Russia's war on Ukraine. 20.12.24
Operational situation
On the Kursk direction, the 155th Separate Marines Brigade of the Pacific Fleet advanced east of Novoivanovka toward Viktorovka. Russian forces advanced in Kruglenkoe, took control of Russkoe Porechie, reached the outskirts of Cherkasskoe Porechie, and achieved tactical successes in Cherkasskya Konopelka.
On the Kharkiv direction, Russian forces unsuccessfully attacked near Lyptsi and Vovchansk.
On the Kupyansk direction, units of Ukrainian Defense Forces retreated westward to the R79 highway in the direction of Dvorichna. The 1st Motorized Rifle Regiment and 1st Tank Regiment of the 2nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 1st Tank Army advanced north and northeast towards Kruhlyakivka and Zahryzove, attacked near Petropavlivka, Lyman Pershyi, Lozova, Kolisnykivka, Novoyehorivka, Hrekivka, Nadiya, and Zelenyi Hai.
On the Lyman direction, Russian forces fight in the Kreminna forest, attack near Terny, Yampolivka, and in the area of the Serebriansk Forest.
On the Siversk direction, Russian forces unsuccessfully advanced in the area of Bilohorivka, Hryhorivka, and Verkhnokamianske.
On the Kramatorsk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces regained lost positions in the southern part of the refractory plant in the center of Chasiv Yar.
Russian forces advanced in Chasiv Yar, near Hryhorivka and Bila Hora.
On the Toretsk direction, Russian forces advanced along Shkilna and Vasnetsova streets in the south of Toretsk, attacking near Toretsk, in the area of Shcherbynivka and Dyliivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, the 30th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 2nd Combined Arms Army entered Novoolenivka and advanced north of the village. The 433rd and 506th Motorized Rifle Regiments of the 27th Motorized Rifle Division, and the 15th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 2nd Combined Arms Army made minor advances near Novotroitske and Shevchenkove. The 228th Motorized Rifle Regiment and 239th Tank Regiment of the 90th Tank Division of the 41st Combined Arms Army made minor advances towards Novoolenivka and in the direction of Pushkyne–Ukrainka.
Russian forces advanced west, east, and north of Shevchenkove, to the outskirts of Pishchane, across the Solona River to Vovkove, north of Novotroitske, to the outskirts of Novovasylivka, in Dachenske. They are fighting for Novyi Trud, and attacked in the area of Myrolyubivka, Promin, Lysivka, Zelenyi, Ukrainka, Pushkyne, and Solone.
On the Kurakhove direction, the 110th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Combined Arms Army, the 103rd Motorized Rifle Regiment, and the 163rd Tank Regiment of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army captured most of Kurakhove, except for the thermal power station. The 68th Army Corps, 20th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army, 36th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 29th Combined Arms Army, and 114th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 51st Combined Arms Army attacked near Konstyantynopolske, Sukhi Yaly, and Zelenivka and reached a line 2 km from the H15 Kurakhove–Zaporizhzhia highway near Ulakli. The 39th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 68th Army Corps is fighting for Konstyantynopolske.
Russian forces advanced further west within Kurakhove and attacked near Stari Terny, Sontsivka, Slovyanka, Petropavlivka, and Dachne.
On the Vremivka direction, Russian forces captured Novyi Komar and Rozdolne, advanced northwest along the right bank of the Shaitanka River to the southeastern outskirts of Velyka Novosilka, advanced along the T0518 highway Velyka Novosilka–Bahatyr southeast of Novi Komary, along the right bank of the Mokri Yaly River to Novoocheretuvate, west of Neskuchne, and northeast of Rivnopil. The enemy attacked near Velyka Novosilka, Novyi Komar, Rozdolne, Novodarivka, Storozhove, Makarivka, Neskuchne, and Blahodatne, and destroyed a crossing near Novoocheretuvate. The 127th Motorized Rifle Division and the 60th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 5th Combined Arms Army, supported by the 5th Separate Tank Brigade of the 36th Combined Arms Army, encircled Makarivka from the east and west and are advancing on the village.
On the Orikhiv direction, Russian forces advanced northwest of Nesteryanka, and fighting continued near Novoandriivka.
General conclusion:
The command of the enemy's "Zapad (West)" Operational Grouping has taken the counterattacks of Ukrainian Defense Forces in the area of Kolisnykivka and toward Pishchane quite seriously. It seeks to secure its breakthrough to the Oskil River south of Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi by expanding it, primarily in a southern direction. Simultaneously, in the offensive zone of the 69th Motorized Rifle Division of the 6th Army, which is advancing toward Dvorichna and has a tactical bridgehead on the right bank of the Oskil River south of the village, the enemy is attempting to increase its efforts toward Masyutivka–Zapadne and directly toward Dvorichna. The enemy has a significant advantage in artillery in this area.
The actions of the command of the 1st Tank Army and the 6th Army in their operational zones aim to sever and eliminate the northern part of the "Khortytsia" OSG bridgehead on the Oskil River, to cross the river north and south of Kupyansk, and to create favorable conditions for capturing Kupyansk. A possible course of action is a simultaneous advance of the "Sever (North)" Operational Grouping along the right bank of the Oskil River from the state border.
On the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy is focused on forming the southern flank for the envelopment of Pokrovsk.
On the Kurakhove direction, the enemy has still not crossed the Sukhi Yaly River from south to north and continues to advance along its southern bank. Its forward units have successively captured Konstyantynopolske, Sukhi Yaly, and Zelenivka, but they have been unable to break through north of the river. They have, however, approached the area of Ulakli, coming within 2 km of the Donetsk–Zaporizhzhia highway. The 20th Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th Army, after capturing Uspenivka and Dalnie, has returned to a frontal effort to push the forces of the "Donetsk" OTG from the area south of Kurakhove. The command of the 29th Army aims to cut off the retreat routes for Ukrainian Defense Forces units still defending the Kurakhove bridgehead.
On the Vremivka direction, the right flank of the enemy's "Vostok (East)" Operational Grouping has deeply enveloped the entire area of the village of Velyka Novosilka from the east and north, gaining control of communication routes leading from it to the north toward the villages of Bahatyr and Komar. On the Staromayorske–Rozdolne section (up to 20 km along the front), the enemy has deployed up to six brigades for the operation, with another brigade in reserve. Holding Velyka Novosilka will be difficult. Ukrainian Defense Force units defending south of the village are in a very difficult tactical position.
The losses of Russian forces among mobilized personnel from September 21, 2022, to October 31, 2024, amount to 98,461 military personnel:
2,972 in the "Sever" Operational Grouping,
21,710 in the "Center" Operational Grouping,
16,770 in the "Vostok" Operational Grouping,
20,155 in the "Zapad" Operational Grouping,
16,465 in the "Yug" Operational Grouping,
10,449 in the "Dnepr" Operational Grouping.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the enemy lost 10,120 military personnel.
The enemy has carried out a cyberattack on Ukraine's state registries. The State Registry of Civil Status Acts, the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs, and the State Register of Property Rights to Real Estate and their Encumbrances have been disabled. Backup copies stored on servers in Poland have been lost. The estimated recovery time is up to two weeks.
Change in the line of contact (LoC):
There were 191 combat engagements on various fronts.
On the Kupyansk direction, there were 10 enemy attacks. Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled enemy assault actions near Lozova, Zahryzove, and Kolisnykivka.
On the Lyman direction, the enemy attacked 17 times, attempting to penetrate defenses near Tverdokhlibove, Zelenyi Hai, Terny, and in the Serebriansk Forest.
On the Siversk direction, the enemy attacked in the areas of Bilohorivka, Hryhorivka, and Verkhnokamianske, with 9 attacks repelled. The enemy actively used aviation.
On the Kramatorsk direction, the occupiers attacked in the area of Chasiv Yar.
On the Toretsk direction, the enemy carried out 12 attacks near Toretsk and Shcherbynivka.
On the Pokrovsk direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces stopped 32 enemy attacks toward Sukha Balka, Myrolyubivka, Promin, Lysivka, Dachenske, Solone, Novyi Trud, Zelene, and Novovasylivka.
On the Kurakhove direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 18 Russian attacks. The occupiers made their most active attempts to advance in the areas of Sontsivka, Stari Terny, Andriivka, Kurakhove, and Dachne.
On the Vremivka direction, the enemy carried out 23 assaults in the areas of Uspenivka, Konstyantynopolske, Blahodatne, Neskuchne, and Novodarivka.
On the Orikhiv direction, occupation forces stormed the positions of Ukrainian Defense Forces in the area of Novodanylivka.
On the Prydniprovskyi direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces make efforts to prevent the enemy from advancing deeper into Ukrainian territory, successfully repelling 4 enemy attacks.
In the Black Sea-Azov naval operational area, the enemy naval group on combat duty consists of:
Black Sea: 13 ships, including 0 cruise missile carriers; the total salvo is 0 cruise missiles.
Mediterranean Sea: 6 ships, including 3 cruise missile carriers; the total salvo is 25 cruise missiles.
Changes in the enemy disposition:
The 3rd Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Army and the 25th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 6th Army are advancing south of Kupyansk from the direction of Lozova toward Borivska Andriivka, Nova Kruhlyakivka, Zelenyi Hai, and in the area of Pershotravneve–Kopanky. The 69th Motorized Rifle Division and the 9th Artillery Brigade of the 6th Army are concentrating forces in the area of the Masyutivka–Zapadne bridgehead.
The 5th and 110th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigades of the 51st Army, the 428th Motorized Rifle Regiment, and the 6th Tank Regiment of the 90th Tank Division of the 41st Army have advanced to the Zorya–Stari Terny line.
The following units operate in the area of Velyka Novosilka: the 394th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 127th Motorized Rifle Division of the 5th Army, the 37th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, the 5th Separate Tank Brigade of the 36th Army, the 40th Separate Marines Brigade of the Pacific Fleet, the 336th Separate Marines Brigade of the Baltic Fleet, and the 60th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 5th Army. The 14th Separate SOF Brigade supports assaults near Makarivka.
Possible operation situation developments:
On the Kupyansk direction, the enemy will make efforts to expand its bridgehead in the Dvorichna area.
On the Kramatorsk direction, the "Khortytsia" OSG units will be forced to retreat to the Kostyantynivka area if the enemy reaches the Chervone–Stupochky line and simultaneously launches an offensive northward at the junction of its 41st and 51st Combined Arms Armies from the Novooleksandrivka–Arkhanhelske line, advancing to the Yablunivka–Oleksandro-Kalynove line on the Toretsk direction. If the Chasiv Yar Refractory Materials Plant is lost, it will be under enemy control by the end of December.
On the Pokrovsk direction, a withdrawal of the “Donetsk” OTG to the Ukrainka – Andriivka – Rozlyv – Novoocheretuvate line is expected. The length of the line of contact will be reduced, thereby tightening the combat formations of the operational-tactical group. As soon as the enemy completes the formation of the southern flank of Pokrovsk’s envelopment with the forces of the 2nd Combined Arms Army, the 41st Combined Arms Army will launch an offensive towards Myrnohrad and Novoekonomichne to form the northern flank.
If the enemy advances to the area where the Vovcha and Solona rivers converge near Dachne from the north, the position of Ukrainian Defense Forces units in Kurakhove will become critically complicated unless they manage to retreat in time.
On the Vremivka direction, Ukrainian Defense Forces will have to completely withdraw from the villages liberated during the 2023 offensive, located south of Velyka Novosilka, namely Makarivka, Neskuchne, and Storozhove.
By the end of the current year, the enemy will not succeed in seizing the "belt of fortresses" Kostyantynivka – Druzhkivka – Kramatorsk – Sloviansk or occupying Donetsk Oblast. The upcoming battle for Pokrovsk will mark the apex of the enemy’s offensive operation in the Southwestern Theater of Operations in 2024.
The enemy's military command in the theater of operations until March 2025 will be creating conditions to achieve the military-political goal of the “Special Military Operation”: reaching the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts and the junction of Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk Oblasts near the village of Temyrivka.
Russian operational losses from 24.02.22 to 20.12.24
Personnel - almost 770.420 (+2,200);
Tanks 9,584 (+8);
Armored combat vehicles – 19.823 (+24);
Artillery systems – 21,220 (+42);
Multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) – 1,256 (0);
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,026 (+1);
Vehicles and fuel tanks – 31,793 (+115);
Aircraft - 369 (0);
Helicopters – 329 (0);
UAV operational and tactical level – 20,600 (+79);
Intercepted cruise missiles – 2,943 (0)
Boats/ships – 29 (0).
Humanitarian + general:
During Russia's combined attack on the night of December 20, air defense forces shot down 5 ballistic missiles targeting Kyiv and 40 enemy UAVs in 8 oblasts of Ukraine. Another 20 drones failed to reach their targets.
On the night and morning of December 20, Kyiv was subjected to a massive drone attack as well as an attack by Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles and Iskander/KN-23 ballistic missiles. Debris from intercepted Russian missiles fell in three districts of Kyiv, causing fires. One person was killed, 12 were injured, five cars were burned, and a heating main was damaged. In the Holosiivskyi district, 630 residential buildings, 16 medical facilities, 17 schools, and 13 kindergartens were left without heating.
During the Russian missile strike on Kyiv on Friday, December 20, the Church of St. Nicholas, a national architectural monument, was damaged.
Due to the Russian attack on Kyiv, the embassies of Portugal, Argentina, Albania, and Montenegro, which "are located in the same building," were damaged.
On the morning of December 20, Russian occupiers carried out a massive attack on Kherson, firing 1,000 shells in just 40 minutes. As a result, two people were killed, and 11 were injured. Critical infrastructure was damaged, and parts of the city were left without power. City electric transport and traffic lights are not operating.
At 00:50, during another enemy drone attack on the territory of Boryspil Oblast in the Kyiv Oblast, a fire broke out in a warehouse facility with an area of 15,000 m². Firefighting efforts lasted over 7 hours. It was later reported that the facility was one of the warehouses of the Silpo supermarket chain, where frozen products were stored. No people were injured, but the fire destroyed products worth over 400 million UAH.
At around 23:00 on December 19, the Russian army attacked a residential building in Kryvyi Rih. Five people were injured, and two people were rescued from the rubble. All the injured are reported to be in moderate condition.
Ukraine experienced the largest cyberattack on state registers in recent times. As a result of the attack, carried out by Russian hackers, the operation of key systems of the Ministry of Justice was temporarily suspended. More than 20 services in the "Diia" application were temporarily unavailable. The State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection did not confirm any information leaks following the Russian cyberattack. The Main Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine suspended certain vehicle registration services related to changes in ownership. According to preliminary data from specialists, restoring the Ministry of Justice's registers affected by the cyberattack will take one to two weeks.
The bodies of 503 fallen defenders were returned to Ukrainian government-controlled territory.