Victory Chronicles-DAY 1010

During the night of November 29, the Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully attacked an oil depot in the Rostov region of Russia for the second time in a year while also destroying a Buk-M3 radar station used by Russian occupiers. 

The attack resulted in a fire at the facility, with at least two fire centers being recorded. The Ukrainian military stated that the oil depot is part of the Russian military-industrial complex and supplies oil products to the Russian army. Furthermore, the radar station belonging to the Buk-M3 anti-aircraft missile system was destroyed in the region of Zaporizhzhia, which is currently under temporary occupation. Units from the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Special Operations Forces, and the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine collaborated with other components of the Defense Forces to carry out the mission.

A total of 502 bodies of fallen Ukrainian defenders have been returned to Ukraine, according to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. Of these, 397 bodies were returned from the Donetsk sector, 24 from the Luhansk sector, 64 from the Zaporizhzhia sector, and an additional 17 bodies were repatriated from Russian morgues. The repatriation was made possible through the joint efforts of various agencies, including the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Red Cross. The Ukrainian military personnel involved in transporting the fallen heroes to state institutions were recognized and thanked for their efforts. The bodies will now undergo the identification process by forensic experts to ensure a prompt and proper honor for the fallen defenders. This repatriation is part of an ongoing effort by Ukraine to bring back the bodies of fallen defenders.

In Odesa, a large-scale fire broke out in a seaside establishment and took rescuers almost three hours to extinguish. The fire covered an area of 2 thousand square meters and was exacerbated by strong winds, causing a severe threat of spreading to neighboring buildings. Thankfully, the prompt response by the State Emergency Service (SES) firefighters prevented the tragedy from escalating. Currently, experts are investigating the cause of the fire. A team of 51 rescuers and ten pieces of equipment worked together to extinguish the blaze.

The fighters in the Wings unit, a division of the Active Operations Department within the Ukrainian military’s Defense Innovation Unit, successfully targeted and attacked the Russian occupiers’ radar complex known as the “zoo.” This complex is estimated to be worth around 1 billion hryvnias. To carry out this mission, the soldiers used four high-range FPV drones with a combined value of 100 thousand hryvnias. 

Ukrainian forces continue to leverage Western-provided weapons to conduct strikes using more complex strike packages against military objects in Russia’s deep rear.

Russian and local Crimean sources claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted a complex drone and missile strike against occupied Sevastopol on November 27, reportedly using Neptune anti-ship missiles, modified S-200 air defense missiles, unspecified ballistic missiles, Western-provided Storm Shadow missiles, and 40 strike drones. 

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed that Russian forces intercepted 25 Ukrainian drones over occupied Crimea and the Black Sea. Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces targeted the Nakhimov Higher Naval School in occupied Sevastopol and the nearby Belbek Airfield, and an image published on November 27 shows a smoke plume reportedly near the naval school.

Russian sources denied reports that the strike damaged the school, however. Ukrainian official military sources have not commented on this strike at the time of this report’s publication. ISW continues to assess that the provision of long-range strike weapons to Ukrainian forces will allow Ukrainian forces to augment their existing long-range strike capabilities and scale up the effects Ukraine can generate through long-range strikes against Russian rear areas.

Chief Sergeant Ruslan “King” Kharyuk died on 27 June 2024 near the village of Sokil, Donetsk region. During the storming of the occupiers’ positions, coming almost close to the enemy, he was killed by mortar fire.

Ruslan was born in the village of Ploska, Chernivtsi region. He graduated from school and joined the army. He served in the National Guard of Ukraine. Then he worked in the Tiger rapid response unit. He was fond of the ancient Greek martial art of pankration.

During the full-scale invasion, Ruslan served in the 355th Training Mechanised Regiment (military unit A3211). He took part in the liberation of settlements in the Kharkiv region: Ruski Tyshky, Borshchova, Cherkaski Tyshky, Kupiansk. He performed complex combat missions. Together with his comrades-in-arms, he defended Bakhmut and Klishchiyivka in Donetsk region. On 12 October 2022, he sustained severe shrapnel wounds. He underwent a long rehabilitation. After that, he decided to return to the front again. He was trained in the UK, where he showed good results. He worked as an instructor and passed on his valuable combat experience. In June, he was assigned to the 47th Separate Mechanised Brigade, where he was promoted to the position of Chief Intelligence Sergeant.

‘From the first days of the war, he volunteered. Ruslan always had a clear position, was a patriot and loved Ukraine very much. He believed it was the duty of every man to defend it. In any situation, he stood up for justice, no matter what. He was very kind, polite, well-mannered and caring. Whatever the situation, he was positive and joking. As a commander, he was always a reliable shoulder for his colleagues, with whom they went through many hot spots and experienced many difficult moments. Ruslan honourably performed his duty to his last breath, was faithful to his oath, the Ukrainian people and Ukraine,’ said Victoria, a close friend of the deceased.

The fighter was buried in his native village. He is survived by his mother and beloved.

Ruslan’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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