A Russian frontline soldier has recorded a spine-chilling before and after a video showing the raw reality of life on the frontline in Ukraine.
The footage has been shared widely on Russian Telegram and is cut into parts.
First, the camera captures a party thrown by the infantryman squad with the men singing and dancing together.
The unit appears to be freshly deployed with tidy uniforms and a well-maintained dugout.
All that changes when the footage cuts to the second part which shows the horrific aftermath of a Ukrainian attack on the position.
A survivor narrates the scene of utter carnage following the battle with clear evidence of shell damage all around.
Picking his way through the bodies, the soldier mournfully says: “Good morning, the guys are lying here. One here, there’s a second one… in short, it’s absolutely f***ed”
He adds: “I feel sorry for the guys, lying here like this. There are two more up the road,
“Rest in peace… they died like heroes.”
It comes as fighting intensifies in the southern region of Kherson where Ukrainian soldiers have been able to carve out small “bridgeheads” on the Russian-held bank of the Dnipro River
The river has formed a natural barrier between the opposing Ukraine and Russian forces in Kherson since the Kremlin ordered its troops to pull back to the eastern bank a year ago.
The UK Ministry of Defence has provided an assessment of the current situation along the Dnipro and noted fighting appears to be intensifying.
The MoD intelligence update noted that Ukraine “has given higher priority to operations in this sector”.
But Russia has “likely been alert to the possibility of attacks across the river since it withdrew its forces from the western bank 12 months ago,” the MoD added.
