This is the moment Ukrainian troops destroy a Russian jamming station designed to block their radio communications.

The Command of the Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on 18th May: “Artillery units of the Assault Troops and the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed the Russian automated R-330Zh ‘Resident’ interference station.

“This complex is designed for automated detection, direction finding and analysis of radio signals in the operating frequency range, but it was successfully destroyed by the Defenders of Ukraine.

“Together with the Land Forces we are heading to Victory! Glory to Ukraine!”

The Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communications (StratCom) said the jamming station blocked radio signals “in the frequency range 100-2000 MHz” and was “capable of creating radio interference to satellite communication systems, navigation equipment and base stations of GSM-900/1800 cellular communication system within a radius of 20 to 30 kilometres”.

StratCom Ukraine added: “The occupiers carefully hid the station among other buildings. It was guarded by several armoured combat vehicles and a tank, but this did not save them. The complex was successfully destroyed by the Defenders of Ukraine.”

The update comes after Moscow claimed a strategic victory through the fall of the port city of Mariupol.

Russian authorities said they plan to tear down Azovstal itself and turn Mariupol into a “resort city”, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

The Kremlin also says that over 900 Ukrainian fighters from the Azovstal metallurgical plant have been taken to a former prison colony in a Russian-controlled part of Donetsk.

Russia’s defence ministry said 771 Ukrainian fighters from the steelworks had surrendered in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 1,730, and 80 of the fighters were wounded.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine an “absolute failure” and said Russian leaders were afraid to acknowledge “that catastrophic mistakes were made at the highest military and state level”.

Zelenskyy also said that said Ukraine is determined to reclaim control over the southern cities of Kherson, Melitopol, Berdiansk, Enerhodar and Mariupol, now occupied by Russian troops.

Elsewhere, G7 partners are set to meet in Germany later today (Thursday, May 19) to find a way to fix Ukraine’s devastated finances.

On the ground, Ukrainian forces have retaken villages around the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, but Russian forces have advanced slowly in the east of the country.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces claim to have killed about 28,500 Russian soldiers since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24.

They also say that between February 24 and May 19, the enemy lost 1,254 tanks, 3,063 armoured fighting vehicles, 595 artillery systems, 199 multiple launch rocket systems, 93 anti-aircraft warfare systems, 203 aircraft, 167 helicopters, 2,157 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, 13 ships/boats, 455 unmanned aerial vehicles, 43 pieces of special units and 103 cruise missiles.