WAR IN UKRAINE: Russia Says It Has Fired On Ukrainian Military Positions Using D-30 Howitzers

Russia has said that it has fired on Ukrainian military positions using D-30 howitzers.

The footage begins by showing Russian soldiers operating one of the howitzers, aiming it at the target before loading it with emanation.

The howitzers can then be seen repeatedly opening fire on unseen targets.

The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Friday, 3rd February, along with a statement claiming: "Artillerymen of the Southern Military District, supporting the offensive actions of motorised rifle and tank units of the Russian Armed Forces, continue to strike at the positions of Ukrainian militants.

"Combat crews of D-30 howitzers of the Southern Military District daily destroy armoured vehicles, artillery and mortar crews, as well as fortified positions of Ukrainian militants.

"Fire adjustment is carried out around the clock. Military personnel of unmanned aerial vehicle crews carry out reconnaissance of enemy positions and correct the accuracy of firing at detected targets.

"As part of combat crews, military personnel called up as part of partial mobilization and undergoing a full cycle of training and combat coordination as part of their units in the rear areas of the North Military District also perform combat missions of the special military operation."

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

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a "special military operation". Today marks the 345th day of the war.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 3rd February 2023, Russia had lost about 129,870 personnel, 3,215 tanks, 6,388 armoured combat vehicles, 2,215 artillery units, 460 multiple launch rocket systems, 222 air defence systems, 294 warplanes, 284 helicopters, 1,952 drones, 796 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,068 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 202 units of special equipment.

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

The European Union has said that it will train an additional 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers, effectively doubling one of its military aid programmes.

Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, said at the beginning of a two-day trip to Kyiv, that the EU will “stand by Ukraine for the long haul”.

She also reiterated that the EU plans to have a 10th package of sanctions in place against Russia by the anniversary date of the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, on 24th February.

The European Union also wants to work with Ukrainian prosecutors to set up an international centre in The Hague to prosecute the perpetrators of crimes committed in Ukraine, von der Leyen said.

The European Parliament has voted in favour of a roadmap outlining Ukraine’s path to becoming a member of the European Union.

The UK’s Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has said that sending fighter jets to Ukraine would imply “months if not years” of training and he was looking for more effective ways of helping Ukraine to secure victory.

But Mateusz Morawiecki, the Prime Minister of Poland, has said he is open to providing Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets if such a decision were to be taken in concert with NATO allies.

The Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Oleksii Reznikov, has said that Moscow is planning a major offensive to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the invasion, on 24th February.

He reportedly claimed that this could involve 500,000 Russian troops.

Two additional Russian missiles hit the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk on Thursday after an apartment block was destroyed in the city on Wednesday evening.

The regional governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, has said that the latest strikes resulted in civilian casualties, but it is currently unclear how many.