Moment Ukrainian Forces Locate And Destroy Russian Self-Propelled Artillery Unit Hiding Among Trees

The video was obtained from the 40th Separate Artillery Brigade.

<p>Soldiers of the 40th separate artillery brigade destroyed Russian military positions in Ukraine. (@40OAbrigade/Zenger)</p>

These images reportedly show the moment Ukrainian forces locate and destroy a Russian self-propelled artillery unit hiding among some trees.

The footage, which appears to have been sped up, begins with an explosion occurring in what appears to be a small village, with the camera then apparently searching for a target.

It soon identifies an enemy vehicle, which has been described as a self-propelled artillery unit.

With artillery shells landing near it, Ukrainian forces then appear to open fire on it. Eventually, one of them appears to score a direct hit, blowing the enemy unit to smithereens.

It is unclear where exactly in Ukraine the images were filmed, but the footage was obtained from the 40th Separate Artillery Brigade – officially the ’40th Separate Artillery Brigade named after Grand Duke Vytautas’ – and the Strategic Communications Department of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Wednesday, June 22.

The 40th Separate Artillery Brigade is usually based in Pervomaisk, a city in the Mykolaiv Oblast region of southern Ukraine.

The Strategic Communications Department (StratCom) said the footage shows “the 40th Separate Artillery Brigade named after the Grand Duke destroying the occupiers’ self-propelled artillery.”

Self-propelled artillery units are typically mobile military vehicles that look like tanks but have much longer guns. They often have caterpillar tracks but usually take part in long-range bombardment support operations when on the battlefield.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin calls a “special military operation.” Today marks the 119th day of the invasion.

Soldiers of the 40th separate artillery brigade destroyed Russian military positions in Ukraine.(@40OAbrigade/Zenger)

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and June 22, Russia had lost about 34,230 personnel, 1,496 tanks, 3,614 armored combat vehicles, 752 artillery units, 239 multiple launch rocket systems, 99 air defense systems, 216 warplanes, 182 helicopters, 614 drones, 137 cruise missiles, 14 warships, 2,543 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 60 units of special equipment.

The Ukrainian military has said that it has launched airstrikes on Zmiinyi Island, which is also known as Snake Island, causing “significant losses” to Russia’s forces there in an operation that it says is ongoing.

Russia has conducted an anti-ship missile exercise in the Baltic Sea amid escalating tensions with NATO member Lithuania after the country blocked the transit of goods to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

Russian Foreign Ministry press secretary Maria Zakharova has said that Moscow’s response to Lithuania banning the transit of goods sanctioned by the EU to Kaliningrad will be diplomatic and practical.

Soldiers of the 40th separate artillery brigade destroyed Russian military positions in Ukraine.(@40OAbrigade/Zenger)

Ukrainian forces have said that they have been successfully thwarting fresh Russian attempts to advance in the Kharkiv region of north-eastern Ukraine. However, Russian forces have captured several settlements near Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk, with 568 civilians believed to be still sheltering in Sievierodonetsk’s Azot chemical plant.

Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories, has urged locals in the Kherson region to evacuate, to help Ukrainian forces “deoccupy” the area.

British intelligence has claimed that the pro-Russian, so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) may have lost about 55 percent of its original forces.

President Zelenskyy said a “historic week” has begun as Kyiv awaits a decision from Brussels regarding its EU candidate status. The EU expected to approve the application by the end of the week.

Soldiers of the 40th separate artillery brigade destroyed Russian military positions in Ukraine. (@40OAbrigade/Zenger)

This comes after the European Parliament adopted a resolution recommending that the European Union grant Ukraine the status of candidate country for EU membership. Some 438 MEPs voted in favor of the resolution, with 65 voting against and 94 abstaining.

Zelenskyy, speaking to the African Union on Monday, June 20, also accused Russia of holding Africa “hostage” over grain and fertilizer shortages.