Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (20 January 2024)
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kupyansk direction, as a result of active actions by artillery and units of the Zapad Group of Forces, ten attacks by assault groups of 30th, 32nd, and 60th mechanised, 57th motorised infantry brigades and the 103rd Territorial Defence Brigade of the AFU have been repelled close to Sinkovka, Krakhmalnoye (Kharkov region) and Terny (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The enemy losses were up to 150 Ukrainian servicemen and two motor vehicles.
In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, supported by artillery, have repelled four attacks by assault groups of the 63rd Mechanised Brigade, the 12th Special Forces Brigade, and the 5th Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard near Grigorovka (Donetsk People’s Republic) and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People’s Republic).
The enemy losses were up to 280 soldiers, two armoured fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery crew.
In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces, supported by artillery, have repelled four attacks by assault groups of 24th mechanised and 81st airmobile brigades of the AFU near Shumy and Belogorovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Artillery have defeated manpower and hardware of 22nd, 28th, and 93rd mechanised brigades of the AFU close to Kleshcheevka, Kurdyumovka, and Chasov Yar (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The enemy losses were up to 320 servicemen killed and wounded, six pickup trucks, one Msta-B howitzer, as well as one D-20 cannon.
In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces, in cooperation with artillery and heavy flamethrower systems, have repelled two attacks by assault groups of the 127th Air Defence Brigade near Rovnopol (Donetsk People’s Republic), and also have inflicted fire damage on manpower of the 79th Air Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Konstantinovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The enemy losses were up to 95 troops, three motor vehicles, as well as two Akatsiya self-propelled artillery systems.
In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces, supported by aviation and artillery, have defeated manpower and hardware of 65th, 117th mechanised, 82nd air assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Nesteryanka, Rabotino, and Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region).
The enemy losses were up to 30 servicemen killed and wounded, two armoured fighting vehicles, as well as one D-30 cannon.
In Kherson direction, as a result of coordinated actions by Russian troops and artillery, the enemy losses were up to 35 servicemen, two motor vehicles, as well as one U.S.-manufactured M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised one German-manufactured IRIS-T radar station, as well as have engaged manpower and hardware in 118 areas.
Air defence facilities have shot down 20 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as one HIMARS projectile close to Lisichansk (Lugansk People’s Republic), Bogdanovka, Belogorovka (Donetsk People’s Republic), Kazachyi Lagerya, Golaya Pristan (Kherson region).
In total, 567 airplanes and 265 helicopters, 10,914 unmanned aerial vehicles, 450 air defence missile systems, 14,705 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,202 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 7,795 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 17,641 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.