Bob Homans December 14
20221215
Ukraine – 12/14 Sitrep
Compiled by: Robert Homans
December 14, 2022
“Where all think alike,
no one thinks very much”
- Walter Lippman
Courtesy of today’s Economist “Espresso.”
By this quote, Walter Lippman, perhaps the most influential American columnist of the 20th Century, perfectly captures the herd mentality that has been displayed by the pundits, the Biden Administration (although they’re improving), and many others since before the start of the latest Russian invasion of Ukraine, that commenced last February 24th. First, the war will only last 5 days, so why send Ukraine Patriot missiles when there won’t be any time for Ukrainians to be trained on how to use them. Next was the need to give Putin an “offramp,” followed by the need to Ukraine to be “realistic” and negotiate an end to the war. Now, the latest narrative is that the war will bog down for the winter, even though Ukraine has been very clear that they plan to launch a major winter offensive in the south, whether or not the ground hardens (it likely won’t – too close to the Black Sea).
Ukraine’s Secret Weapon – Ordinary People Spying on Russian Forces”/Wall St. Journal
We’ve spoken often about the critical role Ukrainian partisans are playing in the war. One example is the Kherson Telegram Group, whose activities are described in this article. They have been engaged in recording and transmitting movements of the Russian Army to Ukrainian forces.
Groups like the Kherson Telegram Group is a direct outgrowth of similar, ad hoc, groups that were establish in order to support the 2013 & 2014 Revolution of Dignity, groups that braved enemy fire to re-supply Ukrainian Forces who were defending the Donetsk Airport between late May 2014, and early January 2015 and, last February and March, informal groups that were organized to help stop the Russian attempt to take Kyiv.
Groups like the Kherson Telegram Group have no comparison in Russian tradition. For the Russians, the only way to curtail the activities of these groups is through blunt force, and approach that didn’t work.
Liquidation of Ukraine’s Notorious Kyiv District Court
Headed by Chief Judge Pavlo Vovk, the Kyiv District Court has been where many of Ukraine’s most important anti-corruption initiatives go to die. The Kyiv Independent recently published an excellent article about Pres. Zelenskyy’s signing an order abolishing the Court.
Former President Poroshenko often promised that he’d either abolish the Court or replace the judges. He did neither, perhaps because the existence of the Kyiv District Court served as a way for Poroshenko to deflect blame for anti-corruption laws and decisions that he preferred to see disappear. He could conveniently say to Ukrainian activists and Western interlocutors that if it weren’t for the Kyiv District Court he could get so much more done. The war has almost certainly changed the circumstances.
To illustrate the importance of the Kyiv District Court, it would be as if the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., arguably the 1st among equals among U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals (as is the case in Ukraine), would be full of corrupt justices who were able to defend their positions on the bench. Our Federal court system would break down. The same has been true in Ukraine.
As the Independent’s article states, it is unclear what is going to happen to Vovk and his fellow judges. They remain free, and they all retain their status as a judge.
The impact of Russia’s defeat on the battlefield will be substantially diminished if Ukraine doesn’t address the problems in its judicial system. This is a good first step, but only the first step.
News From the Battlefield
This is an excellent article, also from the Kyiv Independent, describing the Bakhmut Meatgrinder, via interviews and photographs. Don’t have time to read the article? The pictures are worth 1,000 words.
There is hope, at least according to “Reporting From Ukraine.” Ukrainians are still stopping Russian advances, including direct assaults against Bakhmut City, and attempts to encircle Bakhmut from the north. Meanwhile, Ukraine has resumed production of thousands of 122- & 152-mm artillery shells, used the standard Soviet-era howitzers that Ukraine continues to employ on the battlefield.
Latest News From the Air War
Ukraine appears to have shot down most or all the Iranian drones employed in yesterday’s attack on Kyiv. Last weekend, Odesa wasn’t so lucky. Almost the entire Odesa Region lost bower because of Russian drone attacks.
There are some questions arising:
· Are the Russians not attacking individual cities or regions, as opposed to nation-wide attacks common in October and November?
· Are drones experiencing icing problems?
· Are drones now being launched from ships in the Black Sea, in addition to bases in Crimea and Belarus?
Meanwhile, the United States has apparently decided to send Patriot missile batteries to Ukraine. The biggest missing piece in Ukraine’s air defense system is defense against ballistic missiles. Patriots will fill this missing piece, but how well depends how many the U.S. can deliver.
The original excuse for not delivering Patriots was always the length of time it would take to train Ukrainian operators. It seems that based on the short amount of time it took Ukrainians to become familiar with operating HIMARS rocket systems, M-777 howitzers and the NASAM anti-aircraft system, that this “excuse” is no longer valid.
It appears that the Iranians are doing the same thing to the Russian, shortening the ranges of the ballistic missiles it plans to send to Russia, that the U.S. did to Ukraine by shortening the range of the HIMARS rockets.
12/14 Sitrep
Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon December 13 to 12:00 noon December 14, 2022
Abbreviations:
RMA = Regional Military Administration SBU = Security Service of Ukraine
INTERNATIONAL
December 14
11:41 U.S. Ambassador to NATO: The United States and NATO must be prepared for any contingencies.
· According to her, Putin is quite reckless and unpredictable, so the Western way of thinking cannot be projected on him.
10:07 Foreign Minister: Norway will give Ukraine ten bridges to help restore normal connectivity in regions where bridges have been destroyed by hostilities.
· The total cost of bridges is about 3 million US dollars, they will be financed from the humanitarian budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
09:32 Bloomberg: European Union countries have decided to postpone the decision to limit the price of Russian natural gas until next week.
· According to German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, the countries have agreed on 90-95% of what was discussed, but important decisions will be made at the next meeting on December 19.
09:21 New Zealand Herald: New Zealand will provide about $1.9 million for the purchase of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
09:42 Institute for the Study of War: American analysts consider it unlikely that the Belarus Army could invade Ukraine.
· The exercise is not a cover for the concentration of Belarusian and/or Russian troops near positions to invade Ukraine, the article says.
08:00: Lithuania has banned the propaganda of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes and their ideologies in public places.
· On Tuesday, 103 members of the Sejm voted in favor of the so-called "de-Sovietization law", which will soon be signed by the president, - LRT.
08:00: The US Department of Defense does not see any threats to cross-border security from Belarus, which has announced unplanned exercises of its own army near the Ukrainian border. This was stated during a briefing by the spokesman of the US Defense Department, General Patrick Ryder.
08:00: A fraudulent network for the purchase of military goods for the Russian Federation was exposed in the United States, - the US Department of Justice.
00:41 Novinky CZ: Ukraine may receive another 30 T-72 tanks modernized in the Czech Republic in 2023.
· Previously, these tanks were contracted by an African country, but it agreed to leave them for Ukraine.
00:06: The Ukrainian language will be added to the audio guide of the Louvre.
· Today, a memorandum was signed in Paris between the Louvre, the MCIP and the Ukrainian Embassy in France. This was announced by First Lady Olena Zelenska.
December 13
23:53 Pentagon spokesman: The U.S. has no information that weapons supplied to Ukraine are being misused.
· "The results on the battlefield in this case speak for themselves," he said.
23:24: International partners do not have specific information on when the Russians will leave Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). This was announced by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal.
· "Regarding the liberation of ZNPP. So far, unfortunately, our partners have no specifics. The Russians are still extremely difficult to relate to this object, and we understand that we must, like all our land, liberate all our facilities, all our cities," the prime minister said.
23:15: Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the parliamentarians of New Zealand
· "As of now, 174 thousand. sq. m. km of Ukrainian territory is contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance. The sea area of the Black and Azov Seas is also contaminated with mines and has lost hundreds of thousands of living beings who died because of hostilities and the activity of the Russian navy. All these and other manifestations of Russia's ecocidal policy will have direct negative consequences for millions of people, for our region and neighboring regions."
22:50: Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal met with French President Emmanuel Macron.
· During the talks, the politicians discussed additional supplies of modern air defense systems, financial support for the budget of Ukraine from the EU and France, the restoration of Ukraine's energy system and the purchase of the necessary equipment for rapid repairs, the situation at Zaporizhzhia NPP.
21:20: Canada will provide $115 million to urgently restore Ukraine's energy system, said Chrystia Freeland, the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister.
21:50 Prime Minister Shmyhal: Ukraine's economy could shrink by 50% this year if Russia continues to attack the national energy system and other critical infrastructure.
19:41 CNN: The United States is finalizing plans to send the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine.
· 20:27: Patriots could appear on the battlefield at the next stage of the war, Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov said.
· "When you have a war going on, you will always not have enough weapons. We need it even more, especially air defense systems, which are the number one priority for us," he said.
19:28: The United Kingdom has allocated £50 million in military aid, according to the British government's website.
· The package includes 125 anti-aircraft guns and technologies to counter Iranian drones, including dozens of radars and electronic drone warfare capabilities.
18:28: France intends to supply Ukraine with a new batch of air defense systems soon, the country's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said.
· "Some of the air defense systems have already been sent, another batch will be delivered to Ukraine in the near future," she said.
18:08: Energy ministers of EU countries have not been able to agree on a price ceiling for Russian gas, discussions continue at the bilateral level, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said.
17:58: Russian and Belarusian railways will no longer be able to participate in the work of the International Union of Railways.
· According to Ukrzaliznytsia, the General Assembly of the Ministry of Health has removed the railway companies of Russia and Belarus from participating in any of its own events and events of the Regional European Assembly and suspended their membership.
17:48 British Foreign Minister: The UK Government is considering applying a mechanism to use the frozen assets of Russians who have been sanctioned to restore Ukraine.
17:28: Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said that troops would not be withdrawn from Ukraine by the end of the year.
· He responded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal to withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine on Christmas Day by refusing: "There can be no question of withdrawing Russian troops from Ukraine by the end of the year," Peskov said.
· Peskov noted that to achieve peace, it is necessary to take into account "the entry of new regions into Russia."
16:58: Spain transfers more than 160 pieces of equipment to Ukraine to restore the power grid after Russian missile strikes, the country's Foreign Ministry said.
· Spain will provide 135 transformers, 26 lightning rods for power system facilities and other important equipment.
16:28: The Italian Parliament has approved a resolution on the continuation of arms supplies to Ukraine in 2023.
16:18: The Czech Republic will allocate 8.5 million euros and equipment for the passage of winter to Ukraine, said Prime Minister Petro Fiala at the international conference "Solidarity with the Ukrainian people".
· Also, according to the Prime Minister, the Czech Republic will allocate 2.5 million rubles. euros for "points of indestructibility" and 1 million. euros in support of doctors.
16:10: Germany wants to allocate another 50 million euros of assistance for Ukraine for the winter, said Foreign Minister Annalena Berbok, Der Spiegel reports.
· She added that the government is also in talks with Deutsche Bahn to deliver locomotives to Ukraine.
16:02: The UNESCO World Heritage Committee will soon consider adding Odesa to its list, said Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko.
15:22: All 27 EU countries supported the provision of EUR 18 billion in macro-financial assistance to Ukraine.
· The information was confirmed by the Chairman of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in an address to the participants of the international conference "Solidarity with the Ukrainian people" in Paris.
15:05: The Lithuanian Interior Ministry has decided to deprive businessman Adolfos Kaminskas of citizenship, according to the department's website.
· He is known as the husband of Elena Kaminskas, who is called the mother of two children of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The reason for the revocation of citizenship was Kaminskas' obtaining a Russian passport.
14:55: Britain has imposed sanctions on 12 Russian military commanders involved in missile strikes on Ukraine, according to the British government's website.
· Besides, Iranian businessmen involved in the production and supply of military drones, which Russia used during attacks on Ukrainian cities, fell under the restrictions.
14:39: The European Union has agreed to grant Bosnia and Herzegovina candidate status to join the union, AFP reported, citing a diplomatic source.
14:29 President of the European Commission: The European Commission will finance about 30 million LED lamps for Ukraine, this will cover part of the shortage of the power system.
13:15 French President: There is an agreement to withdraw heavy weapons from the nuclear power plant. Negotiations are currently underway on its terms.
12:29 Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada: Canada will present Ukraine with 50 lighting towers that will make it easier for power engineers to repair the network at night.
· According to her, 15 such generator lighting towers eight meters high have already arrived in Ukraine.
12:22 Die Zeit: Germany has confirmed the provision of 24 new self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine.
· The dispatch of the next batch of weapons was announced by the head of the defense committee of the Bundestag, Marie-Agnes Strak-Zimmerman. She also added that soon Germany will transfer six or seven ACS Gepard to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
NATIONAL
December 14
11:10: The SSU launches counterintelligence activities in Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Moscow Patriarchate parishes in Zakarpattia, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Volyn, Chernivtsi, Lviv, Sumy, and Kherson oblasts.
· The press service of the SBU reports that they are checking the patrimony of Metropolitan Vissarion in the Zhytomyr region. Metropolitan Joseph is also being checked in Sumy. And in Transcarpathia - Dmytro Sydor, rector of the temple in Mukachevo.
07:18 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine repulsed attacks by Russian troops in the areas of the settlements of Gryanykivka, Kharkiv region; Novoselovskoye, Chervonopopivka, Serebryanske and Bilohorivka in Luhansk region and Bilohorivka, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Kurdyumivka, Nevelske, Marinka, Pobeda and Novomykhailivka of Donetsk region.
· Due to the significant number of wounded Russian military, the so-called "decree" of the occupation authorities, hospital No. 15 in the village of Yuvileino, Luhansk region, and hospital No. 3 in the city of Luhansk are transferred to the needs of the military.
· On the night of December 12-13, more than 15 servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces were killed near the settlement of Novoaidar, Luhansk region.
· In the Zaporozhye region, the enemy's losses amount to up to 100 wounded soldiers, an ammunition depot was destroyed.
· Units of the missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit 2 control points and 4 areas of concentration of Russian personnel.
00:25: A petition demanding a veto on the draft law on urban planning reform, for which the Verkhovna Rada voted today, received the necessary 25 thousand votes. Now it must be considered by President Zelenskyy.
December 13
23:34: The Verkhovna Rada has adopted all the laws necessary to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.
· "Today we have adopted three key European integration laws: on the media, a transparent procedure for appointing judges of the Constitutional Court and on minorities," said Deputy Speaker of Parliament Olena Kondratyuk.
21:35 Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council: Production of 152 mm and 122 mm artillery shells has been established in Ukraine.
· "Now there will be the release of mines and many other things that are already produced by our defense enterprises. We are already talking about thousands - this is already an industrial scale," he said on the air of the telethon.
21:10: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Law No. 5369 on the liquidation of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv.
20:57 Foreign Minister: Russia may resume its offensive on Ukraine at the end of January or February 2023.
· He stressed that any decision to end the war would be based on the withdrawal of Russian troops from all territories of Ukraine as of 2014.
20:47: The IAEA will ensure the permanent presence of its experts at all Ukrainian nuclear power plants, said the agency's Director General Rafael Grossi.
· "Progress has been made on the issue of the safety zone around the Zaporizhzhia NPP," Grossi said after a meeting with the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal.
20:37: About UAH 94 million was collected thanks to the sale of bracelets "Azovstal. A symbol of indestructibility."
· This was announced by Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov.
· The funds will be used to purchase 9 drones in the world's first fleet of naval drones to protect Ukraine from enemy missiles.
19:08: During the Ukrainian-French Forum on Resilience and Reconstruction of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about the needs of the country.
18:38: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: During the day, the enemy launched 2 missile strikes on civilian infrastructure in Zaporizhia and Kharkiv regions, as well as carried out more than 20 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems.
· To replenish the losses and staff the units of the first army corps of the occupying forces in the Donetsk region, measures of forced mobilization were intensified.
· Therefore, in the city of Horlivka, male persons are subject to conscription, including those marked "reservation" in military tickets.
· As a result of the destruction of the point of deployment of personnel of the Russian troops on December 11 near the settlement of Kadiivka, Luhansk region, the enemy lost up to 60 servicemen killed and up to 100 wounded.
· The defeat of Russians by the Defense Forces of Ukraine in the previous days in the Zaporizhia region has been confirmed.
· Thus, in addition to the destruction of the leadership of the 58th Army in the city of Melitopol, in the areas of the settlements of Enerhodar, Tokmak and Gulyaipole, three artillery installations were destroyed, up to 10 units of military equipment of various types and about 150 Russian servicemen were wounded.
· Units of the missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit 2 areas of concentration of personnel of the Russian troops.
17:18 Spokesperson of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine: There are no changes on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, the number of units of Belarus has not increased.
· According to Demchenko, Belarus has not formed a combat group, but joint exercises with Russia, deployment of troops, verification of combat readiness - all this indicates that Belarus continues to act according to the Kremlin's plan.
15:43 Prime Minister of Ukraine: Western countries have promised Ukraine $ 1 billion in assistance for the passage of winter, following the results of the "energy Ramstein" in Paris.
· "Our conference result is about $500 million in grant funds, brand new funds agreed upon at this conference, and another $500 million in goods, services and additional loans to further support public sector enterprises," he said.
16:49 SBU press service: According to the SBU, a Russian agent who "handed over" the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kramatorsk will spend 14 years behind bars.
· Among his main tasks was to identify the combat positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard in the area of Kramatorsk. In addition, he transferred the locations and routes of movement of Ukrainian law enforcement officers in the region.
16:38: Ukrspecsystems has updated the Shark reconnaissance drone.
· The company said the drone received a more powerful battery, which doubles the flight time, as well as elongated wings. Their span was increased to 3.4 meters. The updated Shark will soon be delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
14:00: With the beginning of a full-scale war, more Ukrainians began to consider the liberation of all the occupied territories, including Crimea and ordlo, as a victory for Ukraine, according to the results of a survey by the Sociological Group "Rating".
· In particular, in March there were 74% of such Ukrainians, and in November they became 85%. Only 9% of respondents chose the option of returning the territories that Ukraine controlled until February 24, 2022.
13:50 press service of the National Police : The National Police of Ukraine found 11 apartments in Kyiv from a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
· The Police of Ukraine reported on the suspicion of a Russian deputy in encroaching on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
· The National Police also reported that the suspect was born in 1968 in Mariupol, and in 2022 he was awarded the medals "DPR" "For Courage" and "For the Liberation of Mariupol".
13:35: The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supported the liquidation of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv. 310 deputies voted "for".
12:57: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke at the conference "Solidarity with the Ukrainian People".
12:04: The SBU detained FPU Deputy Head Viktor Sayenko, who helped illegally "privatize" property worth UAH 25 billion. hryvnas.
· Basically, sanatoriums and bases of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine were put into private hands under Yanukovych, and regional officials, who had previously managed communal property, helped in this.
· So far, all 230 facilities have been returned to the state, and officials and Saienko have been detained.
MORDOR (russia)
December 14
11:50: The Russians have already recruited 23 thousand prisoners from the Wagner PMC. They are used in the assault as "cannon fodder".
· The Center for National Resistance noted that the deaths of prisoners do not cause a resonance in Russian society. In addition, the losses do not demoralize the PMC itself, since qualified personnel and leadership do not participate in the assault.
December 13
23:05: Despite the sanctions, Western countries continue to supply microarrays to Russia.
· From April to November, the United States and several European countries supplied Russia with $777 million worth of chips. For this purpose, gasket companies were created in Turkey and Hong Kong.
· This is stated in a Reuters investigation in conjunction with the Royal Joint Institute for Defence Studies.
18:19: In an intercepted conversation between the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, a sergeant from a training ground on the territory of the Russian Federation explains to his son, who is fighting in the Donetsk direction, about the peculiarities of training the Russian army:
· freeze at landfills;
· they don't say anything because 60% of "avatars";
· a set of each fighter: 4 shops, 3 grenades, a combined arms protective suit, a gas mask and a spatula (and this is at -15/-12 on the street).
13:40: Belarusian military equipment went in the direction of the border with Ukraine, - "Belarusian Gayun".
· Military equipment is reportedly moving southeast of Brest, along the P17 highway to the town of Malorita/the agricultural town of Mokrana.
KHARKIV
December 14
00:57: On December 13, Lithuanian pianist Darius Magintas played in the de-occupied Izyum. The musician performed compositions from the cycle "Naïve Music" by the Ukrainian composer Valentyn Silvestrov.
· "With the beginning of the war, I became more interested in Ukrainian culture, so I discovered Silvestrov. His music includes all of Ukraine, its nature and people."
LUHANSK
December 14
11:20 Luhansk RMA: To date, the Armed Forces have already de-occupied 13 settlements in Luhansk region.
· According to him, fierce fighting continues in the front-line Luhansk region.
09:11 Luhansk RMA: The centralized water supply system is collapsing in Rubizhne
· "The water in the pipes turns into ice, which ultimately violates the integrity of the pipes. There is nothing to replace the already damaged areas of the local housing and communal services," the message says.
December 13
14:19 SBU press service: The SBU identified the collaborators who initiated the "accession" of Luhansk region to Russia: among them the representative of the "LPR" at the talks in Minsk.
· As a result of investigative and operational actions, the identities of two more "deputies of the people's council "LPR" who were preparing a "regulatory framework" for holding a fake referendum in the occupied areas of Luhansk region were identified.
DONETSK
December 14
11:30 Donetsk RMA: Russian troops shelled the center and north of the Donetsk region.
· In Kurakhivka, two houses and an enterprise building were damaged. In Parakoviyka, a kindergarten, 4 houses and an enterprise building were damaged.
· More than 30 shells were fired by Torsky and Zarichny in the Liman community.
10:57 Donetsk RMA: Russian troops shelled several settlements in the Donetsk region again last day. Two civilians were injured in the attacks.
December 13
15:52: "Bakhmut stands, Bakhmut holds on," - briefly about the situation in the frontline city from the Ukrainian military.
15:33 Donetsk RMA: Russians shelled Kramatorsk.
· They hit the industrial zone and the building of the Institute of Engineering and Management. There is currently no information about the victims.
13:25: The enemy hits Kramatorsk, mayor Oleksandr Honcharenko said.
12:53 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region.
12:38 Head of Avdiivka City Military Administration: More than 2 thousand people remain in Avdiivka. local residents.
· According to Barabash, the humanitarian situation in Avdiivka is under control. The city has enough food and supplies. The city hospital also works, but there are few health workers, the ambulance does not work.
12:12 Advisor to the Mayor of Mariupol: In the temporarily occupied Mariupol, Russians continue to move military columns.
· "A convoy of trucks from the BC at high speed drove from Novoazovsk in the direction of Rozovka," the report said.
ZAPORIZHIA
December 14
11:00: The sounds of explosions heard by Zaporizhians are the skillful work of our Air Defense Forces, said Anatoly Kurtev, secretary of the city council.
10:03 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Zaporizhia.
December 13
18:25 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the temporarily occupied Melitopol of the Zaporizhia region.
15:11 mayor: At about 14:00 in the very center of the temporarily occupied Melitopol - a loud explosion sounded in the area of the Chess School.
· Immediately after that, the Russians blocked the roads. Local residents reported machine gun bursts and witnessed a body covered with black film, Fedorov said.
14:57 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the temporarily occupied Melitopol of the Zaporizhia region.
DNIPRO
December 14
08:24 Dnipro RMA: Russian troops struck at night from Grads, Hurricanes and heavy artillery in the Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
· "Two cities were kept at gunpoint - Nikopol and Manganese. More than 50 shells were sent to residential areas."
KHERSON
December 14
10:37 Kherson RMA: Over the past day, Russian troops shelled the territory of Kherson region 42 times
· The Russians targeted a yacht club, a school, a sports facility, private and apartment buildings in Kherson.
· Due to the shelling of the Russian Federation, 1 person was killed, another 1 resident of the region was injured.
05:14 Social Networks: After the shelling, a fire broke out in Kherson.
03:56 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
00:13 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
December 13
23:09 Social Networks: In the temporarily occupied Skadovsk in the Kherson region, the sounds of explosions are heard.
22:36 Social Networks: As a result of the evening shelling of Kherson, a large-scale fire broke out in one of the districts of the city.
20:58 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
19:18 Kherson RMA: UN representatives arrived in Kherson with a working trip.
· As part of a four-day visit to Ukraine, Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Coordinator, and Denise Brown, UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine, came to the city.
15:15 Social Networks: Explosions heard again in Kherson
12:25 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
MYKOLAIV
December 14
December 13
14:01 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Ochakiv, Mykolaiv region.
ODESA
December 14
08:34 DTEK: There are emergency blackouts in Odesa and the region.
December 13
12:47 SBU press service: SBU detained a Russian agent in Odesa who was "in touch" with Wagner's PMC headquarters.
· Electronic maps with the "targets" of enemy air strikes on the Ukrainian coast of the Black Sea were found on his phone.
· The perpetrator's contacts with the headquarters of the Russian private military company Wagner and the Moscow riot police were also exposed.
KYIV
December 14
08:51: "For Ryazan" – an inscription on the wreckage of an Iranian UAV in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kyiv.
· The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports that drones flew from the east coast of the Sea of Azov.
08:41 SES: As a result of the fall of the wreckage from the drone in Kyiv, people were not injured.
08:58 Kyiv RMA: Thanks to the effective work of air defense and electronic warfare units, 13 kamikaze drones have already been destroyed.
08:15 President's Office: As a result of the morning attack on Kyiv and the region in the capital, 2 administrative houses were damaged, in the city of Vyshneve - a private house. This was reported in the President's Office.
08:12 Kyiv City MA: Another drone was shot down over Kyiv.
07:50: According to preliminary information, a fragment from a drone damaged two administrative buildings in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kyiv, according to KMVA.
07:30: 10 drones have already been shot down over Kyiv and the region, according to the mayor of the capital, Vitali Klitschko.
07:26 Social Networks: Explosions are heard again in Kyiv.
06:48: Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that the explosions were in the Shevchenkivskyi district of these tables. Services are already following the place.
06:32 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kyiv.
December 13
17:08 Vitali Klitschko: Today I checked how the latest restoration of damaged houses in Obolon on Bogatyrska Street and Lobanovsky Avenue in the Solomianskyi district of the capital has been carried out and is being completed.
· "People are already returning to the renovated apartments on Bogatyrska Street. On Lobanovsky Avenue, the city has also almost completed its work. Residents will return to their apartments by the end of this year," said the mayor of Kyiv.
SUMY
December 13
22:03 Sumy RMA: Reported that during the day the Russians shelled the Esman, Belopole and Khotyn communities.
· On the Khotyn community, Russians dropped two explosives from a drone. On the Belopole community, the enemy conducted mortar shelling. There were 8 arrivals. Esman community: Russian army fired 18 shells from self-propelled guns at the border village. The explosions damaged the fire department room and the car in it. The building of the village club was also damaged.
19:51 Sumy RMA: Today's shelling of the Esman community damaged the fire department and the village club.
· Russian troops with artillery opened fire on the border village. There were 18 arrivals. Locals were not injured.
ZHYTOMIR
December 14
07:34: Head of the Zhytomyr OVA Vitaliy Bunechko warned of a possible second wave of drone attack.
LVIV
December 14
10:47: The SSU conducts searches at the UOC-MP cathedral in Lviv, - said Deputy Chairman of the Lviv Regional Council Yurii Kholod.
· According to him, the SBU came to St. George's Cathedral of the UOC-Moscow Patriarchate.
Comparing Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to Russian invasion of Ukraine using Wikipedia and Ukraine Ministry of Defense Daily Bulletins. Soviet and Russian military losses not including captured equipment.
SOURCES
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/
https://euromaidanpress.com/
https://cutt.ly/Blyskavka
www.ubn.news
Bakhmut needs A-20 and AC-130 platforms for defense. Trench war again?