BOMB BLITZ
Dramatic moment Ukraine blitzes Russian base with infrared drone as Putin’s troops are forced BACK to the border
DRAMATIC video shows the moment Ukrainian drones blitz a Russian base as Vladimir Putin's disastrous war has seen his forces pushed all the way back to the border.
Footage shows the moment bombs - dubbed by Ukrainian commanders as "letters of happiness" - fall to the ground before exploding in massive balls of fire.
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With a thermal camera mounted on the small drone, you have a birdseye view of the base as the shells plummet towards the unsuspecting Russians.
The attack was carried out by soldiers from the 503rd Independent Marine Infantry Battalion.
Putin had expected to roll over Ukraine in a matter of days, but instead his forces have found themselves pushed all the way back into Russia.
Ukrainian troops have been fighting tooth and claw as they defend their country against the invaders - with Kyiv boasting they have killed more than 26,000 soldiers and blown up thousands of vehicles.
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In a statement, Ukraine's navy said: "Marines continue to dispose of Russian fascist evil.
"In particular, fighters from the 503rd Separate Battalion of Marines sent ‘letters of happiness’ to tear the orcs away from their ‘joy’.
“Burn the invaders in hell! Glory to the Marines! Glory to Ukraine.”
And elsewhere, Ukrainian forces blew up a bridge captured by the Russians to continue to disrupt their war effort.
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The railway bridge, offering a line between Rubizhne and Severodonetsk, had been seized by the Kremlin.
Rada TV shared the footage with the message: “In order to stop the orcs' attack in the direction of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, railway bridges have been destroyed.”
Ukraine has been on the counterattack after Russians first invaded at the end of February as they attempted to storm towards Kyiv.
Weak and sickly Putin's initial advance however was beaten back, and Russia has since seemingly revised the objectives of its so-called "special operation".
Russia is not achieving its strategic objectives. Ukraine can win this war.
Jens Stoltenberg
And the increasingly well-armed and gutsy Ukrainian forces have hammered the Russians as they force them back East.
Russia now claims to be focused on seizing control of eastern Ukraine, rather than attempting to take control of the whole country as it set out to do three months ago.
Ukrainian troops were today pictured posing with a yellow and blue border post as they flashed the "V for victory" sign.
"We are here. We are at the border," the troops said in a message addressed to hero President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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Western military alliance Nato is now increasingly confident that Ukraine - who is not a member - can win the war after many nations have provided support and weapons.
Jens Stoltenberg was speaking on Sunday at a meeting of member states, addressing them via video as he was recovering from Covid-19.
He said: "Russia's war in Ukraine is not going as Moscow had planned.
"They failed to take Kyiv. They are pulling back from around Kharkiv. Their major offensive in Donbas has stalled.
";Russia is not achieving its strategic objectives.
"Ukraine can win this war."
Russia is becoming increasingly frustrated, with reports of the horrors being committed by their soldiers shocking the world amid mounting evidence of war crimes.
Vlad's troops are understood to be demoralised, their equipment failing, and they face defeat after defeat - with Ukraine now littered with the bodies of Russian soldiers and the wrecks of Putin's tanks.
And what Putin's botched plan has succeeded in doing is uniting much of the world against him, as Finland and Sweden are now moving closer to joining Nato.
It comes as menacing mobile Iskander missiles were spotted being transported towards Russia's border with Finland.
The Russian despot had warned Finland and Sweden that joining the Western alliance would be a "mistake" - but they have so far snubbed his grumbles.
After being given the cold shoulder by the two notoriously neutral nations, he seems to be resorting to desperate measures to save face.
Moscow has made it clear they will suffer the consequences of joining Nato, boasting they could wipe out Finland in "ten seconds".
Putin parroted the veiled hypersonic missile threats in a tense phone call with Finland - and now appears to be putting his money where his mouth is.
Chilling dashcam footage appears to show a fleet of the deadly Iskander missiles en route to Vyborg - just 24 miles from the Finnish border - on Monday.
Putin has warned of a "lightning fast" retaliation if the West directly intervenes in the Ukraine conflict.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the two Scandinavian countries "should have no illusions that we will simply resign ourselves to this".
The stern warning was somewhat expected in wake of their bloc bids, as Russia will soon be encircled by Nato territory on its western flank from the Arctic to Turkey.
It's understood that both countries have been spooked by Mad Vlad's invasion of Ukraine and are seeking security ties with the West to fend off any aspirations by Russia to invade.
Finland, which shares an 830-mile border with Russia, announced its hopes of securing NATO membership after remaining militarily non-aligned for 75 years.
President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin excitedly described the major policy shift as the beginning of a "new era".
But Russia claimed the country joining the transatlantic alliance would harm bilateral ties.
US President Joe Biden held a joint call with Finland’s leaders on Friday to support their Nato application — although Turkey has warned it may veto the move.
Sweden soon followed suit in just a matter of hours, with the ruling Social Democrats also backing a bid to join NATO.
Now in a stunning show of unity, 15,000 troops from 14 NATO countries will today conduct a huge military drill in the Baltics.
Finnish and Swedish soldiers will join in the exercise dubbed 'Siil' or 'Hedgehog' today, which will take place just 40 miles from the nearest Russian base.
Although the drill was pre-planned, its timing could not be more fitting.
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Just months ago, the historically impartial nations, Finland and Sweden, considered joining the alliance a distant prospect.
But Putin's horrific invasion of Ukraine has prompted them both to rethink their security needs and seek safety in a group they stood apart from during the long Cold War.
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