Wednesday, January 4. Russia’s War On Ukraine: Daily News And Information From Ukraine

Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 315.

As Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues and the war rages on, reliable sources of information are critical. Forbes gathers information and provides updates on the situation.

By Daria Dzysiuk.

Ukraine’s armed forces destroyed two Russian ammunition depots, about 10 pieces of military hardware, struck two locations where Russian troops were assembling, killing or wounding roughly 260 of those troops in a precision artillery strike on January 2, Ukraine’s general staff reported.

Meanwhile, within a single day, Ukrainian pilots attacked areas of concentrated Russian forces 13 times. Artillerymen and rocketeers launched missiles at two control points, eliminating Russian soldiers and military vehicles, an ammunition depot, and a UAV command point.

Explosions were reported in the temporarily occupied city of Sevastopol, in the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, currently controlled by Russian forces. According to the city’s self-proclaimed governor, air defense systems shot down two drones over the sea near ‘Belbek’ military airfield.

The Russian Army shelled the Kherson region 73 times over the past 24 hours, the region’s governor, Yaroslav Yanushevych, said in an update on January 4. Russian forces shelled peaceful towns in the area with tank, artillery, and mortar fire. Kherson city itself was attacked 11 times. Russian rockets hit the city’s shipyard, gas pipeline, private and apartment buildings. On January 3, Russian forces attacked the region 79 times, killing two people and wounding five.

On the morning of January 3, the Russian Army shelled the town of Kurakhove, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, killing one civilian and wounding others, the region’s governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, wrote. “Russian forces shelled Kurakhove with artillery early in the morning targeting a residential area. One missile directly hit a high-rise building. Besides, water supply facility has been damaged. Entire Donetsk region is unsafe for civilians. Save your life – evacuate from the place,” Kyrylenko’s message said.

According to Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal, half of the country’s 2023 budget is earmarked for the country’s Armed Forces. All taxes paid by citizens and businesses will go to the defense and security sector. “Our army is to transform even into a more powerful entity,” Shmyhal said. “We are activating new arms and military equipment production and purchase programs for this.” Moreover, the government intends to facilitate Ukraine’s networks of bomb shelters.

Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, told ABC News that Ukraine is set to start a major offensive in spring and the war’s hottest battles are to take place in March. “This is [when we will see more] liberation of territories and dealing the final defeats to the Russian Federation. This will happen throughout Ukraine, from Crimea to the Donbas.”

Budanov believes that further attacks on Russia’s heartland will occur only ‘deeper and deeper’ inside Russia, but does not claim Ukraine will necessarily be responsible for them. To this end Budanov asked for continued support for Ukraine and promised that “it will not take too long now, and every taxpayer in the U.S. will be able to see where every cent went. We will change this world together.”

Ukraine has designed a simplified version of the U.S.’s command-and-control digital system that “the Pentagon has spent decades and billions developing,” according to The Wall Street Journal. Ukraine’s virtual network was named ‘Delta,’ and through satellites and special software it coordinates reconnaissance data, fighting jets, drones, and arms deployment, giving the Ukrainian military extra intelligence, coordination, and accuracy to maneuver around countless but clumsy Russian troops. Even though the Ukrainian system is still far from the sophisticated U.S. system, the state’s success in developing such a system gives Western countries priceless lessons regarding the necessity to experiment and involve non-military experts into related defense processes.

Kyiv has been named 2023 Honorary Best City by Resonance Consultancy – the leading global advisor in tourism and economic development. Kyiv occupies this spot on the very prestigious list alongside London, Paris, and New York. “The historic Ukrainian capital is the urban beacon of courage and resilience leading a defiant nation against a murderous aggressor. It is, like the rest of Ukraine, a place of inexhaustible courage in the face of daily tragedy.”

Resonance Consultancy’s announcement of its roster of best cities mentions a list of Kyiv’s prominent sightseeing spots, as well as hidden gems Kyivans are ‘happy to take their foreign friends’ to. Also provided is a short look at Kyiv’s turbulent history: “Although the Russians intended to capture Ukraine’s capital in three days, they never came close. Facing determined resistance and crippled by their own incompetence, they soon abandoned their ambitious plans. A few months later, most Kyivans returned home. This isn’t the first time Kyiv has sprung back to life. The city’s history is full of wars and revolutions—after each of which it inevitably blooms again in a 1,500-year cycle of devastation and rebirth.”