Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[LB] Chernihiv, Donetsk, Sumy, Luhansk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions were also shelled.
by Iryna Lysohor
Last day, the Russian army shelled the Chernihiv region twice . From mortars and rocket systems of volley fire, the enemy aimed at the Novgorod-Siversky district. Without victims and destruction. At night - no shelling, says the message from OVA as of this morning.
During the day yesterday, the Russians shelled the Shalyginsk and Esmansk communities of the Sumy region. The enemy hit the Shalyginsk community with artillery, four "arrivals." The enemy shelled Esmansk community with mortars, three "arrivals." In all cases – without victims and destruction. At night and in the morning - no shelling.
Over the past day, the occupiers shelled the civilian infrastructure in the area of the settlements of Zaporizhzhia, Biloghirya, Olgivske, Gulyaipilske, Gulyaipole, Novoyakovlivka, Charivne, Preobrazhenka, Mala Tokmachka, Kamianske, Stepove, Orihiv, Zaliznychne, Novoandriivka, Dorozhnyanka, Malynivka, Novodanilivka, Lukyanivske, Mali Shcherbaki. 25 reports were received about the destruction of houses (apartments) of citizens and infrastructure objects as a result of Russian shelling. Details regarding the consequences are being clarified.
In Dnipropetrovsk , the Russians again shelled the Nikopol district. At night, the Marganets community was hit with heavy artillery. No casualties. Several private houses and farm buildings were mutilated. The consequences of the attack are still being investigated.
In the Luhansk region . units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled the attacks of the occupiers near Stelmakhivka and Kreminnaya. In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy shelled the Stelmakhivka area. On the Lymanskyi direction, Makiivka, Ploshanka, Nevske, Chervonopivka, Kreminna, Kuzmine and Dibrova came under Russian fire. The enemy's losses are increasing: in Luhansk, even the assembly hall in the building of the regional hospital was remodeled to meet the needs of wounded Russian soldiers.
In the Kharkiv region, in the Slobozhansk direction, the areas of the settlements of Guryiv Kozachok, Strilecha, Staritsa, Ohirtseve, Vovchansk, Vilcha and Novomlynsk were subjected to mortar and artillery shelling. In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy shelled the districts of Dvorichny, Zapadny, Kupyansk, Kislivka, Tabaivka, Krokhmalny, Berestovo, Vyshnevo, Ivanivka, and Pershotravnevo. As a result of these shellings, one enterprise, a trade pavilion, farm buildings, gas pipes, and fences were damaged. Seven private houses were damaged in Kupyansk and Vovchansk. No casualties.
In the Donetsk regionat night - rocket attack on Liman, three residential buildings were destroyed. Information about the victims is being clarified. In the morning, fighting intensified along the entire front line in the Ocheretyn community. Artillery shelling of the villages of Vesele and Krasnohorivka continues, hitting the territory of the villages. At night - isolated flights over the old part of Avdiivka.
Along the line of defense around the city, shelling of positions continued. In the morning - intensifying assault operations in the directions of Krasnohorivka, Vesely, Vodyany and Pervomaisky. Yesterday afternoon - missile strikes on Chasovoy Yar and Kostyantynivka. Apartment buildings and private houses, road surface were damaged. During the past day, shelling took place in the town of Kurakhivka and the city of Kurakhove. In the village of Kurakhivka, a two-story residential building was directly hit and a private residential building with outbuildings was damaged. In the city
During the day, the outskirts of Soledar were under constant shelling. It is impossible to establish the number of damaged houses, the information about the injured civilians is being clarified. Paraskoviivka near Soledar is also under constant fire during the day. Three private houses were damaged. Detailed information on the consequences and victims is being clarified.
Yesterday afternoon, enemy shelling was recorded in the direction of Ochakivska hromada, Mykolaiv region. Also, the enemy struck in the direction of the Kutsurub community last day. There are no casualties. Previously - without destruction.
The enemy does not stop terrorizing the inhabitants of the settlements of the Kherson region along the right bank of the Dnipro River. According to the information of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Dudchany, Stepanivka, Antonivka and Kherson came under fire from rocket launchers and barrel artillery.
Insurgents fired at a critical infrastructure facility in the village of Mykilske of the Dar'iv community. The object was damaged; three people received injuries of varying degrees of severity.
The perinatal center in Kherson caught fire due to the explosion of a shell fired by the enemy. A powerful blast wave knocked out the windows in the children's department and damaged one of the doctors' offices. An employee of the center was injured, the woman received minor injuries, her life is not in danger.
Currently, the consequences of the vile attack of the invaders are being eliminated. Due to numerous explosions in the center of Kherson, the building of the Kherson State University was damaged. In total, one person was killed in Kherson Oblast last day due to strikes by the Russian army, and 5 others were injured.
We will remind, over the past day, the Armed Forces destroyed about 430 invaders , three drones and a helicopter.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 23:12 Ukrainian military personnel will arrive in Spain this week for basic training and training in working with the HAWK air defense system. Spain will receive 225 Ukrainian troops at the country's air force base near Madrid, CNN reports. At the same time, 20 of them will be trained to operate the HAWK air defense system to counter air attacks. The rest of the military personnel who do not have prior military experience will undergo basic training. It will include training on the treatment of the wounded in combat and the algorithm of actions against improvised explosive devices.
22:28 Zelensky spoke about the meeting with the speaker of the Latvian Seimas, who arrived on a visit to Kiev: "We talked about the prospects not only defensive, but also political. In particular, about the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine. I heard confidence that there will definitely come the day when the Ukrainian flag will be absolutely on a par with all the flags of the EU member states. Latvia will help us in this. By the way, Latvia is one of those countries whose support for Ukraine in terms of percentage of GDP is one of the largest over the past year I think that this trend can continue this year."
22:21 The Rada allowed foreigners to fight as part of the National Guard - this legalizes the stay of many fighters in Azov. Read more in the material New law .
22:19 Zelensky in the evening video message noted the paratroopers of the 77th separate airmobile brigade, who, together with the soldiers of the 46th airmobile brigade in Soledar, hold their positions and inflict significant losses on the enemy.
22:10 Ukraine will submit for discussion in 2023 a draft resolution of the UN General Assembly on the establishment of a special tribunal against Russia, said Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Emine Dzhaparova, speaking at an open debate of the UN Security Council on the rule of law in international relations. "We call on all responsible states to support the resolution on the establishment of the tribunal, which we are going to submit to the General Assembly," she said.
21:52 Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets said that the third round of talks had taken place with Tatyana Moskalkova, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Russian Federation: "We discussed a wide range of issues related primarily to the protection of civilians."
21:16 Japan has allocated 95 million dollars to help Ukraine. According to the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, the program focuses on five areas: strengthening the government's ability to respond to the crisis; support of public services; restoration of critical infrastructure; support for private enterprises; strengthening civil society.
19:59 The European Commission supports Estonia's intentions to prepare a legislative framework for the confiscation of assets of sanctioned persons in favor of the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, said EC spokesman Christian Wiegand: "It's good that member states are already taking steps in this direction ... But, of course, there are process at the European level at the proposal of the European Commission: the first discussions already took place in the Council of the EU in December, and we are working with colleagues, in particular the Swedish Presidency, to make this happen very quickly."
19:45 Finland will transfer Leopard tanks to Ukraine, on condition that a joint European project is created, President Sauli Niiniste said. "However, the number of armored vehicles transferred cannot be large, since Finland borders on Russia and is not yet a NATO member state," he added.
19:28 In Melitopol, the number of Russians, Buryats, Ossetians and Kadyrovites has already exceeded the number of local residents, Mayor Ivan Fedorov said. According to him, "foreigners" want to seem like their own so much that they even use Ukrainian symbols. In particular, they hung a Ukrainian flag on KamAZ trucks and went north from Melitopol towards Vasilyevka, dressed in civilian clothes and eavesdropped on conversations on the streets, changed from trucks to cars with Ukrainian numbers, and transported the military in school buses with the inscription "Children".
Fedorov noted that all local residents are waiting for the return of the Ukrainian flag, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the resistance forces are monitoring every step of the invaders.
18:56 Zelensky said that he had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bethel: "I informed about the situation on the battlefield. We discussed common steps to counter Russian aggression. We also touched on the implementation of the peace formula."
I also spoke with President of Kenya William Ruto: "I thanked for the constructive interaction in the UN, for the support as a member of the UN Security Council. We talked about the Ukrainian initiative Grain from Ukraine, food security and the creation of grain hubs in Africa. We agreed to strengthen cooperation."
18:21 The enemy continues to advance in the Bakhmut direction, the most fierce battles continue in the areas of the settlements of Soledar, Paraskoveevka, Bakhmut and Kleshcheevka, the General Staff said in the evening report. In the Avdeevsky direction the enemy is conducting unsuccessful offensive operations, and in the Kupyansky and Limansky directions he does not leave attempts to improve the tactical situation. On the Novopavlovsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson directions - it is defending.
To make up for losses in manpower, the enemy does not stop mobilization, including in the temporarily occupied territory of the Luhansk region. So, in Alchevsk, on January 9, another wave of mobilization began.
18:17 The Russians continue their offensive in the Soledar region, their goal is to break through the defenses and capture the city, Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said. Also, according to her, attempts continue to cordon off Bakhmut - for this, the enemy uses detachments of Wagnerites and regular troops. "Our soldiers courageously hold their positions and inflict numerous losses on the enemy," Malyar added.
18:12 The Verkhovna Rada adopted bill No. 8098, expanding the rights of foreign volunteers in Ukraine. Now foreigners from the National Guard, the State Special Transport Service and other military formations can legally stay on the territory of Ukraine and obtain Ukrainian citizenship under a simplified procedure.
18:05 Soledar remains the hottest point of the war. Almost all the buildings in the city are destroyed, but the battle for control over it continues. About why exactly Soledar and what it was like before the war - in the material City, erased from the earth .
17:36 Germany has not yet made a decision on the supply of Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine, and Berlin will decide this issue only together with its allies, said German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht. At the same time, she did not categorically deny such a possibility, noting that "in the times in which we live, we are given good advice - to adapt to the appropriate situation."
She also confirmed that Marder BMPs would be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the quarter: "We will make sure that 40 Marders and the Ukrainian military prepared for their use go to Ukraine by the end of the first quarter."
17:21 Erdogan intends to hold telephone conversations with Putin and Zelensky on January 13 and 14 on the issue of a humanitarian corridor for the removal of the wounded, the Turkish Ombudsman said.
17:18 Ukraine is creating an international demining hub, Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky said. According to him, pyrotechnicians from other countries will be attracted to the organization, with whom Ukrainians will exchange knowledge. The partners will also provide Ukraine with Western equipment, and Ukrainian specialists will share their innovative developments with them.
17:04 Zelensky said that he had held a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief: "We discussed the situation in the main directions of the front. We paid special attention to the battles in Bakhmut and Soledar. I emphasize: the units that defend these cities will be provided with ammunition and everything necessary promptly and uninterruptedly. Finally there was talk about strengthening the Armed Forces of Ukraine with equipment and weapons coming from partners."
16:23 Speaker of the Latvian Parliament Edwards Smiltens spoke in the Verkhovna Rada. He, in particular, proposed to hold a tribunal over officials of the Russian Federation in Riga, said MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
16:05 The Russians shelled the village of Yantarny near Kherson, the shell hit a residential building. One person died from the injuries received on the spot, another was injured, said the head of the Regional Military Administration, Yaroslav Yanushevich.
15:48 The Ukrainian peace summit under the auspices of UN Secretary General António Guterres is expected to take place on February 24 in New York, Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasily Bodnar said in an interview with Anadolu.
15:34 Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko denied the information of journalist Rikard Yozwiak that Ukraine allegedly asked the EU not to include Belarus in the latest sanctions packages. He recalled that a number of personal and sectoral sanctions have already been imposed on Belarus for supporting Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Now the EU member states are discussing the issue of further synchronization of the sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation.
"At the same time, according to our information, there is no consensus within the European Union yet. Ukraine and partners are now actively working to maximize the content of the tenth EU sanctions package, the adoption of which is long overdue," Nikolenko added.
15:28 Berlin should allow the supply of Leopard tanks to Ukraine by other countries, said German Economy Minister Robert Habeck: "There is a difference between making a decision about yourself and preventing others from making a decision. And, accordingly, Germany should not stand in the way when other countries make a decision support for Ukraine, regardless of what Germany decides."
15:17 Putin's reshuffle, during which he installed the loyal Gerasimov and replaced Surovikin, experts call a power struggle between the Russian military and the Wagner group. About what another castling in the military leadership of the Russian Federation means - in the material Prodigal General .
14:45 As a result of a nighttime missile attack on Gulyaipole, Zaporozhye region, residential buildings and outbuildings, garages and equipment of a local utility company were on fire. One person died, two were injured, said the head of the OVA Alexander Starukh.
14:18 The police found 49 torture facilities in the de-occupied territories, 25 of them in the Kharkiv region, said the head of the Department of Organizational, Analytical Support and Rapid Response of the National Police Oleksiy Sergeev.
13:57 Zelensky said that he had discussed with the President of Cyprus Nikos Anastasiades the current security challenges, thanked for the humanitarian assistance for Ukraine and readiness to support the increased sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation.
13:46 In Belogorivka, Luhansk region, the Defense Forces of Ukraine have improved their positions and do not allow the Russians to attack, but the settlement has been completely destroyed, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Gaidai. He also said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are moving forward in the Kremensky and Svatovsky directions.
13:43 Danilov is convinced that the West will provide Ukraine with enough tanks to win: “The time has come when we will begin to receive them. Then all partners, I am sure, will be connected to this process, and there will be enough tanks to defeat the enemy on the battlefield. There will be equipment, there will be weapons and an offensive, we will expel the Russians from all territories, despite the statements of some foreign figures that we need to take a break and start negotiations."
13:26 Podolyak said that there will be no repetition of the 2014 scenario: "Once again about the official position. 1. The Russian Federation may not hope for a repetition of the 2014 scenario" we kill you, then you settle accounts with us with lands, we pause and go again kill you." 2. The war will end on the borders of 1991 with a tribunal, reparations and life sentences."
13:22 Frequent personnel changes in the leadership of the Russian troops indicate problems in management, said Alexei Gromov, Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: "We monitor the fact that personnel changes periodically occur in the leadership of the armed forces of the occupying country. If they had everything well, personnel changes would not occur with such frequency. Recent personnel changes indicate that there is a need for a combination of command and control in their ranks. Not everything works out the way they want."
12:51 Now it is incorrect to estimate what percentage of Soledar is controlled by the Defense Forces, and what percentage is controlled by the enemy, said Alexei Gromov, Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: "As for Soledar: there are fierce battles, it is a little inappropriate to estimate in percentage terms what part of the city we control and which one the enemy is trying to control. The battles are going on, the battles are fierce. So far so."
12:29 The EU does not impose sanctions against the Lukashenka regime at the request of Ukraine, Radio Liberty European correspondent Rikard Jozwiak said. According to him, Ukraine's demand is one of the reasons why Lukashenka's regime did not fall under EU sanctions along with the Russian Federation in the latest sanctions packages.
12:25 Russia plans to capture the Donetsk and then the Zaporizhia region, while maintaining the main goal - the capture of the entire territory of Ukraine, said the deputy head of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Gromov: "It is predicted that in the near future the enemy will try to enter the administrative borders of the Donetsk region, and in the future it can intensify its actions to seize the left-bank part of the Zaporozhye region. The main goal of the enemy is to seize the entire territory of our country and destroy the statehood of Ukraine."
12:14 The SBU reported the suspicion to the deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Adam Delimkhanov, who commanded the Kadyrovites during the assault on Azovstal.
11:48 In Ukraine, 55% of destroyed or damaged infrastructure facilities that provide Ukrainians with heat supply have been restored, said Oleksiy Chernyshev, chairman of the board of NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine.
11:45 The command of the RF Armed Forces is strengthening the grouping of troops on the territory of Ukraine, said Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar. In particular, Russia is moving those mobilized from the training grounds of Belarus and the Russian Federation to the war zone and border areas. As of January 10, about 280 formations are operating as part of the Russian occupation forces, taking into account the operational reserve (last week - 250). The enemy rotates units as part of a regional grouping of troops on the territory of the Republic of Belarus.
The situation in the combat areas remains difficult. In the absence of the required amount of technically ready military equipment, the Kremlin is actively using human resources to achieve success on the battlefield, Maliar noted.
11:22 It will take more than five years for the complete demining of Ukraine, said Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky. According to him, pyrotechnicians clean about 40 hectares every day.
11:09 As of the morning of January 12, a significant shortage of power remains in the energy system, especially in the morning and evening hours, Ukrenergo reported. Consumption limits have been brought to all regions, effective from 00:00 to 24:00. Already in the morning in nine regions the limits were exceeded, emergency shutdowns were applied.
10:56 Brussels has accelerated work on the tenth package of sanctions against Russia - the member countries want to adopt it before the Ukraine-EU summit, which is to be held in early February in Kiev, PAP reported, citing Polish officials. The new package also plans to expand sanctions against Belarus, synchronizing them with anti-Russian restrictions.
10:22 Danilov said that the next two or three months of the war will be decisive and Russia will go for broke. According to him, the Kremlin is already "preparing for certain events" to report on progress towards the anniversary of the invasion. "She, too, cannot drag out the war without end, there is a difficult situation there and problems are accumulating in Russia ... February 24 will be one of the periods when they would like to report to their society on the achievement of any success," the NSDC Secretary explained.
09:47 In 2023, the United States will provide unprecedented financial support to Ukraine to restore the energy sector, Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko said following an online meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State for Energy Geoffrey Pyatt. "We discussed support for our country and its energy sector. Appropriate funds for its restoration are already provided in the US state budget for 2023," the minister added.
09:13 British intelligence reports that since the beginning of January, Russia has allocated units of the 76th Guards Airborne Division of the Airborne Forces to strengthen the front line in Kremennaya. According to analysts, fierce fighting has been going on for the past two days not only in the Soledar area, but also on the outskirts of Kremennaya in the Luhansk region.
The British Ministry of Defense notes that after the withdrawal of part of the troops from the Kherson region, Russia began to use the Airborne Forces for their intended purpose - as an elite rapid reaction force.
09:05 In the Kherson region over the past day, one person was killed due to Russian shelling, five more were injured, said the head of the OVA, Yaroslav Yanushevich.
09:03 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, one civilian was killed - in Paraskoveevka, said the head of the OVA Pavel Kirilenko.
09:01 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that the appointment of Gerasimov and the general restructuring of command is likely in part to demonstrate both on the international arena and within Russia the Kremlin's loyalty to the traditional power structures of the DoD and Putin's willingness to wage a protracted war in Ukraine and resume offensive operations.
In addition, according to analysts, the promotion of Gerasimov and the Russian Defense Ministry over Surovikin, a favorite of Prigozhin and the siloviki faction, was probably partly a political decision to confirm the primacy of the Russian Defense Ministry in the internal struggle for power.
08:58 The United States and Japan adopted a joint statement in which they condemned the actions of the Russian Federation and promised to continue to support Ukraine. Support for Ukraine and opposition to Russian aggression became one of the main topics of the meeting of the US-Japan Security Advisory Committee.
08:47 London's plans to supply Ukraine with Challenger 2 tanks have not changed the position of the German government, which has so far rejected calls for Berlin to transfer German Leopard 2 tanks to Kiev, German government spokesman Steffen Gebeshtreit said.
08:29 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy as of the morning of January 12.
personnel - about 113,990 (+430) people liquidated,
tanks - 3094 (+0),
armored combat vehicles - 6159 (+0),
artillery systems - 2082 (+4),
MLRS - 437 (+0),
air defense systems - 218 (+1),
aircraft - 285 (+0),
helicopters - 276 (+1),
UAV operational-tactical level - 1865 (+3),
cruise missiles - 723 (+0),
ships/boats - 17 (+0) units,
automotive equipment and tankers - 4826(+0),
special equipment - 184 (+0).
08:17 Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces repelled attacks by invaders in the areas of the settlements of Stelmakhivka and Kremennaya in the Luhansk region and Razdolivka, Salt, Krasnaya Gora, Paraskoveevka, Podgorodnoye, Bakhmut, Klescheevka, Mayorsk, Pervomayskoye and Krasnogorovka of the Donetsk region, the General Staff reports in the morning summary .
Near the village of Radensk, Kherson region, the Russians built a network of trenches and dugouts using sea containers, which had previously been equipped as a field hospital.
The recruitment of mercenaries to the newly created so-called private military companies Shield and Rusich has been announced in Crimea. Former military personnel and other employees of law enforcement agencies are invited there, officers are in priority. In order to somehow interest, potential candidates are promised high pay. In addition, they are told that they allegedly will not be involved in hostilities in Ukraine.
06:34 At night, the Russians fired missiles at one of the districts of Zaporozhye, as a result of which private houses and infrastructure were damaged. According to preliminary data, people were not injured, said the head of the OVA Alexander Starukh.
06:16 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that the military-industrial base of the Russian Federation is not able to overcome the shortage of ammunition. In this regard, it will be extremely problematic for Russia to support offensive operations in eastern Ukraine in 2023. Analysts recalled that, according to statements by American and Ukrainian officials, the daily intensity of the artillery fire of the occupiers decreased by 75%, which is the minimum since February 24, 2022.
The Russian Federation depleted its stocks of 122mm and 152mm caliber and other reserves in the summer of 2022, assuming that excessive artillery attacks would lead to faster results. Now she must move additional shells from the rear areas and purchase additional ammunition from foreign countries.
04:24 The Russian Permanent Mission announced the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine on January 17, the topic of the meeting was not disclosed.
01:28 The aerospace company Maxar has published satellite images of the cities of Soledar and Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. Judging by the pictures, houses and schools were completely destroyed in Soledar. In Bakhmut along the roads and in the fields there are thousands of shell craters.
00:50 The United States will continue to provide Ukraine with new large-scale aid packages that will ensure its victory in confronting Russian aggression, said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre: "The United States will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, and we have been very clear and consistent on this issue. We are moving fast and supporting Ukraine with the tools necessary to win this war."
00:15 During the weekend of January 14-15, the situation with electricity in Ukraine should improve - this is due to the expected warming, said the head of Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudrytsky.
by Petr Akopov
[RIA] Both the capture of Soledar and the appointment of Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov as commander of the Joint Group of Forces draw additional attention to what is happening on the fronts, without canceling the understanding that the path to victory will be long and difficult. The fighting has long been drawn out, and there is no chance that Western support for Ukraine will weaken, let alone stop.
And the point here is not the already promised deliveries of tanks, armored personnel carriers and other things - the point is that a bet has been made on a protracted war. Moreover (although this bet was made a long time ago), recently there has been a rethinking of this concept itself, that is, the forms in which it can proceed, and even its results.
Initially, the West chose mainly from two options. The longest possible war of attrition, in which all support for Ukraine is aimed at containing and exhausting Russia. So that in the end, victory will be given to us at the highest possible price - human, economic, geopolitical. And ideally, the path to it was not passed by us to the end: because it would lead to confusion and the collapse of Russia (but this is already a completely advantageous option for the West, which by and large does not depend on it, because here the Russians must flog themselves) .
The second option is to bet on the victory of Ukraine, for which it is necessary not only to wear down Russia, but also to inflict a serious military defeat on it, in particular, to take away the Donbass and Crimea. Although there are those among the Western establishment who sincerely believe in the possibility of defeating Russia at the hands of Ukraine and are not afraid of a nuclear war, this option was still much less popular than the first one.
But now the third option is being discussed more and more actively - a protracted war in itself. That is, one that does not lead to the defeat of either side and at the same time allows the West to maintain and even strengthen control over Ukraine. Moreover, at the same time also partially restore relations with Russia, having received guarantees from her that the conflict will not escalate beyond the borders of Ukraine.
Amazing naivete? No, quite a serious text on Foreign Affairs " Long battle in Ukraine " with the subtitle "The West needs a plan for a protracted conflict with Russia." Signed by Ivo Daalder and James Goldgayer, the former a no-nonsense analyst (now president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs), the latter a former U.S. ambassador to NATO (during Obama's first term) and director of European affairs at the National Security Council (under Clinton).
The authors begin by criticizing the West's approach, which chooses from two options - not the ones we described above (because no one in the West recognizes the existence of a war strategy of attrition for Russia), but the options of "victory for Ukraine" and "achieving peace through negotiations." Daalder and Goldgaier call betting both on a military victory for Kiev and on peace talks with Moscow , which is not going to give up on achieving its goals, unconvincing. And they consider a stalemate on the battlefield quite likely:
"Both sides will try to feel for weaknesses in the enemy's defenses, but if a more significant collapse does not befall either of them, the line of confrontation will most likely remain more or less where it is. The depletion of material resources and the lack of personnel may even lead to long pauses in hostilities, which can help achieve ceasefire agreements, even if they are temporary.Not all wars end.And not all of them end in peace.
The Korean War ended in a truce, and the 1973 Yom Kippur War led to "disengagement agreements", which in the case of Israel and Syria are still in force. And Russia is even more accustomed to living with frozen conflicts, including in Georgiaand Moldova.
The examples cited with the Far and Middle East, of course, are completely incorrect: in the first case, it was a direct conflict between the United States and China (with mostly indirect participation of the USSR ), and in the second, Arabs and Jews fought among themselves with the support of Moscow and Washington . Now hostilities are taking place on the territory of historical Russia, that is, the West is trying to solve the internal problem of this country by cutting off from it (not formal, as in 1991, but actual) the western part. But in this case, what matters is where the authors of Foreign Affairs are driving:
“If Ukrainians face such a bleak future — that is, a situation in which a state of military conflict with or without intense fighting persists — the West will need a multi-vector long-term strategy that does not imply indifference to the future of Ukraine or refusal to contact Russia on issues that represent mutual interest While it is difficult for the West to imagine cooperating with Putin and his regime at the moment, in the long run it may not have much choice.<...>
There is an urgent need to look at the longer term of the conflict and develop policies towards both Russia and Ukraine based on the emerging reality that the fighting is likely to continue for quite some time. Instead of believing that the confrontation can be ended with victory or negotiations, the West needs to reflect on a situation in which the conflict continues, but neither victory nor peace is in sight."
And what should the West do in this situation? Keep Ukraine in your hands and make agreements with Russia! Yes, there are those who believe in such a possibility:
“Western states and their allies will need to continue to provide Ukraine with military support to defend against further Russian attacks and contain Russia’s larger ambitions by maintaining economic sanctions and diplomatically isolating it. And they will need to ensure that the conflict does not escalate. At the same time, the West will need to lay a long-term foundation for security and stability in Europe.This will require the full integration of Kiev and the West in the development of a containment policy that emphasizes both preventing a Russian offensive and engaging Moscow in efforts to prevent the conflict from escalating into a larger military confrontation, which no one wants".
That is, the war will go on in a sluggish mode for years, and in the meantime, the States will prepare Ukraine's entry into NATO and the EU :
“The United States and NATO countries need to make a security commitment to provide Ukraine with the weapons it needs to defend against Russia in the long term, just as the United States has done with Israel for decades.
And Washington, together with its allies, must work to increasing the prospects for the EU membership promised to Kyiv, while at the same time dealing with the issue of possible entry into NATO.
Meanwhile, Russia will need to be contained and politically isolated by all means, maintaining all sanctions and convincing the countries of the South that Russia is to blame for their disasters. But at the same time to offer it to reach agreements on strategic stability:
“However, along with the containment of Russia and its political and economic isolation, the West will also need to maintain channels of communication with the Kremlin in order to avoid a direct war between Russia and NATO and maintain strategic stability. With continued intense fighting in Ukraine between the West and Russia, it is unlikely that wide-ranging negotiations But, as in the last Cold War, there may be scope for both sides to take confidence-building measures to avoid confrontation, which neither wants. New START Treaty, which expires in 2026, and which provides for intrusive verification and information sharing on nuclear weapons held by both Russia and the United States.
That is, with one hand we are fighting against Russia in Ukraine, and with the other we offer it negotiations on START - Moscow is also interested in an agreement? At the same time, the logic is ironclad, because we, the Americans, managed to combine the policy of containment and diplomacy in relations with Russia before, why not this time? The fundamental difference between situations - and historical time - is simply ignored.
Moreover, there is even confidence that the West and Russia will be able to agree on a new European security architecture:
“Eventually both the West and Russia will have to accept some version of the agreements that the United States and its allies made with the Soviet Union between 1975 and 1990 in order to avert worse consequences and ensure greater stability in Europe. The Helsinki Final Act 1975 committed all parties to recognize existing borders and seek to change them only by peaceful means.The Vienna Document, signed in 1990 and periodically updated in subsequent years, was a set of confidence-building measures that limited hostilities, provided for the exchange of information on military stocks and demanded prior notice of significant troop movements.<...>
It is most likely impossible to reach such agreements now. They may not be possible at all while Putin is in power, although the West should consider such options. However, they remain the only viable means of engagement with Russia in the long term."
This text is very significant in that its main pathos is aimed at convincing the American establishment that Russia has its own interests: "Even non-imperial Russia, focused on itself, will have its own security interests. All states have them. And if the West is admits - this will not mean his weakness. But if the American elite needs to be explained such primitive things that a great nuclear power has its own national interests, this speaks first of all of how inadequate its ideas about the world order are.
And the authors of the text in Foreign Affairs themselves - who certainly consider themselves realists and certainly not interventionists - are building their entire concept on a completely false premise. On the fact that Ukraine is just another point of conflict between Russia and the West, it means that sooner or later it will be possible to leave the conflict because of it in a semi-frozen form and agree on global problems - nuclear weapons and European security. But Ukraine is not just a conflict between the West and Russia: it is a conflict that takes place at the moment of the collapse of the Western world order and in itself accelerates it.
And this conflict is taking place on the territory of historical Russia, that is, it has an absolutely existential character for us, which does not provide for freezing and refusing to fight until victory. Even if the West manages to impose a really protracted war on us, we will not retreat or yield, but the understanding of this is already practically inaccessible to the Atlantic strategists. What deprives them of the opportunity to adequately predict the future - not only ours, but also their own.
Kindly note that several entries in this article may have been removed because they included discussions of the grand strategic level.
[NewsFrontInfo] 21:37 Ukrainians have a wave of panic: Russian fighters in the uniform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine penetrate the rear and destroy Ukrainian soldiers and officers.
In one of the new messages, they write that the Wagner PMC in Ukrainian pixelated camouflage with yellow and green armbands penetrated the positions of the 17th Tank Brigade through holes in the defense and reached the battalion's command post, where they shot officers and soldiers with pistols with silencers.
20:53 Three explosions thundered in the Belgorod region - local residents saw a bright flash in the sky
Residents of the city of Novy Oskol, Belgorod Region, heard three powerful explosions and saw a bright flash in the sky. Readovka's source said that an unknown object fell into the field, apparently an enemy missile was shot down.
Emergency services have already arrived at the scene, details are being clarified. Information about the victims has not yet been received.
19:00 Law enforcement officers discovered and destroyed a cache of saboteurs in the LPR, the contents were intended for terrorist attacks in the Russian Federation -video
Machine guns, grenade launchers, foreign-made cartridges, a shot for a 73mm 2A28 cannon were found in this cache. Suspected terrorists are being sought
18:58 Russian artillery is working on Ukrainian positions and locations in a constant mode day and night -video
18:56 Another footage of the night work of Russian artillery in the Bakhmut (Artemovsky) area, including incendiary ammunition -video
18:00 RT: Ukrainian military threatens to use self-made kamikaze drones against the Russian Federation, presumably with hydrocyanic acid (Germany used it to kill Jews in concentration camps).
Footage appeared on Ukrainian Telegram channels showing men in camouflage with blue armbands on their clothes attaching capsules with a poisonous substance to drones.
The author of the video says on the move that the weapon was created with the support of the fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (indicates, in particular, the 63rd Brigade): “This will all fly to your heads ... The created product has been tested, has already gone into circulation, numbering in the hundreds, and in the future - by the thousands."
17:59 The Ukrainian ambassador in London said that Kyiv had withdrawn part of its troops towards Belarus.
“We have to keep troops in northern Ukraine, pull them away from the front line, to make sure that they don’t come and try to cut the line that allows us to be connected with the West,” a Ukrainian diplomat replied when asked if Kyiv was worried the situation on the Belarusian border.
17:30 The result of the destruction of the ammunition depot of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Ochakiv -video.
The Russian army struck at the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the ammunition depot on January 9, footage of a powerful explosion then circled the network. Now the consequences have been removed from the territory of the facility.
17:21 The Deputy Commander of the Joint Group of the Russian Armed Forces, Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, General of the Army Oleg Salyukov, appointed yesterday, has arrived in Belarus.
17:16 Our drone attacks the militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and rams an enemy copter —video.
UAV operators of the 9th Regiment do not give the enemy a break. Air strikes are continuously delivered to manpower and enemy drones are rammed. A Ukrainian UAV is reported to have been shot down.
16:15 French journalist Adrian Boke asked for political asylum in Russia.
From the beginning of the SVO, Boke covered the events in the territory controlled by Kyiv and became the first Western journalist to publicly declare that the events in Bucha were an outright provocation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In September 2022, Adrian was assassinated in Istanbul after the publication of his data on Nazi telegram channels.
16:02 In the Tver region, they received another traitor who was going to go to Ukraine to fight on the side of the enemy against his homeland.
15:36Ukrainians, leaving their positions in the area of the settlement. Marinka, demonstrate successfully destroyed by Russian artillery KrAZ-6322 -video
15:17Su-25 ground interdiction aircraft "Rooks" launch rockets at the militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from low altitudes -video
The crews of the attack aircraft Su-25 "Grach" launched rocket air strikes on military facilities and equipment of the enemy. As a result of the sortie, camouflaged fortified field positions and armored vehicles of Ukrainian terrorists were destroyed.
15:11 The Viking reconnaissance group discovered the mercenaries' deployment point in Krasnogorovka. Then our artillery began to methodically dismantle it -video
The total number of militants was about a company. After the work of our artillerymen, it was reduced by 40 killed and wounded.
14:43 Summary Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine (01/12/2023).
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to conduct a special military operation.
- In the Kupyansk direction, Russian troops carried out artillery and army aviation strikes against units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Kislovka, Berestovoye, Kharkov Region, and Novoselovskoye, Lugansk People's Republic. In addition, five sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the enemy were destroyed in the areas of the settlements of Kislovka, Olshana, Tabaevka, Krakhmalnoe and Pershotravnevo in the Kharkov region.
- The losses of the enemy in this direction amounted to more than 30 Ukrainian servicemen, two armored combat vehicles and three pickup trucks.
- In the Krasno-Limansky direction, as a result of the active actions of Russian units in combination with the complex fire defeat of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Stelmakhivka, Novolyubovka, Nevskoye of the Lugansk People's Republic, Serebryanka and Grigorovka of the Donetsk People's Republic, more than a hundred Ukrainian servicemen, four combat armored cars and three cars.
- Successful offensive operations of the Russian troops continued in the Donetsk direction.
- As a result of air strikes and artillery fire, the irretrievable losses of the enemy amounted to 70 Ukrainian servicemen, as well as one tank, three armored combat vehicles and four vehicles.
- In the South-Donetsk direction, up to 30 Ukrainian servicemen, two armored combat vehicles and three vehicles were destroyed by inflicting a complex fire strike on the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Novomikhailovka, Prechistovka and Novoselka of the Donetsk People's Republic.
– The strikes of operational-tactical and army aviation, missile forces and artillery hit two ammunition depots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the city of Zaporozhye and near the settlement of Novoivanovka, Zaporozhye region, as well as 76 artillery units in firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 123 districts.
In the course of the counter-battery fight at firing positions, the following were destroyed:
- three Ukrainian combat vehicles of the 122mm BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system in the areas of the settlements of Kupyansk, Petropavlovka, Kharkov Region, and Ivanovka, Donetsk People's Republic;
- two artillery systems M777 and M109 "Paladin" made by the USA in the areas of the settlements of Lozovoe and Peschanoe of the Donetsk People's Republic;
- two self-propelled howitzers 122mm 2S1 "Gvozdika" in the areas of the settlements of Burlatskoye of the Donetsk People's Republic and Orekhov of the Zaporozhye region.
- In addition, in the area of the settlement of Lozovoe of the Donetsk People's Republic, a US-made AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery radar was destroyed.
- Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force near the village of Nikanorovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
- During the day, five Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed in the air by means of air defense in the areas of the settlements of Starobelsk, Chervonopopovka, Sofiyivka of the Luhansk People's Republic, Nikolskoye of the Donetsk People's Republic, as well as three rockets of the HIMARS and Alder multiple launch rocket systems in areas populated by points Molochansk and Chistopolye Zaporozhye region.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, the following have been destroyed: 372 aircraft, 200 helicopters, 2,873 unmanned aerial vehicles, 400 anti-aircraft missile systems, 7,486 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 979 combat vehicles of multiple launch rocket systems, 3,813 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 8,019 units of special military vehicles.
13:40 Russian units continue to actively clean Soledar from Ukrainians, destroying everyone who refuses to raise their hands -video
12:28 Investigative Committee will create a DNA database to identify the identities of those killed in Donbass. This was reported to Bastrykin, who arrived today for an operational meeting in Donetsk. This measure will help in identifying people whose remains continue to be found in unmarked graves.
The Investigative Committee also reported that evidence of war crimes by Ukrainian militants and nationalists in Mariupol had been found. Investigators found electronic media from which copies of documents on the conduct of hostilities in the city were extracted.
12:05 "We work to the fullest": the crew of 152mm self-propelled howitzers 2S3 "Acacia" of the Central Military District continues to destroy the positions, equipment and manpower of the Armed Forces of Ukraine -video
Servicemen competently approach the camouflage of positions for live firing, which allows them to strike as unexpectedly as possible for the enemy. The accurate fire of howitzer batteries is corrected by unmanned aircraft operators and groups of advanced artillery spotters.
The crews are staffed not only by contract servicemen, but also by volunteers who successfully carry out combat missions. After hitting the targets, the personnel of the battery leave their positions and take cover in the dugouts.
12:04Ukrainian "Hummer" destroyed by a direct hit from a Russian tank -video
12:02 Russian artillery is working on Ukrainian positions and locations in a constant mode day and night -video
11:32 Servicemen of the RF Armed Forces identified one of the militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the footage of the destruction of which we showed yesterday -a source.
It turned out that it was a hardened tik-tok warrior Vitaly Milevsky. But fighting on tik tok and in real life are a few different things. Our fighters edited a video calling not to repeat Vitaly's mistakes, not to defend the Nazi regime with weapons in their hands and posted it on his own account.
11:13 Nationalists set fire to a temple in the village of Ovadne, Volyn region of Ukraine.
The day before, the rector of the temple refused to move from the UOC to the OCU, the result, as you can see, on cadres. The persecution of Orthodox priests is gaining momentum.
10:55 Zelensky's adviser Mikhail Podolyak: "We will have a single local Orthodox Church, our Pechersk Lavra should be Ukrainian in full, services should be held in our language, Ukrainian - these are key elements."
“The Church and religious organizations in Ukraine are separated from the state… — No religion can be recognized by the state as obligatory” —quoteson this occasion, Article 35 of the Constitution of Ukraine Notebook of a propagandist.
10:37 DPR special forces scouts spotted a Ukrainian sabotage group and hit it with ATGMs -video
The next day, the enemy again stepped on the same rake: a new group tried to follow the old route and was again ATGMed. After that, the command sent an evacuation group to pick up the dead. The result is predictable - they were also hit by an anti-tank missile.
10:24 Svoboda battalion of the 4th BrOP NSU complains about losses in Artemovsk —a photo.
Another division of the Kyiv Nazis reports their losses in the Artyomovsk meat grinder. Interestingly, the Svoboda battalion was originally part of the Kyiv 112 Troop Brigade, and more recently, apparently, was reassigned to the National Guard.
09:47 American political analyst and radio host Garland Nixon continues to post pro-Russian content on his Twitter. "I'm not a Nazi, it's him" -a photo.
09:15 Continuation of the storming of the Armed Forces defender at the front near Svatovo: "Brave" Siberians destroy the Nazis -video.
Recall that our fighters went on the attack, surrounded the enemy stronghold and offered to surrender for a long time, then began the assault from several directions. Part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the 518th Spetsnaz Battalion refused to surrender. Some of the Ukrainian Armed Forces holding positions were taken prisoner, some were destroyed.
08:29 Cut in Kharkov: brigade commander of the local 92nd Brigade and the Nazi of the Right Sector Sternenko decided to “make money” at the training camp -a source.
It has been repeatedly reported that the brigade commander of the 92nd Brigade Pavel Fedosenko decided to follow the example of his senior comrades Zaluzhny and Syrsky and hit politics and business. Fedosenko took control of the networ kpharmacy helping the "public"slop down from mobilization and, of course, steals brigade property.
“It is not surprising that he managed to find a common language with the Nazi from the Odessa "Right Secto" Sternenko, who was caught on a tenfold inflated price of drones, a satellite from which no one saw a photo, it is not clear where the bayraktars disappeared , as well as theft on armored cars and theft on RVS-14 night vision devices, ”the author writes.
08:20 Fiery bouquet: crews of 152mm towed guns "Hyacinth-B" continue to grind manpower and armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine -video
Artillerymen of the Western Military District are confidently destroying firing points of Ukrainian armed formations.
08:11 Tanks are tearing the enemy on the Red Liman Front -video
Shooting is carried out from closed positions with the help of a copter. After several adjustments, the tank puts shells directly into the trenches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The control of the defeat is personally carried out by the commander of the 1st battalion of the 4th Brigade of the LPR with the call sign "Sher". /Ministry of Defense, TK Zvezda/
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFrontInfo] 00:15 Russian forces took Artemovsk (Bakhmut) in the Donetsk People's Republic into an operational encirclement, said Igor Kimakovsky, adviser to the acting head of the republic. 21:34 As subdivisions of PMC "Wagner" freed Soledar
The liberation of Soledar can be called one of the most successful offensive operations in recent times. The city was taken by storm in just a few weeks by the fighters of the Wagner PMC.
The Ukrainian formations defending in Soledar tried to hold it until the last moment, providing tough resistance to the advancing PMC units.
“The enemy fought back. Like it or not, it is always easier to defend than to attack. This is the law of war, it has always been, is and will be," said one of the fighters.
To date, the city has been completely cleared. Details on how the operation took place - in the report of the FAN military commissarAlexandra Simonova.
20:16 First large reportage from the liberated Soledar. The enemy is not found in the city.
19:11 Soledar under control assault units of PMC "Wagner".
18:20 The Armed Forces of Ukraine failed to organize a counterattack on Soledar and lost 200 people: details RT.
On the morning of January 10, the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who retreated from Soledar, tried to break through the encirclement, but the operation failed. According to RT, the Vostok operational command planned to use the forces of the 46th and 77th brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for this.
After the retreat of several companies of these formations from Soledar to neighboring Paraskovievka, it turned out that, in addition to a large number of dead and wounded, the brigades had almost completely lost their fire cover, including artillery of 155mm and 152mm calibers. The guns were destroyed during the attack on Soledar by Russian 300mm BM-30 Smerch systems and attack aircraft.
According to RT, the command promised fire support to the units of the 46th and 77th brigades from the forces of the 17th Separate Tank Brigade and artillery. However, in the end, the fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not receive this support. At the same time, according to radio intercepts, there were no company and battalion commanders in the units abandoned to break through the encirclement.
The units advanced to Soledar on French VAB armored personnel carriers and British Wolfhound anti-mine armored personnel carriers. They were discovered and destroyed by the duty unit of the Su-25 attack aircraft while being corrected from the ground by the reconnaissance group of the Russian army.
An unsuccessful raid to the surrounded Soledar on light vehicles cost the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine about 200 people killed. In order to underestimate the losses in Soledar, the dead were declared "missing" by Kyiv.
The total losses of all armed formations of Ukraine in Soledar since the beginning of autumn 2022, according to RT, can be about 20-25 thousand people.
17:24 VoenkorPoddubny: “During the morning shelling of Donetsk, the enemy, from positions in the area of the settlement. Kurakhovo, used M982 Excalibur high-precision guided missiles. The direction from which the shelling was carried out, which led to the death of one and the injury of four civilians, is included in the area of responsibility of the 68th Separate Jaeger Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
16:39 Ukrainian militants hide under Soledar and say that the salary is 100,000 UAH. they don’t need it, they don’t want to die for it, therefore they are ready to change places with those who are sitting at home on the couch -video.
16:22 Fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in fired at the Kirovsky and Kuibyshevsky districts of Donetsk. From positions in n. n. Zhelannoye Pervoi sent three shells with a caliber of 155mm.
15:37 During the counterbattery fight, the RF Armed Forces destroyed several enemy artillery systems in firing positions, including those of foreign production - RF Ministry of Defense
We are talking about artillery systems M777 and M109 "Paladin" made by the United States, liquidated in the areas of Lozovoye and Sandy DPR. Also, in the districts of Kupyansk, Petropavlovka, Kharkiv region and Ivanovka, the DPR, three 122mm BM-21 MLRS Grad were destroyed;
Also in the daily briefing of the military department, it was announced that:
- In the Kupyansky direction in the areas of Kislovka, Berestovoye of the Kharkov region and Novoselovsky LPR, artillery and army aviation hit enemy units;
- In the Krasnolimansky direction in the areas of Stelmahovka, Novolyubovka, Nevsky LPR, Serebryanka and Grigorovka of the DPR, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, combining active hostilities with complex fire damage, inflicted heavy losses on the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- Successful offensive operations of the RF Armed Forces continue in the Donetsk direction;
- In the Yuzhnodonetsk direction in the area of ????Novomikhailovka, Prechistovka and Novoselka, the DPR inflicted a complex fire defeat on the enemy;
- In the area of Zaporozhye and Novoivanovka, Zaporozhye region, two ammunition depots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were hit by strikes from operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery;
- In the area of Lozovoye DPR, a US-made AN/TPQ-50 radar station was also destroyed as part of the counterbattery fight;
- In the area of Nikanorovka of the DPR, fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Su-25 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force.
14:12 Law enforcement officers discovered and destroyed a cache of saboteurs in the LPR, the contents were intended for terrorist attacks in the Russian Federation
Machine guns, grenade launchers, foreign-made cartridges, a shot for a 73mm 2A28 cannon were found in this cache. The suspected terrorists are now being sought.
14:08 Enemy artillery hit the territory of the Kuibyshevsky district of Donetsk. From n. n. Lastochkino, three shells with a caliber of 155mm flew out. As a result of the shelling in 1 private house, the facade, roof, and glazing were damaged.
13:50 RT: footage of the assault on the village of Opytnoye, in the southern suburbs of Artyomovsk (Bakhmut).
Russian units took this settlement under their control, thus bringing the liberation of Artemovsk even closer. The enemy used artillery and tanks against our soldiers, but this did not save him. Experienced is ours!
13:41 The military in Soledar are acting heroically, as in other areas, but the main work is still ahead, it's not the time to rub your hands - Peskov.
13:39Su-25 ground interdiction fighters "Rooks" launch rockets at the militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from low altitudes -video.
The crews of the attack aircraft Su-25 "Grach" launched rocket air strikes on military facilities and equipment of the enemy. As a result of the sortie, camouflaged fortified field positions and armored vehicles of Ukrainian terrorists were destroyed.
13:39 The Viking reconnaissance group discovered the mercenaries' deployment point in Krasnogorovka. Then our artillery began to methodically dismantle it -video.
The total number of militants was about a company. After the work of our artillerymen, it was reduced by 40 killed and wounded.
13:18 About five brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed in Soledar, the adviser to the acting head of the DPR said. But among the losses, mercenaries were not taken into account, of which there were enough, so it could be higher, Yan Gagin said on the air of Rossiya 1.
According to RT, Ukraine's losses in the battles for Soledar may compose 25,000 people. The Ukrainian military who surrendered reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard during the assault on the city lost about 16-17 battalions killed.
12:08 Over the past day, Ukrainian troops have lost more than 70 people, a tank, a 122mm howitzer, two 155mm towed howitzers and equipment, reported People's Militia of the DPR.
"Joint actions of the military personnel of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation destroyed the following enemy weapons and military equipment: one tank (T-64BV), one 122mm howitzer ("D-30"), two 155mm towed howitzers (M777) and eight units of armored and automotive vehicles. Losses in enemy manpower amounted to more than 70 people, ”the agency said in a message on its Telegram channel.
On Wednesday, the agency reported that Ukrainian troops lost more than 120 people, two tanks (T-72M1), two 122mm self-propelled artillery mounts (2S1 Gvozdika) and 12 units of armored and automotive vehicles in a day.
12:06 As a result of the shelling of the VFU of the Leninsky district of Donetsk, one person was killed and four more civilians were injured.
11:35 "Uralvagonzavod" delivered a new batch of T-90M "Proryv" tanks to the troops.
11:14 AlexeyPushkov: “After the capture of Soledar, we can expect an increase in the supply of new weapons to Ukraine from NATO countries. This is exactly what Condoleezza Rice and Bill Gates called for in a recent Washington Post article.
Ukraine, they warned, was in an extremely difficult position, relying only on Western aid, but even with it, it could lose the war. Therefore, according to them, the United States should increase this assistance and provide Kyiv with the types of weapons that it previously refused to provide. Now Western circles, the most hostile to Russia, will, apparently, seek to form a consensus in the NATO countries on this issue.
10:47 Russian troops have seriously advanced in the Artemovsk region, adviser to the acting head of the DPR Igor Kimakovsky said on air"Soloviev Live".
“Artillery today really suppresses enemy forces, in some areas they cannot even get out of the trenches. This is now manifesting itself in the Donetsk direction, the number of attacks on the city has decreased. This suggests that our troops are beginning to work more efficiently. Therefore, we have certain advances in the Avdiivka direction, we have serious advances in the Artemovsk region,” he said.
10:19 "Isn't it time to retreat from Artemovsk before it's too late?" - the Western press shakes the evil
The Wall Street Journal writes that Ukraine suffered heavy losses in Artyomovsk and Soledar, quickly exhausting the strength of several brigades. The publication notes that the capture of Artemovsk opens the way to the liberation of the part of the DPR occupied by the Kyiv regime.
Along with this, the authors write: Western and some Ukrainian officials, soldiers and analysts are increasingly worried that Kyiv has allowed itself to be drawn into the battle for Artemovsk on Russian terms, losing strength in a stubborn struggle for a city of limited strategic importance. Some of them say it would make sense to retreat to a new line of defense on the heights west of Bakhmut, while such a withdrawal can still be organized in a coordinated manner, while maintaining the combat strength of the Ukrainian military.
10:07 Summary of the Representative Office of the Luhansk People's Republic in the JCCC for the past 24 hours
From the side of the armed formations of Ukraine, one shelling was recorded in the area of the settlement. Chernukhino with the use of MLRS HIMARS (six missiles).
09:46 The 152mm 2S3 "Acacia" of the "Brave" group is working -video.
Crews of 152mm self-propelled guns fire at the enemy day and night, in any weather. UAVs and groups of advanced artillery spotters correct the defeat. The calculations are staffed including volunteers.
09:40 A resident of the liberated Soledar tells about life under the conditions of Ukrainian occupation, as well as how long they waited for the Russian soldiers who liberated the city.
08:35 The Russian army destroys NATO equipment every day -video.
The destroyed French BRDM VAB and with it the vehicle of the 46th Airborne Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who tried to escape along the road taken under the fire control of our troops. It is reported that the VAB was smashed from the Kord machine gun, and the car was blown up by a mine.
09:14 Found their place: Ukrainian militants tried to escape from the encircled Soledar -video.
As a result, they lie on the icy ground of the Russian Donbass. They did not appreciate the wonderful strategic term "semi-coverage" from Arestovich
08:49 Personnel the consequences of the detonation of ammunition at the ammunition depot of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the city of Ochakov, Mykolaiv region after a missile strike sRussian Armed Forces January 9th.
08:26 Summary on the morning of January 12, 2023
Prigozhin announced the complete liberation of Soledar by the forces of PMC Wagner, during the assault, up to 500 enemy fighters were destroyed, and underground utilities are being cleaned up.
South-west of Soledar, units of the Airborne Forces are conducting an offensive in the area of the settlement. Krasnaya Gora and Paraskovievka.
On the Artemovsky (Bakhmutsky) direction south of the city, PMC Wagner occupied the settlement. EOpytnoye.
Fighting continues in Maryinka.
Enemy forces are being drawn into the Orekhovo-Gulyaipole sector in the Zaporozhye region.
In the Belgorod region, the Armed Forces of Ukraine shelled the village of Stary Khutor, Valuysky urban district
The enemy fired 90 shells of ammunition into the DPR. Under fire Donetsk, Gorlovka, Staromikhaylovka, Aleksandrovka. One civilian was killed, two were wounded.
In the LPR - shelling in the area of the settlement. Chernukhino with the use of MLRS HIMARS (six missiles).
Commentary by Russian military blogger Rybar
[ColonelCassad] The first big report from the liberated Soledar. The enemy is not found in the city.
It is also worth noting that the enemy tried to counterattack today and return to Soledar, but he did not succeed with this.
On the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Soledar
On @rt_russian they write that the combined units of the 46th and 77th airmobile brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Paraskovievka tried unsuccessfully to counterattack the positions of the RF Armed Forces and break through the encirclement in the vicinity of Soledar.
Enemy detachments on French VAB armored personnel carriers and British Wolfhound armored personnel carriers tried to strike at the advancing orders of Russian troops. However, they were detected and destroyed by Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft vialaser designator from the ground.
During the sortie, the losses of Ukrainian formations amounted to about 200 people, the survivors fled from their positions. The airmobile forces operated without fire support due to the incapacitation of most enemy artillery systems in the Soledar area.
Why are the Armed Forces of Ukraine conducting sorties that are doomed to failure?
Soledar for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is an important node in the still existing line of defense of Chasov Yar - Bakhmut - Soledar - Seversk. Its fall endangers a significant contingent in the vicinity of Seversk, as the defense is complicated by the location: the settlement is located in a lowland.
In the event of the final loss of Soledar and the nearby villages of Blagodatnoye, Razdolovka, Vyemka and Veseloye, Ukrainian formations will have to leave Seversk and other strongholds due to the threat of possible encirclement.
Together with the liberation of the Bakhmut agglomeration, the potential loss of Seversk will cause significant damage to the image of the Ukrainian army, the image of which has been built over the past six months.
An attempt to counterattack without regard for losses is a desire to rectify the catastrophic situation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in this area. And it is not at all excluded that such actions will be repeated until the final cleansing of Soledar by Russian troops.
Now in Minkovka, an advanced command post of the consolidated group of troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been organized. The arrival of 500 members of the territorial defense from the Sumy region is expected to the combat area, which are planned to be used to storm the Russian positions.
However, the effectiveness of such actions is a big question, given the fire control of the RF Armed Forces over the main routes in the area and the lack of tactical commanders of the Ukrainian formations: a significant part were killed or captured, the rest fled to Seversk.
And the encirclement of Bakhmut from the north, south and east leaves the Armed Forces of Ukraine fewer chances and time to rectify the situation.
[REGNUM] In the DPR, Russian troops took the city of Artyomovsk into an operational encirclement
The city of Artyomovsk in the Donetsk People's Republic was taken into operational encirclement by Russian troops. This was announced on January 12 by the adviser to the acting head of the DPR, Igor Kimakovsky , on the air of Channel One.
As Kimakovsky clarified, the city of Artyomovsk is in an operational environment, it is covered from both sides by the emerging "serious fists" of the Russian Armed Forces.
Also, the adviser to the acting head of the DPR noted that Russian artillery is already firing heavily around almost the entire territory of the city of Artyomovsk.
Earlier , REGNUM reported that Kimakovsky, adviser to the acting head of the DPR, announced a serious advance of Russian troops in the Artyomovsk region.
In addition, adviser to the acting head of the DPR , Yan Gagin , noted that after the liberation of Soledar in the DPR, units of the Russian Armed Forces will begin to build up forces to develop military success. Gagin also explained the key importance of the capture of Soledar and Artemovsk for the liberation of Kramatorsk and further advance towards Slavyansk.
I long have argued that Russia's military problems go straight to the top, and running a massive war like the war on Ukraine requires commanders to be where the action is, not sitting safe and cozy behind desks in Moskva.
They did this same thing in Chechnya and South Ossetia, with predictable results.
A friend who I had a discussion with, termed it better: too much latency between where decisions were made and the FLOT
[KP] Revealed what the permutations in the command of the NWO mean
What does the reshuffle in the leadership of the special military operation mean?
by Igor Yakunin and Maria Bachenina
We discussed the latest military appointments related to the special operation in Ukraine, as well as a possible increase in the draft age on Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda, with the director of the Center for Military-Political Research, MGIMO professor Alexei Podberezkin. What will change in the SVO?
- What, in your opinion, means castling in the command of the NWO?
- I would not call it castling. Someone might have got the impression, some time ago, that the General Staff is distancing itself from interference in the affairs of the NVO.
- In what sense?
- Well, as it seemed to someone, if he does not completely distance himself from the leadership of the special operation, then he participates in it somehow ... indirectly. There was even public criticism from the military. Decisions passed from the commander of the operation to the level of the chief of the General Staff and the Minister of Defense, bypassing the operational department or the General Staff itself.
- Well, and now?
- When Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, was appointed head of the operation, everything fell into place.
- Is that how it should be?
- I guess so. And since the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Oleg Leonidovich Salyukov, became his deputy in the leadership of the joint group, a team has formed that, in my opinion, corresponds to our traditional ideas that on the front line of a special operation, where certain sectors are seriously removed from the center of decisions, should be representatives of the Headquarters. I think it will.
- Will they manage together, from Moscow, or separately, from specific areas?
- The line of contact is about a thousand kilometers. Plus, a section of the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. And all this is far from Moscow. Everything stretched from Kherson to Belarus. Huge distances. Probably, it is required that some kind of leadership team be concentrated in one place, but each is responsible for his own direction.
They did not humiliate Surovikin
- General Surovikin, who has been the commander of the group since October 2022, is now Gerasimov's deputy. Is it a demotion
- I spoke about the representative of the Headquarters in battle formations. Surovikin, apparently, will be such. Although I know for sure that both Salyukov and, for example, Lapin have repeatedly visited these places. Probably, now the main issues will simply be resolved more quickly.
- What exactly?
- One of the problems was the multi-stage preparation and decision-making. This delay was criticized by many in the military. I think that now decisions can be made directly by Gerasimov, based on the situation.
- And how will the scenario of the military conflict change?
- Do not think that new big bosses have appeared - and everything will change instantly. Like Surovikin, who appeared in October, he did not appear immediately, with five or ten missing divisions. But the element of his participation had an effect.
- Will it happen here too?
- I think that decisions will be made more quickly, command and control systems will begin to develop more dynamically. I hope we will see the most optimal form of management for today. The line of contact is huge, its sections are very remote from each other, and there are objective difficulties here.
Call up to 30 years?
- They raise the issue of raising the draft age to 30 years.
- I have always said that it was impossible to deviate from the principle of mobilization readiness. Everyone must serve in our army without fail for compulsory military service, before entering the institute. After that contract, institute. As, for example, in the Israeli army. The mobilization reserve is sacred for our country, it is a must. This is my position.
- So what about the age?
- It's not important. Not always everyone was called up at the age of 18. In the USSR and in Russia, a delay was given to complete education. I served in the military after graduating from night school. This is important for training the missing link in the armed forces - non-commissioned officers and junior officers. You can decide that people will be drafted into the army from the age of 18, that this will be universal military duty, and give deferrals for a year, two, three, including for completing education, on the condition that you will then receive military registration specialty and you will be released as a junior lieutenant or lieutenant.
Commentary by a Russia Today blogger:
[ColonelCassad] Declassified Canadian intelligence files. The Truth of the Bosnian War
A well-established myth in the West about the Bosnian war is that Serbian separatists sought to seize Croatian and Bosniak territories in order to create a “Greater Serbia” and allegedly purged indigenous Muslims as part of a deliberate genocide ( https://t.me/rtbalkan_ru/678 ), refusing to participate in peace negotiations.
However, intelligence from Canadian peacekeepers demonstrates that such rhetoric was a cynical farce. On The Grayzone portal published materials of the UNPROFOR mission in Bosnia, which indicate that the basis for the war in Bosnia was laid by the United States.
The peace agreement concluded by the European Community in early 1992 called for the formation of a confederation in Bosnia, divided into three semi-autonomous regions within their ethnic boundaries. Although this option was not ideal, it could have avoided a full-scale conflict.
🗓 However, on March 28, 1992, US Ambassador to Yugoslavia Warren Zimmerman proposed to President Izetbegovic that Washington recognize Bosnia as an independent state. The Ambassador promised unconditional support in the subsequent war if he rejected the Community proposal. A few hours later, Izetbegovic set foot on the warpath, and bloody hostilities broke out almost immediately.
The Americans were concerned that Brussels' leading role in the negotiations would weaken Washington's international prestige and help the future EU become an independent power bloc. Washington wanted to see Yugoslavia turned into ruins, and planned to subjugate the Serbs harshly, prolonging the war as long as possible. Washington's comprehensive assistance to the Bosnians effectively served these goals. In the Western segment, there is a belief that Serb intransigence in the negotiations has blocked the path to peace in Bosnia. However, the UNPROFOR messages make it clear that this is not the case.
Canadian peacekeepers drew attention to the intractable nature of the Bosniaks, not the Serbs. As one passage puts it, the "insurmountable" goal of "meeting the demands of the Muslims will be the main obstacle in any peace negotiations."
The declassified materials also state that "outside interference in the peace process has not helped the situation" and peace will not be achieved "if outside parties continue to encourage Muslims to be demanding and adamant in negotiations." By external assistance, UNPROFOR, of course, meant Washington.
“Izetbegovic’s encouragement to press for further concessions and the clear desire of the United States to lift the arms embargo on Muslims and bomb Serbs are serious obstacles to ending hostilities in the former Yugoslavia,” peacekeepers state on September 7, 1993.
The next day, they reported to headquarters that "the Serbs observed the terms of the cease-fire to the greatest extent." Alija Izetbegović based his negotiating position on the "popular image of the Bosnian Serbs as the bad guys". It also had a co-benefit: accelerating NATO airstrikes against the Serbs.
At the same time, Muslim militants "did not give the peace talks a chance with their reckless actions." In the last months of 1993, they carried out countless strikes against the Serbs in violation of the ceasefire.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
