BLITZED TO BITS
Horror pics show wrecked Russian army as Ukraine claims Putin has lost 9k troops with ’45 coffins sent back to one town’
RUSSIA is facing staggering losses in Ukraine - with Kyiv claiming 9,000 of Vladimir Putin's soldiers have been killed already in the invasion.
Shocking photos are continuing to emerge of the sheer devastation being meted out on the Russian forces - with the charred wrecks of tanks, trucks and armoured vehicles littering roadsides.
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Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky praised his own people's "heroic" resistance - as he bragged they had "broken" Russia's plan for a quick win.
He said that around 9,000 Russian soldiers had been killed since the invasion began eight days ago.
The president urged the "confused children" to go home - with videos showing very young captured Russian soldiers blubbering for their mums.
However, announcing its own death toll for the first time, Moscow said it had lost 498 troops and around 1,600 have been wounded.
It is hinted however the true toll is likely somewhere in the middle of those two figures - and photos show stunning levels of devastation.
Dramatic pictures show one convoy of Russian trucks which had been totally blown apart in Borodyanka, around 40 miles of Kyiv.
At least ten trucks are seen in the photos along with a number of armoured vehicles.
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The machines can be seen marked with the distinctive "V" symbol of the Russians.
It is believed to represent invading forces which entered Ukraine's north east from Russia.
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And another picture shows a Russian tank that appears to have been crossing a bridge as it was blown up in Mykolaiv near Kherson.
Ukrainian forces have been destroying bridges across the country in an effort to slow the Russian advance.
It comes as:
- Kyiv remains under siege as Russia continues to advance across the whole of Ukraine
- Kherson became the first city to be captured by Vladimir Putin's forces amid major bloodshed in Kharkiv, Mariupol and Chernihiv
- Hundreds of hero Ukrainians blocked Putin's troops as they advanced towards Europe's biggest power plant
- Russian soldiers were pictured crying and begging to return home after being captured
- Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov - who bankrolled Everton - had his £600million superyacht seized in Germany
- Russian tycoon Mikhail Watford was found hanged in the garage of his home in the UK
Civilians have also been taking up arms - hurling molotov cocktails at passing Russian vehicles.
And one harrowing leaked WhatsApp voice message has offered some hints to the growing despair of the demoralised Russians.
The message was published by and has a weeping woman speaking of the fate of one Russian tank brigade.
She laments the unit was "totally destroyed" in Ukraine - with just "18 out of 150 guys" managing to survive.
The woman cries that 45 coffins had already been sent how to Russia's Altai region and laments her neighbours and friends - mostly young men - are among the dead.
She particularly mentions a military service member named Evgeniy Zhilin.
This name can be found in the leaked register of 120,000 Russian soldiers allegedly involved in the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has found its invasion blighted with logistical problems - with reports of tanks running out of fuel and soldiers running low on supplies.
And elsewhere, Putin is reported to have lost one of his top generals - Major-General Andrey Sukhovetsky.
The commander, a highly respected paratrooper, was reportedly killed by a sniper during a mission on Gostomel near Ukraine.
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Putin is believed to have thought he could roll over Ukraine within just 48 hours - and his forces thought they would be met as heroes.
But instead, they have found themselves bogged down against a staunch resistance.
Putin is also becoming increasingly isolated in the world as Russia feels the crushing weight of Western sanctions.
Moscow however is believed to be growing frustrated - and it is feared Putin could resort to ever more brutal tactics as the war drags on.
Horror pictures today have also shown the devastation which has been rained down across Ukraine from Russian airstrikes, artillery shells and missiles.
More than 2,000 civilians are believed to have been killed in the attack which has seen once bustling cities become warzones.
It came as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stood defiant as he vowed Vladimir Putin would pay the price for every dead Ukrainian.
Zelenskyy - a former comedian turned politician, who has been hailed as a hero for his leadership during the crisis - pledged to strike back against Russia.
"We will rebuild every single house, every single street, every single city," he said.
"And we are telling Russia - learn the words 'reparations' and 'contributions'.
"You will pay back fully to us for what you've done against our state, against our every single Ukrainian."
And the conflict shows no signs of stopping, despite ongoing peace talks.
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Kyiv is believed to remain the prime objective for the Russians - with a massive convoy of armoured vehicles lurking nearby preparing for a protracted siege.
But a senior US defence official said the immense column of tanks and other vehicles appeared to be stalled roughly 16 miles from Kyiv.
The 40 mile-long army appeared poised to launch an assault on the capital earlier in the week.
And now the column has made no real progress for almost 72 hours.
Elsewhere, Moscow's troops managed to capture the key port city of Kherson after six days of fighting as their advance grinds across Ukraine.
Russia is reported to have suffered heavy losses during the battle - but the exact numbers remain unknown.
And meanwhile, at least 300 civilians and soldiers have been killed on the Ukrainian side in Kherson.
The city near Crimea is home to 300,000 people - and opens up the pathway for the Russians to move towards Odesa.
And eerie videos from today showed Russian warships massing off Crimea in the Black Sea.
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It raised fears Russia could begin their all-out assault on the coast now Kherson has fallen.
Estonian cargo ship Helt was also sunk in the area after it is believed to have hit a mine after being menaced by Russian warships.
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