Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:57 The occupation court in the so-called "DPR" sentenced Azov resident Ruslan Minagulov to 24 years in a strict regime penal colony for allegedly "cruel treatment of civilians." This was reported by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
22:35 A Russian oil depot located in the Voronezh region was attacked again by unmanned aerial vehicles on Monday evening, January 20. This was reported by the region's governor, Alexander Gusev, on his Telegram channel.
21:42 Mistakes in the leadership of military brigades require investigation and a fair response. President Volodymyr Zelensky said this during his evening address, commenting on the detention of generals accused of failing to defend the Kharkiv region.
20:56 Russian military complain about their command, which sends them on meaty assaults. This was reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate, which published an intercept.
19:48 Ukrainian soldiers have received more aid from Latvia - more than 40 all-wheel drive vehicles along with critical cargo: drones, computer equipment, generators and charging stations. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on its Facebook page on Monday, January 20.
18:56 Ukrainian defenders in the Peschanoye area in the Kupyansk direction hit seven Russian vehicles. Video from the scene was published by the commander of the battalion of strike unmanned aerial complexes Achilles of the 92nd Osh Brigade Yuriy Fedorenko.
18:32 Lithuania has transferred a new batch of military aid to Ukraine. The new package includes Lithuanian-made drones, thermal imagers, and five-ton telescopic loaders for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
17.56 The Russian Federation currently does not have the capacity to produce new Tu-160 and Tu-22M3 bombers "from scratch". However, the Russians use Soviet-era blanks. This is reported by the specialized portal Defense Express.
17:42 Law enforcement officers have exposed Ukrainian companies that supplied Russia with microchips for missiles and drones. According to the SBU, these are enterprises in the Kharkiv, Chernivtsi and Odessa regions. Even during a full-scale war, they were engaged in the supply of essential components for Russian weapons, bypassing international sanctions.
17:25 The war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine has negatively affected the lives of almost half of Russian citizens (47.6%). This is evidenced by the data of a sociological survey conducted in April 2024 by the Institute of Social and Political Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
17:02 Since the beginning of the current day, 64 combat clashes have occurred on the front. Almost half of them occurred in the Pokrovsk direction. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the details in an operational summary as of 16:00.
16:49 On Monday night, Russian aggressors attacked the TsentrEnergo thermal power plant, which had already been destroyed earlier. There were no casualties. After the shelling, specialists began to clear the rubble.
16.22 Russia is ready for a "dialogue" with Donald Trump and the new US administration on Ukraine, but the "root cause of the crisis" needs to be eliminated. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said this at a meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council. He also congratulated Trump on taking office as US President.
15.43 In 2024, Ukraine recognized one Russian and one Belarusian as refugees. At the same time, over the year, 400 decisions on forced expulsion were made against foreigners and stateless persons who were illegally in Ukraine .
15:15 A locomotive used to provide logistics for the Russian army was burned in St. Petersburg, Russia. This was reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.
Locomotive 3M62U was destroyed in the Ruchi tram depot. The fire destroyed the entire control system, the locomotive cannot be restored.
The GUR added that this locomotive "was hauling Russian weapons, ammunition and military equipment along the railway."
14:29 Law enforcement officers detained two generals and one colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who failed to ensure proper protection of the Kharkiv region during the offensive of the Russian army in May 2024. This was reported by the SBU. Among the defendants in the case is a brigadier general who held the position of commander of the operational-tactical group (OTG) Kharkiv.
14:17 The National Police of Ukraine has announced suspicion to the commander of the Russian paratroopers involved in the shooting of 16 civilians at the intersection of Vokzalna and Yablunska in Bucha in March 2022. This was reported by the press service of the National Police on Monday, January 20.
14:05 Officials of the Logistics Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were exposed for purchasing spare parts for armored vehicles at inflated prices. The damage amounted to 83 million UAH. The State Bureau of Investigation reported details .
13:35 Russian troops launched a missile strike on the Shostka community in Sumy Oblast. An infrastructure facility was destroyed and four multi-story buildings were damaged. There are no known casualties yet.
12:55 In the Kherson region, a mine exploded under a police car during the evacuation of a wounded person in Antonovka. The vehicle was damaged. None of the evacuation group members were injured.
12:20 A North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainian fighters in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation spoke about his service in his homeland and his participation in military operations on Russian territory. The corresponding video of the soldier's interrogation was published by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Korean claims that he did not know where and against whom he would fight. "I myself did not know before I came to Russia that I would fight here. I did not know against whom even we were fighting," said the North Korean intelligence officer.
11:45 In Donetsk Oblast, one person was killed and two others were injured due to Russian shelling. This was reported by the head of the Donetsk OVA Vadim Filashkin.
Thus, in Pokrovsk, one person was killed and one was injured, a multi-storey building was damaged. In Nikolaevka, one person was injured, 14 houses, a gas pipeline and a heating main were damaged.
9:20 Over the past 24 hours, aviation, missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces hit five areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment and two air defense systems of the Russian troops. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In total, 189 combat clashes were recorded on the front in Ukraine over the past 24 hours, January 19.
8:50 The Defense Forces shot down 93 Russian Shahed-type attack UAVs and drones of other types, another 47 drone imitators were lost, two of them flew to Russia. This was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
8:44 On the night of January 20, Russian troops shelled the Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk region with heavy artillery and Grad MLRS. An industrial enterprise, four residential high-rise buildings, an educational institution and a power line were damaged. This was reported by the head of the OVA Serhiy Lysak.
8:34 Air defense forces in the skies over Sumy region shot down 22 Russian UAVs. This was reported on January 20 by the Sumy OVA. It is noted that since the beginning of 2025, the air defense units of the region have already destroyed 176 Russian drones.
8:20 The Russians are increasing the military significance of Balaklava Bay in the temporarily occupied Crimea, which previously functioned as a museum. This was reported by the ATESH partisan movement.
7:46 Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed 1,690 occupiers. The total combat losses of the enemy from 02/24/22 to 01/20/25 amounted to approximately 820,430 personnel. This was reported by the General Staff.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Ukrainian Armed Forces are engaged in heavy fighting in the east and south of Ukraine.
The enemy is trying to break through about 11 settlements in the Pokrovsky direction. Eight combat clashes are currently ongoing.
Since the beginning of the current day, 64 combat clashes have occurred on the front. Almost half of them occurred in the Pokrovsk direction, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in an operational report as of 16:00 on Monday, January 20.
Thus, in the Kharkov direction, one enemy assault took place near Volchansk.
In the Kupyansk direction, two assault actions by invaders were recorded near Petrovpavlovka and Zagryzovoye.
In the Liman direction, the enemy is attacking in the areas of Nadezhda, Novoegorovka, Makeyevka and Terny. In total, there have already been seven combat clashes, one of which is still ongoing.
In the Seversky direction, the occupiers tried to advance in the direction of Verkhnekamenskoye, where they were rebuffed.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled seven enemy attempts to advance near the settlement of Chasov Yar and in the direction of Stupochki. Three combat clashes are ongoing.
In the Toretsk direction, the enemy attacked eight times in the area of Toretsk, Krymskoye and Ozaryanovka.
In the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy has already organized 29 assaults in the areas of the settlements of Vodyanoye Vtoroye, Mirolyubovka, Elizavetovka, Mirnograd, Kotlino, Nadeyevka, Andreyevka, Shevchenko, Dachnoye, Ulakly and Yantarnoye. Eight combat clashes are still ongoing.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, two enemy assaults have been stopped. Three more assaults are still ongoing. The invaders are trying to break through in the areas of Constantinople, Razliv, Velikaya Novosyolka and in the direction of Privolnoye.
In the Dnieper direction , in the area of Kazatsky Island, the enemy attacked once without result.
In the Kursk direction, the Russians carried out three attacks.
Let us recall that in the course of 24 hours on January 19, the Ukrainian Armed Forces "minus" about 1,700 Russians . The total losses of the aggressor country Russia since the beginning of the war have already exceeded 820 thousand killed and wounded.
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 hit formations of one AFU motorized infantry brigade close to Volchansk (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 20 troops, two motor vehicles, and one electronic warfare station.
As a result of offensive actions, units of the Zapad Group of Forces have liberated Novoyegorovka (Lugansk People's Republic).
Two mechanized brigades and one infantry brigade of the AFU suffered losses near Ivanovka, Yampol, and Seversk (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 400 troops, one US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, one US-made M-113 armored personnel carrier, three armored fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, and five field artillery guns. One field ammunition depot was destroyed.
The Yug Group of Forces' units took more advantageous lines and positions, defeated formations of three mechanized brigades, one motorized infantry brigade, and two assault brigades of the AFU close to Dachnoye, Fyodorovka, Podolskoye, Nikolayevka, and Mayskoye (Donetsk People's Republic) .
The AFU losses amounted to more than 220 troops, one armored fighting vehicle, and one motor vehicle. Four AFU field ammunition depots were destroyed.
The Tsentr Group of Forces' units have continued advancing into the depths of the enemy's defense and liberated Shevchenko (Donetsk People's Republic).
Strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of five mechanized brigades, one motorized infantry brigade, and two national guard brigades close to Petrovka, Dzerzhinsk, Novoyelizavetovka, Novovasilevka, Lysovka, and Slavyanka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 545 troops, two US-made M113 armored personnel carriers, three motor vehicles, and one 122mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.
The Vostok Group of Forces' units advanced into the depths of the enemy's defense, defeated units of two mechanized brigades of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, and two territorial defense brigades close to Konstantinopol, Novy Komar, Bogatyr (Donetsk People's Republic), Gulyai Pole, and Novodarovka (Zaporozhye region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 140 troops, one tank, one armored fighting vehicle, one motor vehicle, and two French-made Caesar self-propelled artillery systems.
The Dnepr Group of Forces' units have engaged manpower and hardware of one mechanized brigade of the AFU, one marine brigade, and one territorial defense brigade near Tokarevka, Antonovka, Daryevka (Kherson region), and Kamenskoye (Zaporozhye region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 65 troops, six motor vehicles, and one field artillery gun. One electronic warfare station and one ammunition depot have been neutralized.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged the infrastructure of military airfields, UAV workshops and depots, as well as clusters of enemy manpower and hardware in 152 areas.
Air defense systems shot down one French-made Hammer guided aerial bomb, eight US-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and 86 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 652 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 40,878 unmanned aerial vehicles, 590 anti-aircraft missile systems, 20,684 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, 1,510 MLRS combat vehicles, 20,809 field artillery guns and mortars, and 30,501 units of support military vehicles have been neutralized.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise an enemy group, which broke into the territory of Kursk region.
During the offensive actions, the Sever Group of Forces' units inflicted fire damage on formations of one tank brigade, one heavy mechanised brigade, four mechanised brigades, two air assault brigades, one naval infantry brigade, and three territorial defence brigades of the AFU close to Guyevo, Zaoleshenka, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Malaya Loknya, Makhnovka, Nikolayevka, Nikolayevo Daryino, Nikolsky, Novaya Sorochina, Sverdlikovo, and Yuzhny. Four enemy counter-attacks were repelled.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU close to Agronom, Viktorovka, Goncharovka, Kazachya Loknya, Pervy Knyazhy, Kubatkin, Lebedevka, Loknya, Martynovka, Makhnovka, Mirny, Nikolayevka, Nikolsky, Sudzha, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye as well as Belovody, Vodolagi, Veselovka, Zhuravka, and Khrapovshchina in Sumy region.
During the day, AFU losses amounted to more than 460 troops, four tanks, four infantry fighting vehicles, one armoured personnel carrier, nine armoured fighting vehicles, 57 motor vehicles, five artillery guns, one mortar, one electronic warfare station, one armoured recovery vehicle, four UAV command posts, and one ammunition depot.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses amounted to more than 53,330 troops, 308 tanks, 236 infantry fighting vehicles, 175 armoured personnel carriers, 1,581 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,565 motor vehicles, 378 artillery guns, 44 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 16 anti-aircraft missile launchers, eight transport-loading vehicles, 94 EW stations, 14 counter-battery warfare radars, four air defence radars, 31 units of engineering and other materiel, including 13 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, nine armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 19:15 Russian Armed Forces units attacked and advanced about three km north along the landings in the direction of Constantinople and Ulakly. The nearest buildings in Constantinople are just over 1 km away —reportsWar correspondent Kitten. 18:32 Hit by FAB-3000 with UMPK on hangars of a livestock complex used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the southeastern outskirts of the village of Martynovka in the Kursk region.
18:42 Servicemen of the anti-tank division of the 58th Combined Arms Army of the Dnepr group of forces continue to suppress artillery batteries and command posts of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, destroy fire weapons, ammunition depots, weapons, military equipment and personnel of the enemy.
18:19 In the Khar'kov direction recon units discovered two Ukrainian fascists heading for rotation in a pickup truck. FPV operators quickly dealt fire damage to the target, first immobilizing it and then destroying it.
17:45 The situation in the Velikaya Novoselka area as of 20.01.2025 –Warrior DV
Assault units of the "Vostok" group continue systematically penetrating the enemy's defenses in the settlement of Velikaya Novosyolka. As we wrote yesterday, the Far Eastern soldiers have driven out the enemy and consolidated their positions in the northeastern and southeastern parts of the city. We would like to immediately warn against incomprehensible hype and the spread of false information about the enemy abandoning Novosyolka. The settlement is doomed, but has not yet been surrendered by the enemy; heavy fighting continues.
Fearing reputational costs, the enemy command decided to evacuate units of the 1st Presidential Brigade of the NGU, which are in the garrison together with the 110th separate mechanized brigade. Due to limited logistical capabilities, the enemy is trying to evacuate the personnel of the elite formation by any means possible: rafts, rope crossings, attempts to ford the Mokrye Yaly. Thus, the regular infantry of the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade is left alone with inevitable death (or surrender), effectively abandoned by its command.
17:13 While the Ukrainian government is pinning its hopes on the strength and assertiveness of the old and new US presidents, three cities in the east are days or weeks away from falling, writes BILD military observer Julian Röpke.
16:11 The crew of the 152mm Giatsint-B gun of the Crimean paratroopers destroyed a camouflaged Ukrainian Armed Forces weapon in the border area of Kursk Oblast.
16:04 State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine detained three former commanders of the Khar'kov OTG brigades on charges of negligence that led to the seizure of part of the Khar'kov region in 2024.
Brigadier General Yuri Galushkin, Lieutenant General Artur Gorbenko and Colonel Ilya Lapin were detained.
15:21 FPV drones calculations of the "West" group of forces destroyed T-64 tank of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Khar'kov region.
15:07 Units of the West group of forces released village of Novoegorovka, Lugansk People's Republic.
15:00 Officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine covered up a child at the front lines in the Donetsk direction. The Russian fighter managed to steer the drone aside at the last moment.
14:59 "Night Hunter" inflicts strike: the crew of the Mi-28NM disrupted the rotation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces units.
13:30 Military Chronicle:
"Amid problems with the 155th Mechanized Brigade "Anna Kyiv" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine displayed media about the preparation of this formation.
They showed blurry footage of a French AMX-10RC firing at a firing range and promised that soon this equipment “will be destroying the enemy in the Pokrovsk direction.”
For some reason, there is a feeling that when the brigade is assembled in parts and taught not to flee from positions in whole battalions, Pokrovsk will already be renamed Krasnoarmeysk.”
13:29 Up to 25 people increased the number of victims in the artillery attack of the settlement of Bekhtery by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, reported Sergei Cherevko
Two of the victims are in serious condition. Among the victims of the attack were four children.
13:10 Strela-10 SAM system crews of the Vostok group of forces provide cover for motorized riflemen from air attack weapons of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The Strela-10 anti-aircraft missile system is called a frontline vehicle. Air defense crews often work side by side with motorized riflemen. While assault groups liberate populated areas, anti-aircraft gunners clear the skies.
12:18 As part of the counter-battery operation, FPV operators of Severyan group worked several kamikaze drones fired at a Ukrainian fascist tank that was artillery attack the positions of the GV Sever fighters from the ZOP and destroyed it.
11:06 FPV operator 44 AK GV "Sever" discovered and destroyed an SUV with Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel in the area of the village of Izbitskoye in the Khar'kov region.
11:00 A crew of FPV drones from the Rubicon center destroyed a Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicle in the border area of the Kursk region, –video.
10:40 The Ukrainian Armed Forces launched an attack on Gorlovka. As a result of the shelling eight residents in Gorlovka were wounded.
In the Central City District of the city, women born in 1982, 1965, 1958, 1958, 1957, 1975, 1947 and a man born in 1982 received moderate injuries. All are receiving the necessary medical care.
10:20 Armed Forces of Ukraine hit at a school in the Kherson region, there are victims
The Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the village of Bekhtery with cluster munitions. Two of the missiles landed near a school where children and teachers were going to classes in the morning.
A total of 13 people were injured, two children are in serious condition, and there are fatalities.
9:45 Russian Ministry of Defense:
From 06:00 to 07:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on dutydestroyedtwo Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan.
9:15 An attempted attack on an aircraft factory and a helicopter factory in Kazan.
There are no reports of casualties or damage. Debris from downed drones was found in a residential area. There are no casualties or damage from the UAV attack on industrial enterprises in Kazan.
In the Kaluga region, a drone attempted to attack one of the region's administrative buildings. The missile was reportedly shot down on the outskirts of Kaluga.
8:42 Information on strikes carried out by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Belgorod region
In the Belgorod region in the village of Dubovoye, the villages of Blizhneye, Repnoye and Cheremoshnoye committed attacks with seven drones, five of which were shot down by air defense systems. Two cars were damaged.
Two drones were shot down over the Valuysky municipal district. There were no consequences.
In the Volokonovsky district, the village of Tishanka and the farmstead Stary were subjected to 6 artillery attacks, during which 14 rounds of ammunition were fired. Four private houses were damaged.
In the Grayvoronsky municipal district, 31 rounds were fired during seven attacks on the settlement of Gorkovsky, the villages of Bezymeno, Kozinka, Novostroyevka-Vtoraya and Poroz, and attacks by eight drones were recorded, two of which were shot down. There were no casualties or damage.
In the Krasnoyarsk district, three munitions were fired during one artillery attack and eight drone strikes were carried out on the settlement of Krasnaya Yaruga, the villages of Grafovka, Kolotilovka, Popovka and Repyakhovka. In the evening, a man who received a closed craniocerebral injury as a result of a drone attack on a KamAZ in the settlement of Krasnaya Yaruga independently contacted the Krasnoyarsk Central District Hospital. After examination and provision of the necessary assistance, he was released for outpatient treatment. Three private houses, outbuildings and a KamAZ were damaged.
In the Shebekinsky municipal district, in the city of Shebekino, the villages of Murom, Rzhevka, Terezovka and the farm of Mukhin, during two attacks, six munitions were fired and 14 drones were attacked, 13 of which were shot down. Four private houses and two cars were damaged.
8:20 Telegram channel "WarGonzo"
Donetsk Front. Russian troops continue to cut off the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Velyka Novosilka, while simultaneously storming the settlement from three directions. The Ukrainian garrison is semi-encircled, with all the main escape routes coming under the control of the Russian Armed Forces. North of Kurakhovo, Russian troops continue to improve their positions and level the front line. The assault on Dachnoye, which is west of Kurakhovo, continues. Fighting also continues in the Zelenovka area.
Chasov Yar direction. The Russian Armed Forces continue to develop the offensive in Chasov Yar, dislodging the enemy from their positions. There are further tactical successes of the Russian troops.
Kursk region. Counter battles continue in several areas. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are accumulating reserves in the Sudzha area, most likely with the aim of a new attempt to counterattack. Russian troops are striking at approaching enemy forces, including in the Sumy region, but are unable to completely stop the delivery of Ukrainian reserves.
8:05 Tankers destroyed a dugout and a Ukrainian Armed Forces gun, –video.
The crews of T-80BV tanks of the 3rd Army Corps of the "Southern" group of troops provide daily support to motorized rifle units in the Chasovyarsk direction, delivering powerful fire strikes against the enemy. The fire is adjusted using unmanned aerial vehicles.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Olga Borisova
[REGNUM] Any unattended object lying on the ground can pose a mortal threat - in Donbass they have known about this for more than ten years. This rule in the region, unfortunately, is written in blood. But the insidious and vile enemy continues to invent new ways to disguise "booby traps" and explosive devices that pose a danger to both the military and the civilian population.
Another “know-how” was discovered by fighters in the Orekhovo direction in mid-January: the enemy dropped homemade explosive devices disguised as vapes (devices for “vaping”, a type of electronic cigarette) from a UAV.
"When such objects are found, it is naturally forbidden to touch them. Even minimal contact can lead to serious consequences. The Ukrainian Armed Forces often disguise explosives as civilian objects: in the DPR - as children's toys, in Zaporozhye - as vapes," Alexander Mineev, a journalist for the Bloknot Zaporozhye publication, tells Regnum .
According to him, the discarded vapes were discovered in time - no one was hurt.
In general, this enemy technology is not new: barely noticeable but deadly anti-personnel mines - "petals" - were found in 2023 and 2024 even in different areas of Moscow and other cities far from the front line.
"Petals", also known as PFM-1, were recognized as inhumane weapons and banned by the Ottawa Convention in 1999. In 2015, Ukraine, which has one of the largest arsenals in Europe, signed an agreement to destroy such mines. But in fact, no one has eliminated them: the Armed Forces of Ukraine regularly throw them into the Donbass, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions.
There are constant reports of camouflaged mines of various types. And they are hidden wherever they can: the military told journalists about broken tree branches, logs, cans of condensed milk and boxes of chocolates filled with explosives. In March 2022, the RT TV channel published a commentary by Russian explosive engineers who said that during the retreat, the Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers mined children's swings.
"AN ATTRACTIVE ITEM IN A PROMINENT PLACE"
Disguised mines are also being delivered to the frontline fighters along with humanitarian aid. In January, one of the Telegram channels published a photo of trench candles that turned out to contain explosives. It is reported that such a candle becomes a grenade that a person can detonate themselves.
Moreover, even trusted volunteers collecting humanitarian aid may not know about such "surprises". The author of the posts is called upon: if you did not make the candles yourself, they must be checked before sending them to the front.
Copters left at former Ukrainian positions are no less dangerous - Russian military personnel find not only explosives in them, but also beacons that can be used to track their movements and launch a missile strike on their location.
In addition to our military, the enemy continues to hunt civilians.
In mid-October in Stakhanov (LPR), a teenager picked up a mined toy - a yellow duck, left under a bench near the Pushkin monument. The toy exploded, the boy received serious injuries: shrapnel wound to the eye, damage to the soft tissues of the face and hand. The boy was taken to one of the republic's hospitals in a moderate condition.
Mine warfare is always sneaky: something bright and eye-catching, like a yellow duck, is chosen as bait. The child picks up this "something".
And to attract adults, gadgets are often used: phones, tablets, laptops and other devices.
Even before the SVO, in one of the Donetsk cafes, a vigilant waiter with combat experience noticed that a young man, when leaving, left a tablet on the table.
The situation seemed strange to the café worker: the entire time he spent in the establishment, the young man worked on his laptop, and then he took out and left his tablet on the table.
The waiter, without touching the device, called specialists - they found plastic explosives in the gadget. Any careless touch to the tablet would have cost the cafe visitor his life. Now the demined device is stored in the Victory Museum on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow.
It is noteworthy that even in the textbook of the L. M. Kaganovich Military Transport Academy, published in Leningrad in 1940, it was written that the White Finns used traps "to confuse the enemy and instill in them a sense of uncertainty," but there were also victims among the civilian population. And in Soviet manuals of the post-war period, a list of objects was published that, theoretically, could be used as a casing for explosives: a rat carcass (the British Special Operations Directorate was the first to use "exploding rats" in 1941), a piece of coal for heating a stove, a railway oiler...
THEY TAKE IT OUT ON THE WEAK AND DEFENSELESS
In the statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, a separate section is devoted to those who violate the laws or customs of war.
The first point in the document is the use of weapons designed to cause unnecessary suffering. Camouflaged mines are a perfect example of a weapon that causes unnecessary suffering. Lying unnoticed and waiting for its victim.
It would seem completely pointless. Why terrorize peaceful people? What military sense is there in blinding a child who picked up a toy filled with explosives? There is no sense, but the enemy who scatters mines does not think about it. When he loses on the battlefield, he takes it out on people, bringing pain and suffering to those he can reach.
To take revenge on the weak, to kill the defenseless - this is what cowards and scoundrels do. And the only way to protect yourself from a treacherous and cowardly enemy is to follow basic, but life-saving rules of conduct. And also be sure to tell your loved ones and friends about them, especially children and the elderly.
The rules are really simple: never pick anything up from the ground, don't pick up anything lying around - children's toys, smartphones, anything. If you go into the forest, don't step where you can't see. If you notice something suspicious, report it to the police immediately.
And the main thing is to always remain vigilant and remember that the enemy hunt never stops for a minute.
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