Victory Chronicles-DAY 685

A paratrooper from the 79th Tavria Air Assault Brigade in Ukraine successfully destroyed four Russian armored vehicles, including a tank and an armored personnel carrier, in a battle in the Donetsk Oblast. 

The paratrooper, Junior Sergeant Andriy “Sedoy” G., used a Javelin anti-tank missile system to eliminate the vehicles and repel the enemy assault. This victory brings his personal count of destroyed Russian equipment to 22 units. 

The intense fighting in the area is evident from the enemy’s losses, with the “Maroon Berets” shooting down 29 armored vehicles and eliminating over 200 occupants in the first days of the year. In addition to this success, paratroopers from the 79th Brigade in Mykolaiv also shot down four Russian kamikaze drones and a bomber drone.

Russia’s missile attacks on Ukraine in December and January released over 5,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, causing significant air pollution and $400,000 in damages to the country, according to Environmental Protection Minister Ruslan Strilts. 

The attacks, which involved almost 300 missiles and drones, resulted in the largest air assault on Ukraine since Russia’s invasion. The environmental consequences of the war were discussed at a meeting of the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War, where it was revealed that the total environmental damage caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine is estimated to exceed 55.6 billion euros. Ukraine aims to hold Russia accountable for this damage and is committed to prioritizing the environmental aspect of its efforts. 

Russian troops launched artillery attacks on the town of Marhanets in Dnipropetrovska oblast and the village of Kutsurub in Mykolaivska oblast on the night of January 8-9. In Marhanets, the attack occurred around midnight and resulted in damage to five multi-story residential buildings and two cars. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed. 

Special Forces units of the Omega Special Forces Center of the National Guard of Ukraine destroyed a Russian multiple rocket launcher system “Sontsepek”. The system is used to destroy light armored vehicles, human resources, and enemy fortifications. Solntsepek is fired by unguided 220 mm rockets weighing up to 200 kg.

Western provisions of air defense systems and missiles remain crucial for Ukraine as Russian forces attempt to adapt to current Ukrainian air defense capabilities and as Ukraine develops its defense industrial base (DIB). ISW assessed that Russian and Ukrainian forces are currently engaged in a tactical and technological offensive-defense race wherein both sides are constantly experimenting and adapting their long-range strikes and air defenses. 

The continued and increased Western provision of air defense systems and missiles to Ukraine is crucial as Russian forces continue to experiment with new ways to penetrate Ukrainian air defenses. The inclusion of Western-provided air defense systems into Ukraine’s air defense umbrella has been essential to Ukraine’s ability to defend against Russian missiles, particularly ballistic missiles.

Western air defense systems and air defense missile provisions to Ukraine in the near- and medium-term are also essential to protecting Ukraine’s growing DIB as Russian forces continue to target Ukrainian industrial facilities.[10] US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller called the provision of US aid to Ukraine “critical” on January 4 because Ukraine is not yet able to defend itself but noted that US aid will not need to continue at previous levels because Ukraine is working to expand its DIB to “stand on its own feet.”

On the evening of January 5, a 23-year-old pilot of the 114th Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Vladyslav Zalistovskyi, with the call sign Blue Helmet, was killed in the war. 

Vladyslav Zalistovskyi is a native of Malyn, Zhytomyr Oblast. In 2021, he graduated from the Flight Faculty of the Kharkiv National University of the Air Force, named after Ivan Kozhedub. He was a pilot of a MiG-29 combat aircraft.

The news of Vladyslav Zalistovskyi’s death was also shared on Instagram by his girlfriend, Yevheniia Nesterenko. “I never thought that there would be a post like this on my page. You loved your work, your life, your sky, but it played a cruel joke on you. You will always remain in my heart as the best boy in the world. And not only in mine. So many of your friends tell me that you are the best. Everyone really loves you so much! You were only 23… But for some reason, heaven takes the best. May you fly forever, my angel,” Yevhenia Nesterenko wrote.

The death of the pilot was also confirmed by Vladyslav Zalistovskyi’s fighters-in-arms. “We have lost not just a pilot, but also a reliable comrade-in-arms, a friend, a son, and just a wonderful and bright person, Vladyslav! He was one of those with whom I would perform any task with confidence that he would not leave me in a difficult situation, which was true both in military affairs and in life in general! Vladyslav died defending our skies, although he was only 23. Just think about this figure: 23 years old, and he was a pilot of a MiG-29 combat aircraft and had already flown dozens of combat missions. I bow my head to him and pay my respects as a true combat pilot who died defending Ukraine!” a fellow fighter with the nickname Air Fighter wrote on Instagram.

• Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba: Frozen Russian assets can cover 80% of Ukraine’s reconstruction needs
• BBC: Russia deports, detains Ukrainian civilians without trial
• Reuters: White House gathers industry leaders to discuss defense tech for Ukraine
• Ukrainian forces destroy two more enemy tanks, two airborne IFVs on Dnipro River’s left bank
• Over 24.5% of de-occupied Kherson Oblast cleared of mines