Russian soldiers on southern front rebel and refuse to go on assaults, or flee from trenches – spokesman

Russian occupiers on the Tavria front are rebelling, refusing to launch offensives, and fleeing their trenches. 

Rubryka reports, citing Colonel Oleksandr Shtupun, the spokesperson for the Unified Press Center of the Ukrainian Defense Forces on the Tavria front — the southern front line in the Zaporizhzhia region and the southern part of the Donetsk region.

"Firstly, they have their New Year celebrations, and the Russians aren't very eager to launch attacks at all. Some units are starting to revolt, refusing or fleeing from the trenches to avoid going. In other words, they're sabotaging," Shtupun revealed.

According to him, the Russians are trying to inflict maximum damage to logistic routes and Ukrainian fortifications and harm Ukrainian defenders. Afterward, the occupiers will attempt to push forward with "meat" assaults using fresh infantry.

The spokesperson also reported that on the Zaporizhzhia front, Russians are trying to reclaim lost positions. The overall losses of the Russian army stand at 400-500 occupiers per day.

As the Defense Forces Press Center reported, the Russian forces conducted 14 air raids, engaged in 47 combat clashes, and carried out 1,008 artillery shelling attacks during the day.

The total losses of the Russian forces in military equipment amounted to 68 units: seven tanks, 11 armored combat vehicles, 14 artillery systems, 20 UAVs, 14 vehicles, and two units of special equipment were destroyed. One ammunition depot was also eliminated, as stated in the report.

In the responsibility zone of the Joint Forces Operation "Tavria" on the Avdiivka front, Ukrainian defenders continue to restrain the enemy, which persists in trying to encircle Avdiivka. During the past day, the Ukrainian forces repelled 16 attacks near Novobakhmutivka, Stepove, Avdiivka, and another 16 attacks in the areas of Pervomaiske and Nevelske in the Donetsk region.

On the Mariupol front, Ukrainian defenders continue to hold the enemy near Maryinka and Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk region, where seven attacks were repelled.

On the Shakhtarsk front, the Russian occupiers did not conduct offensive (assault) actions.

On the Zaporizhzhia front, the Ukrainian forces repelled eight Russian attacks in the Robotyne area and northwest of Verbovyy in the Zaporizhzhia region, according to the report.

Earlier, Rubryka reported that over the past day, the Ukrainian forces eliminated 790 Russian occupiers. The total number of losses in the Russian army since the beginning of the invasion is 363,070 troops. The Armed Forces of Ukraine also destroyed 18 drones, 30 artillery systems, and 40 units of automotive equipment.

Front-line Situation

According to the Ukrainian General Staff, there were 59 combat clashes in the past day. Overall, the Russians delivered seven missile strikes and 36 aviation strikes and carried out 37 shelling incidents from multiple rocket launchers on the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements. Unfortunately, there are casualties among the civilian population due to Russian terrorist attacks. Residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure suffered damage and destruction.

During the night, Russian occupiers once again attacked Ukraine with combat Shahed-136/131 UAVs. Ukraine's air defense forces are actively engaged in combat operations.