Victory Chronicles-DAY 1394

A Ukrainian Mi-24 combat helicopter presumably crashed or was downed killing everyone on board while conducting a combat mission, the country’s Army Aviation command said on Dec. 18

In a brief statement, the 12th Army Aviation Brigade, reported that the deaths were an irreversible loss for military aviation, for the country and for the families who were waiting for their loved ones to return home. The brigade did not disclose the circumstances of the mission or how the helicopter was lost.

The Mi-24 is a heavily armed Soviet-designed attack helicopter, and has been a mainstay of Ukraine’s air operations that is commonly used to support ground troops and strike Russian positions under dangerous conditions. Crews often fly at low altitudes to avoid air defenses, placing them at constant risk.

EU sanctions dozens of ships tied to Russia’s covert oil tanker fleet. The European Union has imposed new sanctions on more than 40 vessels that are linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, targeting oil tanker vessels that are used to circumvent restrictions imposed after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Council of the European Union said on Dec. 18 that 41 additional vessels were added to its sanctions list, bringing the total number of targeted ships to nearly 600. The measures bar the vessels from entering EU ports and restrict access to a broad range of maritime services, including insurance, maintenance and refueling.

EU officials say the covert fleet consists largely of aging tankers that operate under opaque ownership and flags of convenience. These ships are used to bypass the international oil price cap, funnel revenue into Russia’s energy sector and, in some cases, transport military equipment. Some of the sanctioned vessels are also accused of carrying stolen Ukrainian grain or cultural artifacts taken from occupied territories.

Ukrainian drones strike Russian air defenses at Crimea airfield. Ukrainian long-range drones struck key Russian air defense systems at the Belbek military airfield on the occupied Crimean Peninsula overnight on Dec. 17–18, hitting valuable military assets that Ukrainian officials say are worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Ukraine’s Security Service said the attack targeted multiple high-value assets that are used to protect Russian forces and logistics hubs on the peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014. 

Among the systems hit were two Nebo-SVU long-range radar units, a 92N6 radar that forms part of Russia’s S-400 Triumf air defense system, a Pantsir-S2 short-range air defense unit and a MiG-31 fighter jet that had been loaded for combat.

The S-400 is one of Russia’s most advanced air defense systems that is designed to detect and intercept aircraft and missiles at long distances, while the MiG-31 is used to patrol airspace and carry long-range projectiles. 

Ukrainian special forces hit Russian artillery depot in Luhansk region. Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces say they carried out a nighttime drone strike on a Russian field artillery storage facility in the occupied part of the Luhansk region, targeting a logistics site that is used to sustain Moscow’s offensive operations in eastern Ukraine.

The strike took place overnight on Dec. 16–17 and hit a depot belonging to Russia’s 101st Logistics Brigade of the 51st Combined Arms Army, according to Ukraine’s military. Ukrainian operators used first-person view strike drones to reach the site, which officials say plays a critical role in storing and distributing artillery ammunition to Russian units fighting along the front line.

Video released by the Special Operations Forces shows drones approaching the target before explosions tear through the depot, briefly lighting up the surrounding area. Ukrainian commanders said the attack disrupted supply chains upon which Russian forces rely to maintain pressure on Ukrainian defenses.

Key Takeaways

1. Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin publicly and explicitly outlined his continued commitment to his maximalist war aims in Ukraine – the same aims for which Putin launched his full-scale invasion in 2022.
2. Putin’s statements continue to demonstrate that he will not be satisfied with a peace agreement based on the U.S.-proposed 28-point peace plan.
3. Robust security guarantees for Ukraine are essential to ensure that any future agreement produces a sustainable peace, but the Kremlin has been publicly rejecting the idea of such guarantees.
4. Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov used Russia’s seizure of small- and medium-sized settlements to support false Russian claims that Russian forces can rapidly seize the significantly larger population centers comprising Ukraine’s Fortress Belt.
5. Belousov’s comments demonstrate that Russian forces are optimizing themselves for positional warfare in Ukraine – not for the mechanized maneuver required to make rapid, large-scale gains.
6. Belousov sought to conceal Russia’s military manpower problems.
7. Putin and Belousov highlighted Russian military and nuclear strength while threatening Europe.
8. Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Kupyansk and Pokrovsk. Russian forces recently advanced near Kupyansk, Siversk, Pokrovsk, and in western Zaporizhia Oblast.

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