Impact of the attack on the pumping station at Ust-Luga. Click to see the full-size image
On January 21, forces of the Kyiv regime launched an artillery strike with 152mm and 155mm munitions on Donetsk city. The strike the hit the Kirov District in the southwest of the city killed at least 25 civilians and wounded at least 20 others.
Many of the injured are in a serious condition, including with “penetrating wounds in the area of vital organs and traumatic amputation of limbs,” Denis Pushilin, the governor of the Donetsk People’s Republic, said commenting on the attack.
The mayor of Donetsk, Aleksey Kulemzin, described the situation as “another dark day in the history of the city.” According to him, Kyiv’s forces “wickedly” decided to bring death and destruction on the civilians of Donetsk to avenge failures on the battlefield.
Click to see the full-size image
Click to see the full-size image
The frontline of the conflict still remains close to the city of Donetsk. Pro-Kyiv units regularly carry out indiscriminate strikes on residential areas of the city enjoying the NATO-supported freedom of killing civilians there.
The Kyiv regime celebrated the start of 2024 with a new round of strikes on Donetsk that took place shortly after midnight on January 1, Four civilians were killed in that attack. In the following weeks the strikes continued.
Earlier this week, 6 civilians were wounded in the strike of the town of Gorlovka. A kindergarten and a hotel were among the targets.
However, the attacks on Donetsk and other cities in the region of Donbass were only a part of the larger wave of strikes launched by the NATO-backed regime.
On January 21, a suspected drone attack damaged two tankers and a pumping station in the port of Ust-Luga in the Leningrad region. Russian natural gas producer Novatek confirmed that a large fire at a terminal on the Baltic Sea operated was caused by an “external impact.”
“There were no injuries, no threat to human life or health. Currently, the fire has been extinguished, and specialists from the enterprise, emergency response services and the Ministry of Emergency Situations are monitoring the residual burnout of hydrocarbons,” Russia’s second-largest national gas producer reported.
The targeted area is based in the Gulf of Finland some 170km west of St. Petersburg and 35km from the Estonian border. The Ust-Luga complex focuses on processing stable gas condensate into light and heavy naphtha, jet fuel, fuel oil, and gasoil. The products processed at its 12 terminals are shipped to international markets through the nearby port.
Local media reported that at least two drones were spotted in the area before the incident.
At the same day, the Russian Armed Forces shot down five AFU drones over the Smolensk region and at least 3 missiles, that apparently were trying to reach Crimea, over the Black Sea.
A day earlier, on January 20, Russian forces repelled a drone attack on facilities in Orel region and shot down four drones over Tula region. These drone strikes followed an attack on the oil depot near the city of Bryansk with a drone on January 19.
The attacks on Russian territory intensified as forces of the NATO-backed regime experience more and more difficulties on the frontline around Donetsk and Kremennaya. As of January 21, the advancing Russian units liberated the village of Krahmalnoe in Kharkov Region and broke through the Ukrainian defense line in Avdiivka entering the key area around Donetsk. Clashes there are ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry released a fresh detailed report on the progress of the special military operation:
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kupyansk direction, as a result of successful actions of the Zapad Group of Forces units, Krakhmalnoye (Kharkov region) was liberated.
The Group’s aviation and artillery repelled seven attacks launched by units of the AFU 25th, 32nd, 60th mechanised brigades, and 1st Ukrainian National Guard Brigade near Sinkovka (Kharkov region), Terni (Donetsk People’s Republic), and Kolomyichikha (Lugansk People’s Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 55 Ukrainian troops and two motor vehicles.
In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces supported by artillery repelled three attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 21st and 63rd mechanised brigades near Yampolovka (Donetsk People’s Republic) and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People’s Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 80 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, and one D-20 howitzer.
In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces supported by artillery repelled two attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 47th Mechanised Brigade and 5th Assault Brigade near Kirovo and Kleshcheyevka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Moreover, manpower and hardware of the AFU 81st Airmobile Brigade, 22nd, 24th, 28th, and 93rd mechanised brigades were struck near Grigorovka, Belogorovka, Krasnoye, Andreyevka, and Kurdyumovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 310 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, seven motor vehicles, one D-20 howitzer, and one Grad MLRS combat vehicle.
In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery repelled one attack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade near Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
Manpower of the AFU 79th Air Assault Brigade was struck near Paraskoveyevka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 70 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.
putin lies of civilian protection actually led to every day blood flow of russians in the hands of usa,britin,france and germany organise,monitor and satelite control ukraine war.just as in syria were erdogan and israel kills syrians.
most of blame – pathetic russian armed forces including amateurish russian airpower. even mr kinzal was no more than overhyped impotent jerk. could kim of north korea give some help? or houthi? better for andrei martynov to just listen pink floyd and forget sad rf military power.
rf create a dmz following the line from kharkiv to transnistria. increase the pressure on all frontlines, because when 1 domino falls, the enemy front collapses within the whole area of the dmz. morale is low and corrupt leadership will do the rest. these attacks on civilians are done because kiev knows everything is falling apart.
it’s a desperate act that shines a light on their desperate situation.
>these attacks on civilians are done because kiev knows everything is falling apart
by that logic the war should have been over 10 years ago. these attacks are done because the leadership are deranged lunatics and the people behind the trigger are worthless ukro slaves.
this is war you retards.
russia is just like the u.s.
why don’t you stop being like the u.s. and whining because people fight back.
if the russians had self respect, they would have carpet bombed ukraine to smithereens long ago.
deaths of civilians doesn’t matter in their zionist game.
they are all pro zionism.
all bridges across dniepr river are still there and equipment and troops freely go from west to east of ukraine. for some reason (i think because of gas flow to west), russians haven’t destroyed those bridges for almost 2 years now. for putin it is more important to take $$ from eu than to finish the war and stop killing of his own people
russian military is so weak.
the us/nato backed ukrainian army cannot fight the russian army so they fight the russian civilians instead. there’s no glory or satisfaction in that. if there is, then you’re a maniac who shouldn’t be let loose without a escort. you are also likely to cop a long prison sentence.
true, but it is russian political authorities who is to blame. they should stop saying that they will not respond symmetrically targeting civilians in ukraine. russian military should strike western military – us, british and french – targets that provide coordinates to ukies. bombing of donetsk is macron´s revenge for his mercs killed.
president putin isn’t a murderer. he has restraint, which is very important in a world leader. the kiev junta lost lots of support when they began bombing civilians. it would be that also if russian forces did the same. when western military do make it to ukraine, they don’t last long.
‘the kiev junta lost lots of support when they began bombing civilians.’
on the contrary!! kyv puppets have killed donbass civilians non stop since 2014, as a result the west provided $bns to strengthen urkranzi forces. the west”s aim is to destroy rus and its culture (inc language), it is 100% behind kyv fscst terrorists.
russian military can’t defend its cities. ukie drones ridiculing rf air defence system.
it is a huge territory, no wonder some drones and missiles can penetrate it. yet the effect of this “revenge strikes” is, from military perspective and given the final outcome of the conflict, marginal. we will be wiser after seeing how germany, britain, usa, balts and scandinavian states will defend themselves once the right time comes and russia will unleash its full might and power on them irrespective of the former´s civilian casualties.
ukrozzzz military can’t defend its cities. rf drones ridiculing patriot air defence system.
putin claimed that europeans are freezing but in realitity europeans are living in warm nice houses while russian people are freezing with very low indoor temperature in their shitholes. the natural gas as weaponry of kreml has been pure farce.
sir, with all due respect, you are dumb.
i just wonder why the author spell kiev kyiv?
russian air defense has no “anti-backdoor protection.” putin should play dota2 more or try playing league of legends.
rooskies are more desperate than ukies.
putin and peskov: “europe, winter has come.”
russians people: “da, we know and we are freezing”
europeans living in nice, clean and warm houses. russians lacking indoor toilets, shitting outside in – 40 c temperature. what a “super power”.
anxious inferior moron inferior to russian obsessed with toilet and shit
we senile nazi humiliated by superior russian—we writ at souffront cuz we impotent latent homosexual like dumb hillbilly in amerika…stupid finn now double need for mental health treatment like submissive dane