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On December 24, Kiev’s forces carried out another massive strike on civilian targets in the Russian city of Donetsk. The Republican trauma center became one of the main targets of the strike. Earlier, the Armed Forces of Ukraine inflicted a series of strikes on the Kalinin hospital.
Kiev’s forces have been systematically shelling civilian targets in DPR and LPR. In the second half of December, the Kiev regime even intensified these terrorist acts as a kind of ‘response’ to the dare situation in which Kiev’s forces have found themselves in the areas of Bahmut and Soledar.
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In recent weeks, Russian forces have achieved a series of tactical breakthroughs in these areas, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces still show a fierce resistance despite heavy casualties that they suffer there. Pro-Kiev sources report the intensification of the work of Russian artillery in these directions.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters were shot down near the settlements of Selidovo and Gruzskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic). Moreover, a SU-27 warplane of the Ukrainian Air Force was shot down by the Russian Aerospace Forces near the village of Kamyshevka.
Over the past weeks, the Russian advance in the region of Donbass has no resulted in any significant gains. However, the situation on the frontline demonstrates advantage of the Russian side and the Kiev regime has been suffering large losses in manpower and military equipment.
A statement of the Russian Defense Ministry on the military situation on December 24:
The Russian Federation Armed Forces continue the special military operation.
In Kupyansk direction, artillery strikes hit the manpower and military equipment of units of the 14th AFU Mechanised Brigade near Petropavlovka and the 92nd AFU Mechanised Brigade near Krakhmalnoye in Kharkov region. Up to 50 Ukrainian personnel, four armoured fighting vehicles, and two pickups were eliminated.
In Krasny Liman direction, Russian air strikes and artillery fire on positions of units of the 111th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Torskoye and the 25th AFU Airborne Brigade close to Terny (Donetsk People’s Republic) destroyed over 40 Ukrainian servicemen, three armoured fighting vehicles, and four motor vehicles.
In Donetsk direction, the Russian troops destroyed a combined tactical group of foreign mercenaries and defeated units of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Razdolovka (Donetsk People’s Republic). The enemy lost up to 60 Ukrainian military and mercenaries, four armoured personnel carriers, and three pickups.
In the South Donetsk direction, more than 40 Ukrainian personnel, four armoured fighting vehicles, and six motor vehicles were annihilated as a result of air and artillery strikes against a concentration of units of the 92nd AFU Mechanised Brigade close to Vodyanoye (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian force grouping hit: the command post of the 65th AFU Mechanised Brigade near Lezhino and a depot of rocket and artillery weapons close to Novoselovka (Zaporozhye region), as well as 53 artillery units, manpower and military hardware in 92 areas.
Fighter aviation of Russian Aerospace Forces has shot down 1 Su-27 airplane of Ukrainian Air Force near Kamyshevka (Donetsk People’s Republic). In addition, Ukrainian Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters were shot down near the settlements of Selidovo and Gruzskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Air defence facilities have shot down 1 Mi-8 helicopter of Ukrainian Air Force near Kirovo (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Fifteen Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been also intercepted during the day in the areas of Yegorovka, Yelenovka, Kirillovka, Volodino, Artemovsk, and Olginka (Donetsk People’s Republic), Kolomyichikha (Lugansk People’s Republic), Novaya Zburyevka (Kherson region), and Pologi (Zaporozhye region).
In total, 352 airplanes and 192 helicopters, 2,719 unmanned aerial vehicles, 399 air defence missile systems, 7,222 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 936 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 3,704 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 7,737 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
