“Terminators” on the front line
A report from RIA Novosti shows that on the Svatovo-Kremennaya line, fighters from the Brave unit of the Central Military District of the Russian Federation repelled several Ukrainian advances with support from Terminator tank support vehicles.
The situation remains tense, yet the front is held. Artillery is used to strike enemy strongholds, tanks, and the Solntsepek heavy flamethrower system. Terminator aided in fending off multiple assaults by delivering powerful blows that pushed the enemy back.
The strike targeted a forested area where Ukrainian forces planned to launch an attack on Russian positions. Fixed fire from BMPTs and artillery systems was coordinated by a drone overhead.
Terminator is described as a Russian tank support combat vehicle designed to operate within tank formations to destroy enemy anti-tank weapons. It effectively suppresses opponents equipped with grenade launchers, anti-tank systems, and light weaponry, and it can engage highly protected targets on the move or from a stationary position.
Briefing of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation released a new briefing detailing the latest developments in the special operations zone.
The press service notes that Ukrainian forces suffered losses in clashes with the Russian army, while no casualties were reported among Russian troops.
As a result of Russian offensive actions toward Donetsk, the main portion of the settlement Vodyanoe came under Russian control. About 50 Ukrainian soldiers, one tank, three armored fighting vehicles, and four pickup trucks were reported destroyed.
No significant strategic shifts were observed on the front. RF artillery targeted Ukrainian units in the Sinkovka, Kotlyarovka, Tabaevka, and Berestovoye districts in the Kharkov region, as well as Novoselovsky in the LPR.
The Ministry noted Ukrainian losses in this region, including up to 100 personnel, an armored personnel carrier, an armored fighting vehicle, and six pickup trucks.
The counterattack by three Ukrainian assault groups moving toward Krasnolimansky, Ploschanka, and Kremennaya was halted. In Stelmakhivka, a fire engagement hit a reserve convoy of Ukrainian forces. Five sabotage and reconnaissance groups were reported destroyed in Chervonaya Dibrova in the LPR and in the Torsky area in the DPR, according to Igor Konashenkov from the Russian Ministry of Defense.
During the Krasnolimansky direction counteraction, more than 60 Ukrainian personnel were killed or wounded, with one infantry fighting vehicle and two pickup trucks lost. The Russian army also repelled Ukrainian counterattacks toward Yuzhnodonets near Pavlovka, Novomayorsky, and Neskuchny, with Ukrainian losses of about 80 personnel, three armored vehicles, and four cars reported.
In Kramatorsk, the RF Armed Forces struck a depot containing about 2,000 shells and more than 3,000 other ammunition items for the Grad MLRS. A second warehouse was destroyed in the Zaporozhye region.
Can’t it be pulled?
Bloomberg columnist Hal Brand wrote that the Ukraine conflict could extend into the winter of 2022-2023, with potential consequences for Ukraine and Western allies. The report suggests Europe may face fuel shortages while the United States appears increasingly detached from the Ukraine issue. It remains unclear what level of support the Republican majority in the US House will authorize for Kyiv.
Brand expressed concern that a winter stalemate could undermine Western confidence. He suggested the situation in Ukraine could benefit Moscow by reducing the perceived need for extra Russian political measures, noting that Ukrainian forces face heavy fatigue from ongoing fighting.
Out of ammo?
The Financial Times offers a contrasting view, describing Ukrainian forces as suffering from what it calls a state of “bullet starvation.”
The report indicates shortages of ammunition and spare parts for S-300 and Buk air defense systems, which form the backbone of Ukraine’s air defense network. Journalists also say that Russia’s missile stocks remain substantial. Supplies of missiles in larger volumes are produced primarily in Russia, allowing limited additional purchases. Ukrainian anti-aircraft crews reportedly have to use two or three missiles to counter one Russian missile in some engagements.