Day 685 of the Invasion of Ukraine: There Will Be No Mobilization Of Women

Day 685 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• Are the Russians already sending jet-powered SuperShaheds against Ukraine?
• Ukraine: We are experiencing a shortage of air defense missiles
• Two drones hit a fuel depot in the Russian city of Orel
• Ukraine is experiencing a shortage of air defense missiles
• Three people were wounded in Ukrainian shelling in Russia's Belgorod region
• There will be no mobilization of women, said a Ukrainian MP
• "The terrorist must pay. And Russia will pay"
• In Kyiv, they believe that nearly 20,000 children have been illegally taken to Russia

Are the Russians already sending jet-powered SuperShaheds against Ukraine?

The Air Force of Ukraine has not yet officially confirmed that the Russians used the new Shahed-238 jet-powered kamikaze drone against Ukraine.

This was said on the air of a telethon by the spokesman of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yuriy Ignat.
"After yesterday's attack by Russia with unmanned aircraft and missiles, there were claims about the shooting down in the sky above our country of a kamikaze drone of the improved modification".

"How can we confirm if we did not find it? Whoever found it - let him confirm, show, tell... We discussed that the Iranian 236 'Shahed' was presented in black color, and after this demonstration, the occupiers began to repaint the regular one as well," he commented.

At the same time, Ignat explained the difference between "Shahed" with a jet engine and a regular one.

"It turns out that this is a miniature missile. The reserve of the warhead there cannot be large with this Shahed. Because the jet engine and, accordingly, it itself must consume a lot of fuel, and the payload of this Shahed will be significantly reduced. That's why there is a small combat unit there. The speed, of course, will be increased," said the spokesman for the Air Force Command of the AFU.

On January 8, a military communications expert wrote on his Telegram channel that the Ukrainian Air Defense has shot down the first Shahed-238 combat drone with a Chinese jet engine.

"It flew to the middle of the country. It was moving at a speed of over 500 km/h. I didn't think they would come so fast. Recently, Iran showed it for the first time at an exhibition," he added.

Defense Express analyst Sergiy Zgurets suggests that Russia may have received a limited number of Iranian Shahed-238 jet drones.

In November 2023, at an exhibition of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the new Shahed-238 UAV was presented. It was noted to be faster than previous models of drones, and also to have a black color scheme.

The Ukrainian Air Force previously noted that such a drone would be more difficult to detect as a target due to its jet engine, "different radar targeting" and black color.

Ukraine: We are experiencing a shortage of air defense missiles

Ukraine is experiencing a shortage of guided missiles for air defense, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said today, quoted by Reuters and BTA.

"It is clear that there is a shortage of guided missiles for air defense," he declared.

Ignat added that he hoped the delay in Western aid packages would be resolved soon, as Ukraine depends on Western supplies for a range of defense needs.

"Today we have more and more Western equipment and accordingly it needs maintenance, repair, modernization and replenishment with the appropriate ammunition".

This Saturday, the New York Times reported that according to White House and Pentagon officials, the delivery of missiles for the Patriot systems may soon be delayed. The U.S. Congress last month failed to approve billion in aid for Ukraine because of Republicans, some of whom want more money to go toward the "invasion" (in their words) of illegal immigrants across the southern border, while others want to sabotage each one. an initiative by President Joe Biden months before the presidential election.

Ukraine is separately facing a delay in aid from the EU - from there it also hopes to receive a package of 50 billion euros, which, however, is currently blocked by Hungary.

This weekend, Ukrainian soldiers destroyed a railway bridge connecting Crimea with southern Russia, which the Russian occupiers were building north of the Sea of Azov, Forbes reported. According to the media, this is one of the most significant events in recent months, as logistics play a crucial role in the development of the conflict.

"The Ukrainians blew a hole in a major Russian logistics initiative and delayed Russian supply planning by nearly six months," wrote Stefan Korsha, senior defense correspondent for the Kyiv Post.

The Russian military has three options for moving large quantities of supplies from Russia to the occupation forces in southern Ukraine: by ship to Crimea, by road and rail across the Kerch Bridge directly to Crimea, and by rail through southeastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainians have attacked all three main supply lines since the invasion began in February 2022. Ukrainian missiles and drones have damaged or sunk many of the Russian Navy's landing craft and turned Crimean ports into danger zones for surviving vessels. The Kerch bridge was seriously damaged several times.

The main land railway turns north towards the front line and is within range of the Ukrainian howitzers. Ukrainian gunners have no problem hitting passing trains or the railways themselves.

These attacks prompted the Russians to begin building a fourth supply line, a coastal railway that, while still within range of long-range Ukrainian missiles, is far enough away from the howitzers. This new railway was to cross the Kalmius River to the south through Granitnoe.

Russian engineers began building the bridge in September 2023. Construction was nearing completion when Ukrainian missiles destroyed it. The attack was carried out using GPS-guided M30/31 missiles launched from HIMARS.

"Those of you who are prejudiced against the Kremlin might even see the Ukrainian sense of humor in waiting a full five months from the start of construction on the bridge before tearing it down," Korsha wrote.

The publication notes that any attack on Russian supply lines in southern Ukraine starves Russian troops. It also explains why thousands of Russian troops in the southern Kherson region are still unable to destroy the bridgehead on the left bank of the Dnieper, which is held by only a few hundred Ukrainian marines.

Two drones hit a fuel depot in the Russian city of Orel

Two drones hit a fuel warehouse in the Russian city of Orel, which is 220 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, Reuters reported. The resulting fire is contained.

New Ukrainian attacks against Russia's Belgorod Region were reported earlier. According to information from the Russian side, three people were injured during shelling last night, and ten Ukrainian missiles were shot down. At the end of December, 25 civilians died after a strike on Belgorod.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced today that the military will do whatever it takes to stop Ukrainian shelling of the city.

At the same time, the spokesman of the Ukrainian Air Force, Yuriy Ignat, announced that his country is experiencing a shortage of guided missiles for air defense.

Ukraine is experiencing a shortage of air defense missiles

Ukraine is experiencing a shortage of guided missiles for air defense, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said today, quoted by Reuters.

"Ukraine spent a significant part of its reserves on these three attacks that were carried out," Ignat told Ukrainian television. "It is clear that there is a shortage of guided missiles for air defense," he added.

Three people were wounded in Ukrainian shelling in Russia's Belgorod region

Three people were injured in Ukrainian shelling last night in Russia's Belgorod region, and air defenses shot down ten RM-70 Vampir missiles, Russian authorities and the Ministry of Defense said, cited by Reuters.

"The city of Belgorod was again under fire last night, there are injured people," the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on the Telegram social network. "Three people are in the intensive care unit, all of whom have undergone surgical interventions. Doctors assess their condition as serious but stable."

So far, there is no comment from Ukraine.

According to Gladkov, the windows of two multi-story residential buildings were broken during the attack. There is also damage to several cars.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that air defenses shot down ten missiles fired by RM-70 "Vampir" multiple rocket launchers. As claimed, after the start of the war, the Ukrainian army received similar missile complexes from the Czech Republic.

Gladkov stated that he has turned to other regions for help in accommodating children from Belgorod, and if necessary, teachers from the Belgorod region will be sent for them.

In recent weeks, Belgorod has been repeatedly attacked by Ukrainian forces. A drone attack late last month killed 25 civilians, including five children, Reuters notes.

There will be no mobilization of women, said a Ukrainian MP

The draft law on military mobilization in Ukraine does not include women, said the deputy chairman of the Ukrainian parliamentary committee on national security, defense and intelligence Yehor Cherniev.

There will be no mobilization of women, Cherniev is categorical, commenting on the new draft law submitted last Thursday to the parliament. He also added to the Ukrainian public television that the so-called conscription lottery is not planned either.

The National Security, Defense and Intelligence Committee is expected today to approve the bill or send it back to the government for revision.

Tens of thousands of men volunteered to fight in defense of Ukraine in the first months after the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, but enthusiasm has waned, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a new mobilization. It causes serious dissatisfaction among Ukrainians.

The draft law allows authorities to draft more people and toughen penalties against draft evasion.

"The terrorist must pay. And Russia will pay"

Ukraine will not let Russia's recent massive attacks on Ukrainian territory go unanswered. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his evening address to his compatriots, DPA reported.

"The terrorist must pay, above all, for the damage caused by the terror. And Russia will pay for that," Zelensky said.

4 people were killed and 45 were injured in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Khmelnytskyi regions, as well as in Zelensky's hometown of Kryvyi Rih yesterday. In this attack, Russia used dozens of rockets, cruise missiles and drones. It was the second such combined attack in a matter of days.

Few of these missiles were intercepted, mainly because they fell in parts of the country that are not heavily defended, such as Kyiv, DPA noted.

In his evening address, Zelensky said that negotiations with Ukraine's international partners in the coming days will be focused on strengthening Ukrainian air defense.

"Many steps will be taken, and I am confident that we will be able to strengthen our country, our air defense system, our work with partners on drones," Zelensky said.

In Kyiv, they believe that nearly 20,000 children have been illegally taken to Russia

Ukraine estimates that more than 19,500 children have been abducted and taken illegally to Russia since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said.

The number is based on UN data.

About 3,900 of these children are said to be orphans or orphans.

A working group of representatives of the Ukrainian government, partner countries and international organizations has already been established, which will work to return the children to their homeland.

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