Ukraine Invasion: Part 53

[MagicFox]

Welcome to 53 and, as always, Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦

Agreed thread guidance:

A. The agreed purpose of the thread is for the sharing of information and commentary on current events

B. If you post a link please tell us where it leads/give a precis of the content

C. Discussion and debate is welcome, but please keep it respectful

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️Trump picks (kyivindependent.com/trump-picks-former-intelligence-director-richard-grenell-as-envoy-for-special-missions/) former intelligence director Richard Grenell as envoy for special missions.

⚡️Sinking of two Russian oil tankers may cause 'significant environmental impacts (kyivindependent.com/sinking-of-two-russian-oil-tankers-may-cause-significant-environmental-impacts-greenpeace-warns/),' Greenpeace warns.
The sinking of two Russian tankers in the Kerch Strait on Dec. 15 may cause "significant" environmental damage, Greenpeace Ukraine warned.

⚡️'Hundreds' of North Korean troops fighting (kyivindependent.com/hundreds-of-north-korean-troops-fighting-alongside-russia-in-kursk-oblast-ambassador-says/) alongside Russia in Kursk Oblast, ambassador says.
In an interview with CBS News on Dec. 15, Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova said that "hundreds" of North Korean troops are fighting alongside Russian troops in Kursk Oblast.

⚡️ South Africa will not invite Putin to next G20 summit (kyivindependent.com/south-africa-will-not-invite-putin-to-next-g20-summit/) over ICC arrest warrant.

⚡️ Ukrainian drones destroy Russian ammunition depot (kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-drones-hit-russian-ammunition-depot-in-donetsk-oblast-sbu-source-claims/) in Donetsk Oblast, SBU source claims.
The Security Service of Ukraine's (SBU) drones successfully attacked а Russian ammunition depot near the occupied village of Markine in Donetsk oblast a "few days ago," an SBU source told the Kyiv Independent on Dec. 16.

⚡️ Russian ex-Defense Ministry official (kyivindependent.com/russia-charges-ex-defense-ministry-official-with-embezzlement/) suspected of embezzling $5.8 million.

The Week Ahead: Key Developments Impacting Global Politics & Markets (kyivindependent.com/the-week-ahead-key-developments-impacting-global-politics-markets-4/)
Central banks accounting for over 40% of the world’s economy will set rates next week – incl. a possible record hike in Russia.
The Verkhovna Rada's final plenary week of the year will take place Dec. 17–20.

⚡️ 30 North Korean soldiers (kyivindependent.com/30-north-korean-troops-killed-wounded-hur-says/) killed, injured in Kursk Oblast assaults, Ukraine's intelligence claims.

⚡️ Russian attacks against Ukraine injure 6 (kyivindependent.com/attacks-113/) over past day.

‪Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦‬

• DEC 16, 2024

■ 3rd highest engagements, 1k+ casualties ■ Tank, artillery, APV & vehicle losses well above average ■ Janovsky: 53 🇷🇺 26 🇺🇦 added (2.0x), last 30 days 1.9x ■ KIU: +34 officers; 4.6 per day for last four batches

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

The Russian tankers that sank in the Black Sea may have been carrying up to 5,000 tons of oil products.

The State Duma of the Russian Federation has proposed reintroducing food stamps, similar to those used in the USSR.
The proposal is driven by high inflation and the impact of rising prices on the poorest citizens.

Russia’s Shadow Fleet: A Growing Threat
Russia might deploy its shadow fleet of commercial ships for military transport, including moving tanks, fuel, and other equipment, warns Politico.
This fleet, consisting of over 1,000 merchant vessels, poses a significant strategic logistics challenge. To counter this, the US must act quickly to strengthen its maritime transport capabilities.

Pope Francis referred to Ukrainians and Russians as “cousins,” according to Vatican News. ... He said: ‘They are brothers, cousins. Let them understand each other!" (Just like Cain and Abel)

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has removed a map of Ukraine without Crimea but has not issued an apology.

Assad Smuggles Millions to Russia Amid Syrian Economic Crisis
Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad smuggled at least two tonnes of euros and dollars from the Syrian Central Bank to Russia, reports the Financial Times.
The total cash, equivalent to $250 million, was flown to Moscow's Vnukovo airport in $100 and €500 bills, weighing around two tonnes. From March 2018 to September 2019, there were 21 such flights, with the money later deposited into Russian banks.
Additionally, the Assad family secretly purchased assets in Russia, including at least 19 luxury apartments in the elite Moscow City district, worth over $40 million.

@notimagain and @Igotjelly I'm relieved to see a sensible and non-crazy discussion on the whole drone thing, should have known this would be the place to find it! These threads are so appreciated and not just for Ukraine info and perspective. Thanks.

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

The new Ukrainian cruise missile “Peklo” has entered mass production — over the past three months, the manufacturing company has produced around 100 units.

Israeli aviation carried out a series of powerful airstrikes on military targets in the Syrian city of Tartus.
Among targets was an ammunition depot, approximately 11km inland frim the coast.

Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has ruled out the possibility of supplying long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine in its election platform.
Scholz’s main rival, Friedrich Merz, the CDU’s candidate for chancellor, advocates for providing these missiles to Kyiv.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

Key details about the “Peklo” missile drones:
▪️capable of hitting targets up to 700 km away.
▪️the exact price is undisclosed but is lower than the long-range “Lyutyi” drone, which costs under $220,000 per unit.
▪️70% of the components are Ukrainian-made.
▪️successfully deployed in over five combat missions since development began.

The other threads are frankly out of control and folk are clearly just wanting something to froth about.

The Daily Mail are at the stage of being hilarious in their drive to turn this into 'something'. I don't believe for a second that a nefarious foreign power could be operating drones over the US, particularly densely populated areas and sensitive bases without a serious response. Just look at Ukraine where they prefer drones because 'they're low, slow and noisy" (quoting Dom Nichols!) so are easy(ish) to deal with.

So far the Mail have had:

• They've been launched from an Iranian 'mothership' off the coast
• They're tracking a rogue nuclear weapon
• They're Russia doing surveillance
• It's aliens
• It's the US Govt spraying something on folk
• 'They' know what they are but are too terrified to tell us (today's offering)

I do think Trump and his ilk have a lot to answer for. Surely he is now receiving intelligence briefings, so either he's been told its nothing but is saying otherwise on Social Media or he has been told its something and instead of acting sensibly he's adding to the froth and fear. Utterly irresponsible.

I'm quite intrigued to be honest as to whether it's something or not!

I'm currently listening to a fantastic book about 9/11 and what happened on the day (e.g. around the movements of the President) and at even the whiff of a risk he was whisked away on Airforce One out of harms way. There is no way he'd be galivanting off to the Dept for Labour and then to host a Hanukkah dinner event at the White House (where he is today) if there was a serious national security risk.

In the interests of reducing “hits” I’ve resisted, so far at least posting the attached guide to aircraft identification on the drone specific thread, but if that thread picks up again in trending I’m going to be tempted.

I know most NJ residents are sensible folk but certainly many journalists in that part of the world seem to have been working to this aide memoire, especially when it comes to night time camera work:

https://x.com/d0tslash/status/1868393275956310199

This is great 🤣

@DucklingSwimmingInstructress thank you for doing United 24 and Live: Ukraine highlights, I'd just come on to post!

That misses out the seasonal reindeer drawn sledge!

Oh lord it's monday isn't it?! Sorry Desdemona :o Brain blip there !

These three weeks are going to be crazy. Could I ask your help (and maybe @blueshoes if she has time?) from the 26 - 31 please if you happen to be free? My extended family will be here so we're going to have 10 people in the house and one in a hotel ... Since the computer is in the kitchen, there'll be no chance to get any peace and quiet.

The drone business became less funny when the Stewart Air National Guard base near me, home of the 105th Airlift Wing, had to halt operations last Friday due to drone activity. It's heavily restricted airspace.

Much of the US military kit sent to Ukraine is flown from Stewart to Poland.

This is no longer amusing.

What do you make of it?

For context with regards to Stewart don 't forget just the perception of drone activity pretty much closed London Gatwick Airport for 48 hours almost exactly 6 years ago and to this day there has never been any proof any drones were actually involved.

Once these stories snowball things can very quickly get out of hand.

@DucklingSwimmingInstructress Happy to do Kyiv Independent Telegram and ISW on 26 - 31 December. Looks like you have a full house! 🦆🦆🦆

If you need me to jump in, please let me know which ones and when.

I’ve no idea, unfortunately.

Possibly, but it was the FAA that shut them down, presumably after picking up something unauthorized on radar.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/drone-sighting-temporarily-shuts-runways-new-york-airport/story?id=116792168

I don’t see any reason to think radar was involved. Sounds more like somebody reported a drone, means of detection unknown/unstated, to the FAA and that led to them pushing the message back down to the airport who stopped operations.

As an aside all the images of what are supposedly drones in the text ABC report can just as easily be images of conventional aircraft..at least ABC gave themselves an out by stating with one image by stating “they cannot confirm exactly what this video shows.”

It's like the people who kept seeing a UFO from their street in Bristol a few years back. Regular as clockwork, there it was, same place, same time, evening after evening...

It was the planet Mars.

@DucklingSwimmingInstructress I should be able to help out for the days you're unavailable 👍

Are you all still asleep? THIS HAPPENED! 💪
Russian general in charge of chemical weapons unit killed in Moscow scooter blast | Russia | The Guardian

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@MagicFox oh! You mean inside job? Thought it was Ukrainian hit?