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On January 5, the Russian Ministry of Defense summed up the results of military operations in Ukraine over the past week. The end of 2023 and the first days of 2024 were marked by a number of large-scale strikes against Ukrainian troops and military facilities throughout the country.
From December 30, 2023 to January 5, 2024, the Russian Air Force carried out 41 group and 1 precision strikes on military facilities in Ukraine. The targets included decision-making centers, military-industrial enterprises, airfields, arsenals, fuel bases of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, places of deployment of Ukrainian military units.
Strikes over the past week have destroyed many military and industrial facilities in different regions of Ukraine, including in the capital. Footage of the strikes in Kiev and several other major cities made headlines in the media, and many videos were widely shared online. That’s why it seems that the Russian military has significantly increased the number of daily strikes in the recent days. However, compared to the figures presented in the official reports of the Russian Ministry of Defense weeks earlier, the intensity of Russian strikes remains virtually unchanged:
- From December 23 to December 29, 2023, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out 50 group and one massive strike with precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles.
- From December 16 to 22, 2023, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out 39 group strikes with precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The figures confirm that the Ukrainian military constantly suffers heavy losses, but Kiev hides the real damage. The Ukrainian authorities are hyping up around Russian precision strikes filmed by residents of large cities, crying about the fake destruction of civilian infrastructure as a result of Russian attacks.
Ukrainian unit surrendered:
The morale of Ukrainian servicemen remains low. During the week, 13 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered, including eight servicemen in the Kupyansk direction.
Amid the ongoing strikes in the Ukrainian rear areas, the Russian military continues destruction of Ukrainian forces and NATO military equipment on the frontlines. Russian forces maintain the military incentive in almost all directions.
- In the Kupyansk direction, the AFU lost more than 485 servicemen, 6 tanks, 11 armored vehicles, 24 cars, 7 Olkha and Vampire MLRS, 8 artillery units.
- In the Krasny Liman direction, Ukrainian losses amounted to over 690 servicemen, 2 tanks, 11 armored vehicles, 24 cars, 5 artillery units.
- In the Donetsk direction, the AFU lost 4 tanks, 17 armored vehicles, 64 cars and 26 artillery pieces in a week. The losses in personnel there are estimated by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation at 1990 servicemen.
- In the South Donetsk direction, the AFU lost over 950 servicemen, 12 armored vehicles, 27 vehicles and 17 field artillery units.
- In the Zaporozhye direction – up to 350 soldiers, 1 tank, 15 armored vehicles, 18 cars and 8 artillery units.
- In the Kherson direction – up to 225 soldiers, 1 tank, 2 armored vehicles, 28 cars, 14 boats, the Buk-M1 air defense system and 11 artillery units were destroyed.
Destruction of HIMARS MLRS:
Losses of the Ukrainian Air Force included Su-27 aircraft and a Mi-8 helicopter. Meanwhile, as a result of Russian strikes and artillery shelling the following equipment was destroyed in Ukrainian deep rear:
- three launchers of the HIMARS and Olkha MLRS,
- a launcher of the S-200 anti-aircraft missile system,
- a radar of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system,
- a radar station for detecting and tracking low-altitude targets ST-68,
- two US-made counter-battery warfare radars.
