THE last desperate moments of a Russian soldier's life were caught on camera as he attempted to fight off a Ukrainian kamikaze drone with a shovel.
The pitiful scene saw the troop fling a spade out of his frozen trench at the deadly oncoming UAV before it exploded right into him.
The footage, captured onboard the attack drone and also from an aerial view, shows how the UAV zeroes in on the soldier and zooms straight at him.
The Russian tries one last ditch effort to take it out with a flying shovel - but it was no match for one of Ukraine's inventive homemade drones.
The screen turns to grey as it detonates.
The clips were released today by Ukraine's Armed Forces, along with the tongue-in-cheek title: "Ukrainian drone vs Sapper shovel: 1-0."
Today marks the 688th grinding day of war since Russia's full-scale invasion in February, 2022.
And as the second anniversary of the conflict approaches, cash-strapped Kyiv is facing a difficult second winter at war with weapons and artillery shortages, a serious recruitment slump and and an exhausted army.
Volodymyr Zelensky however remains defiant, despite admitting 2023 was a "difficult" year.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak touched down in Ukraine today to meet with Zelensky after unveiling a multi-billion military aid package for the war-torn country.
Britain has pledged to provide £2.5 billion to Ukraine over the coming year - an increase of £200m from the previous two years.
The funding will cover long-range missiles, air defence, artillery ammunition and maritime security.
During the one-day visit to Kyiv, the PM will also sign a "historic" security pact, promising the UK will provide “swift and sustained” support to Ukraine if Russia attempts another invasion.
The "totemic agreement" should be the first step towards an "unshakeable hundred-year partnership".
Earlier today, a notorious "meat-grinder" Russian army headquarters was destroyed in a blaze.
The army base, known for brutal defences on the frontline in Vlad's war against Ukraine was targeted in a likely sabotage attack.
In a video from a scene, stunned servicemen can be heard shouting: “Our headquarters has burned down.
Cars...everything...everything is completely gone, the HQ was completely burned down.
“All the documents were there, everything. There's just nothing left at all.”
Ukraine's military estimates that between the start of the war, Russia has lost 368,460 personnel, 6,060 tanks, 11,254 armoured combat vehicles, 8,710 artillery units, 957 multiple launch rocket systems, and 642 air defence systems.
They also claimed Putin had lost 329 warplanes, 324 helicopters, 6,836 drones, 1,806 cruise missiles, 23 warships, one submarine, 11,612 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 1,339 units of special equipment.
It comes as the US imposed sanctions targeting Russian entities aiding the transfer of North Korean ballistic missiles to be potentially used against Ukraine.
The US stated that North Korean missiles were deployed for the first time against Ukraine on both December 30 and January 2.
“The DPRK’s transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia supports Russia’s war of aggression, increases the suffering of the Ukrainian people, and undermines the global nonproliferation regime,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, a retired British Army colonel warned that Putin is ready to unleash an "apocalyptic assault" on Ukraine ahead of Russia's sham election this year.
Hamish De Bretton-Gordon has urged countries in the West to fully support Ukraine in a bid to avoid a brutal nuclear war with Russia.
The former military man said Putin was "focused" on taking control of the war with Ukraine after feeling the West were too relaxed with their approach to the "stalemate" fighting.
He said: "There are now rumblings in Moscow that a decisive offensive to turn the tides of the war squarely in Russia's favour may soon be underway.
"Russia is scouring the globe for drones and ammunition from every dictator and rogue state.
"While Kyiv scratches around and begs for artillery shells and air defence missiles from its distracted 'allies'".
Putin will run for president in the next election that takes place on March 17, 2024 - giving him just over two months to end the war.
The Russian tyrant is all but certain to be elected for a fifth time after two already brutal decades of his iron-fist rule.
The Kremlin previously warned the threat of a nuclear world war hasn't been greater since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
Earlier this week, Putin blew up a hotel in the city of Kharkiv that injured 11 people after Russia fired two powerful missiles that left a horrifying pile of devastation in its wake.
