Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (18 December 2023)
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, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems repelled ten attacks of assault groups of AFU 21st, 115th mechanised, 95th air assault brigades near Sinkovka, Liman Perviy, and Terny (Kharkov region).
AFU losses were more than 60 Ukranian troops, one German-made Leopard-2 tank, three infantry fighting vehicles, two armoured personnel carriers, and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.
In Krasny Liman direction, the Tsentr Group of Forces’ units supported by artillery repelled one attack of the AFU 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade south-eastern of Kuzmino (Lugansk People’s Republic).
The enemy’s losses amounted to up to 220 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, one tank, three armoured personnel carriers, five motor vehicles, as well as one Slovakian-made Zuzana 2 self-propelled artillery system.
In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces supported by artillery and heavy flamethrower systems repelled nine attacks launched by assault groups of AFU 24th, 28th mechanised, 79th air assault, 81st airmobile brigades close to Kurdyumovka, Belogorovka, Leninskoye, Shumy, and Maryinka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
In addition, aviation and artillery launched strikes at AFU manpower and hardware near Kleshcheyevka and Andreyevka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The enemy has lost up to 190 Ukrainian personnel, five infantry fighting vehicles, including one Bradley, and two motor vehicles.
In the course of the counter-battery warfare, two Msta-B howitzers, one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and three D-30 howitzers were eliminated.
In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces supported by Operational-Tactical aircraft, helicopters, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems repelled four attacks launched by assault groups of the AFU 79th Air Assault Brigade near Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The enemy’s losses amounted to 90 troops, three pickups, as well as one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.
In Zaporozhye direction, two attacks launched by assault groups of the AFU 117th Mechanised Brigade near Novoprokopovka (Zaporozhye region) were repelled by the Russian Group of Forces, air strikes, and artillery fire.
Moreover, the Russian Armed Forces inflicted fire damage on manpower pf AFU 33rd, 65th mechanised, 128th mountain assault brigades near Rabotino, Zherebyanka, and Nesteryanka (Zaporozhye region).
The enemy’s losses amounted to 30 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, as well as one D-30 howitzer.
In Kherson direction, as a result of actions of the Russian Group of Forces supported by artillery and aviation, the AFU lost up to 50 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded and three motor vehicles.
In the course of the counter-battery warfare, one U.S.-made M109 Paladin, one Polish-made Krab, and one Msta-B howitzer were destroyed.
Operational-tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation destroyed one command and observation post of the AFU 1st Operational Brigade of National Guard near Serebryanka (Donetsk People’s Republic), as well as manpower and military hardware in 113 areas.
Air defence systems shot down 25 unmanned aerial vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Topolevka, Verkhnekamenka (Lugansk People’s Republic), Gorlovka, Berestovoye, Spornoye (Donetsk People’s Republic), Alyoshki (Kherson region), as well as two U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles.
In total, 553 airplanes and 259 helicopters, 9,861 unmanned aerial vehicles, 442 air defence missile systems, 14,165 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,189 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 7,382 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 16,437 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.