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Ukraine - Russia Invasion conflict
 
 
 
 

Moscow, Russia, December 15, 2023: In a significant development, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its T-80BVM Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) deployed in Ukraine are now standardly equipped with advanced protection systems. These systems are specifically designed to counter high-precision weapons and First-Person View (FPV) drones, a growing threat on the Ukrainian battlefield.

A photo on the Russian social network 'VK' from December 11, 2023, suggests that the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces might be using German-made Wiesel 1 armored vehicles. While there's no official confirmation of Wiesel 1 being supplied by Germany, the newspaper 'Focus.de' reported on April 28, 2022, that Germany was considering supplying Wiesel 1 and Wiesel 2 tracked airborne armored vehicles to Ukraine.

As reported by BTA on December 7, 2023, the Bulgarian parliamentary defense committee voted to supply Ukraine with malfunctioning anti-aircraft missile systems and various types of anti-aircraft missiles. The decision, with 11 votes in favor, four against, and one abstention, has generated discussions within Bulgaria's political landscape.

On December 10, 2023, British Defence Intelligence reported a significant Russian airstrike conducted on the night of December 7, targeting Kyiv and central Ukraine. This operation marked the first use of heavy bombers, specifically the Tu-95 BEAR H, in such attacks since September 21, 2023. These bombers were deployed to launch a series of cruise missiles, notably the Kh-101, also known by its NATO code designation AS-23A KODIAK. The strike involved at least 16 Air-Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCMs) fired from the Caspian Sea region, a known operational area for these aircraft.

According to Russian social media on December 3, 2023, the Russian Armed Forces utilized an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) for the first time in a medical evacuation (medevac) mission. Video footage depicts the 87th separate rifle regiment employing a homemade ground-based unmanned platform for tactical resupply and casualty evacuation in the Avdiivka direction, an area marked by intense fighting.

The Archer self-propelled howitzer system, recently acquired by Ukraine, has been used for the first time in combat in the current conflict with Russia. The Swedish Defense Minister, Pål Jonson, announced on November 3, 2023, that eight Archer systems had been delivered to Ukraine, a fact revealed by the Swedish news agency SVT.

As reported by Praise the Steph on December 6, 2023, the Ukrainian 56th Separate Motorized Mariupol Brigade has been observed deploying and utilizing the Czech Dana M2 152mm self-propelled howitzer, manufactured by Excalibur Army. This marks the first known use of the Dana M2 in combat, suggesting a new phase in the military capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces.

As reported on Russian social media as of November 5, 2023, the Russian Armed Forces have captured their first Bradley M2A2 ODS-SA Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) near the villages of Avdiivka and Stepove in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. The captured Bradley, which was supplied by the United States to Ukraine, was equipped with the BRAT protection kit.

The British Ministry of Defense's intelligence services disclosed on December 4, 2023, that the Russian military and Wagner Group have likely sustained significant casualties in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. According to their report, Russian Ministry of Defense forces have potentially suffered between 180,000 and 240,000 wounded and around 50,000 fatalities since the conflict's inception on February 24, 2022. Additionally, the Wagner Group, a private military company, is estimated to have incurred approximately 40,000 wounded and 20,000 fatalities.

As reported by OSINTtechnical on December 3, 2023, Ukrainian soldiers from the Khorne drone group demonstrated resourcefulness in Donetsk Oblast. They successfully located, repaired, and put into service a 1950s-era Soviet GAZ-69A off-road vehicle, which is the predecessor of the UAZ-469 4x4 vehicle launched in 1972.

According to a tweet from Ukrainian Front dated December 3, 2023, the Omega special forces have been spotted using the "Sivalka" multiple rocket launcher system. This system, an innovation in the Ukrainian arsenal, utilizes unguided S-5 missiles, originally designed to be launched from aircraft.

According to a tweet by the Defense of Ukraine dated December 2, 2023, Poland has delivered 18 AHS Krab self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine, thereby enhancing the Ukrainian artillery arsenal amid the ongoing conflict. This transfer comes from Poland's military stockpiles, a detail confirmed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

Several Russian T-90M Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) deployed in Ukraine are now equipped with an advanced anti-drone armor package including Block 1 ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor). This upgrade comes in response to the rising threat posed by loitering munitions, commonly known as "suicide drones." These munitions have been a game-changer in modern warfare, particularly due to their capability for top-attack strikes against tanks.

On November 27, 2023, recent images of a BMP-1TS from the Ukrainian armed forces, equipped with the Spear combat module, were leaked online, marking a significant advancement in Ukraine's military capabilities modernization. The upgraded BMP-1TS, an enhanced version of the Soviet-era infantry combat vehicle, has been developed by the Kyiv-based research and production company Promintex since 2014 and was first presented at a parade in Kyiv in 2021.

On November 6, 2023, Pavlo Petrychenko, the drone commander of Ukraine's 59th Motorized Brigade, released a drone video on social media showing a precise strike that demolished three antennas atop a building. This daring operation, captured and broadly disseminated through the video, is reported to have taken down a sophisticated Russian electronic warfare system, the Pole-21, located near Donetsk on the eastern front.

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