Ukraine Invasion: Part 46

[MagicFox]

With thanks to all keeping these threads going 🇺🇦

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UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

❗️Three Russian Su-34s were shot down in the southern direction

Poland transferred 5,000 Starlink systems to Ukraine for front-line territories

The Netherlands government has announced the allocation of the initial portion of over 2 billion euros, earmarked for Ukraine in 2024, specifically designated for humanitarian purposes.
The 102 million euro package is intended to cover the first four months of 2024, aimed at aiding Ukraine in coping with the winter conditions and facilitating preparations for the spring season.

The Russian Federation is able to summon 1,000-1,200 people daily. Most of them go to make up for losses, — Deputy Head of the State Security Service Vadym Skibitskyi about how long the aggressor country is able to maintain "meat assaults" despite the loss.
In general, Russia tries to maintain the level of manning of its troops directly on the contact line at about 90-95%, in order to maintain the pace of the offensive. "Unfortunately, today the Russian Federation is coping with the second wave of mobilization," he noted.

❗️Russia plans to produce more than 215,000 aerial bombs and unguided missiles + 683 cruise missiles in 2024, — People's Resistance Center
According to the documents, the Russian military plans to produce:
▪️X-31PM (75 units);
▪️X-59M2A (133 units);
▪️X-38ML (150 units);
▪️X-101 (167 units);
▪️X-29TD (46 units);
▪️X-32 (various modifications, 112 units);
▪️FAB-1500 (1000 units);
▪️C-8 (various modifications, 195 thousand);
▪️S-13DF (20 thousand units);
▪️UPAB-1500 (191 units);
▪️ABSP-3000 (600 units).

Ukraine received the first batch of ambulance evacuation vehicles from the United Arab Emirates
The first batch of converted ambulances in the amount of 23 units has already been delivered to Ukraine.

The USA has a clear plan for the future development of Ukraine, which does not foresee the need to allocate funds at the current level, — Antony Blinken
What else did the US Secretary of State say:
▫️It was a difficult year on the battlefield, but the Ukrainians did the impossible — they stood up against one of the largest armies in the world.
▫️Putin has already lost the war with Ukraine, because he did not achieve his main goal — to erase Ukraine from the face of the earth and absorb it into Russia.
▫️Our support has not only helped Ukrainians, 90% of aid has been spent here in the US strengthening our defense industry, but American aid is critical to Ukraine.

Pilsner Urquell withdraws support from Paris Olympics due to Russian presence

Roshel Defense Solutions has already delivered the thousandth Senator armored car to Ukraine.

A photo of Ukrainian children playing in a field against the backdrop of a burning oil depot in the Rivne region, after it was struck by the occupiers, won the “Photography of 2023” competition of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

NASA recorded a "Christmas tree" in space
This is the cluster of young stars NGC 2264, which resembles a Christmas tree with garlands

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

🇭🇺🇺🇦 Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has agreed to a personal meeting with President Zelensky. If this happens, it will be the first such meeting since the beginning of the full-scale war.

❗⚠️Since February 24, 2022, Russian troops have fired about 7,400 missiles of various types at the territory of Ukraine, and since September 2022 - 3,700 Shahed-type attack drones.
Defense forces managed to shoot down about 1,600 missiles and 2,900 drones.

🇩🇪Germany will deliver 20 more "Marder 1A3" to Ukraine, — the Ministry of Defense of Germany.

Clarification of the Ministry of Defense:
In a comment to Babel, Illarion Pavlyuk, head of the Defense Ministry's Press and Information Department, explained that the German publication had shifted its emphasis. He (Rustem Umerov - ed.) generally told journalists about recruitment and the need to convey to Ukrainians abroad how important it is for them to join the army. No discussion of mechanisms for recruiting from abroad was on the agenda.

Kremlin propagandist Zakhar Prilepin argues that the "migrant problem" in Russia can be solved very simply - by seizing the territories of the former Soviet Union. Prilepin cited Uzbekistan as an example, saying that there are about 2 million Uzbeks in Russia now, which gives Russia the right to these territories.

[About the assassination fo Prigozhin]
Patrushev drew up a liquidation plan and showed it to Putin. He agreed with it. On August 23, 2023, a bomb was planted under the wing of a plane at Sheremetyevo Airport during an inspection. It exploded when the plane was at an altitude of 8,500 meters. Ten people were killed, including Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, co-founder of the Wagner PMC. The Kremlin has officially denied any involvement. https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/putin-patrushev-plan-prigozhin-assassination-428d5ed8

Since February 24, 2022, Ukraine's air defense system has shot down 78% of the Shahed and 22% of the missiles. The average efficiency for the entire period is just over 40%
It is important to add that the total number of missiles launched includes S-300/S-400 and ballistics, which for a long time could not be shot down.

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-21-2023

Key Takeaways:

• The failure of Russian operations in Ukraine to achieve Russian President Vladimir Putin’s maximalist objectives thus far is not a permanent condition, and only continued Western support for Ukraine can ensure that Putin’s maximalist objectives remain unattainable.
• ISW has assessed that the collapse of Western aid would likely lead to the eventual collapse of Ukraine’s ability to hold off the Russian military and that the current positional war in Ukraine is not a stable stalemate because the current instable balance could readily be tipped in either direction by decisions made in the West.
• US National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby stated that the White House assesses that Russian forces will be able to conduct offensive operations more easily when winter weather conditions become more conducive for mechanized maneuver warfare (likely in January–February 2024) — an assessment that is consistent with ISW’s observations and assessments about the tempo of fighting in Ukraine during the winter.
• Russian forces conducted a series of drone strikes against Ukraine on the night of December 20 to 21.
• Japan is reportedly preparing to revise its defense equipment export policy to backfill US stockpiles of Patriot missiles and UK artillery ammunition stores.
• The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) objected to military exercises in Japan involving the Japanese military, possibly in an effort to deter or respond to the Japanese government’s decision to change its defense equipment export regulations.
• The Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) summoned Russian Ambassador to Uzbekistan Oleg Malginov after Russian ultranationalist and former Russian State Duma Deputy Zakhar Prilepin suggested that Russia should annex part of Uzbekistan, likely demonstrating post-Soviet countries’ concerns about intensifying Russian imperial designs against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.
• An investigation by Africa-based French-language outlet Jeune Afrique highlights the Kremlin's ongoing efforts to maintain and expand Russia's influence in the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Sahel while subsuming Wagner Group operations on the continent.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to formalize avenues for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia under the guise of humanitarian services.
• Kremlin-appointed Commissioner on Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova continues to implicate herself in the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia against the backdrop of the death of a 12-year-old Ukrainian girl in Russian custody.
• The US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a series of sanctions against oil traders with opaque ownership and a Russian-owned ship manager that have been helping Russia skirt the G7 price cap on Russian oil and petroleum products.
• Russian forces made confirmed advances near Kreminna, Bakhmut, and Avdiivka and continued positional meeting engagements along the entire frontline.
• The Russian government continues efforts to digitalize and organize conscription through a unified digital register as part of ongoing attempts to improve the effectiveness of issuing military summonses and prevent draft dodging.
• Russian authorities are using Rosgvardia to perform law enforcement functions and strengthen occupational control in occupied Ukraine.

I cannot find the UK Min of Defence Ukraine update. Maybe taking an early Christmas break.

Found it.

Does NATO need to bite the bullet and seriously consider increasing the arms and types of arms given to Ukraine(including man power)? The current hiatus in finding from the US must concern Ukraine and will certainly bolster Russian morale and so a quick resolution is to be called for. Over and above current funding wrangles do we need to be in a place where the military aid to Ukraine is assisting Ukraine making tangible gains on the battle field so that there aren't calls to look at the 'cost effectiveness' of the war?

Stagnation is to Russia's advantage and allows more mining and deepening of defences so surely NATO has to consider what it hasn't considered before and supply material and possibly man power that will allow decisive change in battle field conditions? One quite be in reality is it appears Russia can callously throw its young population in a meat grinder of a war sustainably and Ukraine with its lower population may struggle simply due to recruitment eventually and so some contingnet of NATO or Western troops may be a valuable asset.

I feel in the coming years that if the unthinkable happens and Russia wins then ultimately for countries along Russia's border they will really have to have very strong belief in article 5 of the NATO treaty to guarantee defence and the world will be on a much more perilous place. We also have a powerful China looking at Taiwan and noticing that Western support for its applies can be tested.

Gaza has been an unfortunate diversion for the world but ultimately in the new year I think there needs to be review by NATO about its geopolitical goals and especially the risk of continued Russian occupation in Ukraine and it very much looks like these may be long term decisions (and possibly risky ones).

I agree, but so much of this is down to what happens in the US. I was listening to a podcast the other day (I want to say this was Bonnie Glaser but I can't remember) and she pointed out that European countries had done lots more in relation to Ukraine than given credit for by the US, despite the constant refrain about hold back on military spending. But we don't focus on this. I'll try to find it. But ultimately it's the US that leads the way here as the only power that has the infrastructure and money to provide the amount of weapons needed. Anyway, ultimately it's what's going to happen in 2025 in the US that underpins all of this isn't it? What the hell happens if Trump gets in?

@MagicFox

it's an interesting question.

from a political perspective I guess the American people have to be continually made aware of this war in Eastern Europe which given that the US can be a little insular at times is a constant challenge.

trump is so erratic in his decision making it really is hard to predict his attitude towards the Ukraine war. On the one hand he appears isolationist and that would be bad new for investment in foreign wars but on the other I think he does not want the US to be associated as an ally of a losing force and may be more bellicose as he simoky.wants to see US funded armies win?

The future US involvement is absolutely crucial though as any slow pull back from Ukraine would I think have ramifications for NATO members that border Russia as surely they will start to question the unwavering commitment of their major partner despite rhetoric.

Russian future advances to my mind will make NATO look weak and it would be ironic if all the promises of NATO and EU membership turn to dust if Russia wins. Indeed NATO and EU membership are surely predicated on a whole sovereign Ukraine?

in my opinion we must look to a long term strategy of recreating the Ukrainian air force with modern jets in number (big money) with supply of sophisticated missiles again in large quantities to allow decisive degradation of Russian assets beyond the heavily mined front line so that they are too weakened to defend it. Essentially you may get swifter troop movement around mine fields of defending artillery and combat groups are destroyed.

A commitment of this scale would need a great deal of unity amongst western nations but surely such decisions need to be taken as this stagnated war can only benefit Russia and eventually peace talks will occur and if Ukraine loses sovreignty as a result of a peace deal NATO has failed to deal with Russia and over time will allow perhaps future Russian aggression.

Successful military leaders are buoyed politically by their people and can use military success as a mandate for increasing military spending and future wars. An expanded Russia is in no way in the interests of those who want future world peace. The successful invasion and annexation of a European country in the 21st century must strike fear in western political leaders? War in Europe has become a historical memory but we should remember the lessons of appeasement and there is a danger of a slow appeasement occurring if Ukranian support is cut.

Agree with everything you say. My understanding though is that Trump has indicated he will end what's happening in Ukraine which surely suggests a Russian victory/forced capitulation to Putin. Memory is short isn't it? Given what a geopolitical flashpoint this is, and how important it is, I can't believe we're even talking about the possibility of Trump. It makes me itch!

@mids2019 I'd agree. NATO needs to, tho I doubt it will. Ukraine is already struggling quite badly with recruitment - they need 500,000 more people and have got to the point they are asking males who left Ukraine to come back for the army.

NATO seems to have been arranged for a short sharp war without the wherewithal for an active war for more than a short time. This just isn't going to be enough, given Russia's proven, and probably China's, ability and willingness to put enormous waves of men into combat.

The biggest threat of all is Putin undermining the West by pushing and paying for anti-alliance sentiment, starting off with pushing the anti-migrant agenda and targeting various political figures, pushing the anti-Ukraine and frankly unpleasant agendas.

If he can carry on undermining NATO from within, he's won. This is a complex issue where NATO is the visible plant, but its roots spread out into the soil of various nations and the democratic processes there.

One thing I've noticed on SM is a considerable campaign against Trudeau. I don't know enough about the whys and wherefores but it has a considerable stench of the anti-Ukraine troll factory that you see on SM.

There's a thread on MN where now and then you can see the same things https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4967128-assisted-suicide-offered-to-homeless-people-in-canada

The title itself is misleading and dishonest - assisted suicide is not being offered to homeless people. When people who actually look into articles read it, they said that (in effect) 8% of the sample of 1000 supported the idea of it. But every so often on the thread there is a comment that just reeks of propaganda and a total hate of Trudeau.

Trudeau has supported Ukraine a great deal. It might be coincidence, but some comments sure smell of the hairy handed.

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️Netherlands to deliver 18 F-16s to Ukraine. https://kyivindependent.com/netherlands-to-deliver-18-f-16s/ [apparently before year's end]

⚡️Zelensky outlines Ukraine's 2024 foreign policy goals. https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-outlines-2024-foreign-policy-goals/

Biden is set to sign a new executive order on Dec. 22 that will strengthen the U.S.' sanctions against Russia while also targeting financial institutions that help support Russia's war effort, the White House said in a press release. https://kyivindependent.com/biden-administration-to-strengthen-sanctions-on-russia-target-financial-backers-of-war-effort/

⚡️Japan changed its laws regarding arms exports, allowing for the transfer of weapons. It will send the U.S. Patriot missiles, paving the way for the U.S. to replenish its stocks while potentially sending Ukraine some of its own current supply. https://kyivindependent.com/japan-changes-arms-export-rules-will-transfer-patriot-missiles-to-us/

A senior official in the Defense Ministry has been detained over his suspected involvement in using an artillery shell contract to embezzle Hr 1.5 billion ($40 million), the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on Dec. 22. https://kyivindependent.com/top-defense-ministry-official-arrested/

Biden approves record $886 billion defense budget. https://kyivindependent.com/biden-approves-record-886-billion-defense-budget/ The bill allocates only $300 million in its record-breaking budget for Ukraine aid. The money will fund the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through the year 2026.

⚡️Air Force: Ukraine downs 3 Russian Su-34 supersonic aircraft. https://kyivindependent.com/air-force-ukraine-downs-3-russian-su-34-supersonic-aircraft/

⚡️Zelensky meets Polish foreign minister, hopes for new page in bilateral relations. https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-hope-for-new-page-in-relations-with-poland/

⚡️London mayor agrees to send scrap cars to Ukraine.
Mayor Sadiq Khan had previously rejected a proposal to send cars that do not meet London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) standards to Ukraine instead of the scrapyard. https://kyivindependent.com/london-mayor-agrees-to-send-scrap-cars-to-ukraine/

⚡️Germany sends ammunition, demining equipment to Ukraine.
The latest shipment includes ammunition for Leopard tanks, three additional Gepard anti-aircraft systems, and two more mine-clearing tanks. https://kyivindependent.com/germany-sends-ammunition-demining-equipment-to-ukraine/

⚡️Official: Over 4,000 trucks waiting in line at Polish border to enter Ukraine. "Work constantly continues to unblock the movement across the entire Polish border but as of this morning four directions remain blocked," order Guard Service spokesman Andrii Demchenko said https://kyivindependent.com/official-over-4-000-trucks-waiting-in-line-at-polish-border-to-enter-ukraine/

⚡️Media: Estonia ready to help mobilize Ukrainian citizens if needed.
Estonian Interior Minister Lauri Laanemets said Estonia is prepared to aid in mobilizing Ukrainian citizens if requested by Ukraine, according to the Estonian paper Postimees. https://kyivindependent.com/media-estonia-ready-to-help-mobilize-ukrainian-citizens-if-needed/

⚡️Ukraine retrieves bodies of 66 fallen soldiers. https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-retrieves-bodies-of-66-fallen-soldiers/

Editorial: Why we don’t avoid ‘unpleasant’ stories about Ukraine
More often than before, when we publish a story touching on something that can be seen as “upsetting,” we get pushback from those following what’s happening in Ukraine, in the form of emails to journalists or comments on the website and social media.
We want to take this opportunity to explain why we, a Ukrainian publication, choose to publish stories that can be seen as presenting Ukraine in a “bad light.” kyivindependent.com/editorial-why-we-dont-avoid-unpleasant-stories-about-ukraine/

⚡️Education Ministry creates manual for teachers on discussing war in schools. https://kyivindependent.com/education-ministry-creates-manual-for-teachers-on-discussing-war-in-schools/

Very high and costly hardware losses yesterday, including the 3 planes, and another 1000 dead.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦
AT ragnarbjartur.bsky.social

⚡️ WAR IN #UKRAINE - DEC 23, 2023
■ Strikes & engagements below 7-day average, fewer settlements under fire
■ Casualties slightly below average, most landbased equipment & vehicle losses in a week YTD
■ Record jets shot down in 2023 (3 x Su-34 bombers)

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

President Joe Biden has signed a decree authorizing the exclusion of foreign banks from the US financial system if found assisting the Russian Federation in purchasing military goods or technology.
Sanctions encompass prohibitions on opening accounts in the US or imposing limitations on their utilization, along with property freezes. To prevent asset concealment, these restrictions may be imposed without prior notice.
Financial institutions such as the Austrian Raiffeisen Bank, Hungarian OTP Bank, and Italian UniCredit, operating within Russia, are at risk of facing sanctions. Additionally, the 'Industrial and Commercial Bank of China,' the Chinese 'Agricultural Bank,' and the Bank of China, which have notably expanded their presence in Russia and provided substantial financing for military-related operations, might also be affected.
According to Wally Adeyemo, the US Deputy Treasury Secretary, banks in Türkiye and the UAE may also come under sanction scrutiny.

Switzerland joined the 12th package of EU sanctions against Russia. It introduced restrictions on 61 physical and 86 legal entities.
Among them are heads of companies that support the military and industrial potential of the Russian Federation, as well as members of the Central Election Commission of Russia.

Banksy's new work depicting MQ-9 Reaper drones on a STOP sign was stolen in London. This happened less than an hour after the artist announced her on Instagram. Previously, the sign was cut down by two men.

Mi-2AM-1 of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, which is used for medical evacuation!

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

Russians made models of their dead soldiers

Those are not real dead soldiers right? Why would Russia make models of them?

https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-22-2023

Key Takeaways:

• Ukrainian officials continue to warn that Russia maintains its maximalist objectives and additional goals for territorial conquest in Ukraine, despite recent comments made by Western officials suggesting that Russia is already defeated.
• Ukraine will very likely receive the first batch of F-16s before the end of 2023.
• The Russia Aerospace Forces (VKS) reportedly lost three Su-34 attack aircraft in southern Ukraine between December 21-22.
• The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) named Russian President Vladimir Putin’s close ally and Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, as the individual responsible for the assassination of Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin.
• The Kremlin continues to position itself as a neutral arbitrator in the Israel-Hamas war despite its recent increasing anti-Israel rhetoric.
• US President Joe Biden signed an executive order on December 22 granting the US Treasury Department the authority to impose sanctions on banks and other financial institutions that facilitate Russian sanctions evasion.
• Russian officials continue to downplay deteriorating Russian-Armenian relations, possibly as part of a concerted campaign to improve the bilateral relationship amid concerns about Russia’s waning influence in the South Caucasus.
• Russian forces made confirmed advances northeast and southwest of Bakhmut and southwest of Avdiivka and continued positional engagements along the entire line of contact.
• A Ukrainian intelligence official reported that Russian forces are intensifying force generation efforts to keep pace with the rate of Russian losses in Ukraine so that they can sustain ongoing offensive operations along the front.
• Kremlin-appointment Commissioner on Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova outlined new social support measures meant to further integrate occupied Zaporizhia Oblast into Russia during a working visit to the occupied oblast on December 22.

isn't it weird!

For anyone interesting in the general batshittery that is Russian culture I’d recommend the latest In Moscow’s Shadow podcast with Mark Galeotti. All about Russian conspiracy theories. Mind blowing! My favourites include the fact that Lenin was in fact a mushroom and that those in the west are actually space aliens.

Also interesting in how it explains why Russian citizens are so susceptible to believing that there is a deeper ‘truth’ hidden from them. Simplified it stems from the fall of the Soviet Union and the opening of the archives which showed people there were things the state hid from them, the natural conclusion therefore being that there are probably lots of things still hidden.

Worthwhile reading,

It's a reasonably heavy book that looks at, among other things, some of the contradictory binaries in later Soviet society, behaviours and minds. I think many things carry forward from that generation into subsequent ones, in ways that, of course, evolve.

Three paragraph overview here:

Everything Was Forever, Until It Was No More | Princeton University Press

Downloadable free pdf if you use Google and swerve the subscription pleas:

(99+) Everything Was Forever, Until It Was No More: The last Soviet generation | Alexei Yurchak Алексей Юрчак - Academia.edu

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

Opinion: How Russia’s succession problem https://kyivindependent.com/opinion-how-russias-succession-problem-makes-her-future-uncertain/ makes her future uncertain
"Russians and non-Russians should prepare for a messy succession process. Russia’s future political regime will probably be different from the current one," writes Andreas Umland, an analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS). "Whether it will be more totalitarian or more democratic than the Putin system remains to be seen."

⚡️ISW: Russia confirms use of prohibited chemical weapons in Kherson Oblast.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) claims that Russian naval infantry units have confirmed they are using prohibited chemical weapons in the village of Krynky, located 30 kilometers northeast of Kherson, the ISW said in their latest assessment on Dec. 23. https://kyivindependent.com/isw-russia-confirms-it-is-using-prohibited-chemical-weapons-in-kherson-oblast/

⚡️Polish farmers to suspend blockade of border on Dec. 24, truckers won't. https://kyivindependent.com/poland-to-suspend-blockade-on-border-for-christmas/

Taiwan, together with the Alliance of Polish Metropolises, has established a $1 million fund to support Ukrainian refugees in Poland, the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Dec. 23. https://kyivindependent.com/taiwan-establishes-1-million-fund-to-support-ukrainian-refugees-in-poland/

⚡️NYT: Putin open to ceasefire https://kyivindependent.com/nyt-putin-open-to-ceasefire-if-russia-keeps-occupied-territories/ if Russia keeps occupied territories. [ah yes, the NYT and its comprehensive reporting]

⚡️ Umerov: Defense Ministry considering sending military summons online. https://kyivindependent.com/umerov-defense-ministry-mulls-email-military-summon/

⚡️ Russia attacks Kherson causing explosions, fires.
Multiple fires are burning in Kherson after a mass strike by Russian forces in the early evening on Dec. 23, the head of the city's military administration, Roman Mrochko, announced on Telegram. https://kyivindependent.com/explosions-rock-kherson-causing-multiple-fires/

⚡️Polish Foreign Minister: Poland's new Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has urged western allies to further develop plans for long-term military production amid Russia's onslaught of aggression in Europe, the Polish Foreign Minister said in an interview with The Guardian on Dec. 23. https://kyivindependent.com/polish-foreign-minister-western-allies-must-develop-arms-amid-russian-aggression/

⚡️Media: Man throws training grenade at BBC Russian service journalists in Riga. https://kyivindependent.com/media-man-throws-training-grenade-at-bbc-russian-service/

Less soldiers dead - still 800! - but quite a lot of hardware.

Ragnar Gudmundsson
WAR IN #UKRAINE - DEC 24, 2023
■strikes above 7-day average bolstered by increased air strikes
■ Combat engagements,strikes & settlements under artillery fire below average
■ Casualties below average, 7-day average stays above 1,000
■ Equipment losses below average while artillery, drones & special equipment losses are above
■ KIU: +19 officers

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

European intelligence allows the possibility of the Russian Federation to attack Europe next winter, — Bild
One of the European intelligence agencies believes that Russia can strike Europe at the very moment when the US will be "without a leader" and will be able to come to the aid of European states only after some delay.
It is about the period between the resignation of the current US president in early November 2024 and the inauguration of his potential successor in January 2025

Yuriy Ignat, a representative of the Air Force within the Ukrainian Armed Forces, announced during the national telethon that Ukraine will soon receive modified F-16 fighter jets.
He mentioned that the entire process is progressing according to the F-16 coalition framework. Partner states are aiding Ukraine in transitioning to the F-16, a new aircraft type for the country. The modification process is categorized into blocks, ranging from Block 15 to 70. Each aircraft has been upgraded based on the capabilities of the respective countries, as modernization is a complex undertaking.
The primary focus of the modifications involved enhancing radars, enabling pilots to detect enemies at greater distances and track a larger number of air targets. @notimagain

According to a recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO), Russia has seen a significant surge in COVID-19 cases, placing it at the top in terms of reported infections.
Within the last 28 days, the global tally of coronavirus cases has risen by 52%, with a total of 850,000 registered infections worldwide.
The report highlights that Russia recorded 279,400 new cases of COVID-19 over the past month, surpassing other countries that provided data to the WHO.
Additionally, Russia ranks among the top three countries globally with the highest number of fatalities attributed to the coronavirus, as mentioned in the report.

The Latvian Post Office has initiated inspections on parcels and letters destined for Russia and Belarus to ensure adherence to EU sanctions, — SOTA. Warnings have been issued in Riga, indicating that if money, bank cards, chips, or SIM cards are discovered in such letters or parcels, they will be 'detained'.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan agreed to hand over scrapped cars to Ukraine
Earlier, the mayor of Kyiv Klitschko asked to transfer them to Ukraine, since many cars, in particular trucks and SUVs, would be useful to the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the front. Sadiq Khan refused the request, noting that it would not bring economic, social or environmental benefits to Londoners, but he has now approved the proposal.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

So far, 31 states have supported the G7 declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine. Negotiations are underway with 6 more EU countries. The Office of the President of Ukraine clarifies that Austria, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Croatia have not yet joined the declaration. We explained here https://t.me/liveukraine_media/11434) what the security guarantees that the partners will provide to Ukraine include.

Putin's signals of readiness to stop the war are sent to prevent military aid - ISW
ISW has observed similar efforts by the Kremlin to mislead Western politicians and force Ukraine to negotiate with Russia in the winter of 2022-2023.
This is done to effectively redirect Western attention to hypothetical negotiations instead of providing Ukraine with sufficient weapons before its spring-summer counteroffensive.
The Kremlin is likely to use covert channels to achieve this effect amid debates over further military assistance to Ukraine

◾️Boris Pistorius in one of his last interviews with the German media also said that Berlin has 5-8 years to restore the former strength of its army. It was noted that Germany is going to redeploy 4,000 Bundeswehr soldiers to Lithuania as part of strengthening NATO’s eastern flank by 2027. The brigade is planned to be deployed on the border with Russia, Pistorius announced. The minister also emphasized that mandatory military conscription must be restored in Germany.

🇮🇹 Italian Defense Minister calls for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine
Guido Crozetto said that it is important to follow the path that leads to a political solution.
According to him, what existed before the war should be restored, and "what could not be done with weapons should be done in another way." https://www.ansa.it/english/news/politics/2023/12/23/time-to-seek-political-solution-to-ukraine-war-crosetto_3a54140c-1673-4a14-9efe-c96a7208ac01.html

An awarding ceremony for Ukrainian service dogs was held in Kyiv as part of the "Dogs are Heroes of Ukraine" project.

Christmas gifts for Russian soldiers

Thanks @MMBaranova

Merry Christmas one and all. Thank you so much for this thread during 2023, although it goes without saying that I can’t believe we still need it. Over the last year, it has been a source of invaluable knowledge, strength and friendship. I wish more than anything that 2024 will be Ukraine’s year of triumph and victory. Slava Ukraini and much love to all of you, wherever you are 🎄❤️🇬🇧🇺🇦