Russian forces intensify strikes in south – Voloshyn

This was reported to Ukrinform by Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces.

According to him, since the start of 2025, Ukrainian defenders in the south have destroyed a substantial amount of Russian weaponry and equipment.

“Since the beginning of the year, the Defense Forces have destroyed 50 tanks, 155 combat armored vehicles, 23 multiple launch rocket systems, over 1,250 artillery pieces—including guns and mortars—as well as more than 4,000 units of automotive equipment. In addition, over 200 boats and nearly three dozen air defense systems have been destroyed. The elimination of enemy forces is proceeding quite intensively,” Voloshyn said.

He noted that the enemy has significantly increased pressure on Huliaipole, attempting to destroy the city itself.

“Over the past week, the enemy deployed nearly 150 guided aerial bombs on Huliaipole. They are attempting to destroy not only our positions but also the urban area, striking multi-story buildings and private housing,” the spokesperson reported.

According to Voloshyn, in the last four days alone, there have been 250 attacks on the positions of the Defense Forces, representing a 32% increase over the previous week.

He also provided statistics for the past month, indicating an overall increase in enemy combat activity.

“In November, the enemy conducted 1,011 attacks, including 293 on Huliaipole. The number of Shahed drone strikes increased by 65% compared to October, totaling nearly 1,500. In the first two weeks of December alone, the enemy deployed 741 Shaheds, 429 of which occurred last week,” Voloshyn said.

He noted that the enemy is most active in the Odesa, Kirovohrad, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

Furthermore, over the past two weeks, there have been 57 missile strikes, representing a 59% increase from the previous month. In November, Russian forces used 715 guided aerial bombs, while over 300 were deployed in the first two weeks of December.

“The number of kamikaze drone attacks has also risen significantly. Last month, over 35,000 such attacks were recorded, with FPV drone attacks 30% higher than in October. In the first two weeks of December alone, the enemy deployed 18,500 FPVs. Overall, by nearly all indicators, we see an increase in enemy combat activity,” the spokesperson summarized.

As Ukrinform reported, 158 combat engagements between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian invaders were recorded on the front line on December 14.