Victorious news of 630th day of war: Ukrainian army destroys 90% of Russian equipment near Vuhledar, targets Russian barracks in Kherson region

Almost all Russian equipment destroyed near Vuhledar

Ukrainian forces have destroyed 90% of the enemy's equipment near Vuhledar, said Arseniy Prylipka, head of the public relations service of the 72nd Detached Mechanized Brigade.

"The situation has stabilized, but a week ago the enemy tried to target our positions. The enemy failed to do so. We destroyed about 90% of the enemy's equipment that they used to storm Vuhledar and left them with nothing. The invaders are constantly shelling Vuhledar and the frontline villages with artillery and aircraft," said Prylipka. 

Vuhledar is a dominant height that is very important for Russian enemy.

"If the enemy takes this height, it will be easier for them to advance further, and harder for us. Vuhledar is also close to Volnovakha, where there is a transport hub. This is what worries the enemy. Because under the circumstances, it can become a bone in the occupiers' throat. Vuhledar is a fortress that needs to be held, which is what we are doing," said Prylipka. 

Russian barracks destroyed in Kherson region

The Ukrainian military destroyed the barracks of the Russian occupiers in the village of Brylivka in the Kherson region. This information was commented on by the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration's press office, Oleksandr Tolokonnikov.

"Indeed, there was a concentration of Russian soldiers there, which our artillerymen successfully worked on. However, this is not the only object they successfully worked on yesterday. I think if it is possible to tell about everything, they will definitely do so. There is very good news from the left bank that we are gradually advancing there, destroying the occupiers. I think they will make flee in the near future," Tolokonnikov said.

According to him, Brylivka is an ordinary village on the left bank of the Kherson region that was occupied in the first days of February last year.

"We hope to liberate it in the near future. I think even in the next month," he added.

The effectiveness of mobile air defense groups is high

Lieutenant General Serhiy Nayev, Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that the sky in northern Ukraine is protected by a large number of mobile air defense fire groups and they are highly effective

As the Russian occupiers are firing missiles of various systems and drones at Ukrainian towns and villages, Ukraine's air defense system is actively operating. However, the sky is guarded "not only by well-known anti-aircraft missile systems" but also by a large number of mobile air defense fire groups. They use systems with the German MG-3 machine gun and the American Browning M2 heavy machine gun, but they do not shy away from using old Soviet DShKM and Maxim machine guns in mobile fire groups. Nayev noted that Western systems are technologically superior to Soviet ones, but the Ukrainian military uses all possible means to neutralize the enemy both in the sky and on the ground. 

Nayev emphasized that success in shooting down enemy targets depends not only on the skills of one crew, but also on the joint work of all mobile fire groups, as it is necessary to create a sufficient density of crossfire. 

"The hits I observed were accurate. The targets were hit. The effectiveness of our mobile groups is high. But to make sure that every enemy target in the Ukrainian sky is shot down, we are constantly working to improve their training," the commander added. 

Ukraine's Armed Forces to receive Caracal airborne vehicles from Germany

German company Rheinmetall plans to supply the Armed Forces of Ukraine with Caracal airborne tactical vehicles. It is planned that Ukraine will receive five of these vehicles at the end of this year or in early 2024. Most likely, they will be used by the Special Operations Forces or Special Forces units of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine. Ukraine will be the first country to use these vehicles.

Caracal is a tactical airborne vehicle based on the civilian Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV. Its design allows it to be transported both in internal cargo compartments and on external helicopter suspensions. The Caracal can also be equipped with a variety of weapons, ranging from machine guns to anti-tank missile systems.

EBRD to increase investments in Ukraine

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is planning a €4 billion recapitalization to increase its investment in Ukraine. On Wednesday, the EBRD Board of Directors recommended to the Bank's governors that they approve a €4 billion capital increase to ensure a significant and sustainable level of investment in Ukraine now and in the future.

The Board's approval is the first step in the formal procedure to increase the EBRD's share capital, which currently stands at €30 billion. 

"Today's decision is in line with the governors' recognition that support for Ukraine should be the Bank's highest priority, now and in the future, following Russia's full-scale invasion of the country,," the statement said.

According to the proposal, the additional capital will enable the EBRD to continue its investment in Ukraine during the war at €1.5 billion per year and increase its annual investment in the country to €3 billion in the future. Over the past 30 years, the bank has invested more than €18 billion in more than 500 projects and is currently the largest institutional investor in the country.