This footage reportedly shows Russian combat crews from the aerospace division launching a new rocket into space carrying navigation technology. The images show the rocket, bearing the now infamous 'Z' symbol on it, blasting off from a launchpad at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, in the Arkhangelsk Oblast region, some 800 kilometres north of Moscow. The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Monday, 10th October, along with a statement saying: "Combat crews of the space forces of the Russian Aerospace Forces successfully launched the Soyuz-2 launch vehicle from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. "In the Arkhangelsk region at 5 hours 52 minutes (Moscow time) from the State test Cosmodrome of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (Plesetsk Cosmodrome), the combat crews of the space troops of the Aerospace Forces successfully launched a Soyuz-2.1b medium-class launch vehicle with the Glonass spacecraft -TO." The Russian MoD added: "The launch of the carrier rocket and the launch of the spacecraft into the calculated orbit took place in the normal mode." The Russian authorities also said: "At the estimated time, the spacecraft was launched into the target orbit and accepted for control of the ground facilities of the Space Forces of the Aerospace Forces. A stable telemetry connection has been established and maintained with the spacecraft, its onboard systems are operating in the normal mode. "After the spacecraft was launched into orbit, officers of the Main Centre for Space Intelligence of the Space Forces of the Aerospace Forces entered information about it into the Main Catalog of Space Objects of the Russian Space Control System and began to analyse and process information about the new space object. "In total, more than 40 ground-based measuring instruments and over 70 combat crews of the 15th Army of the Aerospace Special Forces were involved in ensuring the launch of the spacecraft of the Russian Ministry of Defence." We have not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage. The GLONASS system is a navigation system developed by Russia and designed to rival the US' GPS system (GPS). It caters to military and civilian users. Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a "special military operation". Today marks the 229th day of the war. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 10th October, Russia had lost about 62,870 personnel, 2,495 tanks, 5,149 armoured combat vehicles, 1,486 artillery units, 353 multiple launch rocket systems, 181 air defence systems, 267 warplanes, 235 helicopters, 1,097 drones, 249 cruise missiles, 15 warships, 3,908 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 136 units of special equipment. Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures. Russian President Vladimir Putin has labelled the explosion on the Kerch Bridge linking Russia-occupied Crimea to mainland Russia on Saturday, 8th October, an “act of terror” and has directly blamed Ukraine for the attack. Putin said on Sunday evening that the attack had been carried out by the “Ukrainian secret services”, adding: “There is no doubt. This is an act of terrorism aimed at destroying critically important civilian infrastructure.” Ukraine has not yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Sergei Aksyonov, Moscow’s governor in Crimea – which Russia annexed in 2014 – said: “Of course, emotions have been triggered and there is a healthy desire to seek revenge.” The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, has said that Putin will convene the country’s National Security Council today, Monday, to discuss the explosion on the Kerch Bridge. Russian shelling in Zaporizhzhia left at least 14 people dead on Sunday morning. The attack hit civilian infrastructure including a nine-storey building, with the Ukrainian Regional Governor, Oleksandr Starukh, saying that more people could still be trapped under the rubble. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that debris was still being cleared. He added: “More than 70 people were injured, including 11 children.” Russia has named Air Force General Sergei Surovikin as the commander of its forces fighting in Ukraine, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence. The move comes after Russia dismissed two of the commanders of its five military regions days earlier following significant reversals in eastern and southern Ukraine. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement on Sunday that since the beginning of October, Ukrainian forces have been considerably increased their shelling of territories currently held by Russia.