Avdiivka destroyed by Russia, attempt to surround Bakhmut, Slovakian MiG-29s for Ukraine. What happened on the front line on December 12?

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On December 12, the 292nd day of the war in Ukraine, heavy fighting continued near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. According to the “Idi I Smotri” (“Go and See”) propaganda project, the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) continued to develop an offensive in the Bakhmut direction, with the city remaining under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). In the north of Bakhmut, a railway bridge over the M-03 highway was destroyed.

Analysts note that Russia is trying to surround the city from three sides.

In the village of Kamianka in the Yasynuvata district, the Russian Armed Forces carried out strikes on an “AFU defensive line” using the TOS-1A (“Solntsepyok”) multiple rocket launcher. A video of the strikes was published by the pro-Russian Telegram channel Grey Zone.

Artillery shelling of Avdiivka intensified in the Donetsk direction. A video of a Ukrainian serviceman from the destroyed city was published on social media. According to reports by Russian propaganda outlet WarGonzo, Russian artillery is hitting Marinka, Kurakhove, Avdiivka and Vesele in this direction.

Donetsk itself is currently under fire from BM-21 GRAD launchers – Russian propagandists are posting videos online claiming that the shelling came from the AFU.

In the Luhansk region, the AFU is trying to cut off Svatove from supplies from the north, according to military analyst DefMon. Russian propagandists, in turn, claim that on the Luhansk front, Russian troops are attacking near Belohorivka and have withdrawn from Nevske. There are now counterattacks near Chervonopopivka and Zhitlovka.

In the Svatove direction, Russian forces are trying to continue to try to keep Kupiansk areas within artillery range, and the Russian also holds the line around the Vilshana settlement northeast of Kupyansk, not allowing the AFU to create a buffer around its bridgehead. The AFU bridgehead is within reach of Russian artillery, stresses DefMon. According to the analyst, this can make it difficult for the AFU to advance in this direction.

In the Zaporizhzhia direction, according to propaganda outlet WarGonzo, Russian artillery has struck the settlements of Novoandriivka, Orikhiv, Mala Tokmachka, Zaliznychne, Huliaipole and Dorozhnianka.

The Russian army’s offensive on Velyka Novosilka was observed in the Vuhledar direction. The AFU attempted to attack from the Neskuchne area to Storozheve, while Russia struck Prechystivka and Vuhledar itself.

Russia can build 40 high-precision missiles a month, says HUR deputy chief

Since the start of the war, Russia has produced 240 Kh-101 cruise missiles and about 120 sea-launched Kalibr missiles, which means Russia can produce about 40 missiles per month, according to a comment by Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, in an interview with The New York Times.

According to Skibitsky, Russia now has three to five waves of missiles left, if each wave contains 80-90 missiles.

On December 4, NBC News quoted US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines as saying that the Russian military is spending shells faster than the country's defense industry is able to produce new ones. He noted that the situation has forced Russia to turn to other countries, such as North Korea, for help. In September, the British Defense Ministry claimed, citing intelligence reports, that Russia was running out of Iranian-made UAVs.

After Russia's massive missile attacks on Kyiv and other cities, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov gave an estimate of remaining Russian stockpiles, according to which Russia had used up 87% of its Iskander missiles.

Another attack on Russia-installed official

The car of the Russian-appointed “vice-governor” of the Kherson region, Vitaly Bulyuk, was blown up by a mine, according to reports by Russian state-owned news agencies, including Interfax, citing local “health minister” Vadim Ilmiev. According to the “minister,” Bulyuk is wounded and in moderate condition, while Bulyuk’s driver died on the spot. WarGonzo wrote that the car exploded near Skadovsk.

Prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Bulyuk worked as deputy head of the Kherson regional council. He received his “promotion” in May 2022 – the Russian authorities occupying the territory appointed him as the deputy of Vladimir Saldo, who was installed to “head” the Kherson region.

The AFU finally knocked Russia out of the right-bank part of the Kherson region on November 11. Two days earlier – on November 9 – another “vice-governor” of the region, Kirill Stremousov, was killed in a traffic accident. Stremousov’s death occurred on the same day that the Russian Defense Ministry announced the withdrawal of Russian troops from the region.

New arms supplies to Ukraine

Slovakia is ready to transfer MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, with a deal currently being negotiated with NATO, Foreign Minister Rastislav Káčer told Interfax-Ukraine. According to him, this was discussed at the last meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

“Our defense minister explained to your president how this can be done. And, I think, in the coming weeks, a Ukrainian delegation will arrive in Slovakia, and we, together with our American friends, will work to make this a reality… I am very optimistic about this, I think it will happen soon and the planes will be in Ukraine,” he said.

War footage

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated troops on Ukraine's Army Day on December 6 and published a selection of photos with Ukrainian military personnel. Zelensky thanked them for their bravery and fortitude.

“Step by step you are taking back every meter, every frontier, each one of our cities and villages. You are very effective in destroying enemy equipment and the occupiers themselves. Thank you for your courage and fortitude! Congratulations on Ukraine’s Army Day.”