As we head into 2024, we'd like to remind people of some of the major events of 2023 during the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
In this end of year review, we'll cover some of the important topics that we've seen this year that may have been forgotten about
January 2023: Many will remember this for the Russian assaults against Vuhledar.
Russian vehicle losses south of Vuhledar rack up rapidly, where the Ukrainian 72nd Mechanized Brigade made a stand. Russias 155th Naval Infantry Brigade suffered heavy losses
January through May 2023: The Russian forces, led by Wagner's convict waves, assault Bakhmut mostly with infantry and artillery. The city is ruined, and eventually falls in May. The high price that Russia paid for this had severe consequences for the Russian Armed Forces & PMCs
May 2023: Storm Shadow missiles arrive in Ukraine from the UK, giving Ukraine's Su-24's great deep strike capability. Some large targets were hit almost immediately, including the ammunition depot at Rykove in June
June 2023 to Oct 2023: Ukraine launch a counteroffensive with many newly trained but green units along the Zaporizhia axis. Despite substantial failures on the Robotyne axis, Ukraine had minor success on the Velyka Novosilka axis. Ultimately, it failed to achieve it's goals
23rd June 2023: Prigozhin's remaining Wagner forces rebelled. Seizing the Southern Military District's HQ in Rostov-on-Don, a column began a march towards Moscow, shooting down numerous Russian aircraft en-route and encountering limited resistance.
24th June 2023: The leader of Belarus, Lukashenko, brokers a peace treaty and ends the Wagner rebellion, with amnesty for Prigozin and his men.
This does not go well...
23rd July 2023: The Kerch Bridge is struck by a claimed USV, damaging the spans and rendering vehicle passage difficult.
Russia formally withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal, which they were going to do anyway...
4th August 2023: Ukraine's USV programme had further success, when it holed the Ropucha Class landing ship 'Olenegorskiy Gornyak' near Novorossiysk. It was towed to port in Novorossiysk, where it remains to this day. A petroleum products tanker SiG was also hit.
23rd August 2023: Exactly two months after Prigozhin's Wagner coup attempt, in no surprise to anyone except maybe Prigozhin himself, Prigozhin's jet crashed to the ground after he was assassinated, killing all onboard.
Thus ends that chapter.
13th Sept 2023: After months of Storm Shadow strikes, Ukraine finally spotted a naval target, shown here a few weeks before the strike
The Rostov-on-Don Kilo class submarine *D a Ropucha class landing ship Minsk were struck by numerous Storm Shadow missiles and utterly destroyed
22nd September 2023: Ukraine followed that up by striking the Headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol. The results from this and the USV attacks have led the Black Sea Fleet to retreat mostly to Novorossiysk, and the grain and goods sea corridor to re-open for traffic.
17th October 2023: ATACMS finally arrive in Ukraine, and the main helicopter bases in Berdiansk and Luhansk were struck, damaging and destroying roughly 21 helicopters - forcing Russia to move them out of the country or to lesser FOBs. The largest loss of helicopters in one day!
October 2023 to now: During the first half of October, Russia began a massive mechanized offensive along the Avdiivka axis. Within a week, over 200 Russian vehicles were destroyed for a few treelines captured. The offensive is continuing, but the Russian casualties are immense.
There's so much extra to cover, from the massive growth of drones in the war, to the Belgorod raids, to the many many new units constituted by both sides, but ultimately we go into 2024 expecting a long war.
Daily map updates will remain, we will be here throughout. Thank you!
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