As many as 195 soldiers were killed in the failed operation, according to the Russian Defense Ministry
FILE PHOTO: A Russian TOS-2 multiple rocket launcher during an exercise. © Sputnik/Mikhail Voskresenskiy
Ukraine lost up to 195 troops and a large assortment of materiel during a failed attempt to enter Russia’s Belgorod Region, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said in a daily briefing on Thursday.
The attackers had breached the Russian border and were moving towards the village of Spodaryushino, when they were struck by aviation and artillery. Kiev lost five tanks, four armored combat vehicles, three UR-77 mine-breaching vehicles and three military engineering vehicles, Moscow claimed.
Disturbing images circulating on Russian social media purport to show Ukrainian soldiers killed in action during the operation. According to the description in the post, Russia used a TOS rocket system against a group of Ukrainian troops. The multiple rocket launcher uses thermobaric munitions and is designed to attack military personnel in the field.
The Defense Ministry later released footage of attacks against Ukrainian forces, including a clip that appeared to show the same scene as one of the uncorroborated images. In it, some of the Ukrainian soldiers can be seen moving, but appear to be injured.
A separate exchange with Ukrainian forces was reported on Thursday by the governor of neighboring Kursk Region. No specific details about that engagement were immediately available, except that it happened near the border village of Tyotkino.
READ MORE:
Russia releases VIDEO of failed Ukrainian incursion attempt
On Tuesday, three Kiev-backed militia formations armed with heavy weapons attempted to enter Kursk and Belgorod regions. In that assault, the Ukrainian side lost over 230 fighters, seven tanks, three Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and two armored personnel carriers, according to the Russian military.