Day: January 2, 2025

On January 2, the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out a precision strike on the command post of the Russian army in the settlement of Mariino, located in the Kursk region, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

According to the General Staff, all necessary measures were taken during the strike to minimize the risks to the lives of local civilians.

“These fire strikes are primarily intended to weaken the Russian Federation’s ability and willingness to carry out terrorist acts against the Ukrainian civilian population,” the General Staff stated.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine will relentlessly continue to detect and destroy military command targets of the aggressor country.

Today, Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation, stated that on January 2, a strike was carried out against Russian troops in the Kursk region.

“There was a successful strike. Significant losses in the 810th brigade of the Russian Federation as a result,” he wrote.

What is known about the 810th Brigade of the Russian Federation

The 810th Marine Brigade of the Russian Federation is currently based in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol. However, part of the unit is engaged in combat operations in the Kursk direction.

On the night of December 25, the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck the command post location of the 810th Separate Marine Brigade in Lgov, Kursk region.

Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) operatives recently used maritime drones to destroy Russian helicopters near Crimea. This event is unique and marks the first such operation in history, Defense Express reports.

DIU clarified that during a successful operation near Crimea, special forces of Group 13 used Magura V5 missile-equipped maritime drones to destroy two Russian Mi-8 helicopters and damage another one.

According to Defense Express, the amount of enemy equipment destroyed demonstrates improvements in the effectiveness of Magura V5 maritime drones equipped with missiles. Analysts highlight that achieving this required enhancements to all components, from the drone control system to the adaptation of R-73 missiles for use in maritime conditions.

Defense Express suggests that the Russian helicopters were not coincidentally on the path of Ukrainian drones. They may have been engaged in patrolling the Black Sea area, a common practice for the occupiers.

It is likely that the invaders believed a patrol of three Mi-8 helicopters would be sufficient to counter maritime drones, but they miscalculated.

“This also indicates that the operators of the maritime drones outperformed the enemy in terms of tactical preparation. This, in turn, allowed the full potential of the technical improvements made to the missile-equipped Magura V5 maritime drones to be realized,” analysts added.

DIU operation near Crimea

Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that Group 13, a special unit of HUR, conducted a unique operation near Cape Tarkhankut in temporarily occupied Crimea.

The operatives hit an aerial target using Magura V5 maritime drones equipped with missiles, marking the first such case in the world.

Initially, Ukrainian intelligence reported that one Mi-8 helicopter was destroyed and another was damaged but managed to return to its airfield.

However, DIU later clarified that during the operation, two Mi-8 helicopters were destroyed along with their crews. Another Russian helicopter was damaged.

Ukrainian manufacturers showcased more than 10 models of FPV drones that can be operated via fiber optics. The drones are capable of carrying up to 3 kilograms of payload, according to the Ministry of Defense.

These drones are in the final stages of codification and will soon be supplied to meet the needs of the army.

“The event featured domestic manufacturers who presented over a dozen drone models, including those capable of carrying up to 3 kilograms of payload,” the report stated.

Experienced UAV operators from the Ukrainian Armed Forces gave positive feedback on the new drone models and expressed interest in deploying them to their units.

“The FPV drones showcased at the event are in the final stages of codification and will be supplied for military use,” the Ministry of Defense confirmed.

Lieutenant Colonel Yevhen Tkachenko, Head of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Department of the Defense Ministry’s Main Innovation Directorate explained that the enemy continues to enhance its capabilities to use fiber optic drone control technologies. Therefore, it is essential to neutralize their advantages in this area.

“Domestic manufacturers demonstrate their readiness to adapt swiftly to the challenges of modern warfare and bring innovative developments to life,” Tkachenko said.

Weapons production in Ukraine

Ukraine has completed testing of a line of UAVs with fiber-optic communication. They provide protected control even in conditions of active use of electronic warfare.

Ukraine continues to introduce new types of weapons, in particular, domestically produced missiles Peklo and Ruta, as well as the laser air defense system Tryzub.

Read more in the material by RBC-Ukraine.

Ukrainian defenders control almost the entire city of Chasiv Yar. Meanwhile, the Russian troops are attempting to cross the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal in the city’s eastern part, states the spokesperson for the Khortytsia Operational-Strategic Group of Troops, Viktor Trehubov, during the national telethon live broadcast.

“The situation there is relatively stable in terms of intensity. The Russians have entrenched themselves in the outskirts beyond the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal. Ukrainians control practically the whole city and are repelling attacks, while the Russians are attempting, first, to cross the canal and, second, to attack the well-known refractory materials plant,” Trehubov said.

Photo: map of combat operations in Chasiv Yar (deepstatemap.live)

He clarified that although the intensity of the fighting remains unchanged, the enemy’s capabilities in this direction are “somewhat limited.”

Trehubov also noted that intense battles have been ongoing in Toretsk for several weeks. The Russian forces are bogged down there and are trying to find a way out of the situation. However, the situation remains challenging for both the Russian army and Ukrainian defenders.

According to the spokesperson, Ukrainian defenders eliminated 1,029 soldiers, and destroyed 4 tanks, 12 armored vehicles, and other enemy weapons and equipment in the area of responsibility of the Khortytsia Operational-Strategic Group of Troops within the past day.

Situation in Chasiv Yar

On January 2, it became known that Russian troops attempted to storm Ukrainian military positions in Chasiv Yar actively.

In the process, some Ukrainian Armed Forces positions in the city were destroyed by enemy strikes.

Farmers in Poland plan to protest tomorrow, January 3, in Warsaw against the European Union policy and imports from Ukraine. The demonstration will occur at 2:00 p.m. local time (3:00 Kyiv time), the Farmer.pl. reports.

The protest will be organized in front of the European Commission’s representation office. Afterward, the protesters plan to head to the National Theatre.

The Union of Agricultural Organizations, which includes 21 associations of Polish farmers, organizes the protest.

“All agricultural organizations in our country will protest against the harmful EU policy, against Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission – ed.), who is imposing this policy that will lead to the closure of our farms,” said Tomasz Obszanski, Leader of the NSZZ RI Solidarnosc union.

Farmers will protest against:

• The Mercosur Agreement – the economic union of South American countries;
• The Green Deal;
• Imports from Ukraine;
• The destruction of Polish forests and hunting;
• The extinction of the Polish economy.

Protests by Polish farmers and border blockades

In 2023, the first wave of blockades began on the Ukrainian-Polish border. At that time, Polish protesters demanded the return of permits for Ukrainian freight carriers. These protests, in turn, led to disruptions in logistics within the agricultural sector and other industries.

After several rounds of negotiations between Kyiv and Warsaw, the freight transport movement at the border was unblocked in April 2024. However, Polish farmers later reinstated the blockades several times.

For more details on the current state of relations between Ukraine and Poland, read our material on the topic.