Ukraine flies attacks on Russian troops – drones and helicopters shot down
Created: 01/12/2023 06:53
By: Karolin Schäfer, Nadja Austel, Lucas Maier, Christian Stör, Jan Oeftger
Russia suffers heavy losses every day in the Ukraine war.
Ukraine destroys ammunition depots, drones and air defenses.
The news ticker.
Ukrainian attack:
Soldiers destroy Russian main battle tanks
Russian losses:
Ukrainian general staff gives current figures.
Editor's note:
Read the latest developments from the Ukraine conflict in our new ticker.
The information on the Ukraine war processed here comes partly from the warring parties in Russia and Ukraine.
They can therefore not be independently checked in part.
Update from Thursday, January 12, 2023, 6.45 a.m .:
On Wednesday (January 11), the Ukrainian Air Force flew 20 attacks on Russian troops.
This was announced by the General Staff of Ukraine in its morning situation report.
In addition, three air defense systems are said to have been destroyed.
According to the report, Ukrainian ground forces shot down a Ka-52 helicopter and two Eagle-10 reconnaissance drones.
Ukraine's artillery units shelled three ammunition dumps, seven camps and one checkpoint yesterday.
Exact details of the losses have not yet been made.
The information has not yet been independently confirmed.
Ukraine War: Ukraine takes Russian troops under heavy fire.
(Archive image) © Evgeniy Maloletka/dpa
Putin describes situation in annexed areas as "difficult"
+++ 4.30 p.m .:
Around ten and a half months after the start of the war of aggression against Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin described the situation in the illegally annexed areas of Ukraine as “difficult”.
"Fighting is ongoing in some areas," Putin added when speaking to government officials.
"But none of that is a reason to pause and put off the most pressing issues."
Pictures of the Ukraine war: great horror and small moments of happiness
View photo gallery
Losses in the Ukraine War: Soldiers destroy Russian battle tanks
+++ 2:00 p.m .:
According to their own statements, soldiers from the elite units of the Ukrainian National Guard destroyed a main battle tank and four Russian infantry fighting vehicles in the Avdiivka area.
The National Guard posted a corresponding video with fragments of the attacks on Telegram.
"The fiercest fighting continues in the Donetsk region," it said.
also read
Putin spokesman sees NATO "involved" in Ukraine war - Armenia gives Russia a low blow
TO READ
Putin's last hope?
Why Russia Hardly Uses Its 'Most Advanced' Fighter Jet
TO READ
Putin's new miracle weapon: the "Zirkon" hypersonic missile as a nightmare for military strategists?
TO READ
New tanks for the Ukraine: The Challenger 2 from Great Britain can do that
TO READ
"Apocalypse" in Bakhmut: Ukraine applies new war strategy - regardless of losses
TO READ
Fancy a journey of discovery?
My space
According to the National Guard, Ukrainian soldiers, in cooperation with other units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine and effectively using aerial reconnaissance and drones, manage to attack enemy positions and destroy their armored vehicles.
Ukraine War: The Russian Losses in Current Figures
+++ 11.30 a.m .:
The Ukrainian General Staff has updated its data on Russian losses in the Ukraine war.
According to this, 490 Russian soldiers died in combat within 24 hours.
In addition, ten Russian tanks and two combat drones were destroyed.
The numbers at a glance:
Soldiers:
112,960 (+490)
Aircraft:
285
Helicopters:
275
Tanks:
3094 (+10)
Armored fighting vehicles:
6159 (+5)
Artillery systems:
2078 (+5)
Air defense systems:
217
Multiple Rocket Launchers:
437 (+3)
Cars and other vehicles:
4826 (+9)
ships:
17
Unmanned Combat Drones:
1862 (+2)
(Source: Report of the Ukrainian General Staff of January 11)
+++ 7:20 a.m .:
The Russian government has reported the second highest budget deficit since the end of the Soviet Union for 2022.
This was announced by Russia on Tuesday (January 10).
As reported by the
New York Times
, the budget gap is 3.3 trillion rubles.
This corresponds to 2.3 percent of the Russian economy, as reported by the
Kyiv Independent
, citing the
New York Times
.
Zelenskyj expatriates pro-Russian MPs
Update from Wednesday, January 11, 2023, 5.45 a.m .:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has expatriated four pro-Russian MPs.
"If people's representatives decide not to serve the Ukrainian people, but the murderers who came to Ukraine, then our steps will be appropriate," Zelenskyy said in his daily video address.
According to the constitution, the expatriation was made on the basis of information from the secret service SBU and the migration service, said Zelenskyj.
"Our services are working," added the President.
The Ukrainian passport was withdrawn from MP Viktor Medvechuk, who came to Russia in September as part of a prisoner exchange.
The other three affected are also suspected in the neighboring state.
All four represented the Opposition Platform - For Life party, which was banned after the February 2022 Russian invasion.
All four members of parliament are suspected to have Russian citizenship.
Under Zelenskyi's predecessor Petro Poroshenko and in the Soviet Union, depriving politically undesirable people of their citizenship was a common practice.
Actually, Article 25 of the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits the deprivation of Ukrainian citizenship.
However, the Citizenship Act does not provide for having a second citizenship.
Conversely, this means that anyone who accepts another citizenship can lose Ukrainian citizenship.
Loss of citizenship can, according to the constitution, serve as a basis for deprivation of parliamentary mandate.
Russian Losses: Ukraine flies attacks on Russian positions
+++ 9.10 p.m .:
During the day, the Ukrainian troops successfully fired on two Russian command posts, two positions of missile troops and artillery units, and five military camps with personnel and equipment.
This was reported by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the evening.
The planes of the Ukrainian Defense Forces also made 14 attacks on Russian personnel, weapons and equipment depots and four attacks on anti-aircraft systems positions.
In addition, in the Mykolayiv region, defenders of the Southern air command shot down a Russian Orlan-10 unmanned drone, the military press service reports.
Losses for Russia in the Ukraine war: Artillery shelling drops by 75 percent
+++ 6.30 p.m .:
According to the US news
channel CNN
and Ukrainian authorities, the Russian artillery fire has decreased drastically.
Some areas reportedly saw a drop of up to 75 percent from wartime highs.
Neither American nor Ukrainian officials have so far had a clear explanation for this.
Russia may be rationing artillery shells due to shortages in supplies.
But it could also be a broader reassessment of tactics "in light of the successful Ukrainian attacks."
In any case,
according to
CNN sources, the striking drop in artillery fire is further evidence of Russia's increasingly weak position.
US intelligence officials believed that Vladimir Putin was trying to increase his domestic political support
Losses in the Ukraine war: Russia does not want to publish a list of killed soldiers
Update from Tuesday, January 10, 7:03 a.m .:
On New Year's Day, Ukraine attacked a Russian military base in the occupied city of Makiivka in the Donetsk region.
About 400 soldiers were killed and at least 300 injured, the Ukrainian military's strategic communications department wrote on Telegram.
Russia now apparently does not want to publish the list of these killed soldiers.
According to the independent Russian news agency
The Insider
, the military commissar of Russia's Samara Oblast said so.
The losses in Makiivka were one of the largest for Russia in the Ukraine war.
Russia continues to suffer losses in the Ukraine war: arms reserves decimated
+++ 9.30 p.m .:
The Ukraine war is tugging at the Russian weapon reserves.
The number of Russian warplanes has declined,
Ukrajinska Pravda
reported , citing satellite imagery from
Planet Labs
on Saturday (January 7).
The images show a significant decrease in the number of aircraft at the Russian military airfield in Engels compared to the previous month.
Only six combat aircraft can be seen in the pictures, four long-range bombers of the "Tupolev Tu-95" type and two "Tu-160".
About two dozen such aircraft could still be seen on the satellite images from December 6th.
The bombers will be used to launch missiles over Ukraine,
Ukrayinska Pravda reported.
According to the pictures, there are also partially dismantled combat aircraft, a transport aircraft and a passenger plane on the airfield.
Losses in the Ukraine War: Russian ammunition depot in Melitopol destroyed
+++ 6.45 p.m .:
On the night of January 9, Ukrainian forces managed to destroy a Russian ammunition depot in occupied Melitopol.
This was announced by the city's mayor Ivan Fedorov to the
Ukrinform
news agency .
The camp was located in the city center on the premises of a company.
According to him, it took two attempts to completely destroy the warehouse.
As a result of the fire, residents were forbidden to move between Melitopol and other occupied cities, Fedorov added.
Losses in the Ukraine war: Russia must change strategy
First report from Monday, January 9th:
Moscow – The Ukraine war is still not going too well for Russia.
Above all, the high losses make it difficult for the armed forces.
Above all, the once-vaunted tank fleet has proved to be a weak point over the past ten months.
Due to the high losses on the ground, Russia has recently changed its strategy in the war against Ukraine.
Since the fall, the attacker has primarily relied on rockets and drones, which repeatedly hit Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
Russia is benefiting from aid from Iran, which reportedly sent Shahed 136 drones to Russia back in August, causing extensive damage in Ukraine.
Losses in the Ukraine war: how many drones Russia has left
However, it is unclear how many drones Russia currently has.
For example, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Resnikov claimed on Friday (January 6) that the Russian armed forces had already used up 88 percent of their stockpile of Shahed drones.
According to this calculation, Russia would only have about 90 drones made in Iran at its disposal.
In addition, the US government has now imposed new sanctions on Tehran.
All means available will be used to deny Vladimir Putin the weapons "with which he is waging his barbaric and unprovoked war against Ukraine," US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Friday.
The fact that the Kremlin is using suppliers like Iran shows desperation at the brave Ukrainian resistance.
(cs)