Morning briefing of the Ministry of Defense of Russia (9 – 15 December 2023)

⚡️ Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation

(9–15 December 2023)

▫️ In the period from 9 to 15 December 2023, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out 40 group strikes by precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles at the AFU military airfield infrastructure, arsenals, artillery ammunition, weaponry, and hardware.

In addition, temporary deployment areas of AFU units, Azov nationalists formations, as well as Foreign Legion units, have been struck. All the assigned targets have been engaged.

▫️ In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the situation along the front line and repelled 27 AFU attacks. Aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 113th Territorial Defence Brigade, 57th Motorised Rifle Brigade, 14th, 21st, 41st, 43rd, 60th, and 115th mechanised brigades near Sinkovka, Ivanovka, Yagodnoye, Petropavlovka and Kupyansk (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses over the week amounted to up to 425 Ukrainian troops, five tanks, including one Leopard tank, 11 armoured fighting vehicles, 12 motor vehicles, and three field artillery guns.

▫️ In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery repelled 11 attacks launched by AFU assault detachments. In addition, manpower clusters of the AFU 24th, 63rd, 67th mechanised brigades, as well as 1st, 5th, and 31st Ukrainian national guard brigades were struck near Kirovsk, Torskoye, Yampol, and Grigorovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses over the week amounted to up to 1,100 Ukrainian troops, four tanks, three armoured fighting vehicles, 17 motor vehicles, and two field artillery guns.

▫️ In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery improved the situation along the front line and repelled 49 AFU attacks. In addition, AFU manpower and hardware was struck near Artyomovskoye, Kleshcheyevka, Kurdyumovka, and Georgiyevka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses in this direction amounted to more than 1,580 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, two tanks, 16 armoured fighting vehicles, 13 motor vehicles, and 31 field artillery guns.

▫️ In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces repelled two enemy attacks. Aviation and artillery inflicted losses on units of the AFU 58th Motorised Rifle Brigade, 72nd Mechanised Brigade, and 128th Territorial Defence Brigade near Novomikhailovka, Ugledar, Makarovka (Donetsk People's Republic) and Levadnoye (Zaporozhye region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 600 Ukrainian troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, 14 motor vehicles, and 11 field artillery guns.

▫️ In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces engaged in active defensive operations and repelled eight enemy attacks near Rabotino and west of Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region). In addition, manpower and hardware of the AFU 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, 33rd, 65th, 117th, and 118th mechanised brigades were struck near Malaya Tokmachka, Novodanilovka, and Novoadreyevka (Zaporozhye region).

The AFU losses in this direction amounted to up to 335 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, 19 motor vehicles, and three field artillery guns.

▫️ In Kherson direction, all AFU attempts to land sabotage and reconnaissance groups on the islands and the left bank of the Dnepr were thwarted. Aviation and artillery delivered strikes at units of the AFU 35th, 36th, 37th marines brigade, as well as 124th Territorial Defence Brigade near Kherson, Berislav, and Tyaginka (Kherson region).

As a result of pre-emptive actions by Russian troops, the AFU lost up to 290 Ukrainian troops, 18 motor vehicles, 17 boats, and nine field artillery guns.

▫️ Air defence units intercepted one Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopter near Tyaginka (Kherson region). One Tochka-U tactical missile, two S-200 anti-aircraft guided missiles, 17 HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and 119 unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted during the week.

During the week, 82 Ukrainian servicemen were captured and voluntarily surrendered, 25 of them in the past 24 hours alone.

📊 In total, 550 airplanes and 258 helicopters, 9,696 unmanned aerial vehicles, 442 air defence missile systems, 14,078 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,188 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 7,338 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 16,336 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.