Ukraine/Russland/NATO – der Sammler am 17. Dezember 2022

Nachgetragen fürs Archiv: Im andauernden russischen Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine beharrt Russland darauf, nur militärische Ziele anzugreifen – Schäden an ziviler Infrastruktur seien auf das unprofessionelle Vorgehen der Ukrainer zurückzuführen. Und: die Ukraine stellt sich auf eine neue russische Offensive ein. Der Sammler am 17. Dezember 2022:

• In mehreren Interviews mit ausländischen Medien warnen ukrainische Generale vor einer neuen russischen Offensive, vor allem mit erneuter Stoßrichtigung auf die Hauptstadt Kiew. So Generalmajor Andrii Kovalchuk im britischen Sender SkyNews:

Ukraine is preparing for Russia to try again to invade from the north – maybe around the anniversary of its first, failed attempt to seize Kyiv last February, a top commander has said.
President Vladimir Putin could even ultimately order millions of soldiers into the war as Russia’s offensive falters in the face of fierce and enduring Ukrainian resistance, Major General Andrii Kovalchuk, one of Ukraine’s most senior military officers, said in an interview.
He said the Ukrainian armed forces would be ready, even to combat millions of Russians, but they would need ever more lethal support from Western allies, including potentially cluster munitions – a type of weapon that many countries, including the UK, have banned.

• Das britische Intel Update:

In recent days, there has been an uptick in Russia’s campaign of long-range strikes against Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure.
The waves of strikes have largely consisted of air and maritime launched cruise missiles, but have almost certainly also included Iranian-provided uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) being launched from Russia’s Krasnodar region.
Previously these UAVs had been primarily launched from locations within occupied Crimea.
The change of launch site is likely due to Russian concerns about the vulnerability of Crimea, while it is also convenient for resupply from the weapons’ likely arrival point in Russia, at Astrakhan.

• Das Morgenbriefing des ukrainischen Generalstabs:

Operational update regarding the russian invasion as of 06.00, on December 17, 2022
The two hundred ninety-seventh day (297) of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to the russian military large-scale invasion continues.
Over the past 24 hours, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of more than twenty settlements. In particular, these are Plosрchanka, Chervonopopivka, Bilohorivka of the Luhansk oblast and Bakhmut, Opytne, Zelenopillia, Andriivka, Maryinka, Pobyeda and Novomykhailivka of the Donetsk oblast.
At the same time, the russian invaders launched a massive missile attack on the civil and energy infrastructure of our country. In total, the enemy launched 98 rockets and fired more than 65 MLRS attacks.
The threat of enemy air and missile strikes on critical infrastructure facilities remains throughout Ukraine.
In the Volyn and Polissya directions, the situation has not changed significantly, and no signs of the formation of enemy offensive groups have been detected.
In the Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions, the occupiers shelled the areas of the settlements of Hai in the Chernihiv oblast with artillery; Havrylova Sloboda, Seredyna-Buda, Yastrubyne and Kindrativka in Sumy oblast and Strilecha, Starytsa, Ambarne, Vilkhuvatka, Dvorichna and Krasne in Kharkiv oblast.
In the Kupyansk direction, the areas of Sinkivka, Orlyanka, Tabaivka, Berestove and Vyshneve of Kharkiv oblast and Volodymyrivka and Stelmakhivka of Luhansk oblast were affected by fire.
In the Lymany direction, the enemy shelled the positions of our troops near Makiivka, Ploshchanka, Chervonopopivka, Dibrova, and Hirske in the Luhansk oblast.
In the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions, the enemy shelled the areas of more than twenty-five settlements. Among them are Verkhnyokamianske, Spirne, Bilohorivka, Vesele, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Opytne, Zalizne, Maryinka and Pervomaiske in Donetsk oblast.
In the direction of Novopavlivka, the enemy inflicted fire damage near the settlements of Bohoyavlenka, Neskuchne, Prechystivka and Vuhledar of the Donetsk oblast.
In the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, the enemy continues to destroy the civil infrastructure of settlements along the right bank of the Dnipro River with artillery. More than 35 settlements were shelled. In particular, Plavni, Hulyaipole, Dorozhnyanka, Olhivske and Nikopol in the Zaporizhzhia oblast and Chornobayivka, Antonivka, Kherson and Mylove in the Kherson oblast.
The enemy redeploys individual units and withdraws part of its troops from Kakhovka and Nova Kakhovka of the Kherson oblast to the area of the settlement of Nyzhni Sirohozy. Among local residents, servicemen are spreading information that Kakhovka will be abandoned by russian troops by the end of this year, therefore, locals loyal to the occupiers are being offered a move to the temporarily occupied Ukrainian Crimea.
In the Luhansk oblast, the occupiers continue to exert pressure on local entrepreneurs and force them to re-register their businesses according to the legislation of the russian federation.
Over the past day, units of the Ukrainian missile forces and artillery hit 5 personnel concentration areas, one command post and an enemy ammunition depot.

• Das Briefing des russischen Verteidigungsministeriums:

Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine (17 December 2022)
The Russian Federation Armed Forces continue the special military operation.
On Friday, 16 December, Ukraine’s military command, defence and industrial complex systems and the energy facilities supporting them were hit with a massive strike by long-range, airborne and sea-based precision weapons. The purpose of the strike has been achieved. All the assigned targets have been neutralised.
The strike prevented the transfer of foreign-made weapons and ammunition, blocked the movement of reserves to combat areas, and halted Ukraine’s defence enterprises producing and repairing weapons, military equipment and ammunition. In the course of repelling the strike by Ukrainian and Western air defence systems, a significant resource was expended on deliberately launched decoys.
At the same time, four radar stations of Ukrainian S-300 air defence systems in the settlements of Andrusovka and Pridneprovskoye (Dnepropetrovsk region), as well as Novotavricheskaya and Nikolay-Pole (Zaporozhye region), have been revealed and destroyed.
As a result of the unprofessional actions of Ukrainian air defence units, civilian infrastructure on the ground has been damaged.
In Kupyansk direction, fire was directed at Ukrainian military units in the settlements of Petropavlovka and Timkovka (Kharkov region). Up to 40 Ukrainian servicemen, seven armoured fighting vehicles, and four cars were destroyed.
In Krasny Liman direction, the Russian troops carried out a preemptive attack on the enemy reserves near Kolodezi (Donetsk People’s Republic). Up to 30 Ukrainian servicemen were killed and wounded, two armoured combat vehicles and two pickup trucks were neutralised.
In Donetsk direction, the Russian troops carried out an offensive which resulted in gaining favourable lines and new positions. AFU units made unsuccessful attempts to counterattack Russian units close to Bakhmutskoye and Opytnoye (Donetsk People’s Republic). The enemy was stopped and dispersed by artillery and assault groups. More than 30 Ukrainian servicemen were killed, as well as seven vehicles were annihilated.
In South Donetsk direction, up to 35 Ukrainian servicemen and two armoured personnel carriers were destroyed during the day by active actions of Russian troops and artillery fire. Moreover, two AFU sabotage and reconnaissance groups were discovered and destroyed near Novomayorskoye and Shevchenko (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery hit a temporary deployment point of the 14th Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near the city of Kupyansk (Kharkov region), as well as 53 artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military hardware in 89 areas.
A temporary location of foreign mercenaries was hit close to Krasny Liman (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down by anti-aircraft defence forces near Zaliman (Lugansk People’s Republic). In addition, three Uragan MLRS rockets were intercepted near Tokmak (Zaporozhye region) and four HIMARS MLRS shells near Rozovka and Baranikovka (Lugansk People’s Republic).
In total, 344 airplanes and 184 helicopters, 2,675 unmanned aerial vehicles, 398 air defence missile systems, 7,140 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 931 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 3,691 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 7,638 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

• Das Abendbriefing des ukrainischen Generalstabs:

The operational update regarding the russian invasion on 18.00, on December 17, 2022
The enemy continues to focus its efforts on conducting offensive actions in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions. On the Lyman direction, enemy is trying to regain his lost position. In other areas, the enemy is concentrating its efforts on restraining the actions of units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
During the current day, the enemy launched 5 missile strikes. In particular, the civil infrastructure of the cities of Druzhkivka and Kramatorsk in the Donetsk oblast came under fire. Two Onyx-type missiles launched from the temporarily occupied Crimea in the Odesa region were successfully destroyed by air defense forces. In addition, the occupiers fired more than 10 rounds of anti-aircraft fire at the positions of our troops in various directions and at the civilian infrastructure of Kherson.
There is still a threat of enemy air and missile strikes on the entire territory of Ukraine.
In the Volyn and Polissya directions, the situation has not changed significantly, and no signs of the formation of enemy offensive groups have been detected.
On the Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions, the enemy carried out mortar and artillery attacks on the positions of our troops in the areas of the settlements of Hai, Zernove, Yastrubyne, and Kindrativka in the Sumy oblast, and Strilecha, Krasne, Starytsa, Zakharivka, Mylove, Figolivka, Novomlynsk, and Zapadne in the Kharkiv oblast.
On the Kupyansk direction, the districts of Kislivka, Kotlyarivka and Tabaivka of the Kharkiv oblast and Stelmakhivka and Nevske in the Luhansk oblast were shelled by tanks and the entire spectrum of artillery.
On the Lyman direction, the enemy fired at the positions of our troops with tanks, mortars, barrel and rocket artillery in the areas of the settlements of Makiivka, Ploshchanka, Chervonopopivka, and Dibrova of the Luhansk oblast.
On the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions, the enemy unsuccessfully continues his attempts to break through the defenses of our troops. The areas of more than twenty settlements were shelled. Among them are Andriivka, Berestove, Blahodatne, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Chasiv Yar, Avdiivka, Vodyane, Karlivka, Maryinka and Pervomaiske of the Donetsk oblast.
In the direction of Novopavlivka, the enemy tried to attack the positions of our troops near Prechystivka, Vuhledar, and Shakhtarske, Donetsk oblast.
In the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, the enemy continues to shell our positions and the civilian infrastructure of the settlements along the right bank of the Dnipro River. 32 settlements were affected by fire. In particular, Vremivka and Novopil of the Donetsk oblast; Bilohirya, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanylivka and Kamianske in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, Respublikanets, Novokayry, Charivne and Olhivka in the Kherson oblast.
On December 15, the enemy lost more than 100 people wounded and a warehouse of ammunition in the areas of Tokmak and Polohy settlements. Information on eliminated occupiers is being clarified.
During the current day, units of missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit five areas of concentration of personnel, a control post and three ammunition depots of the invaders.