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.