Russian invasion of Ukraine: Day 660

Summary for Friday, 15th December 2023 - DAY 660

• Russia launched 14 drones at Ukraine overnight, all of which were shot down, the Ukrainian air force wrote on Telegram on Friday morning.
  
  
• Japan has unveiled new sanctions on Russia, Belarus and organisations in the UAE, Armenia, Syria and Uzkekistan, over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. In total, Japan has now applied export bans on 494 Russian organisations and 27 Belarusian.
  
  
• The EU has decided to open membership negotiations with Ukraine, in an unexpected move that will be a critical boost to Volodymyr Zelenskiy and deal a blow to Vladimir Putin. The announcement, made on Thursday after eight hours of tense negotiations in Brussels, came despite the opposition of Hungary, whose prime minister, Viktor Orbán, had for weeks said it would veto any opening of accession talks.
  
  
• After hours of talks, Orbán walked out the room as leaders formally made the decision to open accession talks – thus getting unanimity. The Hungarian prime minister said: “Hungary does not want to share in this bad decision, and for this reason Hungary did not participate in the decision today.”
  
  
• Zelenskiy said: “This is a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe. A victory that motivates, inspires, and strengthens.”
  
  
• Putin held his annual end-of-the-year press conference for the first time since launching the invasion, saying “there will only be peace in Ukraine when we achieve our aims”, seeking to project confidence in his war machine.
  
  
• Putin also said he was open to repairing relations with Europe and the US but added that Russia had done nothing wrong in its invasion of Ukraine. He blamed the west for “spoiling relations” with Russia.
  
  
• The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested in Russia on espionage charges, lost an appeal on Thursday to be released from jail and must remain in custody until at least 30 January.
  
  
• The Guardian visited Avdiivka. After almost a decade on the frontline, the city is a wreck, with just 1,200 people left, but it remains of huge symbolic value.
  

The Armed Forces of Ukraine smashed an armored group of the invaders near the village of Synkivka

In the Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian military smashed the Russian armored group that attacked the village of Synkivka.

Neutralized Russian armored vehicles near the village of Synkivka in the Kharkiv region. December 2023. Ukraine. Photo credits: "Dvorichna - Ivan Chornyi"

In the “Dvorichna – Ivan Chornyi” Telegram group, the military said that the attack was carried out recently.
The Russian command, for storming Ukrainian positions, sent at least 9 armored vehicles with infantry.
The armored group included infantry fighting vehicles and tanks, which were used to bring infantry to the village and cover it.

An armored group of the Russian invaders is heading to storm the village of Synkivka in the Kharkiv region. December 2023. Ukraine. A frame from the video of the “Dvorichna – Ivan Chornyi” military” group

On the outskirts of the village, armored vehicles landed a landing force and began to retreat under fire from Ukrainian forces.
However, three Russian BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles were hitted and abandoned.



Then the Russian infantry engaged in a small arms battle with the Ukrainian military inside the village.

The Ukrainian military in close combat repelled the Russian assault and then neutralized one armored vehicle and a tank.

A neutralized Russian armored vehicle near the village of Synkivka in the Kharkiv region. December 2023. Ukraine. Photo credits: “Dvorichna – Ivan Chornyi”


A neutralized Russian armored vehicle near the village of Synkivka in the Kharkiv region. December 2023. Ukraine. Photo credits: “Dvorichna – Ivan Chornyi”


Eliminated Russian soldiers near the village of Synkivka in the Kharkiv region. December 2023. Ukraine. Photo credits: “Dvorichna – Ivan Chornyi”


Eliminated Russian soldiers near the village of Synkivka in the Kharkiv region. December 2023. Ukraine. Photo credits: “Dvorichna – Ivan Chornyi”

“At least 5 armored vehicles and numerous losses in manpower were suffered by the Russians during the morning attack on Synkivka,” the military said.
It is also worth noting that the invaders poorly landed a landing force, during which Russians IFVs retreating grabbed their soldiers and dragged them along.



Volodymyr Fityo, Chief Public Relations Officer of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Command, said that the enemy is trying to advance with all his forces and is pulling up reserves from his assault detachments in order to continue his offensive attempts.

Synkivka on the unofficial map of hostilities

On the question what strategic interest Synkivka was to the invaders, Fityo replied: “Synkivka may be the future bridgehead for a further offensive against the city of Kupyansk itself; not as Synkivka itself, as the city of Kupyansk itself is important both logistically and reputationally.”

Two explosions rock temporarily occupied Mariupol, occupier weapons & air defense systems destroyed

Explosions rocked the temporarily occupied city of Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast late in the evening on Dec. 14.

Fearing death, Russian soldiers spend hours lying next to their dead comrades pretending to be dead

Russian soldiers near Avdiivka spend hours lying next to the bodies of the dozens of their dead comrades in an effort to not join their newly deceased fellow invaders, deputy commander of Ukraine’s 25th storm battalion, Ivan Smaga, told The Guardian on Dec. 15.
Avdiivka (Photo:REUTERS/Yevhen Titov)

“There are dozens of bodies. They try to advance. We kill them. They send more,” said Smaga.
“To begin with, it was groups of 10 men. Now it’s one or two or three without support. Their commander uses them like live meat,” he said.
Thrown into the fight, the enemy is using inventive methods to survive. Some crawled on the icy ground, others dug holes ‘like mice.” And some pretended to be dead, spending hours lying next to the bodies of fallen colleagues.
“We watch them,” said Smaga. “They lie under warm bodies. Eventually they get up to move.” Ukrainian drones and artillery shoot them down, Smaga added.
Ukrainian defenders are holding on, Smaga said, adding that while the Russians could be “idiots,” they have “more of everything”.
This encompasses a concentration of 40,000 soldiers at the Avdiivka front, along with tanks, Soviet-era MT-LB armored combat vehicles, and 152mm artillery guns. Since the end of summer his unit has been receiving a reduced supply of ammunition, Smaga noted.
“We have enough ammunition to defend against attacks. But if they continue to advance, we will need much more,” he said.
Russians attempted to storm Avdiivka, launching several mechanized columns at the town but lost 80% of their equipment, Ukraine’s Tavria Operational Command spokesperson, Oleksandr Shtupun, said on Nov. 22.
Russia had significantly increased the number of assault actions under Avdiivka, Shtupun reported.
The Russian invaders have lost about 10,000 soldiers during a month of active assaults on Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, reported.
Invading forces are losing soldiers and equipment at Avdiivka “faster and on a larger scale than, for example, at Bakhmut,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Pope Francis has denounced the deaths of thousands of children in a “whirlwind of violence” in Ukraine, the Gaza Strip and Yemen

Melitopol guerrillas disrupt key Russian supply route, bomb freight train carrying ammunition & fuel

SBU investigates grenade attack on Zakarpattia village council

Investigators from Ukraine’s SBU security service have initiated an inquiry into the setting off of grenades inside the premises of the Keretskivska Village Council in Zakarpattia Oblast, the SBU press service told NV on Dec. 15.

The incident took place in the premises of the Keretsk village council (Mukachevo district of Zakarpattia Oblast) (Photo:National Police)

The actions of the man who caused the explosions are classified as a terrorist act under Article 258 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code.
A joint investigative and operational group from the SBU, National Police, and the prosecutor’s office is actively working at the scene.
Urgent measures are being taken to clarify all the circumstances of the crime, including identifying eyewitnesses and event participants, as well as determining the motives of the perpetrator.
Additionally, the SBU noted that the National Police is conducting an additional investigation into this crime under the article pertaining to the illegal handling of weapons, ammunition, or explosives.
A member of the Keretskivska Village Council in the Mukachevo district, Zakarpattia, detonated grenades during a session on Dec. 15.
According to the Main Department of the National Police in Zakarpattia, based on preliminary information, 26 people were injured in the blasts, with six in critical condition.
Media reports indicated that the perpetrator was identified as councilor Serhiy Batryn from the Servant of the People party.

Closing summary

• Hungary’s president, Viktor Orbán, vetoed a €50bn EU aid package to Ukraine, just hours after Kyiv had celebrated the bloc taking the symbolic step of agreeing to open membership talks. Ukraine was counting on the funds to help its damaged economy survive in the coming year.
  
  
• The Kremlin said that Ukraine’s accession into the EU was a very remote prospect and Brussels’ initiatives on that were just an expression of political support for Kyiv. Neither Ukraine nor Moldova, another former Soviet republic seeking accession, match EU’s strict criteria and letting Kyiv in could destabilise the bloc, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a briefing.
  
  
• Russia launched 14 drones at Ukraine overnight, all of which were shot down, the Ukrainian air force wrote on Telegram on Friday morning.
  
  
• Japan has unveiled new sanctions on Russia, Belarus and organisations in the UAE, Armenia, Syria and Uzkekistan, over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. In total, Japan has now applied export bans on 494 Russian organisations and 27 Belarusian.
  
  
• The EU has decided to open membership negotiations with Ukraine, in an unexpected move that will be a critical boost to Volodymyr Zelenskiy and deal a blow to Vladimir Putin. The announcement, made on Thursday after eight hours of tense negotiations in Brussels, came despite the opposition of Hungary, whose prime minister, Viktor Orbán, had for weeks said it would veto any opening of accession talks.
  
  
• After hours of talks, Orbán walked out the room as leaders formally made the decision to open accession talks – thus getting unanimity. The Hungarian prime minister said: “Hungary does not want to share in this bad decision, and for this reason Hungary did not participate in the decision today.”
  
  
• Zelenskiy said: “This is a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe. A victory that motivates, inspires, and strengthens.”
  
  
• Putin held his annual end-of-the-year press conference for the first time since launching the invasion, saying “there will only be peace in Ukraine when we achieve our aims”, seeking to project confidence in his war machine.
  
  
• Putin also said he was open to repairing relations with Europe and the US but added that Russia had done nothing wrong in its invasion of Ukraine. He blamed the west for “spoiling relations” with Russia.
  
  
• The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested in Russia on espionage charges, lost an appeal on Thursday to be released from jail and must remain in custody until at least 30 January.
  
  
• The Guardian visited Avdiivka. After almost a decade on the frontline, the city is a wreck, with just 1,200 people left, but it remains of huge symbolic value.