The minister inspected Russian units on the eve of the winter campaign, experts sayRussian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected the Russian grouping of troops in the area of the SVO.
He flew around the areas of deployment of units and checked the advanced positions, the military department reported on Sunday. Earlier, on December 16, President Vladimir Putin held a meeting at the joint headquarters of the branches of the armed forces that are involved in the special operation. During the trip, Sergei Shoigu checked the combat readiness of the mobilized units on the eve of the winter campaign, experts say. Also, on December 18, the Ministry of Defense reported on the liberation of Yakovlevka in the DPR and told about the results of missile strikes on the Ukrainian military infrastructure.
Special Attention area
Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu made a working trip to the Southern Military District and inspected the grouping of troops in the areas of the special operation, the military department reported on December 18. The head of the ministry flew around the areas of deployment of troops and checked the positions of Russian units. At the front line, the Minister talked with the servicemen and thanked the personnel for the exemplary performance of combat missions.
At the command post of the grouping, Sergei Shoigu listened to the reports of the commanders on the current situation and the actions of the troops in the operational areas. The Minister paid special attention to the organization of comprehensive provision of troops, conditions for the deployment of personnel in the field, as well as the work of medical and logistics units.
Sergei Shoigu's visit to the SVO zone should be considered as an inspection of troops by the minister, who is responsible for ensuring that the army successfully performs combat missions, military expert Alexei Leonkov told Izvestia.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu
Image source: Photo: TASS/press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
— Now the head of the military department is the link between the army and the military-industrial complex, and at the same time deals with the international agenda, — the expert explained. — During the visit, the Minister first of all checked to what extent our troops, equipped with mobilized, are ready to perform serious combat tasks. Of course, this trip is connected with the visit of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin to his headquarters the day before. During it, most likely, plans for the winter campaign were reviewed and approved.
As previously reported, on December 16, Vladimir Putin worked all day at the joint headquarters of the branches of the armed forces that are involved in the military operation in Ukraine.
— The head of state got acquainted with the work of the headquarters, listened to a report on the progress of the joint operation, and also held a meeting and separate meetings with the commanders, — said the press secretary of the president Dmitry Peskov.
Missiles against radars
Details of the strike on military control systems, objects of the military-industrial complex and the energy infrastructure of Ukraine that ensures their operation became known on December 16.
— The target of the strike has been achieved. All designated facilities have been hit, — said the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov. — As a result of the strike, the transfer of foreign-made weapons and ammunition was disrupted, the advance of reserves to combat areas was blocked, Ukrainian defense enterprises for the production and repair of weapons, military equipment and ammunition were stopped.
Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
According to him, during the repulse of the strike by Ukrainian and Western air defense systems, a significant resource was spent on specially launched false targets.
At the same time, four radar stations of the Ukrainian S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems were destroyed in the areas of the settlements of Andrusovka, Pridneprovskoye, Dnipropetrovsk region, as well as Novotavricheskaya and Nikolay-Pole, Zaporozhye region.
— As a result of the unprofessional actions of the Ukrainian air defense calculations, damage was caused to the civilian infrastructure on the ground, — said Lieutenant General Konashenkov.
Liberation of Yakovlevka
The Russian armed forces continued fighting with Ukrainian armed formations on December 17 and 18.
In the Donetsk direction, as a result of the offensive actions of Russian units, the settlement of Yakovlevka in the DPR was taken under control. Its cleansing from the remnants of Ukrainian troops is being completed.
Also in this direction, the counterattacks of the VFU were reflected. The enemy was thrown back to their original positions. More than 70 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles and ten vehicles were destroyed.
Yakovlevka is a key point north of Artemovsk, explained Alexey Leonkov.
— After her release, the Russian Armed Forces may threaten the operational encirclement of Ukrainian forces in Artemovsk and Soledar, — he believes. — Being in it, the Russian army threatens the roads along which the supply of Ukrainian formations entrenched in these cities is carried out. It can also be used to effectively adjust artillery fire and the work of aviation on enemy positions.
Photo: TASS/press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
In two days, up to 65 Ukrainian servicemen, an armored personnel carrier, six vehicles and an armored combat vehicle were destroyed in the Kupyansk direction.
On Saturday and Sunday, enemy reserves were defeated in the Krasnolimansk direction. In addition, preemptive fire on the assault groups of the VFU suppressed attempts by Ukrainian formations to conduct reconnaissance by combat in the direction of the settlements of Golikovo and Kremennaya in the LPR. The enemy's losses in this direction amounted to up to 90 servicemen killed and wounded, one tank, two armored combat vehicles and four pickups.
On Sunday, clusters of manpower and military equipment of the VFU were defeated in the South Donets direction, an enemy repair and evacuation group and three sabotage and reconnaissance groups were destroyed. The losses of Ukrainian formations during the day amounted to up to 50 servicemen killed and wounded, an armored combat vehicle, a tank tractor and two pickups.
A day earlier, two VFU sabotage and reconnaissance groups, up to 35 servicemen and two armored personnel carriers were discovered and destroyed in this tactical direction.
In two days, the operational-tactical, army aviation, missile troops and artillery of Russia hit the temporary deployment point of foreign mercenaries, the control point of the 113th Air Defense Brigade, the temporary deployment point of the 14th mechanized Brigade of the VFU, the US-made AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery radar station, as well as 162 artillery units in firing positions and 233 areas of concentration of troops.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Konstantin Mikhalchevsky
Image source: iz.ru
In two days, the Russian Air Defense forces destroyed three drones, three Uragan multiple rocket launchers in the Tokmak area of the Zaporozhye region and 13 HIMARS multiple rocket launchers in the area of the Chaplinka settlement.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 344 aircraft, 184 helicopters, 2,676 unmanned aerial vehicles, 398 anti—aircraft missile systems, 7,149 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 931 multiple rocket launchers, 3,691 field artillery and mortar guns, as well as 7,650 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed - Igor Konashenkov listed.
Communication under fire
The Russian Defense Ministry told about the servicemen who showed courage and dedication in the battles.
During the battles of the Guard, Sergeant Vladimir Kosenkov, under heavy enemy fire, provided emergency medical care to five wounded motorized infantry. Then he personally took them out from under fire to a safe area, and after the end of the battle, he ensured the evacuation of all the wounded to a field medical hospital, the military department noted.
In an effort to regain control over the lost territories, Ukrainian nationalists attacked the positions of our troops. Instantly assessing the situation, Lieutenant Andrey Kryukov began to determine the coordinates of the enemy artillery positions. Thanks to the timely data transmitted to them, the Russian gunners destroyed two enemy firing positions, including two towed 155-millimeter guns and up to 14 nationalists.
While on duty at the Guard observation post, Sergeant Vladimir Dashiev discovered a group of Ukrainian saboteurs. He promptly reported their coordinates to the control point of the operational duty officer and opened fire with small arms, forcing the enemy to stop and take up defense. An artillery strike was carried out on a group of armed nationalists, as a result of which the enemy was eliminated.
Photo: TASS/press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
— Guard Sergeant Vladimir Dashiev, having shown vigilance, courage and bravery, did not allow the breakthrough of the nationalists in the direction entrusted to him, — noted in the Ministry of Defense.
In the conditions of dense enemy fire, Colonel Alexander Savenkov organized the installation of a repeater on the roof of one of the buildings in the area of the observation post, providing the units with stable communication. A few days later, Ukrainian militants attempted a counteroffensive. During the attack, a mortar shell exploded near the control room and the main communication system failed. Alexander promptly organized communication with the higher KP by backup means of communication. After another mortar attack, Savenkov found two wounded servicemen, pulled them out from under fire, took them to shelter and provided first aid.
When organizing communications in new positions, the enemy fired at the deployment area from the HIMARS MLRS. Alexander was seriously injured, but completed the task without losing control, which allowed him to repel the enemy's offensive, the military department said.
Sergeant Fyodor Rybalov carried out a combat mission to evacuate weapons and military equipment damaged in battles. The enemy opened artillery fire on the area of accumulation of equipment. Despite this, Fedor and his subordinates continued to complete the task. Skillfully maneuvering in a limited area, the Russian servicemen managed to quickly withdraw all the evacuated equipment from the firing zone. At the same time, there were also no losses on the part of Rybalov's subordinates, the military department added.
Photo: TASS/press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
The unit of Junior Sergeant Denis Ivanov found a minefield in the forest belt, a large number of military equipment and a group of Ukrainian saboteurs preparing an offensive on the area controlled by our armed forces. Denis reported this to the command post, after which he gained a foothold on the line and organized the defense. When the nationalists began to advance towards our positions, they were suddenly attacked by Ivanov's unit. In an unequal battle, our servicemen did not allow the enemy to develop an offensive for several hours.
Thanks to the courage and dedication of junior Sergeant Denis Ivanov, as well as the bravery and coherence of the actions of his subordinates, the marines, despite the attempts of the militants to take them into the ring, managed to survive, causing significant damage to the advancing enemy forces, which forced him to retreat to the starting lines, the Defense Ministry said.
Bogdan Stepovoy
Andrey Fedorov
