Ukraine's daring jet-ski raid into Russian-occupied Crimea with a perilous sea-crossing and a night-time assault in an operation even the SAS said was mission impossible

A lone soldier stands at his machine gun, silhouetted against the stars at the helm of a small vessel that appears to be hurtling relentlessly across the waves.

Seconds later, we see footage of a Ukrainian flag being attached to the walls of a single-storey wooden building. Working via torchlight, a group of breathless men whisper instructions, before posing for a brief souvenir photograph.

The 45-second film was shot before dawn on August 24, Ukraine’s independence day, and released to the…