VIDEO: DAILY WAR COMMENTARY SUMMATION
30 Dec: BUSY DAY. Ukrainians Start A MASSIVE HUNT ON RUSSIAN STRATEGIC MISSILE LAUNCHERS
War in Ukraine Explained
Reporting from Ukraine
458K subscribers
12-31-2023 3:45 a.m. EST
5:30 Minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2coqleGnazE
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I am Ukrainian. My country has been invaded by Russia. In this video I will tell you what happened on the six-hundred-seventy-fifth day of the war.
Day 675: Dec 30
Today, Ukrainian forces launched a hunt on the Russian missile launchers that conducted the strike on Kharkiv City.
As you remember, Russian forces exploited the fact that the city is located just 25 kilometers from the border, giving the Ukrainian air defense virtually no time to react. Moreover, in the case of Kharkiv, Russians also resorted exclusively to S-300 and Iskander missiles, which reach a speed of around 8000 kilometers per hour and have a ballistic trajectory. The Ukrainian Air Force Spokesman reported that only Patriot systems are capable of dealing with such threats.
Recently released footage indicates that the combination of all these factors allowed Russians to inflict a lot of damage. Geolocated footage confirms that Russians struck a big hotel in the center of the city and a residential building. Russian sources claimed that they were used by Ukrainian soldiers. Russian sources also claimed that they struck a former tank factory, a tram depot, and other military objects. And judging by the fact Russians used up to 10 rockets in total, there is no doubt that the other 8 caused a lot of inconveniences, to say the least.
The good news is that Russians in Belgorod are as close to the border as Kharkiv, so the retaliation was inevitable. In fact, Ukrainians launched a counterstrike the moment the Russian strike ended. As the rough location of the Russian missile launchers was revealed by Ukrainian radars that detected the missiles, Ukrainians immediately sent their drones into the region to hunt them down. Local residents reported hearing a lot of explosions somewhere outside the city. Later, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that they shot down 13 drones and claimed that the drones were operating in coordination with multiple-launch rocket systems. And Ukrainians indeed have multiple-launch rocket systems that have a good reach, such as Uragans.
The information revealed by the Russian Ministry of Defense suggests that Ukrainians used dozens of drones to scan the region, and once they found Russian military equipment, it was immediately targeted by the artillery. The use of multiple-launch rocket systems also makes sense as it allows correcting the fire without reloading if rockets are launched individually and quickly drive away from the spot once the salvo is completed. The most prominent Russian sources reported that the heaviest fire was in the western part of the Belgorod region, precisely where Russians have a big military base.
Such operations continued through the night till morning. During the day, several explosions were reported in the middle of Belgorod City. Ukrainian special force representatives reported that they did not have any targets inside the city and that the destruction was caused by the ineptitude of the Russian air defense operators. To be fair, Russian air defense operators indeed proved that they pose a much greater threat to their own aviation rather than Ukrainian because, over the last month, the Russian air defense destroyed 2 Russian fighter jets, killing all pilots. Russians also put the S-300 misile launchers, which they use both for strikes and air defense, right behind the city, so it expected that Ukrainians would be aiming there.
Nonetheless, Russian sources reported that Ukrainians purposefully hit civilians to spoil the New Year as an act of retribution for the Russian strike. To everyone’s surprise, the final word was said by the Russian Ministry of Defense, which admitted that the destruction was caused in the aftermath of the air defense work. The Russian Ministry of Defense added that Ukrainians will answer for this crime. The Russian Ministry of Defense also claimed that Ukrainians launched this strike not as a direct retaliation to the Russian strike, seizing a perfect opportunity for hunting down Russian Iskanders and S-300 launchers, but for the purpose of diverting media attention from the lack of success on the fronts.
Some Ukrainian analysts noted that this is somewhat ironic, as Russians had launched 5 offensive operations, incurred tens of thousands of losses, and did not even get close to operationally significant results. It is true that Russians have generated a series of tactical gains along the front line, but the purpose of operations is to achieve operational gains, such as their goal of encircling Avdiivka.
*** Select the 3 horizontal dots to view the Complete Transcript [Below video/ top right corner]
ARTICLE: SIT REP
Situation update of General Staff of UAF as of 6 a.m., December 31, 2023
Ministry of Defence of Ukraine,
31 December 2023 07:18
https://www.kmu.gov.ua/en/news/operatyvna-informatsiia-heneralnoho-shtabu-zbroinykh-syl-ukrainy-stanom-na-0600-31122023-shchodo-rosiiskoho-vtorhnennia
Day 676 of the russian full-scale military aggression against Ukraine has begun.
The adversary continues to ignore the laws and customs of warfare, using the terror tactics, launching missile and air strikes, and firing multiple launch rocket systems not only at the military, but also at numerous civilian targets across Ukraine.
During the day of December 30, there were 54x combat engagements. The enemy launched a total of 9x missile and 55x air strikes, 79x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. The russian occupiers attacked Ukraine yet again, firing Kh-59 guided missiles at the cities of Dnipro and Odesa, 1x Iskander missile at Zaporizhzhia, and S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles at civilian targets in the central part of Kharkiv. Ukrainian air defense destroyed 1x Kh-59 guided missile. Unfortunately, the russian terrorist attacks have killed and wounded civilians. Private residences and multi-storey houses, a hotel, hospitals, and other civilian and industrial infrastructure were destroyed or damaged.
Last night, the russian occupants launched yet another attack on Ukraine, using Shahed-136/131 UAVs. The Ukrainian defenders destroyed 21x strike UAVs.
Air strikes hit Arkhypivka (Chernihiv oblast), Tovstodubove (Sumy oblast), Synkivka, Pishchane (Kharkiv oblast), Novoselivske, Stelmakhivka, Nadiya, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Avdiivka, Novomykhailivka, Staromaiorske (Donetsk oblast), Tyahynka, and Kherson (Kherson oblast).
Around 150x settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv oblasts came under artillery fire.
PIVNICH operational-strategic group, VOLYN and POLISSYA AXIS: no significant changes.
SIVERSHCHYNA and SLOBOZHANSHCHYNA AXIS: the adversary maintains its military presence in the areas of russia bordering Ukraine. The enemy troops conduct active subversive activities in order to prevent the deployment of Ukrainian troops to threatened axes. The adversary increases the density of minefields along the state border in Belgorod oblast (russia).
KHORTYTSIA operational-strategic group, KUPYANSK AXIS: Ukrainian defenders repelled 8x enemy attacks in the vicinities of the settlement of Synkivka (Kharkiv oblast). The enemy made unsuccessful attempts to break through the defense of Ukrainian troops in that area.
LYMAN AXIS: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 2x attacks of the adversary near Makiivka (Luhansk oblast).
BAKHMUT AXIS: the Ukrainian troops repelled 9x attacks of the occupiers near Bohdanivka, Klishchiivka, and Andriivka (Donetsk oblast).
TAVRIA operational-strategic group, AVDIIVKA AXIS: the Ukrainian defenders continue to hold back the enemy who keeps trying to encircle Avdiivka. The Ukrainian soldiers are standing their ground and inflicting major losses on the invaders. For instance, the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 5x enemy attacks near Stepove, Avdiivka, and 13x more attacks near Pervomaiske and Nevelske (Donetsk oblast).
MARYINKA AXIS: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the vicinities of Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast). The Ukrainian defenders repelled 8x attacks in that area.
SHAKHRARSKE AXIS: the Ukrainian troops repelled 2x adversary attack near Pryyutne (Zaporizhzhia oblast).
ZAPORIZHZHIA AXIS: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 4x attacks of the occupiers west of Verbove and east of Kopani (Zaporizhzhia oblast).
ODESA operational-strategic group, KHERSON AXIS: the Ukrainian troops continue to expand the bridgehead. Despite significant losses, the enemy does not abandon its intention to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their positions. For instance, the adversary made 13x unsuccessful attempts to assault the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue their active operations to inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the occupation forces, and exhaust the enemy all along the front line.
During the day of December 30, Ukrainian Air Force launched air strikes on 11x concentrations of troops, weapons and military equipment, and 3x anti-aircraft missile systems of the adversary.
The Ukrainian missile troops hit 3x concentrations of troops, weapons and military equipment, 7x artillery systems, and 3x electronic warfare stations of the russian invaders.
Support the Armed Forces of Ukraine! United we will be victorious!