Vladimir Putin's army suffered a major blow after Ukraine reportedly killed yet another senior elite commander in a deadly strike. Kyiv's forces have stepped up their attacks against Russian command posts in an attempt to sow panic and confusion in Putin's army.
In recent weeks, Ukrainian missiles and drones destroyed the headquarters of the 6th Motorised Rifle Division in Bakhmut. Ukraine then landed another devastating blow by killing the commanding officer of the famous 76th Guards Air Assault Division. Colonel Abdulaziz Shikhabidov from Dagestan had been personally appointed by Putin in March to lead the so-called Pskov Division.
Now Ukraine has succeeded in taking out another high experienced and revered Russian officer.
Earlier this week, missiles struck the headquarters of the 40th Separate Guards Marine Brigade in Rylsk, in the Kursk region.
Images shot following the attack show members of the public and soldiers shifting through the rubble, in a desperate attempt to find survivors.
Among those reported to have died from their injuries, was the unit's deputy commander Alexander Danilov.
The officer took part in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Putin in February 2022, and prior to that had served in Syria for a number of years.
The brigade has suffered catastrophic casualties during the war, losing more than 50% of their pre-war personnel in fierce battles in Vugledar and Pavlovka.
It comes as Ukraine launched a massive aerial bombardment of the Crimean peninsula, hitting a major ammunition warehouse.
The arms depot is located near the village of Perevalnoye, home to the 126th separate coastal defence brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
The warehouse is said to have contained storage boxes for military equipment and weapons, as well as fuel and lubricants.
Images show a spectacular explosion and a raging fire engulfing the premises, with thick black smoke spiralling skywards.
The Crimean partisan group Atesh report that a number of Russian servicemen on duty at the depot were killed during the attack.
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed 43 drones were shot down over the Black Sea and another 21 in Crimea.
