Bob Homans January 20

20230120

Ukraine – 1/20 Sitrep
Compiled by: Robert Homans
January 20, 2023

News From the Battlefield

The latest “Reporting From Ukraine” is valuable because, for the first time (at least for me), it shows that the fighting in Kreminna/Svatove and Bakhmut/Soledar is really one battle, rather than 2 isolated encounters where one can wrongly conclude that these are inconsequential gains on either side.  For Ukraine the fulcrum of this battle is Siversk, the supply hub serving Ukrainian forces engaged in both encounters.   For Russia the fulcrum is Kreminna, that plays the same role for Russian forces.

The map, shown at 8 seconds into “Reporting From Ukraine’s” video shows the importance of Siversk, and how close Siversk lies to both Kreminna and Soledar.   This map also illustrates how close Soledar is to Kreminna, and how close Kreminna is to Sievierodonetsk/Lysychansk, cities that Ukraine lost last July.   Lose Siversk, and Ukraine’s ability to sustain their effort to occupy Kreminna might be seriously compromised.   Lose Kreminna, and Russia’s ability to support their forces in Soledar/Bakhmut would not only be compromised but Kreminna’s loss would open the possibility for Ukraine to advance in several directions, including liberating much of Luhansk Oblast that Russia occupied earlier in the war.

Tim Ash on the Status of the War – I agree with Tim Ash’s latest assessment, that the war is going to end sooner than most people think, perhaps sometime in the Spring.   Along with General Ben Hodges, my collaborator and I may have been even more optimistic.   Some thoughts about Ash’s assessment:

·       Training – The training of Ukrainian troops that Ash describes trumps the larger volume of troops from Russia’s conscription.    This has been evident for the past several years, going back to training that Ukrainian troops received at Yavoriv, from the U.S., UK and Canada, resulting in the performance of Ukrainian troops last year, routing the Russians in front of Kyiv.

·       Importance of Intelligence – Ash talks about how lack of Russian actionable intelligence, especially lack of satellite coverage, has substantially hampered Russia’s ability to attack arms deliveries from the West.   The U.S. and NATO has maintained coverage over the entire territory of Ukraine since at least the Spring of 2014, at the end of the Revolution of Dignity.  The difference is that today the U.S. and NATO are providing Ukraine with everything they know, in nearly real time.   In 2014 the U.S. and NATO were supplying Ukraine with little or no actionable intelligence, because Ukraine’s intelligence services had agents of Russia’s FSB in almost every department, potentially compromising U.S. and NATO sources & methods.

·       Crimea & Donbas – Ash believes that privately, Ukrainian officials would say that they don’t want Donbas and Crimea back.   Ash says the reason is that the populations of Donbas and Crimea are “warped in their pro-Russian views.”   I believe there are additional reasons, for Ukraine not wanting the return of occupied Donbas and Crimea, including:

o   In the years since Ukraine lost control of approximately half of Donbas, their “best and brightest” fled occupied Donbas for Ukraine.  They now have new lives in Ukraine, and productively contributing to Ukraine’s economy.   Universities that were established in occupied Donbas have moved to Ukraine.  They’re not going back.

o   At the start of the war the population of occupied Donbas was made up of pensioners, fighters, and people who, for various reasons, were unable to move.   That may not change.

o   Donbas’ “smokestack industries” won’t be rebuilt, especially not by international financial institutions whose lending standards now include environmental conditions, not to mention the requirement that any rebuilt facility must be able to produce products that comply with EU standards.

o   Prior to the war, approximately 72% of the budget of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea was supplied by Ukraine.   Would Ukraine want to resume this support?   Would international donors let them?

·       Western Military Support – The position of the West, to do what is necessary to ensure Ukraine’s victory, seems to be hardening.   An example is yesterdays “Tallinn Pledge” by 9 European countries.  The Pledge includes specific pledges from the 9 countries.   What is notable is the following:  The Pledge includes main battle tanks, perhaps implying that countries included in the pledge will provide German Leopard II tanks to Ukraine, without obtaining German permission; the Pledge contains the following statement – “Together we will continue supporting Ukraine to move from resisting to expelling Russian forces from Ukrainian soil.”   Since all of the countries acknowledge that Crimea and Donbas is Ukrainian territory, the pledge seems to include Crimea and Donbas.

·       France & Germany – Ash is harsh in his comments about the support for Ukraine, or lack thereof, by both countries.   There are some underlying reasons:

o   The war has resulted in the shredding of “Ostpolitik,” a foundation of German foreign policy since 1969, when Willy Brandt was Chancellor.

o   The locus of EU power, both moral power and economic power, is moving East, from France and Germany to Poland, the Baltics, and other countries in Eastern Europe (ex Hungary) and, when it joins the EU, Ukraine.   Furthermore, when it joins the EU Ukraine becomes the low-cost producer of several agricultural commodities, seriously undermining the Common Agricultural Policy where France and Germany are primary beneficiaries.   Slow walking military aid to Ukraine by German and France doesn’t stop this development, it may only delay it.

·       The U.S. Congress – Ash correctly states, “A large majority in Congress are still anti Putin, and pro Ukrainian. And in any event, Congress already signed off in the $38bn financing package for Ukraine in 2023 which will be front loaded” (bold face added).   I believe there is also an increasing realization in Congress that the money is well-spent, given that it seriously degrades Russia’s ability to threaten NATO, at the cost of thousands of Ukrainian lives which Ukrainians should never allow the U.S. to forget.   Marjorie Taylor Greene on the Right, and Pramila Jayapal, on the Left, along with their cheerleaders in the media like Tucker Carlson, all of whom opposed U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, can yammer and bleat all they want, but it won’t change the underlying calculus.  

It is well worth reading Ash’s account as well as the full text of the Tallinn Pledge.

1/20 Sitrep

Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon January 19 to 12:00 noon January 20, 2022

Abbreviations:

RMA = Regional Military AdministrationSBU = Security Service of Ukraine

RASHISTS = russian Facists/all russian invaders

INTERNATIONAL

January 20

11:57: Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the participants of Ramstein:

·       "Thank you for everything you've done, but we have very little time – we need to do things faster, we need more weapons."

11:46: Meeting at Ramstein Air Force Base

·       Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin said there was a turning point in the war, noting that support for Ukraine would continue as long as necessary.

11:06: Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra announced yesterday that the government would consider supplying F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine if Kyiv asked for it.

·       "We are open, there are no prohibitions," the minister said.

10:39: Finland has announced the provision of the largest 12th package of military assistance to Ukraine worth 400 million euros, the press service of the country's Ministry of Defense said.

·       Defense Minister Mikko Savola said Finland "provides heavy weapons and ammunition", but the contents remain unknown.

09:18: The U.S. Department of Justice plans to begin the process of transferring some of the confiscated Russian assets to Ukraine in the coming weeks and months. The funds want to be transferred through the State Department in accordance with a recently passed law.

·       This was stated by the director of the US Department of the Treasury's task force on the detection and confiscation of illegally acquired assets Andrew Adams.

08:49 Kazakh Telegraph Agency: The first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, has been hospitalized in one of Astana's hospitals due to heart problems.

08:02: The United States has asked six Latin American countries to transfer military equipment purchased from Russia to Ukraine and offered to replace this arsenal with American weapons, says the head of the US Southern Command, General Laura Richardson.

08:01: Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO must be ratified as soon as possible," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a conversation with Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström.

08:00 Sky News: Former Prime Minister and incumbent Member of the House of Commons Boris Johnson has received a one-time donation of £1 million, a record for Britain's parliament.

00:58: The United States announces a new large-scale military assistance package to Ukraine worth $2.5 billion.

·       Includes:

o   59 Bradley combat vehicles.

o   90 Stryker armored combat vehicles .

o   53 MRAP armored personnel carriers.

o   8 Avenger air defense systems.

o   350 HMMWV.

o   HARM rockets.

00:46 Washington Post: CIA Director William Burns secretly visited Kyiv last week to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

·       They talked about Russia's military plans for the coming weeks and months, as well as the dynamics of US military support in 2023.

00:33 Reuters: President Maya Sandu has asked allies to strengthen Moldova's air defenses.

·       "We have requested air surveillance and protection systems. We understand that Ukraine is a priority, but we also hope to get a part," Sandu told reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

00:22 CNN: Microsoft warned of possible increased cyberattacks on Ukraine this spring

·       "Usually, when spring comes, the military commits crimes. We have to be prepared for offensive cyber warfare, offensive cyber influence, and that's part of what we're preparing for," Microsoft President Brad Smith was quoted as saying.

00:12 Reuters: Serbia demanded to initiate a case against the head of local intelligence over the recruitment of Serbs in Wagner's PMC

·       This was announced by Belgrade lawyer and head of the human rights group "Zhovten" Chedomir Stojkovic.

·       The Russian Embassy in Belgrade, as well as Serbian intelligence BIA, did not comment on this.

January 19

23:56: In the next few days, the decision to supply tanks to Ukraine will be made public. This was stated by the Minister of Defense of Germany.

·       He also added that German tanks can go to Ukraine without American ones.

23:40: Canadian Defence Minister Anand today visited the Russian-mutilated city of Irpin in the Kyiv region

·       On her Twitter handle, Anita Anand stressed that Russia should be responsible for its war crimes.

22:41: The United States does not yet see the point in providing Ukraine with Abrams tanks due to difficulties with their maintenance.

·       This was stated by Pentagon Deputy Spokesperson Sabrina Singh at a briefing.

21:49: Facebook and Instagram promise not to block content about Azov anymore, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.

·       "We agreed on this with the company's president for global policy, Nick Clegg, and the vice president for moderation policy, Monica Bickert, during a meeting in Davos," Fedorov wrote.

21:34 Bloomberg - Dutch Defense Minister: The Netherlands is ready to pay for Leopard tanks for Ukraine.

·       Ollongren noted that the country had previously paid for sending Soviet T-72 tanks from the Czech Republic to Kyiv, and this approach could be replicated for German-made Leopard tanks.

21:23: Iran does not recognize "entry" into the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine – Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions.

·       This was reported by the TRT World agency with reference to the statement of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian.

21:07 The Times of Israel: Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has approved an invitation from Ukraine's Foreign Minister to visit Kyiv.

·       Cohen also said that the Israeli Embassy in Kiev will finally resume work within 60 days.

20:54 RMF FM: Hungary has blocked the seventh tranche of EU assistance to Ukraine,

·       We are talking about half a billion euros from the European Peace Fund, from which military assistance to Ukraine has been financed since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.

20:36: Poland will hand over a new aid package to Ukraine, which will include howitzers and anti-aircraft guns, according to a joint declaration by 10 NATO countries.

·       The new assistance package includes S-60 anti-aircraft guns and 70 thousand ammunition.

19:59 The Guardian: Several countries will announce the shipment of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine tomorrow during a meeting at Ramstein Air Base.

18:47 Lithuanian Defense Minister: Lithuania will transfer dozens of L-70 anti-aircraft guns ("dronebics"), ammunition and two Mi-8 helicopters to Ukraine.

6:34 Reuters: Nine countries have pledged to jointly seek to provide Ukraine with an "unprecedented set of assistance."

·       Among them are the United Kingdom, Estonia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Slovakia.

18:22: The German parliament postponed the vote on the transfer of "leopards" to Ukraine, according to the website of the Bundestag.

·       "After a heated debate, the Bundestag handed over the proposal of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group to supply German Leopard-1 or Leopard-2 tanks to Ukraine to the Foreign Affairs Committee for further discussion," the statement said.

17:49 Nova: The Serbian government has decided to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine to support the country's energy system.

·       The amount of assistance approved by the Serbian government and what is included in the support package is not reported.

18:10: Video of the installation of an air defense system on the roof of one of Moscow's business centers appeared on the network.

17:25: Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko met in Davos with Swedish Minister of International Cooperation and Trade Johan Forssell.

·       "The Minister said that Sweden plans to soon transfer to Ukraine the Archer self-propelled guns and NLAW anti-tank complexes," Klitschko wrote.

16:38 Danish Defense Minister: Denmark will send 19 French-made "CAESAR" howitzers to Ukraine.

16:19 Reuters: Defense minister says: Britain plans to send 600 Brimstone missiles to Ukraine to support the country in its fight against Russia, Ben Wallace.

15:28: By the end of this year, all EU countries will lose Russia's energy resources, except, perhaps, Hungary, which will be an exception "for political reasons."

·       This was stated by the Head of EU Diplomacy Josep Borrell during a speech at the International University in Spain.

14:47: US Congress, the U.S. has called on the Joe Biden administration to urgently hand over to Ukraine the weapons systems needed to defeat Russia.

·       "It's time for the Biden and Scholz governments to follow the example of our British and Eastern European allies - Leopard 2, ATACMS tanks and other long-range precision munitions must be approved without delay," the statement said.

14:28 NOS: The Dutch Parliament supported the transfer of the Patriot air defense system to Ukraine.

14:01 BBC - German Finance Minister: Germany has completely diversified its energy infrastructure and is no longer dependent on Russian energy carriers.

·       According to him, Germany has found new sources of energy imports – for example, gas is imported from Norway and the United States.

13:43 Zelenskyy: The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the establishment of a special tribunal on the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

13:35 Reuters: Pentagon Chairman Lloyd Austin will hold a bilateral meeting with Germany's new defense minister.

·       During the talks, Austin will insist that newly appointed German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius allow the transfer of German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine, as some NATO countries are ready to arrange their rapid delivery.

13:23: Estonia launches the mRiik application based on the Ukrainian "Diia", said the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov.

14:39: President of the European Council Charles Michel visits a military hospital in Kyiv.

·       "I am impressed by the courage of veterans in the rehabilitation center. Ukraine is indestructible," the Head of the European Council said.

·       He also laid flowers to the Wall of Remembrance of fallen defenders in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

13:05 British Foreign Minister: The United Kingdom will additionally hand over 100 thousand artillery shells to Ukraine.

·       "We must keep our promise of supporting Ukraine until its victory. That is why the United Kingdom decided to move faster and do more in support of Ukraine, including handing over to our friends the Challenger 2 main battle tank, heavy artillery and more than 200 armored vehicles," Kleverly said.

12:27: Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Christerrson announces his intention to transfer Archer self-propelled artillery mounts, 50 Stridsfordon 90 IFVs, and NLAW anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.

·       According to SVT, he said this at a press conference with Defense Minister Paul Jonsson, Energy Minister Ebboy Bush and Minister of Labor Market and Integration Johan Person.

12:21 Polsat - Prime Minister of Poland: Poland can hand over Leopard to Ukrainian soldiers without waiting for Germany's decision.

·       Morawiecki added that Poland and Germany had agreed to transfer the tanks together, but this issue is "secondary".

12:16: Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the participants of the Russian War Crimes exhibition in Davos.

·       "Russia must be responsible for every burned Ukrainian city and village. For every life destroyed. For every Ukrainian family destroyed by Russian missiles, bombs and mines.

12:05 ERR: Estonia will provide Ukraine with a record €113 million military assistance package.

·       The military assistance package will consist of 155-mm and 122-mm howitzers, thousands of shells and trucks to them, more than a hundred Carl-Gustav anti-tank guns and more than a thousand pieces of ammunition for them.

NATIONAL

January 20

11:29 Ukrenergo: Electricity consumption is projected to be slightly higher than on Thursday. At the same time, electricity production increased due to the repair of one of the CHP units. The power deficit has decreased, but is still significant.

·       Consumption limits for the whole day have been brought to all regional power distribution companies. Exceeding the limits leads to the risks of creating emergency situations in the power system. Therefore, emergency shutdowns are used to prevent them.

09:45: Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the United States and Joe Biden personally for another $2.5 billion military assistance package

08:19 DT EC: In the Dnipropetrovsk, Kiev and Odessa regions there will be schedules of hourly power outages.

·       At the moment, emergency blackouts are not introduced.

07:11 Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:

·       "The enemy launched 9 missile and 23 air strikes during the past day and carried out more than 80 attacks from the MLRS. Throughout Ukraine there is an increased threat of air and missile strikes on civilian objects.

·       The enemy focuses its main efforts on conducting an offensive in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions. At Kupyansk, Limansky, Novopavlovsk and Kherson, it defends itself.

·       Last day, units of the Defense Forces repulsed Russian attacks in the areas of the settlements of Novoselovskoye and Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region; Verkhnekamenskoye, Krasnopolivka, Soledar, Krasnaya Gora, Paraskoviyivka, Bakhmut, Ivanovske, Diliivka, Vodiane, Marinka, Pobeda, Novoselka of Donetsk region and Mala Tokmachka and Stepove in Zaporizhia,

·       In the temporarily occupied territories of the autonomous republic of Crimea, Russia is preparing for covert mobilization, - the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

·       In particular, in the city of Sevastopol, calls to the military commissariats began to come to IT specialists, financial workers and other specialists who had reservations from mobilization.

·        Russia continues to use a network of civilian health care facilities in the temporarily occupied territory to treat its wounded soldiers, - General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

·       Thus, in Novopskov, Starobilsk district, Luhansk region, Russians deployed a "field hospital" in the premises of a local maternity hospital, where more than 300 servicemen and mercenaries of the private military company "Wagner" are treated.

·       During the past day, the aviation of the Defense Forces inflicted 21 strikes on the areas of concentration of Russian troops and 7 - on the positions of their anti-aircraft missile systems. Also, our soldiers destroyed three UAVs of the "Lancet-3" type, - the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

·       Units of the missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit 6 control points, 8 areas of concentration of Russian troops and an ammunition depot.

January 19

23:05 Ukrenergo: Tomorrow in Odesa region there will be emergency outages only at night, in Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv and Kyiv - there will be no at all.

·       New restrictions on electricity consumption as of January 20:

o   Kyiv (during the day 952 MW/night 719 MW),

o   Kyiv region (during the day 703 MW/night 625 MW),

o   Odesa region (during the day 660 MW/night 385 MW),

o    Dnipropetrovsk region (during the day 1193 MW/night 1187 MW).

22:51: Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Today, several powerful decisions of partners have been made to strengthen our defense. First of all, to strengthen our artillery.

·       I thank Estonia for the next and largest package of armed assistance from this country. For howitzers and ammunition.

·       Thank you Sweden for the new military package. By NLAW, Archer and BMP.

·       I thank Denmark for making the decision on CAESAR for our soldiers – this will seriously strengthen our army.

·       Thanks to Lithuania for the new military package. For anti-aircraft guns, ammunition and helicopters.

21:58 SBU press service: Since the beginning of a full-scale war, the SBU has announced suspicion of collaborationism of almost 1 thousand people. persons.

·       Among them are former deputies and officials who supported the Russian occupiers and voluntarily offered them their assistance in the war against Ukraine.

20:48: Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

19:19 Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00 on January 19:

·       "During the day, the enemy inflicted 4 missile strikes, 2 of them on the civilian infrastructure of Matveyevka, Zaporozhye region, and 15 air strikes.

·       In addition, he carried out more than 30 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems.

·       There is a danger of air and missile strikes of the occupiers throughout Ukraine."

·       "The enemy continues to suffer significant losses in manpower.

·       In particular, in Novosvitlivka in the Luhansk region, there are more than 200 wounded from among the recently forcibly mobilized residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Luhansk region."

·       "Our rocket launchers and artillerymen hit 6 control points, 7 areas of concentration of the enemy and the ammunition depot of the invaders.

·       During the day, the aviation of the Defense Forces of Ukraine inflicted 21 strikes on the areas of concentration of the enemy and 6 - on the positions of its anti-aircraft missile systems.

19:09: Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with UAE President Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

17:38: A new name has appeared on the Alley of Courage – President of the European Council Charles Michel.

15:37: Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the European Council Charles Michel in Kyiv.

·       Our goal is Ukraine's full membership in the European Union. And I am confident that we will achieve this goal, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a joint press conference with President of the European Council Charles Michel.

15:08 Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: In the Black Sea, 11 Russian ships are on alert, of which 6 are carriers of cruise missiles "Caliber", the total volley of which is 40 missiles.

·       The Russians also deployed 2 ships in the Sea of Azov, and 10 in the Mediterranean, of which 5 are carriers of Kalibr cruise missiles, the total volley of which is 72 missiles.

12:55: Former head of Naftogaz of Ukraine Andriy Kobolyev is suspected of embezzlement of more than UAH 229 million — NABU.

·       The investigation found that Andriy Kobolyev in May 2018, contrary to the requirements of the law, issued an order on bonuses for the company's employees, on the basis of which he was paid almost UAH 261 million for extraordinary achievements. This amount significantly exceeded the normatively defined amounts of such payments.

12:37 Zelenskyy: Russia is preparing to use another drone package.

·       "Ukraine needs to protect our weaknesses. Protect, together with partners, those places where the enemy hits. Air defense is a weak point. Maybe not weak compared to other states, but it is on us that Iranian drones are hitting — not dozens, we already see hundreds. Now Russia is preparing to use another package of drones," Zelenskyy said.

MORDOR (Russia)

January 20

11:17: Up to 50 thousand Wagner PMC militants are involved in Ukraine -

·       British intelligence British intelligence notes that PMC Wagner has become a key component of the Russian military campaign.

·       Prigozhin's mercenary structure is increasingly entering the public space, and in December the Wagner group officially registered as a legal entity. The intelligence believes that the official registration of the PMC is aimed at maximizing the commercial benefits of the prigozhin and further legitimizing its organization.

10:06 Institute for the Study of War: The offensive from Belarus will begin no earlier than autumn 2023

·       Analysts stressed that now the attack on Ukraine from the north will not be carried out, but this threat may increase significantly in the fall. And all because of the lack of equipment and personnel.

January 19

17:12 Institute for the Study of War: Wagner owner Prigozhin is becoming increasingly bold in criticizing the Russian Defense Ministry.

·       In particular, he criticized the ban on Russians from having smartphones on the battlefield and wearing beards. Prigozhin said smartphones and tablets are essential for modern warfare, and beards are commonplace for many Muslim and Orthodox fighters.

16:48 Bloomberg: Russian oil is mixed with other varieties in Singapore to circumvent sanctions.

·       This is indicated by the rapid growth in demand for oil storage tanks in Singapore.

·       Despite the growing demand, transshipment and trade in Russian fuel "remains a sensitive issue in the region", since some buyers do not want to be seen when buying goods, the publication writes.

12:45 Belaruski Gayun: In the MiG-31K over Molodechno, Belarus, the engine ignited, because of this, there was a sound of an explosion.

·       As a result of the ignition of one of the two MiG-31K engines of the Russian Aerospace Forces (RF-95194), which was accompanied by the sound of an explosion, in fact, it was the sound of an engine pump. After the fire, the plane was forced to urgently complete the flight and return to the Machulishchi airfield.

12:07: A powerful explosion sounded in Belarus, according to media reports.

·       The sound of the explosion was heard within a radius of more than 20 km.

KHARKIV

January 20

09:41: Explosions are heard in Kupyansk, Kharkiv region.

09:08 Kharkiv RMA: From mortars, artillery and MLRS, Russians shelled Timofeevka, Veterinary, Strelecha, Staritsa, Vovchansk, Vilcha, Dvorichnaya, Kupyansk and others.

·       There were no casualties.

January 19

14:11: The SBU detained former Ukrzaliznytsia officials in Kharkiv region who helped transfer Russian military echelons to Ukraine.

·       After the capture of part of the region, they voluntarily joined the ranks of the local occupation administration.

·       The perpetrators facilitated the transfer of rolling stock of military equipment, weapons and ammunition from the territory of the Russian Federation to the temporarily occupied areas of the Kharkiv region.

DONETSK

January 20

10:52 Donetsk RMA: Pavlo Kyrylenko: In the Volnovakha direction, Vuhledar, Bogoyavlenka and Vesele are under fire, without casualties.

·       During the day, shelling of the Kurakhivska community took place: a house was damaged in Kurakhove, and there were also arrivals in Hirnyk and nearby villages. Avdiivka survived two massive shelling — no one was injured.

·       1 person died in Bakhmut, 1 person was wounded in Ivanovo.

·       At night, Chasiv Yar was damaged: 4 houses and kindergartens were damaged. The situation in the Soledar community is tense: Rozdolivka, Fedorivka, Vasyukivka, Paraskoviivka and the outskirts of Soledar under fire.

·       In the Lysychansk direction, 2 people died in Drobyshevo. Also in the community, 4 houses were damaged in Zakitne, Lyman, Torske and Zarechne were shelled.

10:09: The mayor of Kramatorsk, Oleksandr Honcharenko, confirmed the blow to the city.

·       The Russians shelled public infrastructure.

08:27 Donetsk RMA: On January 19, Russians killed 4 civilians in Donetsk region: 2 in Drobyshevo, 1 in Bakhmut and 1 in Maksimilyanivka.

·       Another 3 people in the area were injured.

January 19

13:52 State Border Guard Service: Border guards have discovered and destroyed a Russian infantry group on the western outskirts of Soledar.

12:48: Explosions are heard in the Donetsk region.

ZAPORIZHIA

January 20

09:32 Zaporizhia RMA: Over the past day, Zaporizhia region has been shelled 224 times, and 34 civilian objects have been damaged.

·       According to him, this is a "record" for the number of shellings for all time.

DNIPRO

January 20

11:16 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region.

09:55: In Dnipro, the SBU detained a whole network of agents of the Russian GRU - 7 correctors of missile strikes on the city at once.

·       The involvement of detainees in a missile strike on a residential building on January 14 is currently being checked.

·       The head of the SBU, Vasyl Malyuk, said that the detainees collected information about the air defense system and transmitted the coordinates of energy facilities to the Russians. And after the shelling, they visited the arrival sites to re-correct the attacks.

·       Detainees face life sentences.

January 18

16:09 Dnipro RMA: 46 dead due to a missile strike on a high-rise building in Dnipro.

·       In the city's hospitals, 24 people remain under the supervision of doctors. Three are in serious condition, including a 9-year-old girl.

13:14: In Dnipro, 11 people remain missing after a missile strike on a house, the National Police said.

KHERSON

January 20

10:19 Kherson RMA : According to the Kherson OVA, the Russians shelled the Kherson region 90 times a day.

·       Kherson itself was shelled by the Russian army 19 times. 1 person was killed, 3 residents of the Kherson region were injured of varying severity.

January 19

22:16 Kherson RMA: Over the past two days, three residents of the Kherson region have been blown up by mines.

·       "Today, near the village of Krasny Yar, two brothers were injured, who were collecting sleeves in the field. They exploded on a mine left by the Russian invaders. One person died in a medical institution, doctors are fighting for the life of another," Yanushevich wrote.

18:37 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson, as well as in the temporarily occupied Skadovsk.

16:28 Prosecutor General's Office: Due to the shelling of the Kakhovka HPP by the Russian military, the water level has critically decreased, which is why fish began to die en masse.

·       According to law enforcement officers, the shutter mechanism was damaged due to the shelling of the dam of the Kakhovka HPP, so the water level in the reservoir has decreased and continues to decline steadily. The death of fish can lead to disruption of spawning in 2023.

15:58 Kherson RMA: The center of Kherson is again under attack by the Russian occupiers - the Russians shelled a residential area from the MLRS.

·       Due to the attack of the Russians, a fire occurred, and unexploded ammunition remained. There were no casualties.

14:42: Explosions are heard in the temporarily occupied Nova Kakhovka, Kherson region.

14:21: Activists of the "Yellow Ribbon" movement distributed pro-Ukrainian leaflets and painted graffiti in the area of Mira Avenue, near the occupation administrations of the temporarily occupied Henichesk.

15:00 Kherson RMA: In Kherson, the light partially disappeared due to Russian shelling.

·       Due to the strikes of the Russian army, more than 15 thousand subscribers were disconnected from the power supply. Currently, work is underway to survey the networks and switch consumers.

KYIV

January 19

11:32: Video from police cameras appeared near the crash site of a helicopter in Brovary

06:57: There were 10 people aboard the helicopter that crashed in Brovary, not 9, as previously reported.

·       This was announced during a briefing by the spokeswoman of the National Police Mariana Reva.

SUMY

January 19

23:19 Sumy RMA: On January 19, the Russian military fired mortars at the Krasnopilska community.

·       8 mines exploded in the region.

·       They also dropped explosives from a drone on the border.

·       In both cases, there were no casualties or destruction.

Comparing Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to Russian invasion of Ukraine using Wikipedia and Ukraine Ministry of Defense Daily Bulletins. Soviet and Russian military losses not including captured equipment.

SOURCES

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/

https://euromaidanpress.com/

https://cutt.ly/Blyskavka

www.ubn.news