Victory Chronicles-DAY 698

According to the General Staff of Ukraine, 68 combat engagements took place between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Russian occupation forces along the contact line in Ukraine over the past day. 

The Russians launched missile strikes, air strikes, and shelling from multiple launch rocket systems at Ukrainian positions and localities, resulting in civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. Russian air strikes targeted numerous localities in different regions of Ukraine, and over 100 localities came under fire from Russian artillery. 

The occupiers maintained a military presence in Russia’s regions bordering Ukraine, conducting sabotage activities to impede the deployment of Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian troops successfully repelled numerous enemy attacks in various directions, including Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Maryinka, Shakhtarsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. 

Despite this, the Ukrainian Air Force launched air strikes on nine Russian manpower and weapons clusters. The Ukrainian missile troops hit an enemy cluster, a command post, three artillery systems, and an air defense system.

Mediazone and BBC Russia have confirmed the names of 42,284 Russian soldiers who have died since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, according to their research of open sources. This number is likely underestimated based on information from obituaries, posts from relatives, regional media, and local government reports. Since the last update, the death toll has risen by 1,685 soldiers. Among the casualties, four servicemen were confirmed to have been killed in a Ukrainian missile strike on the Russian landing ship Novocherkassk.

According to a Ukrainian hacker group, 74 soldiers were killed and 27 wounded in this attack. The deaths include more than 3,000 officers and 5,089 recruits. Krasnodar Krai, Sverdlovsk, Bashkiria, Chelyabinsk, Moscow regions, and the Republic of Buryatia have the highest number of casualties. The estimated Russian losses since the invasion vary significantly, with the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stating a figure of 376,030 military personnel killed or wounded.

Police in Kherson Oblast record consequences of Russian shelling of residential areas. The Russian army continues to shell the right bank of the Kherson Oblast with multiple launch rocket systems, artillery, mortars, tanks, UAVs, and aircraft, trying to destroy infrastructure critical to the life of the settlements.

Over the past day, Russian troops fired 76 times at Kherson Oblast and launched more than 360 shells from multiple launch rocket systems, artillery, mortars, tanks, and attacked residential areas from UAVs. Kherson, Antonivka, Bilozerka, Fedorivka, Stanislav, Kamyshany, and Sadove came under enemy fire.

Fighters of the 23rd Separate Mechanized Brigade released a video of fighting in the Avdiivka sector.

Ukrainian forces reportedly conducted successful drone strikes against targets in Leningrad and Tula oblasts, where repeated Ukrainian drone strikes may fix Russian short-range air defense systems defending potentially significant targets along expected flight routes. Ukrainian media, citing unnamed sources within Ukrainian special services, reported that Ukrainian forces conducted drone strikes against the Shcheglovsky Val Plant in Tula City, Tula Oblast and the “Novateka” plant and gas terminal near the port of Ust-Luga, Leningrad Oblast on the night of January 20 to 21.

The Shcheglovsky Val Plant reportedly manufactures Pantsir-S and Pantsir-S1 air defense systems, and the Ust-Luga complex reportedly processes stable gas condensate into light and heavy naphtha, diesel, kerosene, and naval fuel. Russian sources amplified footage claiming to show explosions in Tula City and Ust-Luga, presumably the results of successful Ukrainian strikes. Geolocated footage published on January 20 shows additional explosions over Smolensk City, indicating possible Ukrainian strikes in the area. 

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed that Russian air defenses destroyed five drones over Tula, Oryol, and Smolensk oblasts. Ukrainian forces reportedly conducted a successful drone strike on Russian military facilities in Leningrad Oblast on January 18.

A Russian insider source claimed on January 21 that Russian air defense coverage over Leningrad Oblast is poor and indicated that Russian air defenses in Leningrad Oblast are likely not arrayed to defend against strikes from the south.

Russian air defense systems in Leningrad Oblast are most likely positioned to defend against strikes from the northwest and west, as Russia has historically arrayed its air defense in the area to defend against hypothetical NATO attacks. The Russian military is currently reforming the Leningrad Military District (LMD) with the expressed intent to prepare for a potential future conventional war against NATO and may be arranging military assets in a way to posture along the border with NATO members. 

Ukrainian strikes in Leningrad Oblast may prompt Russian forces to reposition short-range air defense systems along expected flight routes of Ukrainian drones to defend potential targets of strategic value. Russian forces using short-range systems such as the Pantsir may not be able to cover all important potential targets in Leningrad Oblast without bringing additional systems into the area, and continued Ukrainian strikes in deep rear areas in Russia may thus increase pressure on Russia’s air defenses overall.

32-year-old defender Oleh Ilinchuk died on June 13, 2023, while performing a combat mission near the village of Storozheve, Donetsk Oblast.  Oleh was born in the village of Karmaliukivka, Odesa Oblast. Recently, he lived in the town of Berezivka. His biggest hobby was fishing. He was fond of construction and dreamed of opening his own company after the victory.

After the start of the full-scale war, he volunteered for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At first, he served in the military unit A3571. In 2023, he was transferred to the 35th Separate Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Ostrohradskyi. He was a sailor of the amphibious training company of the Marines in the military unit A 2613. As a member of the 88th Separate Battalion, he participated in the liberation of the village of Storozheve in Donetsk Oblast, where he fought his last battle. 

“Since childhood, Olezhyk was kind, sensitive and brave. He was the person you could rely on at any time. My brother always helped me out, supported me, and I was never afraid of anything. When he died, a part of me died. Life without him became gray. No one will ever replace my brother, but I want the whole world to know about him,” said Natalia Lapeniuk, the fighter’s sister.

“For me, he was, is and will always be the best person in my life! A true Hero, a man devoted to his cause. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, Olezhyk voluntarily went to the military enlistment office and joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine, without even having served in the army and without ever holding a rifle. He always said: “Who else but me! I will do everything in my power to end this damn war.” But, unfortunately, I could not…”, – added the bride Natalia Ivanchenko.

The Hero was buried in Odesa Oblast.  The defender is survived by his mother Liubov, sister Natalia, daughters from a previous marriage, Evangelina and Sofia, fiancée Natalia, other relatives, friends and fighters-in-arms.

*Oleh’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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