Watch: Russia Shows Off Air Defense System Against Ukraine

Images released by Russian military officials purport to show their air defense system in action in Ukraine.

The footage shows what appears to be a Russian military vehicle with a white "O" daubed on its side operating in a field and firing its weapon.

The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD), along with a short statement saying that the footage shows "combat work of the crews of the Osa-AKM anti-aircraft missile system."

Osa-AKM anti-aircraft Russia
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the footage shows "combat work of the crews of the Osa-AKM anti-aircraft missile system." Ministry of Defense of Russia/Zenger

The Russian MoD added: "Osa-AKM crews conduct reconnaissance of the air situation, quickly determine the coordinates of targets and effectively destroy them, including UAVs of various types."

The Osa-AKM variant of the 9K33 Osa anti-aircraft missile system is designed to fight helicopter gunships.

The Russian MoD quoted an unnamed commander of the Osa-AKM air defense system as saying: "The activity of drones has decreased in recent months."

Zenger News has not been able to independently verify the images or the claims.

Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is still calling a "special military operation." June 15 marks the 112th day of the campaign.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between February 24 and June 15, Russia had lost 32,750 personnel, 1,440 tanks, 3,528 armored fighting vehicles, 722 pieces of artillery, 230 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), 97 anti-aircraft units, 213 warplanes, 179 helicopters, 2,485 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, 13 boats, 591 unmanned aerial vehicles, 55 special equipment units and 129 cruise missiles were shot down.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine is suffering "painful losses" in its eastern Donbas region. He stressed that Ukraine needs modern anti-missile weapons to defend its territory. The United Kingdom and the United States have said they are sending long-range missile systems to Ukraine, but Ukrainian officials have said that weapons are not arriving fast enough. An adviser to Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, has said that to end the war, they need "1,000 howitzers caliber 155 mm; 300 MLRS; 500 tanks; 2000 armored vehicles; 1,000 drones."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of more attacks in Ukraine if the West sends long-range weapons.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, it has been reported there are ongoing attempts to set up a civilian corridor out of the encircled city of Severodonetsk. It isn't clear if Russia has halted its attacks in the key eastern city to allow for evacuation, and hundreds of civilians are said to be trapped in a chemical plant.

The Russian army has said that evacuated civilians will be transported to separatist-controlled areas of the Luhansk Oblast region, but previous humanitarian corridor attempts have struggled to stay open.

Russian forces now control most of Severodonetsk after a month of intense combat, according to British military intelligence.

Also, NATO ministers are in Brussels for talks as Russia's military advances in the Donbas region prompt pleas from Ukrainian officials for more Western weapons.

This story was provided to Newsweek by Zenger News.

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