Victory Chronicles-DAY 719

According to a summary from the Armed Forces General Staff, the Russian occupants intensified their attacks in the Mariinka sector, with 100 combat engagements on the frontline in the last day. 

The occupiers launched 4 missile and 110 air strikes, as well as fired 95 times from multiple launch rocket systems at Ukrainian troops’ positions and localities. They attacked in 8 directions, with the most active attacks occurring in the Maryinka and Avdiivka sectors. 

In addition, 17 Shahed-136/131 UAVs were used in the attack, but 14 were destroyed by air defense forces and means. Air strikes were carried out in various locations in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson Oblasts, as well as artillery fire targeting more than 130 settlements in several other regions.

At the same time, Ukrainian missile units struck 2 areas of personnel concentration, 2 command posts, 1 artillery unit, and 2 ammunition depots of the occupiers.

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Japan has announced an aid package of 15.8 billion yen ($106 million) to support Ukraine’s recovery from the war. The assistance will be directed towards seven different areas, including infrastructure restoration and demining efforts. The Japanese government is expected to reach an agreement with Ukraine on its participation in the post-war reconstruction and sign more than ten memorandums of cooperation at an upcoming conference. While Japan cannot provide direct military assistance due to constitutional restrictions, they had previously pledged $37 million to a NATO fund for additional support to Ukraine.

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The wreckage of a Shahed drone, believed to have been shot down by Ukrainian anti-aircraft systems during Russia’s attack on Ukraine, was found in Moldova near the border with Ukraine. The Moldovan Border Police discovered the wreckage near the village of Etulia, Volcani district, close to the Ukrainian cities of Bolhrad and Reni. The police released a photo of the wreckage and confirmed it as the remains of a Shahed drone. There is currently no threat to local residents. Moldovan President Maia Sandu described the incident as a stark reminder of the danger posed by Russian aggression, emphasizing the need to continue supporting Ukraine. 

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The National Police of Ukraine has released a video of police explosive experts neutralizing the warhead of a Russian drone shot down over Mykolaiv Oblast.

“Police officers found the wreckage of an aircraft with a warhead in one of the districts of the Oblast. According to the police explosives experts, the UAV did not detonate as a result of the crash. However, it still posed a danger to citizens. At the site of the drone’s crash, police explosives experts remotely neutralized its warhead,” the National Police said in a statement.

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Ukrainian military observers indicated that the Russian defense industrial base (DIB) is not as productive as Russian authorities portray it to be, but that the Russian DIB is still capable of sustaining Russia’s war effort. Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets reported on February 11 that the Russian Security Council’s own DIB production data for 2023 indicates that the Russian DIB reached a peak output in September 2023 that was 38.9 percent higher than its average 2022 monthly output and has steadily declined in the following months. 

Mashovets stated that the Russian DIB is struggling to compensate for moderately- and highly-skilled labor shortages and Russia’s inability to obtain the necessary industrial production equipment, spare parts, and servicing to sustain the pace and breadth of DIB production efforts. Mashovets noted that Chinese companies in particular are less willing to provide Russia with equipment and spare parts, as ISW previously reported, and that Russia purchased many industrial production systems from Western states before the full-scale invasion but that Western companies are now unwilling to service or supply parts for these machines due to sanctions.

Ukrainian military analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko stated that Russia’s reported tank production numbers in recent years largely reflect restored and modernized tanks drawn from storage rather than new production. Kovalenko stated that Uralvagonzavod, Russia’s primary tank manufacturer, can produce roughly 60-70 T-90 tanks per year under perfect conditions and assessed that Uralvagonzavod is likely only producing between three and six new T-90 tanks per month. Kovalenko noted that tank manufacturers Uralvagonzavod, Omsktransmash, and the 103rd Armored Tank Repair Plant in Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai are primarily focused on restoring, repairing, and modernizing Russian tanks and that Uralvagonzavod is the only manufacturer producing new tanks.

Kovalenko stated that Russia is only modernizing T-54/55 and T-62 tanks and assessed that these may be Russia’s main battle tanks in the future. Kovalenko added that Russian manufacturers very rarely modernize T-72 and T-80 tanks. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitri Medvedev previously stated that Russian forces received 1,600 tanks in 2023, and Kovalenko attributed this number primarily to restored and modernized rather than serially produced tanks.

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Defender Oleksandr Kozyr, with the call sign Student, died on September 7, 2023, in the battle for the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast. On August 27, he turned 21 years old.

Oleksandr was born in the city of Nizhyn, Chernihiv Oblast. In 2017-2019, he studied at the Nizhyn Oblast Pedagogical Lyceum. In 2023, he graduated from Kyiv National Linguistic University with a degree in Turkish Language and Literature and Translation. 

He was engaged in pankration. He played the guitar. He loved to read books. He adored animals, especially cats. During the war, he rescued a black kitten in Bakhmut, which he named Vasyl. He cooked deliciously for his family. His favorite cuisine was Georgian. He loved to travel. He answered the “How are you?” in any situation: “Better than everyone else.”

During the full-scale war, the guy defended his homeland in the ranks of the 3rd separate assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He held the position of assistant grenade launcher. He courageously performed combat missions with his fighters-in-arms and bravely went into battle. He was awarded the honorary badge of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine “Golden Cross” for his achievements.

“Bold, courageous, brave and brave, he had a steely character, a thirst for justice and at the same time was kind, shy, empathetic and loving. He had grandiose plans for the future, but died with faith in the Victory. A patriot of his country!” said Iryna Venzhega, the godmother of the deceased.

The young warrior was buried at the Bortnychansky cemetery in Kyiv. Oleksandr is survived by his parents, grandmother, great-grandmother, godparents, uncles, cousin, other relatives, friends, and fighters-in-arms.

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

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• Russian attack drone operators trained in Syria
• CNN: Russia has recruited up to 15,000 Nepalis to fight against Ukraine 
• US Ambassador said that the shelling of Kharkiv is one of the proofs why allies should continue to support Ukraine.
• Ukraine’s Security and Defence Council tells allies not to fear Russia, or “war will be lost”
• Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence confirms Russians have Starlink terminals
• UK intelligence reports shortage of doctors in Russia due to war against Ukraine