Drone footage shows Ukrainian forces trapping fighters from Russia’s Wagner Group in a lethal crossfire

• Drone footage exhibits the Ukrainian troops annihilating a unit of Wagner fighters in Soledar.

• The footage comes from the Donestk area, the scene of a few of the conflict’s most fierce battles.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has painted a grim image of the state of affairs within the city.

Drone footage posted on the State Border Service of Ukraine’s Telegram exhibits the Ukrainian army profitable a firefight in opposition to the notorious Wagner Group.

The Wagner Group is a personal military with shut hyperlinks to the Kremlin that has been on the forefront of the bitter battle for Soledar in japanese Ukraine. It has conscripted lots of its fighters from Russia’s jail system.

The video exhibits troopers — who the State Border Service of Ukraine recognized as Wagner Group fighters — being monitored by a drone.

The troopers then come beneath fireplace from Ukrainian fighters utilizing large-caliber machine weapons, leading to a variety of accidents, in keeping with the border drive.

The video ends after a collection of Ukrainian artillery shells explode among the many Russian unit, and the unit’s males look like mendacity motionless on the bottom.

In a Telegram publish, the State Border Service of Ukraine described the occasions.

“In Soledar, we explosively meet the Wagnerites. In the beginning of January, the border guards, along with the items of one of many mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, held again the enemy offensive. Our aerial reconnaissance detected a gaggle of enemy infantry.

Approaching the positions of our defenders, the Wagnerites got here beneath a good crossfire. Massive-caliber machine weapons inflicted casualties on the enemy. The defeat of the occupiers on this course was accomplished by a well-hit artillery strike, which was additionally corrected by the border ‘chook.’ Efficient aerial reconnaissance is the important thing to success on the battlefield.”

Insider has been unable to independently confirm the footage.

Combating within the salt-mine city of Soledar, within the Donetsk area, has intensified lately, with Russian troops — together with the Wagner Group — making tactical advances and now controlling a lot of the settlement, in keeping with the UK Ministry of Defence.

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On Friday, Moscow mentioned it had lastly captured Soledar. However Ukraine officers disputed the declare and known as it  “info noise,” reported the BBC.

Talking throughout his nightly tackle from Kyiv on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned: “The robust battle for Donetsk area continues, the battle for Bakhmut and Soledar, for Kreminna, for different cities and villages within the east of our nation continues.

“Though the enemy has concentrated its biggest forces on this course, our troops – the Armed Forces of Ukraine, all protection and safety forces – are defending the state.”

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