A Canadian volunteer who is currently fighting alongside Ukraine in Kherson shared the update on Twitter. He wrote: “In #Kherson region, the #Russians are reinforcing their positions with anti-personnel and anti-tank mines that were made in the 1950s. As a result, several cases have been reported of #Russian sappers blowing themselves up trying to place said mines.”
It comes after Ukrainian sources claimed in May that Russian troops fired a Zantsepek heavy flamethrower system at a position occupied by their own men.
It is so far unclear as to how many casualties took place as a result of this “friendly fire” as Russia has not acknowledged this incident.
But in a Facebook post, Ukraine’s 97th Infantry Battalion posted an ironic “thank you” message to Russian forces over a devastating strike.
The message read: “The leadership of the 97th Infantry Battalion expresses its satisfaction with the actions of the Russian occupiers, who today, using the heavy Zantsepek flamethrower system in the Zaporizhzhya direction, used it against their positions and actually burned the occupiers from Ukrainian soil.
“Such actions are positively perceived and supported in every way by the Ukrainian military.”
Earlier today, it was reported that Putin could march Russian troops into a “weak” Europe if he is successful in Ukraine as a new target was named.
Olga Lautman, senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, said the West must act now to ensure an “emboldened” Putin does not succeed in his bloodthirsty mission.
She told the Sun: “Russia’s appetite won’t stop. We’ve seen it and we’ve seen that negotiations with them don’t work. Their word is worth nothing, their promises are worth nothing and I think that in this case, they need to be contained because if they are not, the threat they will pose will be far greater than Ukraine.”
Ms Lautman’s chilling warning comes as a Russian politician presents a draft bill that would revoke the recognition of Lithuania’s declaration of independence in 1991.
READ MORE: Ukraine wipes out THREE Russian ammunition depots in 24 hours
The two sides, formerly of the same army, exchange gunfire, seen from the soldiers’ point of view.
The camera points towards the butt of the gun as the defector fires intermittently at the other Russians. A nearby grenade or missile then sends a soldier to the ground before he recovers and starts firing again.
Speaking to Ukrainian reporters, Aleksey Arestovich, who is the adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenky’s office and a military blogger, said: “On the front line. They are fighting very well.
“There are several dozen, it’s like a separate unit disguised as the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The number of applications to the legion, including the Russian army, is off the scale. They don’t have time to consider it. I see how the legion is marching across Russia.”