Morning briefing of the Ministry of Defense of Russia (3 – 8 December 2023)

⚡️ Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation

(3–8 December 2023)

▫️ In the period of 3–8 December 2023, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation inflicted 30 group strikes with high-precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles on the military airfield infrastructure: arsenals, storage sites for artillery ammunition, military hardware, as well as enemy POL bases. In addition, the locations of the AFU units, nationalist formations, and foreign mercenaries were hit. All the assigned targets have been engaged.

▫️ In Kupyansk direction, units the Zapad Group of Forces have improved the situation along the front line in several sectors and repelled 19 AFU attacks. Aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrowers hit the manpower and hardware of the 25th Air Assault, 57th Motorised Infantry, 41st, 43rd, and 60th Mechanised Brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Sinkovka, Ivanovka, Berestovoye, Peschanoye (Kharkov region), and Nevskoye (Lugansk People's Republic).

The enemy losses amounted to more than 480 Ukrainian troops, three tanks, 13 armoured fighting vehicles, 12 motor vehicles, and seven field artillery guns.

▫️ In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces have improved the situation along the front line near Yampolovka (Donetsk People's Republic) and with support of aviation and artillery fire repelled 10 attacks launched by AFU assault groups. In addition, strikes were delivered at cluster of manpower of the 95th Air Assault, 63rd and 66th Mechanised, and 12th Special Forces brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Kirovsk, Torskoye, Yampol, and Serebryanka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The enemy losses were more than 1,445 troops, 11 armoured fighting vehicles, 17 motor vehicles, and five field artillery guns.

▫️ In Donetsk direction, the Yug Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on AFU manpower and hardware near Mariynka, Kurdyumovka, Bogdanovka, Andreyevka, and Kleshcheyevka (Donetsk People's Republic). Over the past week, 18 attacks launched by the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been repelled in this area.

The enemy losses were more than 1,560 troops, 12 armoured fighting vehicles, 17 motor vehicles, and 22 field artillery guns.

▫️ In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces, aviation, and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the 58th Motorised Infantry, 79th Air Assault, 23rd and 72nd Mechanised, and 102nd territorial defence brigades near Novomikhailovka, Ugledar, Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic), and Levadnoye (Zaporozhye region).

Over the week, the enemy has suffered losses of more than 845 troops, three tanks, 13 armoured fighting vehicles, 17 motor vehicles, 12 field artillery guns, as well as one Grad MLRS vehicle.

▫️ In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian troops carried out intensive defence, during which they repelled five attacks launched by assault groups of the 82nd Air Assault, 117th and 118th Mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Verbovoye, Nesteryanka, and Uspenovka (Zaporozhye region).

Moreover, the Russian Armed Forces inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of AFU's 46th Airmobile, 33rd and 65th Mechanised brigades near Dorozhnyanka, Malaya Tokmachka, and Rabotino (Zaporozhye region). The enemy losses amounted to up to 260 Ukrainian troops, six armoured fighting vehicles, 15 motor vehicles, and five field artillery guns.

◽️ In Kherson direction, the enemy's attempts to cross the Dnepr River to land on the left bank and islands were thwarted by complex fire strikes and preventive actions of the Russian Armed Forces. Moreover, aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of AFU's 35th and 36th Marines, 124th Territorial Defence brigades near Tyaginka, Tokarevka, Nikolskoye, and Chernobayevka (Kherson region).

As a result of the combat actions, the enemy losses were up to 350 troops, 13 field artillery guns, 17 motor vehicles, and 21 boats.

▫️ Air defence systems shot down five Ukrainian aircraft (three MiG-29, two Su-25) and one Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force. In addition, 11 HIMARS projectiles, two HARM anti-radiation missiles, two S-200 converted surface-to-surface missiles, one JDAM guided aerial bomb, as well as 224 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down.

▫️ Moreover, 12 Ukrainian servicemen have been taken prisoner during the week.

📊 In total, 550 airplanes and 257 helicopters, 9,577 unmanned aerial vehicles, 442 air defence missile systems, 13,894 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,188 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 7,279 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 16,056 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.