Russia/Ukraine Update: 22 Nov 2023

Ukraine draft dodgers, Putin meets oligarchs, the USA aims for Armenia, Uranium in European air, war analysis...

Nov 22, 2023

Russian mortarman near Lyman in November 2023

For the third time in 23 years, Putin called a meeting with the oligarchs. The backdrop is interesting. So is this philosophical joke. The EU will be banning Russian diamonds by year end, as well as imposing other sanctions.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is still under fire after raising taxes just after being elected. She’s not being forgiven for being a neocon hawk against Russia whilst her husband hypocritically continued doing business there. Her solution is to try get a new job as the next head of NATO.

The USA has supplied military aid to Azerbaijan the past 21 years but has now passed a law prohibiting such for the next 2 years. That’s punishment for Azerbaijan’s takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh, which forced 100,000 Armenians to flee. It’s also the USA’s latest effort to win Armenia away from Russian influence. The same day, a CGTN video title was ‘China-Azerbaijan relations growing by the hour’. USAID will provide $4.1M in humanitarian aid to displaced Armenians.

RUSSIAN DEFENCE REPORT

In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces supported by helicopters and artillery repelled an attack of an assault detachment of the AFU 14th Mechanised Brigade close to Sinkovka (Kharkov region).

In addition, losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of the AFU 25th Airborne Brigade, 57th Motorised Brigade, 30th and 32nd mechanised brigades near Novoselkovskoye (Lugansk People's Republic), Sinkovka and Timkovka (Kharkov region). The enemy lost up to 50 Ukrainian troops and three pickup trucks.

In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces supported by operational-tactical aircraft, helicopters, and artillery repelled one attack of an assault detachment of the AFU 67th Mechanised Brigade close to Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic). Manpower of the AFU 12th Special Operations Brigade was struck near Serebryansky forestry. The enemy lost up to 65 Ukrainian troops and two pickup trucks.

In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery repelled one attack of an assault detachment of the AFU 24th Mechanised Brigade near Leninskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

In addition, strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of the AFU 22nd, 24th mechanised brigades, 5th Assault Brigade, and 107th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Razdolovka, Kleshcheyevka, Artyomovskoye, Bogdanovka, and Kurdyumovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses amounted to up to 115 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, two armoured personnel carriers, two motor vehicles, and one Msta-B howitzer in this direction.

In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces utilising results of aviation and artillery strikes repelled an attack of an assault detachment of the AFU 127th Territorial Defence Brigade near Priutnoye (Zaporozhye region), as well as inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade close to Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses amounted to up to 60 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, and two motor vehicles.

In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by artillery repelled three attacks of assault detachments of the AFU 33rd Mechanised Brigade and 71st Jaeger Brigade north of Novoprokopovka and west of Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region). In addition, strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of the AFU 65th Mechanised Brigade near Rabotino (Zaporozhye region). Up to 60 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, and two pick-up trucks were eliminated.

In Kherson direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU 36th Marines Brigade near Ivanovka and Zmievka (Kherson region). As a result of the strikes, the enemy lost up to 70 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded and five motor vehicles.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces eliminated one AFU air-delivered ordnance depot, one S-300 anti-aircraft missile system, and engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 127 areas during the day.

Air defence units intercepted one Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 close to Vozdvizhenka (Donetsk People's Republic).

Moreover, 45 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down close to Maryinka (Donetsk People's Republic), Verkhnekamenka, Melovatka (Lugansk People's Republic), Pshenichnoye, Mirnoye (Zaporozhye region), Olshana, Dvurechnoye (Kharkov region), Sagi and Zmievka (Kherson region).

In total, 537 airplanes and 254 helicopters, 9,095 unmanned aerial vehicles, 442 air defence missile systems, 13,539 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,185 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 7,145 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 15,507 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.