Weekly Ukraine war summary: Russian volunteers reported to last “two weeks to a month” at the front as Moscow mounts offensive on Kurakhove

Additionally, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, HUR, claimed a strike on the Saratov Oil Refinery, located 600 kilometers (373 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border. The local governor — as is customary — reported that there had been cases of falling debris from intercepted drones. No hard data on the incident has emerged so far.

Losses

Russian Major General Pavel Klimenko, commander of the 5th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, was killed in the combat zone. It was later revealed that he and a group of military personnel on motorcycles had come under an FPV (first-person view) drone attack. The wounded general was taken to a hospital in Russian-occupied Donetsk, where he died. Earlier, Klimenko's subordinates tortured to death American volunteer Russell Bentley, whose call sign was “Texas.”

Propagandist Anastasia Kashevarova drew attention to a post by the Autonomous Nonprofit Organization Women's Front, which helps participants of Russia’s so-called “special military operation” and their families. The post noted the short “life span” of a Russian stormtrooper on the front lines, citing it as often being “from two weeks to a month.” As she points out, whereas one recruit costs Russia 6-12 million rubles ($61,000 to $122,500), their combat efficiency “is approaching zero.”

Russian commanders are threatening to deploy 17 servicemen suffering from viral hepatitis C to the front lines — despite the threat to others and an explicit ban on carriers of the disease taking part in combat operations. Soldiers of the 1428th Motorized Rifle and 95th Rifle regiments were refused medical board examination, after which they recorded a video address and complained to the Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office. The author of the Telegram channel “Vault 8” says that HIV, hepatitis, and tuberculosis patients, as well as drug addicts, are increasingly being sent to them as reinforcements. He describes the situation as “a blatant violation of every conceivable standard of medical service.”

Russian pro-war channel Fighterbomber reported the loss of a Ka-52 helicopter, with the pilot in command killed and the flight navigator surviving the incident. A photo of the helicopter with a brief condolence message was also published by the Telegram channel Aviahub. Russian Army Aviation pilot Alexei Voevoda's channel (Voevoda Veshchaet) confirmed the loss, adding that the surviving crew member had ejected from the aircraft. According to Voevoda, this is the seventh helicopter crew member who has rescued himself in this way.

Weapons and military vehicles

Last week, the U.S. announced another military aid package under the PDA (Presidential Drawdown Authority), which, in addition to the usual — ammunition for artillery, air defense, and HIMARS — included Stryker armored personnel carriers (APCs), bringing the total number of delivered APCs of this type to 400 units. Also this week, another Ukrainian unit — one of the battalions within the 100th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade — was revealed to have been armed with Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. Notably, the U.S. Department of State previously provided funding for 800 mobile air defense teams. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is faced with the objective of spending the remaining $6 billion in approved military aid to Ukraine before Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

The German government — despite the recent collapse of its ruling coalition and the absence of an approved budget — will still be able to allocate the pledged €4 billion in military aid for Ukraine in 2025.

This week also saw the announcements of new military aid packages from Ukraine’s Western partners:

• Canada will deliver the first of the pledged NASAMS air defense systems to Ukraine by the end of 2024.
• Australia will supply the AFU with 14 military boats.
• The French company Thales will begin producing FZ123 anti-drone rockets in Ukraine.
• Estonia's Frankenburg Technologies has delivered another anti-drone missile for testing by Ukrainian forces.

Russia's defense industry has delivered another batch of TOS-1A “Solntsepek” multiple rocket launchers — these equipped with protective “grills” and explosive reactive armor. Despite sanctions, Russian defense companies are continuing to acquire Western equipment and even provide services to NATO-member security forces — and gaining information on the locations of the bloc’s military bases across Europe.

Meanwhile, following a series of investigations by The Insider, the government of Taiwan has announced it will completely halt the export of industrial machine tools to Russia. However, Russian troops have received North Korean-made Type 73 machine guns, which have proven effective in various conflicts, and they continue to be supplied with munitions from the DPRK — a crucial bit of help given the near depletion of Moscow’s Soviet-era stockpiles, even if the quality of North Korean munitions remains subpar.

Russia’s frontline innovators are continuing to display modifications to military and civilian vehicles, with the following spotted this week: a buggy based on the VAZ-2101 (“Zhiguli”) 4-door sedan nicknamed the “Faramobile,” a T-90 tank with bricks in its reactive armor blocks, and a T-72B tank with additional protection made from rubber conveyor belt segments that resemble roll-up blinds.