Victory Chronicles-DAY 852

A rocket attack by Russian forces on the town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast killed at least four civilians and injured 34. The attack, which resulted in the firing of two Iskander-M missiles, caused extensive damage to the area, including the destruction of one house and damage to 16 others. 

Among the wounded are two children aged 12 and 13, who are in moderate and serious condition, respectively. Authorities, including police, rescuers and local officials, are currently at the scene to provide assistance. 

Vadym Filashkin, the head of the Donetsk Oblast Military-Civilian Administration, called the shelling one of the largest Russian attacks on civilians in recent times and said that more information is being gathered on the full extent of the impact of the shelling.

SOURCE

According to The Wall Street Journal, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has used maritime drones to plant over 15 underwater mines off the coast of Russia-occupied Crimea, resulting in damage to four Russian ships. The drones, called Sea Baby maritime drones, were initially used for attacks, prompting the Russians to build larger barriers at the port’s entrance at Sevastopol to prevent further strikes. As a result, the SBU developed an alternative plan, which involved laying sea mines. These mines are made of plastic and are difficult to detect as they sink into the silt in shallow water. The SBU team tracked the routes of naval vessels and civilian transport for a month and a half before using a drone to plant the two mines. On September 14th, a Russian guided-missile corvette exploded on one of the mines, causing damage to its stern. The ship is still being repaired in dry dock.

SOURCE

In a morning attack on Odesa, Russians targeted and damaged civilian infrastructure, resulting in casualties. The head of the Odesa Oblast military administration, Oleh Kiper, confirmed the attack and mentioned that medical care is being provided to the wounded, although the exact number is currently being determined. The fire caused by the attack is being extinguished, and local media reported a large column of black smoke at the site. Patrol police crews are present to manage traffic and allow the passage of emergency vehicles. Earlier, the Air Force had reported the launch of cruise missiles towards Odesa. The attack’s aftermath has been documented through video and photos, showing the extent of the damage caused by the Russian strike.

SOURCE

The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has released a video of the work of the International Legion mortar team that is currently defending Chasiv Yar. They told about their way to the unit and peculiarities of work of the crew. They work with an 82 mm mortar to support the infantry. There are three fighters in the unit. The foreign volunteers joined the Legion after the start of the full-scale invasion. 

“I have been training for a long time to fight Russia. I served in the US Army for some time. We need to realize that Russia is an enemy not only for Ukraine, but for the whole world,” said a mortar gunner with the call sign “Cessy,” calling on people to join the International Legion. 

SOURCE

South Korea has adopted a firm approach against Russia in the wake of recently intensified Russo-North Korean cooperation, suggesting that Russian efforts to threaten Seoul into withholding aid from Ukraine have failed. South Korean National Security Director Chang Ho-jin reiterated on June 23 that the type of military support that South Korea will provide to Ukraine is contingent on the depth and evolution of Russian military cooperation with North Korea.

Chang previously stated on June 20 that the June 19 Russia-North Korea strategic partnership agreement had encouraged South Korea to change its long-standing policy prohibiting the transfer of arms to Ukraine, and South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported on June 21 that South Korea is now considering sending 155mm artillery shells and unspecified air defense systems to Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin notably attempted to threaten South Korea on June 20, stating that Seoul would be making “a very big mistake” if it decided to supply arms to Ukraine. Russian diplomatic officials have tried to retaliate against Seoul’s statement about providing aid to Ukraine and claimed that it is “blackmail” against Russia.

The Washington Post reported on June 22, citing data obtained by US think tank Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), that North Korea delivered over 74,000 metric tons of explosives to Russia — equivalent to about 1.6 million artillery shells — between August 2023 and January 2024. The Washington Post reported that these North Korean shipments arrived at 16 sites in Russia, 12 of which were close to known ammunition storage facilities.

SOURCE

Colonel Serhii Ilnytskyi, with the call sign Sokil, died on August 22, 2023, while performing a combat mission near the village of Kurdiumivka, near Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast. The officer was 53 years old.

Serhii Volodymyrovych was born in Kyiv. He graduated from the Kyiv Higher Engineering Radio Engineering School of Air Defense and the National Defense Academy of Ukraine and received a master’s degree from the Lviv Oblast Institute of the National Academy for Public Administration under the President of Ukraine.

Until 2013, Serhii served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and retired as a colonel. However, the following year, he returned to his dream and took part in the anti-terrorist operation and the Joint Forces Operation, in particular, defending the Donetsk airport. From 2014 to 2019, he also served as an assistant to the then MP Dmytro Yarosh and chief of staff of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army.

The military headed the volunteer public organization “Diya,” which helps units of the Armed Forces, military-civilian administrations, and volunteer formations. He was the secretary of the Coordinating Council of Veterans and Volunteers at the National Forum “Transformation of Ukraine.”

After being wounded in a battle in Donbas, he participated in the Invictus Games. He was the Ukrainian Invictus Games team captain in 2018 in Sydney (Australia). He is a master of sports in kayaking.

With the outbreak of a full-scale war, Serhii continued to defend Ukraine from the invaders. In 2023, he was appointed deputy commander of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army (UVA), commander of the UVA’s South detachment of the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the same year, he became a deputy of the Kyiv City Council.

During his service, Serhii Ilnytsky received the following awards: “Badge of Honor”, “Silver Cross”, “For Assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine”, “For Participation in the ATO”, “For Exemplary Service”, Order of Merit, III degree, Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III degree (posthumously), and others.

“Serhii went to the front in 2014 as a volunteer with his son, a hospitalist, although he could have stayed away for health reasons. He was a fair and demanding commander, but also very humane. The fighters loved him. The colonel was with them in the trenches, shared all the hardships of war with his men, and took care of his personnel. He had the most combat exits of anyone,” said Oksana, the wife of the fallen fighter.

He had the most combat exits of anyone,” said Oksana, the wife of the fallen fighter. Serhii is survived by his parents, wife, children, other relatives, friends and many fighters.

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

SOURCE

• Ukraine’s Air Force hits command post in Russia’s Belgorod region
• EU devises legal loophole to bypass Hungary veto on support for Ukraine
• Ukraine’s General Staff: About 1,000 combat clashes on front lines in past week
• Third Estonian volunteer killed in action in Ukraine
• Zelenskyy announces agreements with partners on additional air defense systems for Ukraine
• Ukraine’s intelligence chief: Situation in Ukraine’s east will remain difficult for at least 1 month, but there will be no Armageddon