Category: War in Ukraine

Russia has lost 760,120 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Dec. 13.

This number includes 1,390 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

According to the report, Russia has also lost 9,537 tanks, 19,675 armored fighting vehicles, 31,177 vehicles and fuel tanks, 21,078 artillery systems, 1,253 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,023 air defense systems, 369 airplanes, 329 helicopters, 20,176 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.

Ukrainian military instructors to undergo NATO-standard training in LithuaniaUkrainian military instructors will receive training in Lithuania in 2025 as part of NATO’s Defense Education Enhancement Program (DEEP), the Ministry of Defense reported on Dec. 12.The Kyiv IndependentSonya Bandouil

Russian forces shelled more than 20 settlements in Kherson region, damaging infrastructure and residential buildings. The attacks left one person dead and four wounded, including two from a drone attack in Kherson.

Occupants shelled Kherson region once again. Unfortunately, there are victims and wounded. This was reported by the head of the Kherson RMA Oleksandr Prokudin, UNN reports.

Details

Over the past day, enemy troops struck several localities in Kherson region, including Kherson, Beryslav, Antonivka, Stanislav, and more than 20 other villages and towns. The shelling and air strikes damaged social infrastructure, residential areas, as well as gas pipelines and cars of local residents.

The attacks destroyed three multi-storey buildings and four private houses. Enemy shells left traces of destruction in many communities, causing serious damage to civilian objects.

One person was killed and two others were injured as a result of the aggression.

In addition, at about 07:30, the enemy army attacked the Dniprovsky district of Kherson with a drone. A 35-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman were wounded, suffering explosive injuries and burns; they were hospitalized in moderate condition.

Kherson region under fire: casualties and damage to residential infrastructureOct 27 2024, 07:00 AM • 18713 views

Mikhail Shatsky, a Russian expert involved in modernizing missiles launched against Ukraine, was shot dead near Moscow, a Defense Forces source told the Kyiv Independent on Dec. 12.

His death was likely orchestrated by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR), the source claimed.

Shatsky was deputy general designer and head of the software department at the Moscow-based Experimental Design Bureau Mars and reportedly oversaw the modernization of Kh-59 and Kh-69 cruise missiles.

The Experimental Design Bureau Mars, owned by the state-owned conglomerate Rosatom, focuses on the development and manufacturing of onboard systems for automatic control and navigation in aircraft and spacecraft.

According to the source, Shatsky was seen as the main proponent of incorporating AI technology into Russian drones, aircraft, and spacecraft.

Shatsky's death was previously reported by Ukrainian-Russian anti-Kremlin journalist Alexander Nevzorov, who wrote on his Telegram channel that HUR "eliminated a particularly dangerous criminal."

Nevzorov shared photos of a person resembling Shatsky lying dead in the snow. The man was reportedly killed in the Kuzminsky forest park near Kotelniki in Moscow Oblast.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify all the claims.

"Anyone who is involved in the development of the Russian military-industrial complex and support of Russian aggression in Ukraine one way or another is a legitimate target of the Defense Forces," the source said.

Ukrainian intelligence services have been linked to a number of assassinations of pro-Russian collaborators or Russian military officers inside Russia or Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine during the full-scale war.

‘Don’t overreact’ — Oreshnik missile isn’t as new as Russia claims, experts sayRussian President Vladimir Putin on Nov. 21 announced his country had launched a new type of missile in an attack on Ukraine, a demonstration of military might meant to deter Kyiv’s allies from further support against his full-scale invasion. “There are currently no ways of countering this weapon.…The Kyiv IndependentChris York

The Ukrainian Air Force warns of a possible ballistic missile attack from the south.

The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports a threat of ballistic missile attacks from the south, UNN reports .

A group of russian "Shahed" is heading from Zaporizhzhia to Dnipropetrovs'k regionMar 7 2024, 10:18 PM • 31639 views

Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated China's position on resolving the war in Ukraine during a meeting with Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, on Dec. 12, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Xi emphasized three principles: "preventing the conflict from expanding beyond the combat zone, preventing the escalation of hostilities, and preventing any party from fomenting the conflict."

He called for international efforts to create "favorable conditions" for a political settlement and reaffirmed "Beijing's neutrality."

Despite claims of neutrality, Beijing has faced scrutiny for its role in supporting Russia's war effort. Reports suggest China has supplied dual-use goods that bolster Russia’s defense industry.

In November, media sources revealed that the EU had obtained evidence of Chinese lethal support to Moscow, including attack drones.

Ukraine invited China to the peace summit back in January, but Beijing declined theinvitation as the terms they required to attend were not met.

China's leadership has denied providing military aid to either side in the conflict, maintaining its official stance of advocating for diplomatic resolution while facing international criticism for its ties with Russia.

Trump invites Xi to inauguration, CBS News reportsTrump’s team is also considering inviting other world leaders, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.The Kyiv IndependentAbbey Fenbert

Several Tu-95MS strategic bombers were spotted taking off from the Olenya airfield. The planes pose a potential threat due to the possibility of launching long-range missiles.

The takeoff of several Tu-95MS from the airfield of Olenya was recorded. This is reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, UNN reports.

Attention:
Several Tu-95ms were spotted taking off from the airfield of Olenya (Murmansk region, russia)

– the statement said.

These aircraft are capable of carrying long-range missiles, which poses a potential threat.

The military urges citizens to remain attentive, follow official reports and be sure to respond to air raid warnings. The situation is currently under close control.

Shahed attacked a residential building in Kharkiv: what are the consequencesDec 13 2024, 12:12 AM • 3599 views

Russian attacks against Ukraine with guided aerial bombs have fallen over 50% since Western partners allowed Kyiv to target Russia with long-range missiles, the independent Russian outlet Agentstvo reported on Dec. 12, citing reports from the General Staff.

U.S. President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green light to attack Russian territory with ATACMS missiles in mid-November. Within days, Kyiv reportedly also launched British Storm Shadows into Russia for the first time.

Russia carried out heavy guided bomb attacks against Ukraine from Nov. 1-20, Agentstvo reported, citing daily updates from the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces. Russia dropped at least 100 guided aerial bombs per day during that period, with the exception of only one day.

Those numbers fell significantly after Nov. 20, according to General Staff reports. Russia dropped 138 guided bombs on Nov. 20, marking the last time that the Russian Aerospace Forces targeted Ukraine with over 100 bombs in a single day.

Russian aircraft have launched fewer guided bombs on Ukraine in the first 12 days of December. The number of bombs topped 50 on only five days, according to the General Staff. The average number of bombs per day is now 40 or fewer.

Oliver Alexander, an open-source intelligence (OSINT) analyst, said the decrease was likely due to the threat long-range missile attacks posed to Russian airfields.

The Russian military may have been forced to move their Su-34 aircraft farther than 600 kilometers from the front line to avoid ATACMS strikes, affecting "maintenance, sorties rate, and flight hours," he said in a post on X.

Guided aerial bombs are precision-guided munitions that have a shorter range than missiles, but are far cheaper to produce. President Volodymyr Zelensky lobbied aggressively for long-range strike permissions, in order to target Russian military airfields amid intensifying aerial attacks.

Trump hints he won’t ‘abandon’ Kyiv but opposes Ukraine launching US missiles inside Russia“I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that?” Donald Trump told Time.The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

30 Ukrainian basic military training instructors will study in Lithuania in 2025. After the training, they will implement NATO standards and a new live-fire project in Ukraine.

In 2025, 30 Ukrainian instructors in basic general military training will be trained in Lithuania. This is reported by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, UNN reports.

Details

This was the result of a meeting between the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Brigadier General of Justice Serhiy Melnyk and Stasys Paldunas, an international adviser on professional military education of the Republic of Lithuania.

Upon completion of the training in Lithuania, the instructors will be able to implement the knowledge gained in the training system of the Ukrainian military and share their experience in domestic training centers.

Sergiy Melnyk emphasized that modern NATO standards are an important element in improving the level of military education and combat training of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and cooperation with partners, in particular with Lithuania, provides new opportunities for training and integration of modern approaches.

In addition, the parties discussed updating the curriculum, including the implementation of a new pilot project on live fire with NATO support. The pilot project is planned to be launched next year at two educational institutions of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

Ukraine and Lithuania step up cooperation in the medical field: detailsDec 9 2024, 09:38 PM • 44602 views

The Kyiv Independent's journalists Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko followed a group of Ukrainian military medics as they journeyed from the heat of battle in war-torn Ukraine to the serene forests of Sweden for a short mental health retreat.

The fourth round of negotiations between Ukraine and the UK on a new partnership agreement took place. The parties noted significant progress in agreeing on key sections of the document.

Ukraine and the United Kingdom held the fourth round of negotiations on an agreement on the transition to a stronger and deeper partnership. This was reported by the Office of the President of Ukraine, UNN reports.

Details

The talks are about a bilateral agreement to move to a stronger and deeper partnership, following up on the agreements between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

It is noted that during the negotiations, the parties carefully analyzed the changes to the draft document and noted significant progress in agreeing on its key sections.

The Ukrainian side of the talks was led by Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Ihor Zhovkva, who thanked the United Kingdom for its leadership in supporting Ukraine.

The conclusion of a new agreement on a stronger and deeper partnership between our countries will be an important practical evidence that the UK has been, is and will be a reliable friend and partner of Ukraine in all areas – from security to economy, from legal cooperation to culture and art

– said Ihor Zhovkva.

The Office adds that the delegations of Ukraine and the UK have agreed on the next steps to further work on the text of the agreement.

Recall

President of Ukraine discussed with Kier Starmer and Emmanuel Macron the Victory Plan and military assistance. Particular attention was paid to long-range weapons and support on the path to NATO.