This footage shows a Ukrainian brigade destroying several Russian armoured vehicles in their bid to “completely clear Ukrainian land of enemy invaders”.

The 30th Mechanised Brigade, named after Prince Konstanty Ostrogski, a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, vowed to free the country of Russian invaders.

The Ukrainian brigade said on 4th May: “We are destroying the Russian occupiers together with their armoured vehicles.

“The enemy will be destroyed, and Ukrainian land will be completely cleared of enemy invaders.”

According to reports, the brigade destroyed numerous vehicles and weapons used by the Russians, including a multi-purpose vehicle, a howitzer, and two tanks with Stugna-P anti-tank guided missile systems.

Moscow invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin called a “special military operation”. Today marks the 71st day of the campaign.

Ukrainian defenders have already killed about 24,700 Russian troops since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Between February 24 and May 5, the enemy also lost 1,092 tanks, 2,651 armored fighting vehicles, 499 artillery systems, 169 multiple launch rocket systems, 83 anti-aircraft warfare systems, 196 aircraft, 155 helicopters, 1,907 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, ten boats/cutters, 312 unmanned aerial vehicles, 38 units of special units and 89 cruise missiles.

The video was posted as Russian troops continue their attempts to finally gain control of the besieged city of Mariupol after the evacuation of some 300 civilians in a joint UN-Red Cross operation.

A Ukrainian commander fighting inside the combat zone from the Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant described the fighting as “difficult” and “bloody”.

The bitter fighting which is now moved to a focus on the east of the country comes as Belarus which is Ukraine’s neighbour began large-scale military drills and apparent exercises to test their combat readiness.

The defence ministry in the UK had earlier warned that Russia was possibly hoping to provoke Ukraine into putting much-needed military resources on the Belarusian border over concerns that there might be fighting opening up on a new front.

At the moment the fighting in the East saw Russia claiming to have destroyed six railway stations which they said were being used to bring Western military aid including weapons to the region.

The severe fighting in the country has prompted the European Union to unveil plans for the tougher sanctions so far which include among other things an oil embargo to be slowly phased in.