The private Russian military company, the Wagner Group, took delivery of an arms shipment from #NorthKorea to help bolster #Russia's forces in #Ukraine, a sign of the group's expanding role in that conflict, a senior administration official says.https://t.co/HNxT9bTr0L
#13
Mental image: Wagner logistics worker unboxes Nork crate and finds ammunition box stamped 1951 containing WW2 surplus ammo and a cheery message from Urals armament factory workers to their "fraternal brothers at war with the Amerikanski"...
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[LB] Dnipropetrovsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Donetsk, Mykolaivsk, and Kharkiv regions also came under enemy fire.
by Iryna Lysohor
In the morning, the Russians dropped explosives from a drone on the Sumy region and shelled Avdiyivka
The night was relatively calm in Volyn, Zakarpattia, Rivne Oblast, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kirovohrad, Khmelnytskyi, Odesa, Chernivtsi, Lviv, Ternopil Oblasts, as well as in Poltava Oblast, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr Oblast, Chernihiv Oblast, Cherkasy Oblast and Kyiv Oblast.
In Sumy tonight, the enemy dropped an explosive device (VOG type) from a quadcopter on the territory of the Krasnopil community of Sumy district. There are no casualties among the civilian population. Detailed information on the consequences is being clarified. Yesterday, during the day, the Russians carried out 23 strikes on the border of the Sumy region. Seredino-Budsk and Glukhivsk communities were under enemy fire. No casualties, according to a report from regional military administrations as of this morning.
In the Zaporizhzhia region , the occupiers shelled civilian infrastructure in the area of the settlements of Gulyaipole, Biloghirya, Dorozhyanka, Charivne, Novoandriivka, Novodanilivka, Mala Tokmachka, Olhivske, Preobrazhenka, Shcherbaki, Malynivka, Poltavka, Chervone, Zaliznychne, Orihiv, Plavni, Mali. Shcherbaki, Kamianske. 49 reports were received about the destruction of houses (apartments) of citizens and infrastructure objects as a result of Russian shelling. Details are being clarified.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, the Russians shelled the Nikopol district all night long with "Hurricanes", "Grades" and heavy artillery. We kissed in Chervonogrigorivska and Marganetska communities. An 8-year-old girl was injured in Marhanka. She was hospitalized at night. Doctors provided help and the child was discharged from the hospital in the morning. Up to 20 private houses and commercial buildings, a car, two gas furnaces and four power lines were damaged. In the Chervonogrigorivska community, one house was destroyed, 20 were damaged. Two cars, seven farm buildings and six power lines were damaged.
The occupiers do not stop beating the settlements of the Luhansk region , from where they were expelled by the Ukrainian military. Two wounded residents were hospitalized in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk due to shelling in Nevsky and Makiivka last day. Also yesterday, the Russians shelled Novoselivske and Stelmakhivka in the Kupyansk direction. Fire damage in the Lyman direction was recorded near Ploshanka, Chervonopivka and Dibrova. Our soldiers repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of Novoselivskyi, Stelmakhivka, Ploshanka and Chervonopivka.
This morning there was a massive art attack in the old part of Avdiyivka. Information about the injured civilians is being clarified. Along the line of defense around the city, shelling continued almost all night. In the morning, intensification of assault operations in the directions of Opytne, Vodyane and Pervomaiske. The situation along the entire front line is tense, but under control. Yesterday afternoon – a rocket attack (S300) on Pokrovsk. No victims. In a day in the Donetsk region : three wounded civilians.
Residential buildings were damaged in the Mykolaiv region tonight as a result of rocket fire in the settlement of Ochakivska hromada. No casualties. Yesterday, the enemy carried out artillery strikes on the port area and the settlement of Ochakivska hromada, as a result of which three people were injured, including a 10-year-old boy. 16 residential buildings were damaged. Also yesterday, the enemy attacked the Kutsurub community with anti-aircraft missiles. There were no damages or injuries.
In the Kherson region , Russian troops once again shelled the Berislavsky and Kherson districts, the city of Kherson and its suburbs. They fired artillery, salvo rocket systems, mortars and tanks, aimed at infrastructure facilities, trying to deprive people of light and heat.
The enemy shelled the village of Stanislav several times. A 74-year-old man was seriously injured. Due to enemy attacks, people had to be evacuated from the point of humanitarian aid and the point of invincibility. In total, one person died and six were injured in the Kherson region last day.
In the Vysokopol district, a team of energy workers came across a mine left by the Russian occupiers during repair work. Fortunately, the workers were not injured. A company car was damaged. The return of life to the liberated Kherson region continues. More than 150 mobile communication stations are already working, more than 200 explosive objects have been neutralized.
In the Kharkiv region, the occupiers continue to inflict artillery strikes on the border settlements of the Chuguyiv, Kupyan, and Kharkiv districts. Yesterday in the city of Kupyansk, the second floor of the administrative building of the company was on fire due to artillery fire. No casualties. A 45-year-old tractor driver blew himself up on an explosive device in Chuguyiv district (Noviy Burluk village), received shrapnel wounds, was hospitalized, his condition is average. In the city of Izyum, a 40-year-old man was injured due to the explosion of ammunition, which he disassembled on his own at home. He received 1-2 degree burns.
We will remind you that during the full-scale invasion, Russia lost 100,400 people in the war against the Ukrainians . On December 21, 660 occupiers were liquidated.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Vesti] December 22 is the 302nd day of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Briefly about the main thing that is happening in the country on this day, about the situation in the regions, the exchange of prisoners, as well as all the relevant information from key departments - online Vesti.ua .
07:00 . The main thing from the morning summary of the General Staff:
During the day, Russia launched 6 missile and 15 air strikes, including on civilian targets in the Zaporozhye region. Also, 64 shellings were carried out from the MLRS.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine repelled the attacks of the Russian army in the areas of the settlements of Novoselovskoe, Stelmakhovka, Ploshchanka and Krasnopopovka of the Luhansk region and Berestovo, Yakovlevka, Soledar, Bakhmut, Opytnoe, Kurdyumovka, Ozaryanovka, Mayorsk, New York, Krasnogorovka, Nevel Donbase.
Aviation of the Defense Forces over the past day delivered 14 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment of the Russians.
Ukrainian defenders shot down a Forpost-type UAV and two more Lancet-3 types.
Ukrainian rocket and artillerymen hit three command posts and two areas of concentration of Russian manpower.
08:00 . Nikolaevkskaya area. The Russians fired an X-59 aviation missile from the Black Sea at night. She was shot down over the Nikolaev region.
Kherson region. During the day, the Russians fired 60 times on the territory of the Kherson region . Residential areas of Kherson, a shipyard, private and apartment buildings were again under fire. One person died, six residents were injured of varying severity.
10:30 am . Kherson region. Russian artillery shelled the village of Stanislav. 10 houses of local residents, electricity and gas pipelines were damaged. A man is wounded.
11:00 am . Donetsk region. As a result of the shelling on December 21, popular among the so-called. "tops" of the "DPR" of the restaurant "Shesh-Besh" in Donetsk, the "mayor" of Gorlovka Ivan Prikhodko was wounded. He reported that he received a concussion.
13:00 . Donetsk region. The city of Chasov Yar was fired from MLRS - One person was killed, two more were injured. Damaged apartment buildings.
14:00 . Kharkov region. The Russians shelled Kupyansk and Volchansk. In Volchansk, as a result of shelling, five people were injured, 4 of them were employees of the Central District Hospital. A passer-by, a 62-year-old man, was also wounded. In Kupyansk, a residential building was damaged as a result of a missile strike, but no one was injured.
14:40 . Donetsk region. The Russians launched two missile attacks on Kramatorsk. Theyshelled the territory of the enterprise and one of the schools. There were no casualties.
16:00 . Kherson region. It is reported about the death of the so-called. "Heads" of the village Lyubimovka Andrey Shtepa. RosSMI write that the car with him was blown up in Kakhovka, and the Ukrainian DRG allegedly staged a sabotage. There are no official comments yet.
Donetsk region. In Donetsk, four out of nine districts of the city are partially de-energized. There are interruptions in the supply of electricity in the Kiev, Kuibyshevsky, Voroshilovsky and Leninsky districts. The mines are also de-energized. Skochinsky, Abakumov and the Lidievka mine. There were 104 miners underground at Skochinsky, and three at Lidievka. At the moment, all the miners are raised to the surface.
16:30 . On his way home from the United States, President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Polish President Andrzej Duda.
18:18 The Russians have about 200 Iranian drones left from the last batch, - Natalya Gumenyuk, head of the OK press center of the Defense Forces of southern Ukraine.
18:51 The first group of Ukrainian military finished training in the Czech Republic as part of the EU mission - the country's news agencies.
19:19 Russian troops in Belarus have deployed more than 30 tanks closer to the Ukrainian border - from Vitebsk to Brest region. The monitoring group "Belarusian Guyun" published the route of the military echelon. It is noted that the train was heading from Zaslonovo towards Slutsk and finally arrived at the Polonka railway station.
19:50 The Russian authorities planned to complete the so-called "special operation" in Ukraine on March 7. This was stated by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Alexei Danilov.
20:21 The Interim Investigation Commission of the Verkhovna Rada revealed direct violations of the law by officials of the Chernihiv Regional Office for humanitarian aid. The commission recorded the misuse of funds, the sale of humanitarian aid, the discrepancy between the amount received by the Department of Internal Affairs and the amount of aid distributed to communities, and a number of other violations. This was reported by People's Deputy Serhiy Kozyr on Facebook.
20:50 "All armed conflicts end with negotiations. We have never abandoned them. This leadership of Ukraine has forbidden itself to negotiate," Putin.
21:11 The Russian Armed Forces launched five missile and five air strikes, and also carried out about 15 attacks from the MLRS.
21:48 The threat of air and missile strikes on critical infrastructure facilities throughout Ukraine remains.
22:10 Putin announced that he would sign a decree on Monday-Tuesday on retaliatory measures to the oil price ceiling imposed by the West.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 22:43 Blinken said he had discussed Zelensky's peace proposals with his G7 colleagues and called them "a good start." According to him, Ukraine has told the United States that it is currently focused on the return of its eastern and southern territories, which have been occupied since February. "But this in no way predetermines where it will go and where everything will stop," the US Secretary of State added.
21:47 The US Senate approved the country's draft budget for 2023 in the amount of $1.7 trillion, which provides for the allocation of $44.9 billion to help Ukraine.
9:36 pm Biden is ready to meet with Putin if Russia shows a serious willingness to negotiate, said White House strategic communications coordinator John Kirby.
21:08 Shmyhal said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine that 5-7 million Ukrainians are now abroad, and up to 90% want to return home. According to the prime minister's forecast, Ukrainians will return more actively in the spring.
20:22 Denmark will send 42.8 million dollars to support Ukraine, the country's Ministry of Defense announced. These funds will be used to purchase weapons and military equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The money will go to the UK-created International Fund for Ukraine (IFU).
20:19 The US Senate voted to include an amendment in the draft budget that would allow the confiscation of the frozen assets of Russian businessmen in favor of Ukraine.
19:48 Blinken said that "the chances of negotiations on Ukraine are growing thanks to the supply of US weapons to Kiev."
19:32 Canada will allocate $ 115 million to Kiev to restore the energy system, said Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. The funds will be taken from tariff revenues from imports from the Russian Federation and Belarus.
19:13 The United States imposed sanctions against ten Russian naval organizations due to Russia's actions against Ukrainian ports, the State Department said.
18:29 At the Libava training ground in the Czech Republic, the first group of Ukrainian military personnel has completed training as part of the EUMAM mission. According to the commander of the ground forces of the Czech Army Roman Nakhonchik, during a three-week training course, several hundred Ukrainian soldiers have worked out basic skills. It is expected that in 2023 four more groups of Ukrainian military personnel numbering about 800 people will arrive in the Czech Republic, the first of them should begin training in January.
18:24 Putin said that on Monday-Tuesday he would sign a decree on "retaliatory measures" to the oil price ceiling, only these measures would be "precautionary", because "there is no visible damage to Russia from this ceiling, we are about sell at these prices.
18:21 Putin said that the goal of the Russian Federation is "not to spin the flywheel of the Ukrainian conflict, but to end this war, we will strive for it to be over - and the sooner the better." According to him, all armed conflicts end with negotiations, "the sooner this becomes clear to Kyiv, the better." The President of the Russian Federation also stated that "no one wants the unification of the Russian people, except for us - and we will do it and we will do it." Speaking about the pace of the "special operation," Putin said that "the intensification of hostilities leads to unjustified losses."
18:10 Zelensky's trip to the USA has become a top topic for all the world's leading media. About the reaction to the historic visit - in the material The delight of the USA, the sadness of the Russian Federation .
18:06 Zelensky recorded an evening video message on the road: "We are returning from Washington - we are going with good results. With something that will really help. When we say "patriots" in Ukraine and in the United States, we equally mean the protection of the state and people. This question resolved for Ukraine. There is also financial support. There are other agreements - about them a little later."
18:03 Putin said that in Ukraine "you can't go against that part of the people who consider themselves part of the Russian world." According to him, "a war was launched against them, but we all endured." He also stated about the involvement of the United States in the situation in Ukraine: "Our potential adversary has always tried to divide the Russian world and lead separate parts, the idea of Ukrainian separatism was born long ago."
17:55 PMC Wagner received a shipment of weapons from the DPRK, Reuters reports, citing sources in the US administration. "We can confirm that North Korea has completed the initial delivery of weapons to Wagner, which paid for the equipment. Last month, North Korea delivered missiles and projectiles to Russia for use by Wagner," the source said. According to US officials, the amount of weapons delivered is not capable of changing the dynamics of the war, but North Korean deliveries are likely to continue.
17:38 The head of the Kherson OVA, Yaroslav Yanushevich, urged residents of the Ostrov microdistrict in Kherson to evacuate to safer regions of Ukraine. According to him, due to constant enemy shelling, the Island may be left without electricity, heat and water supply.
17:09 The "administration" of Nova Kakhovka confirmed that the "head" of the village of Lyubimovka, Kherson region, Andriy Shtepa, died today in a car explosion.
17:05 Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko said in an interview with Forbes that the Ukrainian energy system can be repaired before the summer so that the blackouts stop - but only on the condition that there will be no new shelling.
16:58 The G7 countries issued a statement in which they promised to continue covering Ukraine's urgent financial needs. $32 billion has already been raised for budget assistance in 2023. This amount includes 18 billion euros from the European Union, grants and loans from individual countries, as well as a support package from the United States. The G7 countries promise to support Ukraine "for as long as it takes." They also announced the creation of an interdepartmental Donor Coordinating Council.
16:51 Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani criticized Zelensky's statements in Washington about Tehran's military support for Moscow. He once again stressed that Iran "did not supply any military equipment to either side for use in the war in Ukraine" and has always respected the territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine.
"Zelensky should have known that Iran's strategic patience with such baseless accusations is not unlimited," a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said. Kanaani also advised the Ukrainian president "to learn a lesson from the fate of some other political leaders who were satisfied with US support."
16:45 Zelensky said that on the way home after a trip to Washington, he met with Polish President Andrzej Duda: "We summed up the year, which brought historical challenges due to a full-scale war. We discussed strategic plans for the future, bilateral relations and interaction at the international level in 2023".
16:19 On December 21, Putin spoke at the expanded collegium of the Russian Defense Ministry. The main topic was "special military operation", that is, the war in Ukraine, and plans for the development of the Russian army, which they want to attract hundreds of thousands more people. About the main statements of the head of the Kremlin and Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu - in the material New people and weapons .
15:54 In Kakhovka, according to preliminary information, collaborator Andrei Shtepa, nicknamed Shnyr, was blown up, whom the Russians appointed to lead Lyubimovka and Vasilyevka, Kakhovka district. As the deputy of the regional council Sergey Khlan said, Shtepa sold moonshine and drugs and willingly handed over Ukrainian activists to the Russians.
15:43 Reznikov said that he had a telephone conversation with the head of the Pentagon Lloyd Austin: "We are grateful for another package of assistance in the field of security, especially for new opportunities to protect our skies from the brutal attacks of Russia. Ukrainian soldiers will quickly master the Patriot system. They have repeatedly proved your skill."
15:20 Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov said that the main efforts of the Russian military are currently focused on the "liberation" of the "DNR", the rest of the front line, according to him, is "stabilized", its total length is 815 km.
Gerasimov also said that since the beginning of the "special operation" the West has supplied Ukraine with more than 350 tanks, 700 artillery systems, 100 MLRS, 30 helicopters, and at least 5,000 drones.
14:54 About 10,300 new graves have been found in Mariupol, most of which are located in the cemetery in Stary Krym, the Associated Press reports, citing satellite images. Since the beginning of March, a significant expansion of burial sites has been recorded. The total area where the graves are located is more than 51.5 thousand square meters. m.
14:48 Air Force Speaker Yuriy Ignat said that the Ukrainian military could take possession of Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems within a few months. According to him, the process of training operators will be accelerated, but this will be enough for efficient work.
14:37 Russians fired at Kupyansk and Volchansk of the Kharkiv region today. Five people were wounded in Volchansk, four of them were employees of the Central District Hospital, Oleg Sinegubov, the head of the OVA, said.
14:25 Shmyhal said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine that it will take seven to ten days to get out of the most difficult case of a complete blackout: "In the most difficult case of a complete blackout, when everything is completely broken, the exit takes from seven to ten days. This is according to calculations of our power engineers. I emphasize that these are theoretical calculations, because the world has not yet experienced such things." The prime minister assured that the government is preparing for all possible scenarios of the development of events, and the local authorities have already been informed of their response plans in case of critical situations.
13:48 The Russians fired at Chasov Yar in the Donetsk region - one person was killed, two were injured, the President's Office reported.
13:44 The head of the Kiev OVA Oleksiy Kuleba said that as of now, the situation in communities where there was no electricity for more than 48 hours is gradually improving. These are Buchansky and Vyshgorodsky, part of the Obukhovsky and Fastovsky districts. Electricity is already being restored there and additional measures are being taken to reach the schedules.
He also said that the Commission on Technogenic and Environmental Safety and Emergencies instructed Ukrenergo and DTEK to reach as soon as possible understandable for residents of the Kyiv region electricity supply schedules and ensure the proper amount of power and its even distribution. Separately, it is emphasized that light should be given fairly to all residents of the region.
13:25 The SBU reported suspicion to a Roman Catholic priest who denied the crimes of the occupiers in Bucha. The rector of the parish of the Kiev-Zhytomyr diocese of the Roman Catholic Church publicly justified the armed aggression of the Russian Federation and denied the war crimes of Russians against Ukrainians.
13:21 The Washington Post writes, citing high-ranking sources, that the United States is considering three different models for ending the war in Ukraine through negotiations: the withdrawal of Russian troops from all Ukrainian territory, including Crimea and Donbass; withdrawal of troops on the line in 2014; withdrawal of troops, including Donbass, but not Crimea.
According to the publication, Zelensky categorically rejected the last two options, saying that peace can only come when the Russian occupiers withdraw from the entire occupied territory. A senior U.S. official said that during the face-to-face meeting, Biden wanted to hear "Zelensky's current views on how the world should look," but acknowledged that "it's sort of an academic discussion at the moment" as there is no sign that Russia is interested. during conversation.
13:18 The State Border Service said that Dmitry Rogozin illegally crossed the Ukrainian border: “The border guards could not personally hand over the protocol to the violator, so caring comrades “handed him over” to this person during his birthday celebration. The Border Service once again urges Russians not to violate Ukrainian law , the responsibility will surely come!
13:15 The EU is mobilizing 900 generators for Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "The EU is working to increase the flow of electricity between Ukraine, Moldova and the rest of Europe. We are also mobilizing 900 generators to supply the country with electricity, including its hospitals. And we are sending millions energy-saving light bulbs. We are with you. There will be light."
13:08 Brussels will host a Ukraine-EU summit on February 3 - the European side has already sent an official invitation to Zelensky to participate, Reuters writes.
13:02 During the shelling of a restaurant in Donetsk, where Rogozin and the "head of the government of the DPR" were wounded, the so-called "mayor" of Gorlovka Ivan Prikhodko was also injured. He received a concussion and is in the hospital, media write.
12:58 The President of Ukraine made the first trip outside our country after Russia's military invasion. For more details, see Biden-Zelensky Meeting: Key Statements .
12:50 Russian Foreign Ministry warned Greece "about the consequences" if it decides to transfer S-300 systems to Ukraine.
12:15 In Russian Murmansk, a fire broke out on the only aircraft carrier cruiser of the Russian Navy, the flagship of the Navy and the Northern Fleet, Admiral Kuznetsov, which is under repair.
11:49 Peskov said that during Zelensky's visit to Washington "there were no real calls for peace", there were no warnings about "barbaric shelling of residential buildings in Donbass", there were no words about "potential readiness to listen to Russia's concerns."
11:34 As of the morning of December 22, there is a significant shortage of capacity in the energy system, Ukrenergo reported. All types of generation are working, one more block of nuclear power plants is connected to the network, and power is being built up. At the same time, certain restrictions remain in the power transmission system caused by damage to the main networks by systematic missile and unmanned attacks. Consumption limits have been brought to all regions, the most difficult situation remains in the central region and Kyiv, as well as in the front-line regions in the east and south of the country.
11:29 Macron said that he considers it unlikely that Ukraine will join NATO as a security guarantee option for it, since the Kremlin will consider this as a confrontation under any circumstances. At the same time, he stressed that Ukraine needs to provide security guarantees in the process of deciding to end the war, but Russia also needs such guarantees.
11:26 Rosatom said that consultations between Russia and the IAEA on the Zaporizhzhya NPP were held in Moscow, the parties noted the "significant similarity of positions" on the draft declaration on the establishment of the plant's safety zone, and will continue consultations to reach the final text "as soon as possible."
10:51 The curfew on New Year's Eve and Christmas in Kiev will not be canceled - as always, it will operate from 23:00 to 5:00, said City Council Secretary Volodymyr Bondarenko.
10:35 Nancy Pelosi hopes that the US Congress will be able to approve a package of 45 billion in assistance to Ukraine in the next 48 hours.
09:48 British intelligence reports that Belarusian instructors have begun to train mobilized Russians, which is an attempt to partially fill the shortage of Russian military instructors, many of whom are stationed in Ukraine or died. According to analysts, this also indicates an overstrain of the Russian military system, because the Russian Federation has traditionally believed that the Belarusian military forces are inferior to the Russian ones.
09:19 Over the past day, as a result of enemy shelling in the Donetsk region, three people were injured, an eight-year-old child was injured in Dnipropetrovsk, in Kherson - one person died, six were injured, the OVA reported. In the Nikolaev area three wounded, including the child of ten years.
08:55 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the enemy on the morning of December 22.
personnel - about 100,400 (+660) people liquidated,
tanks - 3003 (+1),
armored fighting vehicles - 5981 (+2),
artillery systems - 1978 (+6),
MLRS - 413 (+1),
air defense systems - 212 (+0),
aircraft - 283 (+1),
helicopters - 267 (+0),
UAV operational-tactical level - 1693 (+5),
cruise missiles - 653 (+0),
ships/boats - 16 (+0),
automotive equipment and tankers - 4615 (+7),
special equipment - 178 (+0).
08:41 Russia has already lost more than 100,000 personnel , 3,000 tanks and about 6,000 other armored vehicles in Ukraine, the General Staff said in a morning report . Over the past day, the Defense Forces repelled the attacks of the invaders in the areas of the settlements of Novoselovskoe, Stelmakhovka, Ploschanka and Chervonopopovka in the Luhansk region and Berestovo, Yakovlevka, Soledar, Bakhmut, Experienced, Kurdyumovka, Ozaryanovka, Mayorsk, New York, Krasnogorovka, Nevelskoye and Maryinka in the Donetsk region.
07:35 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Russia will not be able to significantly increase the army during the war, as Shoigu said the day before. The formation of such forces is costly and time consuming, and Russia was not able to fully staff its units and regiments even before a full-scale invasion and did not fully staff the new division, which it announced the creation of in 2020, analysts recalled. They stressed that the Russian economy is in recession and its resources to replenish the army have been significantly reduced after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In addition, the Russian officer corps is "gutted" by losses in this war, ISW points out. Therefore, Shoigu's statements were probably made to appease the blogging community, who accuse the Kremlin of not taking serious action. They also create informational conditions for conducting future waves of mobilization under the pretext of staffing units and strengthening the military power of the Russian Federation in the future.
ISW also believes that Putin announced an increased nuclear readiness to appease domestic nationalist audiences and intimidate the West. According to analysts, the Russian president's statements about nuclear weapons, in particular Avangard hypersonic warheads or Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, do not at all indicate Russia's preparations for their use. The Kremlin regularly uses nuclear rhetoric to show strength to the far-right Russian community, which has accused the Russian Defense Ministry of not being decisive enough. ISW believes that Kremlin officials will hesitate to use nuclear weapons on the battlefield.
06:34 The Biden administration has introduced new restrictions on the export of technology for the Russian PMC Wagner.
03:56 Zelensky addressed the US Congress during his visit to the US . The Ukrainian president was greeted with a standing ovation. He said that next year will be a turning point: "This is the moment when the courage of Ukraine and the determination of the Americans will ensure the freedom of people who stand up for their values."
According to Zelensky, the battle for Bakhmut will determine how the war in Ukraine will develop further. Therefore, Ukraine needs US military assistance, in particular, Patriot air defense systems - "so that Bakhmut is not only a fortress that grinds the Russian army, but that - like the battle of Saratoga - the fight for Bakhmut changed the course of our war for independence."
The President also stressed that the lack of modern armored vehicles and aircraft in the Ukrainian army significantly delays the war and allows the occupiers to kill civilian Ukrainians. At the request of Bakhmut's defenders, he handed over the flag of Ukraine to the US Congress and said that this flag is a symbol of Ukrainian victory.
03:33 The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is allocating more than $375 million for Ukraine, Biden said at a joint press conference with Zelensky in Washington. These funds will provide food and cash assistance to more than 1.5 million Ukrainians, as well as help them stay warm.
00:50 Biden said that the war between Ukraine and Russia will not do without negotiations with Putin: "All politics is personal, it is about looking into the eyes. There is no substitute for sitting opposite each other and looking into the eyes. Is this a friend , or an enemy." At the same time, he expressed confidence that Putin would lose the war.
00:29 The ex-head of Roskosmos Dmitry Rogozin was wounded during the shelling of a hotel in Donetsk, there is no threat to his life, his assistant told the Russian media. Local publics report shelling of a restaurant where Rogozin celebrated his birthday. The persons accompanying him were allegedly wounded, as well as the "chairman of the DPR government" Vitaly Khotsenko, and his bodyguard died.
00:25 Zelensky said that for him, as a president, a fair world is "the absence of compromises on our territory and compensation for all losses."
"Zelensky and I have absolutely the same vision of the world," Biden said. He expressed confidence that the unity of the United States and allies in support of Ukraine will continue in 2023.
00:19 Zelensky said that he did not intend to convey any messages to Putin, because it is the Russian president who should now be interested in maintaining at least some kind of relationship with the civilized world. Zelensky called Putin inadequate and recalled how many times he lied about not intending to attack Ukraine. "He is no longer a subject of the civilized world," the Ukrainian president stressed.
00:16 Biden said that providing Patriot systems to Ukraine is not an escalation, but a defense. And if Russia had not attacked Ukraine, there would have been no need to provide these weapons to Ukraine.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Mikhail Kuravlev Where have I seen this sort of thing before? The national army's getting the snot beat out of it. So hold a meeting. And quit firing that damned artillery at night. It keeps His Excellency awake.
[RIA Novosti] In Moscow, at an expanded meeting of the collegium of the Ministry of Defense, they summed up the results of the outgoing year and discussed proposals for strengthening the army. About what decisions were made - in the material of RIA Novosti. LARGE MEASURES
Such meetings with the participation of the President are held annually. According to the protocol, the minister of defense speaks after the first person.
Sergei Shoigu said: "In order to guarantee the solution of the tasks of ensuring the military security of the Russian Federation, it is necessary to increase the number of armed forces to 1.5 million servicemen, including contract servicemen to 695,000."
In addition, he called for a phased increase in the draft age: initial - from 18 to 21 years, limit - from 27 to 30 years. And he noted that it is necessary for conscripts to provide the opportunity to conclude a contract from the first day of service.
The head of the defense department stressed: it is necessary to complete the digitalization of military registration and enlistment offices.
But the proposal to increase the service life, voiced in the fall by Senator Vladimir Dzhabarov and actively discussed in the media and social networks, was not mentioned at the board.
It should be noted that about 120,000 people are drafted into the Russian Armed Forces every six months .
NATO RESPONSE
The minister believes that it is necessary to form two interspecific strategic territorial associations: the Moscow and Leningrad military districts. This is due to the intention of Finland and Sweden to join NATO.
It is also necessary to improve the structure of individual units:
—each combined arms army must have a mixed aviation division and an army aviation brigade with 80-100 combat helicopters;
—it is required to additionally create three directorates of aviation divisions, eight bomber aviation regiments, one fighter aviation regiment, six army aviation brigades;
—in the coastal troops of the Navy, on the basis of existing brigades, to form five divisions of the marine corps;
—in the strategic directions - five artillery divisions of military districts, as well as artillery brigades of high power;
—create three motorized rifle divisions, including as part of combined arms formations in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions , as well as an army corps in Karelia;
—add two airborne assault divisions of the Airborne Forces.
The rear support will also be improved. Three repair plants will appear next year, and the corresponding units at the military level will be strengthened. The goal is to correct mistakes. According to the minister, in 2008-2012, military repairs were practically destroyed due to the transition to outsourcing.
NEW WEAPONS
The Board reported on the weapons that entered service. One of the main novelties is the Generalissimo Suvorov nuclear submarine with Bulava ballistic missiles, a fourth-generation nuclear missile carrier.
After successful tests, they began to deploy heavy missiles of the Sarmat complex. Also, the nuclear triad was replenished with the Tu- 160M bomber.
Along with equipping the regiments of the Strategic Missile Forces with Avangards, this made it possible to increase the share of modern weapons in the strategic nuclear forces to 91 percent.
In general, over the past year, Shoigu specified, the combat capabilities of the army increased by 13 percent.
And in January, the frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" with sea-based hypersonic missile systems "Zirkon" will enter service. The renewal of the armed forces will continue.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Petr Akopov
[RIA] Yesterday, while Vladimir Zelensky flew over the Atlantic to Washington, Vladimir Putin spoke in Moscow at the annual board of the Ministry of Defense. After the President's main speech, there was a report by Defense Minister Shoigu, after which Putin considered it important to say a few more words. He spoke about the reasons for the special operation, recalling that after the collapse of the USSR, for decades we had been trying to build not just good-neighbourly, but fraternal relations in the new conditions - "We gave loans, and supplied energy resources almost for free," but none of our actions reached the desired goals:
"I want to emphasize this: there is nothing to reproach us with. I say this with complete responsibility. We have always - and you know my position - considered the Ukrainian people a brotherly people. I still think so. And what is happening is, of course, a tragedy," our common tragedy!
But it is not the result of our policy - on the contrary, it is the result of the policy of third countries that have always sought to disintegrate the Russian world. Hence the Crimean War.
To a certain extent, they have succeeded and pushed us to the line where we are. It became obvious that clashes with these forces, including in Ukraine, are inevitable. The only question was when that would happen. Of course, military actions are always associated with tragedies and loss of people. We understand this very well, we are aware of this, but, since this is inevitable, it is better today than tomorrow.
It is still very important for the President to explain what exactly led to February 24, and not only to the military, but to all citizens of the country. And not only to them, because hostilities are really a tragedy, and common for the entire Russian world, that is, Russia and Ukraine.
This cannot be understood by those who believe in nonsense about "Ukraine's sovereignty" and its "right to choose the direction of movement" or even in a separate "Ukrainian civilization," but everyone else understands that for Putin, as well as for the vast majority of our citizens, everything that happens - great pain and tragedy, and we also feel sorry for those who die from the hostile side.
Because we understand (Vladimir Putin also acknowledged this) that this is also a civil war in which brother turns against brother. But we also understand that at the same time as a civil war, it is also a war with external forces - with an enemy who, as Putin said in the same speech, has for centuries set the goal of "disintegration and weakening, disunity of our country":
"There is nothing new here. The country is too big, as they think, and poses a threat to someone, so it needs to be patched up, split up."
Putin is not talking about the Russian Federation, but about historical Russia, about what happened in 1991, because, although the USSR collapsed primarily due to the stupidity of its own ruler and the weakness of part of the elite, the collapse of the Union itself did not put an end to in historical Russia.
Everything could not be reversed, but corrected, cured dislocation, while maintaining fraternal relations between the newly independent states (as the CIS intended ) - primarily between Russia and Ukraine. These friendly ties would inevitably lead to a new reintegration, at least in the form of the Eurasian Union , and as a maximum - in the form that the Union State of Russia and Belarus now has.
The leadership of Russia has always been set up for this, and from the second half of the 90s (that is, even before Putin), Boris Yeltsin , the destroyer of the USSR, proceeded from this.
But such a course of events did not suit the West at all - and it was precisely its conscious work to widen and deepen the gap, the stake on preventing reintegration (together, of course, with the mood of part of the elites of the post-Soviet republics) that ultimately worked. And it led to the current tragedy, which Vladimir Putin acknowledged on Wednesday.
Recognition of the success of the West (primarily the Anglo-Saxons) in disintegrating the Russian world and provoking hostilities does not mean our capitulation - Putin is talking about objective reality. Yes, our policy of peacefully preserving the unity of the Russian world did not work, we could not outplay a strong and intelligent opponent. Of course, there were also internal reasons for this - the weakness of our politics and the elite, but still we should not forget the state in which Putin got Russia and what our "elite" was like at the beginning of 2000.
If Putin could only deal with Ukraine from the very beginning, there would have been no Maidan victory in 2014, but for the first two terms he was engaged in pulling Russia out of the pit and reformatting the comprador elite that emerged in the 90s. And when, in the early 1910s, he got down to business building the Eurasian Union - with an eye to including Ukraine in it - it was already too late: a large (and most active) part of the Ukrainian elite was tied to the West.
Kiev 's turn away from integration with the European Union led to the fact that in February 2014 the West tried to take Ukraine away from Russia forever with one blow, which led to the Crimea and subsequent events in the Donbass . Russia made it clear that it would not allow the Russian world to be torn apart, and for several years hoped that it would be possible to convince the West of the futility of attempts to atlantize Ukraine. And only after making sure that the Anglo-Saxons were simply playing for time and were not going to retreat or agree on Nezalezhnaya (growing anti-Russia out of it), Putin decided to take military action.
Yes, they became a tragedy for the entire Russian world (of which even the most Ukrainian Ukrainians are a part), and the West, at first glance, even such a development of events is beneficial: if it is not possible to keep Ukraine behind, then at least burn it in the fire of a proxy war with Russia, which should eventually weaken and withdraw into itself. But can the West consider itself a winner even at this stage, if its strategy of dividing Russia and Ukraine has worked, provoking a fratricidal war, forcing Russia into military action?
No, he can not. Because, despite all the tragedy of the “new civil”, Russia nevertheless decided to snatch weapons made from its own part, Ukraine, from enemy hands, refused to postpone until later the solution of the vitally important problem for it of the existence of anti-Russia on Russian lands. Russia accepted the challenge? Yes, but we, in fact, were not left with a choice, because, having abandoned Ukraine-Little Russia, Russia would cease to be Russia.
Those Atlanticists who thought otherwise, believing that we have a choice (“reconcile with the loss of Ukraine, admit your weakness and our strength”), and now believe in the possibility of victory over Russia, are very much mistaken. Yes, they managed to win the first stage of the confrontation (play off two parts of the whole), but Russia has already entered the "warpath" - it cannot be stopped or defeated.
Kindly note that several entries in this article may have been removed because they included discussions of the grand strategic level.
[NewsFrontInfo] 22:37 Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Gerasimov said that Russian attack drones had destroyed more than 600 Ukrainian objects during the special operation, and Russian operational-tactical and army aviation had already destroyed 11,000 units of Ukrainian weapons, making about 150 sorties a day. 18:58 Destruction of an armored car of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Maryinka -video
18:57 Destroyed Ukrainian BMP-1, or rather what is left of it.
18:55 Russian artillery hit the fortified area in Soledar, destroying Ukrainian militants -video
18:14 This is what is left of barracks Armed Forces of Ukraine in Chasovoy Yar after the strike of the Russian Armed Forces.
Approximately in the same condition now are the enemy barracks in Kramatorsk.
15:47 While advancing to positions, the Ukrainian soldiers were spotted and met with fire. As a result, one Ukrainian was wounded, and the Ukrainians retreated in a hurry. Bakhmut direction -video
15:46 Footage of the work of the tankers of the Southern Military District on the enemy who took refuge in the building -video
15:09 Air raid alert announced in Dnepropetrovsk, Poltava, Zaporozhye, Kharkiv regions. Explosions sounded near Odessa.
13:54 Tankers of the 2nd Army Corps of the NM LPR suppress enemy forces in the Soledar direction -video
13:51 Report of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress holding special military operation on the territory of Ukraine (22.12.2022)
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to conduct a special military operation.
In the Kupyansk direction, up to 15 Ukrainian servicemen and two vehicles were destroyed as a result of inflicting damage on accumulations of manpower and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Kucherovka in the Kharkov region and Novoselovskoe in the Luhansk People's Republic.
In the Krasno-Limansky direction, during a fire raid by Russian artillery, enemy units concentrated in the areas of the settlements of Sergeevka of the Lugansk People's Republic and Terny of the Donetsk People's Republic were hit. The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in this direction during the day amounted to more than 20 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded, two armored combat vehicles and three pickup trucks.
In the Donetsk direction, Russian troops continued offensive operations. During the day, up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, two tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles and five vehicles were destroyed in this direction.
In the South-Donetsk direction, army aviation strikes, artillery fire and active actions of Russian troops defeated units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Nikolskoye, Novomayorskoye and Novopol of the Donetsk People's Republic.
Two sabotage groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed in the areas of the settlements of Sladkoe in the Donetsk People's Republic and Levadne in the Zaporozhye region. In just a day, up to 30 Ukrainian servicemen, two armored combat vehicles and three pickup trucks were destroyed in this direction.
Operational-tactical aviation, missile troops and artillery of groups of troops (forces) of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation defeated 57 artillery units in firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 93 districts.
In the area of the village of Vesele, Kherson region, a position was opened and a Ukrainian electronic warfare station was destroyed. In the area of the settlement of Ptichye of the Donetsk People's Republic, a repair point for M777 artillery systems was destroyed.
Three ammunition depots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed in the areas of the settlements of Artemovsk in the Donetsk People's Republic, Gulyaipole in the Zaporozhye region and Ochakiv in the Mykolaiv region.
During the counter-battery fight, two missile strikes were carried out on the firing positions of the Ukrainian Grad and Smerch multiple launch rocket systems in the areas of the settlements of Berdychi and Krasnoarmeisk of the Donetsk People's Republic.
Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down two MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force in the areas of the settlements of Shevchenko and Bogatyr.
In addition, a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter was destroyed in the area of the Dobropillia settlement in the Donetsk People's Republic.
During the day, air defense systems shot down three unmanned aerial vehicles in the areas of the settlements of Volodino, Torskoye and Voikovsky of the Donetsk People's Republic.
Also, two HIMARS multiple rocket launchers were intercepted in the areas of Popasna and Baranikovka settlements of the Luhansk People's Republic.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, the following have been destroyed: 350 aircraft, 188 helicopters, 2,694 unmanned aerial vehicles, 399 anti-aircraft missile systems, 7,191 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 934 combat vehicles of multiple launch rocket systems, 3,700 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 7,707 units of special military vehicles.
13:49 Artillerymen of the "O" group are crushing Ukrainian terrorists near Kremennaya -video
12:41 Air raid alert announced in Kyiv.
11:53 The 3rd Brigade of the DPR helps New York become back to Novgorod -video
11:44 Howitzers destroy the positions of Ukrainian troops near New York in the DPR. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are retreating in a panic, and their own detachments are shooting them, DPR fighters told RIA Novosti -video
11:09 Assault aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces continues to successfully carry out the tasks of destroying manpower and equipment of Ukrainianss -video
11:08 Footage of the destruction of a tank of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by loitering ammunition "Lancet" five km west of the settlement. Berestovoye in the Kharkiv region -video
11:07 Ukrainian armored car "Kozak" lay down in a ditch -video
11:06 Spectacular shots of the work of the 122mm BM-21 MLRS Grad on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Zaporozhye direction -video
09:18 Another destroyed equipment of ukrofascists by an accurate shot of Russian artillery -video
09:16 An effective link between the work of UAV operators and artillerymen of the allied forces in the destruction of Ukrainians in the Bakhmutsky (Artyomovsky) sector -video
09:14 RF Armed Forces are constantly working on Ukronazi positions, not letting them raise their heads -video
08:20 According to information received from local residents,national guardsmen carried out a complex of special measures, as a result of which weapons and ammunition were found. So, in one of the settlements of the Kherson region, 27 shells with a caliber of 125 mm, over 150 lighting and signal cartridges, more than 5,000 cartridges for automatic weapons, hand grenades and a TM-62 anti-tank mine were found. Another cache contained more than 3,200 rounds of 5.45 mm rounds. All that 5.45 ammo. Such a tragedy! 08:10 Slavic brigade destroyed the anti-aircraft installation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the DPR -video
08:05 We reliably hit targets: the calculations of the 152mm 2S3 Acacia self-propelled guns destroyed the fortified positions of Ukrainian nationalists -video
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFrontInfo] 23:09 According to the Ministry of Defense, the Russian Armed Forces continued offensive operations in the Donetsk direction, destroying up to 50 Ukrainian military personnel in a day, while Kyiv lost up to 35 military personnel in the Kupyansky and Krasnolimansky directions. 22:21Ukrainians again fired at the Kirovsky and Kuibyshevsky districts of Donetsk. Seven rounds with a caliber of 155mm were fired at civilians in our city.
21:50 As a result of the shelling of the Kuibyshev district in the village of Oktyabrsky mine, a private sector house was damaged, a fire broke out. According to preliminary data, a civilian was injured. Personal information is set.
19:15 Rogozin said that his assistant was killed during the shelling in Donetsk.
Rogozin himself declares that after treatment he will return to Donbass.
17:05 According to the operational lines of the DPR JCCC for December 22, information was received about civilian casualties in the cities of the Republic:
n.p. Makeevka:
Central City District:
- on the street. Schmidt, 161 wounded woman born in 1959
Gornyatsky district:
- on the street. Slavsky, 149, a man born in 1955 was wounded.
- in lane. Lipetsk, 3 wounded woman born in 1984
Received additional information on damage as a result of shelling of the VFU cities of the Republic:
Donetsk:
Petrovsky district:
- st. Tevosyan, 3 - a private residential building; the gas pipe was also damaged.
Kuibyshevsky district:
- st. Zavarzina, 1 - apartment building.
n.p. Alexandrovka:
- st. Kirova, 111 - a private residential building was destroyed;
- Kirova st., 105 "c" - a private residential building.
n.p. Makeevka:
Central City District:
- st. Schmidt, 165, 167 - private residential buildings.
Gornyatsky district:
- st. Slavskogo, 147 - a private residential building.
n.p. Gorlovka (Central City District):
- st. Partizana Ermachka, 13, 15 - private residential buildings.
Information about the consequences of shelling continues to arrive.
16:01 The shelling of Donetsk continues.
Eight rockets were fired from the MLRS in the Kuibyshev region;
Four rounds with a caliber of 155mm were fired in the Petrovsky district.
15:55 According to updated information, as a result of the shelling of the Kuibyshevsky district, the glazing of an apartment building on the street was damaged. Zavarzin.
15:23 Shelling of areas of Donetsk does not stop. Five rounds of 155mm caliber were fired from Krasnogorovka in the Petrovsky district.
14:12 The shelling of the northern districts of the city resumed: Five rounds with a caliber of 155mm were fired at the Kyiv and Kuibyshev districts.
13:56 In the village of Aleksandrovka, Nazi rounds continue to hit the housing of civilians: one house burned down completely, in the second, the glazing and roof were damaged.
13:55 According to updated information, as a result of the shelling of the Petrovsky district, the roof and glazing of school No. 107 were damaged. Information was also received about a wounded civilian in the Petrovsky district.
13:54 The shelling of the Kirovsky district continues. Five rounds of 155mm caliber were fired at residential areas.
Take care of yourself, do not go out unless absolutely necessary!
12:05 According to the operational lines of the DPR JCCC for December 22, information was received about damage as a result of shelling of the Ukrainian cities of the Republic:
Donetsk (Petrovsky district):
- a direct hit in the shopping center "Galaktika" on the street. Dobrovolsky, cars were also damaged;
- the building of MBOU "Gymnasium No. 107 of Donetsk" was damaged on the street. Architects.
Information about the consequences of shelling continues to arrive.
11:57 Consequences of the shelling of school 107. Petrovsky district.
11:22 Terrorists from Ukraine released on the territory of the Petrovsky district from positions in n. Georgievka settlement 8 missiles from the MLRS.
As a result of the last shelling of the Petrovsky district, there was a direct hit on the wall of the Galaktika shopping center, cars were damaged in the parking lot. The information is being specified.
10:29 Ukronazis fired at the Petrovsky district again. According to the JCCC, at 10:15 four rounds of 155mm caliber were fired from Krasnogorovka.
08:16 Fighters of the Brave group stormed Ukrainian positions and captured three prisoners -video
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[REGNUM] Russian Foreign Ministry asked Washington not to undertake "malicious provocations"
In the Department of North America, the Russian Foreign Ministry is asking Washington not to bring the situation to a direct clash between the United States and Russia. The threat of such a development of events was stated by the director of the diplomatic structure Alexander Darchiev in an interview with TASS.
“We can only hope that Washington will listen to the voice of reason and will not bring matters to a direct clash between Russia and the United States,” he said.
According to Alexander Darchiev, if Washington does not have enough wisdom, then this may be fraught with a rupture of diplomatic relations between Russia and the United States "with all the ensuing consequences."
He also believes that initially Washington was the initiator of the destruction of relations between the countries, which brought the situation to the point of no return, and now blamed Moscow for this. Nevertheless, Russia has no intention of deliberately cutting off contact with the United States unless there are " malicious provocations " that leave no choice.
As REGNUM reported, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said during his visit to Washington that he was not ready to make compromises for the sake of making peace with Russia. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called his proposals on this issue a good start and stressed that the position of the Russian Federation is preventing reaching agreements. The initiatives of the Ukrainian leader are already being discussed by the United States with other countries around the world, Blinken explained.
#1
With Stinking Blinken it will never happen. Too much money to be made. While Biden has deaf ears. Mismanaged here and abroad. They play their tunes while the west sinks into oblivion. Reminds me of the old Kennedy joke, something like it's my football so we play by my rules.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/23/2022 8:00 Comments ||
Top||
#3
^That was a bizarre comment. In your alternative universe perhaps. Fear does things to the mind that forces knee jerk reactions that rules over logic.
#8
Read earlier today, that it will take some 30 years for Russia to recover its economy from this war in Ukraine.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/14/putins-invasion-of-ukraine-will-knock-the-russian-economy-back-by-30-years.html
I am wondering how long it will take the U.S. to rebuild it's own military stocks after shipping them to Ukraine? Still have an eye on China in the wings.
https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3154210/department-moves-quick-to-replenish-weapons-sent-to-ukraine/
Bit miffed that the U.S. Government giving money to Ukraine is more important, than securing the southern border. I don't disagree with the U.S. making life miserable for Putin, and maybe bankrupt him and government. Makes wish President Ronald Reagan was still around compared to what we have now in the Oval Office.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Sergei Adamov
[REGNUM] The White House has finally officially announced the allocation of two batches of military assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the amount of $1.85 billion. Among other things, Ukraine will receive modern American-made Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems, on which official Kyiv has been insisting for the past few months.
Delivery volumes are relatively small - only one missile battalion. However, as experts who analyze the course of deliveries of Western weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine note in a conversation with IA REGNUM , the problem of deliveries of NATO air defense systems should be considered more globally.
According to military experts, a more global topic went unnoticed against the backdrop of a conversation about the Patriot. NATO as a whole is reformatting Ukrainian air defense to its own standards. This is due to a purely practical necessity: in Ukraine there is no production of anti-aircraft missiles for existing systems, and in Soviet times everything necessary for air defense was made on the territory of the RSFSR. Soviet-style systems are being replaced so that the Armed Forces of Ukraine can supply ammunition that NATO can produce / get from warehouses. And doing this is easier than reaching an agreement with countries that have Soviet air defense systems in any significant amount.
Not only "Patriots" are delivered to Ukraine. On Thursday, December 22, the French authorities officially announced the transfer of Crotale anti-aircraft systems to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In this case, we can talk not just about individual deliveries, but about reformatting Ukrainian air defense as such.
Soviet systems of short, medium and long range are being replaced by plus or minus NATO counterparts. As military experts point out, to simplify, the American Avenger air defense systems supplied by the Armed Forces of Ukraine are (in terms of technical characteristics and the nature of the tasks performed) like our Strela-10, HAWK and Crotale - this is plus or minus our Thor, only worse , and NASAMS and IRIS-T are the Western response to the Buk air defense system.
Add to this the German Gepard installations, which are almost copied from our Tunguska, and you will get a complete reformatting of Ukrainian air defense at all levels at once. The long arm is Patriot, medium-range air defense is IRIS-T and NASAMS, short- and medium-short-range air defense is Hawk, Crotale, Avenger and Gepard.
According to experts, NATO air defense systems themselves are worse than ours. The reason is that for NATO, first of all, the strategy of gaining control in the air is important, in which air defense, in principle, is assigned a secondary role. In the USSR, air defense was developed precisely with the aim of preventing NATO aircraft from dominating the air. So it’s definitely not worth waiting for a qualitative change in the situation here in favor of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
But there are other aspects. Firstly, with the transition to Western models of air defense systems, the Ukrainian army generally removes all problems with repair / maintenance and the production of ammunition for itself. Secondly, for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the issue of guidance and target designation is being resolved, because their air defense systems will be integrated into the NATO information system. This applies to target designation from NATO electronic reconnaissance aircraft, which, by the way, are actively cruising along the borders, and reconnaissance drones.
In summary: new deliveries will not allow Ukraine to shoot down all the missiles at once, despite Kyiv's expectations. But they will decide the issue of integrating the Ukrainian army into the NATO system.
We add that the American air defense systems in a collision with a real enemy showed their vulnerability. For example, they are significantly inferior to Iranian-made missiles, which, according to a number of Western media outlets, will be delivered to Russia (recall, according to Western journalists, Russia and Iran have reached an agreement on the supply of Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar class ballistic missiles. True, in Moscow this do not confirm).
“As for counteraction from Western-style air defense, it should be noted that ballistic missiles, in principle, remain a difficult target for air defense. This is well illustrated by the example of Saudi Arabia's military operations against the Yemeni Houthis, where the kingdom's air defense, built on Western systems - the same Patriot air defense systems, cannot guarantee to cover all important areas from missile attacks from the Houthis.
And during the well-known Iranian strike on the Ain al-Assad base in Iraq used by the Americans in early 2020, after the assassination of General Soleimani by the Americans, NATO systems showed far from their best side, ” the Iranian expert, author of the book , said in an interview with REGNUM . Persian Bastion” and a number of articles on the subject of the Middle East Yuri Lyamin.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] Regarding the disputes around the fact that Putin called the NWO a war.
From a legal point of view, we have exactly the NWO, since no one has officially declared war on anyone, neither the United States vs Russia, nor Russia vs the United States, nor Ukraine of Russia, nor Russia of Ukraine. There is no war in its classical diplomatic sense. Therefore, officially, one can safely say that there is no war, but there is a NWO. And it will be true.
But at the same time, any reasonable person understands that what is happening in Ukraine is a hot war of the RF Armed Forces against the US and NATO proxy forces. The largest war since the wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan and the largest war of the 21st century, which in scale (but not in time - there should be a joke for 300 about "so far") surpassed the Syrian war (active phase 2012-2020), which Before the war in Ukraine, it was considered the largest war of the 21st century.
The dispute itself on the topic of war vs SVO is purely empty and scholastic. You can call it war, you can call it NWO - the essence will not change.
Personally, I use both terms, speaking both about the official position, where the term NWO dominates, and speaking about the essence of what is happening, using the term "War in Ukraine" for reviews since the beginning of the war (which does not prevent publishing materials under the heading "On the course of the NWO") and are tied to the "War in Ukraine" tag, which I have been using and have been using since 2014. In general, the controversy on this score is not worth a damn.
Interesting that the Russians are following this so closely.
[ColonelCassad] More and more dirty laundry related to the use of Twitter by the Pentagon and the CIA continues to emerge. Commentary by a Russian blogger identified as Directorate 4
Twitter secretly provided the US Department of Defense with a platform to promote propaganda in the Middle East. This conclusion was reached by journalists who analyzed the company's internal documents, which were handed over to them by the new head of the service, Elon Musk.
In the summer of 2017, a US Central Command official sent a letter to Twitter with fifty-two accounts in Arabic and a request to add them to the so-called. "White list". The microblogs included in it enjoy a number of advantages over the rest. The accounts were not affected by the service's algorithms, which marked accounts as spam or violating the rules. Also, they were specially brought into trends in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait and other countries.
In particular, one of the accounts, purporting to be from a Yemeni citizen, promoted the narrative that US airstrikes are precise and target only terrorists and not civilians. The author also actively supported the invasion of the Arab coalition into Yemen to fight against the militants of the Shiite movement Ansar Allah. Other accounts focused on the Syrian agenda. They praised the US-backed militias and spoke out against pro-Iranian groups in Syria. It should be noted that they also fought against the propaganda of the Islamic State, but to a lesser extent. Some microblogs were labeled as being related to the Pentagon, but then the mention of this disappeared.
The journalists were able to find similar networks of Facebook and Telegram accounts that spread invented news that could also be associated with the US defense department. Most often they criticized the Iranian authorities. For example, the authors accused Tehran of threatening Iraq's water security and smuggling drugs into the country, and promoted rumors that the Iranian authorities allegedly harvested organs from Afghan refugees.
It is noteworthy that in 2018, Twitter announced the fight against Russian propaganda. According to the service, some of the accounts were blocked, while others were marked as being associated with the Russian government. This was done ostensibly to combat Russian influence and misinformation. However, for the manipulation of public opinion by the US military, Twitter seems to have made an exception.
https://t.me/directorate4/14532 - zinc
Say Russian military journalist Boris Rozhn:
You will be surprised (no) but Facebook and Youtube are doing the same thing.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] Ugledar direction, not far from Pavlovka. The forces of the 36th brigade are attacking.
In close combat, the remnants of the enemy infantry are trying to throw grenades at the tanks. Later, a large number of drugs will be found at the positions.
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.
