Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine has said its forces destroyed a Russian military headquarters in the southern Zaporizhzhia region as a video on social media purports to show the moment of the strike.
Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) said in a statement that it had conducted the attack in a joint operation with one of its group of forces.
Newsweek has been unable to verify the footage and has contacted Russia’s defense ministry for comment.
Ukraine is entering 2025 following steady Russian gains over parts of the frontline in the Donetsk region. Zaporizhzhia further south is one of the four regions which Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched his invasion of the Eastern European nation in February 2022, has declared to have annexed, although it is not fully controlled by Moscow.
Ukraine’s claims of a successful strike on a significant Russian asset will deliver a morale boost amid Kyiv’s warnings that Moscow is planning a major offensive in the region.
Without specifying a date or an exact location, the HUR said that in an operation with the Tavria Group of Forces, it had “destroyed a Russian headquarters in the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia region,” according to news agency Ukrinform on Monday.
“Aerial reconnaissance by the HUR’s Active Operations Department identified the headquarters’ location,” HUR wrote in a statement on Facebook on Monday. “Working with the Tavria Group of Forces, they carried out a precise missile strike on the target.”
It added: “The operation resulted in the destruction of the headquarters, with six Russian personnel eliminated and three others seriously injured.”
The method of the attack was not mentioned, although the X, formerly Twitter, account “War Translated” posted on Monday that the building was destroyed in a strike by a U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Footage lasting 19 seconds shows the daytime strike and smoke going up into the air.
A Russian headquarters was destroyed in the temporarily occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region in a joint operation by Ukrainian Defense Intelligence and Tavriia operation strategic military group.Glory! pic.twitter.com/eYsRpr0lgH
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, said on Sunday that Russian forces had recently advanced in western Zaporizhzhia amid continued offensive operations in the region.
In its update, the ISW added that the Moscow-installed official Vladimir Rogov had claimed Russian forces had repelled Ukrainian counterattacks near Kamyanske and were continuing to advance near the settlement.
Elements of Moscow’s 1429th Repair Battalion were operating in the Zaporizhzhia direction, the think tank said.
Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, wrote on X: “A Russian headquarters was destroyed in the temporarily occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region in a joint operation by Ukrainian Defense Intelligence and Tavriia operation strategic military group. Glory!”
Pro-Ukrainian outlet United 24 posted on X: “Ukrainian forces dealt a significant blow to Russian occupation in Zaporizhzhia.”
Kyiv has said that Russia is planning an offensive in southern Ukraine, according to sources, with plans to intensify military operations in the Zaporizhzhia region and the right-bank part of Kherson.
Ukrainian military officials suggest that the main attack could be directed at the Pyatykhatky area, along the Dnipro River as well as near Hulyaipole, RBC Ukraine reported.
The Economist reported in late November that Ukraine believed Russia is preparing to attack Zaporizhzhia’s regional capital of the same name, around 20 miles from the front, which has been targeted by missiles and glide bombs.
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular the war started by Moscow. He also covers other areas of geopolitics including China. Brendan joined Newsweek in 2018 from the International Business Times and well as English, knows Russian and French. You can get in touch with Brendan by emailing [email protected] or follow on him on his X account @brendanmarkcole.