KYIV ACHIEVES SUCCESS IN ATTACKS ON CRIMEA AMID SETBACKS AROUND DONETSK

The Russian Armed Forces are working to develop their success in the countryside of Donetsk city following the liberation of the area of Mariinka. As of December 27, the Russian military intensified offensive actions in the areas in a close proximity to Mariinka southwest of Donetsk as well as in the area of Avdeevka, which is located north of the city. Local sources also reported intense artillery strikes in the areas of Nevelskoe and Pervomaiskoe. The most intense fighting is reportedly ongoing in the area of Avdeevka, where pro-Kyiv units are in complicated position because a large parts of their supply lines there is under regular Russian artillery strikes. Reports also appeared about the tactical advance of Russian units around Artemovsk. A Ukrainian check point was attacked south of Andreevka. At the same time, attempts by Kyiv’s forces to advance in the Kupyansk sector were repelled. Russian motorized infantry units repelled three attacks of Ukrainian assault groups in the Sinkovka area. Russian operational-tactical aviation crews carried out six missile and bomb attacks on the temporary deployment points of the 115th mechanized, 25th airborne brigades and territorial defense units in the areas of Sinkovka, Peschanoe and Berestovoe. Pinpoint strikes were also delivered at gathering points of of manpower and military equipment of the 67th territorial defense battalion in the Kotlyarivka area. According to the Russian military, the losses of the Kyiv regime in these particular clashes were up to 25 personnel, a T-64 tank, a 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled gun and three vehicles. Media reports also highlighted intense work of Russian Geran UAVs on targets across Ukraine last night. Nonetheless, details of that strikes are yet to appear online. These developments followed the December 26 strike of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Feodossia in the Russian Republic of Crimea. A strike with SCALP-EG (Storm Shadow) cruise missiles hit the Russian landing ship Novocherkassk at its home base. The ship belongs to the Ropucha class and can carry 10 main battle tanks and 340 troops. Two Ukrainian Su-24 jets involved in the strike were reportedly shot down 125 km northeast of Nikolaev. Images from the port published later on the same day suggested that the Novocherkassk was destroyed. According to reports of local media, at least one civilian was killed and five others were injured in the attack. Blast waves from explosions damaged windows in nearby buildings. The December 26 strike became the most recent but not only in a long series of Ukrainian attempts to target Crimea with missiles and drones. An overwhelming majority of them was successfully repelled by Russian forces. Nonetheless, the incident in Feodossia demonstrates that with a direct assistance of NATO, the Kyiv regime still keeps ability to carry out occasionally successful, but painful strikes on targets in Russia. The threat of these strikes as well as terrorist attacks involving other means will remain as long as the Kyiv regime exists and poses military capabilities allowing them.