Month: January 2025

Russian forces continue to assault the positions of Ukrainian defenders. The Ukrainian Defense Forces are disrupting the enemy’s plans, inflicting significant losses in manpower and equipment, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to military officials, there have been 72 combat engagements since the start of the day.

“Border settlements continue to suffer from cynical shelling from the territory of the Russian Federation, including Bachivsk and Porozok in the Sumy region, as well as Tymofiivka in the Kharkiv region. The enemy also launched airstrikes using guided bombs on the areas of Taratutyne and Pokrovka in the Sumy region,” the General Staff explained.

Frontline situation

In the Kharkiv direction, Ukrainian forces repelled two attacks near Vovchansk.

In the Kupiansk direction, the enemy conducted three assaults near Zapadne, Dvorichna, and Kruhliakivka. One clash has ended, while two others are ongoing. Guided bomb airstrikes targeted Pishchane and Ivanivka.

In the Lyman direction, the enemy launched ten attacks near Nadiia, Makiivka, Terny, Hryhorivka, and the Serebrianskyi Forest. Seven attacks were repelled, and three battles are still underway.

In the Siversk direction, the enemy aviation struck Dronivka, Pazeno, and Siversk, using four guided aerial bombs.

In the Kramatorsk direction, Ukrainian defenders are successfully countering attempts by Russian forces to advance near Chasiv Yar and toward Stupochky.

In the Toretsk direction, the enemy launched four attacks near Toretsk and Shcherbynivka. Two assaults ended unsuccessfully for the Russian army, while two battles are ongoing. Kostiantynivka was struck by three guided aerial bombs.

In the Pokrovsk direction since the start of the day, Russian forces have attempted 20 assaults to dislodge Ukrainian defenders from positions near Myroliubivka, Lysivka, Novyi Trud, Pishchane, Shevchenko, Uspenivka, Solone, and Novovasylivka.

Ukrainian forces repelled 18 attacks, while two clashes are underway. Yablunivka was hit by an airstrike.

In the Kurakhove direction, Russian troops attacked 13 times near Kurakhove and Shevchenko. 11 battles have been completed, and two more are still ongoing.

In the Vremivka direction, the enemy unsuccessfully attacked Ukrainian positions 13 times near Yantarne, as well as in the directions of Kostiantynopil and Novosilka. Airstrikes were launched in the areas of Ulakly, Andriivka, and Novopil, using four guided bombs and unguided air-to-surface missiles.

In the Orikhiv direction, Russian forces continued shelling Ukrainian positions and civilian infrastructure. Airstrikes with unguided air-to-surface missiles targeted Mali Shcherbaky and Piatykhatky.

In the Prydniprovskyi direction, Russian forces launched two unsuccessful assaults on Ukrainian positions. The situation remains under control.

In the Kursk region, Ukrainian defenders repelled one enemy attack, with two additional engagements ongoing. Meanwhile, Russian forces conducted five airstrikes on their own territory, deploying five guided bombs.

Russia’s losses

On January 1, Russian forces suffered significant losses on the battlefield. Ukrainian defenders eliminated 1,370 enemy personnel, four tanks, 13 armored vehicles, 20 artillery systems, 69 tactical UAVs, 54 vehicles, and three units of specialized equipment.

Additionally, the missile forces and artillery units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck four areas of enemy troop and equipment concentrations, as well as two Russian air defense systems.

The situation in Pokrovsk is currently quite difficult, but not critical in terms of the front’s collapse. The Russian troops have not yet reached the city, but are attacking with artillery and drones, states Ivan Tymochko, head of the Council of Reservists of the Ground Forces, in a comment to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel.

“If we talk about Pokrovsk, besides the official statistics and reports, we know that yes, the enemy has not yet reached Pokrovsk and has not encircled it from the flanks, but enemy drones are flying over the city, unfortunately, and artillery is hitting the city,” said Tymochko.

According to him, the city is already experiencing significant problems with electricity supply, sewage, water drainage, and so on. In other words, Pokrovsk is essentially in a phase of heightened tension, preparing for defense.

“Pokrovsk is also interesting because it was a fairly developed city, and, let’s say, the people who lived there could be considered prosperous. There are a lot of private homes, and in the past, people drilled wells for water, had autonomous heating systems. So, it seems that even though military supplies are suspended, there is still a possibility to provide water supply as much as possible,” the military officer explained.

He noted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will continue to defend the city, as the defense is already in place. The enemy will likely try to reach the flanks, but once they do, they will most likely attempt a frontal assault.

“Because there is one very characteristic moment for Russian generals, which is that they always try, since World War II, to be the first to capture, to be the first to report that they have taken a city. I think that competition will begin among the commanders and directions, as there are several groups of Russian troops concentrated there,” Tymochko added.

According to him, the Russian forces will most likely attempt a frontal assault in order to quickly report “some interesting, cheerful information” to Vladimir Putin. And it doesn’t even have to be true.

The military officer noted that he cannot assess the readiness of the fortifications but emphasized that work is ongoing.

“Because there are fortifications, say, of a hidden type, which no one knows about, and which will serve as command centers, trenches, or even arsenals. The other issue is that fortifications, as we understand, include trenches, earthworks, and so on. Work is constantly ongoing,” he explained.

Tymochko also believes that as long as the enemy has not resolved the issue of Kurakhove, they are unlikely to be able to fully advance on Pokrovsk. This is because Kurakhove is a vulnerable flank for the Russian troops.

“Especially considering that there is a road from Zaporizhzhia to Donetsk in Kurakhove. It’s a major logistical route, where it’s convenient to deliver reinforcements and ammunition. Perhaps that’s why the Russians have not been able to achieve the full result they had planned in this direction,” the military officer added.

He noted that as long as the Russian army has not aligned the front line in that area, they are unlikely to move toward Pokrovsk. The enemy cannot evenly redeploy their troops in that direction.

“That is, we see that as they attempt to align the flanks, they will be redeploying some of their forces to reinforce Pokrovsk. So, the situation here is not, let’s say, ‘rosy.’ On the other side, it is not a deadlock in terms of the front’s collapse. It’s not as critical for the military. Yes, it’s quite complex, but we need to understand that civilians perceive a retreat of troops differently than the military does,” Tymochko concluded.

Fighting for Pokrovsk

For the past several months, the Russian troops have been attempting to break through the defenses in the Pokrovsk direction. This section of the front remains one of the most challenging.

The neighboring Kurakhove, Kramatorsk, and Vremivka directions also remain active.

As reported earlier by the Khortytsia operational and strategic group of troops, Russia has deployed 150,000 soldiers on the Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, and Vremivka fronts. Specifically, around 70,000 soldiers are concentrated near Pokrovsk.

According to a spokesperson for the Khortytsia operational and strategic group of troops, Viktor Trehubov, no urban battles are occurring in Pokrovsk at the moment. Russian troops are trying to bypass the city.

Balakliia and Izium are considered key targets for the enemy because of their strategic location. Through these areas, Russia could attempt flanking maneuvers to advance on the Donetsk region, stated Ivan Tymochko, head of the Council of Reservists of the Ground Forces, in a commentary to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel.

“Balakliia and Izium are in the way. From the north, they lead towards Chuhuiv and Kharkiv, and from the southwest, they open the way to Kramatorsk and Sloviansk,” Tymochko explained.

He noted that these cities hold significant strategic importance for the further advance of Russian forces.

Tymochko emphasized that controlling these territories would enable the enemy to launch offensives from two directions simultaneously. According to him, Russian forces had planned their campaign in the Kharkiv region with the goal of regaining lost positions.

The enemy’s strategy, according to Tymochko, was to bypass defense positions and renew the advance on the Donetsk region. He highlighted that the Russian army realized it could not capture Chasiv Yar through a frontal assault and might resort to flanking maneuvers.

“This was their calculation. They saw they couldn’t take Chasiv Yar through a frontal assault. The fighting continues now, as it lies on the route towards Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. So they tried a flanking maneuver – or, rather, they might try again,” Tymochko stated.

He also stressed that current discussions about such enemy actions indicate that this scenario is once again being considered.

Earlier today, the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov, said that the cities of Izium and Balakliia in the Kharkiv region were being prepared for an all-around defense.

According to him, the construction of fortifications continues and these are planned activities.

Moreover, yesterday, Andrii Rubtsov, the communications officer of the 116th separate mechanized brigade, said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces recorded attempts by Russians to cross the Oskil River in the Kharkiv region on inflatable boats, but all attempts were unsuccessful.

Finnish law enforcement suspects another crew member of a Russian shadow fleet tanker in the severing of underwater cables, bringing the total number of suspects to eight, Yle reports.

The list of suspects has grown to include another crew member, who has also been barred from leaving Finland.

“The number of individuals prohibited from traveling may change as the preliminary investigation progresses,” police clarified.

The crew includes citizens of Georgia and India, but the authorities have not disclosed the nationalities of the suspects.

Police also emphasized that the crew members of the Eagle S tanker, suspected of cutting underwater cables, are forbidden from leaving the vessel.

According to law enforcement, the active initial phase of the investigation will last several weeks, and the overall investigation will take at least a month. Technical investigations and crew interrogations are currently underway on the vessel.

Cable cut in the Baltic Sea

Recently, underwater cables between Finland and Estonia were damaged in the Baltic Sea.

After that, Finland detained the Eagle S, a tanker of the Russian shadow fleet that was sailing in the area where the cables were broken.

Recently it became known that Finland suspects seven crew members of aggravated vandalism. They were banned from leaving the country.

On January 2, the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out a precision strike on the command post of the Russian army in the settlement of Mariino, located in the Kursk region, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

According to the General Staff, all necessary measures were taken during the strike to minimize the risks to the lives of local civilians.

“These fire strikes are primarily intended to weaken the Russian Federation’s ability and willingness to carry out terrorist acts against the Ukrainian civilian population,” the General Staff stated.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine will relentlessly continue to detect and destroy military command targets of the aggressor country.

Today, Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation, stated that on January 2, a strike was carried out against Russian troops in the Kursk region.

“There was a successful strike. Significant losses in the 810th brigade of the Russian Federation as a result,” he wrote.

What is known about the 810th Brigade of the Russian Federation

The 810th Marine Brigade of the Russian Federation is currently based in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol. However, part of the unit is engaged in combat operations in the Kursk direction.

On the night of December 25, the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck the command post location of the 810th Separate Marine Brigade in Lgov, Kursk region.