#UKRAINERUSSIAWAR. Ukrainians attack Russia. Russians advance on Donetsk

For military columnist Yuri Podolyaka, a Ukrainian analyst who emigrated to Russia, two decisions by Sergei Surovikin, the general who commands the war in Ukraine, deprived the Ukrainian forces the possibility of attacking. According to Podolyaka, Surovikin changed the way of conducting operations: in addition to successfully targeting Ukraine’s energy structure, he created serious lines of defense and improved the interaction between different Russian departments.

“Everywhere, they have finally begun to dig serious lines of defense. This was not the case before, which helped the enemy regroup our ranks, which were very sparse at the time, and achieve results. And now we are depriving the enemy of the ability to conduct anything,” Podolyaka told Tsargrad TV. The military observer believes that these decisions have already given the Russian military the necessary results. In addition to strengthening the defense lines, Podolyaka said that with the arrival of Surovikin, the problems of interaction between the various branches of the army disappeared.

Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory continued on 20 December: the Ukrainians attacked the Russian region of Belgorod, making victims. “At the moment there is shelling in the Shebekinsky urban district of the Belgorod region; according to preliminary data, there is one victim,” said the governor of Belgorod Gladkov.

According to the Defense Ministry, Russian troops continue to advance in the direction of Donetsk and over a hundred Ukrainian fighters have been killed in the Ivano-Darievka, Bachmut and Horlivka areas of the DNR.

Yesterday on the social sphere the statements of Oleksiy Miacheslavovych Danilov, Secretary of National Security of Ukraine went around the platforms: «Russia has missiles for 2-4 massive attacks; has enough S-300 missiles. The Russian Federation should be isolated from civil society. They are very dangerous and have been shown to be sick; Now the Russians understand that they have no chance of winning this war; Chechnya will become a free country, believe me, this will certainly happen very, very quickly; In general, today’s Russia is a terrorist organization; If they don’t have Kiev in their hands, they have nothing in their hands, we must understand this. But we will not give them Kiev.”

In response to the words of the Secretary of Homeland Security the words of Vladimir Artyakov, first deputy director general of Rostec to the TV channel Rossiya-24: «Russia has increased the production of Iskander missile systems (…) they are quite effective, they work very smoothly, accurately and reliably. Here we should note that the number of these launchers and ammunition has increased significantly,” Artyakov said.

The Ukrainians attacked an electrical substation in Belgorod according to the warhead Readovka, the city substation was hit by mortars. As a result, half of the city’s population was left without electricity. Six fire engines are working on site and the fire is almost out.

Also in Russia, a gas pipeline caught fire in Chuvashia: a plume of smoke is visible from several villages at the same time. The fire involved the villages of Kyulkhiri and Kalinino, in the Vurnarsky district, in Chuvashia. There is no official information about the incident yet. According to EmerCom, it was a leak in an underground gas pipeline that caused the fire in Chuvashia; at least three dead and one wounded. The Russian-Ukrainian gas pipeline (Urengoy – Pomary – Uzhgorod) is used to transport gas to Europe from Western Siberia via Ukraine.

And now a look at the front line Direction Soledar at 13.00 on 20 December.

In the vicinity of Bachmut (Artemovsk), fighting continues on the outskirts of the city, as well as in the Experimental and Kleshcheevka area. According to Ukrainian sources, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Oleksandrovyč Zelens’kyj today visited the troops on the Bachmut front.

On the Bachmut sector, Russian shock troops cleared Ukrainian formations from the outskirts of Kleshcheevka. One of the companies of the 53rd Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine left at full strength to regroup at Novodmytrivka.

In Bachmut itself, Wagner PMC fighters moved south along Fyodor Maksimenko Street, occupying two blocks near the gas station. At the same time, assault teams are pushing through the defenses on the side of the recycling facility.

In Opytne, fighting continues on Shkolnaya Street, members of the nationalist Aidar battalion of the 53rd Brigade occupy positions in a residential area. Russian artillery is conducting massive fire on the fortified area of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In this section of the force, the 28th, 53rd and 63rd Shadows of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are having huge problems with ammunition and infantry reinforcements. Deliveries and rotation are complicated by constant fire from the Russian Armed Forces.

To reinforce the Bachmut garrison, a convoy of military equipment from Ivanopol arrived in the hostilities area, and reinforcements from the 4th Quick Reaction Force of the National Guard of Ukraine were transferred to Bachmut.

In the Soledar direction, the Ukrainian formations will disseminate information about the complete loss of Yakovlevka and the beginning of the Wagner advance in the direction of Soledar and Razdolovka. To maintain the defense of the 10th Brigade, forces of the 46th Airmobile Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were transferred to Vesele.

Graziella Giangiulio