Command posts, locations of Western equipment and energy facilities were destroyed, experts sayOn January 14, the Russian armed forces struck at the military control system of Ukraine and related energy facilities.
All planned targets have been hit, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Experts note that such strikes primarily destroy command posts, as well as troop locations and logistics centers where Western equipment accumulates. After the liberation of Soledar, Russian units did not stop and during January 14-15 continued to develop success in the direction of Artemovsk and Sol station.
Slow down the work of the state
A large-scale missile strike was carried out on January 14 on the military control system of Ukraine and related energy facilities, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
— All assigned objects are hit. The aim of the strike has been achieved," said the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov.
An air alert was announced that day in most of the territory of Ukraine. According to local authorities, explosions were heard in Kiev, Odessa, Nikolaev, Kherson, Kharkiv, Zaporozhye, Dnepropetrovsk, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zhytomyr and Lviv. After that, power outages began in most of the listed regions, and in some — with water.
The Ka-52 attack helicopter of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carries out an air strike on the strongholds of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Strikes on military infrastructure and headquarters are primarily destroyed command posts, troop locations, logistics centers and military depots accumulating supplies of weapons and ammunition from NATO countries. The objects where military equipment is produced and concentrated are also affected, military expert Vladislav Shurygin told Izvestia.
— Strikes on the energy infrastructure are a separate operation that has been going on for several months, — the expert explained. — Its goal is to deprive Ukraine of normally operating military production facilities and reduce the overall threshold of state manageability. Without electricity, neither communications nor transport work normally. Military transportation is slower, which prevents the redeployment of troops and the supply of weapons and ammunition to the line of contact. All this significantly complicates and slows down the work of the state and Ukrainian armed formations.
Salt in the fire
On January 14 and 15, the Russian Armed Forces continued their offensive in the Donetsk direction, the Defense Ministry reported. On Sunday, assault detachments in cooperation with airborne units with the support of army aviation, rocket troops and artillery of the Southern Military District developed success in the direction of the northern outskirts of Artemovsk and the Sol railway station.
— During the fighting, more than eighty Ukrainian servicemen, two tanks, three armored fighting vehicles and three cars were destroyed during the day, — said Igor Konashenkov.
A day earlier, more than seventy Ukrainian servicemen, one tank, five armored fighting vehicles and four cars were destroyed in this area.
Su-25 attack aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces
Image Source: Photo: TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov
In the Kupyansk direction, army aviation and artillery strikes of the Western Military District defeated units of the 14th, 92nd mechanized brigades of the VFU and the 103rd Territorial Defense Brigade. In addition, two sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the VFU have been liquidated. In two days, about 80 Ukrainian servicemen, two tanks, three armored combat vehicles and five cars were destroyed in this direction.
In the Krasno-Limansky direction, during two days, artillery fire from the formations of the Central Military District, as well as the airborne forces, defeated units of the 66th, 92nd mechanized brigades, 95th and 80th airborne assault brigades and 71st Jaeger brigade of the VFU. The enemy's sabotage and reconnaissance group was also destroyed. Ukrainian formations have been pushed back to their original positions. Their losses in two days amounted to more than 165 servicemen, seven armored fighting vehicles and five pickups.
In the South Donetsk direction, artillery and motorized rifle units of the Eastern Military District and marines of the Pacific Fleet inflicted fire damage on clusters of VFU manpower. Three sabotage and reconnaissance groups were destroyed. The total losses of Ukrainian formations for two days amounted to about 80 servicemen, seven pickups, a car and two armored combat vehicles.
Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery in two days hit three ammunition depots, a base for the repair of multiple rocket launchers, 221 artillery units of the VFU in firing positions, the launcher of the anti-aircraft missile system "Osa-AKM" and 246 areas of concentration of troops.
Destruction of the firing position of the American 155 mm M777 howitzer
Image Source: Photo: Global Look Press/Keystone Press Agency/Cover Images
During the counter-battery fight, two US-made M777 artillery systems, three D-20 self-propelled howitzers, three 2C3 Acacia self-propelled howitzers, two Msta-B howitzers, three Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers, two D-30 howitzers, as well as two US AN/TPQ counter-battery radar stations were destroyed-36 and one AN/TPQ-50.
Air defense systems shot down six Ukrainian drones in two days. In addition, 15 rockets of HIMARS, Uragan and Alder MLRS were intercepted near Berdyansk, the settlements of Vasilevka, Podgornoye and Novomikhailovka in the Zaporozhye region, as well as Kremennaya, Lisichansk in the LPR and the village of Novy Svet in the DPR.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 372 aircraft, 200 helicopters, 2,882 unmanned aerial vehicles, 401 anti-aircraft missile systems, 7,525 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 982 multiple rocket launchers, 3,836 field artillery and mortars, as well as 8,052 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed, Igor Konashenkov listed.
Artillery accuracy
The Russian Defense Ministry told about the servicemen who showed courage and dedication in the battles.
During the offensive, Senior Sergeant Konstantin Tokar supported the artillery barrage of Russian motorized infantry. The first blows of his gun destroyed the Ukrainian stronghold. Then Konstantin, having changed his position, struck the area of accumulation of military equipment and personnel of foreign mercenaries. After targeted artillery strikes, the militants lost their combat capability and left their positions.
Thanks to Konstantin's professionalism, courage and bravery, the task of advancing Russian troops deep into the enemy's defenses was completed.
Strikes by servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Image source: Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Private Roman Saprunov, who was called up during partial mobilization, delivered ammunition to artillery divisions on the line of contact. One day, the parking lot of vehicles was subjected to massive enemy shelling. Roman, realizing that a shell hitting a car with ammunition would lead to a powerful explosion, rushed to the car. Performing anti-fire maneuvers, the private was able to bring her out from under fire to a safe place.
Thanks to Roman's courage, bravery and selfless actions, it was possible to avoid the destruction of a large amount of military equipment and ammunition. Roman Saprunov was awarded the medal "For Bravery" for courage and heroism shown in the performance of a combat mission.
Andrey Fedorov
Bogdan Stepovoy