Day: January 2, 2025

On January 2, the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out a precision strike on the command post of the Russian army in the settlement of Mariino, located in the Kursk region, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

According to the General Staff, all necessary measures were taken during the strike to minimize the risks to the lives of local civilians.

“These fire strikes are primarily intended to weaken the Russian Federation’s ability and willingness to carry out terrorist acts against the Ukrainian civilian population,” the General Staff stated.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine will relentlessly continue to detect and destroy military command targets of the aggressor country.

Today, Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation, stated that on January 2, a strike was carried out against Russian troops in the Kursk region.

“There was a successful strike. Significant losses in the 810th brigade of the Russian Federation as a result,” he wrote.

What is known about the 810th Brigade of the Russian Federation

The 810th Marine Brigade of the Russian Federation is currently based in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol. However, part of the unit is engaged in combat operations in the Kursk direction.

On the night of December 25, the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck the command post location of the 810th Separate Marine Brigade in Lgov, Kursk region.

Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) operatives recently used maritime drones to destroy Russian helicopters near Crimea. This event is unique and marks the first such operation in history, Defense Express reports.

DIU clarified that during a successful operation near Crimea, special forces of Group 13 used Magura V5 missile-equipped maritime drones to destroy two Russian Mi-8 helicopters and damage another one.

According to Defense Express, the amount of enemy equipment destroyed demonstrates improvements in the effectiveness of Magura V5 maritime drones equipped with missiles. Analysts highlight that achieving this required enhancements to all components, from the drone control system to the adaptation of R-73 missiles for use in maritime conditions.

Defense Express suggests that the Russian helicopters were not coincidentally on the path of Ukrainian drones. They may have been engaged in patrolling the Black Sea area, a common practice for the occupiers.

It is likely that the invaders believed a patrol of three Mi-8 helicopters would be sufficient to counter maritime drones, but they miscalculated.

“This also indicates that the operators of the maritime drones outperformed the enemy in terms of tactical preparation. This, in turn, allowed the full potential of the technical improvements made to the missile-equipped Magura V5 maritime drones to be realized,” analysts added.

DIU operation near Crimea

Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that Group 13, a special unit of HUR, conducted a unique operation near Cape Tarkhankut in temporarily occupied Crimea.

The operatives hit an aerial target using Magura V5 maritime drones equipped with missiles, marking the first such case in the world.

Initially, Ukrainian intelligence reported that one Mi-8 helicopter was destroyed and another was damaged but managed to return to its airfield.

However, DIU later clarified that during the operation, two Mi-8 helicopters were destroyed along with their crews. Another Russian helicopter was damaged.