Ukraine/Russland/NATO – der Sammler am 20. Dezember 2022

Am Tag 300 des russischen Angriffskriegs gegen die Ukraine der Sammler am 20. Dezember 2022:

• Der ukrainische Präsident Wolodymyr Selenskyj besuchte am (heutigen) Dienstag die umkämpfte Stadt Bakhmut, die mittlerweile zum Begriff der sich trotz aller Vorstöße beider Seiten kaum verändernden Frontlinie zum Inbegriff des Kriegs im Osten des Landes geworden ist. Aus seiner regelmäßigen Videoansprache:

I’ve returned from the Donetsk region, from our Bakhmut fortress. I was there today to support our fighters, to present state awards, to express gratitude to them. To all our heroes – those who defend not only Bakhmut there, and not only our Donbas, but also the whole of Ukraine. We all should understand this.
You know, on the way to the frontline, today I also passed through Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, Kostiantynivka… Cities, villages near them, which are now literally fighting for life. Life for all of us – for all Ukrainians and for everything Ukrainian, and even more so – for everything and everyone who preserves humanity inside.
Look at Russia’s offensive, what it leaves where it takes its flag. Burned earth, destroyed life… Pain, ruins and graves – this is the so-called „Russian world“. This is what our heroes stop.This is exactly what they are expelling from Ukraine, step by step returning life to our land, where the occupiers set foot. And for this movement to exist, for our border to exist, for us to return the Ukrainian flag to the cities and villages in the south and east of our state, there is Bakhmut, there is a fortress, there are our heroic defenders.Every day they endured there, every hit they withstood there, every attack they repelled and every counterattack they carried out is a life for Ukraine.I thank all our warriors who defend the #bakhmutfortress! I am grateful to all mothers and fathers, wives and children of our heroes who are saving Ukraine right there! And I am asking all our people: wherever you are, please support the Ukrainian heroes who are holding out against the fiercest attacks of the occupiers, against the most insane Russian strikes…Support our Bakhmut – tattered yet unconquered – and his defenders.

• Das britische Intel Update:

On 16 December, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Joint Headquarters of the Special Military Operation.
Putin was filmed meeting with a number of senior military officers including Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu.
He invited proposals for next steps of the Special Military Operation. Commander of the Russian Group of Forces in Ukraine, General Sergey Surovikin, was one of those who presented a report.
In this choreographed meeting Putin likely intended to demonstrate collective responsibility for the special military operation.
This display likely aimed to deflect Putin’s responsibility for military failure, high fatality rates and increasing public dissatisfaction from mobilisation. The televised footage was probably designed to also dispel social media rumours of General Gerasimov’s dismissal.

• Das Morgenbriefing des ukrainischen Generalstabs:

Operational update regarding russian invasion as of 06.00, December 20, 2022
The three hundredth (300) day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to the russian military large-scale invasion continues.
The enemy continues to focus its efforts on conducting offensive actions in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions. It is trying to restore the lost position on Lyman and conducts defense in other directions.
Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of the settlements of Stelmakhivka, Chervonopopivka, and Serebryanske of the Luhansk oblast, and Verkhnyokamianske, Pidhorodne, Bakhmut, Opytne, Kurdyumivka, Krasnohorivka, and Maryinka of the Donetsk oblast.
During the day, the enemy carried out 4 missile and 60 air strikes, and also carried out more than 80 MLRS attacks. As a result of these strikes, civilian infrastructure and the population were affected.
The threat of enemy air and missile strikes on critical infrastructure remains throughout Ukraine.
In the Volyn and Polissya directions, the situation remains without significant changes, no signs of the formation of offensive groups of occupiers have been detected. Certain units of the armed forces of the republic of belarus and the russian federation continue to be located in the border areas with Ukraine.
In the Siverskyi direction, the settlements of Tymonovychi, Karpovychi and Kostobobriv of Chernihiv oblast and Novovasylivka, Kindrativka, Vodolaghy, Zapsillia and Yizdetske in Sumy oblast were hit by mortar attacks.
In the Slobozhansk direction, the enemy carried out mortar and artillery attacks on the positions of our troops in the areas of the settlements of Strilecha, Hlyboke, Starytsa, Vovchansk, Volokhivka, Chuhunivka, and Dvorichna of the Kharkiv oblast.
In the Kupyansk and Lyman directions, the enemy fired tanks, mortars, barrel and jet artillery on the areas of the settlements of Kotlyarivka, Krokhmalne, Berestove in the Kharkiv oblast and Novoselivske, Stelmakhivka, Makiivka, Ploshchanka, Chervonpopivka and Dibrova in the Luhansk oblast.
In the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions, the enemy continues to conduct assaults, fired tanks, mortars and rocket artillery at our positions in the areas of thirty settlements. In particular, these are Verkhnokamianske, Berestove, Yakovlivka, Soledar, Hryhorivka, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar, Klishchiivka, Andriivka, Kurdyumivka, Avdiivka, Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, and Novomykhailivka of the Donetsk oblast.
In the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, the enemy continues artillery shelling of the positions of our troops and civilian infrastructure along the right bank of the Dnipro River. The areas of Temyrivka, Chervone, Mali Shcherbaky and Plavni settlements in the Zaporizhzhia oblast and Chornobayivka, Antonivka, Kherson, Mykilske, Tokarivka and Mylove in the Kherson oblast were affected.
The enemy continues to suffer losses, it was confirmed that the enemy’s permanent deployment point was hit on December 18 of this year in the area of Chaplynka, Kherson oblast. Information about the dead and wounded occupiers is being clarified.
The Ukrainian aviation made 16 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment and 6 strikes on the positions of the enemy’s anti-aircraft missile systems. Air defense forces shot down two enemy helicopters last day.
Units of the missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit the ammunition depot, 3 control points and 3 areas where the enemy’s manpower was concentrated.

• Das Briefing des russischen Verteidigungsministeriums:

Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine (20 December 2022)
Russian Federation Armed Forces continue the special military operation.
In Kupyansk direction, as a result of air and artillery strikes on the AFU up to 30 Ukrainian servicemen and 3 motor vehicles have been eliminated near Kislovka (Kharkov region).
In Krasniy-Liman direction, the concentration of enemy’s manpower and military equipment has been hit near Nevskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic). 3 AFU sabotage and reconnaissance groups have been eliminated near Chervonaya Dibrova and Stelmakhovka (Lugansk People’s Republic). The enemy’s losses in this direction amounted up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, 2 armoured fighting vehicles and 3 pickup trucks.
In Donetsk direction, Russian troops continue their offensive. As a result of a complex shelling of the AFU’s positions, more than 100 Ukrainian servicemen, 4 infantry fighting vehicles and 2 motor vehicles have been eliminated near Ivano-Daryevka, Bakhmutskoye and Orlovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
In South Donetsk direction, provisional bases of the units of the AFU 61st and 72nd mechanised brigades have been destroyed by Russian artillery fire near Konstantinovka and Zolotaya Niva (Donetsk People’s Republic). In addition, 1 AFU sabotage and reconnaissance group has been destroyed near Novodonetskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic). Total enemy losses in this direction amounted to 70 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded, 3 armoured fighting vehicles and 2 pickup trucks.
Operational and Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and artillery of groups of troops (forces) of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised an AFU munition depot near Nevskoye (Lugansk People’s Republic), 64 artillery units at firing positions, as well as manpower and military equipment in 143 areas.
2 radar stations of Ukrainian S-300 air defence systems deployed from central Ukraine have been found and destroyed near Ukrainka (Donetsk People’s Republic). 1 U.S.-manufactured AN/TPQ-36 counterbattery warfare radar has been destroyed near Konstantinovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
2 AFU MiG-29 aircraft have been shot down by the Russian Air Force’s fighter aircraft near Stepanovka and Belozyorskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic). 1 AFU Mi-8 helicopter has been shot down near Timopheyevka (Donetsk People’s Republic). Russian anti-aircraft defence forces have shot down 1 AFU Su-25 aircraft near Ugledar (Donetsk People’s Republic).
1 Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter has been shot down near Severnoye (Donetsk People’s Republic). In addition, 5 unmanned aerial vehicles have been destroyed near Rudovo (Lugansk People’s Republic), Volnovakha and Novoandreyevka (Donetsk People’s Republic) and Velikiye Kopani (Kherson region).
In total, 347 airplanes and 186 helicopters, 2,689 unmanned aerial vehicles, 398 air defence missile systems, 7,168 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 931 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 3,693 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 7,674 units of special military hardware 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 20, 2022
The three-hundred (300) day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a russian military large-scale invasion continues.
russian occupiers continue to conduct full-scale armed aggression against our state, they do not stop striking critical infrastructure and civilian homes on the territory of Ukraine, violating the norms of International Humanitarian Law, the laws and customs of warfare. The volume of transfers of mobilized personnel, weapons and military equipment, fuel and lubricants and ammunition from the far eastern regions of the russian federation is increasing.
The enemy is concentrating its efforts on conducting offensive actions in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions. It is trying to improve the tactical position in the Kupyansk and Lyman areas. In other directions, the enemy defends previously occupied lines, concentrates efforts on restraining the actions of units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, and at the same time continues to shell the positions of our troops and civilian objects along the contact line.
During the day, the enemy carried out 10 air and 4 missile strikes on civilian objects in Andriyivka, Vovchansk, Soledar, and also carried out about 20 MLRS attacks on the civilian infrastructure of the city of Kherson.
The threat of enemy air and missile strikes on critical infrastructure objects remains throughout Ukraine.
In the Volyn and Polissya directions, the situation remains without significant changes, no signs of the formation of offensive groups of the enemy have been detected. Certain units of the armed forces of the republic of belarus and the russian federation continue to be located in the border areas with Ukraine.
On the Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions, the enemy carried out mortar and artillery attacks on the positions of our troops in the areas of 27 settlements, including: Karpovychi, Tymonovychi, Kostobobriv, Chernihiv oblast; Kindrativka, Vodolagi, Zapsilya, Yzdetske of the Sumy oblast; Guryiv, Alisivka, Krasne, Zelena, Vovchansk, Zybyne, Volohivka, Varvarivka, Zemlianka and Dvorichna of the Kharkiv oblast. The russian occupiers used an unmanned aerial vehicle in the areas of Popivka, Chernihiv oblast, and Zybyne, Kharkiv oblast.
In the Kupyansk and Lyman directions, the enemy shelled 15 settlements with tanks and the entire spectrum of artillery, in particular – Hryanikyvka, Kislivka, Kotlyarivka, Krokhmalne, Berestove of the Kharkiv oblast; Makiivka, Ploshchanka, Nevske, Chervonopopopivka and Dibrova of Luhansk oblast. The russian occupiers struck the operational-tactical and army aviation forces in the areas of Novoselivske and Ploshanka settlements.
In the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions, the enemy continues to conduct offensive actions, fired from tanks and all types of artillery at the positions of our troops in the areas of 24 settlements. Among them – Andriivka, Bilohorivka, Luhansk oblast; Spirne, Soledar, Bakhmut, Stupochky, Vodyane, Nevelske, Maryinka and Novomykhailivka of the Donetsk oblast. The enemy attacked with operational-tactical and army aviation in Andriivka, Bilohorivka, Spirne, Pivnichne, New York, Kamianka, Avdiivka, Nevelske districts.
In the direction of Novopavlivsk, the enemy fired tanks, mortars, barrel and jet artillery at the positions of our troops near the settlements of Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Zolota Nyva and Velya Novosilka of the 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. Fired tanks and the entire spectrum of artillery at 35 settlements. In particular, it is Vremivka of the Donetsk oblast; Zeleny Hai, Dorozhnyanka, Zaliznychne, Verbove, Bilohirya of the Zaporizhzhia region; Beryslav, Tokarivka, Antonivka, Berehove, Kherson oblast. It carried out airstrikes in the areas of Vremivka, Mali Shcherbaky, Novoandriivka, and Olhivske.
The enemy continues to suffer losses. On December 18, it was confirmed that units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine fired at areas where the enemy’s manpower and equipment were concentrated in the temporarily occupied territory of the Zaporizhzhia region. In particular, in the areas of the settlements of Polohy, Vasylivka and Kamianka-Dniprovska. The losses of the enemy are more than 130 wounded occupiers, up to 10 units of weapons and military equipment of various types were destroyed. Information about the dead invaders is being clarified.
The enemy continues to use the network of civilian health care facilities in the temporarily occupied territory to treat wounded russian occupiers and mercenaries of private military campaigns. So, according to the available information, in Luhansk, the city’s multidisciplinary hospital is equipped as a military hospital of the russian occupying forces, which is already overloaded with wounded occupiers.
During the day, the aviation of the Defense Forces of Ukraine carried out 10 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment and 12 strikes on the positions of the enemy’s anti-aircraft missile systems.
Units of missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine during the current day hit an ammunition warehouse, 3 control points and 8 areas of concentration of enemy manpower.