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THIS is the dramatic moment Ukrainian kamikaze drones obliterate a Russian war truck and bunker.
Footage shows the detonating cords – painted in iconic blue and yellow – hurtling towards the vehicle before blowing it to pieces.
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X/DefenceUOutside video shows a huge explosion as a cloud of smoke billows into the air following the hit.
In a separate video of the same strike the drone can be seen soaring through the sky before zoning in on the defenceless Russian tank.
It then releases the deadly weapon which plummets towards the ground and delivers its fatal blow.
In another clip taken from a different drone the detonating cords are seen as the warhead sneaks up on a Russian bunker.
The drone navigates through the forest before finding and destroying the hideout.
A grey mushroom cloud of smoke pours out of the bunker after the missile detonates.
It comes as Ukraine has invaded Russia and is holding onto land in Kursk – a surprise attack that has left Putin scrambling.
Ukraine is now attempting a second surge into Russia with troops eyeing the Belgorod region after smashing into Kursk.
Kyiv’s forces are attacking border checkpoints as Putin’s soldiers desperately fight back to defend their soil, reports say.
Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the Ukrainians were trying to “break through the border”, citing Vlad’s defence ministry.
He said: “According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the situation on the border remains difficult but under control.
“Our military is carrying out planned work. Please remain calm and trust only official sources of information.”
Rumours of heated Ukrainian attacks are also swirling on Telegram.
As many as 300 of Volodymyr Zelensky‘s men have launched towards the Shebekino border crossing, with another 200 to the west at Nekhoteyevka, according to Telegram channel Mash.
The city of Belgorod, which has a population of 340,000, is just 23 miles from the Nekhoteyevka checkpoint.
Reports vary on Telegram with another channel, Shot, claiming there was no fighting at Shebekino and Ukrainians were pushed back in Nekhoteyevka.
Shot said up to 60 soldiers and eight Ukrainian armed vehicles rolled into the border crossing but were met with heavy Russian fire.
Yesterday we told how Vladimir Putin lost another of his Su-25 planes as it was shot down over Ukraine in the latest humiliating blunder to Russia.
The attack aircraft was downed as it was striking Ukrainian positions around Kramatorsk, defenders claimed.
Anti-aircraft gunners of the 28th separate mechanised brigade took down the latest Su-25 scalp with a man portable air defence missile, they said.
Why has the Ukrainian invasion of Russia been so successful?
By Georgie English, Foreign News Reporter
A DARING Ukrainian military push into Russia’s Kursk region has become the largest attack on the country since World War Two.
Kyiv’s forces have seized scores of villages, taken hundreds of prisoners and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians.
After more than a week of fighting, Russian troops are still struggling to drive out the invaders.
Why has Russian military been caught so unprepared?
A long undefended border
Russia’s regions of Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod share a 720-mile border with Ukraine – including a 152-mile section in the Kursk region.
And it only had symbolic protection before Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022.
It’s been reinforced since then with checkpoints on key roads and field fortifications in places – but not enough to repel a Ukrainian assault.
The most capable Russian units are fighting in eastern Ukraine, leaving the border vulnerable to attack.
Element of surprise
Ukrainian troops participating in the incursion were reportedly only told about their mission a day before it began.
The secrecy contrasted with last year’s counteroffensive – when Ukraine openly declared its goal of cutting the land corridor to annexed Crimea.
Ukraine ended up failing as troops trudged through Russian minefields and were pummelled by artillery and drones.
But in Kursk, Ukrainian troops didn’t face any of these obstacles.
Battle-hardened units easily overwhelmed Russian border guards and small infantry units made up of inexperienced conscripts.
The Ukrainians drove deep into the region in several directions – facing little resistance and sowing chaos and panic.
Russia’s slow response
The Russian military command initially relied on warplanes and choppers to try to stop the onslaught.
At least one Russian helicopter gunship was shot down and another was damaged.
Moscow began pulling in reinforcements, managing to slow Ukraine’s advances – but failed to completely block troops.
The plane – estimated in £8million by Ukrainian outlet Babel – was low flying and operating with another similar aircraft.
It was seen releasing heat traps or flares to prevent it being hit by heat seeking missiles.
But the aircraft reportedly was struck and its trajectory is seen as flying towards the ground.
The brigade reported on social media: “The fate of the crew is still unknown, but we know for sure that our infantry has one less problem.”
In total, during the invasion of Ukraine, the Russians have lost at least 33 Su-25 attack aircraft, according to calculations by OSINT project Oryx, which documents losses in equipment on both sides of the conflict.
Other analyses suggest Putin has seen as many as 43 Su-25s in the war prior to this loss.
Intense fighting is now underway across the front as Russia is making gains in the Donbas rust belt of eastern Ukraine.
But Kyiv’s forces are holding 100 settlements inside Russia in Kursk region, and are also seeking to smash their way into Belgorod region, forcing Putin to move troops from Donbas and Crimea to defend his own territory.
Moscow has not officially acknowledged the loss of another Su-25.
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English (US)