Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 21:45 During the operation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, the Russian army lost more than 38 thousand soldiers. This was reported by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"During the Kursk operation, the enemy has already lost more than 38 thousand of its soldiers - in this one direction alone, of which about 15 thousand were irretrievable," the head of state said.
21:15 President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and also heard a separate report from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky and the Chief of the General Staff Anatoliy Bargilevich.
"The first thing is to protect our front lines, Pokrovsk first of all. I am grateful to all the brigades, to each of our soldiers who are there now. We discussed issues of staffing the brigades, as well as rotation. The army needs more internal, systemic changes so that at all levels in the Defense Forces, human management becomes effective," he said.
20:56 In the village of Primorskoye near Mariupol, on the morning of January 6, an explosion thundered and a fire broke out at the base of Russian military personnel. This was reported by the mayor's adviser Petro Andryushenko.
According to him, the wounded occupiers were taken to a hospital in the Kalmius district. "They say that some were taken in parts. They are probably lying," he added.
20:15 The Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, reported that there is a preliminary agreement with the Russian side that exchanges will be systematic in 2025.
"There is currently a preliminary agreement that exchanges in 2025 should become systematic, with priority given to the return of, first of all, the seriously ill and seriously wounded," the ombudsman said.
19:20 The Russian occupation authorities in the temporarily occupied Melitopol in the Zaporizhia region are calling on local residents to "Russify" their Ukrainian surnames when changing their passports to Russian ones.
19:00 Russian military shelled populated areas of the Kherson region using artillery, mortars and drones. Two people were killed and 11 others were injured.
18:03 Russian aggressors hit a minibus in Kherson with a drone. At least one person was killed, many were injured, said the head of the Kherson OVA Oleksandr Prokudin.
17:58 Heavy smoke is observed in the Russian city of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky in the Rostov region, where a chemical plant producing fuel for missiles and military warehouses are located, said Andrey Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council.
17.50 A pre-trial investigation has been launched into a criminal case on the fact of committing a war crime that resulted in the death of people. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General. It is noted that on January 3, 2024, during the assault on the positions of Ukrainian troops near the village of Vremovka, Volnovakha district, the occupiers captured two servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The prisoners were taken out of the dugout at gunpoint and shot point-blank in the head. To be sure of their death, the enemy fired several more shots.
17.07 Since the beginning of the current day, 108 combat clashes have occurred on the front, more than half of which were in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the details in a report as of 16.00.
16.41 The second largest commercial port in Russia, Ust-Luga in the Leningrad region, was attacked by SBU drones. To do this, they flew more than 900 km , sources in the special service reported.
16.20 Ukrainian military personnel have destroyed two Russian S-300 medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems over the past 24 hours. This was reported by the Operational Command South.
16:07 Law enforcement officers detained a serviceman of the Vinnitsa RTCK and SP security platoon for a bribe of 16 thousand dollars. He gave out signed and unfilled summons forms to those wishing to avoid mobilization.
15:45 Belarus' formal leader Alexander Lukashenko did not apologize to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a phone call that took place in the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, his press secretary Natalya Eismont said .
15.31 One of the heads of the Russian prison where Ukrainian prisoners of war are tortured has received a suspicion in absentia. We are talking about the deputy head of "correctional colony No. 7", which is located in the Vladimir region of Russia - Alexey Khavetsky.
15.16 In Nikopol, as a result of Russian artillery shelling , one person was killed and another was injured. The occupiers attacked populated areas of the region with barrel artillery, kamikaze drones and dropped ammunition from a drone.
13.47 At least eight visits by Russian Shahed-type kamikaze drones were recorded in Belarus on the night of January 5-6. The Belarusian Air Force did not take off during the night. This was reported by the Belaruski Gayun monitoring project.
13:25 The silent unmanned complex D-21 was approved for use in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It can transport food, ammunition, military equipment, and evacuate the wounded. It operates in two modes - manual and automatic.
12:59 GUR intercepted a conversation between occupiers about the execution of a Ukrainian prisoner. Intelligence notes that the Russian army does not hesitate to resort to the most vile and base crimes, conducting them against Ukraine.
12:42 Ukraine has ordered ammunition for Gepard systems from Rheinmetall. The production will be financed by the German government. We are talking about a double-digit number in millions of euros.
12:15 Russian special services planned to commit a bloody terrorist attack among the military in the Kiev region. The enemy's intentions were thwarted. The SBU reported the details .
10:59 Ukrainian military destroyed two Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and gun systems in the Kherson region. This was reported by the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
9:21 Over the past 24 hours, there have been 184 combat clashes between units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian troops on the front. The most active battles are taking place in the Pokrovsk and Kursk directions. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on January 6.
8:48 The Russian army is conducting assault operations in the urban area of Kurakhovo. Currently, activities to identify and destroy enemy assault groups are ongoing there. A similar situation is in the direction of Petrovpavlovka and Dachnoye. This was reported by the OSGV Khortytsya.
7:44 Over the past 24 hours, the Armed Forces have neutralized 1,550 Russian invaders, the total losses of the Russian invaders have reached 798,040 people.
7:28 Russian troops have intensified offensive operations to the east of Pokrovsk, with the aim of encircling the city from the northeast. This is evidenced by a report by analysts from the Institute for the Study of War.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Ukrainian Armed Forces are engaged in heavy fighting in the Kursk region
In the Kursk region, Ukrainian troops repelled 17 attacks by Russian troops. At the same time, 45 combat clashes are still ongoing.
Since the beginning of the current day, 108 combat clashes have occurred on the front, more than half of which were in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in a report as of 16:00 on Monday, January 6.
Thus, in the Kharkov direction, our soldiers repelled two attacks in the Volchansk area.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy carried out three assaults near Sinkovka, Petropavlovka and Zagryzovoye. Two combat clashes have ended, another one is ongoing.
In the Liman direction, the invaders advanced seven times near Nadezhda, Pervomayskoye and Makeyevka. The fighting continues.
In the Seversky direction, the enemy once attacked our defenders in the Belogorovka area.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are repelling three attempts by the occupiers to advance forward in the areas of Chasovy Yar, Belaya Gora and in the direction of Stupochki.
In the Toretsk direction, the enemy attacked twice near Shcherbinovka.
In the Pokrovsk direction, since the beginning of the day, the occupiers have carried out 16 assaults in the areas of the settlements of Tarasovka, Elizavetovka, Lisovka, Zelenoe, Novy Trud and Pokrovsk. The defense forces repelled 12 attacks, four clashes are still ongoing.
In the Kurakhovsky direction, the enemy attacked seven times near Slavyanka, Petrovpavlovka, Kurakhovo and Dachnoye. Six battles have been completed, and another one is still ongoing.
In the Vremivsky direction, the occupiers attacked four times near Constantinople and Constantinople. One battle continues.
In the Orekhov direction, the enemy attacked our defenders once in the direction of Novodanilovka.
"In the Kursk region, Ukrainian defenders repelled 17 attacks by invaders, and another 45 clashes continue," the report says.
The day before it became known that the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked Russians in the Kursk region in several directions. A little later, the head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak confirmed the intensification of military actions in the Kursk region. Subsequently, the Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged the offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The enemy committed another war crime in the Volnovakha district
Russian troops carried out an assault on the positions of the 141st Separate Brigade east of point 160.9. The soldiers surrendered, their hands were tied, they were taken out in front of the position and shot in the back of the head.
The Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmitry Lubinets reported another war crime by Russia - the probable execution of three Ukrainian prisoners of war near the village of Neskuchnoye in the Volnovakha district of Donetsk Oblast. The ombudsman reported this on Telegram on Monday, January 6.
"We are once again witnessing atrocities that demonstrate the true face of the aggressor state. On January 3, Russian occupiers committed a terrible crime - they probably shot three Ukrainian prisoners of war," Lubinets noted.
According to DeepState, the Russians tied their hands and shot them in the back of the head.
"On January 3, the enemy carried out an assault on the positions of the 141st separate brigade east of point 160.9. The fighters surrendered, their hands were tied, they were taken out in front of the position and shot in the back of the head... Unfortunately, the UN baboons are trying to show that both sides are bad, ignoring the fact that the murders and abuse of Ukrainian prisoners of war are systematic and supported by the military-political leadership of Muscovy," the analysts added.
The Ombudsman stressed that despite the fact that, according to the Geneva Conventions, prisoners of war are under special protection and no country has the right to torture them, abuse them or take their lives, Russia demonstrates disregard for international norms.
The Commissioner once again immediately contacted the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations, indicating that these organizations should condemn this crime and put pressure on the Russian side to stop such acts.
"Ukraine maintains its obligation to respect humanitarian law even during war, but we will not allow Russia to turn the world into a lawless territory. The guilty must be punished!" Lubinets said.
Let us recall that the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmitry Lubinets reported that the Russians shot five Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered.
Let us add that in November it was reported that law enforcement officers were investigating 49 criminal cases on the facts of the murder of 124 prisoners of war on the battlefield. However, after this, new facts of the execution of Ukrainian fighters were discovered.
Linked article is available only through a VPN
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kharkov direction, units of the Sever Group of Forces defeated units of two territorial defence brigades close to Volchansk and Liptsy (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 70 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one 122mm D-30 howitzer. One ammunition depot was wiped out.
The Zapad Group of Forces' units improved the situation along the front line, inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, one assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, two territorial defence brigades, and one national guard brigade close to Druzhelyubovka, Podoly, Glushkovka, Kovsharovka, Dvurechnaya, Zapadnoye, Ivanovka (Kharkov region), Yampolovka, and Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic). Three counter-attacks launched by AFU assault detachments were repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 550 troops, two U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carriers, one Italian-made Iveco armoured fighting vehicle, one Kozak armoured fighting vehicle, 12 motor vehicles, one UK-made 155mm Braveheart self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made 155mm M-777 howitzer, one 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, one 152mm Msta-B howitzer, two 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, two 122mm D-30 howitzers, and one U.S.-made 105mm M-101 gun. One Mirazh and one Kvertus electronic warfare stations and two counter-battery stations were eliminated.
The Yug Group of Forces' units have liberated Kurakhovo (Donetsk People's Republic).
Strikes were delivered at formations of two mechanised brigades, two motorised infantry brigades, one mountain assault brigade of the AFU near Piskunovka, Alekseyevo-Druzkovka, Minkovka, Chasov Yar, Verolyubovka, and Yantarnoye (Donetsk People's Republic). Three counter-attacks launched by the enemy's assault detachments were repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 265 troops, one German-made Leopard tank, two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, one Kozak armoured fighting vehicle, one pickup truck, one Polish-made 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made 155mm M-777 howitzer, three 152mm Msta-B howitzers, one 152mm D-20 gun, one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and three 122mm D-30 howitzers.
As a result of decisive actions of the Tsentr Group of Forces' units, Dachenskoye (Donetsk People's Republic) was liberated.
Strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of five mechanised brigades, one jaeger brigade, one air assault brigade, two airmobile brigades of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, one territorial defence brigade, one assault brigade of the National Police of Ukraine near Dzerzhinsk, Shcherbinovka, Dimitrov, Sribnoye, Andreyevka, Novovasilevka, Ukrainka, Novoaleksandrovka, and Shevchenko (Donetsk People's Republic). Fourteen AFU counter-attacks were repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 535 troops, four tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles, one U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carrier, one French-made VAB armoured personnel carrier, five armoured fighting vehicles, to include one U.S.-made HMMWV and one U.S.-made MaxxPro armoured fighting vehicles, ten motor vehicles, one 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS combat vehicle, one Polish-made 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery system, two 152mm Msta-B howitzer, and two 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces advanced into the depths of the enemy's defence, defeated formations of one mechanised brigade of the AFU and two territorial defence brigades near Bogatyr, Novy Komar, Neskuchnoye (Donetsk People's Republic), and Temirovka (Zaporozhye region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 170 troops, four motor vehicles, one 155mm Bogdana self-propelled artillery system, one U.S.-made 155mm M-198 howitzer, one 152mm Giatsint-S gun, one 152mm D-20 gun, and one 122mm D-30 howitzer. One ammunition depot was wiped out.
The Dnepr Group of Forces' units have engaged manpower and hardware of one mechanised brigade, two coastal defence brigades of the AFU, one national guard brigade close to Orekhov, Novoandreyevka (Zaporozhye region), Ponyatovka, Sadovoye (Kherson region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 80 troops, six motor vehicles, one U.S.-made 155mm M-777 howitzer, and one 122mm D-30 howitzer. Three ammunition depots have been wiped out.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged the infrastructure of military airfields, ammunition depots, workshops, and launch sites of UAVs, manpower clusters and military hardware of the enemy and foreign mercenaries in 153 areas.
Air defence systems shot down one French-made Hammer guided aerial bomb, 12 U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and 115 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 652 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 39,568 unmanned aerial vehicles, 590 anti-aircraft missile systems, 20,258 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,507 MLRS combat vehicles, 20,239 field artillery guns and mortars, and 29,919 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 19:12 Russianfighters spotted a T-72 in the Kursk region. Small but maneuverable drones literally surrounded the combat vehicle. The first, second, third hit - and the Ukrainian Armed Forces tank was left smoking on the road. 19:10 The Ministry of Defense published video of destruction of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' manpower in the Khar'kov region.
19:04 Kadyrov reported destruction by the Akhmat special forces of the enemy T-64 tank.
18:02 Rosgvardia showed frames of destruction of Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment during one of the offensives on the Kursk region.
17:55 Key points from the Russian Defense Ministry briefing on Kursk Oblast:
- the actions of the "North" group of troops prevented the Ukrainian Armed Forces from breaking through. The enemy forces were destroyed on the approaches to the Berdin farm;
– The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 150 servicemen, four tanks, and two infantry fighting vehicles during an attempt to break through;
– The Russian Armed Forces defeated formations of five mechanized Ukrainian Armed Forces;
– over the course of a day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 485 servicemen, ten tanks and seven infantry fighting vehicles were destroyed;
– four Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen surrendered.
16:35 Air defense forces destroyed two Ukrainian aircraft-type drones over the Kursk and Belgorod regions, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
15:39 The Ukrainian Armed Forces' attempt to break through in the Kursk direction has been thwarted, the enemy's main forces have been destroyed near Berdino - Russian Defense Ministry.
15:38 Two children wounded in the attack by a Ukrainian drone in the Khar'kov region have been urgently transported to Moscow. The woman and two other children are undergoing treatment in Belgorod, said the head of the Ukrainian State Administration, Ganchev.
14:13 The main points from the new briefing of the Russian Ministry of Defense:
– On January 5, the Ukrainian Armed Forces attempted to attack the Zaporizhzhya NPP using eight aircraft-type drones;
– losses in the area of ??responsibility of the “South” group, where the city of Kurakhovo was liberated, amounted to 265 soldiers and a Leopard tank per day;
– The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 550 soldiers in the area of ??responsibility of the West group of forces in one day;
– The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 150 soldiers in the area of ??responsibility of the “North” and “Dnepr” groups in one day;
– Russian air defense shot down a HAMMER bomb, 12 HIMARS rounds and 115 Ukrainian UAVs in one day;
– The Russian Armed Forces destroyed the infrastructure of military airfields and weapons depots of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
13:16 Russian military liberated the village of Dachenskoye in the DPR — Russian Defense Ministry.
12:24 A man was injured when a Ukrainian drone attacked a moving car in the Belgorod region, Governor Gladkov reported.
11:47 Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces attempted to attack the territory of the Belgorod region using about 40 UAVs - Governor Gladkov.
11:45 The main points from the Russian Defense Ministry’s statements on the liberation of Kurakhovo:
- the Ukrainian Armed Forces command turned Kurakhovo into a powerful fortified area. More than 15 thousand soldiers were concentrated for defense;
– the liberation of Kurakhovo deprived the Kiev regime of the opportunity to shell the civilian population of Donetsk with artillery systems;
– the establishment of control over Kurakhovo significantly complicated the rear and technical support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces group in the Donetsk direction;
- after the capture of Kurakhovo, Russian troops entered operational space, which will allow them to increase the pace of liberation of the DPR territory;
– the servicemen of the 5th and 110th motorized rifle brigades particularly distinguished themselves during the liberation of the city of Kurakhovo.
10:15 During the liberation of Kurakhovo, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost 80% of their personnel (more than 12,000 people), about 3,000 units of various weapons and military equipment, including 40 tanks, the Russian Defense Ministry reports.
10:13 As a result of the attack of a Ukrainian drone on the village of Rzhevaka in the Shebekinsky district, two civilians were wounded - Gladkov.
09:39 After 00:00, an attack by a UAV was recorded from the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the direction of: 03:20 – Gorlovka (Nikitovsky district): dropping of explosives from a UAV.
09:37 UAV crews of the Caspian naval infantrymen as part of the North group of forces reveal targets, adjust air strikes and artillery fire in the border area of the Kursk region.
During the next flight, the UAV operator detected a rotation of enemy personnel, the coordinates were immediately transmitted to the command post. The enemy was destroyed by fire from a tank of one of the motorized rifle units of the "North" group of forces.
08:19 Air defense forces destroyed 12 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
08:17 Air defense systems destroyed a Ukrainian missile over the territory of the Kursk region, the regional operational headquarters reported on its Telegram channel.
08:15 Our fighters finished off, an American armored vehicle International MaxxPro that was blown up by a mine, was captured with the help of FPV drones in the Kurakhovsky direction.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The V. A. Degtyarev Machine Gun Plant has filed a lawsuit against the Russian Defense Ministry for more than 100 million rubles. TASS reported this on January 6, citing case materials.
"Judge N.P. Teveleva, having considered the issue of accepting for proceedings the claim of JSC "V.A. Degtyarev Plant" against the defendant - the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for the recovery of 100,569,849 rubles 71 kopecks and the documents attached to the claim, decided to accept the claim filed with the court on November 2, 2024, and to initiate proceedings on the case," the agency quotes the court's decision to schedule a court hearing.
The reason for filing the lawsuit is not reported.
At the end of 2024, the Moscow Arbitration Court collected 146 million rubles of debt from the Ministry of Defense in favor of the V. A. Degtyarev Plant.
The Degtyarev Plant produces small arms, hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers, and anti-tank missiles. The enterprise is a supplier of Kalashnikov machine guns, Vladimirov machine guns (KPVT), RPG-7, and Kalashnikov assault rifles.
Text taken from the V Kontakte account of Tatyana Vasilyeva
[VK] ‼⚡⚡⚡🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺 Sudzhan borderland: Berdin farm and surrounding areas cleared by fighters of the 30th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the "Sever" group of forces.
During the cleanup carried out by the assault units of the 30th Motorized Rifle Regiment, the occupiers suffered losses of up to 30 people, 17 of which were KIAs, 23 Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers from the 82nd Separate Airborne Brigade surrendered.
In total, twenty-seven Ukrainian servicemen laid down their arms during the enemy counterattack that began yesterday.
Thus, the new "counteroffensive" that was hyped up in Ukraine began with another "meat assault" organized by Syrsky, on the orders of Zelensky, who is persistently trying to show his Western masters the ability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to continue to terrorize the Russian state.
It is worth noting separately that during yet another suicidal operation by Syrsky, mostly young Ukrainians aged around 30 were disposed of. The genocide of the Ukrainian people, carried out by Kyiv neo-Nazis, continues...
More on Russian combat operations in Kursk region.
▪"On the southern flank of the Sudzhansky direction, Russian troops are storming Makhnovka from the south. On the northern flank, clashes continue in the direction of Malaya Loknya," the enemy admitted in the morning.
▪By evening, most of the village is under the control of Russian troops.
Even more from the V Kontakte page of Tatyana Vasilyeva
Today, the Ukrainian units have not managed to achieve anything. Those who survived were lucky and ended up in captivity. The rest were liquidated.
Our troops entered Malaya Loknya on the northern flank of our advancing group. In addition, the Russian Armed Forces managed to advance in Makhnovka, a couple of kilometers from Sudzha. Malaya Loknya is itself a couple of kilometers south of Makhnovka.
Malaya Loknya has an extremely important geographical position at a height relative to Sudzha and its surroundings. With its support, it will be much easier to move south along the railway.
🔺The interrogation of captured Ukrainian soldiers showed that the command set them the task of occupying the village of Bolshoye Soldatskoye. The plan was thwarted by the Northerners with a powerful fire strike. More than 35 units of enemy equipment and over 200 occupiers were destroyed.
The prisoners also reported that more than 50% of the 225th separate battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were prisoners, including those serving sentences for the most serious crimes.
The Russian Armed Forces have gone on the offensive: The liberation of the village of Russkoye Porechnoye is being completed, we have made progress in capturing Makhnovka, all bridges across the Smerditsa River are under our control."
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Around 1,700 Ukrainian troops equipped by the West have disappeared after being trained in France, leaving the remainder of their brigade to face Putin's wrath alone.
The 155th Mechanised Brigade, one of Ukraine's few units equipped with advanced Leopard 2 battle tanks, was supposed to bolster the country's defences.
Instead, at least 50 soldiers disappeared while the unit trained in France, and by the time it entered its first battle, 1,700 troops had gone absent without leave.
Even as late as November, 500 soldiers remained unaccounted for, sparking a crisis for the brigade, also known as Anne of Kyiv in honour of its historical ties with France.
This mass exodus occurred before the unit was deployed to Pokrovsk, a critical logistics hub in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region.
When the depleted brigade finally entered combat in recent days, it suffered heavy losses, including some of its prized Leopard tanks and other armoured vehicles.
The debacle has prompted an investigation by Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigations into what critics are calling the 'shambolic' formation of the unit.
The brigade was intended to feature over 5,800 troops and state-of-the-art Western weaponry, including French Caesar 155mm howitzers.
It was the centrepiece of a high-profile £747 billion project jointly announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron last year.
Instead, the brigade's collapse has exposed glaring flaws in Ukraine's strategy to build new military units from scratch, with analysts questioning why resources weren't used to bolster battle-hardened brigades already engaged on the front lines.
The 155th Mechanised Brigade spent nine months training in Ukraine, Poland, and France, as part of an ambitious plan to form 14 new brigades equipped with advanced Western weapons.
But critics say the project has descended into chaos, leaving soldiers ill-prepared for the battlefield and Ukraine's war effort exposed.
Prominent war correspondent Yuriy Butusov delivered a scathing assessment of the brigade's collapse, calling it 'a crime' not of the soldiers but of Ukraine's military leadership.
The brigade's problems reportedly began from the outset.
Recruitment launched in June last year, but many of the 2,500 initial recruits were siphoned off to replenish other battle-worn units.
This left just 1,924 volunteers to undergo training in France, of whom only 51 had more than a year's military experience.
Shockingly, over 1,400 had joined the Ukrainian army just two months before being sent for overseas drills.
The unit also suffered an exodus during training, with over 700 troops deserting on Ukrainian soil between October and November.
By the time the brigade was finally deployed to Pokrovsk, it was already understrength and under-resourced.
Despite being equipped with some of the most advanced Western tanks and artillery, it was sent into battle without drones - the essential tool for modern reconnaissance- or electronic warfare jammers.
Analysts observing the conflict have questioned Kyiv's decision to invest in untested new brigades instead of reinforcing existing units battered by months of combat.
Critics warn that the fiasco not only risks undermining morale but could squander the vital Western support Ukraine depends on to repel Russian aggression.
Serhii Sternenko, a prominent Ukrainian social media influencer and military fundraiser, revealed he had been forced to send essential kit to the 155th Mechanised Brigade due to a concerning lack of government-provided supplies.
The brigade, deployed to Pokrovsk, reportedly received cash for reconnaissance drones only 10 days after entering the fight. By then, the damage was done.
[AceComments] Dozens of US government officials claim symptoms including vertigo, powerful headaches, and debilitating permanent injuries from what they claim must be a directed energy weapon, fired at them by a hostile foreign power, who everyone assumes is Russia.
The US government officially denies these "anomalous health incidents" (AHIs). Specifically, the Director of National Intelligence wrote a letter stating AHIs are all in the victims' heads.
#2
74 The US has developed a few sonic weapons , mainly for use in crowd control. They haven’t been deployed because they possibly can cause permanent injuries.
You need rifles. One well aimed shot and your replacement for your rifle squad is little more than a scrap heap.
You need riflemen.
[Regnum] The Terminator tank support combat vehicle (BMPT), with the help of its weapons system, can replace an entire motorized rifle squad during an attack, which includes an infantry fighting vehicle (BMP-2M), riflemen, a machine gunner, and grenade launchers. This was reported on January 6 by the press service of the Rostec state corporation.
It is noted that the Terminator is a highly protected vehicle, the experience of using which in the special operation zone has shown that the BMPT is capable of withstanding multiple hits from enemy weapons without harm to the crew and its main systems.
The press service recalled that the Terminator is equipped with two 30 mm automatic cannons, guided missiles, machine guns and automatic grenade launchers, which gives the vehicle the ability to strike several targets at once. At the same time, in the special operation zone, the BMPT demonstrated high efficiency not only in covering tanks, but also as an independent assault combat unit capable of destroying enemy firing points and strongholds.
“In certain situations, the BMPT can replace a motorized rifle squad in an attack, which includes a BMP-2M infantry fighting vehicle, riflemen, a machine gunner, and grenade launchers,” the state corporation’s Telegram channel says.
Rostec added that the BMPT has no analogues in Western countries, just like the Russian heavy flamethrower system Solntsepёk.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on September 21, 2024, the Ministry of Defense spoke about the preparation of the Terminator crews before going into battle - they conduct training and improve their skills. It was noted that the BMPT crews practice high-speed driving and direct fire, as well as coordination with the crews of tank units.
In July 2023, the commander of the Terminator crew of the Southern Group of the Russian Armed Forces said that in one night his vehicle fired 400 shells at the positions of Ukrainian formations near Avdiivka. The strikes were carried out from a distance of 4 km using high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing tracer shells.
The BMPT Terminator is designed to operate as part of tank formations to destroy enemy anti-tank weapons. It is capable of destroying tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, long-term and tree-earth firing points, and other highly protected targets on the move and from a stationary position.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
