Kyiv claims that Ukrainian forces are taking over the Kherson Region step by step as it launches an aggressive counter-offensive to Vladimir Putin’s invasion armies. Dramatic video has emerged showing a Ukrainian soldier attacking a Russian vehicle.

Speaking on Sunday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said his troops were advancing into the occupied southern region to reclaim ground lost in the war.

On Saturday, the Ministry of Defence in Britain reported that fighting has been ongoing in Kherson Oblast. 

The MoD stated that Russia’s artillery fired was being used to slow down the Ukrainian advance.

This video, which was captured Saturday morning, shows that the fighting has intensified. It is also the latest example of Ukrainian forces demolishing Russian military vehicles using a Javelin missile.

The US and Britain have shipped thousands of Javelin missile-launchers to Ukraine in support of its defense.

They have proved extremely useful in the hands Kyiv’s troops and are responsible for many Russian military vehicles being destroyed since February 24, when the Russian president sent his forces to Ukraine.

A soldier can be seen on the ground, cross-legged, looking at the thermal imaging screens of the missile launcher.

This footage was taken on Saturday and then cut to an aerial view of the battlefield from a drone. An armoured Russian vehicle is seen standing on a dirt track through the shrublands. It was reported as a BTR or Bronetransporter.

Scroll down to see the video 

Footage (pictured) has emerged of a Ukrainian soldier destroying a Russian armoured vehicle with a javelin missile. The soldier, who is shown sitting cross-legged on the floor, is first seen looking through the missile launcher's thermal imaging screen - lining up his target

A video (photographed) shows a Ukrainian soldier attacking a Russian armored vehicle using a javelin ballistic missile. A soldier can be seen sitting on his knees cross-legged at the floor looking into the missile launcher’s thermal image screen. This is how he lines up his target.

The footage - captured on Saturday - then cuts to a view from a drone above the battlefield. A Russian armoured vehicle (pictured) - reported to be a BTR (Bronetransporter) - is shown stationary on a dirt road running through some shrublands

On Saturday, the footage cuts to a video from an unmanned drone. The Russian armored vehicle, a BTR (Bronetransporter), is seen standing still on a dirt road that runs through shrublands.

The video cuts quickly to the soldier and shows him firing the missile. As the missile explodes out of the launcher and into the sky, the camera pans.

While the missile stream away from him the soldier let the launcher sink to the floor as he checks to make sure he hit his target.

This footage is again taken from the aerial view. There’s a tiny speck of light visible in the sky that points towards the Russian car.

A sudden explosion of smoke and fire from the BTR’s front indicates a hit.

Pictured: The Ukrainian soldier fires the Javelin anti-tank missile towards the Russian BTR

Pictured: A Ukrainian soldier launches the Javelin antitank missile at the Russian BTR

The footage again returns to the drone's overhead view, and a small speck is showing flying through the air towards the Russian vehicle. Suddenly, fire and smoke erupts from the front of the BTR - signalling a direct hit (pictured)

This footage is again taken from the aerial view. The drone shows a tiny speck of light moving through the air towards a Russian car. A flash of fire and smoke suddenly rises from the BTR’s front – signalling an immediate hit (pictured).

Pictured: The smoking wreckage of the Russian vehicle is shown from across a field in Ukraine

Pictured: A view of the Russian car’s smoking remains from across a Ukrainian field.

A third camera captures the vehicle as it is seen from the front, after the strike. The BTR has been set ablaze and black smoke can be seen rising to the heavens. 

The footage was posted to Facebook on Sunday by Roman Kostenko – the People’s Deputy of Ukraine who is also a Ukrainian Secretary of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence.

Kostenko claimed that he witnessed the Russian BTR strike from his home in Kherson, which was near the incident.

He wrote that the soldier firing the javelin anti-tank missile was a SSO fighter, suggesting he was a member of Ukraine’s Spetsnaz (special forces) units.

He said, “Yesterday I observed the evening demilitarization of the Rashists at the Kherson direction.” “An SSO fighter and a Javelin turn into a minus enemy armored personnel carrier. Good job!’

The death toll from the strike is unknown. 

Russia’s use of Soviet-era military convoys in moving large quantities of vehicles across Ukraine during the initial stages of the conflict was a sign of weakness.

Javelin anti-tank missiles have proven to be highly effective in the hands of Kyiv's troops, and have been responsible for the destruction of hundreds of Russian military vehicles since the Russian president orders his forces into Ukraine on February 24. Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers train with the missile launchers in February, before the invasion began

The Javelin antitank missiles proved to be very effective when used by Kyiv’s soldiers. They have also been responsible for the destruction hundreds of Russian military vehicles, since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2017. Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers training with the missile launchers on February 24, before the invasion.

Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers fire a Javelin anti-tank missile while training in February

Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers shoot a Javelin antitank rocket while in training, February

Britain and the the US have sent thousands of the Javelin missile launchers to Ukraine to help the country in its fight against Vladimir Putin's invading forces. Pictured: Ukrainian servicemen unpack Javelin anti-tank missiles on February 11, just days before Russia's invasion began

Britain and the USA have sent thousands Javelin missile-launchers to Ukraine as aid in fighting Vladimir Putin’s invasion forces. Pictured: Ukrainian servicemen unpack Javelin anti-tank missiles on February 11, just days before Russia’s invasion began

A mural depicts an image known as "Saint Javelina"- Virgin Mary cradling a US-made FGM-148 anti-tank weapon Javelin - on a living house wall in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, June 6, 2022

On a mural in Kyiv (Ukraine), Monday June 6, 2022, a mural shows a picture known as ‘Saint Javelina. It depicts Virgin Mary holding a US-made FGM148 anti-tank weapon Javelin.

The situation was dire for Ukraine’s vastly outnumbered defenders. Russia boasted that it would capture Kyiv within days.

However, the Russian-made vehicles were easy targets for Ukraine’s lighter-weight military units. They had light-weight weapons such Javelin missile-launchers and could strike long-range vehicles while being agile on the battlefield.

A Washington-based think tank has reported that Ukrainian forces could be in preparation to launch, or have already launched, a counteroffensive within the Kherson area.

Kherson Oblast Administration Adviser Serhiy Khlan was quoted by the Institute for the Study of War as saying that Ukrainian forces have taken unspecified settlements within the region. He had however called for Ukrainian civilians silence on the situation until Ukrainian officials release formal statements.

ISW stated that any information available on the progress of Ukrainian troops is likely to be limited, and may lag behind actual events.

After Ukraine hit a bridge at Kherson in the Black Sea region occupied by Russia on Saturday, an ISW report said. The incident was reported as a preparation for Kyiv’s major counter-offensive.

According to an advisor of the governor, who was on Ukrainian-held territory, the strike targeted the Daryivskyi bridge that crosses the Ingulets River used by Russian troops for supplies. It happened days after another bridge crossing the Dnieper, which is a crucial bridge, was struck.

Our armed forces are skillfully dismantling the enemy’s system. Serhiy Khlan wrote that this isn’t yet Kherson’s liberation, but it was a significant preparatory step towards that goal.

According to Russia’s TASS news agency, the deputy head of the Russian-installed region authority stated that seven rockets had hit the bridge from high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) but the bridge was still functional.

Reuters could not independently verify the assertions of both parties.

In an attempt to change the tide of war, Ukraine is using long-range weaponry supplied by the West to strike Russian ammunition dumps and supply lines.

Since its invasion on February 24, Russia has seized large swathes in southern and eastern Ukraine.

The video was shared by Kostenko as Russian officials insisted that an air strike on Odesa – less than a day after Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement on resuming grain shipments from the port – had hit only military targets.

Eyewitness video shows the moment the Russian cruise missile struck the grain processing facility on the banks of the Black Sea this morning

Kyiv said no grain was lost in the attack

Eyewitness footage shows how the Russian cruise missile hit the grain processing plant on the Black Sea banks this morning. Kyiv stated that there was no loss of grain in the attack.

Moscow’s attack was widely condemned. Volodymyr Zelesky, Ukrainian President, stated that the attack had ‘destroyed every possibility’ for dialogue.

At Sunday’s daily briefing, Igor Konashenkov, a Russian defense ministry spokesperson said that the strike only targeted Ukrainian military facilities. This claim was made before by Moscow when it was accused of war crimes.

The admission of Russia also occurred just days after Turkey claimed that the Kremlin denied involvement in the strike. 

Konashenkov reported that the US supplied Harpoon anti ship missiles to the Kyiv regime and destroyed a Ukrainian warship at Odesa’s seaport.

On Saturday, the Ukrainian military claimed that Moscow had invaded Odesa with four cruise missiles. However, air defences had already destroyed two.

Footage recorded by Odesa locals today showed the port on fire after being struck by Russian Kalibr missiles

Two rockets are thought to have hit targets in the Black Sea export capital

Odesa locals captured today footage of the port setting ablaze following a strike by Russian Kalibr rockets. The Black Sea Export Capital was hit by two rockets.

Nataliya Humenyuk, command spokesperson, said that there were no damage to grain storage facilities in Odesa. But Turkey’s defence ministry said that the Ukrainian authorities told him that one missile hit a grain silo while another struck nearby. Both missiles did not affect loading at Odesa docks.

The impact of the strikes on the planes is unclear.

The UN in Istanbul and Ukraine signed Friday identical agreements with Russia and Ukraine. They backed the plan which UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as “a beacon of light” in an era where prices for food are increasing rapidly.

Andriy Yarmak, head of Zelensky’s Office, tweeted on Saturday that Odesa’s strike came so close to the Black Sea deal endorsement, illustrating ‘the Russian diplomat dichotomy.

According to the UN Chief, Mr Guterres, the UN office ‘unambiguously condemns’ strikes.

The statement stated that all parties had made commitments to meet international standards for the movement of Ukrainian grain to foreign markets. This product is vital to alleviate the hunger crisis in the world and the suffering of many millions.

Firefighters work to put out a fire in a sea port of Odesa, southern Ukraine, July 23

A crew of firefighters tries to extinguish a fire at Odesa’s seaport, south Ukraine, July 23rd

Firefighters work to put out a fire in a sea port of Odesa, southern Ukraine, July 23

A crew of firefighters tries to extinguish a fire at Odesa’s sea port, in southern Ukraine on July 23rd

Oleg Nikolenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that Russia launched a missile strike on Odesa’s port in less than 24 hours. This violated Russia’s promises and undermined its obligations before the UN as well as Turkey according to the Istanbul Agreement.

“Russia will take full responsibility in the event of non-fulfillment.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin described the attack on Ukraine’s 150th Day of War in Russia as a spit in his face to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (Turkish President Recep Tayyip Turkey), who had made great efforts towards reaching an agreement.

On Sunday, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian bombardment continued to injure and kill civilians in Ukraine’s east and south.

Two civilians were killed in the Donetsk Region, which is one of two regions that make up Ukraine’s Donbas industrial hub. The region was also a focus for Russia’s military offensive.

On Sunday, the UK’s Ministry of Defence reported that Russia had made’minimal progress in its ongoing Donbas offensive. It said it was still small-scaled and was focusing on Bakhmut in Donetsk.