Drone footage shows Ukrainian paratrooper emerge from woods and destroy Russian tank at close range 

Incredible drone footage has revealed the moment a brave Ukrainian paratrooper dashed out from his hiding place to obliterate a passing Russian tank with a guided missile from mere feet away.

The armoured vehicle, one of Russia’s modern T-80 main battle tanks, was driving along a dirt track lined by wooded areas – perfect concealment for Ukrainian soldiers lying in wait.

As it passed one particular row of trees, a lone Ukrainian soldier leapt out from cover, shouldered his weapon – an anti-tank guided missile – and fired a single shot. 

He did so even as another Russian tank sat downrange appeared to have its barrel aimed directly at the Ukrainian position – though it is unclear whether this vehicle had been abandoned or disabled.  

In a flash, the missile streaked across the track and impacted the passing tank, exploding in a plume of fire and white smoke.  

The stricken vehicle initially continued to roll slowly onward, perhaps damaged if not completely scuttled.

But moments later the armoured hull erupted in a series of explosions as the ammunition inside cooked off, the detonations spewing metal across the dirt track and causing huge trails of smoke to rise above the wood. 

As the Russian T-80 main battle tank passed along the dirt track, a lone Ukrainian soldier leapt out from cover, shouldered his weapon – an anti-tank guided missile – and fired a single shot from mere feet away

In a flash, the missile streaked across the track and impacted the passing tank, exploding in a plume of fire and white smoke – even as another Russian tank watched on downrange

The stricken vehicle initially continued to roll slowly onward as smoke poured out of it, perhaps damaged if not completely scuttled

A series of explosions then occur in the damaged tank, with its ammunition compartment apparently detonating as smoke gushes into the air

The video was released by the 95th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces earlier today, along with a statement that read: ‘A fighter of the 1st Airborne Assault Battalion of the 95th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade destroyed an enemy tank at close range.

‘Every day, the soldiers of the Armed Forces risk their lives, demonstrate courage and heroism, and step by step liberate our land from the Russian invaders.

‘Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Air Assault Forces! Together to victory!’

Images from the footage were also relayed by the Office of Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

‘A fighter of the 1st Airborne Assault Battalion of the 95th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade destroyed an enemy tank with one shot at close range,’ StratCom announced.

The footage was released in tandem with images showing another group of Ukrainian troops blowing up two Russian ammunition trucks, joking that they were ‘fined’ for being improperly parked. 

Black smoke could be seen rising into the air from the site of the detonations as ammunition burned in the Bakhmut area of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.

The images were obtained from the 93rd Independent Kholodnyi Yar Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces this morning, along with a statement saying: ‘The 93rd brigade destroyed warehouses with ammunition of the Russian occupiers in the Bakhmut area.

‘A mechanized battalion of Kholodnyi Yar soldiers ”issued a fine” to two enemy Kamaz vehicles with ammunition for improper parking. In addition, the building containing the ammunition was destroyed.

‘We continue to eliminate the forces and means of the occupying forces and defend Bakhmut!’

Picture shows an explosion in a residential area in the Bakhmut direction, Donetsk region of Ukraine. Fighters of the 93rd Independent Kholodnyi Yar Mechanized Brigade destroyed Russian warehouses with ammunition and KAMAZ vehicles

Black smoke could be seen rising into the air from the site of the detonations as ammunition burned

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is still calling a ‘special military operation’. Today marks the 254th day of the war.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine today reported that between February 24 and November 4, it estimates that Russia has lost about 74,840 personnel, 2,750 tanks, 5,580 armoured combat vehicles, 1,772 artillery units, 391 multiple launch rocket systems, 201 air defence systems, 277 planes and 258 helicopters.

Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.

It comes as the Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom claimed that British special forces participated in a drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea fleet, which Moscow had previously accused Ukraine of authoring.

Ambassador Andrei Kelin told Sky News: ‘We perfectly know about [the] participation of British specialists in [the] training, preparation and execution of violence against the Russian infrastructure and the Russian fleet in the Black Sea. We know that it has been done.’

Kelin added: ‘This is a warning actually that Britain is too deep in this conflict. It means the situation is becoming more and more dangerous.’

Ukrainian military officials meanwhile warned that Russia could be setting a trap by pretending to pull out of the Kherson region, only to catch oncoming Ukrainian defenders in an ambush.

Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Andrei Kelin (pictured) claimed that British special forces participated in a drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea fleet

U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin (pictured) claimed Ukraine’s forces could likely retake the long-occupied Kherson region in the south of Ukraine

Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern military command, said: ‘This could be a manifestation of a particular provocation, in order to create the impression that the settlements are abandoned, that it is safe to enter them, while they are preparing for street battles.’

Humeniuk added: ‘We continue fighting, also in the Kherson direction, despite the fact that the enemy is trying to convince us that they are leaving the settlements and creating the effect of a total evacuation.’

The comments come after Kirill Stremousov, the Russian-installed deputy civilian administrator of the Kherson region, said: ‘Most likely our units, our soldiers, will leave for the left [eastern] bank’ of the Dnieper River.

Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defence, said that he thinks that Ukrainian military forces can retake Kherson, saying that they were working in an ‘effective’ and ‘methodical’ manner.

Ukraine has said that the forced relocation of Ukrainian citizens in the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia amounts to ‘war crimes’ and ‘deportations’.

Russia has claimed that 70,000 civilians in Kherson are being ‘temporarily resettled deep into the Kherson region, as well as to other regions of the Russian Federation.’

Moscow said that this was due to ‘possible damage to the dam of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station’.