eastern Ukraine, with the Governor of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, saying that one person had been killed in strikes on Bakhmut, while eight others in the region had been wounded.

Russia and Belarus have reportedly expanded their joint military training exercises in Belarus. The move comes amid concern that Moscow is pushing its ally to join the war in Ukraine.

Demands for a special court to investigate Moscow for “crimes of aggression” against Ukraine have been backed by UK politicians across the political spectrum.

Germany and the United States have joined France and agreed to send armoured fighting vehicles to Ukraine in a move that is seen as a significant boost to the country’s military capabilities on the battlefield.

Ukraine has been asking its Western allies for tanks for months, but the request has so far gone largely unheeded, despite Germany taking part in a tank swap deal under which Ukraine is being provided with Soviet-era tanks from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Greece, which are then supplied with modern German equipment.