HISTORY

The air war over Ukraine

Old ways pass to the New Year

Text: Miro Barič

A Ukrainian A1-SM Furia drone with the designation 610 and serial number ACM13072 was shot down near Kreminnaya, Luhansk area, on January 31.

During the reported period, from January 1 to February 1,

2023, the offensive operations were expected by either side.

The large-scale maneuvers however did not take place. The

Russians stubbornly launched mass assaults against the

well-fortified positions, with the poor results that could be

expected.

The new year started with so far, the

largest one-time loss on the Russian

side The Russian command demonstrated

the great negligence when hundreds of

drafted soldiers were concentrated in the

unprotected and unreinforced building

of the former high school in Makiivka in

Donetsk region. All this regardless the

fact that for several months the building

exactly like this have been targets of the

highly efficient missiles fired from the

HIMARS rocket launchers. On the top of

it, there was an ammunition dump in the

building basement and uncamouflaged

vehicles parked around the building. There

was no secret that the building housed

hundreds of soldiers. The result was

a disaster at an unheard-of scale, even

by Russian standards. On the New Year

the building was hit by rockets and the

carnage was topped by the explosion of

the stored ammunition. The former school

completely collapsed which is confirmed

by videos published on the Russian

channels. According to the Ukrainian and

Western estimates between 300 and 400

soldiers were killed. Even the Russian

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Department of Defense had to admit to the

Makiivka attack. Otherwise, it covers up

the Russian own losses. It was announced

that 89 soldiers perished, the highest loss

the Russians have admitted to so far. Such

a Russian confirmation is unusual and

indicates that the real losses were high

in fact.

from the borders of the Kharkov region

in the north to the Zaporozhe region in

the south. After a half year long effort

the Russians achieved a breakthrough

at Bakhmut. In the beginning of January,

they took advantage of the failed rotation

of the Ukrainian troops and captured the

little town of Soledar north of Bakhmut.

After that the Ukrainians deployed the

reinforcements and blocked the Russian

advance. The pressure on the town

continued from three different directions

however and at this time Bakhmut was

still holding on. The Russian attempts

at capturing the city of Vuhledar further

south of Bakhmut, failed spectacularly.

The Russian troop were chaotically

A drive for an offensive

Since the fall rains started practically

everybody has waited for the weather

change, for the ground to freeze, so as

the larger scale operations could be

resumed. The Ukrainians were on alert for

the anticipated large Russian offensive.

Unlike a year ago the massive attack did

not materialize. The Russians have lost too

many combat vehicles. Even though they

are being replenished from the reserves

the level of training of the drafted soldiers

to operate this equipment is low and

the whole logistics is in the shambles.

Instead of the massive concentrations of

its forces the Russian Army attempted

the attacks executed by the smaller

groups at the various sectors of the front,

This Russian Ch-101 missile crashed after launch while

still on its own territory near Ulan-Khola, 140 km from

Astrakhan.

March 2023