Dramatic Drone Footage Shows How Damaged Vuhledar In Donetsk Looks Now

This dramatic drone footage shows how damaged the city of Vuhledar in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine now looks.

The images were reportedly captured during a special forces operation that resulted in two Russians being captured.

The footage shows most building to be damaged, with their windows destroyed and black marks on their sides.

The images were obtained from the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians the Ukrainian Armed Forces on 27th of January with a statement saying simply: "Ours!"

The images were relayed by the Special Operations Forces (SSO) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Friday, 3rd February, along with a statement saying: "A successful ambush in the enemy's rear.

"In the Vuhledar area, soldiers of the SSO of Ukraine destroyed Russian equipment and took two prisoners. The operation was carried out in cooperation with the soldiers of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade.

"The ambush was set up on the way to the advancing tank unit of the occupiers - the infamous 155th Brigade Of Marines based in the city of Vladivostok.

"As a result of joint actions, a modernized Russian T-80 tank was destroyed before it even entered the firing position.

"During the battle, two members of the tank crew were captured - contractors, marines of the Russian Federation.

"Servicemen of the SSO provided qualified medical assistance to the prisoners and took them beyond the combat line to the location of the Defense Forces of Ukraine. The joint operation of the SSO of Ukraine and the 72nd OMbr took place without losses on our side and disrupted the enemy's planned assault on the Ugledarsk direction."

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.