Bob Homans December 23

20221223

Ukraine – 12/23 Sitrep
Compiled by: Robert Homans
December 23, 2022

This may be the last email until after Christmas Day.   If so, Merry Christmas and many thanks for your interest.

A Christmas Gift - An Interpol “Red Notice” For a Russian Kindergarten Teacher

She was picked up on a cell phone, advising her husband who is with Russian forces in Kherson, that it was OK if he raped Ukrainian women, but please don’t share the details.   This was after hubby told his dear wife that his mates were doing the same.   She teaches at a kindergarten somewhere in Russia.

Republicans & Democrats

My cousin, a Member of Congress who attended Pres. Zelenskyy’s speech last Tuesday night, says he’s annoyed by the American press tarring all Republicans with the sentiments of a few Members of their Party who are questioning aid to Ukraine.   My cousin is a Democrat.  

As we saw earlier this year, from the letter (later withdrawn) sent to President Biden by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington), Head of the House Progressive Caucus, many Progressive Democrats share the same sentiments, for essentially the same reason – money going to support Ukraine is better spent at home.    I have always been amazed how the far Left and far Right almost always meet.  

I am looking forward to the day when Tucker Carlson invites Rep. Jayapal onto his Show to discuss U.S. support to Ukraine.   Perhaps a joint appearance with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) is in order.  After all, Rep. Jayapal, Rep. Greene and Tucker Carlson share the same view about U.S. support to Ukraine.   It would be great for Tucker’s TV ratings.  I might even watch.

News From the Battlefield

As my compatriot reports later, Russia is suffering heavy losses in Southern Ukraine, primarily from strikes by Ukrainian artillery and attacks by partisans.   According to today’s Wall St. Journal, the Russians have constructed a hospital in temporarily occupied Berdyansk, to handle the influx of wounded.  The Latest Denys reports that there has been a fire aboard the Russian aircraft carrier “Admiral Kuznetsov.”   She is undergoing repairs in Murmansk.  Denys also mentioned that a dinner in Donetsk City, attended by a number of Russians and officials of the Donetsk People’s Republic, was interrupted by an unwanted visitor – a 155 mm. round fired by a Caesar howitzer (supplied by France).   A few were killed and one visiting Russian, the former Head of Russia’s space agency, was shot in the ass.  “Reporting From Ukraine,” speaks mostly around battles in front of Donetsk City.

Holiday Viewing

A new video from Navalny’s compatriots, showing the tough life of the Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, and his wife Svitlana.  Enjoy.

12/23 Sitrep (my comments in Bold Face)

“I often have a chuckle with a friend of mine (that would probably be me) when we consider the shenanigans of the Kyiv Offices of the Big Four accounting firms.  This financial gang of self-regulating sages keeps appearing month after year in public having to explain why they didn't notice financial fraud, deceit, and misinformation after they finished collecting millions in fees from audits on billion-dollar corporations operating in Ukraine.   Typically, the gang of four fails to notice for a few years of audits before being caught and keel hauled in public.”   Of course, it is often difficult to conduct audits and due diligence, when limiting oneself to the comfort of well-appointed offices in Kyiv, rather than going out to your client’s place of business and actually “kick the tires.”

“The picture is pretty much the same when it comes to public corruption.  When my friend and I see that we are less sanguine.  The solution to private and public fraud, deceit and corruption is transparency and accountability.”

“That's why I was particularly heartened recently when citizens and municipal councilors in Mykolaiv, where there has been significant damage from Russian artillery and missile strikes, the governing politicians have over 80% approval ratings, suggested that the best way to handle the influx of reconstruction funds is to entrust them to a tripartite body. Denmark has volunteered to be the international lead in the reconstruction Of the Mykolaiv Region.  The locals trust the Danes, and their elected representatives, but not enough to just watch them receive and disburse funds on their own.” 

“One of the outcomes of the Maidan and the latest Russian invasion is the appearance of a very robust citizen's representational advocacy in Ukraine. Ukrainians, while respecting others, now expect to shoulder the burden of shaping their future and deciding on how the support is spent.  The best institutional safeguard is active citizen's participation.”  

“Also, Merry Christmas as we may take a few days break.”

Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon December 22 to 12:00 noon December 23, 2022

Abbreviations:

RMA = Regional Military Administration             SBU = Security Service of Ukraine

INTERNATIONAL

December 23

11:55 Minister of Defense: The Estonian government has approved the provision of a new military assistance package to Ukraine, which will include drones, winter uniforms and personal protective equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine

09:44 CNN: The United States will soon begin training the Ukrainian military to use Patriot systems.

·        It is expected that the training of Ukrainians will last for several months, and to work with the system, as a rule, 90 servicemen are required.

·        The system will likely be operational in the Spring.

09:15 BBC: Found out how Volodymyr Zelenskyy got to Washington

·        Extraordinary security measures have become an indicator of how much both countries value their relationship.

·        It is noted that after visiting the front line in Bakhmut, Zelensky secretly boarded a night train to Poland, from where he was taken by a US Air Force plane. The aircraft, on board which was the Ukrainian leader, was accompanied by a NATO reconnaissance aircraft and an F-15 fighter.

08:40 UK Defence Minister: The combat capability of Russia's deployed ground forces has fallen by more than 50%, and Russia's praised Black Sea Fleet is nothing more than a flotilla of coastal defence.

07:59: Ukraine has dispelled the myth of an alleged "great Russia", and thanks to this, the West has ceased to be afraid of Moscow, - former Deputy Minister of National Defense of Poland Waldemar Skrypchak.

07:59 UK Defence Minister: The combat capability of Russia's deployed ground forces has fallen by more than 50%, and Russia's praised Black Sea Fleet is nothing more than a flotilla of coastal defense.

07:59 Financial Times: EU suspends most of regional financial aid for Hungary because the country has not carried out judicial reform.

00:33 Reuters: Italy's prime minister called on compatriots to turn off the lights every day for an hour in support of Ukraine.

·        "To understand what Ukrainians are going through, I ask all Italians to turn off all energy sources for an hour a day," Georgia Maloney said.

·        Also, the head of the Italian government promised not to stop supplying weapons to Kyiv.

00:01: The first group of Ukrainian servicemen has completed training in the Czech Republic.

·        During military exercises in the Czech Republic, Ukrainian defenders not only adopted the skills of the Czech army fighters, but also passed on to them their own experience in conducting real battles. The unit is already waiting to be sent to the Ukraine, where very soon it will join its comrades in the fight against the Russian invaders.

·        On December 21, the soldiers were visited by the Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic Jana Chernokhova, as well as representatives of the army and the Olomouc region, where the military training ground is located.

December 22

23:21: Canada releases collectible coins in support of Ukraine

·        The Royal Canadian Mint has issued four collectible coins, the proceeds from the sale of which will be transferred to help Ukraine.

22:44 espresso Vladimir Ogryzko: If Putin decides to attack Ukraine from Belarus, Lukashenko will learn about it from the newspapers.

22:31: On December 22, the President of Ukraine met with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on December 22. The meeting took place in Rzeszow, Poland.

·        The conversation lasted two hours. The leaders discussed relations between the two countries and the results of the Ukrainian president's visit to the United States. This was reported in the Office of the Polish President.

21:06 C-SPAN: The U.S. Senate voted to include amendments to the draft budget that would allow the confiscation of frozen assets of Russian entrepreneurs in favor of Ukraine.

·        "The Senate unanimously approved an amendment allowing the confiscation and sale of the assets of Russian oligarchs for their transfer to Ukraine for humanitarian and military assistance."

20:54: Joe Biden is ready to meet with Putin if Russia shows serious willingness to negotiate.

19:14: The U.S. Treasury Department announces new sanctions against 10 Russian shipping companies.

·        The list of sanctions includes the Research Institute of Ship Engineering, the concern Morinformsystem "Agate", JSC "Marine Navigation Systems" and other companies.

19:14: Volodymyr Zelenskyy: On the longest night of 2022, more than 60 of the world's most famous locations turned off the lights in solidarity with our state and called on their visitors to join the collection for generators for Ukrainian hospitals. Such support is extremely important for us.

18:20 Reuters: Wagner's PMC received a batch of weapons from North Korea.

·        "We can confirm that North Korea has completed the initial supply of weapons to Wagner, which paid for the equipment.   Apparently, the presence of Wagner Group forces in Ukraine is costing its Founder & CEO, Evgeniy Prigozhin, approximately $100 million/month

·        Last month, North Korea supplied missiles and projectiles to Russia for use by Wagner, a source in the US administration told the publication.

19:54 espreso: Putin first called the armed conflict with Ukraine a war.

·        He stated that Russia seeks an early end to the war in Ukraine.

18:14 🇷🇺 Now the main task of the "special operation" is the capture of the Donetsk region, - Chief of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces Gerasimov.

·        The front line in Ukraine stretches for more than 800 km, and the main efforts of the Russian military are focused on taking control of the entire territory of the Donetsk region.

17:12: The G7 says it will continue to cover Ukraine's urgent financial needs and has already raised €32 billion for budget assistance in 2023.

·        This amount includes 18 billion euros from the European Union, grants and loans from individual countries and a support package from the United States.

17:05 Social Networks: In Afghanistan, girls came out to protest against the ban on studying at universities.

16:56 Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman: "Zelensky should have known that Iran's strategic patience with such baseless accusations is not unlimited."

·        He claims that Iran "did not supply any military equipment to any side for use in the war in Ukraine" and has always respected the territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine.

·        It appears that Pres. Zelenskyy’s reference to Iran, in his speech, struck a nerve, both in Iran and among most members of the U.S. Congress.

16:45 Delfi: In Lithuania, Russian and Belarusian citizens living in the country have been banned from owning weapons.

·        The relevant law was adopted today by the country's parliament. 112 Lithuanian deputies voted for it, one was against it, another 13 abstained during the vote.

16:36: Returning to Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

·        "We summed up the results of the year, which brought historical challenges due to a full-scale war. We discussed strategic plans for the future, bilateral relations and interaction at the international level in 2023," Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

15:05: "This is one of the best congressional speeches ever," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech.

·        She compared the speech of the President of Ukraine with the speech of Winston Churchill.

14:41 Spiegel: After the US statement about the supply of Patriot anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, the German opposition asked the federal government to provide Kyiv with such weapons systems.

14:35 🇩🇪🇺🇦: Ukraine will receive from Germany 26 military trucks MAN HX 8×8, which are designed to transport payloads, equipment and build field hospitals.

13:47 Reuters: On February 3, 2023, the heads of 27 countries of the European Union and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy will hold a summit.

·        "I can confirm that the EU-Ukraine summit will take place on February 3 and there is an open invitation to President Zelenskyy to visit Brussels."

13:05 President of the European Commission: The EU will mobilize 900 generators for Ukraine.

·        "The EU is working to increase electricity flows between Ukraine, Moldova, and the rest of Europe. We are also mobilizing 900 generators to power the country, including its hospitals. And we ship millions of energy-saving light bulbs. We are with you. There will be light," von der Leyen wrote on Twitter.

12:47 press service of the European Commission: 20 billion euros of Russian assets frozen in the EU. Russian imports and exports decreased by 20.8% and 12.3%, respectively.

NATIONAL

December 23

11:01 Ukrenergo: On the morning of December 23, the power deficit in the power system has slightly decreased but remains significant.

·        At the same time, there are certain restrictions in the electricity transmission system caused by damage to the main networks by Russian attacks. In this connection, consumption limits have been brought to all areas, the excess of which leads to the application of emergency restrictions.

10:36: Ukrzaliznytsia reported that trains running between Ukraine and Poland are seriously delayed due to the accumulation of railway trains at the border.

07:01 Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:

·        During the past day, the enemy inflicted 6 missile and 6 air strikes, in particular, on civilian targets in Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The enemy also carried out more than 70 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems.

·        Due to significant losses, the occupiers set up a military hospital at one of the recreation centers in Berdyansk, Zaporizhia region

·        In addition, several tourist bases in the specified settlement are used to accommodate military personnel of the Russian troops.

·        On the territory of the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea, enemy units carry out engineering equipment for defensive positions along the Krasnoperekopsk-Dzhankoy highway.

·        During the past day, the Aviation of the Defense Forces inflicted eight strikes on areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment, destroyed three anti-aircraft missile systems and one center of enemy UAVs.

·        At the same time, units of the missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit three control points, three ammunition depots and eight areas of concentration of the invaders' manpower.

00:20: Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine General Valery Zaluzhny awarded the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to Ukraine Bartosz Cichocki with the honorary award "Cross of Merit"

·        "I thank the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhny, for the high distinction – the more honorable that it was presented during the visit of the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland, General Raimund Andrzejczak, to Kyiv."

December 22

23:40 State Property Fund: For the first time in Ukraine, a port will be put up for privatization.

·        The auction, which will take place on January 17, will put up the port of Ust-Danube in the Odessa region.

23:31: "We met the Armed Forces with hugs," Beryslav residents say.

·        When volunteers from the United States came to the city, people said that the most important thing for them was not humanitarian aid, but the Victory of Ukraine. Therefore, the most desirable news is obtaining weapons for the Ukrainian army.

23:00 Prime Minister: In the spring, those who left the war abroad will begin to return en masse in Ukraine.

·        "According to various estimates, from 5 to 7 million people are now forced to remain abroad. Ukrainians. But up to 90% of those who left want to return home. These are the data of opinion polls. We clearly understand that Ukrainians will return more actively in the spring," he said.

22:42 Minister of Energy: Ukraine's energy system will be restored according to a new model. It will be the most modern system that is available in the world.

21:26 Prime Minister: According to the calculations of power engineers, it will take from 7 to 10 days to get out of the most difficult blackout.

·        "In the most difficult case of complete blackout, when everything is broken at all, the exit takes 7 to 10 days. This, according to the calculations of our power engineers. I emphasize that these are theoretical calculations, because the world has not experienced such things yet," he said.

20:38: "Today Ukrainian diplomats celebrate their professional holiday

·        Thanks to the effective work of our diplomats, Ukraine firmly holds its position in the international arena and opens up new horizons.

·        I congratulate everyone and everyone who fights for Ukraine and Ukrainians on international platforms and in foreign capitals, promotes the interests of our state in the world, protects our compatriots abroad," Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

19:50 Minister of Energy of Ukraine: If there are no new shelling by the Russian Federation, Ukraine will stabilize the energy system by the summer.

18:25: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: During the day, Russian troops launched 5 missile and 5 air strikes, as well as carried out about 15 shellings from MLRS.

·        On December 20 this year, the Defense Forces struck a cluster of enemy manpower around Nikolaevka, Skadovsk district, Kherson region.

·        As a result, it affected up to 140 servicemen of the Russian troops and destroyed 8 Kamaz trucks with ammunition.

·        According to the updated information, because of the defeat on December 20 of the Russian field airfield in the Kakhovka area of the Kherson region, the Russians lost up to 150 people killed and about 50 wounded. Up to 20 units of military equipment of various types were destroyed.

·        Units of the missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit the control point, 2 ammunition depots and 3 areas of concentration of Russian manpower during the day.

15:46 press service of the Security Service of Ukraine: According to the SBU, a former people's deputy from the Party of Regions, who called for Russian passports, was put on the wanted list.

·        The perpetrator is a representative of the Kharkiv branch of the Party of Regions. It was from this political force that he was elected to the Ukrainian parliament five times.

·        After the start of a full-scale invasion, he spoke in support of the Russian Federation and justified the seizure of part of the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine.

15:26: Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat says the Ukrainian military could seize Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems within a few months.

·        According to him, the process of training Patriot operators will be accelerated, but this will be enough for effective work.

15:15: Journalists from The New York Times identified dozens of Russian soldiers who killed civilians in Bucha — according to fighters from the 234th Airborne Assault Regiment.

·        The media analyzed recordings of telephone conversations, documents, interviews and thousands of hours of videos showing how a Russian amphibious unit killed dozens of people in Bucha in March.

·        The New York Times investigation of the Bucha atrocities can be viewed here.

14:33 Minister of Energy: Ukraine's energy system will withstand new waves of Russian attacks.

·        "The enemy will not stop and will continue to launch missile strikes. However, since October 10, we have been living under daily shelling of the power system. They are of different masses, but they are, and we have been keeping the power system for the third month, and we will keep it," the minister said.

14:23: Ukraine will receive 500 generators for humanitarian purposes with the support of CEO Rakuten.

·        Hiroshi Mikitani, Chairman of Rakuten Group, Inc., announced that in cooperation with Koshin Ltd. by the end of the year, 500 Koshin electric generators will be transferred to Ukraine for humanitarian purposes. Evacuation centers and residents of Ukraine will receive inverter generators GV-16i from Koshin together with voltage transformers with the support of the Tina Karol Foundation. Hiroshi Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten Group, personally provided funds for this assistance.

·        Rakuten Group is the owner of Viber, the leading mobile messaging app in Ukraine.

13:57 Prosecutor General's Office: About two hundred criminal proceedings have been initiated in Ukraine for the illegal dissemination of information on the movement of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, their locations and data on weapons during martial law.

13:16: The State Border Guard Service "notified" Rogozin about his illegal stay on the territory of Ukraine.

·        "Recently, the State Border Guard Service established that Russian citizen Rogozin illegally crossed Ukrainian border and is now in the territory temporarily occupied by Russia in the Donetsk region. The border guards could not personally hand over the protocol to the violator, so this person was "handed over" during the celebration of his birthday by caring comrades," the State Border Guard Service said.

12:56 SBU press service: The SBU reported the suspicion to a Roman Catholic priest who denied the crimes of Russians in Bucha.

·        He publicly justified Russia's armed aggression and denied war crimes of Russian invaders against Ukrainians. In his "speeches" to the faithful, the priest called the facts of numerous murders and tortures of people by Russians in Bucha "staging".

·        In addition, the abbot urged not to trust the official information of Ukrainian state institutions and mass media about the war crimes committed by the aggressor.

12:29 Command of the Navy of the Armed Forces: As of 22.12.2022, up to 12 enemy ships are on combat duty in the Black Sea, of which not a single carrier of "Calibers".

12:19 PM Prime Minister: In all regions, regional power distribution companies have been inspected and 193 violations have already been identified during a power outage.

·        Among the leaders in the number of detected violations are: Volynoblenergo, DTEK Kyiv Regional Grids, Poltavaoblenergo, DTEK Kyiv Grids, Ternopiloblenergo, Chernihivoblenergo.

·        Oblenergos have time to correct all violations in the supply of electricity until December 31.

12:09 Ministry of Defense of Ukraine: There are about 40 thousand women servicemen in the Armed Forces of Ukraine - this is the highest figure among NATO countries.

MORDOR (russia)

December 23

10:57 Press service of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus: Russia has deployed Thor anti-aircraft missile systems to Belarus

·        "The consignment of weapons was received within the framework of the existing intergovernmental agreement on military-technical cooperation between Belarus and Russia. In the coming days, these complexes will arrive at formations and military units.

10:08: In the Saratov region of the Russian Federation, unknown persons set fire to the military registration and enlistment office, according to local media.

·        The fire broke out in the building of the military commissariat in the village of Ivantiivka. They tried to set fire to the duty officer's office — they found a plastic bottle with the remnants of gasoline and, probably, oil. The fire was extinguished, but the office was badly damaged by the fire. Now the police are looking for piles.

09:29 Putin has been sued for calling the so-called "special operation" a war.

·        An appeal to law enforcement officers was directed by St. Petersburg municipal deputy Nikita Yuferev.

09:14 espreso adviser to the mayor of Mariupol: The occupiers demolished parts of the drama theater in Mariupol to hide the fact of its bombing.

·        "The demolition of the ruins of the drama theater is an unconditional attempt to hide forever the physical evidence of the greatest simultaneous deliberate murder of Ukrainians by Russians since the beginning of this phase of the war. The invaders do not even hide their intentions."

07:30 Institute for the Study of  War: Putin is trying to absolve himself of responsibility for the protracted war in Ukraine. 

·        The Russian dictator made several statements that Russia seeks to end the war as soon as possible, while noting that Russia will not increase the pace of a "special military operation" because it will lead to "unjustified losses."

·        The two statements are part of the Kremlin's consolidated efforts to justify Putin's war efforts in front of a Russian domestic audience that is increasingly sacrificing itself to achieve the Kremlin's unrealistic goals, analysts say.

07:56 Russian Media: Car Garages in a military unit caught fire in Moscow.

·        The area of fire is about 200 square meters. There are no casualties.

06:39 ESPRESO: Russia is preparing for mass deportation of the population in the temporarily occupied territories.

·        "The enemy is preparing for the forced evacuation of residents of the city of Vasylivka and nearby settlements of the Vasylivka district of the Zaporizhia region. Similar actions are taking place in the left-bank Kherson region, where they are preparing for the "evacuation" of residents of Kakhovka and Nova Kakhovka," the CNS article says.

07:27 Voice of America: PMC founder Wagner Prigozhin spends more than $100 million a month on military operations against Kyiv.

·        "It looks like Mr. Prigozhin is ready to just throw his soldiers in a meat grinder, wholesale. In recent weeks alone, about 1000 Wagner PMC fighters have been killed in the fighting, Kirby said.

December 22

22:51 Russian Media: Dmitry Rogozin's condition is deteriorating, the injury was serious.

·        The ex-head of Roscosmos will be transported to Moscow, where the council of doctors will already decide on the necessary medical care.

21:16 Social Networks: In the village of Mizhvodne in the annexed Crimea, a Ukrainian flag was spotted on the tower.

15:35: IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi met with Rosatom Chairman Alexei Likhachev in Moscow.

·        Grossi will plan to discuss with the Russian side the creation of a protective zone around the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

KHARKIV

December 23

09:35 Kharkiv RMA: This day, Russians shelled the border settlements of Kharkiv, Chuguev, Kupyansk, Izyum districts.

·        4 employees of the district hospital were injured - 3 men and 1 woman. Another man, 62, also received shrapnel wounds.

·        In Protopopovka, Izyum district, a 25-year-old man exploded on an explosive device in the forest.

December 22

19:40 Kharkiv RMA: "Tonight, an enemy strike on Kharkiv was recorded. Preliminary – rocket. The explosion took place on the outskirts of the city. For now - without casualties."

17:57 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kharkiv.

DONETSK

December 23

08:31 Donetsk RMA: On December 22, Russians killed 4 civilians in Donetsk region: 2 in Chasovoy Yar and 2 in Bakhmut.

·        Another 7 people in the region were injured.

·        10:16 a.m.: Vuhledar and the outskirts of the city were shelled without casualties, said Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk OVA.

·        The Russians shot there 8 times in the Kurakhiv community. In Novoselidivka, 1 person was wounded, in Konstantinopolsky 3 houses were damaged. Kurakhove was also shelled at night, and Avdiivka in the morning without casualties.

00:45: Denys Berinchyk went to the Ukrainian military in Donetsk region with a championship belt.

December 22

16:26 Donetsk RMA: Today, the Russian military shelled Chasiv Yar, Kramatorsk and Kurakhove in the Donetsk region. Only civilian and civilian infrastructure was affected everywhere.

16:16: "In Bakhmut, the front line is holding, everyone is in their positions. Assaults, shelling and attacks but the defense stands. Do not spoil your nerves and do not spread fakes, our Bakhmut!" - said the Ukrainian military.

14:10: The Associated Press reports that at least 10 thousand new graves have appeared since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Mariupol.

·        Most of all – about 8.5 thousand – of new graves appeared at the Starokrymsky cemetery on the outskirts of Mariupol, and more than one body can be buried in each grave, journalists say. Mass graves have also appeared in cemeteries in the nearby villages of Mangush and Vinogradne since the beginning of March.

14:45 President's Office: The Russians launched two missile strikes on the city of Kramatorsk, Donetsk region.

13:37 President's Office: The city of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, was fired at by Russians from a multiple launch rocket system.

·        As a result of the shelling, 1 person was killed and another 2 were wounded. Apartment buildings were damaged.

13:27 Social Networks: In the temporarily occupied Donetsk, arrivals near the Topaz plant.

ZAPORIZHIA

December 23

11:23 Social Networks: It is reported that an explosion sounded in the center of the temporarily occupied Melitopol.

11:28: The mayor of the temporarily occupied Melitopol confirmed an explosion in the city. 

·        "According to eyewitnesses, a car used by the Rashists was blown up. Information on passengers and their condition is being clarified", - Ivan Fedorov.

DNIPRO

December 23

07:37 Dnipro RMA: Twice Russian heavy artillery covered the night Nikopol region with fire.

·        It struck two cities - Nikopol and Manganese. People survived.

·        In Nikopol, Russian shells destroyed private houses, outbuildings and a gas pipeline. In Manganese, the consequences of the shelling are being clarified.

December 22

23:52 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

22:21 Nikopol RMA: The day in the area passed with alarms and shelling.

·        The Russians carried out a fire destruction of the territories of the Marganets and Krasnogrigorovskaya communities. Three private houses were damaged. People were not injured.

18:04 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Dnipro and Kamianske Dnipropetrovsk region.

14:57 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Nikopol.

KHERSON

December 23

10:45 Social Networks: Another explosion is reported in Kherson.

10:04 Social Networks: Repeated explosions are reported in Kherson.

09:21 Social Networks: Explosions are reported in the temporarily occupied Skadovsk, Kherson region.

08:50 Kherson RMA: The Russians shelled the territory of the Kherson region 61 times. The invaders attacked peaceful settlements of the region with artillery, MLRS, mortars and tanks.

·        Russian troops shelled Kherson 30 times. Due to Russian shelling last day, 1 person was killed, 2 residents of the Kherson region were injured of varying severity.

07:31 Social Networks: Heavy shelling of Kherson is reported.

December 22

20:50 Social Networks: Reports of repeated explosions in Kherson.

16:05 Russian Media: In the temporarily occupied Kakhovka, Kherson region, the car of the Russian-appointed "head" of the village of Lyubimovka, Andrei Shtepa, was blown up.

·        According to media reports, the man was burned alive.

14:54 First Deputy Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs: Another mass grave was found in Kherson after de-occupation.

·        "Another 36 graves were found in the cemetery in the settlement of geologists in Kherson. There is a mass burial, where there are also the bodies of servicemen."

ODESA

December 22

14:31 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the Odessa region.

KYIV

December 23

09:28 Kyiv City Military Administration: Emergency blackouts continue in Kyiv.

·        Heat and water are supplied as usual. At the same time, in de-energized high-rise buildings, the pressure may be reduced.

00:54: In Kyiv, the Vernadsky Library was illuminated with a searchlight. The inscription "100 k" was designed on the building in honor of the number of liquidated Russian soldiers

December 22

15:56: Kyiv received 9 powerful generators from the Danish twin city Odense, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

·        Eight of them will be installed in boiler houses to provide heat supply during power outages, one - in the Kyiv geriatric boarding house.

SUMY

December 23

11 Sumy RMA: Opublished the aftermath of the shelling of the village of Iskriskivshchyna of the Bilopilska community.

·        Yesterday, December 22, the Russians opened it with mortars in one of the border villages. 16 mines exploded in the streets and near human dwellings.

00:11 Sumy RMA: Psaid that from 22 o'clock on December 22 in Sumy region all alarms will be accompanied by additional duplication of threat messages.

·        They will be heard on the streets of cities of the region, from special vehicles of the State Emergency Service, using loudspeakers.

December 20

21:39 Sumy RMA: 54 strikes were carried out by the Russians on the border during the day.

·        Bilopilska, Khotynska and Znob-Novgorodska communities were under fire

·        People in all cases were not injured.

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