Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[ColonelCassad] The Russian Ministry of Defense reported damage to the Novocherkassk large landing ship in Feodosia as a result of a night attack by cruise missiles.
The ship received significant damage, there were dead and wounded. Houses near the shore suffered minor damage, with glass broken out.
The downing of two Su-24s launching cruise missiles at Feodosia was also announced.
The FSB identified the people who filmed the missile attack on Feodosia and posted the video online. Those who post it face legal consequences.
A Ukrainian attack on the Crimean port of Feodosia damaged a large Russian landing ship and killed one person, Moscow said on Tuesday after Kyiv said it had destroyed an important Russian warship.
The Russian defense ministry was cited by the Interfax news agency as saying that Ukraine had used air-launched missiles to attack Feodosia and that the ’Novocherkassk’ large landing ship had been damaged in the raid.
The ’Novocherkassk,’ which was built in Poland and entered service in the late 1980s, is designed for amphibious landings and can carry various types of armored vehicles, including tanks.
Footage posted on several Russian news outlets on the Telegram messaging app, purportedly from the port, showed powerful explosions detonating and fires burning.
Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed governor of Crimea, said on the Telegram messaging app that one person had been killed, two injured and six people evacuated from their homes.
Although a Ukrainian counteroffensive has made little in the way of battlefield gains and the Russian military has regained the initiative in several places, Ukraine has been able to launch a series of attacks on Crimea, the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, inflicting serious damage.
The Ukrainian air force said its pilots had attacked Feodosia at about 2:30 a.m. local time with cruise missiles, destroying the ‘Novocherkassk.’
“And the fleet in Russia is getting smaller and smaller! Thanks to the Air Force pilots and everyone involved for the filigree work!” the commander of Ukraine’s air force, Mykola Oleshchuk, said on Telegram.
A statement from the Russian-installed administration of Crimea said that trains were not running from Feodosia and advised people to use an alternative nearby station.
Feodosia, which has a population of around 69,000 people, lies on the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula.
Even more from the BBC, courtesy of Skidmark, including a cute little map:
The port's transport operations are said to be functioning as normal after the area was cordoned off, while a fire caused by the attack was contained.
Footage purportedly showing a huge explosion in the port was shared by Ukrainian air force commander Lt Gen Mykola Oleshchuk.
The images have not been independently verified. However, satellite imagery from 24 December shows a ship at port in Feodosiya that appears to be the same length as the Novocherkassk - a landing ship designed to transport troops, weapons and cargo to shore.
Any significant damage to the ship will be a welcome bit of good news for Ukraine, with waning Western support now affecting its front-line operations. Given that the Novocherkassk was in dock, it is highly likely it was being loaded with soldiers, equipment or both.
Dr Patrick Bury, a security and defence expert and former Nato analyst, told the BBC News Channel there was speculation that the ship was carrying Iranian-made Shahed drones, which Russia has been using in its attacks on Ukrainian targets.
Speaking on Ukrainian TV, the head of the press centre for Ukraine's southern command, Nataliya Humenyuk, said it was "clear that such a large detonation was caused by more than just the fuel or ammunition of the ship itself".
Ms Humenyuk added that Russia had been facing difficulties with transporting "important cargo" due to the Kerch Bridge, which links Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, being damaged.
"So, it is quite likely that it [the Novocherkassk's cargo] was a kind of "Christmas present, completely wrapped," she said.
Taking the ship out of action, even if only temporarily, will no doubt hamper Russia's ability to supply troops in territory it occupies further north.
What is less clear is how long its operations will be disrupted for and what impact this strike will have on the front lines.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Ukraine's air force has denied that Russia shot down two of its Su-24 bombers about 125km (77 miles) from the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv.
And Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that his troops had seized the key town of Mariinka in eastern Ukraine.
Kyiv initially denied the claim, but in a news conference on Tuesday Ukrainian Armed Forces commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi said his troops had withdrawn to the outskirts of the town and beyond.
The area has been used by Ukraine as a defensive barrier since 2014, when Russian-backed fighters seized large swathes of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Tuesday's attack on Feodosiya is not the first time that the Novocherkassk has been targeted by Ukrainian forces.
In March 2022, Ukraine's defence ministry reported that the ship had been damaged in an attack on the occupied Ukrainian port of Berdyansk in which another amphibious assault ship, the Saratov, was sunk.
In a post on Telegram, Lt Gen Oleshchuk wrote that the Novocherkassk had gone the way of the Moskva - the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, which sank in the Black Sea last year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quipped that he was "grateful" to the country's air force "for the impressive replenishment of the Russian submarine Black Sea fleet with another vessel," in reference to other Russian ships that have been sunk during the war.
"The occupiers will not have a single peaceful place in Ukraine," he said.
Russia seized and annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and its forces based there played a key part in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian forces in Crimea have since come under repeated Ukrainian attack. Last month, Ukraine's military said it had destroyed 15 Russian navy ships and damaged another 12 in the Black Sea since the start of Russia's war.
After a missile strike on the headquarters of the Black Sea fleet in Sevastopol last September, satellite images showed that the Russian navy had moved much of its Black Sea fleet away from Crimea to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
The dominance of the Russian navy has been diminished to an extent as result of such attacks, but this year has seen Moscow keep hold of the territory it occupies, despite a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
#4
This is the second of four Ropucha class vessels to be been damaged/destroyed. Going by memory, the four landing ships sailed from the Russian Northern fleet to the Black Sea fleet just before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
It then was speculated that the Black Sea Fleet would use the four for amphibious landings at Odesa, except for the historical fact the Russian suck at amphibious operations.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[LB] Heavy fighting continues in six directions.
by Iryna Lysohor
The probability of air and missile strikes throughout the territory of Ukraine remains high. During the week, the enemy carried out 20 missile and 264 air strikes, carried out 453 attacks from rocket salvo systems on the Defense Forces and civilian infrastructure.
In total, there were almost 600 combat encounters. This was announced by the spokesman of the General Staff, Dmytro Lykhovii, on the air of the telethon.
"The enemy continues to focus its main efforts on the Kupyansk, Lymansk, Bakhmutsk, Avdiivsk, Marinsk, and Zaporizhia directions, where heavy battles are ongoing," he said.
Despite the loss, the occupiers are trying to dislodge our troops.
The situation in the Volyn and Poliske directions has not changed significantly. In Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi , the enemy maintains a presence in the border areas, maintains a group of troops to restrain the Defense Forces and prevent them from overturning, continues shelling from the territory of Russia and sabotage-reconnaissance activities in violation of the state border of Ukraine, uses drones.
"In the Kupyan direction, the enemy continues offensive actions in the areas of Sinkivka settlements, to the east of Petropavlivka, Ivanivka of the Kharkiv region and Stelmakhivka of the Luhansk region," the spokesman added.
In these areas, our soldiers repelled 86 enemy attacks in a week.
On Lymanskyi, the enemy carried out assaults in the areas of Makiivka, Serebryansk Forestry, Belogorivka of Luhansk Oblast, and Terny and Spirnyi of Donetsk Oblast.
On Bakhmutsky, the Russians carried out assaults in the areas of Bohdagnivka, Ivanivka, and Klishchiivka, where the defenders repelled about 60 attacks.
In the Avdiivka direction , the Russians continue offensive actions in the Avdiivka areas, where more than 230 attacks took place east of Novokalynovy, Novobakhmutivka, Stepovy, Avdiivka, Severnoy, south of Tonenkoy, Pervomaisky, and Nevelsky of the Donetsk region. Our soldiers inflicted considerable losses on the enemy, particularly in heavy weapons.
In the Mariinsky direction, the enemy continues offensive actions in the area of Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, Pobieda, Novomykhailivka, Donetsk region. Defense forces repelled a total of more than 60 attacks.
On the Shakhtarsky direction, the Russians conducted one unsuccessful attack in the Staromayorsky area.
In Zaporizhzhia, the occupiers conducted 49 unsuccessful assaults west of Novoprokopivka, Verbovoy, Robotyny, and south of Gulyaipol.
In Kherson , the occupiers concentrated their main efforts on conducting defense, improving mine and explosive barriers and ways of logistical support. Airstrikes and shelling of military positions and settlements in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions continue. At the same time, the occupiers are trying to dislodge the units from the occupied bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnipro River. There, the occupiers carried out almost 100 unsuccessful assaults. The defenders are conducting a counter-battery fight, inflicting damage on the enemy's rear.
We will remind that during the past week, defenders shot down five Russian planes : one Su-30, the rest – Su-34. Yesterday evening, they shot down two: one in the Mariupol, one in the Odesa directions. Before that, in the Southern direction, the Ukrainian military shot down three Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers at once.
Khmelnytskyi, Chernihiv, Sumy, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhya, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Kherson regions were attacked.
In the Khmelnytskyi region at night during an air alert signal, air defense forces neutralized a UAV of the Shahed type. There was no information about the dead, injured or destruction. The data is being verified, says the summary from OVA as of this morning.
There were five shellings (68 explosions) in Chernihivska during the day. The enemy fired mortars at the Novgorod-Siverskyi and Koryukivskyi districts. No information was received about losses among the local population or damage to civil infrastructure. The data is being verified.
In Sumy at night, the Russians launched a mortar shelling of the Krasnopil community. Five explosions were recorded. In advance - without consequences. Yesterday, during the day, the Russians carried out 12 shellings of border territories and settlements. 68 explosions were recorded. Khotinsk, Yunakivsk, Myropilsk, Bilopolsk, Putivlsk, Esmansk, Seredino-Budsk communities came under fire. Seredyno-Budsk community: a private house was damaged as a result of mortar shelling.
In Mykolayivska yesterday, the forces and means of air defense destroyed the enemy BpLA Shahed-131/136. Yesterday morning, the enemy fired artillery at Ochakov, as a result of which residential buildings and a high-voltage power line were damaged. There are no casualties. The water area of the Ochakiv community was also shelled. There are no casualties. Artillery strikes were recorded in the water area of the Kutsurub community. There were no casualties.
In Luhansk, the occupiers heavily shelled Nevske, 15 explosions took place on the territory of the village yesterday. According to preliminary information, there were no victims. Near Stelmakhivka, the enemy tried to break through our defenses, but was forced to retreat to previously occupied positions. From aviation, the Russians hit Novoyehorivka and Serebryansk Forest. During the day, the enemy fired 140 rounds (528 shells).
In Kharkiv, more than 20 settlements were hit by enemy artillery and mortar attacks, in particular: Veterinarne, Gatishche, Budarki, Gur'iv Kozachok, Synkivka, Petropavlivka, Ivanivka, Berestov, Topoli. Synkivka, Petropavlivka and Kislivka were hit by airstrikes. No injuries were reported during the day.
In Zaporizhzhia, 18 settlements were under enemy fire, the enemy struck 176 strikes in the region. The occupiers fired six salvo missile strikes at Gulyaipol and Robotyny, as well as 28 UAV attacks at Gulyaipol, Zaliznychny, Novodarivka, Novoandriyivka, Malynyvka, Robotyny, Charivny, Malaya Tokmachka, and Kamiansky. 142 artillerymen arrived on the territory of Orikhov, Levadny, Biloghirya, Novodanilivka, Lugivskyi, Preobrazhenka, Gulyaipol, Pyatikhatok, Kamianskyi and other front-line towns and villages. Three reports were received about the destruction of residential buildings and infrastructure facilities. Civilians were not injured.
In Dnipropetrovsk yesterday afternoon, the Russian invaders did not give peace to the Nikopol district. A kamikaze drone was directed at the district center. A dozen artillery shells were fired at Chervonogrigorivska and Pokrovska rural communities. Five enemy UAVs over the region were destroyed by our defenders from PvK "Shid" late yesterday evening. Two "shahedis" were shot down each in Synelnykivskyi and Dniprovskyi districts, and one more in Pavlogradskyi. In the latter, debris damaged the utility room and a grain loader. In the Dnipro district, the remnants of enemy artillery fell on the territory of a non-working enterprise. A one-story building was occupied. Firefighters put out the fire. No casualties.
In Donetsk, five settlements were under fire: Kurakhove, Zhelanne, Ocheretine, New York, Novoselivka Persha. 18 residential buildings were damaged (three of them - multi-apartment buildings, power lines, kindergartens. In one day, three people were injured in Donetsk region.
At night in Odesa, the enemy first used tactical aircraft - the Kh-31P missile in the direction of Chornomorsk. Air defense units destroyed the missile. After that, the enemy began to attack with attack UAVs of the Shahed-136/131 type. 17 unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed in the region. The wreckage of the downed UAV caused damage to technical premises in the port infrastructure of Odesa, and in the Rozdilnian district, the wreckage also damaged the non-working administration building and the warehouse of the preserved facility, the fire was promptly extinguished. People were not injured.
The occupiers fired 71 shots (288 shells) in Khersonska during the day, including four artillery shots (16 shells) on Kherson. The raiders targeted the districts of 27 settlements of the region, the territory of the plant in Kherson. In the village of Bobrovy Kut, a 33-year-old fisherman came across an anti-personnel mine. As a result of the explosion, his right lower limb was traumatically amputated. The injured was hospitalized. The enemy struck at Belozerka. A 36-year-old local woman was injured. She has aquabarotrauma. She was treated on the spot. The enemy covered Chornobayivka with heavy fire. A 37-year-old woman died as a result of the shelling. She was found in a destroyed building. The medics who arrived at the scene only declared death. Yesterday evening, the enemy carried out an attack by pre-strike UAVs of the Shahed type in the area of Rakivka settlement. There was no information about casualties or damage. In one day in the region: one person died, two more were injured.
Yesterday, the Russian invaders once again attacked Ukraine , using 31 unmanned aerial vehicles of the "Shahed-136/131" type. Also, the Russians fired two rockets and fired with an anti-aircraft missile system.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 21:55 Spain will send Leopard tanks to Slovakia to contain Russia, ABC reports. According to the publication, Spain will deploy 600 military personnel, Leopard tanks and helicopters to the Ukrainian border.
21:29 There is no real threat of encirclement of Avdeevka now, says Alexander Shtupun, speaker of the Tauride Defense Forces. According to him, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are constantly adding reserves in this direction, reformatting and inflicting damage on the Russians.
20:46 The head of the Avdeevka city military administration, Vitaly Barabash, announced the beginning of the third wave of assaults on the city: “The attacks increased gradually, and for about eight days they have been very actively using technology, and, in my opinion, this also indicates that the third wave has begun. Because They didn’t use the equipment for a very long time, and then they went, even despite not very favorable weather conditions.”
20:00 Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said that the main challenge for Prague is to keep Russia as far as possible from the Czech borders: “We must remember that in Ukraine we are holding back the imperial expansion of Russia, which is also sharpening its teeth on the Central European region , Baltic countries".
18:51 Shoigu reported to Putin that Russian troops allegedly completely captured Marinka, Donetsk region. According to him, this will allow Ukrainian combat units to be moved away from Donetsk. In turn, the speaker of the Tauride Defense Forces, Alexander Shtupun, claims that the battle for Marinka continues: “Now our military is within the administrative borders of Marinka, but the city has been completely destroyed. But it is incorrect to talk about the complete capture of Marinka.”
17:29 The Russians have already destroyed the third base with humanitarian aid in Kherson in just a few days, said the commander of the Kherson regional rapid response unit of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, Nikolai Taranenko. According to him, the enemy is deliberately targeting humanitarian centers. In particular, three suicide bombers hit the Red Cross warehouse at once, and the entire warehouse burned down.
16:33 Russia is preparing an expedition to Africa to search for mercenaries for the war against Ukraine, reports the Center for National Resistance under the Special Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to him, the enemy is conducting a recruiting campaign in the Kursk region, where he intends to recruit from 50 to 100 soldiers and officers to fill the so-called African Corps. It was created as a replacement for the Wagner PMC mercenaries, who operated in Africa, but were sent to Ukraine.
The expansion of this contingent is planned on the territory of Burkina Faso, and the main activity will be the training and retraining of local mercenaries to be sent to the war against Ukraine.
15:58 Air defense forces destroyed an X-59 missile in the Krivoy Rog region of the Dnepropetrovsk region, the Air Command of Skhid reported.
13:17 The Cabinet of Ministers, at the request of the military, is working on a bill on mobilization and should complete its part of the work in the near future, said the head of the parliamentary faction Servant of the People David Arakhamia. He emphasized that the absence of this bill “gives rise to uncertainty and a large number of fakes about checkpoints, about Dii, etc.”
Arakhamia confirmed that the military command has submitted a request for the mobilization of 500 thousand military personnel, and now the government is developing rules: “The President clearly emphasized that he requires an integrated approach to serving in the Armed Forces. Simply recruiting new people will not solve the problems of those who are serving now, "is not a solution. Parliament is waiting for a finished document that can be discussed at the Committee. The military needs solutions to its problems. Society wants to hear answers to all sensitive issues."
11:54 The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation accused the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kirill Budanov, of committing 104 terrorist attacks, and a Moscow court again “arrested” him in absentia.
10:32 In the Odessa region, 17 enemy drones and an X-31P missile were shot down during a night attack, said Oleg Kiper, head of the OVA. The wreckage of the downed drone damaged the technical premises of the port infrastructure of Odessa, as well as the inactive administrative building and warehouse of the mothballed facility in the Razdelnyansky district. The fire was quickly extinguished, no people were injured.
10:16 This year Latvia transferred 271 cars confiscated from drunk drivers to Ukraine, with a total value of almost 1 million euros. Currently, 34 more cars are being prepared for transfer, Delfi reports.
10:11 Air Force Speaker Yuri Ignat was skeptical about reports of the supposedly possible receipt of F-16s by the end of the year. According to him, it is first necessary to complete the preparation of infrastructure, pilots, as well as aviation engineers. “We take planes to fight, and not to have them at gunpoint,” Ignat emphasized.
09:02 In the Dnepropetrovsk region, five enemy UAVs were destroyed during a night attack, said the head of the OVA Sergei Lysak. In the Pavlogradsky district, as a result of falling debris, a utility room and a grain loader were damaged, and in the Dneprovsky district, debris fell onto the territory of a non-working enterprise - a fire broke out, which was put out by rescuers. No people were hurt.
08:33 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of December 25:
personnel - about 353,950 (+760) people,
tanks - 5877 (+19),
armored combat vehicles - 10,919 (+31),
artillery systems - 8347 (+33),
MLRS - 934 (+2),
air defense systems - 613 (+2),
aircraft - 329 (+2),
helicopters - 324 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 6436 (+32),
cruise missiles - 1616 (+2),
ships/boats - 22 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 11,075 (+53),
special equipment - 1234 (+5).
08:18 At night, air defense destroyed 28 of 31 Shahed-type attack UAVs that Russia attacked from Crimea - from the Chauda and Balaklava areas, the Air Force command reported. The drones were shot down within the Odessa, Kherson, Nikolaev, Donetsk, Kirovograd and Khmelnytsky regions. In addition, the enemy used a Kh-59 guided aircraft missile in the Zaporozhye direction and an Kh-31P anti-radar missile from the Black Sea - both were destroyed.
The Air Force also confirmed that, in addition to the Su-34 aircraft, on December 24, a Russian Su-30SM aircraft was shot down over the Black Sea.
07:43 Over the past 24 hours, 66 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In particular, in the Avdeevsky direction, the Defense Forces repelled 14 enemy attacks east of Novobakhmutovka, Stepnoy, Avdeevka, as well as 17 attacks near Pervomaiskoye and Nevelskoye, Donetsk region. In the Kupyansk direction, 21 enemy attacks were repelled near Sinkovka, Kharkov region and Stelmakhovka, Lugansk region, in the Kherson direction - 23 attacks.
In addition, in the Bakhmut direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled enemy attacks near Bogdanovka, Kleshcheevka and Andreevka, Donetsk region; on Maryinsky - in the Marinka and Novomikhailovka districts of the Donetsk region; on Shakhtarsky - southwest of Staromayorsky, Donetsk region; in Zaporozhye - near Rabotino and south of Gulyai-Polye, Zaporozhye region.
#1
in the past week or so Ukraine has taken out about a dozen Russian aircraft, either by Patriot missile or by drone attack on Russian airfield according to some reports
but it doesn't show in their daily tally
of course this doesn't really change territory held much since it has become mostly positional conflict between fortified lines
Posted by: lord garth ||
12/26/2023 15:32 Comments ||
Top||
Article Linked To Is Available Only Via VPN
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces supported by artillery and helicopters repelled three attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 60th Mechanised Brigade, 25th Airborne Brigade, and 95th Air Assault Brigade near Sinkovka (Kharkov region) and Novoselovskoye (Lugansk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 30 Ukrainian troops and two motor vehicles.
In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces supported by artillery and operational-tactical aircraft repelled one attack of the AFU 5th National Guard Brigade north of Grigorovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
In addition, strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of the AFU 21st Mechanised Brigade and 23rd Rifle Battalion near Yampolovka and Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 180 Ukrainian troops, one tank, one Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, and two motor vehicles. Moreover, in the course of counterbattery warfare, one 152mm Akatsiya and one 122mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, as well as two 122mm D-30 howitzers were eliminated.
In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces supported by artillery repelled one attack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 24st Mechanised Brigade near Shumy (Donetsk People's Republic) and inflicted losses on AFU manpower and hardware near Kleschcheyevka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses amounted to up to 200 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, two infantry fighting vehicles, and six motor vehicles. In the course of counterbattery warfare, one Msta-B and one D-20 howitzers, two 122mm D-30 howitzers, as well as one 122mm Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system were neutralised.
In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces supported by artillery and aviation inflicted losses on manpower clusters of the AFU 79th Air Assault Brigade near Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses in this direction amounted to up to 55 Ukrainian troops, three pickup trucks, and one 152mm Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system.
In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by artillery and heavy flamethrower systems inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 33rd Mechanised Brigade, 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, and 102nd Territorial Defence Brigade close to Rabotino, Kamenskoye, and Gulai Pole (Zaporozhye region).
The AFU losses in this direction amounted to up to 90 Ukrainian troops, four motor vehicles, one 152mm D-20 howitzer, and two 122mm D-30 howitzers.
In Kherson direction, as a result of actions of the Russian Group of Forces' units supported by artillery, the AFU losses amounted to up to 60 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, and one 152mm Msta-B howitzer.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Groups of Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation wiped out one 35D6 low-altitude target detection and tracking radar station, two German-made IRIS-T air defence systems, one POL depot, as well as engaged manpower and military hardware in 113 areas.
Air defence units intercepted five HIMARS MLRS projectiles over the past 24 hours. In addition, 40 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down close to Veliky Vyselok (Kharkov region), Kremennaya, Ploshchanka, Verkhnekamenka (Lugansk People's Republic), Maryinka (Donetsk People's Republic), Ocheretovatoye (Zaporozhye region), Novaya Kakhovka and Brilyovka (Kherson region).
In total, 558 airplanes and 261 helicopters, 10,080 unmanned aerial vehicles, 442 air defence missile systems, 14,309 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,189 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 7,493 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 16,690 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:55 Official summary of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC from 00:00 December 25, 2023 to 00:00 December 26, 2023
Over the past 24 hours, the Representation has recorded 35 incidents of firing by the Ukrainian forces.
Information was received about the death of two civilians in the Petrovsky district of Donetsk and the Central City district of Gorlovka.
Three civilians were injured of varying degrees of severity in the Central City district of Gorlovka.
9 residential buildings were damaged in the Kuibyshevsky district of Donetsk, the Central City district of Gorlovka, as well as five civil infrastructure facilities.
The areas of three settlements of the Republic were under enemy fire: Gorlovka (Tsentralno-Gorodskoy, Nikitovsky districts), Yasinovatsky district, the capital city of Donetsk (Kyiv, Kuibyshevsky, Petrovsky districts).
In the Donetsk direction, the enemy carried out 10 attacks from 155mm artillery.
At Gorlivske there were 24 artillery attacks from MLRS and 152mm artillery.
On Yasinovatsky there was one artillery attack from 155mm artillery. 131 units of various ammunition were produced.
A previous 42 artillery attacks were recorded from the VFU per day.
21:45 "Colonelcassad": Liberation Mar'inka
situation as of 19.00 December 25, 2023
— After more than nine years of fighting (seven years of positional and almost two years of active clashes), Russian military personnel hoisted the Russian flag on the last house on the northern outskirts of Mar'inka, marking the liberation of the suburbs of Donetsk.
— At the cost of considerable effort and significant sacrifices, one of the largest strongholds of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fell under the onslaught of the Russian Army. Marinka was finally cleared of Ukrainian presence.
— After the liberation of Marinka, Ukrainian forces concentrated in the Georgievka area. There is no point in expecting attempts at counterattacks on the lost city, since the western outskirts lie in a lowland, and an offensive from these positions will cost the Ukrainian Armed Forces great casualties.
“It is more expected and logical for the Ukrainian forces to transfer reinforcements south to the village of Pobeda and the heights in the plantings southeast of the settlement.
“The main events will certainly move to this site.” The fortified area in this village still remains under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and does not allow success to be developed towards the Novomikhailovka-Konstantinovka line.
Russian fighters are already moving from the south, storming enemy strongholds from the southern outskirts of Novomikhailovka. The fighting, judging by the available videos, is taking place in an industrial zone near a populated area.
21:05 Russian Ministry of Defense reports: Covering from air attacks
Anti-aircraft gunner Ilya sends his deepest greetings to his family and friends. Now he is in the zone of a special military operation and, as the head of the crew of the Pantsir-S air defense missile system, protects Russian troops from air strikes.
“What can I say about the combat vehicle? The Pantsir combat vehicle has proven itself well. He carries out his combat missions in any weather conditions,” says the serviceman about the equipment entrusted to him.
20:30 Over the past 24 hours, the Russian Armed Forces struck: radar station for detecting and tracking low-altitude targets 35D6, two German Iris-T air defense missile launchers, as well as a Ukrainian fuel and lubricants warehouse.
Enemy losses during the same period along the entire front line amounted to up to 615 Ukrainian military personnel, 380 of which were in the Donetsk and Krasnolimansk directions. In addition, Russian air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 40 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the Kharkov, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, as well as the LPR and DPR.
20:15 Front bird broadcasts: Mar'inka. Liberation. 25.12 19:50
After the liberation of Mar'inka, our guys find more and more trophies.
We are, of course, talking primarily about NATO-made small arms and some types of equipment.
We are waiting for the long-awaited footage and video materials.
19:15 “WarGonzo”: Ministry of Defense reported To Putin about the capture of Mar'inka
Mar'inka is a satellite city of Donetsk, located in the southwest of the capital of the DPR. Mar'inka borders closely with the Petrovsky district of Donetsk. That is why it appears so often in reports - due to such proximity, this is the most shelled area populated by civilians. The artillery attack of the Petrovsky district did not stop even after the conclusion of the Minsk agreements in 2014, during which nine years the Armed Forces of Ukraine turned Mar'inka into a powerful fortified area and a possible springboard for the assault on Donetsk. This is the last bastion of Ukrainian neo-Nazis adjacent to the capital of the Donetsk Republic.
Intense fighting for Mar'inka began in the spring of 2022 after the capture of Mariupol. Their complexity was explained by the fact that Mar'inka is located on a hill in front of which the area is subject to fire. For more than a year and a half of fighting in Marinka, there was not a single building left to cling to.
With the capture of Maryinka for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a threat is created for Kurakhovo - this is an important logistics hub through which roads go to the unliberated Zaporozhye and Ugledar.
18:00 Russian Ministry of Defense transmits: Stavropol paratroopers occupied a Ukrainian Armed Forces stronghold near Verbovoy and captured four Ukrainian servicemen
During active hostilities, units of the Airborne Forces continue to advance forward, one by one knocking out the enemy from the oporniks in the Zaporozhye direction.
– In one of the battles near Verbovoy, assault groups of Stavropol paratroopers came close to the enemy’s defensive positions and bombarded the dugout with hand fragmentation grenades. The Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, who were in the shelter, laid down their arms and surrendered.
Under the control of UAV operators, the prisoners proceeded to the paratroopers' positions. One of the drones exercised control, indicating the direction of movement. The second drone carried a VOG-25 and pursued a group of Ukrainian military personnel, preventing them from attempting to escape.
15:30 Avdeevskoe direction, Southern flank.
– As a result of active offensive operations, our army was able to advance 500 meters in the area of the settlement of Nevelskoye.
“The offensive is actively supported by our heavy artillery, MLRS and aerospace forces. At these moments, our Gods of War are conducting artillery preparation for further advancement.
14:30 Front bird broadcasts: Nikolaevkskaya area. Air defense. 25.12 14:00
Reported to the work of enemy air defense.
The rumble was heard in the southern part of the region near the port.
Arrival information is being updated.
13:30 Russian Ministry of Defense transmits: Statement by the head of the Vostok group press center
– Units of the Vostok group of troops continue to carry out combat missions in the South Donetsk direction.
– Motorized rifle units, supported by artillery, repelled three attacks by the 79th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Novomikhailovka area, the enemy suffered losses and retreated.
– Enemy losses amounted to up to 110 military personnel, two pickup trucks, an American-made 155mm M109 “Paladin” self-propelled artillery mount, an “Acacia” 152mm self-propelled artillery mount and a 122mm “Gvozdika” self-propelled artillery mount.
12:35 Front bird broadcasts: Donetsk direction. Ugledar.25.12 12:00
It is reported that in the area of ??the village of Ugledar, Donetsk People's Republic, our guys from the 39th Motorized Rifle Brigade took out an enemy opornik and a mortar crew.
The FPV drone operators worked efficiently.
11:55 Russian Ministry of Defense transmits: “We are high-precision artillery”: the UAV crew commander spoke about the successful use of “birds” in the South Donetsk direction
Crews of FPV drones and quadcopters with drops daily destroy enemy equipment and personnel both in open areas and in shelters. The priority targets are snipers and machine gunners who impede the advance of our troops.
“In our direction, they [the Ukrainian Armed Forces] have stopped being as impudent as before. If before this, literally through the forest regiment - they had two cars driving, picking up the wounded, bringing up ammunition, now this is no longer the case. They stop after four or five forest stands. This is a clear indicator of the work of UAV operators,” the crew commander with the call sign “Babylon” is confident.
11:00 Front bird broadcasts: Avdeevskoe direction. 25.12 10:50
It is reported that tactical aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces struck enemy positions and concentration points.
A strong point and command post of one of the Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades were hit.
Tactical aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out strikes without entering the air defense coverage area.
10:04 The enemy admits the loss of Mar'inka.?!
10:01 Situation on the Rabotino-Verbovoye section at 10.00:
Active hostilities continue in the Rabotino-Verbovoye area. After massive artillery strikes on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Russian Armed Forces carry out counterattacks and knock out the enemy.
West of Rabotino, the enemy is suffering losses and is forced to lose strongholds under the pressure of Russian fighters. However, the enemy, in turn, continues to try to attack with small groups of infantry. The attacks of attack aircraft of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are successfully repelled by fighters of the Russian Armed Forces.
At Verbovoy, the enemy continues regular attacks. Waves of infantry of 5-7 people go into battle, occasionally the attack aircraft are supported by armored vehicles.
Artillery is actively working on both sides.
09:30 Battle of Novomikhailovka: the Russian army storms the village near Maryinka on the way to Ugledar.
In the South Donetsk direction, heavy fighting continues near Marinka for the village of Novomikhailovka, which is strategically important for the attack on Ugledar. Its capture and advancement threatens to take the enemy’s supply routes in Ugledar under fire control and increase pressure on the eastern flank of the Ugledar group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“South Donetsk direction. To the south and southeast of Novomikhailovka, the Russians are increasing pressure towards the industrial zone and the farm. The fighting continues,” Ukrainian analysts report.
Russian troops rain down artillery and Solntsepek fire on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, leveling the enemy’s defenses to the ground.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in a summary that yesterday the Russian Armed Forces, with the support of aviation, carried out three attacks on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of Mar'inka and Novomikhailovka.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in its last report reported that the Vostok group of troops, artillery and aviation covered the concentrations of forces of the 79th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Novomikhailovka area. Dozens of militants and pickup trucks were destroyed. During the counter-battery fight, the M109 “Paladin” (USA), 152mm “Acacia” and 122mm 2S1 “Gvozdika” fire control systems were hit.
08:15 Naval infantry told about the failed attempts of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to land on the left bank of the Dnieper. Right now they are conducting an active anti-landing defense in the Kherson region. For this purpose, layered defense positions are equipped.
08:07 Personnel consequences of the militants' attack on Gorlovka. The city's largest shopping center is on fire.
Four people were injured during artillery atack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The published footage shows the building of the former shopping center, which is completely engulfed in fire. Some of the structures collapsed.
After the artillery atack of the shopping center, the militants carried out repeated attacks on the city center. In total, six people were injured and at least one died.
08:01 Summary for the morning of December 25, 2023:
At night, the Russian Armed Forces hit targets in the Odessa, Kirovograd, and Dnepropetrovsk regions.
In the Kherson direction, the Russian Armed Forces carried out artillery strikes on the enemy bank of the Dnieper. In the Krynok area the enemy is suffering significant losses. At night, the enemy tried to transport reinforcements in several boats, most of them were destroyed on the water, and the landing infantry of the Ukrainian Armed Forces also came under targeted fire from our troops.
On the Zaporozhye Front, the Russian Armed Forces attack west of Rabotino and east of Verbovoy, reaching positions abandoned in the summer. The enemy is trying to counterattack and uses artillery.
The last center of defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the outskirts of Marinka has been destroyed. To the south, near Novomikhailovka, our troops are attacking, our artillery is working. There is a gradual advance towards the settlement. Victory from the north.
Heavy fighting continues in Avdievka. On the northern ledge of the front, the Russian Army advanced to the area of the settlement. Novokalinovo. By evening, there were reports of intensive work by our artillery and aviation on enemy fortifications. Stepovoy's counter-fights do not stop. On the southern ledge of the front there is an advance of our troops towards Pervomaisky.
From the Artemovsky (Bakhmutsky) sector of the front they reported the advance of our troops to the center of the village. Bogdanovka in the north direction. The offensive is developing towards Ivanovsky (Red). There are battles near Kleshcheevka. The Russian Armed Forces are “conducting an active offensive operation, the target of which is Chasov Yar,” enemy analysts write.
The enemy is artillery atack civilians in frontline regions. Yesterday the Nazis struck Pologi in the Zaporozhye region twice, wounding three civilians. Yesterday the Ukrainian Armed Forces hit Tokmak twice with HIMARS, our air defense went off. In the Bryansk region, the village of Zernovo, Suzemsky district, was under fire, one civilian was wounded. The governor of the Belgorod region reported that the day before yesterday villages in the Shebekinsky and Grayvoronsky districts, as well as in the Krasnoyaruzhsky, Volokonovsky, Borisovsky and Belgorod districts were under fire from the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The enemy fired 139 rounds at the civilian population of the DPR, wounding five civilians. Gorlovka, Donetsk, Yasinovatsky district, Makeevka are under fire.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Dmitry Astrakhan
The long history of the battles for Mar'inka ended with the victory of Russian weapons. Some are already ironic about yet another victory in the battles for an unknown “forester’s hut”; others are celebrating the liberation of the city. Let’s not act out scenes from the film epic “Liberation” and, bending over the map, point out that sometimes even a hut has an operational significance. Let's figure out what kind of city Mar'inka is and why it is so important, especially for Donetsk residents.
Donbass is a region with special terrain and urbanization, unique in many ways. Very large cities were formed from many mining and factory settlements, and continued to grow, turning into large agglomerations. Moreover, the boundaries between them are also quite arbitrary and blurred; often one settlement begins immediately on the border of the previous one. There are simply no “fields” between cities in the Donetsk region as such. For example, in peacetime (until 2014) it was possible to drive from Avdievka to Mar'inka without leaving the highway.
Mar'inka is not just a satellite city of Donetsk, it is directly adjacent to the Petrovsky district of the city. By the time the front line was stabilized in 2015, the border between the DPR and Ukraine ran straight between Donetsk and Mar'inka. And the small “gray zone” was finally captured by the enemy under the cover of the Minsk agreements. As a result, Mar'inka became an ideal stronghold from which, given the heights, it was possible to fire at the Petrovsky district even from heavy machine guns. Therefore, the hope for a relative weakening of the shelling of a large part of Donetsk lay in the liberation of Marinka. Moreover, Marinka itself has always been perceived as an integral part of Donetsk Petrovka.
The battles for Mar'inka began in the early spring of 2022, when units of the then NM DPR broke through into the city and gained a foothold in the private sector. In addition to dense buildings, battles in the city are complicated by waste heaps (dumps of old mines). Further battles took place literally for every house, many of which Ukrainian troops turned into fortifications.
After more than a year of fighting, the last meters of Mar'inka have been liberated, but Donetsk remains under fire. The enemy continues to control the city of Krasnohorivka, another of Donetsk’s satellites north of Mar'inka, and battles for it are still ahead. Petrovsky and Kirovsky districts of Donetsk, the villages of Aleksandrovka and Staromikhailovka remain under fire, often without electricity and water; in addition, due to the proximity of the front, it is impossible to restore destroyed buildings and infrastructure there. Mar'inka itself, after many months of active fighting and artillery work, was practically not preserved; there were no entire buildings and structures left there.
Fighting is still ongoing on the outskirts of Donetsk and the creation of a safe zone around the capital of the DPR is still far away. In many places in the Donetsk direction, the fighting is still close to the old front line from the Minsk era. Even in Mar'inka, the “old zero”, the former line of combat contact in 2022, in many places it is necessary to pass on foot, the front line is too close. The Donetsk fortified area was one of the enemy’s main lines of prepared defense according to Ukrainian plans for the future “Croatian scenario” of the destruction of Donbass. In these places, the Ukrainians initially expected to be on the defensive and prepared for this, unlike Mariupol or the Lugansk region.
There are no less difficult sections ahead; holding on to the Donetsk region is important for Ukraine not only from a military, but also from an ideological point of view. Therefore, one should not expect Ukrainian forces to withdraw to other lines.
More from Regnum:
Russian troops completely liberated Mar'inka in the DPR Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
Russian troops have completely liberated Mar'inka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported this to President Vladimir Putin on December 25.
“The capture of Mar'inka in the DPR gives Russian troops the opportunity for further action,” Shoigu said.
The Minister of Defense reported to the head of state that the liberation of Mar'inka makes it possible to more effectively protect Donetsk from the fire of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). This also allowed the Russian military to significantly push Ukrainian artillery away from Donetsk.
Shoigu especially noted the actions of the military of the famous 150th division and invited the head of state to award state awards to those who distinguished themselves during the liberation of Mar'inka.
As Regnum reported , on December 13, aerial reconnaissance officer of the 72nd separate mechanical brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Nikolai Voroshnov said that the Russian Armed Forces had completely liberated the village of Mar'inka in the DPR. According to the Ukrainian military, after Avdievka, the Russian military will throw all its forces into a breakthrough in the direction of Kurakhovo-Ugledar.
Before this, on December 10, it became known that units of the Russian Armed Forces raised the Russian flag over Mar'inka. Then it was reported that Russian assault groups were gaining a foothold, strengthening positions and conducting reconnaissance of the nearest forest belt and the settlement of Georgievka.
In May, Russian military units completed the liberation of Artyomovsk in the Donetsk People's Republic. The operation to free him began on October 8, 2022. It lasted 224 days.
The Russians did not capture Maryinka, the fighting for the city continues.
Oleksandr Shtupun, the spokesman for the United Press Center of the Defense Forces of the Tavria Region, announced this on the air of the telethon.
"Battles for Maryinka continue. Currently, our servicemen are in the administrative borders of Maryinka, but the city has been completely destroyed. But it is incorrect to talk about the complete capture of Maryinka," Shtupun emphasized.
This is how the Ukrainian military reacted to the fake statement of the Russian Ministry of Defense, which reported on the apparently.
As for the situation in Avdiivka, the Ukrainian fighters there are firmly holding the defense and inflicting considerable losses on the Russians.
"There is always a threat of encirclement, of a breakthrough. But we are raising reserves, we are reforming, we are inflicting losses on the enemy every day. He is losing 300-400 men dead and wounded and a lot of military equipment," the spokesman added.
According to him, the Russians are increasing reserves, in particular, equipment. But it is no longer of the same quality as it was. The enemy's personnel regularly tightens.
In the morning briefing on December 25 , the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that in the Marinsk direction, the Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the areas of Marinka and Novomykhailivka of the Donetsk region, where our defenders repelled 5 attacks.
I heard that Kalashnikov concern will fit these and retrofit other rifles with new iron sights with illuminated front sight posts for night fighting.
[REGNUM] The Kalashnikov Concern has modified the AK-12 assault rifle, taking into account the experience gained during a special military operation in Ukraine. Deliveries of the updated model to the Russian army will begin in January 2024,the head of the enterprise, Alan Lushnikov , announced on December 25 on the Russia 24 TV channel.
“We worked with customers on the requirements that arose during the SVO. We carried out tests and put it into production, it is in production and in January we will begin shipping new AK-12s,” he said.
Lushnikov told reporters that the concern had improved the design of the machine gun to make it more convenient to use. In addition, the new weapon was made more reliable, he added.
The head of the enterprise also said that Kalashnikov began shipping the first batch of modernized Kub drones to the customer. This is loitering ammunition with enhanced action. Lushnikov emphasized that the result was actually a new product.
As Regnum reported , on December 11, the Kalashnikov concern announced that supplies of AK-12s to the Russian army in 2023 have almost doubled compared to 2022. The company fulfilled all obligations for the production of automatic machines on time this year.
On December 14, it became known that the Tula Cartridge Plant had developed a cartridge with increased penetration for small arms. It penetrates lightly armored vehicles, and the dimensions of the cartridge allow it to be used, including in Kalashnikov assault rifles.
#2
12 as in 2012. I know military procurement takes time but that's embarrassing.
Hopefully some .277 Fury uppers that can deal with the 80,000 PSI chamber pressure will come on the civilian market this year.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/26/2023 13:26 Comments ||
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#3
The AK-12 has been having a shit poor performance in Ukraine so far with crappy construction and poor materials and parts. They gotta tighten up tolerances and production quality and stop stealing the funds.
Not gonna happen which is why the next batch will suck just as much.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/26/2023 17:03 Comments ||
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#13
As for C96 Mausers or Spanish, Brazilian or Chinese copies, the 9mm ones are easy enough to feed, but still not practical in modern daily use. Badge of rank, maybe (although that's sad)
Rare old hardware. Confiscate, auction and send the funds to the widows and orphans. Everyone wins.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/26/2023 17:13 Comments ||
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#14
Melt them down into plowshares, and use them to plow and harrow the Gaza Strip from north to south
#18
In a sandy land far from Natasha
Strolls someone in Dickies dishdasha
Who isn't afraid
Of no skunks.
"Though not sprayed,
To be safe, I still carry papasha."
Posted by: Ho Chi Slomp5291 ||
12/26/2023 23:45 Comments ||
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#19
Need to sow the furrows with salt too.
The world needs wheat. Israel is an expert on making sandy soil bloom.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhn
[ColonelCassad] The official raising of the flags took place.
1. Sea minesweeper (mine defense ship) "Lev Chernavin" of project 12700. The eighth in a row.
2. Small rocket ship "Burya" of project 22800. Fifth in a row.
3. Small missile ship "Naro-Fominsk" pr.
Also today the fleet includes the third frigate of Project 22350 - "Admiral Golovko". It is intended for the Northern Fleet.
There should be a lot of frigates, but the pace of their construction is of course a snail’s pace, especially compared to the Chinese, who are churning out missile destroyers like hot cakes. We need to speed up.
Russian shipyards currently have five frigates, eight corvettes, 13 small missile ships and more than 50 other ships of various classes in various stages of readiness, President Vladimir Putin said on December 25 at a flag-raising ceremony at the Severnaya Verf shipyard.
At the flag-raising ceremony on the frigate Admiral Golovko, the small missile ship Naro-Fominsk and the minesweeper Lev Chernavin, which are entering service with the Navy, the president said that Russian shipbuilding has entered a new important stage - serial production of warships of various classes.
This indicates that the shipbuilding industry in the country is on the rise, the president noted, adding that Russia has taken the most important and fundamental step to revive and develop shipbuilding.
“Currently on the stocks, at the embankments of Russian shipyards there are five frigates, eight corvettes, thirteen small missile ships and more than 50 other ships of various classes in various stages of readiness - right now they are standing, and they are being worked on,” Putin said.
He emphasized that the systematic work of the shipbuilding industry will ensure the sustainable development of enterprises and their related companies. The economy will receive additional investments and advanced technologies, people will receive new jobs.
As Regnum reported , Putin arrived at the Severnaya Verf shipyard in St. Petersburg on December 25, where he allowed the naval flag to be raised on the frigate Admiral Golovko.
In addition, the President gave permission via video conference call to raise the flag on the Naro-Fominsk (the ship was built for the Baltic Fleet at the Zelenodolsk plant named after A.M. Gorky in Tatarstan) and the minesweeper Lev Chernavin (Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard ).
The President said at the ceremony that the country will strengthen its naval power in all strategic directions and will implement all plans for the construction of ships.
More from Alexsandr Kots:
The Russian Navy received the first full-time carrier of hypersonic "Zircons"
Vladimir Putin took part in the ceremony of raising military flags on the frigate Admiral Golovko, the small missile ship Naro-Fominsk and the sea trawler Lev Chernavin. The first piston will complement the Northern Fleet, the other two - the Baltic.
Commissioning of another project frigate 22350 - an event for the Navy is always iconic. With a total displacement of 5,400 tons, these ships are rightfully considered the most technologically advanced in the fleet. Together with Admiral Golovko, two other frigates of a similar project serve in the Northern Fleet. On the main ship - "Admiral Gorshkov" - almost all navy innovations were tested - from radioelectronic equipment to anti-aircraft missile complexes and artillery installations.
16 vertical launch installations provide the frigates' impact power. Admiral Golovko will become the first full-time carrier of hypersonic missiles of the Zircon family. The ships' air defense is represented by the Poliment-Redut anti-aircraft missile complexes, created especially for Russian "vampels" new projects, as well as two Palash RPGs used in close combat.
Universal 130mm A-192 cannons, which deliver 30 rounds per minute, can hit targets up to 23 kilometers. To fight submarines, there are four Paket-NK torpedo vehicles, which were equipped in 2008. The 130mm cannon is a standard naval artillery gun for the Soviet navy.
All control systems are digital. In fact, these ships are floating computers, capable of multitasking virtually without human involvement. The new on-board information control system connects all equipment to the network with a single control, while the radioelectronic overwater and underwater lighting complex allows crews to detect their foes at a significant distance. "One ping only, Vasiliy"
In terms of speed and navigation, frigates can reach 30 knots and stay in autonomous sailing for about a month. Currently, seven more ships of this type are being built on the staples in varying readiness. In addition, an upgraded project 22350M is under development. Total water displacement of the renewed frigates will increase to seven thousand tons. The Chief is planned to be handed over to the navy no earlier than 2030.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
Every Russian historical account I have read of the weeks prior to the Soviet intervention was that the Soviets themselves were advised against it.
[ColonelCassad] Here one historian (not the worst) said that since the population of Afghanistan reacted coolly to Marxist ideas, the introduction of troops was a mistake - they say, the Kremlin sages overestimated the possibility of a revolution in Afghanistan.
The following can be objected to this. By the 70s, the USSR had quite a lot of experience working with feudal-tribal remnants. They were fought quite successfully within the country, in addition to the Central Asian and Caucasian experience, there was the Mongolian experience, the experience of China and Vietnam, the USSR worked a lot in Africa in conditions of generally unbridled tribalism and did not consider all this a serious obstacle under a number of conditions:
- maintaining political power in the hands pro-Soviet party;
- repression of active feudal leaders;
- purchase or agreements with tribal leaders and religious organizations;
- active industrialization;
- land redistribution in favor of the bulk of the peasantry (at the expense of repressed feudal lords and merchants);
- Soviet military and economic assistance.
All these conditions were present in Afghanistan. In addition, it should be noted that building socialism in Afghanistan was the maximum program, and having Afghanistan in the form of a bourgeois republic, LOYAL to the USSR and not taking aggressive actions and not entering into blocs with opponents of the USSR was ENOUGH. The USSR lived side by side with feudal Afghanistan for 50 years and maintained good relations, and could have continued to live and live.
But in the 70s, unhealthy movements provoked by the Americans first of all, by Pakistan, in which the United States invested as an “anti-India”, secondly, and a little by China, which tried to put spokes in the wheels of the USSR in foreign policy, left the USSR no choice - it became clear that without the dictatorship of the pro-Marxist party, Afghanistan would not be peaceful and loyal to the USSR. This was clear not only to the Kremlin sages, but to everyone in general.
Therefore, the decision to take the revolutionary path was supported. It did not become the cause of civil war in Afghanistan: Afghanistan is, in principle, a very loose feudal-tribalistic formation of three ethnic groups and many religious movements of Islam, and any weakening of internal power there causes massacres - local leaders and imams begin to tear down neighbors, claims from each other My friend has plenty there, just like everywhere else in such a situation. In these conditions, the DPA played the role of a supra-tribal, supra-ethnic and supra-religious force that could unite Afghanistan, and therefore gathered around itself not the worst Afghan cadres who were ready to actively carry out industrialization and land reform in order to pull Afghanistan out of the civilizational impasse. These cadres, for the most part, were not Marxists, they were simply mainly secular intelligentsia with convictions at the level of populism.
The communists had worked a lot and successfully in such conditions before, and the Afghan conditions were not something special for them. And even the involvement of the young revolutionary regime in the civil war was not something special - the Bolsheviks not only formed a red enclave in Turkestan in the period 1918-1920, but also successfully defended and expanded it. relying on the urban proletariat. That was what was special about Afghanistan. that, unlike the conditions of the 20s of the 20th century, the Islamists were supported and supplied to the fullest. If Enver Pasha received from 5 to 10 thousand rifles for his adventure, and, in fact, that was all, then the Afghan Mujahideen created a whole bridgehead in Pakistan and pumped them up with personnel and weapons, including ammunition systems, MANPADS, recoilless rifles, connection and other joys. Thugs and mercenaries were collected from all over the Arab world. This was very important for prolonging the conflict.
The Soviet government defeated more or less large Basmachi formations in Central Asia in just over a year, and then dealt only with formations of up to 500 sabers at a peak, and very weak in combat qualities (the history of the fight against Basmachi is replete with episodes when Soviet troops managed to repel raids gangs are 5-10 times larger than the units opposing them, and the pursuit of a 300-saber gang by one squadron was quite normal). In the conditions of Afghanistan, this did not work - the hydra's heads grew back much faster, and the support or non-support of the Mujahideen by the local population did not have a very significant effect on the situation. The Najibullah regime itself could not cope with this - crowds of well-trained, motivated and armed thugs climbed across the border with Pakistan, and Najibullah had few quality personnel, the army was weak, and the state apparatus inherited nepotism and corruption, common to the political culture of Afghanistan. and he had to spend them on land reforms, industrialization, infrastructure, on changing agriculture to the right crops (not opium poppies), on education and social measures.
Accordingly, the leadership of the USSR made a decision - to send in troops, carry out industrialization under the “umbrella” of Soviet troops, build infrastructure and train Afghan personnel. In 10 years, this task was completely solved, despite the fact that the war there did not stop, and the USSR could only count as a plus the maintenance of virtually uninterrupted transportation between all major cities. The Mujahideen did not occupy a single major city, nor were they able to cut the roads between major cities.
By the time of the withdrawal of Soviet troops, the PDPA already had enough local personnel to maintain the current state of affairs indefinitely, which in conditions when time was not working for the Mujahideen (industrialization and secular education removed more and more Afghans from under their influence every year ), practically guaranteed victory, albeit not a quick one and paid for with a lot of blood and tension. But only on one condition, that the USSR would continue to build infrastructure and enterprises in Afghanistan, as well as arm and supply the army and police, help with advisers, scientific, cultural, and engineering personnel.
The PDPA held on for 2 years, and not bad. Gorbachev's betrayal cut aid to zero, which demoralized the army and the state apparatus, and everything became very sad.
The Afghans themselves now remember Najibullah's reign as a "golden age", because neither Islamists of various stripes, nor American mongrels could save even a tenth of what the USSR managed to set up in Afghanistan, let alone repeat. As a result, Afghanistan is even more wild and wretched than it was in 1973. If not for the Soviet troops, such a fate would have befallen the Afghans already in 1980.
The introduction of troops is also considered a mistake because the war was not popular in the USSR. But this is a false impression. In 1980-86. Applications to the Internationalists were written en masse, internationalist soldiers enjoyed public respect, even during the height of perestroika, a significant number of volunteers were selected there. Dempropaganda whipped up hysteria regarding losses, and the more the CPSU allowed democracies, the greater the hysteria. Therefore, it turned out that the history of the war in Afghanistan was written by anti-communists, and their history turned out to be of appropriate quality - with a persistent smell of crap. Yes, no one is happy to receive a funeral, but. for example, in Russia, even at the moment, almost 1.5 million heroin addicts are registered. Not least because Najibullah lost. Socialist Afghanistan reliably blocked drug trafficking, fought the drug mafia, and saved millions of people around the world. I wonder how many Zelenograd intellectuals, who wore posters demanding the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in 1989, observed their children’s heroin withdrawal in the 1990s? 15,000 funerals in 10 years and a million heroin addicts annually - a good price?
And in principle, the communists never promised that the revolutionary process would always be peaceful and bloodless. The bourgeoisie will not give up without a fight. and no matter how many peaceful options we offer to the bourgeoisie (and communists always have a peaceful version of revolution - when the bourgeoisie peacefully renounces property and profits and works honestly), war will still be imposed on us one way or another. Therefore, there are and cannot be any fundamental errors in the very fact of participation in hostilities, if this resolves the issue. In Afghanistan, the presence of Soviet troops solved the problems of socialist construction. Therefore it was both necessary and correct. Regardless of what the Afghan peasant from the village thought.
(c) Ivan Shevtsov
The Afghans spent the next 35 years wonderfully after the withdrawal of Soviet troops.Well, what about the Najbillah regime, if not for Gorbachev’s betrayal. could well repeat the story of Assad, who was overthrown and overthrown, but was never overthrown. But for this, of course, he had to help him.
And without help, it collapsed, like many other states dependent on the USSR, which were also betrayed by Gorbachev and Shevardnadze. In this regard, their crimes are not limited to the USSR. Before a significant number of countries and people, their guilt is no less.
#1
They picked one of the few countries in the world that communism couldn't truly hurt economically. Problem is in their own way they were very freedom loving and the Soviet system doesn't tolerate that.
#4
Yes, we have plenty of pols, generals and NGO "officials" on the smack gravy train.
That doesn't make it right.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/26/2023 13:46 Comments ||
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#5
^I don't mean that. Afghanistan was/is main source for heroin in Soviet Union (just because they wouldn't even admit that they've a problem, doesn't mean it didn't exist - in fact, still does). So, they've invaded.
Why USA invaded after 9/11? Damfino.
#6
Yes, Russian and USA pols recognize junkies as a very important constituency, pillar of the community if you will.
Snark aside, yeah, that's a huge grey / black market that the powers that be can't acknowledge but can't ignore either.
Damned if you do...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/26/2023 14:03 Comments ||
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#7
If you could say "all pols taking dope money disappear" and snap your fingers, a very huge storm would sweep the planet.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/26/2023 14:05 Comments ||
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#8
They have created a situation where more rather than less of the economy is out of their control. Maybe a druglord will use bitcoin to buy keys of smack, street users will always be a cast or flesh trade market.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/26/2023 14:10 Comments ||
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#9
cash not cast
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/26/2023 14:11 Comments ||
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#10
The tech oligarchs who the pols are counting on to help them run the world are big on cutting out the middleman or being the middleman themselves.
As long as they get an untraceable piece of every transaction, they are happy.
Doesn't sound like a good tax regime.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/26/2023 14:16 Comments ||
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#11
The people afraid of Bill Gates and Claus Shultz are so last century. Why do you think you don't hear anything about Larry Page or Sergi Brin these days?
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/26/2023 14:19 Comments ||
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#13
Well, NT was written by Dave Cutler, who hated UNIX. Unlike all the experts here, I can say Gates wrote almost no Windows code after Win 95 (Pre NT)
Believe what you want, that'll never change it (Warren Zevon, Looking For The Next Best Thing)
Gates owns less than .0003% of all US farm land but you will read about how he owns it all every day.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/26/2023 14:28 Comments ||
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#14
Lots of people hate facts:
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/26/2023 14:30 Comments ||
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#15
BTW, I think Gates is a dangerous shmuck. Not excusing anything he's up to.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/26/2023 14:33 Comments ||
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[Jpost] The AS-24 KILLJOY missile accelerates to Mach 4 (roughly 3,000 miles per hour) after launch and may reach speeds as fast as Mach 10 (roughly 7,673 miles per hour).
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 19 December 2023.
Last week, the Independent noted that late last month, Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that Russia was stockpiling missiles to conduct a missile campaign throughout the winter.
The secretary-general added that the missile campaign would target crucial Ukrainian infrastructure in civilian areas behind the front lines.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
By Bogdan Kish
[REGNUM] After failure in parliamentary and city elections, the pro-Western opposition “Serbia Against Violence” decided to use its favorite method: stage protests demanding new elections and a change of government. However, it was not without informational help from Russia that they managed to fight off the protesters.
Yesterday's footage of a crowd storming the city parliament building in Belgrade spread all over the world. The pro-Western coalition “Serbia Against Violence”, which lost the elections, decided to radically achieve a revision of their results.
According to the latest data, the party “Aleksandar Vučić - Serbia must not stop” (under this brand the ruling Serbian Progressive Party ran in the elections. - Ed.) received more than 47% of the votes, and “Serbia against violence” (SPN) - more than 23 %.
The results are not final, since elections will be held again in a number of polling stations, but they will not be able to radically influence the situation.
Belgrade was the only place where the SPN had a chance to form a majority and take power. However, no one has an advantage in the capital. Neither the Serbian Progressive Party nor Serbia Against Violence were able to form a majority.
Professor Branimir Nestorovic ’s party “We are the voice of the people” could help avoid the deadlock, which unexpectedly gained almost 5% of the votes in the country as a whole and entered parliament. In Belgrade, she also received a lot of votes and could choose which side to form a majority with. However, Nestorovic said that he was not going to enter into coalitions with either the current government or the pro-Western opposition, which would lead to new elections in Belgrade.
Realizing that the only chance to fight for power in Belgrade had been missed, the opposition switched to radical actions.
REACTION OF THE WEST
After the end of the elections, international observers unanimously stated that they did not see any critical violations that could affect the final result of the elections. However, the OSCE monitoring group, after the start of the discontent of “Serbia against violence”, changed its report, which now states that “ numerous violations were identified both during the voting and during the counting of votes.”
Germany was the first to respond to the Serbian elections by demanding that Belgrade “fit in” with the EU candidate country.
“Serbia voted, but OSCE observers report misuse of public resources, voter intimidation and cases of vote-buying. This is unacceptable for a country that is a candidate country for the EU,” the German Foreign Ministry reported on social networks.
After complaints from the OSCE and Berlin, a chain reaction began.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell spoke of the need to “improve” the electoral process in Serbia, and the United States called on Serbia to investigate allegations of irregularities by international observers in the early parliamentary elections (in other words, to re-hold them).
After the first protests of the pro-Western opposition, Viola von Cramon, rapporteur on Kosovo in the European Parliament, also got involved, saying that “ Members of the European Parliament are ready to act as mediators between the ruling party and the opposition in Belgrade in order to ensure a peaceful and democratic dialogue and reduce tensions.”
While a number of European and American politicians supported the pro-Western opposition in words, the European Parliament rapporteur on Serbia Vladimir Bilchik went straight to the demands, saying that the new Serbian government will have three tasks: “normalization” of relations with Pristina (essentially recognition of Kosovo), reforms in the sphere of the rule of law, democracy, structural reforms in the economy, energy and the introduction of sanctions against Russia.
With the US presidential elections and European Parliament elections approaching in 2024, pressure on Serbia is growing exponentially. The collective West wants to resolve the “Serbian issue” as soon as possible, so Brussels and Washington have placed high hopes on the “Serbia against violence” coalition in the early parliamentary elections.
Having failed, the West moved to a violent change of power.
ANTI-VIOLENCE ATTACK
Protests by the pro-Western opposition began at the building of the Central Election Commission, which was demanded to cancel the Belgrade elections due to “massive fraud.” However, the CEC does not have such powers, since city elections are handled by the City Election Commission. After this, “Serbia Against Violence” suspiciously quickly began to demand new, parliamentary elections and began to destroy the CEC building, after which it attacked the director of the Republican Institute of Statistics, Miladin Kovacevic, and several members of the CEC.
“I was hit, pushed and knocked down onto the sidewalk. I fell on my back and my spine hurt. You'll have to go for an examination. Thanks to my colleagues, I managed to return to the building,” Kovacevic said after the attack.
The most massive and aggressive protest occurred on Sunday, December 24.
A large crowd of protesters gathered near the building of the city Assembly. The crowd quickly began to storm the government building, but the police barricaded in the City Council did not allow the protesters to break through.
It is worth noting that people who supposedly oppose violence threw stones, flares and whatever garbage they found at hand at the security forces. The police responded with surprising mildness, using only pepper spray. As a result, several police officers were injured. After some time, the gendarmerie arrived at the scene, did not stand on ceremony with the protesters and began to detain the provocateurs.
Despite the fact that in his address Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic called on Serbian citizens not to panic, since “there is no talk of revolution,” the events in Belgrade were reminiscent of a color revolution.
Offenders will be held accountable to the law, but the protests did not end there. Today the opposition is planning new protests and wants to block roads in Belgrade for a certain time. The protests, according to the organizers, will continue until all demands are met. At the same time, it is not said “for safety reasons” which roads we are talking about.
YEARS GO BY, THE METHODS ARE THE SAME
In the whole situation with the protests in Serbia, you need to pay attention to several details.
Firstly, the rallies are well organized, communication between the protesters is well established, as is the coordination of actions during the protests and riots themselves.
Provocateurs skillfully “ignite” the crowd when the general mood declines. The situation with road closures, which only protesters know about, suggests that this is not a “spontaneous rally”, but a clearly planned action in the best traditions of the Maidan.
Secondly, the opposition is actively using students as its main force.
Student organizations that have united under the slogan “Students against violence” are directly involved in the riots. Among them are many who openly collaborate with Western media, NGOs and foundations.
At the same time, the focus on students is clear - the West is counting on a repetition of the events of 1996–1997, when the country, after the victory of the party of ex-president Slobodan Milosevic, was covered by a wave of mass protests, primarily student protests. Already in 2000, students, having gained experience, took an active part in the “bulldozer” revolution, which was crowned with success and the fall of the Milosevic regime.
Separately, it is worth noting that everything new is well forgotten old.
Protesters, primarily students, go to rallies with symbols very reminiscent of “Otpor” - the “Soros fist”, under which the “bulldozer” revolution began and under which more than one government in the world was replaced. This cannot be called an accident.
Thirdly, protesters receive maximum information support from pro-Western media.
TV channel N1, which is owned by the British United Media, has been covering the protests since the early days and devotes a lot of airtime to protest leaders and student organizations. N1 correspondents are present in the front row at all rallies, and when film crews begin to pack up, the protests automatically stop. To make a “beautiful picture,” protesters began bringing posters in English, and more and more EU flags can be seen in the crowd.
The leader of the “We are the Voice of the People” party, Nestorovich, warned about this development of events before the mass rallies: “I’m waiting for posters in foreign languages. This will look good on CNN. You know, when you have posters in Serbian, people in the West can’t read them. There will be posters in English and probably US, German and EU flags will appear.”
THANK THE RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICES
Moscow has repeatedly warned Belgrade about the impending color revolution.
As recent events have shown, the Serbian authorities listened to Russia, as a result of which the situation was kept under control without using excessive force. It was the absence of a “sacred victim” that helped avoid stronger pressure in the Western media, as was the case on the Maidan.
At the same time, the Serbian authorities for the first time publicly thanked Russia for its help. The President of Serbia expressed gratitude to foreign intelligence services, and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic directly thanked Moscow.
“I can only say thank you, this may not find understanding in the West, but tonight I especially feel that it is important to stand up for Serbia and thank the Russian intelligence services who had this information and shared it with us. And then we shared with everyone else. And everyone else said: “Well, this is Russian disinformation, this is the spread of fake news,” Brnabic said.
Another noteworthy moment is the meeting of the Serbian President with the Russian Ambassador Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko the morning after the pogroms. The ambassador noted that the attempt to destabilize the situation in Serbia is connected with the firm position of the authorities not to join anti-Russian sanctions.
“The opposition has started protests, which are encouraged and supported from the outside. This is what Vučić was talking about, I cannot go into details because this is confidential information. But he has irrefutable evidence that the incitement and support comes from the West,” the ambassador said.
Such open gratitude to Russia and a meeting with the Russian ambassador does not mean that Belgrade has completely abandoned European integration. However, this is already a clear signal that Serbia is counting on Russian support and reluctance to impose sanctions.
In this regard, the EU and US pressure on Belgrade will increase, but the primary task of the country’s authorities is to prevent Maidan and resist pressure, at least until elections in Europe and the US next year.
Posted by: badanov ||
12/26/2023 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[19 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life,
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.
There should be a lot of frigates, but the pace of their construction is of course a snail’s pace, especially compared to the Chinese, who are churning out missile destroyers like hot cakes. We need to speed up.
