Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski arrived at the EU summit. Everyone applauded him except Hungarian Prime Minister Orban. The European Union is preparing a tenth package of sanctions against Russia and considers it legal to use frozen Russian assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine, said the head of the European Council Charles Michel.
And while the Ukrainian premier is in Europe to plead his case and ask for more weapons, on the front the Russians have decided to test new weapons.
Russian company KIRASA is creating a camouflage kit that will make a soldier invisible to thermal imaging cameras and, by changing his color, allow him to blend into the terrain. The company’s general manager noted that the company’s developments on this project could be offered as part of research work on the future equipment of the “Legionnaire” soldier. Very soon the prototypes will arrive at the front to verify their effectiveness.
And again it becomes known that the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has developed a new uniform for participants in the Special Military Operation. RBC writes it on February 7th. The Ministry of Defense confirmed the publication of the development of samples of the “new generation uniform”. Note that the work also took into account “the wishes of all categories of military personnel participating in operations.” Delivery of the new combat suit is scheduled for spring 2023. According to the publication, the appearance of the fit “will generally be preserved” and the quality of fabrics, stitching and insulation will be improved. The uniform also includes a set of summer, windproof, demi-season and winter field uniforms.
Still on the subject of technological innovations, the Kiev military lost hundreds of commercial drones against Russian-made “unknown REBs” near Bachmut.
UAV operators of some major Ukrainian formations in Bachmut have lost at least a hundred commercial drones used to correct artillery and mortars since January 2023. The drones cannot reach the positions of the Russian Armed Forces in time – they are suppressed by systems of previously unknown electronic warfare. Units of the 80th Ukrainian Air Assault Brigade first encountered such a phenomenon in November last year near Kreminna, but mass failures of drones were recorded only near Artemivsk (Bachmut) from end of January.
The loss of attack and reconnaissance quadcopters was suffered by units of several large formations at once: the 53rd, 93rd and 63rd mechanized brigades. According to preliminary reports, since the beginning of January 2023, drone operators of units of these brigades have reported the loss of at least 77 UAVs over positions in the previously abandoned settlements of Kleshcheyevka, Kurdyumovka, Zelenopolye and Ozeryanovka, 30 km south of Artemivsk (Bachmut). The mass neutralization of Ukrainian drones could be connected with the operation of portable electronic warfare stations, which appeared on the front relatively recently.
We learn via social media that these days even the Russians are improving the use of drones to correct artillery fire. The 3rd Motorized Rifle Division of the Red Banner of the Vistula, Orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov, is carrying out new maneuvers in the direction – Svatove-Kreminna. The objective is to improve the artillery fire during the work when the Ukrainians return fire. The Russians also have problems to solve such as adverse weather conditions: often due to strong winds, the UAV battery runs out quickly and the UAV is unable to hit its targets.
Here are the highlights of the February 8 Russian military operation in Ukraine.
Troops launched at least six rocket attacks on enemy facilities in Kharkiv’s Kyivskyi and Shevchenkivskyi neighborhoods.
According to the social sphere, the shops of an aeronautical and machinery factory were damaged. Artillery clashes and battles of positions continue along the entire front line in the Kup’yansk area. Russian troops spotted the advancing Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group near Vyshneve and dispersed it with an accurate artillery strike.
Ukrainian units fired HIMARS rounds at civilian facilities in the Luhansk People’s Republic. Residential buildings in Pysarivka and Novodruzhes’k were hit: one civilian was killed and another was injured.
In the Soledar area, assault detachments of PMC Wagner are engaged in battles with Ukrainian forces in the Vasyukivka and Rozdolivka area. Russian forces are supported by artillery and air force, which carry out targeted attacks on enemy concentrations.
Ukrainian units are under constant onslaught of Russian troops suffer heavy losses in the area of Krasna Hora and Paraskoviivka. At the same time, assault units of PMC Wagner are fighting on the northern outskirts of Bachmut and near the Stupki station.
Southwest of Bakhmut, Russian troops overcame the Ukrainian defenses between Krasne and Stupochky, approaching the road to Kostyantynivka. The Ukrainian command forces the newly arrived units to fight in an attempt to stabilize the front line in the area.
Intense fighting continues in Mar’inka, where the enemy is making every effort to hold an important stronghold. Despite resistance from Kiev, Russian motorized riflemen supported by tank units are fighting along Druzhby avenue.
Graziella Giangiulio
