MOSCOW, January 2. /TASS/. Russian troops liberated nine communities in the Kharkov and Zaporozhye Regions and the Donetsk People’s Republic over the week of December 27 - January 2 in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported.
"Battlegroup West units completed the liberation of the settlements of Dibrova in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Boguslavka in the Kharkov Region through active operations. <…> During the week, Battlegroup Center units liberated the settlements of Dimitrov, Rodinskoye, Artyomovka and Volnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic as a result of active operations," the ministry said in a statement.
"Battlegroup East units continued advancing deep into the enemy’s defenses and liberated the settlement of Gulyaipole in the Zaporozhye Region through decisive operations. <…> Battlegroup Dnepr units liberated the settlements of Stepnogorsk and Lukyanovskoye in the Zaporozhye Region through active operations," the ministry reported.
Russian forces strike Ukrainian military-industrial, energy sites over week
Russian forces delivered one massive and six combined strikes by precision weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles on Ukrainian military-industrial and energy sites over the past week in response to Kiev’s attacks on civilian facilities, the ministry reported.
"In response to Ukraine’s terrorist attacks on civilian facilities on Russian territory, on December 27, 2025 - January 2, 2026 the Russian Armed Forces delivered one massive and six combined strikes by precision weapons, including Kinzhal air-launched hypersonic ballistic missiles, hitting enterprises of Ukraine’s military-industrial sector and their energy facilities, transport and port infrastructure used to support the Ukrainian army’s operations," the ministry said.
The strikes also targeted workshops for the assembly of components for missile engines, sites for the production of long-range attack unmanned aerial vehicles and their preparation for launch, ammunition and fuel depots, and also temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations, nationalists and foreign mercenaries, the ministry specified.
Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts over 1,305 casualties on Ukrainian army in week
Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted more than 1,305 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy armored combat vehicles in its areas of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.
Over the week in the Sumy Region, Battlegroup North units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, a jaeger brigade, an air assault brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian army, a territorial defense brigade, a National Guard brigade and a border guard detachment of Ukraine’s Border Guard Service," the ministry said.
In the Kharkov direction, Battlegroup North units inflicted losses on formations of four mechanized brigades, two motorized infantry brigades of the Ukrainian army and a National Guard brigade, the ministry reported.
The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,305 personnel, two armored combat vehicles, 91 motor vehicles, five field artillery guns and six electronic warfare stations in those frontline areas over the week, it specified.
In addition, Russian forces destroyed 10 ammunition, materiel and fuel depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.
Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts over 1,390 casualties on Ukrainian army in week
Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 1,390 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy tanks and 19 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.
Over the week, Battlegroup West units "inflicted losses on formations of five mechanized brigades, an assault brigade, an air assault brigade, an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian army, a territorial defense brigade and two National Guard brigades," the ministry said.
"In the Kupyansk direction, units of the 6th Army repelled 16 attacks by Ukrainian armed formations that tried to break through to the settlement of Kupyansk in the Kharkov Region. Over 180 militants and 30 items of military hardware were destroyed," the ministry reported.
Overall, the Ukrainian army lost more than 1,390 personnel, three tanks, 19 armored combat vehicles, 102 motor vehicles and five field artillery guns in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup West over the week, it specified.
In addition, Russian forces destroyed two electronic warfare stations and 31 ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.
Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts over 1,295 casualties on Ukrainian army in week
Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted more than 1,295 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed 40 enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.
Over the week, Battlegroup South units "improved their forward positions and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of seven mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, an airmobile brigade, a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian army, two marine infantry brigades, a special operations brigade, a territorial defense brigade and a National Guard brigade," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,295 personnel, 40 armored combat vehicles, 83 motor vehicles and 15 field artillery guns in that frontline area over the week, it specified.
In addition, Russian forces destroyed seven electronic warfare stations and 13 ammunition and materiel depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.
Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts over 3,305 casualties on Ukrainian army in week
Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 3,305 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed 24 enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.
During the past week, Battlegroup Center units "inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized brigades, an infantry brigade, a jaeger brigade, two air assault brigades, an airmobile brigade, an airborne brigade, an assault brigade, three assault regiments of the Ukrainian army, two marine infantry brigades, two territorial defense brigades, four National Guard brigades and the Azov special operations brigade [outlawed as a terrorist group in Russia]," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army lost more than 3,305 personnel, 24 armored combat vehicles, 32 motor vehicles, nine field artillery guns and two electronic warfare stations in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup Center over the week, it specified.
Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts over 1,405 casualties on Ukrainian army in week
Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted more than 1,405 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy tanks and 24 armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.
Over the past week, Battlegroup East units "inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of three mechanized brigades, two assault brigades, four assault regiments of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and two territorial defense brigades," the ministry said.
The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,405 personnel, two tanks, 24 armored combat vehicles, 60 motor vehicles and seven field artillery guns in that frontline area over the week, it specified.
In addition, Russian forces destroyed five ammunition and materiel depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.
Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr eliminates over 365 Ukrainian troops in week
Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr eliminated more than 365 Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the ministry reported.
Over the week, Battlegroup Dnepr units "inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized brigades, a mountain assault brigade, a coastal defense brigade of the Ukrainian army and a territorial defense brigade," the ministry said.
"Over 365 Ukrainian army personnel, three armored combat vehicles, 57 motor vehicles, six field artillery guns, 12 electronic warfare stations and seven ammunition, materiel and fuel depots were destroyed," the ministry reported.
Russian air defenses down Ukrainian Su-27 fighter, 1,662 UAVs over week
Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet and 1,662 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the week, the ministry reported.
"The Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 aircraft. Air defense capabilities shot down six aerial guided bombs, two Grom theater missiles, three rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and 1,662 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the ministry said.
Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 670 Ukrainian combat aircraft, 283 helicopters, 106,879 unmanned aerial vehicles, 641 surface-to-air missile systems, 26,845 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,634 multiple rocket launchers, 32,332 field artillery guns and mortars and 50,625 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.