Russian pilots and anti-aircraft gunners shot down a Su-27 fighter and three helicoptersThe armed forces of the Russian Federation on Sunday, December 25, inflicted significant damage to Ukrainian aviation.
Russian Aerospace Forces fighters shot down a Su-27 aircraft, Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters, and air defense systems destroyed another Milevsky "eight". Experts note that the fight against Ukrainian aviation is important primarily because it is a carrier of high-precision weapons. Over the weekend, the Russian army also conducted offensive operations in the Donetsk direction, and in others inflicted powerful fire strikes on enemy positions.
VKS in battle
On December 25, the Ukrainian air forces suffered significant losses in the skies of the Donetsk People's Republic. Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Su-27 aircraft of the enemy air forces near Kamyshevka. Russian pilots also destroyed Ukrainian Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters in the areas of Selidovo and Gruzskoye settlements, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
On the same day, the Russian Air defense forces shot down an enemy Mi-8 helicopter near the village of Kirovo in the DPR. In addition, over the weekend, Russian anti-aircraft gunners destroyed 20 unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, since the beginning of the special military operation, the enemy has lost 352 aircraft, 192 helicopters, 2724 unmanned aerial vehicles.
The fight against Ukrainian aviation is important primarily because of the prospect of its use of high-precision weapons, military expert Vladislav Shurygin told Izvestia.
The MiG-29 fighter of the Armed Forces of Ukraine uses the HARM anti-radar missile
Image Source: Photo: commons.wikimedia.org/Mil.gov.ua
— Despite the attempts to use airplanes and helicopters, which continue to this day, since the summer, the Ukrainian aviation with its unguided weapons has not achieved anything to change the course of the fighting directly on the front line, — the expert noted. — They are afraid to cross the front line. But after adapting HARM anti-radar missiles to the MiG-29 AFU, they regularly "keep our anti-aircraft missile systems in good shape", trying to attack them.
The expert also recalled that the new US aid package for the first time contains JDAM kits that will allow the use of conventional bombs as precision weapons.
"Perhaps they will also be adapted for use by Soviet aircraft," he said. — Then the Ukrainian Air Force will receive a new powerful weapon. Of course, their use will be even more risky than HARM, because aviation will have to approach the front line closer, but this cannot calm down. Now we need to destroy as many Ukrainian planes as possible in the air and on the ground, so that there is simply nothing to hang Western weapons on.
Polish "Crab"
On December 24 and 25, the Russian armed forces continued to fight with Ukrainian armed formations.
— In the Kupyansk direction, as a result of fire damage to enemy strongholds in the areas of the settlements of Kislovka, Tabayevka and Berestove, Kharkiv region, more than 30 Ukrainian servicemen, three armored combat vehicles and three cars were destroyed, — said the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov.
Photo: TASS/press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
On Saturday, manpower and military equipment of the units of the 14th Mechanized Brigade of the VFU and the 92nd mechanized brigade were hit in this direction. Up to 50 servicemen, four armored combat vehicles and two pickup trucks were destroyed.
On Sunday, two company tactical groups of the VFU were defeated in the Krasnolimansky direction, and two reconnaissance groups of the VFU operating in the direction of the settlement of Chervonaya Dibrova in the LPR were destroyed. The losses of Ukrainian formations in this direction amounted to up to 60 servicemen killed and wounded, four armored combat vehicles and three pickups. A day earlier in this tactical direction, as a result of strikes on the positions of units of the 111th Air Defense Brigade and the 25th Airborne Brigade of the VFU, more than 40 servicemen, three armored combat vehicles and four cars were destroyed.
For two days in the Donetsk direction, during the conduct of offensive operations, Russian troops destroyed a combined tactical group of foreign mercenaries and defeated units of the 10th Mountain assault brigade of the VFU. The losses of Ukrainian formations in two days amounted to about 140 servicemen and mercenaries, two tanks, five armored fighting vehicles, four cars, four armored personnel carriers and three pickups.
On Sunday, two company tactical groups of the 72nd Mechanized and 68th Infantry-Jaeger brigades of the VFU were defeated in the South Donetsk direction, trying to counterattack the positions of Russian troops. A day earlier, strikes were carried out on the concentration of units of the 92nd mechanized brigade of the VFU. The enemy's losses in this direction in two days amounted to more than 90 servicemen, one tank, seven armored combat vehicles and six cars.
In two days, rocket troops and artillery hit the control point of the 65th mechanized brigade of the VFU, a warehouse of rocket and artillery weapons, a temporary deployment point of a unit of foreign mercenaries, 111 artillery units of the VFU in firing positions and 178 areas of concentration of troops.
Photo: RIA Novosti/Konstantin Mikhalchevsky
Image source: iz.ru
During the counter-battery struggle, two Ukrainian combat vehicles of the Hurricane multiple launch rocket system, two Grad multiple launch rocket systems, a Polish Crab self-propelled artillery system and three US-made M777 artillery systems were destroyed.
In addition to Mi-8 and drones, the Russian Air Defense forces shot down six HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and one Hurricane rocket in two days in the areas of the settlements of Zhitlovka and Krasnorechenskoye in the LPR, Kuibyshevo in the DPR and Mirnoye in the Zaporozhye region.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 352 aircraft, 192 helicopters, 2,724 unmanned aerial vehicles, 399 anti-aircraft missile systems, 7,240 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 940 multiple rocket launchers, 3,708 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 7,747 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed, Igor Konashenkov listed.
Guards Lieutenant Polina
The Russian Defense Ministry told about the servicemen who showed courage and dedication in the battles. Corporal Alexander Perelygin equipped the positions of Russian troops in the tank-dangerous direction. At this time, Ukrainian formations, seeking to seize the lost territories, attempted an offensive. Having joined the battle, Alexander's unit destroyed two tanks, an infantry fighting vehicle and more than 20 nationalists. Alexander personally destroyed a tank and five militants with RPG and small arms fire. The courage and selfless actions of Alexander Perelygin made it possible to prevent the breakthrough of Ukrainian formations.
Photo: TASS/URA.RU/EDUARD KORNIYENKO
Image source: iz.ru
Guard Lieutenant Polina Foteva provided uninterrupted communication in the anti-tank division and with the higher command. Being on the front line, Polina discovered a platoon of enemy tanks. Having promptly assessed the situation, she reported this to the division commander and transmitted the exact coordinates. During the battle, Polina corrected artillery fire and recorded the destruction of enemy armored vehicles.
As a result, the enemy retreated, suffering heavy losses. Thanks to the professional and timely actions of Polina Foteva, it was possible to disrupt the offensive of the Ukrainian forces, timely detect and promptly destroy two enemy tanks and three armored vehicles.
Bogdan Stepovoy
Andrey Frolov
