Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title
[Korrespondent] 20:55 Belarus, in accordance with its new military doctrine, will consider an attack on its allies as an attack on its territory, said the head of the information and analytical department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus Artem Butorin.
20:29 The Russian oil terminal of Ust-Luga Oil in the Leningrad region stopped operations, attacked by SBU drones, Bloomberg writes. This terminal is one of the newest and most important in the Russian Federation; it operates for export, but also supplies fuel for Russian troops. After the SBU attack, all the tankers that were at the terminal moved far out to sea, their loading was disrupted.
17:53 The Russians fired from Grady Kurakhovo, Donetsk region - one person was killed, one was wounded, said the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin. The strike damaged a kindergarten and several private houses.
17:04 In the Dniprovsky district of the Dnipropetrovsk region, an X-59 guided aircraft missile was destroyed, the Air Command reported.
15:40 The Russians attacked the Kirovograd region - there were no casualties, no civilian objects were damaged, said the head of the OVA Andrei Raikovich.
15:18 Putin will visit North Korea in the near future,
| ...defined as sometime between now and the heat death of the universe, assuming neither of them dies in the meantime... |
| Ah. The near future must be redefined as less than 23 years. Good to know. |
14:51 The “authorities” of the occupied Donetsk region stated that as a result of the attack on Donetsk, 25 people were killed and about 20 were injured. The strike on Donetsk will be one of the topics of the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine with the participation of Lavrov on January 22, the Russian Permanent Mission reported.
14:26 The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that air defense systems allegedly destroyed three missiles over the Black Sea near the western coast of Crimea.
13:19 Zelensky said that he does not yet see the need to mobilize 500 thousand people: “I’m not saying this to please anyone. To date, I have not yet seen clear details in order to say that half a million needs to be mobilized." In addition, according to the president, there is a question about the availability of funds in the budget to finance such an increase in the army.
12:43 Today’s night attack on the sea terminal in the Russian Ust-Luga, Leningrad region, was a special operation of the SBU, Ukrainian media write, citing sources. According to them, this oil terminal is an important facility for the enemy - fuel is processed there, which, in particular, is supplied to Russian troops. The attack on the terminal not only caused economic damage to the enemy, but also significantly complicated fuel logistics for the Russian military.
11:50 Zelensky said in an interview with the British television channel Channel 4 News that the issue of mobilization is primarily a matter of justice: “It’s fair to replace, it’s fair for someone to rest. It’s unfair to bypass when someone dies for you, and it’s fair that a person should know where it is going, for how long, how much it will be prepared.” The president also emphasized that Ukraine cannot afford to be tired of war: “If we get tired, we will lose what we have.”
11:37 Budanov said in an interview with the Financial Times that GUR strikes behind enemy lines irritate Western partners who are afraid of a nuclear strike in response, but “everything we have done, we will continue to do.” The head of military intelligence also said that the shortage of people at the front is noticeable, and “it’s even unthinkable to think that we can do without mobilization.” In an interview, Budanov refused to give a forecast for 2024 and only expressed hope “that our success will be greater than theirs.”
11:24 In the Smolensk region at night, drones attacked an aircraft repair plant, Ukrainian media reported, citing sources in the special services. According to sources, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense is behind the attack. This plant was already attacked in October 2023, then it was also a power steering operation.
11:21 The leader of the “DPR” Denis Pushilin announced shelling allegedly from the Ukrainian Armed Forces of the Tekstilshchik microdistrict of the Kirov district of Donetsk - 13 people were killed, ten were injured.
11:18 Trump said that if he wins the presidential election, he will stop the war in Ukraine even before his inauguration: “We will resolve this terrible war between Russia and Ukraine before I take office... I will achieve a resolution to the terrible war between "Russia and Ukraine. We will settle everything, I know Putin, I know Zelensky very well, I know both of them... It's a bloodbath there, but now we will restore peace."
He also spoke out against sending billions of dollars to Ukraine. According to him, this should be done by Europe, which is comparable to the United States in economics.
11:03 Ukrainian media report, citing sources in the special services, that the night attack at the Shcheglovsky Val plant in Tula was a special operation by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense. This plant assembles the Pantsir-S and Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile systems.
10:29 Speaker of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Vladimir Fityo said that Kakhmalnoye, Kharkov region, the capture of which was reported today by ISW analysts, was a settlement in which only 45 people lived before the start of a full-scale war. “The enemy is not allowed to advance further, and this does not pose any threats to neighboring units. And I think that what happened is a temporary phenomenon, because the front line is shifting every day. We simply do not report the capture, recapture of 100 or 200 meters.”, he explained.
09:40 The Telegraph writes that Ukraine is building its own “Surovikin line” a thousand kilometers long. The main defensive line is located 15 km and 25 km from Avdeevka. In the north, Ukraine has strengthened its defensive fortifications by 63%. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are building new concrete trenches and underground command centers, a three-layer system of trenches and strongholds, and setting up minefields and tank traps. Each fort can be defended from all sides. The publication notes that the task is not only to build a rigid line of defense, but also to make it flexible for further attacks.
09:28 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports, citing geolocation images from January 20, that Russian troops captured the village of Krokhmalnoye in the Kharkov region, located 20 km northwest of Svatovo. In addition, geolocation footage shows that Russian troops have advanced slightly east of Ivanovka (20 km southeast of Kupyansk), as well as in a small forest belt northwest of Kleshcheevka (southwest of Bakhmut).
In addition, Russian forces have advanced slightly near the border of Donetsk and Zaporozhye regions. Geolocation footage shows limited Russian advances southeast of Urozhainy (10 km south of Velikaya Novoselka). Positional battles are taking place along the entire front line, analysts note.
09:22 On January 20, the Russians fired artillery at Gulyaypole, Zaporozhye region, one person was wounded, said the head of the OVA, Yuriy Malashko.
09:19 Russian media write about the death of the commander of the Russian Il-22, shot down by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to them, Major Viktor Klimov died on January 14 - the day when the A-50 plane was destroyed and the Il-22 was shot down. At the same time, the Il-22 still managed to land the second pilot, who was injured.
09:15 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of January 21:
- personnel - about 376,030 (+760) people,
- tanks - 6181 (+10),
- armored combat vehicles - 11,466 (+11),
- artillery systems - 8875 (+7),
- MLRS - 968 (+1),
- air defense weapons - 655 (+1),
- aircraft - 331 (+0),
- helicopters - 324 (+0),
- UAV of operational-tactical level - 6936 (+2),
- cruise missiles - 1818 (+0),
- ships/boats - 23 (+0),
- submarines - 1 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tank trucks - 11,862 (+14),
- special equipment - 1392 (+3).
08:57 North Korea is the largest supplier of weapons to Russia, and without its help the situation for Moscow would be catastrophic, Budanov said in an interview with the Financial Times. According to the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, the Russian Federation is spending more weapons and ammunition than it can produce. And North Korea "did hand over a significant amount of artillery ammunition - this allowed Russia to exhale a little."
Budanov also argues that the lack of manpower is another problem that Russia faces, because it is losing as many or more troops than it can recruit.
08:31 Over the past 24 hours, 80 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In the Kupyansk direction, the Defense Forces repelled 21 enemy attacks near Sinkovka, Petropavlovka in the Kharkov region and Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk region. In the Liman direction, six attacks were repelled near Ternov, Yampolevka, Donetsk region, and seven more attacks in the areas of Serebryansky forestry, Belogorivka, Lugansk region; on Bakhmutsky - eight attacks near Bogdanovka, Kleshcheevka and Andreevka, Donetsk region.
In the Avdeevka direction, the Defense Forces repelled 11 enemy attacks in the Avdeevka area and another 12 attacks south of Severny, Vodyanoye, Pervomaisky and Nevelsk in the Donetsk region. In the Maryinsky direction, six attacks were repelled near Georgievka, Maryinka and Novomikhailovka, Donetsk region; on Zaporozhye - one attack west of Verbovoy, Zaporozhye region. The expansion of the bridgehead continues in the Kherson direction; over the past 24 hours, the enemy unsuccessfully tried to storm the positions of Ukrainian troops six times.
08:02 At night, explosions occurred in a number of regions of the Russian Federation. First, explosions were reported in Tula, and then in the Oryol and Smolensk regions. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the alleged destruction of four drones over the Smolensk region, and another one over the Tula region. Local authorities claim that “there were no casualties or damage.” However, Russian public pages write about a likely strike on the defense enterprise Shcheglovsky Val, which assembled the Pantsir-S air defense system and other military equipment. A large fire broke out on the spot.
In addition, a strong fire started in the port of Ust-Luga, Leningrad Region, where the sound of drones had also allegedly been heard before, followed by explosions. Local authorities clarified that the fire occurred at the terminal of the Novatek company, but did not report its causes.
05:56 Ukraine, after an unsuccessful counter-offensive, changes its strategy, moving from the liquidation of purely military targets to the destruction of Russian infrastructure, writes Bild. The publication notes that the new targets include facilities that play a key role in supplying and supporting Russian military forces.
The newspaper also writes that outside the front in Kyiv they found a temporary alternative to the liberation of the occupied territories - partisan attacks by Ukrainian special forces. These measures are being taken to destabilize Russian military operations and create additional challenges for the enemy.
02:23 Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, said that Ukraine did not receive a significant part of the weapons requested from the United States, which had already been financed. “In other words, the White House is not providing even the minimum necessary support, and at the same time is demanding more and more billions. Well, let him first do what he didn’t do,” Johnson added.
The speaker noted that Republicans are constantly putting pressure on the White House to “get answers to critical questions.” Johnson stressed that Congress must understand the White House’s strategy, where the final point of the war is and how Ukraine can get out of it, as well as why the necessary weapons have not been transferred so far.