[JPost] Grinders gonna grind meat.
North Korea has suffered several hundred casualties while fighting against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region, a US military official said on Tuesday.
Asked about what ranks the North Korean casualties included, the military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said it was from lower-level troops to "very near to the top."
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/18/2024 00:00 ||
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Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 21:20 Germany is ready to send its peacekeepers to Ukraine, but only on condition that Russia agrees to such a mission. This was stated by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
20:33 The North Atlantic Alliance has taken over the coordination of Western military aid to Ukraine from the United States of America. This concerns the launch of the NATO Security Assistance and Training Centre for Ukraine (NSATU).
19:50 German concern Rheinmetall has received an order to supply Ukraine with another 20 Marder infantry fighting vehicles as part of military aid. The delivery of the batch of combat vehicles is scheduled for the first half of 2025.
18.44 The Polish authorities are preparing the 46th tranche of aid for Ukraine. It will be provided in January. This was stated by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk at a press conference in Lviv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
17:34 In the occupied Vasilyevka of the Zaporizhia region, Russian soldiers were killed in a fire in the basement of an apartment building . It is still unknown what caused the fire.
16.55 Since the beginning of the current day, 88 combat clashes have occurred on the front, more than a third of which were in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in a report as of 16.00.
16:25 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky does not need any intermediaries to maintain contacts with US President-elect Donald Trump. The Ukrainian leader said this at a meeting of the All-Ukrainian Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
15.55 Russian troops are carrying out intensive offensive actions in the territory of the Kursk region of the Russian Federation, actively using units of the DPRK army. This was reported by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky.
"For the third day, the enemy has been conducting intensive offensive actions in the Kursk region, actively using units of the DPRK army. North Korean mercenaries have already suffered heavy losses," he said.
15.47 The SBU military counterintelligence neutralized the agent network of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (known as the GRU). The spies were reconnoitering air defense positions and trying to locate secret military airfields with F-16 aircraft.
15.25 In most cases, the construction of fortifications in the third line of defense has been successfully completed. This was reported by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
"This year, the government allocated more than 37 billion hryvnias for the creation and construction of fortifications in the third line of defense. The work was carried out and coordinated by regional military administrations. Most of them have been successfully completed," said the head of the Cabinet of Ministers.
As a result, one person was killed by Russian troops in Belozerka, and another was hospitalized with injuries. This was reported by the press service of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday, December 17.
13:31 President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Lviv, where he visited the Field of Mars and paid his respects to the fallen defenders of Ukraine.
12:37 On Tuesday night, the Russians launched 31 Shahed-type attack drones and other types of drones at Ukraine. Almost all of them were destroyed or lost, the Ukrainian Air Force reported .
12:13 The commander of the 211th brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleh Poberezhnyuk, has been placed under suspicion. He involved four subordinates in the construction of his own house in the Khmelnytsky region instead of their service in the combat zone.
11:08 As a result of the attack of Russian drones on Kiev, the fall of UAV fragments was recorded in the Solomensky, Pechersky, Dniprovsky, and Goloseevsky districts of the city. This was reported by the Kyiv State Aviation Administration.
11:01 Ukraine's Western allies must fulfill their promises of military aid, given Russia's intentions to seize a critical mine in the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, Bloomberg reported .
10:52 The bombing of the head of the radiation, chemical and biological defense troops of the Russian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, in Moscow was a special operation by the SBU. This was reported by Interfax-Ukraine, citing sources in the special service.
9:28 Russian assault units have carried out a series of attacks on Ukrainian positions in the eastern direction over the past 24 hours. Given this, some of them have become impossible to hold, OSGV Khortytsia reported .
8:59 The partisans are actively countering the plans of the Russian troops to advance in the Zaporizhia direction. In October, an agent of the ATESH movement, operating as part of the Russian Vostok group, transmitted data on the location of the enemy command post and personnel in the region.
7:57 ISW notes that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has stated that a change in the Ukrainian government is allegedly a prerequisite for negotiations with Russia. He also distorts Ukrainian legislation and questions the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
7:26 An explosion occurred on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow on Tuesday morning, December 17. As a result of the explosion, two Russians were killed : the head of the radiation, chemical and biological defense troops of the Russian armed forces, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant.
Linked article is available only through a VPN.
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kharkov direction, the Sever Group of Forces' units inflicted fire damage on armed formations of one mechanised brigade, one territorial defence brigade of the AFU, and one border detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine close to Aleksandrovka, Sinelnikovo, and Volchansk (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 70 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, and one 122mm D-30 howitzer.
The Zapad Group of Forces' units improved the tactical situation and delivered strikes at manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, one jaeger brigade, one airmobile brigade, one airborne brigade of the AFU, and one territorial defence brigade near Dvurechnaya, Kupyansk, Zagryzovo, Lozovaya (Kharkov region), Novoyegorovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic), and Serebryansky forestry. One counter-attack of an AFU assault detachment was repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to more than 520 troops, three pickup trucks, one 122mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, four 122mm D-30 howitzers, and one ammunition depot.
As a result of decisive actions, units of the Yug Group of Forces liberated Annovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Losses were inflicted on formations of three mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, one airmobile brigade, one assault brigade of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades near Seversk, Zvanovka, Stupochki, Uspenovka, Ostrovskoye, and Kurakhovo (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 330 troops, two armoured personnel carriers, including one U.S.-made Stryker and one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, four Kozak armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, one 122mm D-30 howitzer, one U.S.-made 105mm M-119 gun, and one UK-made 105mm L-119 UK-made gun.
One electronic warfare station and one ammunition depot were neutralised.
The Tsentr Group of Forces' units captured more advantageous lines and positions and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of one heavy mechanised brigade, five mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, one infantry brigade, one assault battalion of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, and one territorial defence brigade close to Dzerzhinsk, Shcherbinovka, Novoolenovka, Krasnoarmeysk, Shevchenko, Novopustynka, Novoukrainka, and Krasnoye (Donetsk People's Republic). In addition, 11 AFU counter-attacks were repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 425 troops, one infantry fighting vehicle, two armoured personnel carriers, including one U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carrier, one U.S.-made HMMWV armoured fighting vehicle, one U.S.-made 155mm M-777 howitzer, five motor vehicles, two 152mm Msta-B howitzers, two 152mm D-20 howitzers, and one 122mm D-30 howitzer.
The Vostok Group of Forces' units continued advancing into the depth of the enemy's defence and inflicted losses on formations of two mechanised brigades, one assault battalion of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades close to Temirovka, Velikaya Novoselka, Gulay Pole, and Novy Komar (Donetsk People's Republic). Four enemy counter-attacks were repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 205 troops, one tank, five motor vehicles, one 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, one 122mm D-30 howitzer, one U.S.-made HMMWV armoured fighting vehicle, two U.S.-made MaxxPro armoured fighting vehicles, and one U.S.-made 155mm Paladin self-propelled artillery system.
The Dnepr Group of Forces' units engaged manpower and hardware of one mechanised brigade, one infantry brigade, one mountain assault brigade of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades near Novoandreyevka, Lobkovoye (Zaporozhye region), Sadovoye, and Ingulets (Kherson region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 75 Ukrainian troops, five motor vehicles, one electronic warfare station, and one ammunition depot.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged AFU manpower and hardware clusters in 142 areas.
Air defence systems have shot down one U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectile and 49 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 650 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 37,867 unmanned aerial vehicles, 590 anti-aircraft missile systems, 19,827 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,501 MLRS combat vehicles, 19,738 field artillery guns and mortars, and 29,286 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise an enemy group, which broke into the territory of Kursk region.
In the course of offensive operations, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of six mechanised brigades, one tank brigade, three air assault brigades, one naval infantry brigade, and two territorial defence brigades of the AFU near Guyevo, Leonidovo, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Maryevka, Nizhny Klin, Nikolayevo-Daryino, Novaya Sorochina, Novoivanovka, Pogrebki, Russkoye Porechnoye, Sverdlikovo, and Staraya Sorochina.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery inflicted fire damage on AFU manpower and hardware close to Aleksandriya, Kolmakov, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Makhnovka, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye as well as Belovody, Zhuravka, and Pavlovka in Sumy region.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 260 troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, one Croatian-made RAK-SA-12 multiple rocket launcher, two 122mm D-30 howitzers, and one electronic warfare station.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses amounted to more than 41,660 troops, 242 tanks, 182 infantry fighting vehicles, 126 armoured personnel carriers, 1,279 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,150 motor vehicles, 316 artillery guns, 41 MLRS launchers, including 11 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 13 anti-aircraft missile launchers, seven transport-loading vehicles, 75 EW stations, 13 counter-battery warfare radars, four air defence radars, 27 units of engineering and other materiel, including 13 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, six armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:57 Official summary of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC from 00:00 12/17/2024 to 00:00 12/18/2024.
Seven facts of armed attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces were recorded by the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC over the past 24 hours.
There were no reports of civilian casualties.
DAMAGED:
No damage to residential buildings or civil infrastructure facilities was recorded.
Seven artillery attacks in the Gorlovka direction.
A total of 19 units of various ammunition were produced.
21:20 Air defense systems on duty destroyed an enemy UAV over the territory of the Voronezh region — Russian Defense Ministry.
20:57 The Russian Ministry of Defense published frames of destruction of a camouflaged position of a 122mm D-30 howitzer of the Ukrainian Armed Forces by an FPV drone crew of the North group of forces in the Khar'kov region.
19:07 RF Armed Forces released the villages of Russkoye Porechnoye and Cherkasskoye Porechnoye in the Kursk region.
18:59 At 17:50 Moscow time, a Ukrainian aircraft-type UAV was destroyed over the territory of the Belgorod region, the Ministry of Defense reported.
18:15 Hit on the concentration of militants in the border area of the Kursk region
Having waited for the right moment, the operator of a combat UAV with a system for dropping ammunition destroyed the enemy’s manpower in cover.
18:06 Footage of forced mobilization in Krivoy Rog.
17:02 Settlement of Konstantinopolskoye in the DPR crossed over under the control of the Russian Army.
16:57 From 13:30 to 16:00 Moscow time, attempts by the Kyiv regime to carry out terrorist attacks using aircraft-type UAVs against targets on the territory of the Russian Federation were thwarted.
Two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed by air defense systems on duty over the territories of the Belgorod and Kursk regions.
16:42 Advancement of the Russian Armed Forces:
- in the Kurakhovsky direction, Russian fighters are less than four kilometers away from the Konstantinopol-Kurakhovo highway. The road is being hit by artillery and drones.
– in the Krasnoarmeysk direction, the Russian Armed Forces advanced south of the city of Krasnoarmeysk and began fighting for Novovasilyevka.
– Dzerzhinsky direction: Russian military personnel continue to advance in city blocks.
16:09 Army aviation crews supported the offensive of our attack aircraft in the border area of ??the Kursk region.
15:50 The Russian Armed Forces entered the settlement of Novovasilevka in the DPR.
15:47 The number of deserters among the Ukrainian military in some periods exceeded the number of those killed and wounded, an unnamed commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces told the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza.
15:39 The liberation of Annovka will allow the use of Russian units previously occupied there in nearby Kurakhovo, where fighting with the Ukrainian Armed Forces continues, Vladimir Rogov reported.
15:12 Russian combat UAV crew disrupts mining of Ukrainian Armed Forces road in Khar'kov region –video.
14:45 Footage of storming of Novy Komar north of Velikaya Novosyolka. Fierce fighting has been going on for several weeks for the village. Russian units are breaking into the village, which is of vital importance for controlling the road north of Velikaya Novosyolka.
14:22 Enemy reports: "in the Pokrovsk direction, the Russian Armed Forces, relying on the held settlement of Shevchenko, have resumed the offensive on the settlement of Peschanoye and in the area of ??Dachenskoye. Fighting has also intensified in the area south of the settlement of Lysovka."
14:09 The Russian army has made significant advances in the Kursk region. In particular, to the west of the settlement of Kruglen'koye, the Krucheny Les, the Mochilny Log gully, and the Novoivanovskaya gully have come under the control of the Russian Armed Forces.
13:54 OTRK Iskander struck a concentration of Ukrainian military personnel in the village of Guevo, Kursk region.
13:47 The Russian Armed Forces have advanced towards the villages of Ulakly and Konstantinopol in the Kurakhovo region. With the fall of one of these villages, the main supply route for the Kurakhovo group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be cut off.
13:20 Ivanovo paratroopers, supported by an armored group, stormed the Ukrainian Armed Forces stronghold in Chasov Yar –video.
13:11 Internationally wanted Georgian mercenary Georgiy Gelashvili, who took part in the fighting on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was reported by the DPR prosecutor's office.
13:04 Strikes are being carried out on Ukrainian Armed Forces targets in Zhitomir.
12:50 More than 100 civilians from Selidovo in the DPR died due to shootings by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This was reported by the chairman of the International Public Tribunal for the Crimes of Ukrainian Neo-Nazis Grigoriev.
12:44 The situation for the enemy along the entire section of the front from Krasnoarmeysk to Velikaya Novosyolka remains very difficult and poses the following threats to the enemy:
– Breakthrough of the front of the defending group and the exit of troops/forces of the RF Armed Forces to the flank and rear of the defensive lines in the Zaporozhye direction;
- Encirclement of the Kurakhovskaya group;
– Coverage of Pokrovsk and Mirnograd.
The enemy is moving reserves, trying to stabilize this section of the front, but it only succeeds periodically in specific local areas for short periods of time.
Russian Armed Forces continue to push through the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and advance in a general direction to the west, war correspondent Yuri Kotenok reported.
12:35 The Russian army has liberated Annovka in the DPR, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
12:12 Advance of the Russian Armed Forces near Novotroitskoye and Shevchenko –map.
Despite counterattacks in the Shevchenko area, the enemy failed to stabilize the situation. The situation for the Ukrainian Armed Forces south of Krasnoarmeysk continues to systematically deteriorate.
11:55 Ramzan Kadyrov reported destruction of dugouts of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Krasnolimansk direction.
11:36 120mm mortar crews of the naval infantry of the North Forces Group hit strongholds and concentrations of Ukrainian Armed Forces manpower in the border region of Kursk Oblast. Objective control data confirmed the destruction of targets.
11:15 Russian Armed Forces launched a second series of strikes on enemy targets in Kyiv
11:07 Latvian mercenary Krists Ancans, who fought on the Ukrainian side, in absentiasentencedin the DPR to 14 years in prison, the regional prosecutor's office reported.
11:02 The Russian Armed Forces carried out strikes on Ukrainian Armed Forces facilities in Kyiv.
10:54 In the Boguslav direction came counterattacks by two enemy assault groups in the area of the settlement of Lozovaya. Up to 27 Ukrainian Armed Forces militants were destroyed, including several seriously wounded who requested evacuation, eliminated by their own UAV operators.
10:40 In the morning, the enemy acknowledges the continuing advance of the Russian Armed Forces to the south of Kurakhovo, where the remnants of the “Uspenovsky pocket” are being eliminated, as well as the serious advance of Russian forces in the Kursk region in the direction of Kruglenkoye –map.
10:10 UAV operators of the 36th Army of the Vostok group in the area of Velikaya Novosyolka destroyed enemy vehicles, disrupting the rotation and supply of equipment to positions.
09:42 The Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked six districts of the Belgorod Region, using 59 munitions and 22 drones. One person was injured, said the head of the region, Vyacheslav Gladkov.
09:36 The criminal Kiev regime continues to shell the civilian infrastructure of the settlements on the left bank of the Kherson region. Yesterday, during the day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired from barrel artillery:
– Six rounds in the village of Novaya Kakhovka;
– Three rounds in the village of Golaya Pristan;
– Three rounds in the village of Staraya Zburyevka;
– Four rounds to the settlement of Tavriysk;
– Two rounds to the settlement of Dnepryany;
- Three rounds to the village of Levo Sagi.
During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the villages of Vasilevka, Kakhovka, Dnepryany, Solontsy, and Aleshky, firing a total of 21 rounds from cannon artillery. Civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure are being clarified.
09:25 Kyiv-controlled media are spreading fakes about the capture of the Kolesnikovsky forest in the Khar'kov region by units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, military expert Andrey Marochko reported.
09:10 Russian troops have reached the outskirts of the village of Storozhevoe to the south of Velikaya Novosyolka in the DPR, Vladimir Rogov reported.
09:07 Ukrainian commanders ordered "not to stand on ceremony" with civilians of the Kursk region and, if necessary, to shoot them. This was reported by captive Dmitry Verbitsky. He was previously convicted of looting. According to him, if the opportunity arose, the Ukrainian Armed Forces searched for food and anything valuable in destroyed buildings and residential buildings.
08:54 The Russian Armed Forces carried out strikes on Ukrainian Armed Forces targets in the Nikolaev, Khar'kov and Cherkasy regions.
08:38 152mm Giatsint-S guns defeated the camouflaged Krab and AS-90 self-propelled guns destroyed the UAV control point from which the Ukrainian Armed Forces militants launched the Leleka-100 and Fury drones. Enemy manpower concentrations were also destroyed.
08:16 Mi-28NM helicopter of the North group of forces destroyed missiles, a strong point and military vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the border area of the Kursk region. This was reported by the Russian Defense Ministry.
08:11 Liquidated mercenaries in the SVO zone:
– Nilsson Norbay Garcia Navarro was born on August 24, 1997 in Colombia
– Michael Pohl, nicknamed Odin, was born on May 25, 1990 in Ehingen, Germany.
08:08 Russian troops have consolidated their positions along the Oskol River, eight kilometers in the Kupyansk direction, and the troops have built a defense there, Andrey Marochko reported.
08:04 The Ukrainian Armed Forces in Dzerzhinsk, DPR, shot at civilians as if they were in a shooting range, said a victim who managed to escape –video.
08:02 Air defense systems destroyed a Ukrainian UAV over the territory of the Belgorod region overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
08:00 Russian troops have driven the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of Zelenovka, south of Kurakhovo, and a cleanup operation is underway, Vladimir Rogov reported.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Denis Davydov
[REGNUM] Just a month ago, the Ukrainian "Unified Telethon" was filled with the voices of journalists ringing with pride as they talked about the training of a fully equipped and well-coordinated brigade for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in France. The 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Anna Kievskaya was created back in May 2024, but it did not actually exist until September. In the fall, 2,300 infantrymen and artillerymen went to train with the French, while tank crews were studying in Poland.
Personally, French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Ukrainians in October, shook their hands, and was proud. The Elysee Palace announced that the 155th, pompously named after the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise , who was married to the French King Henry I , would be fully equipped and “ready for war” “in a few months.” Everything that was issued to it on the spot — artillery, armored vehicles, and so on — was to go to Ukraine in one package.
But the brigade showed up to fight, and now they call it "zombie" or "paper". On December 7, People's Deputy Maryana Bezuglaya said that upon arrival, the personnel were divided between other brigades and sent to the front without combat coordination. Because initially no one needed it in this form and it was created for show from people gathered from all over the country - to knock weapons out of the French.
“And now this brigade is being taken apart like donor organs for other brigades,” one of the “Frenchmen” told Bezugloy.
According to an old Ukrainian tradition, "victory" smoothly turned into "betrayal". It would seem, why shoot yourself in the foot so obviously, when you can take and use a valuable gift for its intended purpose? But the situation simply does not allow otherwise.
CHAMPAGNE WITHOUT BUBBLES
The first experience of training and equipping a tactical unit within the framework of the EU military training mission for Ukraine was considered a super success. Task Force Champagne, which received the Ukrainian guests, began training with zeal: comfortable trenches filled with large rubble were built in the field, cartridges for reliable AK-47 assault rifles were distributed to everyone, self-propelled guns and heavy mortars were rolled in.
Everything had to be as serious as possible: after all, the majority of those who came to France had never held a weapon in their hands and had not received military training at home.
A French officer commenting on the process for the Kyiv press noted that the training included "infantry and armored combat, engineering warfare with the involvement of sappers." The Ukrainians were taught to defend themselves from air attacks using Mistral MANPADS, fire anti-tank missiles, and operate long-range artillery.
With the only caveat that the host country only has experience of what the speaker in a neat black beret called “external operations” – in Yugoslavia, Africa, Afghanistan. “We have this experience, combat experience, but only in the context of expeditionary warfare, that is, war abroad. We have no experience of equal combat between two armies with modern weapons. We are learning this together with the Ukrainians,” an anonymous foreign military officer with the rank of colonel frankly admitted on camera.
In other words, they couldn't give anything really useful to the Ukrainian mobilized troops in two months, and it would be stupid to count on real "combat coordination." In this war, no one stands at checkpoints or goes in marching columns to punish disobedient natives in slippers.
However, those who were required to do so radiated a carefully measured optimism.
“French partners have provided our soldiers not only with high-quality combined arms and specialized training, but also with modern equipment and weapons: armored personnel carriers, self-propelled artillery units, trucks, situational awareness systems and other necessary equipment,” said Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov .
The brigade reported that the French side actively helped it in providing a “high level of combat training” and modernizing weapons, which significantly strengthens the Ukrainian Armed Forces. “Thanks to international partners such as France, the Ukrainian army is becoming stronger and more prepared for the challenges of modern times,” the brigade noted, boasting of beautiful certificates confirming that everything is just tip-top. One newspaper from Rivne (the unit is considered to be from Rivne) even threatened the “orcs” that they would soon feel the formidable power of the 155th on their own skin.
But then she came back to turn the tide of hostilities and... turned the tide herself.
PAPER TIGERS
Problems with the combat readiness of the Anna Kievskaya began already at the end of November, even before she returned home. According to the documents, the unit is fully armed with armored vehicles and artillery by the French government, it is armed with Leopard tanks, an entire division of the latest 155-mm self-propelled howitzers Caesar, long-range 120-mm rifled mortars MO-120-RT61, a full set of light armored vehicles. But there was not a single drone.
Therefore, an urgent collection for drones and electronic warfare systems was immediately announced for one of the "important operational reserves of the country". For some reason, there were no funds in the state budget either, although for ten months of 2024, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Digital Development contracted 1.6 million UAVs of various types for a total of more than UAH 114 billion, and another UAH 32.33 billion has already been spent on the next year (a total of UAH 48 billion has been allocated for these purposes).
Therefore, the problem was quickly shifted to the citizens. And three days ago they were thanked for helping with chemical heating pads and bandages - for some reason they forgot to put them in as well. It is warm in France and no one was injured.
Secondly, it turned out that the personnel had only been partially trained by the French - the brigade had been brought up to 4.5 thousand people, meaning that only half were in Champagne. The rest were ordinary mobilized people caught on the street, lacking any motivation and not even having traveled abroad for free. They ran away at the first opportunity.
"They literally crammed several thousand people from the street into the brigade - these busified people, dressed them in uniform, said that this was a brigade, put a competent commander there, but did not give him time to form a team. As a result, a large number went to the Special Operations Department. Many hundreds, more than a thousand, immediately went home upon arrival. And the responsibility was placed on the brigade commander and he was removed from his post. Absolutely stupid and without any logic," Ukraine's chief military journalist Yuriy Butusov ranted on his channel on December 14.
Who, just recently (when he announced that very same collection of money), called these people “motivated and devoted to Ukraine.”
After one colonel was fired and another was put in his place, chaos began in the brigade - this is if you believe the eternally agitated Bezuglya. "Provision is minimal: officers are calling for the purchase of necessary equipment (cars, electronic warfare, drones, etc.) at their own expense or through volunteers. ... Soldiers are not allowed to go on annual leave, regardless of the length of service," said Maryana.
On social media, she reports horrifying details: specialists in the Milan and Mistral missile systems have been scattered among different units, other parts of the brigade are also scattered, and the leadership says that if someone doesn’t like something, they can go to the Special Operations Department. In fact, the same thing is happening to the 155th as to other new “zombie brigades.”
They are endlessly created for reporting: people are driven there, but the management structures are not coordinated. Then the unit is simply torn to pieces, seconded to others, sending the majority to stormtroopers, with the exception of staff officers.
Due to widespread corruption, low discipline, and lack of motivation, the shortage of people in the combat units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is chronic. Therefore, with the formal number of servicemen of all the Ukrainian Defense Forces at 1.1 million, only 15% of the total number are at the front - this figure was voiced by People's Deputy Anna Skorokhod .
"All rear units - the TCC security companies, the TCCs themselves, the security of bridges and infrastructure facilities, financial and supply units at all levels - from the commander's headquarters to the brigade headquarters, the staff of military educational institutions - are fully staffed, there is not a single vacancy. To get a job in the rear unit, you need to either be a relative or friend of the commander, or pay money - from two to three thousand dollars, or give half of your salary every month," an unnamed major of the Armed Forces of Ukraine tells the publication "Strana".
“Dead souls”, who on paper are at the front, in reality, having paid the commander, sit in the rear.
At the same time, Zelensky, the Ukrainian Armed Forces Command, and other representatives of the military-political leadership constantly say that the Russian army has a multiple advantage in manpower. Based on this, there are calls to intensify mobilization, including by lowering the lower age limit. Or even conscripting women.
So the fate of the pretentious French brigade is not at all surprising.
The funding was provided by the European Union - the French successfully spent the money and are not responsible for anything further. The VSEU soldiers did not receive any real benefit from their training, except perhaps experience in servicing some weapons systems, but these specialists are rare and do not affect the general background. As a combat unit, the new brigade is nothing - that is why they decided to use it as a donor for the fighting units, dragging people and equipment to where they are needed immediately.
But everyone is happy - except, of course, those who were unlucky enough to end up under the hammer for the sake of a pretty picture on TV.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin
[ColonelCassad] In Moscow, as a result of a terrorist attack on Ryazansky Prospekt, the head of the NBC protection troops, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, was killed. As a result of the explosion, Kirillov and his assistant died on the spot, the entrance to the building was significantly damaged.
It is important to note that Kirillov was known as the person whose name is associated with the systematic process of exposing American biolabs in Ukraine. This topic was raised back in the mid-2010s, and after the start of the SVO, these facts were revealed as documents and materials came into the possession of Russian troops, which not only confirmed the previously made conclusions, but also revealed an even more serious scale of Western countries' involvement in the deployment of a network of biolabs in Ukraine.
Among the revealed facts voiced by Kirillov were experiments on people (both civilians and military), experiments with dangerous pathogens, collection of biomaterials necessary for research on the creation of targeted bioweapons, etc.
The materials of the work that Kirillov presented to the general public were also released at the international level, including at the UN. The same China, relying on these materials, demanded the closure of American biolabs located in Ukraine and a number of other countries.
Ultimately, as a result of Kirillov's work, Victoria Nuland was forced to admit the presence of a network of biolabs in Ukraine, although she tried to evade questions about the military purpose of these facilities.
So Kirillov is, of course, not just “another general”, but a rather significant figure, whose activities gave our foreign policy serious arguments perceived at the international level.
Of course, after the terrorist attack, several versions will be considered, including the Ukrainian trace. But it cannot be ruled out that the Ukrainian trace here may only be a cover for the actions of Western intelligence agencies, which could have worked with the hands of their Ukrainian proxies. The “suspicion” that the SBU voiced to Kirillov the day before may also be just a screen, a cover for the activity of Western intelligence agencies.
One way or another, all the circumstances of the incident will have to be established by the investigation. Well, the question of retaliatory measures is already the prerogative of the military-political leadership of the country.
(c) specially for RT
More from regnum.ru Pentagon denies US involvement in General Kirillov's death
The United States did not assist in the activities that killed the chief of the radiation, chemical and biological defense forces (RCBZ), Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov. This was stated by Pentagon press secretary Patrick Ryder on December 17.
"We had no prior knowledge of this operation. We do not support or facilitate this type of activity," a US Defense Department spokesman responded at a briefing.
Earlier in the day, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller made a similar statement.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, the comments of the American authorities about their non-involvement in the murder of the head of the Russian Armed Forces' NBC Protection Troops, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, are ridiculous, since the United States created and sponsors the Kiev regime, responded the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, on December 17. The proof is there - Washington has never condemned a single terrorist act or planned murder committed by the Kiev regime, the diplomat emphasized.
The UN also commented on Kirillov's death, calling on "all parties" to show restraint and not directly condemn the terrorist attack.
Igor Kirillov and his assistant Ilya Polikarpov died as a result of an explosion that occurred early in the morning of December 17 near the entrance to the residential complex "Sreda" on Ryazansky Prospekt in the southeast of Moscow. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case under Articles 105, 205 and 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (murder, terrorist act, illegal circulation of weapons and ammunition).
Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev noted that those who ordered the terrorist attack against Kirillov themselves confirmed their involvement in his murder. He specified that this concerns the military-political leadership of Ukraine.
Even more from regnum.ru US claims of non-involvement in Kirillov's murder are ridiculous - Zakharova
The comments of the American authorities about their non-involvement in the murder of the head of the Russian Armed Forces' NBC Protection Troops, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, are ridiculous, since the United States created and sponsors the Kiev regime. This opinion was expressed to RIA Novosti on December 17 by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, in response to the statement by the representative of the US State Department, Matthew Miller, that the United States has nothing to do with the terrorist attack in Moscow.
"It's funny to listen to those who created the Kiev regime, sponsor it, give it money and supply weapons without control, declaring their pseudo-innocence. The proof is there - Washington has never condemned a single terrorist attack or planned murder committed by the Kiev regime," Maria Zakharova summed up.
At the same time, the UN commented on Kirillov’s death, calling on “all parties” to show restraint and not directly condemn the terrorist attack.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, in Zakharova’s opinion, the murder of Igor Kirillov and his assistant Ilya Polikarpov was the result of the West’s approval of Kiev’s crimes.
The bomb explosion that killed Kirillov and his assistant occurred early in the morning of December 17.The explosive device was planted in an electric scooter, its power was more than 1 kg of TNT.
A criminal case has been opened on the fact of the explosion. The investigation is being conducted under three articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: murder, terrorist act and illegal circulation of weapons and ammunition.
The investigation suspects the Ukrainian special services of involvement in the murder. The Reuters agency, citing a source in the SBU, also reported that the terrorist attack was organized by the Ukrainian special service.
The murder of the head of the NBC protection troops is equivalent to Kiev declaring a terrorist war on Russia, journalist Petr Akopov noted in his article for the Regnum news agency. Those who ordered the murder, the military-political leadership of Ukraine, must be destroyed, said Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
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Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
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Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
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