1/27/24-1/29/24 Ukrainian General Update LanguageLearner

1/27/24-1/29/24 Update, day 703-705 of Russian invasion.


Belarus/Western Border:

UA and Hungary agreed to establish a joint commission to address minority rights of Hungarian's in W Ukraine.

UA stated it will not ask for EU countries to deport mobilization-age UA males back to UA, as this would violate democratic values.

3 medical commissions in Chernivtsi reportedly were offering medical deferments for $6000 a person.

A Hungarian far-right party leader stated that in the event of "the termination of Ukraine's statehood as a result of the war," Hungary would claim Transcarpathia.

Per the Financial Times, The EU is developing a plan to sabotage Hungary's economy via currency devaluation and lack of financial aid, in the event Hungary continues to block aid to UA.

Per the ISW, RU is attempting to destabilize Moldova


Kyiv/ Central Ukraine:

Rumors swirled today that UA CiC Zaluzhny would be removed from his position and potentially replaced with Budanov. The MoD and UA Presidential office both denied these rumors, which allegedly began after a private conversation between Zaluzhny and Zelensky was leaked by former UA President Poroshenko's political bloc. Zaluzhny, as the face of the ZSU, is markedly more popular then the current UA governmental parties, and his prospective dismissal met with blowback from UA military/milbloggers online.

Oleksandr Liev, formerly of the the UA MoD procurement section, was denied bail in an ongoing corruption case. He was responsible for embezzling approximately $40 million USD in mortar shell purchases from a Lviv defense manufacturer, who then did not supply any ammo despite receiving the funds in August of 2022. He was discovered as part of an ongoing 4-month military procurement audit.

UA is exploring opening up UA-language study coursework for soldiers who are predominantly fluent in Russian.

Inspectors from the US DoD and State Dept have arrived in Kyiv for a working visit.

Zelensky stated he expects a "fair law" on mobilization to give adequate rotation to existing soldiers, and stated that the street-kidnapping style mobilizations are inappropriate and should not occur. The UA MoD will be conducting unannounced inspections at recruiting offices, as well as food warehouses to ensure purchased supplies were provided.

UA's Training commander stated that the ZSU was prepared to train several hundred thousand new recruits, and pointed out that assault infantry was the most complex and most in need speciality.

The UA government is allocating some $6.8 Billion USD for domestic production and supply of weaponry, equipment, and ammo over 2024.

Per Zelensky, the UA military has 880,000 active military personnel in contrast to 617,000 RU soldiers claimed by Putin as being involved.

Zelensky made his financial documents public for 2021 and 2022, showing his family income decreased from $285,000 USD to $98,000.


Sumy/Chernihiv/Kharkiv city region:

RU shelled the Sumy border region, killing 3 people in their homes. RU recon ops apparently have increased, where a recon group shot dead a traveling brother/sister duo in their vehicle a few KM from the RU border.

The UA Coordination Headquarters for POW treatment was targeted via a hacking operation, apparently seeking to destroy POW transfer details following the IL-76 shootdown which RU alleges carried UA POW's.

Azovstal family members announced they will suspend demonstrations until there is more info about the nature of the IL-76 shootdown, to not play into RU disinfo ops.


Kupyansk/East Kharkiv/Kreminna:

RU attempted 7 assaults towards Synkivka. RU appears to have made marginal gains of several hundred meters here through a forested region here, as UA drones continue to target RU vehicles.

UA denied RU claims of sweeping gains along the E Highway near Krokhmalne, stating that positional battles over tiny villages are ongoing.

RU attempted 4 assaults SW of Kreminna in the forestry region.


Kramatorsk/Bakhmut:

RU attempted 3 attacks near Ivanivske, taking some territory along the highway SW of Bakhmut. RU shelling continues heavily W of Kliischivka.

UA shelling targeted RU MLRS S of Bakhmut, near Horlivka.


Avdiivka:

UA repelled 8 assaults near Avdiivka, and 5 near Pervomaiske.

UA troops successfully counter-assaulted the recent RU gains to the SE of Avdiivka, retaking territory back to the former line of contact around a forest restaurant. RU forces had surged through over the weekend via using a tunnel to bypass UA positions, but were unable to reinforce their new positions thereafter.

A 59 year old woman was killed by artillery during the day in Avdiivka. Fewer then 1000 people remain.


Donetsk/Luhansk occupied regions:

A total of 135 children and their parents are under mandatory evacuation from 9 frontline villages near Marinka, and will be relocated to the Zhytomyr and Zakarpattia regions.

RU fired 6 S-300 missiles at Myrnohrad in Donetsk. 10 miners were briefly trapped underground due to power failure before being rescued.

RU advanced to the S of Marinka, NE of Novomykhailivka. RU is attempting to push towards Konstantinyvka to the SW of Marinka here.


Zaporizhia/Southern Axis:

RU launched 126 attacks on 18 settlements along the southern front, including 37 drones. At least 2 residential buildings were destroyed.

RU attempted 1 assault near the former counteroffensive zone around Robotyne. RU is reportedly increasing its drone usage in the south, with over 80 drones used in a single day along the whole southern front, primarily closer to Kherson.

RU continues to shell Nikopol from Enerhodar.


Kherson:

RU attempted 8 assaults towards Krynky, which resulted in heavy RU losses and no appreciable gain.

RU struck Berislav apartments with a missile, partially collapsing an apartment block. RU fired 89 barrages into the Kherson region over the last day.

Over 200 villages in S Kherson are reportedly without electricity due to lack of infrastructure repair and maintenance by RU occupations authorities. Additionally, a significant number of medical facilities have closed down or been converted entirely into RU military hospitals with skeleton crews running care.

RU attacked Mykolaiv and Central UA with Shahed drones, with 8 intercepted and several buildings damaged from debris. RU is launching drones from the Kinburn peninsula SW of Kherson.


Odessa/Black Sea/Crimea:

UA partisans have determined that there is an increase in RU troops in Dzhankoy, Crimea.

A UA platoon commander who extorted his men $125 for a day off, and threatened his troops with violence otherwise, was arrested in August and is due to be publicly tried soon in Odesa.

UA's Naval commander stated that his current goals are to expand and secure access to UA ports, and diminish RU BSF operations. He emphasized that RU is wary of heavy naval losses, and thus can be forced into the E Black sea without needing to lose its whole fleet. He additionally stated that a lack of targeting restrictions on western munitions would drastically alter the war, and jokingly suggested that UA would be happy to take over 2 UK warships that might be withdrawn from service to staffing issues.

RU increased its posture in the Black sea, with 2 frigates and 2 submarines afloat, carrying approximately 24 Kalibr missiles.


Russia:

A UA drone attacked an RU oil refinery in Yaroslav, some 700km from UA. The drone was reportedly intercepted by EW, and a small fire was put out by plant staff.

India is reportedly weaning itself off RU military supplies along with oil exports, after RU's production ability for exports decreased massively. Currently IN will require RU spares for maintenance and repair until approximately 2040, as the majority of their equipment is from RU.

Investigative reporters revealed that the FSB recruited Tatiana Zdanoka, a Latvian EU parliamentarian, in 2004.

Putin is supposedly preparing a visit to Turkey in February.


General:

Over the last day UA forces conducted 6 airstrikes and RU forces 64 air strikes (including drones) and 7 missile strikes.

Yesterday Ukrainian forces eliminated:
1070x troops (383,180 in total)
25x APC
10x Tank
0x Air defense
16x Artillery (0x MLRS)
0x Aircraft
20x vehicles
0x UAV

Over the last week, UA eliminated 6080 soldiers and 952 pieces of equipment:

99 tanks;
205 APC
222 artillery
4 MLRS
5 SAM
241 vehicles
44 units of special equipment.


Overseas:

Rheinmetall will build a new ammo plant for supplying shells to UA.

France stated they will be able to supply 3000 155mm shells per month to UA.

The Netherlands is allocating 122 million Euros for weapons purchases and cyber defense.

Greece is reportedly preparing an aid package to UA comprised of legacy Soviet air defense systems no longer in use.

EU Ambassadors have reportedly given the greenlight to placing frozen RU assets (specifically windfall profits of the frozen funds) in an Escrow account, with potential transference to UA thereafter.

Latvia's parliament has submitted a bill to ban grain imports from RU and Belarus.

South Korea will help rebuild damaged water infrastructure per a sideline agreement at COP28.

UA and Canada are concluding a bilateral security agreement.

Estonia plans to return a UA collection of Scythian gold and coins which was stolen from Crimea in 2018, and later seized from a Latvian national.