FRESH ONSLAUGHT
Ukraine announces start of new offensive with Western tanks as military chiefs vow to ‘avenge the rape of our sisters’
UKRAINE has announced the beginning of a new offensive promising to destroy the country's enemies, in a new trailer.
In the video, released by Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, military chiefs vowed to avenge "the murder of our brothers and the rape of our sisters."
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The cinematic clip shows troops preparing for battle as an officer recites a prayer calling for "blessings" for his soldiers.
The video promised to "kill Ukraine's enemies" in a fresh counteroffensive with Western tanks and military equipment.
It called on Ukrainians to join the army to help their country "raise the flag of victory."
The video was shared by Ukraine's Ministry of Defense on Twitter just hours before Russian forces launched a massive air strike on Kyiv last night.
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The hit was described as the largest drone attack in the city since the start of the war, by local officials.
The attack lasted more than five hours, with air defence reportedly shooting down more than 40 drones.
It comes as Ukraine's presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said the first steps of the counteroffensive have already begun.
He described it as a "complicated process" and noted it is not "a matter of one day or a certain date or a certain hour."
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He told the : "It’s an ongoing process of de-occupation, and certain processes are already happening, like destroying supply lines or blowing up depots behind the lines.
"The intensity is increasing, but it will take quite a long period of time."
Podolyak claimed earlier this week that operations to push Russia back to Ukraine’s borders have been underway "for days".
Speaking to Italian radio station Rai1, Mr Podolyak said: "It's an intense war on 1500km of border, but the actions have already started."
On Saturday predicted that as the counteroffensive gathered momentum, there would be more incursions into Russia by Russian rebel groups, the raid in Belgorod earlier this week.
Podolyak denied that recent hits by Russian anti-Putin groups such as the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion were orchestrated by Kyiv.
He continued: "The further Ukraine goes towards liberating its territory, the more such incidents we see within Russian Federation territory.
"It’s an objective consequence of high-intensity war that will demonstrate that Russia cannot carry out the military action in Ukraine, and protect its own borders.
"Since Russia has already lost its conventional war, the consequences of this loss will gradually move into Russian territory, and the federal government will eventually lose control over its territory."
Meanwhile, the commander of Ukraine’s armed forces, Gen Valeriy Zaluzhny raised expectations on Saturday, a major operation could be underway as he posted on Telegram alongside the video: "The time has come to take back what’s ours."
The prayer that can be heard in the video says: "I go to annihilate the enemies of the motherland, the murderers of my brothers, the rapists of my sisters.
"Let my hand be firm to kill the enemies. Let my eye be clear to kill the enemies. Let my weapon be trustworthy to kill the enemies. Let my will be steel to kill the enemies.
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"God, our heavenly father, bless our decisive offensive, our sacred revenge, our holy victory."
And the National Security and Defence Council boss Oleksiy Danilov told the the counteroffensive could be "tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week".
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