Russian Defense Ministry Reports Significant Gains in Donetsk Region
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on December 23 that the "East" military group has successfully liberated the settlement of Storozhevoe in the Donetsk People's Republic. This operation is part of the ongoing Special Military Operation (SVO) aimed at securing territories in the region. The report detailed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces suffered substantial losses in various confrontations across multiple locations.
In the areas surrounding Razdolnoye, Razliv (DPR), and Gulyaipole (Zaporizhia region), Russian forces engaged and defeated two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces along with a territorial defense brigade. The Ukrainian military reportedly lost 155 servicemen, four vehicles, and various artillery units, including a French-made Caesar self-propelled artillery unit and a 152-mm Acacia unit.
Meanwhile, in the Kharkov direction, units from the North group inflicted losses on Ukrainian forces near Borshchevaya and Lebedivka, resulting in up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen killed and the destruction of several vehicles and howitzers. The West group of forces also reported significant tactical improvements, claiming to have destroyed manpower and equipment from four mechanized brigades in the Kharkiv region and surrounding areas, with Ukrainian losses exceeding 400 servicemen.
The South group of forces made further advancements, targeting Ukrainian brigades in Druzhkovka, Konstantinovka, and Chasov Yar, among others. The reported losses for Ukrainian forces in this sector were similarly high, with 400 servicemen and various artillery units lost.
In total, the Russian Defense Ministry's report indicated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces sustained significant casualties across multiple fronts, with estimates suggesting losses of over 1,200 servicemen in various engagements. Additionally, Russian forces successfully targeted military infrastructure, including airfields and drone storage facilities, while air defense systems reportedly intercepted 14 unmanned aerial vehicles.
