This footage reportedly shows Russian forces launching salvo rockets loaded with programmable mines to block Ukrainian supply and retreat routes.

The incident reportedly took place near the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast in Ukraine on December 11.

The Russian Ministry of Defence said an engineering crew from the ISDM Zemledelie remote mining system of the 2nd Combined Arms Army carried out distance mining behind Ukrainian positions detected by motor rifle units.

Authorities stated reconnaissance data on Ukrainian movements and vehicle concentrations led the ISDM crew to deploy to the designated firing area, set up the launcher, and fire 122-millimetre rockets loaded with programmable mines designed to create minefields along supply routes and potential withdrawal paths.

It said the mines were laid at high density and were intended to form zones impassable to vehicles and personnel.

Officials reported that the post-strike monitoring confirmed casualties among Ukrainian personnel and the destruction of several pieces of equipment during an attempted withdrawal.

The Zemledelie system is equipped with automated controls and can create programmable minefields at distances of up to 15 kilometres (9.3 miles).

Its munitions can reportedly activate after a set delay or self-neutralise at a predetermined time, allowing remote management of mine barriers as the frontline shifts.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, in what the Kremlin is still calling a 'special military operation'.