Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (16–22 December 2023)
In the period from 16 to 22 December 2023, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation inflicted 39 group strikes with high-precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles on the military airfield infrastructure, air navigation aids, POL bases storage sites for artillery ammunition, weapons and military hardware of the enemy .
Moreover, drone-launching and -training centres, command and control posts and deployment areas of AFU troops, foreign mercenaries, and nationalist formations were hit. All the assigned targets have been engaged.
In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces repelled 53 enemy attacks. The 14th, 43rd, 60th, 115th mechanised and 95th Air Assault brigades of the AFU were defeated by air strikes and artillery fire close to Sinkovka and Olshana (Kharkov region).
The enemy losses amounted to more than 355 Ukrainian troops, four tanks including two Leopard tanks, 19 armoured fighting vehicles, 13 motor vehicles, and 12 field artillery guns.
In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces with support of aviation and artillery fire repelled 13 attacks of assault groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, the 24th, 63rd, and 116th mechanised brigades of the AFU and the 12th special brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard were engaged close to Chervonaya Dibrova, Petrovskoye, and Kuzmino (Lugansk People’s Republic) and Torskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic).
During the week the enemy lost up to 1,155 troops killed and wounded, one tank, 19 armoured fighting vehicles, 21 motor vehicles, and seven field artillery guns.
In Donetsk direction, the Yug Group of Forces, supported by air and artillery fire, improved their position along the front line in certain areas. They repelled 43 attacks launched by assault groups of the AFU’s 24th Mechanised and 79th Air Assault Brigades near Shumy, Belogorovka, and Maryinka (Donetsk People’s Republic). Fire was also launched at units of the 28th, 30th, 42nd, 93rd mechanised and 57th motorised infantry brigades of the AFU near Kurdyumovka, Kleshcheyevka, Krasnoye, and Andreyevka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Enemy losses in this direction over the past period were over 1,610 killed and wounded, three tanks, 17 armoured fighting vehicles, one HIMARS launcher, 24 motor vehicles, and 44 field artillery guns.
In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces repelled ten enemy attacks. Air strikes and artillery fire hit units of the AFU’s 58th motorised infantry, 72nd mechanised, 79th air assault, 127th and 128th Territorial Defence brigades near Novomikhailovka, Urozhaynoe, Staromayorskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic) and Priyutnoe (Zaporozhye region).
The enemy losses were more than 670 troops, two tanks, six armoured fighting vehicles, 19 motor vehicles, and 12 field artillery guns.
In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Armed Forces continued active defence, repelling six enemy attacks near Rabotino and Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region). Fire damage was inflicted on personnel and military hardware of the 33rd, 65th, 116th, 117th, 118th mechanised, 128th mountain assault, 82nd airborne, and 14th National Guard battalions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Novodanilovka, Malaya Tokmachka, Nesteryanka, and Novoprokopovka (Zaporozhye region).
Enemy losses were up to 390 troops killed and wounded, one tank, five armoured fighting vehicles, 19 motor vehicles, and ten field artillery guns.
In Kherson direction, all the attempts launched by the enemy sabotage groups to land on the islands and on the left bank of the Dnieper River were thwarted. Air strikes and artillery fire defeated units of the AFU 36th and 37th Marine brigades close to Tyaginka and Belozerka (Kherson region).
The AFU lost up to 510 troops killed and wounded, one tank, 37 motor vehicles, 24 boats and 20 field artillery guns as a result of the actions of the Russian troops in this direction.
Russian air defence systems shot down four enemy airplanes during the week: one Su-27, two MiG-29, and one Su-25; as well as three helicopters: two Mi-24 and one Mi-8 of the Ukrainian Air Force. They also intercepted one ATACMS operational-tactical missile, 30 projectiles of HIMARS, Uragan, and Olkha multiple launch rocket systems, three JDAM guided bombs, and 259 unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, 554 airplanes and 261 helicopters, 9,955 unmanned aerial vehicles, 442 air defence missile systems, 14,251 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,189 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 7,447 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 16,572 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.