Victory Chronicles
-DAY 320

Above: Finnish journalist’s eyewitness account of fake strike on Kramatorsk: “Russia claims it killed hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers in a missile strike on this school in Kramatorsk. I’m there and it’s a bit strange that the building isn’t even damaged.” (Photo: CNN)

• Russian MoD falsely claimed that it conducted a devastating retaliatory strike against Ukrainian forces in Kramatorsk, adding that the imaginary strike killed 600 Ukrainian soldiers, in revenge for the December 31 strike on Makiivka that killed up to 400 mobilized soldiers. This claim is false — a Finnish reporter visited the site of the strike in Kramatorsk on January 8 and noted that it hit an empty school.
• Several Russian milbloggers pointed out that the Russian MoD frequently presents fraudulent claims and fabricated stories instead of holding Russian leadership responsible for the losses accountable.
• Russian milbloggers falsely presented the legal transfer of the Kyiv-Perchesk Lavra from the Orthodox Moscow Patriarch to the Orthodox Ukrainian Patriarch as an attack on the ability of observers of Orthodox tradition to celebrate Christmas on Jan 7. Orthodox services continued throughout Ukraine on January 7.
• Weapons and military equipment removed from long-term storage and in need of maintenance from Russia are arriving for the training of enemy personnel in Belarus.
• Russian forces continue to deplete their missile and drone arsenal but will likely continue to be able to threaten Ukrainian critical infrastructure and civilians at scale in the near term.
• Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov published an infographic showing Russian forces have expended roughly 81 percent of strategic missile stocks and 19 percent of tactical missile stocks and 88 percent of Shahed drone stocks, with only 90 Iranian-made drones remaining.
• Head of the Estonian Defense Forces intelligence center Colonel Margo Grosberg stated that Russian authorities are preparing for an imminent second wave of mobilization while continuing covert mobilization.. Grosberg noted that a printer in Krasnodar Krai has already received an order for 5,000 mobilization call-up slips.
• Russian officials plan to mobilize up to 500,000 Russians, including residents of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, which have faced lighter mobilization pushes in the past.
• Belgorod Oblast is implementing a police force recruitment campaign following the failure of the initial plan to generate volunteers.
• Russian authorities want to conduct “revenue mobilization” and collect a one-time payment from large businesses in order to address problems in the state budget

General Staff’s Daily Video Digest with English subtitles

Above: A destroyed Russian tank on Jan 3 in Oleksandrivka, Kherson. (Newsweek)

Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces estimated enemy losses since February 24, 2022.

• Liquidated personnel, 111,760 (+590)
• Tanks, 3,080 (+23)
• Armored personnel vehicles, 6,147 (+17)
• Artillery systems/MLRS, 2,069/434 (+4/3)
• Anti-aircraft warfare systems, 217 (0)
• Aircraft/helicopters, 285/275 (+0/3)
• UAV operational-tactical level, 1,856 (+7)
• Cruise missiles, 723 (0)
• Warships/boats, 16 (0)
• Vehicles and fuel tanks, 4,809 (+8)
• Special equipment, 183 (0)

Above:  russian revenge shelling on private houses in Kherson. (VOA News)

Glory to Ukraine! The three hundred and twentieth day of the Russian large-scale invasion has begun.

• The Russian occupiers during the past day launched 7 missiles and 31 air strikes and launched 73 attacks from rocket salvo systems.
• There is a threat of the enemy launching air and missile strikes on critical infrastructure facilities throughout Ukraine.
• Last day units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of the settlements of Stelmakhivka and Chervonpopivka in the Luhansk region and Soledar, Krasna Gora, Pidhorodne, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Vodyane, Pervomaiske, Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, Pobieda and Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk
• On the Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions, areas of Galaganivka and Gremyach settlements of Chernihiv region were subjected to mortar and artillery shelling; Korenyok, Kucherivka, Studenok, Bunyakyne, Atynske, Kindrativka, and Myropyllya in Sumy Oblast, as well as Staritsa, Chuhunivka, Milove, Kolodyazne, and Novomlynsk in Kharkiv
• In the Kupyansk direction, the Dvorichna, Pershotravnevo, Ivanivka, and Krokhmalny districts in the Kharkiv region and Stelmakhivka and Myasozharivka in the Luhansk region were shelled by tanks and barrel artillery.
• On the Lymanskyi direction, Makiyivka, Ploshanka, Nevske, Kuzmyne, Chervonpopivka and Dibrova in the Luhansk region were affected by fire.
• On the Bakhmut direction, Spirne, Berestov, Bilogorivka, Vesele, Rozdolivka, Krasna Gora, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Bila Gora, Diliivka, Druzhba, Zalizne and New York of the Donetsk region were affected by enemy fire.
• In the Avdiivsk direction, Avdiivka, Nevelske, Georgiivka, Maryinka and Novomykhailivka in Donetsk region came under fire from the occupiers.
• In the Zaporizhia direction, enemy shelling was recorded near Dorozhnyanka, Charivny, Biloghirya, Maly Shcherbaki, Stepovoy and Kamiansky in the Zaporizhia region and Oleksiivka in the Dnipropetrovsk
• In the Kherson direction, the enemy does not stop shelling settlements along the right bank of the Dnipro River. Kherson again came under fire from Russian rocket salvo systems.

Support the Armed Forces! Together we will win! Glory to Ukraine!

Above:  Enemy shelling of Soledar portends russian world is approaching. (New Voice of Ukraine)

• Russian and Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations near Svatove on January 7. Ukrainian troops repelled an attack near Stelmakhivka (15km northwest of Svatove).
• Russian and Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations near Kreminna on January 7. Russian troops attempted to attack near Makiivka (22km northwest of Kreminna), Dibrova (5km southwest of Kreminna), and Bilohorivka (10km south of Kreminna).
• Luhansk Oblast Administration Head Serhiy Haidai stated on January 7 that Russian occupation authorities transported 300 Ukrainian children to Moscow Oblast hospitals after Russian field doctors in Luhansk Oblast conducted medical exams to identify children with “serious injuries” and that teachers in occupied Luhansk Oblast accept bribes from Russian occupation officials to provide authorities with lists of children for medical examinations.

Above: A footbridge in Bakhmut. Indomitable Ukrainians find the way to keep moving.  (The Kyiv Independent)

• Enemy forces have redirected resources from Bakhmut direction to the north for an assault on Soledar, Donetsk, spearheaded by heavy destructive shelling on civilian infrastructure.  The situation is intense, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces report they are holding.
• Over the weekend, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Eastern Battle Group said of the situation in Soledar, “There are fierce bloody battles, 106 shelling in this direction was carried out by the enemy in a day, 22 military clashes took place. Measures are being taken to prevent the enemy from advancing, systemic strikes are being delivered from our side… I think that by joint efforts it will be possible to stabilize the situation there.”
• Russian forces continued ground attacks south of Bakhmut on January 7. Geolocated footage confirms that Wagner Group advanced into Klishchiivka (6km southwest of Bakhmut).  Ukrainian troops repelled Russian attacks south of Bakhmut near Ozerianivka and Klishchiivka.
• Mobilized servicemen of Belgorod Oblast posted a video asking to go home because Russian leadership sent them to the Donetsk People’s Republic as cannon fodder.

Above: Ukrainian defenders defending Zaporizhzhia territory. (The Wall Street Journal)

• Russian forces have expanded defensive fortifications in Zaporizhia Oblast along the Vasylivka-Orikhkiv line and are maintaining a large force grouping in this sector suggesting  that Russian commanders are concerned by the possibility of a major Ukrainian counteroffensive push in southern Ukraine.
• There is a tendency for the deterioration of the morale and psychological state of the enemy’s personnel. Thus, among the soldiers of the 127th separate intelligence brigade stationed in temporarily occupied Sevastopol, the idea of ending the war under any conditions is spreading.
• Russian forces continued routine indirect fire west of Hulyaipole and along the west (right) bank of the Dnipro River in Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson oblasts on January 7 despite the declared Russian ceasefire.Russian forces struck Kherson City and Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
• Russian forces continue efforts to establish control over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, forcing about 3,000 employees to obtain Russian passports to force them to sign employment contracts with Russian state nuclear power company Rosatom.

We especially love the hand-painted helmet. Glory to heroes!

The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine showed the enchanting work of the Ukrainian "Mi-24" and "Mi-8"#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/UfdysR55JN

— UATV English (@UATV_en) January 9, 2023