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On December 6, the command of the Russian Armed Forces held a conference assessing the interim results of the ongoing Special Military Operation in Ukraine.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that six settlements have recently come under control of the Russian military. They include the villages of Mayorsk, Pavlovka, Opytne, Andreevka, Belogorovka Yuzhnaya and Kurdyumovka.
Russian control of these villages was confirmed by the numerous reports from the front lines and official statements of the Russian ministry of Defence, what confirms the ongoing successful offensive of Russian-led forces on the Donbass front lines, especially in the Bakhmut region.
In his turn, Ukrainian President Zelensky confirmed that the Bakhmut region is “the hottest and most painful” for the AFU.
On November 30, the Russian military confirmed control of the villages of Andreevka, Pershe Travnya (also known as Ozaryanovka) and Belogorovka located in the region of Bakhmut. On the next day on December 1, Russians claimed control of Kurdyumovka. LINK, LINK
Over the past months, the Russian military gained control of the villages on the Donetsk outskirts. They include the village of Opytne located north of Avdiivka which was captured by Russian military on November 18, and the village of Mayorsk, located on the outskirts of Gorlovka, taken under control of Russian forces on November 13th. LINK
The AFU also lost control of the strategically important village of Pavlovka located on the southern outskirts of Ugledar on November 14. LINK, LINK The Ukrainian military continue attempts to counterattack in the area but suffer heavy losses and retreat. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, on December 5, over a hundred servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were killed there.
Destruction of Ukrainian forces in Pavlovka in November:
In total, Russian Defence Minister estimated the losses of the Ukrainian side at more than 8 thousand people in November alone. The AFU also lost five planes, 10 helicopters, almost 150 tanks, and more than 300 armored combat vehicles.
Earlier, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office Mikhail Podolyak claimed that during the nine months of hostilities in Ukraine, the losses of the AFU amounted to up to 13 thousand dead.
The fantastic numbers claimed by the head of the Ukrainian presidential office do not cause any confidence, including among his Western counterparts.
On November 30, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said in a video message that 100 thousand Ukrainian servicemen had been killed since the beginning of the Russian military operation. Later, this video was removed from the page of the head of the EC. Then, a few hours later, a new video was published but her claims about Ukrainian losses were cut off.
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In his speech, Russian Defence Minister also reminded that Russian troops “are taking all measures to ensure the safety of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant,” and Kiev “seeks to create the appearance of a threat of a nuclear catastrophe by continuing to purposefully shell this facility.”
According to the Russian Minister, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have fired 33 large-caliber shells at the NPP over the past two weeks. Most of them were intercepted by Russian air defenses, “however, some of them hit objects that affect the safe operation of the nuclear power plant.”
“We classify these attacks by Ukrainian troops as nuclear terrorism,” Shoigu said.
The Ukrainian army does not stop shelling the Zaporozhye NPP which is the largest power plant in Europe. On the morning of December 6, the industrial zone of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant was shelled again by the Ukrainian military.
“Right at the moment the shelling of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is ongoing, or rather not directly of the NPP, but of the industrial zone, from about seven in the morning. <…> Strikes are being carried out on the industrial zone, very loudly, the city woke up precisely from the rumblings and from the blows,” said Rogov, a member of the main council of the administration of Zaporozhye.
The industrial zone of the NPP is being shelled with NATO artillery pieces. It is difficult to asses damage and casualties, as it is necessary to wait until the shelling stops.
