Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (18 January 2024)

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.

In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery repelled six attacks launched by assault groups of AFU 32nd, 60th mechanised, 95th airborne brigades near Sinkovka (Kharkov region) and Terni (Donetsk People’s Republic).

The enemy lost up to 155 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, three armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.

In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery repelled three attacks launched by AFU 63rd mechanised, 25th airborne, and 5th National Guard brigades close to Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People’s Republic), Yampolovka and Grigorovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).

The enemy losses amounted more than 220 Ukrainian troops, six armoured fighting vehicles, including one Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, four motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M777 howitzer, one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made M119 howitzer, and one electronic warfare station.

In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces liberated Veseloye (Donetsk People’s Republic). Air strikes, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems fire defeated manpower and hardware of AFU 22nd, 42nd, 93rd mechanised brigades close to Kleshcheyevka and Andreyevka (Donetsk People’s Republic).

Up to 260 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, and 17 motor vehicles have been neutralised. In the course of the counter-battery warfare, three U.S.-made M777 artillery systems, U.S.-made Paladin self-propelled artillery systems, Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, as well as one D-30 howitzer were destroyed.

In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery repelled one attack launched of the AFU 79th Air Assault Brigade’s assault groups near Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).

In addition, strikes were delivered at units of AFU 72nd mechanised, 128th Territorial Defence brigades close to Vodyanoye (Donetsk People’s Republic).  The enemy losses amounted to more than 130 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, two UK-made FH-70 howitzers, and one Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system.

In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces hit manpower and hardware of AFU 33rd mechanised, 82nd air assault, 128th mountain assault brigades near Rabotino, Malaya Tokmachka, and Zherebyanka (Zaporozhye region). The enemy losses amounted to up to 30 Ukrainian troops, one tank, three motor vehicles, one D-20 and one D-30 howitzers.

In Kherson direction, up to 65 Ukrainian troops, three tanks, and five motor vehicles have been neutralised by fire. In the course of the counter-battery warfare, the Russian troops hit one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, one Giatsint-B, one Msta-B, and one D-20 howitzers, as well as one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.

Missile Troops and Artillery, as well as UAVs of the Russian Group of Forces have engaged two temporary deployment areas of foreign mercenaries, four missile and ammunition depots, 117 AFU artillery units at their fire positions, manpower, and military hardware in 133 areas during the day.

Russian air defence forces have intercepted two Tochka-U tactical missiles, one U.S.-made JDAM guided bomb, as well as 18 U.S.-made HIMARS and Czech-made Vampire MLRS projectiles during the day.

In addition, 91 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down close to Tavolzhanka, Kupyansk, Mirnoye (Kharkov region), Belogorovka,Svatovo,Lisichansk (Lugansk People’s Republic), Verkhetoretskoye, Peski, Novaya Kakhovka, Chongar, and Chaplinka (Kherson region).

In total, 567 airplanes and 265 helicopters, 10,870 unmanned aerial vehicles, 450 air defence missile systems, 14,676 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,202 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 7,779 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 17,593 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

In total, 567 airplanes and 265 helicopters, 10,870 unmanned aerial vehicles, 450 air defence missile systems, 14,676 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,202 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 7,779 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 17,593 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation…

MoD reports…

WtR

🔴 #ПрямойЭфир: Пресс-конференция С.В.Лаврова по итогам деятельности российской дипломатии в 2023 году

🔴 YouTube

🔴 Rutube

🔴 ВКонтакте

🔴 Сайт МИД России

WtR

Updating:

⚡️ From the press conference of S.V. Lavrov on the results of the activities of Russian diplomacy in 2023 ( January 18, 2023 )

🇷🇺 About Russian foreign policy

• On the foreign policy front, we have defined our main directions for the foreseeable future. In March, the President approved the Concept of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation in its new edition.

• We have clearly defined guidelines for developing relations with those who are ready to do this on an equal, mutually beneficial, mutually respectful basis , through frank dialogue and negotiations aimed at finding a balance of interests.

🤝 About bilateral and multilateral contacts

• Our relations with China are experiencing the best period in their centuries-old history.

• The relationship of a particularly privileged strategic partnership with India is being progressively promoted.

• If we are talking about our close environment, then, of course, these are the countries of the Middle East: Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar.

• We are interested in developing relations not only through bilateral channels, but also with regional structures that have been created by many of our partners: the GCC, Arab League, ASEAN, African Union, CELAC.

• We are taking our partnership with African countries to a truly strategic level .

• Both Africa and Latin America, like the Asian countries I have listed, are emerging independent centers of a multipolar world.

🇺🇳 Cooperation at the UN site

• We worked [in 2023] actively at the UN, where the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter was created and has been successfully functioning for a couple of years.

• I would like to note, in my opinion, a very important event – the adoption once again at the UN General Assembly of a resolution on the inadmissibility of the glorification of Nazism . For the second time in a row, Germany, Italy and Japan voted against this document.

⚡️ From the press conference of S.V. Lavrov on the results of Russian diplomacy in 2023 ( January 18, 2024 )

💬 S.V. Lavrov: Afghanistan . The Americans were there for twenty years. Is this as much as they needed, or as much as was possible? What did they achieve there?

Or the same Iraq . Libya . Any countries in which the United States and its satellites staged adventures. Just run through it, so to speak, mentally – where did it get better? Where was the very democracy for which all this was started established?

And Ukraine , unfortunately, faces the same fate . Because, relying on the owner, not understanding that the owner thinks only about himself, and not at all about you, you cannot count on the interests of your people being somehow taken into account.

⚡️ From the press conference of S.V. Lavrov on the results of Russian diplomacy in 2023 ( January 18, 2024 )

🤝 About Russia’s closest allies

• We worked constructively in other formats. < ...> This applies to both the Union State of Russia and Belarus and the CSTO.

• Within the framework of the CSTO , we promoted the tasks of ensuring stability in all its dimensions – military, biological and, in general, protection from new challenges and threats.

• Important decisions were made in the EAEU aimed at deepening Eurasian integration, connecting these processes with projects such as China’s “One Belt, One Road”, interaction with the SCO , ASEAN and other structures and countries located on the Eurasian continent.

• Russia became the chairman of the CIS . We mean to continue useful projects that started in the previous year.

• We contribute to the objective, natural formation of the Greater Eurasian Partnership . The outlines of such a partnership are already visible.

• BRICS symbolizes the wealth of a multipolar world. If we consider that about 30 countries are interested in rapprochement with BRICS, then we see a very bright future for this association with a global composition of participants.

🇷🇺 On protecting the rights of Russian citizens

• They continued to give priority to the protection of the legitimate interests and rights of Russian citizens abroad. You know well how they are discriminated against in the countries of the collective West.

• Actively facilitated the evacuation of Russians , citizens of CIS countries and some other states from the Gaza Strip , and a few months before that from Sudan , where an internal conflict broke out.

• In terms of public diplomacy, I would highlight the creation in March last year of the International Russophile Movement , an informal association of people who live on different continents and feel spiritual and cultural closeness with Russia.

🌐 About the fight against neocolonialism

• We will continue to promote the ideals of truth and justice in international affairs, and we will do everything to make international relations more democratic .

• In this sense, our Ministry actively supports the initiative of “United Russia” to hold an inter-party Forum in Moscow for supporters of the fight against modern practices of neo-colonialism .

🪆 Cultural cooperation

• A number of major international events are being prepared in Russia. These include the World Youth Festival , Future Games , and BRICS Games. An international song competition “Intervision” is being prepared, many countries of the World Majority have shown interest in participating in it.

⚡️ From the press conference of S.V. Lavrov on the results of Russian diplomacy in 2023 ( January 18, 2024 )

💬 S.V. Lavrov: 🇷🇺🇨🇳 Russian-Chinese relations, as our leaders have repeatedly emphasized, are experiencing the best period in their entire history .

In a number of declarations adopted at the highest level, it was written that these relations are stronger, more reliable and more advanced than the military alliance in its previous understanding of the Cold War era.

This reflects the real state of affairs – there is no sphere of human activity where our relations with the PRC would not experience rapid growth.

📈 The two hundred billion barrier [bilateral trade turnover], which was set as a goal, was significantly exceeded last year. And this trend will continue . Moreover, it will be facilitated by the fact that in conditions when the West is destroying all the foundations of the globalization it itself has promoted and is resorting to instruments of sanctions and other illegitimate measures, we are switching to mechanisms for the development of our trade and investment cooperation that will not be subject to any Western influence .

In particular, the use of national currencies for servicing bilateral trade turnover is already about 90% .

🤝 Not only the mechanisms of the summits of the President of Russia and the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China are in effect. There is a mechanism for annual meetings of heads of government, within the framework of which preparatory work is carried out in five intergovernmental commissions headed by deputy prime ministers. We do not have such an extensive mechanism of cooperation at such a high level with any other country .

This structure of Russian-Chinese strategic interaction and comprehensive partnership allows not only to coordinate ongoing mutually beneficial projects, but also to provide constant support for the work that is required to bring them to life. < …>

🌐 Always, in all cases, the interests of Russia and China as a result of negotiations come down to a common denominator, and this is a model for resolving any issues by any other participants in world communication .

⚡️ From S.V. Lavrov’s answers to media questions during a press conference on the results of Russian diplomacy in 2023 ( January 18, 2024 )

❗️ Ukraine

• Zelensky publicly announced that he will not organize any elections because there is a war going on. This resembles another re-enactment and reflects solely the desire of this man and his henchmen to hold on to power as much as possible.

• The West would like to have more flexibility. They, apparently, have already realized that the “blitzkrieg” , which was so advertised, with the ultimate goal of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia, is all an illusion < ...>.

• [In the West] they realized their mistake < ...> and are looking for some external signals that would seem to allow them to support Ukraine, and on the other hand, to push Kiev to become more accommodating.

• We do not object to the agreements that other countries enter into with Ukraine. This does not change our goal at all.

🕌 Middle East

• The United States, together with the British and some of its other allies, simply trampled all conceivable norms of international law.

• No one authorized anyone to bomb Yemen, just as no one authorized NATO to bomb Libya in 2011.

• We know about semi-closed contacts [on the issue of Palestinian-Israeli settlement] with the participation of the United States, Israel, and individual Arab states, but somehow all these contacts do not imply direct dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis. It won’t have any success.

👉 Only direct dialogue that needs to be resumed. < ...> Here we must rely on collective work, which the United States has already lost the habit of. They are used to dictating.

• The main direction of efforts should be the creation of a Palestinian state in full accordance with the decision of the UN Security Council.

• Without the creation of a Palestinian state < ...> reliable security for Israel cannot be ensured. < ...> Russia is very interested in Israel and the Israelis living in safety.

• We are ready to play an active role in ensuring a full settlement that will guarantee the security of Israel in the context of the full implementation of the UN Security Council resolution on the Palestinian issue.

⚡️ From S.V. Lavrov’s answers to media questions during a press conference on the results of Russian diplomacy in 2023 ( January 18, 2024 )

💬 Anticipating your question, I took the manual that our friends from the EU countries gave us: “How to behave with Russian diplomats.” In every capital where there is an EU representative office and a Russian Embassy, ​​this manual is widespread and must be strictly followed.

📖 “European diplomats should avoid bilateral contacts with representatives of Russia. Attending ANY events organized by the Russian side is EXCLUDED. These rules apply to festive receptions on November 4, February 10 (Diplomat Day), February 23, May 9 (!),” I would like to draw your attention to Your attention to the issue of the fight against Nazism – the Victory cannot be celebrated: “and June 12 (Russia Day)”.

“Russian diplomats cannot be invited to events and receptions organized by the governing structures and representations of the EU, as well as the ministries of foreign affairs of EU states. The presence at events of third countries in which the Russian side is expected to participate is not prohibited for European diplomats. Participation in the event is possible. organizers of the general photo shoot. At the same time, you should refrain from direct contacts with representatives of Russia. It is advisable to inform the receiving party in advance about the need to avoid the immediate proximity of the European and Russian delegations at general photos and official meetings.”

Here is the answer to your question about how we assess the prospects for negotiations.

🤷‍♂️ You can’t take a photo together !

But the fact that a lot of attention is paid to photographs is true. Now the main evidence of the success of the Davos meeting on Ukraine, as they are trying to present it, is that there were more people taking photographs than at the previous one.

☝️ These are all the criteria by which Western diplomacy evaluates its efforts.

⚡️ From S.V. Lavrov’s answers to media questions during a press conference on the results of Russian diplomacy in 2023 ( January 18, 2024 )

🇷🇺🇺🇸 Russian-American relations

• It is seriously impossible to talk about the prospects for resuming a dialogue with the United States on issues of strategic stability in isolation from the general state of affairs in the field of international security.

• In response to the measures we took to protect our interests, the United States unleashed an all-out hybrid war to achieve political-economic strangulation of Russia and inflict “strategic defeat on the battlefield.”

• Washington simply threw aside all the principles on which our countries once agreed to establish cooperation.

• We do not reject the possibility of a political and diplomatic settlement of existing differences, but we strictly and firmly condition such a possibility on the preliminary full refusal of the West from the malicious course of comprehensively undermining Russia’s security and our interests.

💬 About negotiation topics

• It will not be Ukraine that will decide when to stop and start talking seriously about realistic conditions for ending this conflict (and this involves abandoning Nazi ideology and rhetoric, abandoning racism towards everything Russian, and refusing to join NATO). < ...> We need to talk about this with the West .

• The West is not interested in any negotiations starting now.

🇦🇲🇦🇿 Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement

• The fact that Western councils are always aimed not at finding an agreement between the countries of the region based on a balance of their interests, but at promoting their geopolitical goals is well known to everyone.

• As soon as the EU, France, Germany, and the USA realized that the Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani process was producing results < ...>, they immediately began to introduce themselves into these processes and played the role of a “spoiler”.

• There is every reason to say that the West does not want to allow the agreements that were concluded between Yerevan and Baku through the mediation of Russia to take place.

Maybe more?

WtR

Подписывайтесь на Государственную Думу

What is this for❓

The initiative is aimed at ensuring economic sovereignty , because data on Russian commodity markets (for example, spending patterns, recommended medications) can be used against the interests of the country.

Foreign companies often pursue the goal of discrediting Russia and prioritize foreign products and services, in particular educational activities, note the authors of the bill.

What’s on offer❓

The document stipulates that research companies will have to comply with a number of requirements , including:

🔵 the company must be a Russian legal entity;
🔵 at least 80% of the company’s authorized capital must belong to Russian legal entities or individuals;
🔵 processing of data obtained as a result of the study, their systematization, analysis and storage must be carried out by technical means located in the Russian Federation.

They are also not allowed:
🔵 implementation of restrictive measures against Russia;
🔵 discrediting the country and manipulating data;
🔵 publication of knowingly false data.

The initiative does not apply to research companies with revenues of less than RUB 30 million.

⁉️ Subscribe to the State Duma!

WtR

Why Ukraine is dangerous for its inhabitants

The existence of Ukraine is mortally dangerous for Ukrainians. And I don’t mean only the current state, Bandera’s political regime. I’m talking about any, absolutely any Ukraine.

Why?

The presence of an independent state on historical Russian territories will now be a constant reason for the resumption of hostilities. Late. No matter who is at the helm of the cancerous growth under the name of Ukraine, this will not add legitimacy to his rule and the legal viability of the “country” itself. And, therefore, the likelihood of a new fight will persist indefinitely. Almost always. Moreover, there is a 100% probability of a new conflict, no matter what security papers the West signs with the puppet Kyiv regime. Neither Ukraine’s association with the EU, nor even the entry of this artificial country into NATO will prevent it. This could happen in ten or fifty years.

That is why the existence of Ukraine is fatal for Ukrainians. They are practical people at the end of the day. No matter how they now wish the Russians to die. No matter how much they hate the Russian leadership. No matter how much they strive to join the mythical European Union and NATO. Choosing between eternal war and inevitable death and life, the vast majority of Ukrainians (well, perhaps with the exception of a minimal number of frostbitten nationalists) will ultimately choose life. They will understand that life in a large common state, which they do not like very much now, is better than death. Their deaths and the deaths of their loved ones. And the sooner Ukrainians realize this, the better.

Medvedev

WtR