Bob Homans December 31

20221231

Ukraine – 12/31 Sitrep

Compiled by: Robert Homans

December 31, 2022

Thank you!

On the occasion of the last day of 2022 and on behalf of my collaborator in Kyiv, I would like to thank all the recipients of our emails for their loyalty and their support, in various ways, for Ukraine’s cause.  It has meant a lot to us, and it keeps us going, even though both of us have “day jobs.”  

Latest Lawrence Freedman

This is Freedman’s last post for 2022, in which he reviews the assessments he has made during the course of Russia’s most recent invasion, and prior to its start.   Here is where he ended up –

“This was my last full assessment from late November. Let’s see how long it lasts.”

“As has been the case from the start of the war … judgements on who is winning and losing continue to depend on the course of the land battle. But for now Russia lacks a credible concept of victory whereas it is possible to see how Ukraine might prevail, at least to the point of leaving Russia with holdings that are minimal and incoherent, with even Crimea left vulnerable.”

To see how Freedman got to this conclusion, please read the entire post.

I will weigh in with my own assessment, probably on Monday.

News From the Battlefield

I’m including the 2 most recent entries of “Reporting From Ukraine,” December 29th and 30th.  The first is his  assessment of Russia’s latest drone and missile strike that took place last Thursday, December 29th.   The second is a discussion of the recent number of “accidents” that has taken place throughout Russia over the past several weeks.   The Latest Denys mostly consists of his evaluation and prediction of the location and vector of the next Ukrainian counter-offensive.    I’ll discuss each in turn.

Russia’s latest “massive” missile strike was an abject failure, partly due to shootdowns over Ukraine, many of which were carried out by antiaircraft missiles supplied by Ukraine’s partners, and Ukraine’s own initiatives likely independent of Western support.   Here is what “Reporting from Ukraine” stated:

·       Russia was planning to fire approximately 120 cruise missiles, including Iskander short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and Iranian drones.

·       Of these, 69 Russian missiles entered Ukrainian territory, of which 54 were shot down.   The breakdown can be found in the video.

·       The other 51 Russian missiles were either destroyed on the ground in Russia, never launched largely due to Ukraine’s attack on the Engels Airbase on December 26th, destroyed by Russia’s own antiaircraft systems located in Crimea, or by either Russian or Belarusian antiaircraft systems located in Belarus.

·       The S-300 that landed in Belarusian territory could’ve come from antiaircraft action or launched from Belarus toward Ukraine in a surface-to-surface mode.   As has usually been the case, Ukraine gets blamed.    NOTE: I don’t see any snow on the ground, in the area where the remains of the missile landed.

·       Russia lost an SU-27 fighter aircraft flying over Engels, likely shot down by nervous Russian operators of antiaircraft systems defending the base.  

Including the 51 missiles that never entered Ukrainian territory, in this last attack Ukraine, either on its own or through use of equipment supplied by its allies, disposed of 87% of the 120 missiles that Russia intended to launch toward Ukraine.   Yesterday, December 30th, more drones were launched toward Kyiv.   All were shot down.

The performance of Russian antiaircraft protection doesn’t seem to be an improvement over its Soviet predecessor, the one that allowed Mathias Rust to land his private plane on Red Square in 1987.   Along with Chernobyl, this was one of the incidents that exposed how rotten the Soviet System was.

In the case of the attacks on Engels, Russian air defense failed to stop a Ukrainian drone from flying over several hundred kilometers of Russian airspace, in order to get to Engels.  As someone said, it would be the equivalent of a Russian drone flying from the Atlantic Coast to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania without detection.

Regarding the large number of “accidents” inside Russia, Reporting From Ukraine” believes that many are the results of sabotage, with some the result of shoddy construction, and the rest accidental.   As has been reported in these emails, Ukrainians have been operating inside Russia since the end of the Revolution of Dignity.    Most of the activity has been focused on non-Slavic ethnic groups living inside Russia, including promoting draft resistance and local resistance against Russian efforts to suppress local languages and customs.   Since the start of the latest invasion, the focus could’ve easily changed toward sabotage.

One example is the Finns, living in the Russian oblast of Karelia.  Karelia is located along Russia’s border with Finland, including an area between the Finnish border and St. Petersburg, and northeast toward the White Sea.  Karelia is arguably one of the most strategic areas in Russia, especially with Finland about to join NATO.   UNESCO has designated the Karelian Language as endangered.

Looking at the alternatives for the next Ukrainian counteroffensive, the Latest Denys comes down on Luhansk.   If that is the case, then despite muddy ground Ukraine’s offensive has already started. 

Ukraine is closing in on Kremina.   Capturing Kremina would cut off a major Russian north-south supply route toward Bakhmut.

Assuming Denys is correct, Ukraine may have succeeded in convincing Russia that the next Ukrainian offensive will be in the south, toward Melitopol.  Denys is reporting that Russia is building up substantial defense lines around Melitopol and even northern Crimea, and they’re transferring troops from Donbas down to the south.

My only area of departure from Denys is that Ukraine needs to do something, to neutralize Russian artillery strikes against Kherson, emanating from the opposite bank of the Dnieper.   Perhaps the new JDAM attachments that Ukraine is getting from the US will help in this effort.  JDAM attachments would give Ukrainian fixed wing aircraft a standoff capability, to drop bombs from the right bank of the Dnieper and hit Russian positions on the opposite bank.

Weather

Based on a few winters that I have spent in Kyiv, one shouldn’t expect significant snow and consistent freezing temperatures until mid to late January.   When I first arrived in Kyiv, on January 16, 2005, the ground was bare.   I wasn’t disappointed for long.  Two weeks later, on January 29th, it was so cold that the passenger door of my driver’s car, who was taking me to the airport to return to the U.S., was frozen shut.    I would not expect the ground in the south to freeze.

New Year’s Eve Viewing

The latest from Navalny’s Team.  This one is an expose on Russian General Surovikin, Russia’s new commanding general for Ukraine.   In the interests of full disclosure, and to keep viewers entertained and titillated, Surovikin has the requisite “trophy wife” and supplemental income streams.

12/31 Sitrep (my comments in bold face)

Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon December 30 to 12:00 noon December 31, 2022

Abbreviations:

RMA = Regional Military Administration             SBU = Security Service of Ukraine

RASHISTS = russian Facists/all russian invaders

INTERNATIONAL

December 31

10:14 Slovenian Press Agency: Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fayon handed over two ambulances to Ukraine's Ambassador to Ljubljana Andrii Taran.

09:32 TV Prva: Serbia will not change its position on the rejection of anti-Russian sanctions, - Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in an interview with the TV channel.

09:31 CNN - US State Department spokesman: The  US State Department expresses concerns about China's "alliance" with Russia after a video conversation between Putin and Xi Jinping.

08:24 Polish Prime Minister: In the new 2023, Warsaw will continue to support Kyiv in the fight against Russian aggression.

·       "We all hope that 2023 will be a year of victory and peace," he said.

07:09: Ukraine can continue to count on Germany's support, says German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in his New Year's address to the German people.

·       "Today, Ukrainians resist Russia's aggression and are fighting thanks to Germany's assistance as well. The EU and NATO are united more than ever: despite the consequences of the war in Ukraine, which German citizens also face, Berlin will continue to support Kyiv next year," Scholz said.

00:40: Ukrainian pensioners will be indexed their pensions next year. This was announced by Denys Shmyhal.

·       "Almost 11 million pensioners receive their payments on time all this time. Moreover, this year we have indexed pensions, increasing them by 16%. We will carry out the indexation of pensions in 2023," he added.

December 30

21:49 Finnish Defence Minister: Finland plans to become a NATO member by July 2023.

·       "We meet the criteria for NATO membership. I think there are good reasons to believe that Finland will become a member of the alliance before the NATO summit in Vilnius," Kaikkonen said.

18:52: Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

·       "I thanked for the warm wishes for the Ukrainian people and defense support this year. I got assurances about the same level of support in the following. We have outlined joint measures," the president wrote after the conversation.

16:34 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - NATO Secretary General: "It may sound paradoxical, but military support for Ukraine is the fastest way to peace."

·       According to him, Putin had to be convinced that he would not achieve his goal - the establishment of control over Ukraine. Then it would be possible to find a peaceful negotiation solution that would guarantee the survival of Ukraine as an independent democratic state.

13:47: The United Kingdom has donated more than 1000 VALLON metal detectors and 100 bomb disposal kits to Ukraine to help clear minefields, the British government said in a statement.

·       These deliveries are the latest as part of the ongoing support that the UK has provided to Ukraine throughout 2022 and which will continue in 2023, the British government said.

13:17 Foreign Minister: Supplying Ukraine with Patriot systems is a psychological turning point, negotiations have been difficult.

·       "From the early days when we started talking to Americans about Patriot, we heard no. And the fact that this happened is another evidence that another taboo has been removed, another wall has fallen."

·       13:28 Russian media: A Russian missile fell in the Volgograd region. The territory is examined by employees of the Ministry of Emergencies. There is no information about the victims.

NATIONAL

December 31

10:57: Up to 5 Russian ships are on alert in the Black Sea

·       According to the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russians deployed 1 ship in the Sea of Azov, and 9 in the Mediterranean, of which 5 are carriers of Kalibr cruise missiles, the total volley of which is 72 missiles.

·       As was illustrated in one of the recent posts from “Reporting From Ukraine,” above, Russia seems to position its missile carriers off of the east coast of Crimea, putting them out of range of Ukraine’s land-based anti-ship cruise missiles, probably located in the vicinity of Odessa.   However, the JDAM attachments that the US is delivering to Ukraine may change that calculus to Ukraine’s advantage.   JDAMs turn Ukraine’s standard bombs, dropped from its MiG-29s, into longer range guided bombs.   The same applies throughout the Front giving Ukraine, another tool, in addition to HIMARS, to hit Russian ammunition depots and command and control centers.

09:57 Defense Minister: There will be no complete evacuation of the population in the event of a new invasion from Belarus. But people will be warned about the danger.

·       The minister added that if a second offensive, if it starts, it will not be until February.

09:46 British intelligence: Russia may hit Ukraine during the holidays in an effort to undermine the spirit of Ukrainians

·       Russia launches massive missile strikes on Ukraine every seven to ten days. Nevertheless, terrorists may try to attack during the New Year holidays.

·       "There is a real possibility that Russia will break this pattern in order to deliver a new blow in the coming days in order to undermine the morale of the population of Ukraine during the New Year holidays," the British Ministry of Defense said.

09:17 Prime Minister: Ukraine is fully provided with food for 2023.

·       Despite the war, farmers managed to harvest more than 60 million tons of crop. Thanks to the "grain initiative", 15 million tons of products were exported from Ukraine, and more than 10 million tons were exported through the Danube ports, the Prime Minister said.

08:33 DTEK: Today, there are planned blackouts in Kyiv, and emergency power outages in the region.

·       Also in Dnipro and the region today there are stabilization schedules of outages. In Odessa, emergency blackouts continue to operate in the morning.

07:18 Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:

·       "Over the past day, the enemy has inflicted 5 missile and 29 air strikes. 26 enemy airstrikes came on civilian infrastructure. In particular, the occupiers used 10 Shahed-136 UAVs, but all of them were shot down. In addition, the enemy carried out 80 shellings from the MLRS, and civilian settlements were also damaged."

·       The Russians continue to conduct offensive operations in the Liman and Bakhmut directions and are trying to improve the tactical situation in Kupyansk and Avdiivka,

·       Over the past day, Ukrainian soldiers repulsed attacks by Russian troops in the areas of the settlements of Stelmakhivka, Nevsky, Chervonopopivka and Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region and Soledar, Bilohorivka, Bakhmut, Pidgorodne, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, New York, Krasnohorivka, Kamyanka, Avdiivka and Marinka in the Donetsk region.

·       According to available information, in the military commissariats in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, lists of persons subject to conscription for mobilization in January 2023 have been formed.

00:25: Russia has from 13% to 27% of operational-tactical missiles of sea, aviation and ground-based of its own production, - Kirill Budanov

·       "Their industry is trying to get into production of 20 Caliber-type missiles a month. The situation with the production of Kh-101 missiles is approximately similar, even worse than with the production of "Calibers". With the Iskanders, they face complete disaster," he said.

·       I’m not sure where Ukraine is getting this information, about Russia’s missile production.  One piece of evidence put forward in one of Denys’ reports is that the serial number on one of the Russian missiles fired last Thursday, one that turned out to be a “dud,” shows that it was produced early last Fall suggesting, according to the person who made the assessment of Russian missile production, that the Russians were expending more missiles than they were producing.   I don’t necessarily see the connection.   Perhaps Russian missile producers are simply following “Last in-First out” (“LIFO”) accounting policies for their inventory (something of possible interest to my Stanford Business School classmates who get these emails).

December 30

23:20: Today, Ukraine serves as the main NATO country that destroys the Russian army, says Minister of Defense of Ukraine Reznikov.

·       "NATO intelligence recognizes that the losses of Russians in tanks, artillery, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, manpower, they are very significant. Russian troops and missile potential can recover in at least five or even ten years."

21:28: Ukrzaliznytsia presented the first Ukrainian electric train EPL9T, modernized at its own facilities.

·       After a major overhaul, this electric train, manufactured at the Ukrainian plant "Luganskteplovoz", added to the list of restored suburban trains "Ukrzaliznytsia".

20:14: Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny congratulated Ukrainians on the New Year and Merry Christmas.

·       "We didn't choose war. But we accepted the fight. And God Himself is on our side. This Christmas has a taste of tears and the color of blood. Nevertheless, we will have enough strength to defeat the enemy.

·       All those who, together with us, resist the world's evil - Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!" said Zaluzhny.

19:55 Prime Minister: In the 10 months of 2022, Ukraine has raised more than $ 31 billion from partners.

·       He also said that this year it was possible to delay all payments on external debt for 2 years and receive almost UAH 200 billion from the sale of military bonds.

·       More than UAH 1.2 trillion was allocated by the Cabinet of Ministers for security and defense this year.

·       "A number of long-term contracts have been concluded for the production of weapons for Ukraine, which will be financed by the governments of the United States, Germany, Denmark, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Norway and our other partner countries over the next 2-3 years," the Prime Minister said.

19:13 Minister of Defense of Ukraine: Ukraine will destroy Russian equipment by all possible means.

·       Reznikov also published a video of yesterday's liquidation of one of the Russian missiles during a massive shelling.

19:03 Press Service of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: On Friday, there are a dozen enemy ships in the Black Sea.

·       Of these, 1 carrier of cruise missiles "Caliber", the total volley is 8 missiles.

18:20 Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00 on December 30:

·       "During the day, the Russian invaders inflicted 16 air strikes, 15 of which - on civilian infrastructure.

·       In particular, the enemy used 8 Shahed-136 UAVs, all of which were shot down. In addition, the enemy carried out 17 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems.

·       Artillery shelling of civilian settlements by the Russian occupiers killed civilians."

·       "As of December 29 of this year, the hospital in Bilovodsk, Luhansk region, is overcrowded with wounded Russian servicemen.

·       In the area of Donetsk, up to 10 armed occupiers were wounded and killed. In addition, 2 units of military equipment were destroyed, and another 3 were damaged.

·       "Our aviation has inflicted 5 strikes on the areas of concentration of the occupiers. Also, during this day, an enemy reconnaissance UAV of the Orlan-10 type was shot down.

·       Units of the missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, at the same time, hit 6 areas of concentration of enemy manpower and military equipment, 5 ammunition depots and a radar station.

17:28: U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink congratulated Ukrainians on the New Year and wished them peace.

·       "Our commitment to Ukraine is ironclad. We will be side by side with you in 2023 as partners and friends," Brink said.

17:18: Volodymyr Zelenskyy today thanked all the volunteers and awarded them with the Golden Heart award.

·       "You bring our victory closer starting from February 24 – every day, every hour, every minute," he said.

17:09 President's Office: The Armed Forces of Ukraine have already liberated 1,884 settlements from Russians.

·       It is reported that 15,199 infrastructure facilities have been restored, the same number in the process. The protection of 297 energy facilities was also organized.

16:04 Defence Intelligence representative: Russia is already firing fewer missiles at a time and increasing the intervals between attacks.

·       He noted that Russia had used "everything that can move against Ukraine - it launched "shahedas" and beat from the S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems."

·       "The enemy's missile potential is decreasing. They cannot maintain such a high intensity both in terms of regularity and in terms of quantity," Andriy Yusov said.

15:54 Prime Minister: Ukraine has received the third batch of Starlink from Poland - they will be sent to "points of indestructibility", as well as to support the medical and energy sectors.

15:44 Air Force - Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense: The Russian leadership decided from January 5, 2023 to conduct a new wave of mobilization due to high losses at the front.

·       Budanov did not say how many they were mobilizing, but noted that the system of Russian military registration and enlistment offices had adapted slightly to a significant replenishment of the army.

14:20 RND - President's Commissioner for Defenders' Rights: About 3.4 thousand Ukrainian servicemen are now in captivity, another 15 thousand people are missing.

·       According to her, Russia denies the Red Cross access to POW camps and systematically violates the Geneva Convention.

MORDOR (russia)

December 31

00:12: "You have one week left": Reznikov warned Russians that after the New Year the Kremlin will close its borders and declare martial law

·       Ukraine's defense minister called on Russian citizens to avoid mobilization in any way to save their lives.

December 30

23:06 Russian Media: Russia has begun the procedure for withdrawing from the Council of Europe treaties.

·       The Russian government has sent a proposal to President Putin to submit to the lower house of parliament the issue of termination of international treaties of the Council of Europe on Russia.

·       This is the first step in the procedure of denunciation of transactions.

10:21 The Guardian: Moscow's former chief rabbi, Pinchas Goldschmidt, has urged Russian Jews to leave the country over the threat of a surge in anti-Semitism.

·       "Jews must leave Russia before they are made scapegoats for the hardships caused by the conflict in Ukraine," Goldschmidt said during an interview.

21:37 The Guardian: Russian oligarchs lost $95 billion in 2022 amid sanctions over the war in Ukraine.

·       "Russian oligarchs have been losing $330 million a day since the Kremlin launched its invasion in late February," the report said.

16:55: The Armed Forces of Ukraine hit a Russian dormitory in the city of Alchevsk in the temporarily occupied territory of Luhansk region.

14:39: The Arctic oil tanker caught fire in St. Petersburg.

·       Russian media report that two cabins of 10 square meters each are on fire. The fire was given a second level of complexity.

13:05: Putin, during an online meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, said that he would like to meet with him in the spring of 2023 in Moscow.

·       During the conversation, the Russian President also said that Russia and China would continue cooperation in the military-technical sphere. Xi, in turn, said China is "ready to build strategic cooperation."

12:35: Governor Gladkov says shebekinsky city district of Belgorod region came under "fire". There is a projectile hit on the territory of an industrial enterprise.

·       He also said that the re-shelling of the territory is now allegedly underway.

KHARKIV

December 31

09:07 Kharkiv RMA: Last day, as a result of strikes on Kupyansk, civilian infrastructure and residential buildings were damaged. A 76-year-old man was injured.

·       In the Kupyansk district, unfortunately, a man of 50 years was killed as a result of enemy shelling.

December 30

14:58 Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office: In the Kharkiv region, in the village of Borshchova, a car with a married couple exploded on explosives.

·       The car ran into explosives near the forest. A 65-year-old man died on the spot and his 63-year-old wife with injuries is in hospital.

13:37 President's Office: Russian troops struck the village of Katerynivka, Kharkiv region.

·       As a result of the Russian attack, 2 people were killed, another 2 were wounded. Emergency services are working on site.

LUHANSK

December 30

20:05 Luhansk RMA: No breakthroughs, but the Armed Forces are moving towards Svatove and Kreminna.

·       According to Gaidai, of those who surrender, there are many residents of the occupied Luhansk region "freshly mobilized" by Russians.

DONETSK

December 31

10:39: The Russians hit the police station in Lyman with a S-300 missile, the National Police said.

·       As a result of the attack, the policeman was injured. He has moderate injuries, he is provided with medical care.

10:23 Donetsk RMA: Isolated shelling took place in Marinka and on the outskirts of the Ocheretynska community. Two people were injured in the Far Kurakhivska community.

·       The Russians launched a missile strike on Konstantinovka — without casualties. Shelling was recorded on the outskirts of the Toretsk and Soledar communities.

·       1 person was killed and 1 wounded in Dubrov, Liman community.

·       Lyman himself suffered 3 missile strikes. According to preliminary information, there is one wounded in the city. In addition, the Pereizne of the Zvanivska community came under fire, without casualties.

08:05 Donetsk  RMA: On December 30, it became known about 3 civilians killed by Russians in the Donetsk region: 2 in Bakhmut and 1 in Dubrov.

·       Another 3 people in the area were injured.

December 30

15:35: "In Bakhmut, the situation is virtually unchanged. The Russian military again tried to enter the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but they suffered only losses," the Ukrainian military said.

15:05: In the temporarily occupied Donetsk, the deputy head of the military investigation department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the united group of troops, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Yevgeny Rybakov, was killed in the shelling, the press service of the Russian IC reports.

·       RosSMI suggests that Rybakov was killed after a recent shelling of the Victoria Hotel.

12:20 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the temporarily occupied Donetsk.

ZAPORIZHIA

December 30

23:40 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the temporarily occupied Tokmak, Zaporizhia region.

22:51 Mayor of Melitopol: We are very pleased with the fact that collaborators in the temporarily occupied territories pack suitcases and leave our territories.

·       "We already know for certain that several families of collaborators from Melitopol quit their jobs and left the city. Nevertheless, we will find them even on the territory of Russia. Also, the Russian occupiers are delaying their salaries for collaborators. Because of this fact, collaborators are trying to expel anger in people with a pro-Ukrainian position," he said.

18:42: The only working ZNPP backup line was disconnected due to shelling damage, the IAEA said.

·       "The scale of damage to the 330 kV Ferroalloy-1 line is currently unknown, repair work is already underway," the statement said.

16:44 Center for National Resistance: The Russians are deliberately turning schools in the temporarily occupied territories into their own military depots.

·       "A similar situation is observed in Zaporizhia. Warehouses are created in the basements of the frontline schools of the Vasilyevsky district. The enemy deliberately makes civilian objects military targets for provocations and the creation of propaganda plots," the central nervous system said in a statement.

16:13 press service of the Security Service of Ukraine: 15 years behind bars will be carried out by an enemy saboteur who tried to destroy the strongholds of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Zaporizhia.

·       At the beginning of a full-scale invasion, he voluntarily joined the occupation groups of the 1st Army Corps of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation.

·       In the ranks of the reconnaissance group of enemy troops, he took an active part in hostilities against the Defense Forces in the Zaporozhye direction.

DNIPRO

December 31

07:53 Dnipro RMA: New Year's Eve was restless in the Nikopol region.

·       The Russians opened fire on the area three times with heavy artillery. Two communities were shelled - Myrovska and Marganetska. Two dozen shells were sent there.

·       People weren't hurt. The consequences of the attacks are being clarified.

KHERSON

December 31

09:24 Kherson  RMA: Russians shelled the territory of Kherson region 60 times. They hit peaceful settlements of the region with artillery, MLRS, mortars and tanks.

·       The Russian army attacked Kherson 31 times. Shells hit the gas pipeline, private and apartment buildings.

December 30

22:06 DTEK: Power engineers have completed the restoration of power grids in the north of the Kherson region.

·       "On December 30, the supply of electricity to Beryslav and the Beryslav district was fully restored. We thank the sappers because there are a lot of mines," DTEK wrote.

21:50 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.

16:23 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.

12:10 Kherson RMA: Over the past day, Russians shelled the territory of Kherson region 81 times with artillery, MLRS and mortars.

·       Kherson was attacked 27 times by the Russian military. Enemy shells hit a store, critical infrastructure, industrial enterprises, private and apartment buildings.

MYKOLAIV

December 31

08:52 Mykolaiv RMA: Yesterday, as a result of Russian shelling in one of the settlements of the Kutsurub community, residential buildings and outbuildings were damaged. There are no casualties.

ODESA

December 30

19:33 Odesa RMA: Odesa RMA cooperates with energy-intensive industrial enterprises of the region to reduce the use of electricity and distribute it to residential buildings.

19:27: A Christmas tree was lit up on Deribasovskaya in Odessa.

KYIV

December 30

17:38 Spiegel - Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko: There are now almost as many people in Kyiv as there were before the war.

·       "We count how many mobile phones are used. Before the war, there were 3.8 million people here, in March less than a million, in July two, two and a half million, now 3.6 million," Klitschko said.

14:30 Kyiv City Military Administration: Kyiv will not lift curfews for the New Year and Christmas. It will be valid from 23:00 to 05:00.

·       Also, for security reasons, there are no major celebrations planned in the city. The main Christmas tree of the country will shine throughout the day on New Year's Eve, December 31 and Christmas.

·       On December 31, the metro will work until 22:00. Ground transportation until 22:30.

12:55 DTEK: Kyiv is now returning to power outages according to schedules. Power engineers managed to stabilize the situation in the capital.

SUMY

December 31

10:04 Sumy RMA: The night on the border was without shelling. But today, after 8 am, the Russians opened artillery fire on the Krasnopilsky community. There were 3 arrivals.

December 30

22:36 Sumy RMA: Psaid that during the day the Russians inflicted 139 strikes on the border.

·       Under fire were the Myropilskaya, Belopolskaya, Krasnopilskaya, Esmanskaya, Shalyginskaya communities.

·       The school, kindergarten, club, property of the psychoneurological boarding school were damaged.

·       In all cases without victims.

CHERNIHIV

December 31

10:47 Chernihiv  RMA: At night, Russian troops hit one of the military towns in the Chernihiv region,

·       According to preliminary information, the Iskander rocket. There are no dead.

11:27 Ivano Frankivsk RMA: Residents of Ivano-Frankivsk region are warned of explosions

·       Sappers will defuse the remnants of a rocket that previously hit a residential building in the Tlumach community.

December 29

12:22 Operational Command North: A Russian UAV of the "Orlan-10" type was shot down in the Chernihiv region.

12:16 President's Office: The Russians shelled the town of Semenivka, Chernihiv region, allegedly using barreled artillery.

·       Electricity has disappeared in the city. So far, 1 death toll is known. The information is being clarified.

LVIV

December 30

17:51: Ukrzaliznytsia launched a fabulous retro train in Lviv. This is stated in their Telegram channel.

·       It is reported that it will run on the route Lviv - Bryukhovychi - Lviv on December 31 and January 1, 7, 8, 14, 15.

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