I'm on pins and needles.
[Regnum] Official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said that she decided to compose a Christmas song. At the same time, the Secretary of State of the Union State and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus helped her in implementing the idea.
Zakharova explained that she is “not a songwriter,” but the song came out in a New Year’s mood.
“Sometimes I come up with some lines. I had a dream to make a Christmas song. This text appeared two and a half years ago. I didn’t know how I could find the right co-author in terms of music,” the diplomat said in an interview with the Belarus 1 TV channel.
According to Zakharova, a year ago she spoke with the Secretary of State of the Union State of Belarus and Russia Dmitry Mezentsev . We talked about the possibility of a creative project between the two countries.
The idea was also supported by the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, recognizing that it should be something informal and unofficial. Help was provided by Foreign Ministry press secretary Anatoly Glaz.
The Belarusian side provided an opportunity to work with a local music production center, a composer and a young performer appeared.
“We are waiting for everyone at the presentation of this song in Moscow on December 24th. The music is Belarusian, the words are written in Russian with emotional overtones,” Maria Zakharova invited.
As IA Regnum reported , Moscow doctors - employees of the Bashlyaeva Children's City Hospital, as well as rescuers and volunteers on December 19 launched the all-Russian action "Santa Claus Landing 2023".
New Year's wizards (on this day they were volunteer activists with the skills of industrial climbers) descended on cables from the roof of the hospital to the windows of the wards and presented gifts to the little patients: board games, books, coloring books.
The role of the Snow Maiden was played by the Commissioner for Children's Rights under the President of Russia Maria Lvova-Belova . The granddaughter of Santa Claus climbed to the hospital windows on a crane.
This year, Father Frosts and Snow Maidens will “land” in 50 regions of Russia
[BBC] Ukrainian men between the ages of 25 and 60 living abroad will be asked to report for military service, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov has said.
He described this as an "invitation" - but seemed to suggest anyone who did not comply would be sanctioned.
However, a spokesman later clarified that no call-up was being considered.
President Zelensky told journalists on Tuesday that 450,000-500,000 new soldiers were needed but achieving this was a "sensitive issue".
This comes as Ukraine's recent counter-offensive appears to have stalled.
Kyiv has also seen setbacks in provisions of aid, with US Republicans blocking a $61bn (€55bn; £48bn) military package and Hungary stopping an EU financial deal worth €50bn ($55bn; £43bn).
In an analysis of figures from EU statistics agency Eurostat in November, BBC Ukrainian found that some 768,000 Ukrainian men aged 18-64 had left the country for the EU alone since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The figure does not include citizens living outside the EU, or those resident anywhere abroad since before February 2022.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:27 A number of Western and Asian companies continue to supply components for Russian tanks, according to an investigation by The Insider. These are companies from the USA, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Finland, Austria, Serbia, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, which continue to supply despite the sanctions. The publication claims that they sell components for the production of Proryv and Armata tanks.
22:00 It was decided to involve the chairmen of associations of co-owners of apartment buildings in the process of serving subpoenas. In particular, in Poltava, the managers of condominium associations were obliged to provide access to the entrances of TCC employees to the entrances, and in the Ternopil and Kyiv regions - to provide lists of men of military age living in the house. Read more in the material Mobilization in Ukraine .
21:49 The foreign ministries of Ukraine, Great Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, the USA, France and Sweden have created the Tallinn Cybersecurity Mechanism, which will help protect Ukrainian cyberspace, Kuleba said. The group will also work closely with the EU and NATO, and new members may join.
21:32 Zelensky promised in an evening video message that logistics will be accelerated regarding the supply of drones to the front. “We are also working to ensure that the effectiveness of the use of drones, in particular FPV, becomes higher in all areas. This is an obvious priority of the state and a very specific way to protect the lives of our soldiers,” the president emphasized.
21:26 The United States has a clear plan for the future development of Ukraine, which does not imply the need to allocate funds at the current level, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
21:08 The White House expects Congress to approve additional funding for Ukraine in January, National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby said. He also recalled that Washington could announce another aid package before the end of December: “It takes several days, sometimes weeks, for some of these materials to get to Ukraine. So it is very important that in January we have progress with additional funding, because "The fighting is not going to stop. If the ground freezes before the end of January, it will make it easier for the Russians to move."
20:51 The United States has tightened sanctions against Russian oil revenues. As part of efforts to ensure compliance with the price ceiling, the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, together with partner countries, has updated rules for complying with sanctions against Russian oil. We are talking about strengthening certification and accounting processes for certain oil transportation service providers.
The United States also imposed sanctions on the shipowner SUN Ship Management, registered in the UAE and owned by the sanctioned Russian state fleet operator Sovcomflot. In addition, three underground traders of Russian oil were subject to restrictions, which allowed the Russian Federation to bypass the price ceiling from Hong Kong and the UAE.
19:04 During the day, the Russian army fired 11 kamikaze drones into the Nikopol district of the Dnepropetrovsk region, and also fired at it five times from artillery, said the head of the OVA Sergei Lysak. In Nikopol, two people were injured, 11 private houses, outbuildings, cars, and power lines were damaged.
18:59 Since the beginning of October, Russian troops have advanced up to 2 km in some areas of the Avdeevsky direction, said Alexander Shtupun, spokesman for the Tauride Defense Forces: “Since October 10, when the enemy became more active, he has advanced in some places by 1.5-2 km But it cost him a lot." Shtupun clarified that during this period only in the Donetsk region in the zone of responsibility of the Tavria OSUV, the enemy lost about 25 thousand people killed and wounded.
18:40 Russian actor Ivan Okhlobystin came under fire in the occupied territory of the Donetsk region. His daughter reported that the actor came under fire while traveling with “humanitarian aid”; a bullet hit his bulletproof vest.
17:53 On the beach in Sevastopol, a local resident, while walking with her dog, found a crashed Ukrainian kamikaze drone, Russian public pages write and show photos. A preliminary inspection showed that this is a Beaver - one of those drones that are periodically shot down on approach to Moscow. According to one version, the UAV could have fallen due to being overloaded with explosives - in addition to the warhead of 20 kg, another 10 kg was loaded there.
17:46 In the Dniprovsky district of the Dnipropetrovsk region, air defense forces destroyed an X-59 guided aircraft missile, the Air Command reported.
17:42 Ukraine received 150 million euros in financial assistance from the EU as part of the rapid recovery program, the Ministry of Finance reported. The funds will be used to restore critically important facilities damaged as a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation: transport infrastructure, utility facilities, social infrastructure and residential premises.
17:35 Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that he will not allow Ukraine to join NATO: “We will not agree with Ukraine’s membership in NATO, because this will be the beginning of the Third World War... I believe that this will never happen. As long as I have opportunity to influence the Slovak political scene, I will use the right to veto such a decision."
16:59 During the day, about 6,000 men of military age leave Ukraine along the entire section of the western border, the State Border Guard Service reported. Of these, 150-200 men travel as volunteers through the Shlyakh system, and in total, about 45% are freight drivers. Men who have married mothers with many children and accompany people with disabilities also travel.
16:17 In the Czech Republic, with the support of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, the Group D association was created, which is launching a public fundraiser called Nemesis for $4.5 million with the aim of purchasing drones for Ukraine. The Czech military and reservists intend to purchase 10 thousand FPV drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
15:38 The prime ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia signed a joint declaration on the uniform regional application of EU sanctions against Russia and Belarus in order to reduce the risks of circumvention of restrictions. In particular, the three states committed to ensure unified customs controls and exchange of information, and the relevant authorities of the Baltic countries must approve a regional approach no later than January 31, 2024.
14:49 The United States has imposed sanctions against ten entities and four individuals supporting the Iranian production of Shahed drones. These are companies and individuals based in Iran, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia. The network facilitated the purchase of hundreds of thousands of dollars of U.S. and foreign components for the jihadist aerospace organization the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its UAV program. Then all this was transferred to Russia.
The Office of the President reported that Ukraine worked closely with the United States on this issue. Ukrainian experts studied the components of the downed suicide bombers, after which this data was transferred to partners.
14:16 The Long-Range Space Communications Center of the Russian Aerospace Forces and military unit 28735 were attacked in Crimea, the Russian opposition publication Astra reports, citing sources. According to them, early in the morning at least three drone strikes were recorded on the territory of military unit 28735 of the FSB Border Directorate in the village of Solnechnogorskoye in Alushta. One employee of the FSB control center was wounded, and the satellite communications antenna was damaged.
The second attack was carried out, preliminary, by Storm Shadow missiles against the Center for Long-Range Space Communications in the village of Vitino, Saki region. At least two strikes were recorded, one piece of military equipment was damaged, but there were no casualties.
14:03 On the night of December 20, the Russians attacked a humanitarian aid warehouse in Kherson, the Ukrainian Red Cross reported. The direct hit and the resulting fire completely destroyed the supplies of humanitarian aid stored in the warehouse for the residents of the Kherson region. Employees and volunteers of the Kherson regional organization of the Ukrainian Red Cross were not injured. Work to eliminate the consequences continues.
13:52 Parliament supported, immediately as a basis and as a whole, bill No. 10341 on exemption from VAT and duties on the import of electronic warfare systems and radar systems for the army into Ukraine, said People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
13:06 Zelensky’s promise that Ukraine will produce a million drones next year applies only to FPV drones. Already in December, more than 50 thousand such UAVs will be produced in Ukraine, said Minister of Strategic Industry Alexander Kamyshin. “In addition to FPV drones, we are already capable of producing more than 10 thousand medium-range attack drones (hundreds of km) and 1000+ drones with a range of 1000 km next year. All production facilities are ready, contracting for 2024 begins,” the minister added.
12:53 British intelligence reports that Ukraine has mobilized efforts to improve fortifications in recent weeks as it goes on the defensive along much of its front line. At the same time, Russia continues local offensive operations in several sectors, but individual attacks rarely exceed the size of a platoon. Analysts consider a major Russian breakthrough unlikely, and overall they believe the front is static.
12:28 France, Germany and Italy are “extremely cautious” about the US idea of confiscating Russian assets to help Ukraine, writes the Financial Times. According to the newspaper, European officials "fear possible retaliation if state immunity is undermined." Instead, the EU insists on using only profits from frozen Russian assets, but some countries are wary of even such a step.
11:51 Russian troops are increasing the use of drones in the Bakhmut direction, said Vladimir Fityo, spokesman for the Ground Forces Command. According to him, on average the enemy uses from 30 to 50 drones per day in this direction.
11:43 The Kherson region experienced one of the largest attacks this night, the State Emergency Service said. In Kherson and its suburbs, Russian troops attacked a critical infrastructure facility, an educational institution, a post office, a warehouse and a residential building. Rescuers had to take cover while working to wait out repeated attacks. 16 people were injured - nine in the city, another seven in the region.
11:27 In the morning, the Russians again fired at the Esman community of the Sumy region, one person was wounded, the prosecutor’s office reported.
10:50 The German Prosecutor General's Office wants to confiscate more than 720 million euros of frozen Russian funds to the budget, Der Spiegel reports. This is an asset of an unnamed Russian company that came under sanctions and tried to withdraw frozen funds. In this regard, federal prosecutors decided that the money should be confiscated. If such a decision is made, it will become a precedent.
10:31 Japan is expected to allow the export of several dozen missiles for the Patriot air defense system to the United States in the coming days, which will allow Washington to send more modern air defense systems to Ukraine, The Washington Post writes. Japan produces Patriot missiles under license from Raytheon.
In addition, South Korea this year promised to send hundreds of thousands of artillery ammunition to Ukraine - more than all European countries combined. According to WP, a significant portion of these deliveries have already been made.
09:48 According to the General Staff, Russian troops, due to a lack of ammunition of their own production, are forced to use low-quality artillery and mortar charges supplied from North Korea. Due to the unsatisfactory condition of such ammunition, there are frequent cases of their rupture right in the barrels of guns and mortars, which leads to losses of weapons and personnel of the Russian troops. In particular, such cases were recorded in the Dnepr group of troops, where General Teplinsky is the commander.
09:09 American officials suggest that the G7 countries consider the option of transferring blocked Russian assets to Kiev in tranches through the World Bank or the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, writes the Financial Times.
09:02 On the evening of December 19, the Russians attacked the civilian infrastructure of Kherson with drones. Currently, nine people are known to be injured, including four young children, the prosecutor's office said. Civilian objects and residential buildings were damaged. According to the OVA, in just the past 24 hours, 16 people were wounded as a result of Russian shelling, including four children.
08:47 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of December 20:
personnel - about 349,190 (+890) people,
tanks - 5814 (+16),
armored combat vehicles - 10,794 (+23),
artillery systems - 8206 (+16),
MLRS - 928 (+2),
air defense systems - 611 (+0),
aircraft - 324 (+0),
helicopters - 324 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 6316 (+17),
cruise missiles - 1612 (+1),
ships/boats - 22 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 10,871 (+29),
special equipment - 1203 (+3).
08:34 At night, the Russians launched two attacks on Kharkov with S-300 missiles - on a residential building and on the territory of a civilian transport enterprise. Property was damaged, but no people were injured, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA.
08:30 Over the past 24 hours, 87 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In the Kherson direction, the Defense Forces continue to expand the bridgehead. The enemy is trying to dislodge Ukrainian units from their positions, made eight assault attempts, but retreated with losses.
In the Avdeevsky direction, the Defense Forces repelled 26 enemy attacks east of Novobakhmutovka, Stepnoy, Avdeevka and nine more attacks south of Severny, Pervomaisky and Nevelsky Donetsk region. In the Maryinsky direction, 13 enemy attacks were repelled (in the areas of Krasnogorovka, Maryinka and Novomikhailovka, Donetsk region), in the Bakhmutsky direction - 12 attacks (near Bogdanovka, Kleshcheevka and Andreevka, Donetsk region).
In the Kupyansk direction, Ukrainian forces repelled enemy attacks near Sinkovka, Kharkov region; on Limansky - in the areas of Serebryansky forestry, Lugansk region and east of Ternov, Donetsk region; on Zaporozhye - west of Novopokrovka and Rabotino, Zaporozhye region.
08:16 Democrats and Republicans in the Senate released a joint statement saying that the issue of assistance to Ukraine is being postponed until next year. The document was signed by the head of the Democratic majority, Chuck Schumer, and the Republican minority, Mitch McConnell. Negotiators in the Senate and White House will continue to work on an agreement until the end of this year.
"We are committed to meeting the needs on the southern border and helping allies and partners confront serious threats in Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific region," the senators said.
07:11 At night, air defense destroyed 18 of the 19 Shahed attack UAVs that Russia attacked from Crimea (launch areas - Chauda, Balaklava), the Air Force command reported. The drones were destroyed within the Odessa, Kherson, Dnepropetrovsk, Vinnitsa, Khmelnytsky, Kyiv, Chernigov and Kirovograd regions. In addition, the enemy launched a strike with two anti-aircraft guided missiles from the S-300 air defense system from the Belgorod region in the Kharkov region. Preliminary - no casualties.
01:04 The Russians attacked Kiev with Shahed-type attack drones, which entered the capital from the south, from the Black Sea, flying through the Odessa, Kirovograd and Cherkasy regions. All enemy targets were hit while approaching Kyiv. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties or destruction in the capital, said the head of the KGVA, Sergei Popko.
00:52 The UN General Assembly adopted an updated resolution condemning Russia's serious violations of human rights in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. As Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said, the document, in particular, requires the Russian Federation to stop forced deportation and ensure the safe return of all Ukrainian children and civilian hostages. “These are some of the most terrible crimes, and they must be stopped,” the Ukrainian minister emphasized.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kirill Strelnikov
[RIA] After the recent extended meeting of the Ministry of Defense with the participation of the President of the Russian Federation, the world media vied with each other to discuss the “intensification of military rhetoric”, “the threat of an attack on NATO countries” and “large-scale saber-rattling”. If we put aside the routine hysteria, then in fairness we must admit that we have something to rattle about. This year, Russian strategic troops completed rearmament (let’s not forget about putting on combat duty the next regiment of the Avangard hypersonic missile system, against which NATO has no methods and is not expected to fight in the foreseeable future). The level of modern weapons and equipment in the troops has been increased to 95%, and the naval component - to almost 100%.
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[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces supported by artillery repelled five attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 115nd Mechanised Brigade and 95th Air Assault Brigade near Sinkovka and Terni (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 40 Ukrainian troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, two pickup trucks, as well as one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.
In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces supported by artillery repelled two attacks of the AFU 63rd Mechanised Brigade close to Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic), and Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 180 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, as well as one D-30 howitzer.
In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces supported by artillery repelled one attack launched by assault detachments of the AFU 24th Mechanised Brigade close to Shumy (Donetsk People's Republic).
In addition, the Group's artillery and heavy flamethrower systems inflicted losses on AFU manpower and hardware near Kleshcheyevka, Kurdyumovka, and Maryinka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses in this direction amounted to up to 250 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, one tank, and three motor vehicles.
In the course of counterbattery warfare, one Slovakia-made Zuzana 2 self-propelled artillery system, one UK-made AS-90 self-propelled artillery system, two Msta-B howitzers, two Akatsiya self-propelled artillery systems, one D-30 howitzer, and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system were eliminated.
In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces supported by artillery and heavy flamethrower systems inflicted losses on manpower of the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade and 79th Air Assault Brigade near Elizavetovka, Vladimirovka, and Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 110 Ukrainian troops, two pickup trucks, and two Akatsiya self-propelled artillery systems.
In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU 14th National Guard Brigade, 82nd Air Assault Brigade, and 116th Mechanised brigade close to Verbovoye and Rabotino (Zaporozhye region).
The AFU losses in this direction amounted to up to 70 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, two D-20 howitzers, and one D-30 howitzer.
In Kherson direction, as a result of cohesive actions of units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by artillery, the AFU losses amounted to up to 75 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, two motor vehicles, two Msta-B howitzers, one Giatsint-B howitzer, and one Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 127 areas during the day.
Air defence units intercepted one Ukrianian Air Force Mi-24 helicopter near Uglesborochnaya railway station (Donetsk People's Republic).
Five U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles were intercepted in the past 24 hours. Moreover, 32 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down close to Novaya Mayachka (Kherson region), Staromikhailovka, Spornoye, Krasnogorovka, Maryinka (Donetsk People's Republic), Belogorovka and Nyrkovo (Lugansk People's Republic).
In total, 553 airplanes and 260 helicopters, 9,899 unmanned aerial vehicles, 442 air defence missile systems, 14,202 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,189 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 7,416 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 16,502 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:08 At 20.10, Ukrainian troops fired six missiles from the MLRS at Yasinovataya, they reported representative office of the DPR at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC). 19:40 Six civilians were injured as a result of enemy artillery attack of Donetsk, Gorlovka, Yasinovatsky district. Among them are two employees of medical institutions - in Donetsk and Gorlovka, as well as a hospital patient. This was announced by the head of the DPR Denis Pushilin.
Three residential buildings in the Kievsky and Petrovsky districts of Donetsk and a civil infrastructure facility in Gorlovka were damaged.
15 attacks were recorded, 42 units of ammunition was fired, rocket artillery with a caliber of 122mm, cannon artillery with a caliber of 152mm, 155mm, including cluster type, and an attack UAV were used.
18:49 Khar'kov region. The sound of an explosion was reported in the eastern part of the area. The air raid warning did not sound, writes Front Bird.
Our missilemen did some preliminary work by using a high-precision missile against an enemy fortification.
18:30 Direct fire: crews of T-80 tanks destroyed fortified positions of Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Artemovsk direction
Accurate fire from the tankers of the “Southern” group of forces destroyed the observation post of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and destroyed the dugout in which the infantry squad of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was hiding.
17:37 Personnel combat work of crews of unmanned aerial vehicles that carry out reconnaissance of the battlefield and adjust the artillery fire of our troops.
17:06 Winged infantry breaks through enemy defenses on the northern flank of Artemovsk -video.
16:30 Donetsk direction (DPR). A number of sources report that our air defense system hit an enemy Mi-24 helicopter, writes Frontline Bird. The missile hit a target in the area of ??the village. Coal harvesting.
15:47 Kherson direction situation as of 15.00 December 20, 2023:
In Krynki, Ukrainian formations continue to hold a bridgehead, regularly transferring more and more forces to the left bank. However, losses as a result of the actions of the Russian Armed Forces are growing, which affects the enemy’s capabilities.
Currently, the number of manpower in the village has been reduced to 110 people from the combined formations of the 35th, 36th, 37th and 38th Naval Infantry Brigades. The intensity of transfers of advanced groups from the right bank has also decreased, which indicates the existing shortage of people.
At the same time, Russian military personnel managed to dislodge the Ukrainian Armed Forces from their positions in the forest near the greenhouses. First, the artillery worked on strong points, allowing them to eliminate the naval infantry detachments, and then destroy the positions of the Ukrainian units themselves.
Despite this, the Ukrainian command is trying to advance in the gray zone on the western and eastern outskirts of Krynoki. Now the advanced groups of naval infantry of the Ukrainian Navy intend to gain a foothold in the buildings, and not in the plantings.
And the pressure will remain the same. This is indicated by the transfer of 155mm artillery rounds to the front line, as well as the movement of mortar crews to Tyaginka and to the northern part of Frolov Island.
15:24 One civilian was killed and 16 were injured over the past 24 hours in the DPR. The armed forces of Ukraine do not stop artillery attack the civilian population of the republic. The nationalists use NATO and Soviet artillery and MLRS. There has also been an increase in the use of drones to drop ammunition. Consequences of barbaric artillery attack onvideo.
14:27 The main thing from the briefing of the Russian Ministry of Defense:
The losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donetsk direction per day amounted to up to 250 military personnel, a tank and 3 vehicles;
Over the past 24 hours, the Russian Armed Forces repelled five attacks by Ukrainian Armed Forces assault groups in the Kupyansk direction; enemy losses amounted to up to 40 military personnel;
The Russian Armed Forces in the Krasnolimansk direction repulsed 2 enemy attacks within 24 hours, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost up to 180 military personnel;
The Russian Armed Forces repelled an attack by assault groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the DPR settlement Shumy;
Since the beginning of the special operation, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed more than 16,500 vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
In the South Donetsk direction, the Russian military struck the manpower of two brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Elizavetovka, Vladimirovka and Novomikhailovka in the DPR;
Russian air defense shot down a Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopter in the DPR;
The losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the South Donetsk direction per day amounted to up to 110 military personnel;
Russian air defense shot down 32 Ukrainian drones and intercepted 5 HIMARS rounds in one day;
Within 24 hours, the Russian Armed Forces hit manpower and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 127 districts.
14:02 Military expert Boris Rozhin on the main points about the progress of the special military operation in a day:
Zaporozhye direction: The Russian Armed Forces consolidated their position in new positions in the Verbovoy area, where several oporniks and landings were taken. Pressure also continues on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Rabotino and Novoprokopovka.
The Russian Armed Forces are taking advantage of the fact that the enemy has transferred five brigades from the Rabotinsky direction to Avdievka and Mar'inka and are returning previously lost positions. The Ukrainian Armed Forces basically went on the defensive here.
The enemy has so far abandoned plans to attack Staromlynovka. For Pyatikhatki – no changes yet.
Vrem'evsky salient: The Russian Armed Forces continue attacks in the Staromikhailovka area and maintain pressure in the Priyutnoye area. The enemy went on the defensive. He no longer makes attempts to break through to Staromlynovka.
Ugledar: south of Ugledar and in the area of dachas - no changes. To the east of Ugledar there is an assault on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Novomikhailovka, the Russian Armed Forces are making slight advances. The village itself is still under the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Control over Novomikhailovka is of serious importance for the entire eastern flank of the Ugledar group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. To the north, fighting continues at the Menagerie and Pobeda. The Russian Armed Forces are trying to bypass the Menagerie from the north. The pace of progress is low.
Mar'inka: no significant changes. The Russian Armed Forces continue fighting on the northwestern outskirts of Mar'inka, where the enemy still maintains a presence in the city. The enemy has been completely knocked out from the southwestern outskirts. North of Marinka in the direction of Krasnogorovka – no changes yet.
Avdievka: north of Avdievka, fighting continues near the Avdeevsky coke plant and in the private sector near the wastewater treatment plant. Also, the Russian Armed Forces continue to press north and south of Stepnoye, as well as in the direction of Ocheretino. The enemy carries out pinning counterattacks.
In the area of the industrial zone, the Russian Armed Forces continue attacks on the outskirts of the city, there is slight progress. To the south of the city at Khimik and Severny – no changes.
The Russian Armed Forces also secured new positions north of Pervomaisky. The enemy confirms the loss of some positions.
Artemovsk: The Russian Armed Forces continue their offensive to the northwest and west of the city. There is some progress in the Artemovsky area. Fighting also continues near Orekhovo-Vasilevka and Bogdanovka. Both villages are still under the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
To the north of Kleshcheevka, attacks by our troops continue. The enemy is held in the southwestern part of the village. Most of Kleshcheevka is in the gray zone.
Svatovo-Kupyansk: two more oporniks were taken on the eastern bank of Oskol. The Russian Armed Forces continue attacks near Sin'kovka and east of Petropavlovka. The enemy is working to restore bombed crossings to solve supply problems.
13:20 Kupyanskoe direction, area of the settlement. Sin'kovka:
The enemy tried to launch a counterattack. The movement was from the northern side of Sinkovka. The guys from the spot report that the attack has been repulsed. They used ATGMs, RPGs and AGS, reports the Front Bird. The enemy has minus infantry fighting vehicles and several personnel.
12:47 The situation in the Avdievka direction is reported by the Diary of a Paratrooper:
Fog and poor visibility make it possible for the Russian Armed Forces to regroup under the “smoke screen” of nature and conduct an offensive in small groups on a wide front.
On all flanks of the Avdeevsky sector, our fighters are conducting an offensive with the help of drones; this sector is well supplied with UAVs, and it is possible to use them both for reconnaissance and to defeat enemy forces.
12:32 Statement of Head of the press center of the Vostok group:
Units of the Vostok group of troops in the South Donetsk direction, during active defense with preemptive artillery fire, thwarted an attempted attack by the 79th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Novomikhailovka area.
Strikes from bomber aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems hit strongholds, temporary deployment points and areas of concentration of manpower of the 79th Airborne Assault, 72nd Mechanized and 58th Motorized Infantry Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of Novomikhailovka, Paraskovievka, Ugledar and Novoukrainka.
As part of the counterbattery fight, the enemy's 152mm 2S19 Msta-S howitzer and 152mm D-20 gun were destroyed.
The total enemy losses amounted to seven long-term firing points and up to 180 militants killed and wounded, three armored fighting vehicles and two vehicles.
11:35 Statement Head of the press center of the "South" group:
In cooperation with aviation and artillery in the Donetsk direction, units of the “Southern” group of forces repelled three attacks by assault groups of the 79th Airborne Assault Brigade in the Mar'inka area, and defeated the manpower and equipment of the 28th, 42nd and 93rd Mechanized Brigades in the areas of Kurdyumovka, Andreevka and Kleshcheevka.
The enemy lost up to 180 military personnel, three armored personnel carriers, four cars, an American-made 155mm M777 howitzer, a 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery mount, a 152mm 2A65 Msta-B howitzer, two 152mm D-20 guns , two 122mm self-propelled artillery mounts 2S1 “Gvozdika” and a 122mm howitzer D-30.
11:29 Maryinsky direction, enemy channels:
On the southern and southeastern outskirts of Novomikhailovka, Russian troops continue assault operations with the support of armored vehicles in the direction of Timiryazeva Street.
10:55 The Russian Armed Forces took a number of strong points in Zaporozhye.
According to "Come and See", Russian troops launched a counteroffensive on the Zaporozhye front.
“Several enemy strongholds have been taken in the Verbovoy area,” the channel’s source said.
According to him, fighting along the Verbovoye-Rabotino line continues. The Ukrainian Armed Forces went on the defensive.
10:31 The Ukrainian Armed Forces, while trying to return previously abandoned positions west of Artemovsk, lost two armored infantry vehicles and up to 30 personnel - adviser to the head of the DPR, Yan Gagin.
10:25 Statement of Head of the press center of the Center group:
The coordinated actions of units of the Center group of troops and artillery fire in the Krasnolimansk direction repelled five attacks by assault groups of the 24th and 116th Mechanized Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Chervonaya Dibrova and Petrovskoye.
Enemy losses amounted to up to 185 military personnel, two infantry fighting vehicles and three vehicles.
10:05 The criminal Kiev regime continues to fire at the civilian infrastructure of settlements on the left bank of the Kherson region, yesterday during the day the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired from cannon artillery:
-- n.p. Krynki 18 rounds;
-- n.p. Alyosha 10 rounds;
- n.p. Kardashinka three rounds;
-- n.p. Dnepryan seven rounds;
-- n.p. Sagi eight rounds.
During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the village. Novaya Kakhovka, n.p. Kakhovka, n.p. Krynki, n.p. Dnepryany, n.p. Aleshki, n.p. Korsunka, n.p. Proletarka, firing a total of 28 rounds from cannon artillery.
Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being determined.
09:45 Statement of Head of the press center of the “West” group:
During the active defense in the Kupyansk direction, motorized rifle formations of the 6th Combined Arms Army, supported by artillery fire, repelled eight counterattacks by assault groups of the 14th, 60th, 115th Mechanized Brigades in the Sin'kovka area. The counterattacks were repelled, the enemy retreated to the south.
The total losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine amounted to up to 60 military personnel, a T-64 tank, three armored combat vehicles, two cars, a 122mm self-propelled artillery mount 2S3 "Akatsiya", a 152mm howitzer 2A65 "Msta-B".
09:31 A Belarusian security official reports on the advance of Russian troops:
In the Bakhmut direction, the forces of the Russian Armed Forces intensively began to storm the southwestern flank from Bogdanovka, also to the west of Khromovoy. If everything continues successfully, the Ukrainian Armed Forces forces in Bogdanovka will be surrounded.
North of Mar'inka, the advance of the Russian Armed Forces is approximately half a kilometer.
09:20 The Russian Ministry of Defense publishes personnel combat work of crews of unmanned aerial vehicles that carry out reconnaissance of the battlefield and adjust the artillery fire of the Southern Group of Forces.
08:44 Military investigators of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation recorded facts of criminal actions on the part of the armed forces of Ukraine.
Ukrainian nationalists carried out targeted artillery attack of the civilian infrastructure of the Kyiv region of Donetsk using MLRS. As a result, five civilians were injured.
Also, eight civilians were injured as a result of artillery artillery attack of the Kuibyshevsky and Petrovsky districts of Donetsk using 155mm caliber artillery, including with a cluster warhead.
In addition, a team of electricians was attacked by a UAV during restoration work in the Kirovsky district of Donetsk. Two brigade employees were injured.
In total, 22 residential buildings and eight civilian infrastructure facilities were damaged by shelling.
08:17 In the Donetsk direction, the enemy is increasing ammunition reserves. About it reported military expert, retired lieutenant colonel of the LPR NM Andrey Marochko.
“In the area of the settlement of Chasov Yar, the supply of NATO rounds to field warehouses of missile and artillery weapons was detected. At the same time, the UFU neglect the safety of civilians. Warehouses are located near private housing developments, as well as in the basements of apartment buildings,” Marochko wrote on his Telegram channel.
08:01 Summary on the morning of December 20, 2023:
Yesterday evening, Geranium strikes hit targets in the Odessa region. At night, including with missile weapons, targets were practiced in the Khar'kov region. Explosions were also heard near Kropyvnytskyi, Kirovograd region, near which the Kanatovo military airfield is located.There are no significant changes in the Kherson direction in the Krynok region, however, enemy resources began to quote the enemy’s military command, which began to declare that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were “holding the line” in the indicated area. This moment is indicative, since the enemy operation on our bank of the Dnieper was planned as “offensive”.
However, after two months of heavy fighting, the enemy did not achieve success. Mutual artillery artillery attack continued throughout the day, and boats carrying enemy troops were destroyed by UAV operators.
Primary information is coming from the Zaporozhye Front that in this section of the front the Ukrainian Armed Forces have also gone on the defensive. After artillery preparation, our troops attacked in the Rabotino-Verbovoye sector, occupied several strongholds of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and tactical advance near Verbovoye - up to several hundred meters.
In the south of Avdievka, our troops, in difficult weather conditions, “target” enemy strongholds and firing points.
In the Maryinsky direction there were battles south of Novomikhailovka, and counterattacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces were reported. This settlement is important for the enemy from the point of view of preventing our troops from reaching the road to Ugledar from the northeast.
South of Artemovsk (Bakhmut), our troops are increasing the pace north of Kleshcheevka: “The Russian Armed Forces increased the activity of artillery and the number of assault groups, which allowed them to come close to the forward positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and have partial success,” write enemy military analysts. West of Khromovo and north, near Bogdanovka, our troops are also conducting offensive operations.
The commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Syrsky, said that the Russian Army is attacking in the Kupyansky, Limansky and Bakhmutsky directions, having an advantage in weapons and in the number of personnel. Assault operations continue at Sin'kovka.
Background note: Grigory Chkhartishvili is a Russian dissident living in London who has been tagged an extremist and a terrorist supporter by the Russian government, because he violated the 2022 Russian law involving criticism of the Russian military.
Dmitry Bykov is another Russian writer who has run afoul of Russian authorities. He claims he was poisoned and nearly killed in spring 2019 by Russian government agents. He fled Russian just before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He was banned from appearing in Russian media. Continued on Page 49
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Ukrainian command is spreading rumors among its soldiers about the “horrors of Russian captivity,” Vasily Nagorny, a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukrainewho was captured by Russian troops in the Zaporozhye direction, told RIA Novosti on December 20.
“My (command) told me, and I heard from other commanders, that there (in Russian captivity) fingers are broken, arms are broken, they are cut. They told me such horror that it made my hair stand on end,” Nagorny said.
According to him, when he and a colleague were captured on November 30, they were taken to the basement, checked for grenades or cartridges, sat on a bench and offered tea and coffee.
“At first I was shocked by everything that was being offered to us. That they don’t beat us, don’t cut us, nothing like what our superiors, and company commanders, and everything told us...” the prisoner said, noting that even after his transfer to a permanent place of detention, the attitude towards him did not change.
He also shared rumors he had received even before being captured about what was happening to Russians in Ukrainian captivity. According to him, there are some “moral degenerates” who torture Russian soldiers.
As reported by IA Regnum, a prisoner of war of the Ukrainian army on December 4 said that he was punished by the company commander for carrying out a seriously wounded soldier from under fire, and not someone with a lighter wound. He was then transferred to the stormtroopers and was captured when he was shell-shocked during the battle.
Also, the governor of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, informed earlier that the Russian military captured a Polish mercenary who fought as part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He was wounded, and other militants from the group abandoned him and fled. The prisoner said that Russian soldiers gave him first aid and sent him to the rear, to the hospital.
Ukrainian volunteers regularly bring humanitarian aid to the combat zone, take pictures with it against the backdrop of the military, and then pick it up and take it away. At the same time, the commanders actively participate in the robbery. This confession was made to RIA Novosti by the Ukrainian military man Oleg Belousov, who surrendered in December.
According to the militant, the volunteers do everything only for reports; they will bring, photograph and take away humanitarian aid.
“They made reports in front of me, photographed everything, like they handed it over so that they wouldn’t give me a slap,” Belousov said.
Also, according to the prisoner, there were cases when humanitarian aid arrived at a military unit, but the command took everything for itself and divided it among its own.
As Regnum reported , a prisoner of war of the Ukrainian army on December 4 said that he was punished by the company commander for carrying out a seriously wounded soldier from under fire, and not someone with a lighter wound. He was then transferred to the stormtroopers and was captured when he was shell-shocked during the battle.
The number of Ukrainian military personnel surrendering to Russian troops has recently increased sharply, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the leadership of the State Duma and faction leaders in the Kremlin.
On October 27, the Russian Ministry of Defense released information that over the previous seven days, 54 military personnel from six brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces voluntarily surrendered . Over the next seven days, the number of military personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who surrendered was 28.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] In St. Petersburg, an initiative group asks Governor Beglov to install a sign and a monument to Prigozhin
....Yevgeny Prigozhin: Russian mercenary leader, oligarch, restaurateur, former owner of Wagner PVC (1961–2023)...
in the city, and also to name a street after him.
Considering the long-standing conflict between Prigozhin and Beglov, it is unlikely that the governor will cooperate on this issue, although at least the governor will not lose the plaque. On the contrary, it will show that he is not vindictive.
There are formally no legal obstacles to immortalization, especially since Prigozhin is a hero of Russia.
The criminal case against him for attempted rebellion has been closed and there have been no legal claims against him from the state.
But there is a political assessment. and according to the political assessment, Prigozhin tried to commit a mutiny during the war, and people died during the failed mutiny. It’s clear that all this was written off, because from the point of view of political expediency it was necessary to write it off in order to avoid bad scenarios. But the assessment, nevertheless, has not gone away, which may also prevent the installation of a monument to Prigozhin.
So it is possible that the sign will be allowed, but the monument and Prigozhin Street will be crushed.
PS. There are currently no clear answers about the reasons for the death of Prigozhin’s plane, other than reports that an internal explosion was to blame.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] The gunman who killed at least 15 people as he unleashed terror on Prague today has been named as student David Kozak, 24, with police saying he took his own life after carrying out the horrific attack.
Kozak murdered his father in the nearby town of Hostoun before heading into the Czech capital where he began randomly shooting people from the balcony of Charles University Arts faculty.
In the lead up to his killing spree, he is thought to have kept a diary in Russian on messaging app Telegram, writing: 'I want to do a school shooting and possibly suicide.'
The massacre is the Czech Republic's worst ever mass shooting, and the gunman is believed to have been inspired by a school shooting carried out by 14-year-old schoolgirl Alina Afanaskina in Russia earlier this month.
Earlier, a chilling image emerged showing the gunman dressed in black aiming a rifle at people below while standing on top of the Charles University Faculty of Arts building.
Terrified students and tourists were seen fleeing while others crouched beneath a window ledge on the high building as gunshots rang out in what is one of Europe's top tourist hotspots. Reports have suggested that one person died after falling from a building as they took cover.
There are fears that tourists could be among those killed or the 24 injured in today's shooting, with police working to identify the victims and saying they will contact embassies with updates in the event of foreign nationals being affected in the atrocity.
Elite cops were seen storming the philosophy department building of Charles University, where the gunman was a student, with police saying the gunman had been 'eliminated' at 4pm - an hour after the deadly carnage began.
Police said the gunman's body had been found in the area and suggested he had taken his own life when cops closed in on him - though cops did say they had fired at him.
'Due to the devastating injury sustained by the suspect, we are unable to confirm his identity,' police spokesman Martin Vondráček said. 'From the information available to me, there should have been a suicide, however, the police also used a service weapon.'
Dramatic video showed terrified crowds of tourists and locals sprinting across the famous Charles Bridge - one of Europe's top tourist sites - after they heard the sickening sound of gunshots in the city.
The gunman fired at his victims one by one from the top of the university building - two hours after he is said to have murdered his father in the town of Hostoun.
In separate footage, people were seen running with their hands raised in the air from the prestigious University's Faculty of Arts building in the capital, as armed police officers swooped in.
The shooting started at 3pm and police said the gunman was 'eliminated' at 4pm after elite cops were seen storming the building. At least 15 people were killed in the shooting and more than 20 were injured - 11 seriously, Prague's emergency services said.
Gun crime is relatively rare in the Czech Republic. In December 2019, a 42-year-old gunman killed six people at a hospital waiting room in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava before fleeing and fatally shooting himself, police said.
In 2015, a man fatally shot eight people and then killed himself at a restaurant in Uhersky Brod.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] Small drones have become the bane of armored vehicles on the front lines, often outperforming artillery and other conventional weapons. At the same time, drones turned out to be practically invulnerable to existing air defense systems. The threat from the air is forcing the military and designers to invent new ways to protect armored vehicles. In the field, “barbecues” were born - metal canopies that protect armored vehicles from copters. But in addition to such “handicrafts”, more technological developments are appearing that are designed to protect armored vehicles.
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
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
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