Ukrainian Paratroopers Take Out Russian Positions Near Bakhmut With Artillery Before Storming Them

These images show Ukrainian paratroopers taking out Russian positions near Bakhmut with artillery before storming them with infantry.

The footage begins by showing the Russian positions being shelled by Ukrainian ordnance before the Ukrainian paratroopers can be seen storming them.

The images were obtained from the 71st Separate Jager Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces on Wednesday, 14th December, along with a statement saying: "Assault groups of the 71st Separate Jager Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, together with other units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, took out enemy positions near Bakhmut.

"At first, the occupiers' fortifications were covered several times by artillery and mortar fire. Then the paratroopers carefully entered the enemy positions. They completed the final resistance of the Russian invaders. In general, about a dozen invaders were destroyed."

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a "special military operation". Today marks the 294th day of the war.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 14th December, Russia had lost about 96,000 personnel, 2,970 tanks, 5,937 armoured combat vehicles, 1,931 artillery units, 404 multiple launch rocket systems, 211 air defence systems, 281 warplanes, 264 helicopters, 1,617 drones, 592 cruise missiles, 16 warships, 4,562 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 171 units of special equipment.

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

The United States is said to be finalising plans to provide Ukraine with the Patriot missile defence system.

US federal prosecutors have said that a Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) agent is among seven people accused of helping Russia to illegally obtain electronic components of a sensitive nature from American companies.

The electronic components are said to have civilian uses, but they can also be used to make hypersonic and nuclear weapons.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that generators are as important as tanks when it comes to helping Ukrainians survive through the winter after Russian President Vladimir Putin targeted the country’s energy infrastructure with waves of missile strikes.

President Zelensky told an emergency conference that was convened in Paris that Ukraine will need an additional EUR 800 million to make it through the winter and a further EUR 1.5 billion to repair the damage done to its energy grid.

Over EUR 1 billion was raised to help Ukraine over the winter months at the Paris aid conference, according to France’s Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonna.

The money, which has been pledged by 46 countries and 24 international organisations, is to be used to restore some of Ukraine’s damaged energy network, to support the food sector and to help with water supply, health and transportation.

Heavy fighting was ongoing between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk on Tuesday.

The Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, has said that Ukrainian air-defence systems shot down 10 Iranian-made Shahed drones today, Wednesday.