Inside a Ukrainian war zone: operational data for December 14–21, 2021

Information Resistance group has prepared operational data on the situation in the war zone in Eastern Ukraine for December 14–21, 2021.

During the specified period, the operational group of Russian occupation forces in Donbas consisting of the 1st and 2nd Army Corpses continued their daily military provocations and shelling in the front line area using both small arms and mortars and artillery systems. On December 19, the adversary shelled the area close to Novozvanivka using 122 mm artillery systems.

A serious factor of the increase in escalation in the JFO area is the continued redeployment of Russian military units and subunits from neighboring and internal regions of Russia to the areas of the Southern and Western Military Districts of the RF Armed Forces, which border on Ukraine. 

In total, during the specified period of December 14–20, the adversary carried out at least 37 provocative attacks on the front line using small arms, grenade launchers, anti-tank missile systems and mortars, including at least 13 attacks with 120 mm and 82-mm mortars in Avdiivka, Bakhmut, Volnovakha, Mariupol and Toretsk sectors; with the use of 100-mm MT-12 Rapira anti-tank guns – in Mariupol sector, as well as 122-mm artillery systems – in Mariupol and Popasna sectors. The enemy conducted the most intense mortar fire in Toretsk sector, where they released almost three dozen mines.

The quadcopter-type UAVs in the strike variant was monitored in Mariupol sector, where modified VOG-17 ammunition was dropped at the positions of the JFO units and at least one reconnaissance flight of the Orlan-10 UAVs was monitored in Toretsk sector. In Bakhmut sector, the activity of reconnaissance- sabotage and sniper groups of the adversary was monitored.

Russian Air Force reconnaissance aircraft flew along the state border of Ukraine on routes that allow conducting aerial reconnaissance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces activities, including in the JFO area. In violation of the agreements, the adversary carried out engineering support of its positions in Avdiivka, Bakhmut, Mariupol, Novoaidarivka, Popasna and Severodonetsk sectors.   

During the specified period of this year, the following operational and combat training of the Southern Military District were monitored in units and sub-units of the 1^st and 2^nd Army Corpses of the operational group of the Russian occupation forces:

regular combat readiness check of the of units of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 100th separate motorized infantry brigades; the 6th separate motorized infantry regiment; corps, brigade and regimental air defense and artillery units, as well as units of the “Ministry of Internal Affairs” of the so-called “DPR”;

current combat training of units of the 1st and 2nd Army Corpses: the 1^st separate  motorized infantry brigade – at the Yuzhny training ground, the 2^nd  separate  motorized infantry brigade – at the Tsentralny-1 training ground, the 3^rd  separate  motorized infantry brigade – at the Udarny training ground , the 4^th  separate  motorized infantry brigade – at the Slavny training ground, the 7th separate  motorized infantry brigade –at the Peredovoy training ground, the 6th separate motorized infantry regiment – at the Udaloy training ground, the 9th separate motorized infantry regiment – at the Primorsky training ground. Combat training was carried out at the level of branches, squads and crews, and included fire and tactical-special training;

drills for snipers, grenade launcher operators and artillery observers of the 1^st and 2^nd Army Corpses were organized and conducted at the training grounds of brigades and regiments, including in the form of live-fire exercises;

according to the combat training plan of the Southern Military District, educational and methodological classes for the junior officers of the 1^st and 2^nd Army Corpses were organized and conducted in the areas of deployment of subunits and units.

The enemy continued to interfere with the flights of the OSCE SMM UAVs and ground patrols of the OSCE SMM in the occupied areas.

Over the past period, the confirmed casualty figures were at least 3 servicemen of the RF Army:

the 2^nd AC – the 4^th separate  motorized infantry brigade (Alchevsk) – 1 serviceman, the 6^th  separate  motorized infantry brigade (Kadievka) – 2 servicemen.

More than 30 units of weapons and military equipment along with ammunition, including 20 armored personnel carriers and 1 armored vehicle for the 2nd AC, more than 120 tons of ammunition for small arms, grenade warheads, anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, as well as mortar mines were illegally delivered from Russia for the occupation forces of the Russian Federation. The supply of at least 500 tons of fuels and lubricants was also monitored, both for the current needs of the operational group and for creating operative reserve of fuels and lubricants.

Ukraine Front Lines