Victory Chronicles-DAY 714

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russian troops have increased their attacks along the entire contact line. In the past day, they launched 4 missile attacks, 27 air strikes, and used multiple launch rocket systems 88 times against Ukrainian troops and localities. There were 92 combat engagements in total. 

Russian airstrikes targeted various locations in Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts, among others. The Ukrainian defense forces successfully repelled Russian attacks in different sectors, including Liman, Bakhmut, Tavria (Avdiivka), Marinka, Shakhtarsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. 

Ukrainian troops managed to hold their ground and defend against Russian offensives. The Ukrainian Air Force also carried out airstrikes, targeting Russian troops and anti-aircraft missile systems. Ukrainian missile forces and artillery struck several Russian command posts, personnel concentrations, ammunition storage sites, and artillery systems. 

On February 7th, Russia conducted an attack on Ukraine, launching a total of 64 missiles and drones. Ukraine’s air defense systems managed to destroy 44 of the enemy targets. The attack consisted of various air attack weapons, including 20 Shahed-136/131 strike UAVs, 29 cruise missiles, 4 X-22 cruise missiles, 3 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles, 3 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and 5 S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles. The missiles were launched from different areas, such as Crimea, Russia, and the Caspian Sea. The air targets that were destroyed included 26 cruise missiles, 3 Kalibr cruise missiles, and 15 Shahed-136/131 strike UAVs. 

During his visit to Ukraine, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, was shown how to manufacture drones for the Army of Drones national program.

The operators of the 73rd Maritime Center of the Ukrainian Armed Forces conducted a highly complex and effective operation in the Black Sea off the coast of the temporarily occupied Crimea, having worked with lightning speed in the area of potential enemy attack.  

According to intelligence reports, one of the illegally seized production platforms was used by the Russians to enhance the operation of the Iranian-made Mohajer-6 unmanned reconnaissance aircraft. Namely, they installed equipment that increases the range and radius of its operation. The enemy used this UAV to conduct reconnaissance and subsequently launch strikes with Shahed kamikaze drones against critical infrastructure in southern Ukraine.  

In addition, the enemy installed a Neva-B radar station for detecting surface objects (from motor boats to ships) on the platform. Using this radar, the Russians monitored the situation in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. After careful planning and preparation, the group of the 73rd Maritime Center of the SSO began the task of destroying enemy targets.

As European partners continue to increase their support for Ukraine, US aid provision in the near to medium-term remains vital to help Ukraine build its defense industrial base (DIB). ISW continues to assess that the US will not need to send large security assistance packages to Ukraine indefinitely if Ukraine successfully continues to actively pursue measures aimed at domestically producing its own weapons, building bilateral and international defense industrial partnerships, and creating industrial joint ventures with Western enterprises aimed at co-producing defense materials.

The US will need to continue supporting Ukraine for several years as Ukraine builds its own DIB, but Ukraine’s international security requirements will decrease in the long run as it builds out its own capabilities to become self-sufficient. The ultimate success of Ukraine’s efforts to build its DIB, however, depends on Ukraine’s ability to liberate strategically vital areas currently occupied by Russian forces. 

US and partner military aid to Ukraine in the near term therefore continues to be crucial as the US remains the main source of sufficiently large quantities of essential military equipment, such as M1 Abrams tanks, armored personnel carriers, advanced air defense systems such as Patriots, and long-range strike systems – equipment which previous US aid packages prioritized.

Senior fighter Andrii Dmytrovych, with the call sign Santa, died on October 6, 2023, in the Zaporizhzhia direction. He was seriously injured in a firefight and mortar attack by the enemy and died in hospital. On September 29, he turned 25 years old.

Andrii is from the village of Sevriuky, Khmelnytskyi Oblast. He studied at Sevriuky secondary school. In 2017, he graduated from the Teofipol Professional Agricultural and Vocational Lyceum, where he received a degree in tractor driver, driver, and mechanic. He completed his military service in the National Guard of Ukraine. 

In 2021, he received a degree in body straightening and electric welding on automatic and semi-automatic machines at Khmelnytsky Higher Vocational School No. 11. Since then, he worked as a tractor driver at Ukraine 2001 LLC. He loved animals, nature, fishing, driving, and welding and was interested in agricultural machinery and collecting tools. He spent his free time with his family and friends.

On February 25, 2022, he voluntarily mobilized into the ranks of the National Guard of Ukraine. At first he served in the military unit 3053. In January 2023, he was transferred to the 14th Brigade of Operational Purpose “Chervona Kalyna” (military unit 3028). He served as a senior machine gunner in the 2nd anti-tank division of the anti-tank platoon of the 4th operational battalion. He also completed training in the UK. 

“Andrii was a kind, sincere, sensitive person. He was a good friend, a cheerful and generous comrade-in-arms, which is why he had the call sign “Santa”. He was very hardworking, helped his mother with the housework and always came to the aid of his friends. Andrii will forever remain with love in our hearts,” said his beloved girlfriend Yulia Naumenko.The National Guard was buried in his native village. He is survived by his parents, sisters, brothers, girlfriend, other relatives, friends and fighters-in-arms.

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

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