Overnight, news of fires breaking out at Russian military airports, fighter jets being destroyed, and senior officers being assassinated surfaced one after another. While the frontline progress has stalled, incidents have been frequent in the rear. Is this still the familiar Russian military we know? The use of drones, special forces infiltration, and low-cost tactics are quietly changing the course of warfare. The stalemate in Red Army Village may just be a prelude to a bigger storm.
On the early morning of December 21, the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Agency carried out a secret sabotage operation against the Russian Luhansk Airbase. They filmed the scene where Ukrainian special forces entered the airport, quietly infiltrated the hangar, and set fire to two fighter jets – a Su-27 and a Su-30. The operation, which lasted two weeks including monitoring Russian patrol routes and rotation shifts, resulted in an estimated loss of $100 million for Russia.
This is not the only recent loss of two fighter jets for Russia. In recent days on the Ukrainian battlefield, Ukraine has frequently used drones to attack Russian airbases. For example, on December 20, the Ukraine National Security Agency used Alpha drones to attack the Belbek Airport in Crimea, destroying two Russian Su-27 fighter jets.
On December 12, Ukrainian drones once again visited Crimea’s airport, targeting Russia’s important An-26 transport plane and the radar system at the airport. This attack, which occurred at night, successfully hit a large An-26 transport plane.
The recent frequent accidents in the Russian Air Force are occurring without Ukraine’s intervention. On December 9, 2025, a Russian Ministry of Defense An-22 transport plane crashed during a test flight in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, with all seven crew members on board perishing. The plane disintegrated in the air, with debris scattered over land and water, fortunately avoiding densely populated areas and causing no casualties on the ground.
The An-22 transport plane, designed by the Ukrainian Antonov Design Bureau in the 1960s, can carry up to 80 tons of cargo with its four propeller engines. Due to aging and maintenance issues, this particular type of aircraft was retired in 2024, making this crash the final remaining serviceable An-22 in the Russian fleet.
Similarly, on the night of December 21, according to Russian media reports, General Salvarov, Director of the Russian Armed Forces Combat Training Bureau, was killed in a morning car explosion. Investigation indicated an improvised explosive device was placed beneath General Salvarov’s Kia Sorento and detonated shortly after the vehicle started. General Salvarov had participated in various Russian military operations, including the Chechen War and commanding operations in Syria from 2005 to 2016.
Over the past year, Ukraine has planned the deaths of several senior Russian officers in Moscow. One year ago, Lieutenant General Kirilov, commander of the Russian Defense Nuclear Biological Defense Forces, was killed in a bomb attack, with the bomb hidden in an electric skateboard parked outside his apartment building. President Putin referred to Kirilov’s assassination as a major security agency mistake and emphasized the need to learn from it for improved efficiency.
In April of this year, Deputy Chief of the General Staff Operations Department of the Russian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, was killed when an explosive device was placed in his car parked near a Moscow apartment building, resulting in his death.
Now, let’s shift our focus to the situation in Red Army Village that everyone is concerned about. Looking at the frontline map, Russia still controls the area south of the railroad crossing Red Army Village, but fighting continues in the north. Over the past month, Russia has made no progress.
On December 22, President Zelensky of Ukraine addressed the frontline situation in an interview. He noted that there had been little change in the past month except for the increase in the number of Russian troops stationed in the town. Currently, there are approximately 1100 Russians inside Red Army City, matching Ukraine’s forces. While a large number of Russian troops are concentrated outside the city, Ukrainian defenders hold their positions.
Footage released on December 22 by the 46th Brigade of Ukraine shows intense frontline battles from the perspective of Ukrainian soldiers. The air is filled with the whistle of shells and constant nearby shelling, while Ukrainian soldiers continuously fire back.
The video released on December 22 by the Azov Regiment showcases Ukraine’s repulsion of a Russian mechanized assault in the Dubropillya direction. Russian forces launched the attack in the morning, deploying a mechanized column consisting of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and armored personnel carriers. Ukrainian forces defended using attack drones, artillery, multiple rocket launchers, and mines.
Ukraine reported destroying six Russian tanks, ten infantry fighting vehicles, five armored personnel carriers, and an armored recovery vehicle. Astonishingly, in the final stage of the attack, Russia deployed four-wheeled motorcycles, with ten out of eleven being destroyed while retreating.
Just two months ago, many were discussing the imminent fall of Red Army Village, but as we approach the end of 2025, Ukraine still holds the territory to the north of the village. Russia has made no progress towards Red Army Village in the past month.
Russian President Putin has repeatedly refused ceasefire agreements, believing the Russian military is strong enough to eventually take complete control of the Donetsk region with time. The battle for Red Army Village has been ongoing for nearly two years, and Russia has yet to fully capture the city, facing substantial Ukrainian defensive fortifications ahead. Putin’s dream of controlling Donetsk through force seems increasingly unrealistic.
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