Russia’s battlegroup West repelled three Ukrainian attacks in the Kupyansk area over the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a daily bulletin of the special military operation.
Here are the details of this and other combat actions that happened over the past day, according to the bulletin.
Kupyansk area
"Forces of the battlegroup West, supported by artillery fire and aviation strikes, repelled three attacks of assault groups from Ukraine’s 60th Mechanized Brigade, 25th Airborne Brigade and 95th Assault Brigade near the settlements of Sinkovka in the Kharkov Region and Novosyolovksoye in the Lugansk People’s Reoublic," the ministry said.
Ukrainian forces lost up to 30 troops and 2 motor vehicles.
Krasny Liman area
"The losses of the enemy reached 180 troops, one tank, one Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and two other vehicles. Counter-battery strikes hit self-propelled artillery pieces Akatsiya and Gvozdika and two D-30 howitzers," the ministry said.
The Russian army repelled a Ukrainian attack near Grigorovka and hit the enemy near Yampolovka and Torskoye in the DPR.
Donetsk area
"In the Donetsk area, coordinated actions of the battlegroup South, in cooperation with artillery, helped repel an attack of Ukraine’s 24th Mechanized Brigade near the settlements of Shumy, DPR, and inflicted fire damage to enemy personnel and vehicles near the settlement of Klescheyevka, DPR," the ministry said.
Over the past day, Ukrainian forces lost up to 200 servicemen as killed an injured, as well as 2 infantry fighting vehicles, 6 motor vehicles, Msta-B and D-20 howitzers, two D-30 cannons and a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery unit.
South Donetsk area
"In the south Donetsk area, units of Battlegroup East, acting in coordination with artillery forces and aircraft, inflicted fire damage on an encampment site of the 79th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces near the Novomikahilovka settlement in the Donetsk People’s Republic. The enemy lost up to 55 troops in the area, as well as three pickup trucks and an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system," the ministry said.
Zaporozhye area
"In the Zaporozhye area, units of the Russian battlegroup, supported by artillery and heavy flamethrower systems, delivered damage to servicemen and equipment of the Ukrainian 33rd mechanized brigade, 128th mountain assault brigade, and the 102nd territorial defense brigade in the areas of the Rabotino, Kamenskoye and Gulyaipole settlements in the Zaporozhye Region," the ministry said.
The enemy lost a total of up to 90 troops, four motor vehicles, a D-20 howitzer and two D-30 artillery units in that area.
Kherson area
"In the Kherson area, as a result of the actions of Russian units and artillery fire, the enemy lost up to 60 servicemen, three motor vehicles, as well as the Msta-B howitzer," the ministry said.
Air Force and air defenses
"Russian tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile and artillery forces hit a 35D6 radar system designed to detect and track low-altitude targets, two German-made IRIS-T missile launchers and a fuel depot, as well as troops and equipment in 113 areas," the ministry said.
Air defenses intercepted five HIMARS rockets and 40 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Velikiye Vyselki in the Kharkov Region; Kremennaya, Ploshchanka and Verkhnekamenka in the Lugansk People’s Republic; Maryinka in the Donetsk People’s Republic; Ocheretovatoye in the Zaporozhye Region; Novaya Kakhovka and Brilyovka in the Kherson Region.
According to the Defense Ministry, a total of 558 planes, 261 helicopters, 10,080 unmanned aerial vehicles, 442 missile systems, 14,309 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, 1,189 multiple rocket launchers, 7,493 field artillery systems and mortars, as well as 16,690 special military motor vehicles, have been destroyed since the start of Russia’s special military operation.
Russian Forces Destroy Starlink Station Near Kupyansk
The Ukrainian counteroffensive began in June, with Kiev sending brigades trained by NATO instructors and armed with Western equipment into battle. Three months later, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Kiev's push had failed, with Ukraine suffering heavy casualties.
A combined group of fighters from battlegroup Zapad destroyed Ukrainian mortars, a Starlink station, and infantry with the help of combat drones in the direction of Kupyansk, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"As a result of the joint work of reconnaissance, motorized rifle and artillery units of the 1st Guards Tank Army of the Zapad battlegroup, several shelters, two mortars, Starlink satellite communications station and Ukrainian infantry were destroyed," the ministry said.
"During surveillance, when important targets are identified, such as ammunition supply points or the establishment of new enemy observation posts, we have a small task force go out on an ATV and destroy the identified targets. We also identify enemy artillery positions, transmit coordinates and make adjustments while our artillery is engaged. The main targets of the combat drone operators are enemy mortars," a reconnaissance officer said.
In addition to using FPV kamikaze drones, the Russian Armed Forces hit targets with a special ammunition-dropping drone. "This big one here is also our favorite drone. We already use it to destroy enemy strongholds. We use it for airdrops. The biggest load we sent was 2.5 kilograms. But we are already enthusiastic about it and have made our own ammunition for it. There is no standard ammunition for it, and we invent it ourselves. You can also hang three grenades on it. It can be used to disrupt the enemy's rotation, to hit vehicles," the officer said.
Watch Russian Be-12 Amphibious Aircraft and Ka-29 Helicopter Patrol Black Sea
In order to improve their practical skills in destroying fast and small naval targets, pilots of the Be-12 amphibious aircraft conducted a bombing raid on a target, while the crew of a Ka-29 helicopter practiced firing a high-caliber machine gun at a moving naval target, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The Russian Defense Ministry has released footage Be-12 amphibious anti-submarine aircraft and the Ka-29 combat transport helicopter crews conducting patrols over the Black Sea.
While practicing a combat mission, pilots of the mixed aviation regiment of the Naval Aviation and Air Defense of the Black Sea Fleet searched for unmanned and speed boats of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as floating mines posing a threat to civilian navigation, at low and standard flight altitudes.
Russia's Strategy Prevails as Western Aid to Ukraine Flounders
As the ongoing conflict in Ukraine continues to drag on, the determination of the collective West to keep on providing aid to Kiev is being put to the test. Additionally, the absence of pursuing any diplomatic solution, along with issues such as corruption and low morale within Ukraine's army, are seriously affecting their strength.
In a recent interview, Jill Dougherty, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and former CNN Moscow bureau chief, explained to journalist Michael Holmes how the United States has failed to uphold its Ukraine aid pledge.
Dougherty emphasized the current state of the conflict, highlighting a concerning lack of progress. The fighting has significantly stalled, with political hurdles in the United States impeding the crucial financial aid proposal for Ukraine, as put forth by President Biden. This predicament can be attributed to a bipartisan deadlock in Congress, which hinders the approval of the much-needed funds for Ukraine's aid. These circumstances accentuate Russia's strategy, which relies on the expectation of diminishing Western patience and support.
"So I think, probably, the strategy is for Russia and for Putin to wait out the West, wait for the West to collapse, wait for the unity of the allies to fall apart, and hope that maybe politically things will change in the United States, and then there won't be any opposition to what he is doing in Ukraine. It's hard to say, but I think, really, waiting is the strategy," Dougherty remarked.
This strategy of attrition and patience on Russia's part have potent consequences. As the conflict drags on, Russia hopes to outlast the collective West, banking on the collapse of Western unity and the potential for political shifts in the United States.
Michael Holmes cited an article from the Institute for the Study of War, which suggests that Putin's success in Ukraine hinges on the United States choosing inaction. The article contends that "Russian victory would diminish America's deterrence around the world, emboldening others with an explicit or latent intent to harm the US."
The scholar pointed to the ramifications of Western inaction and its far-reaching consequences beyond Ukraine's borders. She highlighted how America's credibility would be diminished, while Washington's European allies would experience growing Ukraine fatigue.
Furthermore, since the conflict broke out, over $110 billion in US taxpayer money has been released by Congress to Ukraine, and questions persist about how open-ended this aid has been. A joint statement released on December 19, 2023, by Senate leaders disclosed their decision to postpone military aid to Ukraine until 2024, citing ongoing Republican insistence on stricter border controls and other pressing issues.
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