Victory Chronicles
-DAY 336

Above: UK’s Challenger 2 tank. The UK was the first to step to the plate with a concrete plan to send enough main battle tanks to equip one squadron.  Perhaps of greater value was the UK’s willingness to break the taboo, setting the precedent for other allies to follow.  (MIL.IN.UA)

Above: The French Leclerc tank is definitely the best dressed. President Macron said this week that Leclercs might show up on Ukrainian battlefields some day. (Wikimedia Commons)

#French Leclerc MBT's on transports in Romania. They could be part of the NATO buildup in the East. NATO, I believe, is sending a message to Putin that any retaliation against NATO for sending modern MBT's to UA will be met with force.#OSINT#UkraineWar#Ukraine pic.twitter.com/7MRYKEycV3

— OSINT (Uri) (@UKikaski) January 25, 2023

Above: US-made Abrams tanks in training in Poland.  The US announced this week a willingness to send the complex, high-maintenance tanks to Ukraine, though it could be “years” before they are actually on the battlefield.  They would be part of the long-term necessity to build strong defenses against future Russian aggression. (The Guardian)

• A coalition of NATO member states is moving to send modern main battle tanks to Ukraine.  First, British officials confirmed on January 16 that the UK would send 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine. This week, Poland formally requested German permission to transfer Poland’s Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. German Chancellor Scholz then approved supplying one 14-tank company of Germany’s Leopard 2 main battle tanks without saying when. French President Macron followed by opening the door to France sending Leclerc tanks.
• Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny previously emphasized in December 2022 that Ukraine needs 300 main battle tanks (among other weapon systems) to enable Ukrainian counteroffensives.
• Russian authorities are likely continuing efforts to mobilize ethnic minorities to fight in Ukraine. Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty reported on January 22 that Russian border guards are preventing Kyrgyz migrants from leaving Russia and telling migrants that their names are on mobilization lists.
• It is unclear whether Russia’s most modern main battle tank T-14 Armata is in use in Ukraine. A few models have been shown in Red Square parades, but haven’t been spotted in battle.  Russian forces resist accepting them due to serious performance issues including unreliable engines and thermal imaging systems. Production has been canceled due to problems, then restarted for “prototypes” in recent years.
• Russia is mobilizing imprisoned Ukrainian citizens who were forcibly taken to Russian prisons. In Krasnodar, Russia, there is an active recruitment of such persons into the private military company “Wagner”.

General Staff’s Daily Video Digest with English subtitles

Above: Funeral for eliminated Wager mercenary. A Ukrainian military intelligence document dated December 2022 said that Wager forces are hard to beat because they don’t care about casualties. “The deaths of thousands of Wagner soldiers do not matter to Russian society,” the report explains. (Photo: MSN)

Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces estimated enemy losses since February 24, 2022 (with daily additions)

• Liquidated personnel, 123,080 (+910)
• Tanks, 3,161 (+9)
• Armored personnel vehicles, 6,307 (+23)
• Artillery systems/MLRS, 2,154/450 (+6/2)
• Anti-aircraft warfare systems, 220 (0)
• Aircraft/helicopters, 290/281 (+1/0)
• UAV operational-tactical level, 1,902 (+5)
• Cruise missiles, 749 (0)
• Warships/boats, 18 (0)
• Vehicles and fuel tanks, 4,967 (+23)
• Special equipment, 194 (0)

Above: The Kyiv Institute of Economics published a report that estimates the cost of damage to Ukrainian infrastructure at almost $140 million.  The fact that over a third of the total is residential housing tells us a lot about russia world.  

Glory to Ukraine! The three hundred and thirty-sixth day of the Russian large-scale invasion has begun.

• During the day, the enemy launched 4 missile and 26 air strikes. He also fired more than 100 rounds from the MLRS.
• The threat of Russian air and missile strikes on the entire territory of Ukraine is high.
• Units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of the settlements of Bilogorivka in Luhansk region and Rozdolivka, Krasna Gora, Bakhmut, Novobakhmutivka, Krasnohorivka, Maryinka and Charivne in Donetsk
• Areas of more than 40 settlements were shelled. Among them are Khrinivka and Karpovychi of Chernihiv region; Glukhiv, Boyaro-Lezhachi, Atynske, Solyaniki and Pavlivka in the Sumy region, as well as Gatishche, Vovchansk, Vovchanski Khutory, Budarky and Dvorichna in the Kharkiv
• In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy shelled the areas of the settlements of Vilshan, Synkivka, Ivanivka, Kotlyarivka, Tabaivka in the Kharkiv region, as well as Novoselivske and Stelmakhivka in the Luhansk
• On the Lymanskyi direction, Makiyivka, Ploshanka, Chervopopivka, Nevske, Terny and Yampolivka of the Luhansk region were damaged by fire.
• In the Bakhmut direction, more than 30 settlements came under the influence of enemy fire. In particular, Verkhnyokamianske, Spirne, Bilogorivka, Krasnopolivka, Krasna Gora, Bakhmut, Ivanovske, Klishchiivka, Stupochki, Bila Gora, Kurdyumivka, Druzhba, Severnye, Zalizne and New York of the Donetsk
• In the Avdiiv region, Novobakhmutivka, Berdychi, Orlivka, Avdiivka, Vodyane, Pervomaiske, Nevelske, Krasnohorivka, Georgiivka, Maryinka, Novomykhailivka and Mykhailivka in Donetsk region were affected by the fire of the occupiers.
• In the Novopavlovsk direction, Novoukrayinka, Vugledar, Prechistivka, Neskuchne, Bogoyavlenka, Velyka Novosilka, Zolota Niva and Mykilske of the Donetsk region were shelled.
• Areas of more than 40 settlements were affected by tank and artillery fire in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Among them are Staroukrainka, Zaliznychne, Mala Tokmachka and Novoandriyivka in the Zaporizhia region, as well as Zolota Balka, Mykhailivka, Novoberislav, Odradokamyanka, Ivanivka, Veletenske in the Kherson region, and the city of Kherson, where the invaders shelled a maternity hospital, a school and a polyclinic.

Believe in the Armed Forces! Together we will win! Glory to Ukraine!

Above: Polish Krab self-propelled howitzer at work in eastern Ukraine.  (National Review)

• Russian forces continued limited counterattacks along the Svatove-Kreminna Ukrainian forces reportedly continued counteroffensive operations near Kreminna on January 24.  The Russian forces continue to deploy many mobilized personnel to the frontline in Luhansk Oblast.
• Russian forces in occupied Luhansk Oblast are seizing books related to Ukrainian history and identity on a large scale, removing Ukrainian literature from bookstores and libraries and replacing them with Russian literature.

Above:  Artillerists at work in the Donetsk region. (New York Times)

• Russian forces continued offensive operations around Bakhmut on January 24. Ukrainian forces repelled Russian assaults near Bakhmut itself; within 22km northeast of Bakhmut near Bilohorivka, Rozdolivka, Sil, and Krasna Hora; and 7km southwest of Bakhmut near Klishchiivka.
• Geolocated footage posted on January 23 likely indicates that Russian forces have advanced west of Pidhorodne (5km northeast of Bakhmut) and that Russian forces have likely made marginal advances in the eastern outskirts of Bakhmut
• Russian forces continued offensive operations in the Avdiivka-Donetsk City area on January 24. Ukrainian forces repelled Russian assaults near Novobakhmutivka (14km northeast of Avdiivka) and within 32km southwest of Avdiivka near Krasnohorivka, Vodyane, and Marinka. Geolocated footage published on January 17 and 23 indicates that Russian forces have likely advanced into the outskirts of Vodyane (7km southwest of Avdiivka).
• Russian sources widely claimed that Russian forces launched an offensive around Vuhledar (28km southwest of Donetsk City) on January 24, a dubious claim likely meant to generate positive narratives to distract from the lack of progress in Bakhmut.
• Russian officials from Rostov Oblast are constructing a water pipeline to bring water from Rostov to occupied Donetsk Oblast.

Above: Artillerists practice “shoot and scoot” in the Kherson region. (New York Times)

• Ukrainian Special Forces conducted a raid across the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast on January 23-24. Ukrainian Special Forces conducted a night raid in the vicinity of Nova Kakhovka on the east (left) bank of the Dnipro River.
• Putin ordered the Kherson occupation administration to bring 85% of the roads in Kherson Oblast to an appropriate “normative” state by 2027 and allocated 10 billion rubles (about $144,446) to this project.
• Russian forces likely continued to conduct limited and localized ground attacks in Zaporizhia Oblast on January 24.
• Russian forces transferred 450 wounded personnel to a hospital in Dniprorudne, Zaporizhia Oblast, (within 30km of the purported frontline) following battles with Ukrainian forces.
• Ukrainian partisans targeted a member of the Zaporizhia occupation administration on January 24. Ukrainian partisans blew up the car of a pro-Russian collaborator, entrepreneur, and member of the Zaporizhia occupation council, in Berdyansk with an improvised explosive device.
• Russian authorities are continuing covert mobilization in occupied Crimea and are now sending mobilization summonses to IT and economic sector workers who previously held deferments.
• Russian security authorities are continuing to target Crimean Tatar communities in occupied Crimea. The Crimean Solidarity human rights NGO stated that the Russian security services conducted arbitrary raids on Crimean Tatar households in Dzankoi in the early hours of the morning on January 24 and are detaining six individuals in unknown locations. Russian security services have historically targeted Crimean Tatar communities.