CRIPPLING BLOW
Ukraine ‘kills up to 400 troops’ IN RUSSIA as HIMARS strike wipes out column in devastating attack on Putin’s doorstep
Shocking footage shows the charred wreckage of Russian vehicles and dozens of dead bodies by a roadside
A DEVASTATING Ukrainian blitz has left up to 400 of Vladimir Putin's troops dead in their own country, reports say.
Shocking images show the charred remains of an entire column of military vehicles packed with soldiers in the Russian region of Kursk.
7
7
7
7
Bodies can be seen piled on the road and inside of the burned out trucks after they were blasted in a huge HIMARS missile strike.
Around 14 vehicles loaded with weapons and ammunition were struck in the blast.
The wreckage of the convoy stretches well over 100ft down the road.
Footage taken by locals driving past shows several trucks flipped on their side as others were left crushed with their wheels sent flying off.
The shocked civilians can be heard asking: "How many men?"
As a second voice says: "So many men. F***ing hell."
The troops were being rushed to the front to halt the surprise Ukrainian offensive into Russia, say reports.
The number of deaths is still unconfirmed but it is set to mark one of the most crushing attacks of the war for Russia so far.
Most read in The Sun
Ukraine has continued its sweeping push into Russia with more footage capturing the moment a major Russian bomb store and military airfield was taken out in a massive kamikaze drone strike.
The devastating precision attack in Lipetsk saw hundreds of locals flee four villages.
Watch fireball as Ukraine blitzes another Putin region sparking evacuations & state of emergency after Kursk invasion
Footage shows the drones smash into the ground and a huge fireball erupt followed by thick plumes of smoke.
Regional governor Igor Artamonov described the blasts as a "massive attack" as he declared a state of emergency for the Lipetsk district.
Nine people have been reportedly killed in the blasts.
Terrified locals also reported four powerful explosions near the village of Oktyabrskoye with significant losses expected.
Roads leading into the village have been completely blocked off with constant gunfire being heard as Putin aims to fight back.
The Kremlin reportedly ordered Su-34 bombers to drop a number of FAB-500 aerial bombs onto their own village of Darino in a desperate bid to push back the Ukrainians.
Ukraine began its devastating Russian offensive earlier this week as a huge convoy of tanks were seen storming Russian villages.
Thousands of troops are still said to be holding onto the land in the Kursk region backed by tanks and armoured trucks.
Russian officials were forced to declare a state of emergency after the shock invasion - with mass civilian evacuations underway.
On Thursday, reports claimed Ukraine had advanced up to 20 miles inside Russia - leaving Putin humiliated.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it had intercepted 75 drones overnight including 26 over Belgorod region, 19 over Lipetsk, and seven over Kursk region.
And seven unmanned boats were also sunk in the Black Sea, it claimed.
It comes as a senior politician with close ties to the Kremlin has now claimed the blame for the attacks should lie with Britain.
Adalbi Shkhagoshev, a member of the State Duma Committee, accused the UK of instigating and aiding in the operation.
He told Russian media: "Britain participated in all such sorties. English was heard."
An embarrassed Putin lashed out on Wednesday as he labelled the Ukrainian revenge strike a "large scale provocation".
Russian military boss General Valery Gerasimov was forced to face the despot in a meeting and admit how a significant portion of territory in the region had been lost.
Read More on The US Sun
A snarling Putin raged: “As you know, the Kyiv regime has undertaken another large-scale provocation.
"It is firing indiscriminately from various types of weapons, including rockets, at civilian buildings, residential houses and ambulances."
Why does Ukraine launch cross-border strikes on Russia?
By James Halpin, Foreign News Reporter
Ukraine has attacked Russia itself a number of times since Russia invaded their neighbour in February 2022.
The strikes have included both ground assaults with tanks and troops, and also the use of long-range missiles.
In March, Ukraine-supporting Russian rebels from the Freedom of Russia Legion (FRL), Siberian Battalion (SB) and Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) launched a two-pronged assault.
In May last year, the Free Russia Legion attacked the country as they sought to "build a free Russia".
None of the incursions have so far been able to hold any land, with the invaders being beaten back or retreating.
Ultimately, they seek to stretch Russian forces, strike Russia in unprotected areas, and destroy critical infrastructure like logistics hubs, ammunition depots, or disrupt Russian events.
7
7
7