Russia's largest air attack on Ukraine, threats to Kurakhove. Weekly review in Serhiy Zgurets' column

Russia's massive strike

According to statistics, 191 out of 193 drones were shot down, nearly 99%. Various weapons, including F-16 aircraft, targeted Shaheds. As for the missiles, 85 out of 94 were cruise missiles, of which 80 were destroyed, or 92%.

Regarding more complex targets, the enemy used two ballistic Iskanders, one North Korean KN-23 missile, and four aeroballistic Kinzhal missiles. Only one Iskander was shot down, highlighting the need to enhance air defense systems. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha emphasized the need for 20 more air defense systems and urged allies to assist Ukraine.

Frontline situation: Kurakhove direction

On the front line, the most difficult areas are Pokrovsk, Kurakhove and the area around Velyka Novosilka, where more than 150,000 Russian troops are concentrated. 

An 8-kilometer-long “pocket” was formed in the Kurakhove direction, where the settlements of Veselyi Hai, Hannivka, Yelyzavetivka, and Romanivka are located. The way out of this pocket is the corridor between Uspenivka and Trudove, which is about 3 km wide. Recently, Deep State showed the Russian advancing to Uspenivka. The Khortytsia military grouping denied the statements about the encirclement of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Kurakhove. The Ukrainian Armed Forces defending the southern section of the frontline are repelling Russian assaults on the outskirts of Uspenivka, Hannivka, Trudove, Romanivka, taking the necessary measures to counter capture or encirclement.

Nazar Voitenkov, acting press officer of the 33rd separate mechanized brigade, which is located between Uspenivka and Kurakhove and is countering the Russians in the area of Dalne, said that the presence of the Russian group is felt there.

“Over the past day, more than 10 Russian troops were destroyed using drones and artillery. Every day we eliminate 10-15 occupants, and in December we have already destroyed more than 150 invaders. We have not yet observed armored assaults, but we can see the movement of their equipment, which may be a rotation or a distraction, an attempt to identify our positions. They mostly use light vehicles, buggies, golf carts, pickup trucks, and buses. Today we destroyed one of these vehicles using artillery. We are working every day to defeat the enemy, but it seems they have the resources to replenish the personnel who continue to die in our area,” he said.

According to Deep State, the 255th Regiment of the Russian Army, along with other related units, is fighting against the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Pobieda sector, where the 33rd Brigade participated. They do not have professional basic training, which was felt in the summer and is confirmed now. Voitenkov says that the Russians undergo short training and go to war.

“There are many of them, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces are able to resist them. We have a collective defense, which includes working with adjacent units that support us in destroying the occupiers in this area of the front. There are countless of them. They are dying in trenches, trenches, anti-tank ditches, dugouts, huts, and places of deployment. They place ammunition depots right in the houses, hiding behind the infrastructure. We detect this and successfully destroy them so that they do not accumulate and cannot move on. Regarding the situation around Uspenivka and the closure of this pocket, which is widely reported in Ukrainian and foreign media, the Russians do not lose their ambitions to move forward, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces are countering the enemy,” the military added.

Unmanned systems at front

Oleksii Hodzenko, head of the media group 413th UAV Battalion "RAID," explained that UAV units are highly mobile and adaptable to various conditions. They do not hold fixed positions on the front line but operate in both reconnaissance and strike roles. Due to active electronic warfare along the front, flying is challenging for all sides, prompting the development of new methods to bypass electronic warfare systems.

Hodzenko shared the most remarkable examples of Russian target destruction by his unit across various fronts, including the Kursk sector.

"A few weeks ago, we destroyed a command post. Reconnaissance and adjustments were made by specialists from our unit. The most important thing we can do now is assist our infantry, as assaults and mechanized offensives continue without pause. Our primary task is to protect the guys on the front lines. Every day, we target Russian armored vehicles, tanks, and destroy enemy infantry in the so-called 'Shoigu golf carts' from China. It’s a daily, meticulous job," he said.

If we detail this work, a typical drone operator makes several flights a day. However, there are limitations on the number of hours they can work while wearing a mask to protect their vision, says Hodzenko. Therefore, operators are rotated regularly on the front line as this is a highly focused job. Constant concentration and attention to detail are required. Sometimes the target is clearly visible, while other times operators must closely examine the area to spot the Russians hidden behind a tree.

The "RAID" UAV Battalion uses both drones provided by the state and those supplied by volunteers. This means that drones and other logistical and everyday supplies come from various sources, although the state provides the majority.