Ukrainian forces have destroyed over £100million worth of Putin’s weapons in drone strikes – one video shows a BUK-M3 anti-aircraft missile system exploding in a huge fireball
Incredible footage shows the moment £102million worth of Vladimir Putin’s weapons are destroyed in a ‘pinpoint’ Ukrainian drone strike. Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces said the BUK-M3 anti-aircraft missile system was destroyed in a targeted operation in Zaporizhia Oblast, located to the east of the country.
The video shows the expensive weapon exploding in a huge fireball, with a mushroom cloud rising high above the surrounding forest. It followed another successful operation that took out a BUK-M1 surface-to-air missile system – valued at £25 million – just two days earlier.
Describing the moment of impact, Militarnyi, a Ukrainian military news outlet, wrote: “At the time of the strike, the surface-to-air missile system was likely not in a combat position, which made it possible to successfully detect and destroy it. “After the precise hit, the ammunition detonated, and a fire broke out, completely destroying the launcher.
“The destruction of the system occurred near the settlement of Verkhnii Tokmak in the Zaporizhzhia region.” It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will be “waiting” for Putin in Turkey this week for crucial face-to-face talks about ending the war, following recent pressure from US and European leaders for the two sides to reach a settlement.
The Kremlin has refused to say whether Putin will be at the talks, which US President Donald Trump has urged the two sides to attend.Mr Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv that he will be in Ankara on Thursday to conduct negotiations. He will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the two will wait for Mr Putin to arrive, he said.The Ukrainian leader said he would “do everything to agree on a ceasefire” but that Putin must come and see him, “as only he can decide on it”.
Zelensky said that if Mr Putin chooses Istanbul to hold the meeting, then both leaders will travel there. It would be the first time the pair have met since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
But he warned: “If Putin does not arrive and plays games, it is the final point that he does not want to end the war.”
Zelensky added that if Mr Putin does not show up, European and US leaders should follow through with threats of additional heavy sanctions against Russia.Trump has also been invited to the talks because “it would give an additional push for Putin to fly in”, but the White House has not confirmed whether he will attend, Mr Zelensky said.
The US president, who is currently in Saudi Arabia, will still be on his four-day Middle East trip on Thursday.
It comes after Russia reportedly put together a secret list of countries on Vladimir Putin ’s “hitlist”, with towns and cities up and down the UK potentially at risk of nuclear attack.
The Russian despot’s apparent willingness to consider using the weapons further highlights threats he has made to Western nations supporting Ukraine.
While Putin has threatened the UK and other countries, he has failed to follow through with any attacks other than on Ukraine. The alarming revelation highlights the continued threat of a nuclear exchange that has existed since the end of the Cold War, with several UK cities said to be on the list of potential targets.