Bob Homans December 4
20221205
Ukraine – 12/4 Sitrep
Compiled by: Robert Homans
December 4, 2022
While writing this I am watching the performance of the “Carol of the Bells” performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City, a Christmas Carol of Ukrainian origin that has become a Christmas tradition around the World. The performance was introduced by Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s First Lady, and attended by several Ukrainian veterans, who are in the U.S. receiving treatment for war wounds. I have never heard it in its entirety, only the portion that one hears when entering department stores like Macy’s. It is beautiful.
Ukraine’s Christmas
One of my college classmates has a Ukrainian daughter-in-law. In a call last Friday, he mentioned that they were going to be celebrating St. Nicholas Day on Tuesday, December 6th. I was surprised by what I heard. I had always thought that St. Nicholas Day was celebrated on December 20th. It was, but now for ecclesiastical purposes Ukraine has dumped the Julian Calendar, and now uses the Gregorian Calendar. As a result, Christmas in Ukraine is now celebrated on December 25th, and not January 7th. All other religious celebrations are changed accordingly. Ukraine claims it is doing this to bring the country closer to the West. It also serves to poke another finger in the eye of Russia, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Moscow Patriarchate, and Patriarch Kirill.
News From the Battlefield
“Reporting From Ukraine” says that Ukrainians are coming very close to Russian defense lines in front of Kremina, Luhansk Oblast. The New York Times reports that Ukrainian authorities are encouraging Ukrainian citizens to evacuate from the Left Bank of the Dnieper River, across from Kherson City, suggesting that Ukrainian troops have crossed the Dnieper in force and may launch an offensive going east toward Melitopol. The article reported that Ukraine is allowing refugees from the Left Bank to cross back onto the Right Bank at one crossing point for a limited time.
Time to review the bidding:
· For the past few weeks, Ukraine has been hitting Russian supply depots and troop concentrations in the portion of Kherson Oblast and southern Zaporizhia Oblast, especially around Melitopol
· Apparently there have been some reports of Russian troops, especially those who were withdrawn from the Right Bank, to reinforce Russian troops fighting in Eastern Ukraine, especially near Bakhmut and the Svatove/Kremina area in Luhansk Oblast.
· There have been other reports of Russian withdrawals from towns in Zaporizhia Oblast near Tokmak (north of Melitopol)
· Partisans have been active around Melitopol since the start of the war.
· There have been reports of Ukrainian landings on the Kinburn Peninsula, at the mouth of the Dnieper.
· Apparently, there are negotiations going on concerning Russian withdrawal from the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP)
It seems as if Ukraine is setting up conditions for a counterattack east, from Kherson, and south, toward Tokmak and Melitopol, but Ukraine has become very good at keeping everyone guessing, especially the Russians. As has become normal in assessing Ukraine’s options there are many questions, including:
· Can Ukraine cross the Dnieper in force, when all the bridges have been blown and getting to Kinburn requires not only an amphibious operation, but also forcing a narrow connection from Kinburn that is only 4km wide?
· If there is a counterattack in the south, will it be east from Kherson, south toward Melitopol, or both?
· What role would the Zaporizhia NPP play in Ukraine’s calculations. Ukraine’s southern counterattacks might cut off the Russians who now occupy the plant. What would their reaction be?
· Would Ukraine continue to press Russian defenders along the Kremina-Svatove Line, while they’re launching a counteroffensive in the south and holding positions in front of Bakhmut?
· While ground may be hardening in the east, in front of Bakhmut and the Kremina- Svatove Line, the ground in the south is likely still muddy but possibly weakly defended, allowing Ukraine to possibly continue to use roads?
There is little question that Ukraine is going to launch a Winter counteroffensive, but where? Ukraine won’t wait for Spring.
12/4 Sitrep (my comments in bold face)
Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon December 3 to 12:00 noon December 4, 2022
02.12.22. Video summary from Yesterday:
Abbreviations:
RMA = Regional Military Administration SBU = Security Service of Ukraine
INTERNATIONAL
December 4
11:25 Reuters: Spanish police have found that the bomb that exploded at the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid was sent from the city of Valladolid, located in northern Spain.
· According to the agency, from November 24 to December 2, parcels with explosive devices were sent from the same city for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, government agencies, the European Union satellite company and the US Embassy — only 6 pieces.
· The police have not yet been able to find the sender.
10:35 Newsmaker: Romania has started exporting gas to Moldova through the Iasi-Ungeni pipeline.
· With the help of this gas pipeline, the Moldovan authorities intend to reduce the republic's dependence on the Russian Gazprom and increase the country's energy security.
10:01 Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin: It is Putin's war that is the reason for NATO expansion, not the other way around.
· "Russia was not provoked, Russia was not threatened, Russia was not attacked. Instead, one person chose war. Putin's war is not a consequence of NATO enlargement - it is the reason for NATO expansion," Austin said.
09:42 Parisien: French President Emmanuel Macron said he would talk to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky before talking about ZNPP with Putin.
· "I was waiting for the opportunity to discuss everything in detail with President Joe Biden before talking to Putin. I am also waiting for a conversation with the Director General of the IAEA. And, of course, as I've always done, I have to talk to President Zelenskyy first."
08:00 Bloomberg: The U.S. will concentrate on curbing arms supplies from Iran to Russia and supporting Iranian protesters, rather than negotiating the resumption of an international nuclear deal that has reached an impasse. This was stated by the US President's Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley in an interview.
07:09 NBC News - U.S. Director of National Intelligence: U.S. intelligence expects the pace of hostilities in Ukraine to decline in the coming months but sees no evidence of a decline in will to resist from Ukrainian forces.
· According to her, both the Ukrainian and Russian military will try to re-equip and replenish supplies to prepare for a counteroffensive after winter.
· Russian troops in Ukraine spend ammunition faster than the country's defense industry can produce them.
· As I stated earlier, as far as Ukraine is concerned, it doesn’t seem that Ukraine will wait until “after winter” to launch a counteroffensive. “After winter” may be the latest example of the herd mentality that often appears in Washington, about what Ukraine is able, or more precisely unable to do, starting with “Ukraine won’t last more than 5 days.”
00:29: The State Department believes that "letters" with animal eyes addressed to Ukrainian embassies correspond to Russia's handwriting
· "It's horrible, and it's directed against Ukraine. There is a whole set. The "matrix" of terrible things that are now heading against Ukraine, and we know where they are coming from," said US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland.
· At the same time, Nuland has no evidence of Russia's involvement in these terrorist acts.
December 3
23:14: Elon Musk began posting revelations about the social network's Twitter activities before he acquired it.
· In his profile, the billionaire gave a link to the page of journalist Matt Taibbi, who published several documents that night.
· Their general meaning boils down to identifying how American politicians, through personal contacts of their PR services with Twitter employees, removed content from the social network that they did not like.
19:12: The EU Council has approved a decision to limit the price of Russian oil, the EU Council said in a statement.
· The price cap level was set in close cooperation with the Coalition to Limit Oil Prices and will begin to apply from December 5, 2022.
19:01: The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that at least 90% of the world's population has already developed immunity to the COVID-19 virus.
· WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said it was the result of either infection or vaccination.
6:50 Daily Sabah: Sweden has extradited a member of a Kurdish party to Turkey to gain favor to join NATO.
· According to the publication, Mahmut Tata was sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison in 2015, as he was accused of membership in the terrorist organization PKK. Because of this, he sought asylum in Sweden, but was refused.
18:40 European Commission: The upper price limit for oil from the Russian Federation will be regulated, all interested countries will do it through their national legal procedures.
· It is reported that the price limit will not be applied to oil from the Russian Federation for 45 days for ships of the G7 countries loaded before December 5.
· It is also known that the G7 will introduce from February 5, 2023, the upper price limit for Russian oil products transported by sea, but the mechanism has not yet been agreed.
17:58 ERR: Estonia has signed a contract with the United States to acquire HIMARS for more than $200 million.
· Weapons systems will be purchased from the United States, the arms manufacturer is Lockheed Martin. It is the largest defence procurement in Estonian history.
17:47: A Russian billionaire has been detained and released on bail in Britain, the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA).
· "The NCA conducted a large-scale operation to arrest a wealthy Russian businessman on suspicion of money laundering, conspiracy to deceive the Ministry of the Interior and conspiracy to give false testimony," the NCA reported.
· According to the media, we are talking about the Russian billionaire Mikhail Friedman.
17:28: Australia released a gin in honor of the liberation of Kherson.
· "This limited edition of our gin was released in honor of the liberation of the Ukrainian city of Kherson, where, perhaps, the sweetest watermelons in the world are grown!" – the producers said in a statement.
16:57 Polsat News: In the Polish village of Wszeście near Słupsk , a house where refugees from Ukraine lived caught fire on Friday.
· In the utility room, converted for living, 33 people lived. None of the residents of the house was injured. The fire was extinguished by 15 fire brigades.
16:33 Canada's Foreign Ministry: Canada has imposed additional sanctions on Iran for supplying drones to Russia.
· The sanctions included a company that helped develop Shahed drones, and Safiran, the drone delivery coordinator.
16:12: French President Emmanuel Macron in an interview with TF1 stated the need for security guarantees for Russia.
· According to Macron, the topic of NATO, in particular the impossibility of expanding the alliance, will become one of the topics of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. The politician believes that the future security architecture of Europe should include guarantees for Russia.
· Guarantees from what? NATO expanded not because of any intent on NATO’s part to invade Russia, which is what I assume Macron was referring to, but to provide security guarantees for countries in Eastern Europe, that had recently experienced Soviet invasion of their territories. Ukraine deserves the same security guarantees, for the same reason. I find it hard to understand why Macron, and others, don’t seem to accept this point.
16:00 Bloomberg: According to a NASA Harvest study, Russia stole at least $ 1 billion worth of Ukrainian grain.
· The Agency notes that almost 6 million tons of wheat, about 88% of winter crops sown in the occupied territories were harvested from the territories not controlled by Ukraine, and uncollected areas were mainly located along the front line.
3:33 Europa Press: Spain's Interior Ministry confirmed that an animal's eye was found in a package received by the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid on Friday.
13:58 British Foreign Minister: The topic of talks could be used by Putin to replenish his troops' reserves before launching a new offensive.
· "The solution to this issue must be sustainable. We must beware of the pause that Russia is using to make sure that its next phase of aggression will be more effective than this," he said.
3:06: French President Macron says he wants to talk to Putin after talking to the IAEA Director General to discuss the situation with civilian nuclear power in Ukraine.
13:28 CNN: Next Wednesday, December 7, U.S. senators will hold a secret briefing on aid to Ukraine.
· The Biden administration insists on allocating $ 37 billion in aid to Ukraine. They can be included in the general bill on additional funding, which must be approved by December 16.
13:22 La Repubblica - IAEA Director General: The withdrawal of Russian weapons from the Zaporizhzhia NPP demanded by Ukraine will be part of the agreement between Kyiv and Moscow with the IAEA.
12:57 Pronews: In the Greek port of Alexandroupoli, a train depot with tanks and other NATO military equipment went off the rails yesterday.
· Authorities have fitted cranes to the site to fix the problem. The video also shows that a group of local communists is protesting against the transportation of equipment.
12:07 Lithuanian Defence Minister: Two more PzH2000 howitzers have been repaired and delivered to Ukraine. Together with ammunition.
NATIONAL
December 4
09:10 Institute for the Study of War: Заява Макрона стала частиною російської інформаційної операції.
· "Russia's demand for security guarantees is part of a larger Russian information operation in which NATO is portrayed as a provocateur of an invasion of Ukraine."
· 09:21: Russian Defense Minister Shoigu traveled to Minsk, probably to put pressure on Belarus to support Russia's war against Ukraine.
· "The defence ministers of both countries met in Minsk to further strengthen bilateral security ties between Russia and Belarus. Shoigu probably tried to pressure Belarus to continue supporting Russia's offensive campaign in Ukraine."
· In the coming weeks, the pace of Ukrainian offensive operations will increase in the Donbas.
· With the onset of winter and frost, conditions in eastern Ukraine are becoming more favorable for a faster pace of operations.
08:46 DTEK: As of December 4, emergency blackouts continue to operate in Kyiv, Odesa and Dnipro.
· According to the company, the power engineers are doing everything possible to restore the system and return to stabilization outages.
07:29: Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 06:00 on December 4:
· "Over the past day, the enemy has inflicted 10 missile, 16 air strikes, and also carried out more than 30 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems at the positions of our troops and settlements along the contact line.
· Civilian infrastructure facilities in the settlements of Shevchenkove, Kharkiv region and Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, were hit by missile strikes.
· The threat of the enemy's missile strikes on the objects of the energy system and critical infrastructure throughout Ukraine remains."
· "According to the updated information, in the period from November 28 to November 30 this year, up to 70 wounded and more than 230 dead Russian invaders were transported to hospitals in the temporarily occupied settlements of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
· In addition, on December 2, another batch of wounded and the bodies of the dead occupiers were brought to the local hospital in Melitopol."
· "Looting and robbery of the local population continues in the territories temporarily occupied by enemy troops.
· Russian invaders take out all goods and equipment, including freezers and cash registers, from local stores in Nova Kakhovka.
· And in Novomykolayivka, Zaporizhia region, the occupiers numbering up to 100 people on December 2 of this year organized an inspection of documents of local residents, the seizure of personal valuables and household appliances."
· "In addition, in the settlements of the temporarily occupied Kherson region, the Russian invaders, with threats of deprivation of parental rights, force the local population to send children to educational institutions to study under the Russian program."
· "Ukrainian soldiers shot down an enemy Su-25 aircraft and an Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicle.
· During the past day, the Aviation of the Defense Forces inflicted 22 strikes on areas of concentration of personnel, weapons, and military equipment, as well as 3 strikes on the positions of enemy anti-aircraft missile systems.
· "Over the past day, units of the Ukrainian missile forces and artillery hit 2 control points, an ammunition depot, 3 areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment, as well as an area of concentration of artillery means."
00:06: As part of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's program GrainFromUkraine, 25 thousand tons of Ukrainian humanitarian wheat were sent to Ethiopia.
· A photo of the first vessel arriving at its destination was published in the President's Office.
December 3
23:29 Forbes: Siemens wants to install floating power plants near Mykolaiv and Odessa region.
· In November this year, German Siemens Energy appealed to the Ukrainian government with a proposal to place floating power plants in the waters near Odessa, Izmail and Nikolaev.
21:36: Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny had a telephone conversation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, General Mark Milley.
· "He shared assessments of the situation at the front and the security risks posed by russia's massive missile strikes. He detailed our requests for weapons and equipment, air and missile defense systems. He assured that despite the difficult conditions of hostilities, we continue the struggle to victory.
20:53: U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland has arrived in Ukraine, the President's Office said.
· "We see that Ukrainians continue to struggle. Today you are fighting not only for your freedom, but also for democratic values. It makes a huge difference," Nuland said during a meeting with OP Yermak and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink.
o The Kremlin is not ready for peace talks now, says Victoria Nuland
o Victoria Nuland believes that Putin is not sincere and he is not ready for peace talks.
20:43: The SBU published a list of persons who were included in the "church list" of NSDC sanctions and were approved by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
· In total, there are 10 defendants who are representatives of the UOC (MC) or are closely associated with this organization.
· Most of them are currently in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine or abroad.
20:35 Executive Director: Gas blackout is impossible in Ukraine, – Association of Gas Producers of Ukraine
· "Our state is provided with natural gas in underground gas storage facilities, and mining companies continue to produce it and pump it where possible, even despite the very difficult security situation."
19:54 Deputy Head of the Ministry of Health: In case of blackout in Ukraine, planned operations will be suspended
· "On our part, recommendations have been made that if there is a prolonged blackout, then planned hospitalizations and planned operations will be suspended in order not to overload the facilities. Only urgent actions and operations will be taken," Karchevich said.
18:08 Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00 on December 3:
· "During the day, the occupiers inflicted 2 missile and 10 air strikes, as well as carried out 3 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems at the positions of our troops and settlements along the contact line.
· In particular, the civilian infrastructure of the city of Kramatorsk suffered a missile strike.
· The threat of missile strikes on objects of the energy system and critical infrastructure throughout Ukraine remains."
· " On December 2, because of the fire damage to the enemy's concentration area in the city of Starobilsk, Luhansk region, the enemy's losses amounted to about 30 servicemen wounded and 14 dead.
· During December 2, in the Melitopol and Vasylivsky districts of Zaporizhia region, the occupiers lost more than 270 people wounded. Information on the dead is being clarified."
· "During the current day, the Aviation of the Defense Forces has inflicted 13 strikes on areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment, as well as a strike on the position of the anti-aircraft missile system of the occupiers.
· Also, in the area of the settlement of Podgorodnoye, Donetsk region, an enemy plane was shot down. Information about its type is being clarified."
· "Units of the missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit 2 control points, ammunition depots and 2 areas of concentration of enemy personnel and weapons and military equipment."
14:30 representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence: According to the military intelligence of Ukraine, Russia is already using a strategic reserve for certain types of weapons, as well as missiles manufactured this year, particularly in August.
· "This suggests that some missiles are used directly from the assembly line. How much they are enough depends on the production. Yes, it fell compared to the pre-war period. But, unfortunately, the Russian Federation, since it bypasses economic sanctions, is still able to produce a certain number of cruise missiles and other weapons that are used against our state," Skibitsky said.
· Russia's talks are underway with other countries on the supply of missiles to the Smerch and Uragan MLRS, as well as with Iran on ballistic missiles. However, now the supply of such weapons has not been recorded, said the representative of the Intelligence Directorate Vadim Skibitsky.
14:08: The Ministry of Defense showed the development of a new Ukrainian MLRS "Bureviy", which will replace the Soviet system "Uragan".
· The system has a modern digital fire control system, installed chassis from the Czech company Tatra, a powerful engine, an armored cabin, as well as 4 "paws" instead of 2.
13:36: The EU has opened a cyber defense laboratory in Kyiv to help the Ukrainian military protect its cyber environment from attacks by the Russian Federation, according to the agency's website.
· It is known that the EU has financed and supplied equipment for the cyber laboratory, as well as security software and protective equipment for the Armed Forces using the European Peace Fund.
12:30 Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: "We are constantly monitoring and preparing our forces for an adequate response. Currently, there is no threat from Belarus yet."
· "The situation is under control. But on the territory of Belarus, the accumulation of an allied group of troops continues."
MORDOR (rUSSIA)
December 4
December 3
19:31: putin's meeting with the "mothers of the mobilized" was attended by 16 women, only three of whom had sons mobilized, Meduza, citing sources in the presidential administration.
· The very idea of the event appeared against the background of numerous claims to the course of mobilization in the Russian Federation by the mobilized and their relatives.
· Almost immediately, it turned out that among the "mothers" invited to Putin, there are many not random people at all: 11 out of 16 participants of the meeting work either in budget organizations or in pro-government social movements.
15:25: Moscow will not accept the limit on Russian oil prices imposed by Western countries, Peskov said.
14:48 SBU interception: Russian command hides the causes of death of those mobilized before a new wave of mobilization to prevent riots in the army.
· The Siberian woman tells a man who is fighting in the Donetsk direction that the mobilized are returning home in the coffins. And most of all, the official cause of death surprises relatives "fell asleep and did not wake up."
12:44 Financial Times: Russia has bought more than a hundred tankers to sell oil and supplies to India, China, and Turkey amid Western sanctions.
· The number of unnamed or new buyers has increased in the registers, usually tankers are 12-15 years old, they are planned to be written off in the next few years, said Anup Singh, head of research at Braemar.
KHARKIV
December 4
09:53 Kharkiv RMA: The Russians are again launching artillery and missile strikes in the Kupyansk region.
· At about 23 hours, S-300 missiles launched by the Russians hit the Shevchenko community. About 03 o'clock in the morning - in the village. Shevchenkove. There are no casualties.
· In addition, the Russians attacked the settlements of the Vovchansk community and the Kharkiv district, as well as the Izyum region. No casualties.
December 3
22:55 Social Networks: Local residents report explosions in the suburbs of Kharkiv.
15:17: Near Izyum, a car ran into an unknown explosive device, police in the Kharkiv region said.
· As a result of the explosion, two men died, the car suffered significant mechanical damage.
12:22 Kharkiv Mayor: At least $9 billion in damage has been caused to Kharkiv as a result of Russian shelling.
· According to him, approximately 500 apartment buildings cannot be restored. In addition, 109 schools and 110 kindergartens were destroyed or damaged to one degree or another, some of them cannot be restored. Russian troops also damaged the buildings of 53 medical institutions, boiler houses, water pipes, and urban transport.
LUHANSK
December 4
11:33 City Military Administration: Severodonetsk entered the winter without heating and almost without electricity, which the Russians provided the settlement with sporadically.
· Along the perimeter of the city, Russians carry out mining, and infrastructure facilities are also mined. The Russians continue to loot empty apartments. Food supplies to the city are limited, their prices are three times higher than in the controlled territory.
10:44 Luhansk RMA: The weather benefits the Ukrainian military in the Svativ and Kremin directions.
· In the Bakhmut direction, in particular around Bilohorivka, the Russians use artillery and aircraft, trying to break through the defenses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
December 3
14:57 Luhansk RMA: An important way of supplying Russians on the railway section near Luhanska TPP (Shchastya) has been damaged.
12:16 Luhansk RMA: The Armed Forces are gradually pushing the Russians' defense in the direction of Svatovo-Kremenna.
· According to him, in this direction the fighting is tough and almost for every 100 meters, because the Russians had time to prepare. He added that the Russians continue to strengthen and bring freshly mobilized, but the Armed Forces are slowly and confidently moving forward.
DONETSK
December 4
10:59 a.m. Social Networks: Explosions are reported in Pokrovsky district, Donetsk region.
10:19 Donetsk RMA: At night, the Russians continued to shoot along the front line from Kurakhovskaya to the Liman community.
· In Donetsk sector, 1 person was wounded in Kurakhove. Also, under fire, Marinka and Heorhiivka were without casualties.
· In the Horlivka direction, as a result of shelling, 1 person was killed in the Predtechin of the Kostiantynivska community. During the day, Toretsk suffered two blows from Grads. There was no information about the victims.
· In the Lysychansk direction, there are again numerous shellings of the Torsk and Zarechny Liman communities.
08:26 Donetsk RMA: On December 3, in the Donetsk region, as a result of Russian aggression, one person was killed and five people were injured.
07:19 National Resistance Center: In the temporarily occupied Makiivka, summonses are handed out to men when water is given out.
· There is currently no centralized water supply, so the occupiers distribute bottled water. However, in order to obtain it, you must present an identity document, in particular, a passport in which the corresponding registration is indicated, or a birth certificate.
· In addition, men of draft age should have marks of registration with the military registration and enlistment office, according to the resistance center.
December 3
21:25 State Border Guard Service of Ukraine: Border guards shot down a Russian SU-34 fighter on the outskirts of Bakhmut.
· The cost of the destroyed aircraft is estimated at $50 million.
17:07: A Russian military base appeared in the center of the temporarily occupied Mariupol.
· The BBC published a satellite image of this base from Maxar.
16:22 mayor: 4 Russian missiles hit the industrial zone of Kramatorsk.
· According to preliminary information, no casualties. The consequences of the destruction are being clarified.
15:12: Explosions are heard again in Kramatorsk.
14:00 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in the Kramatorsk district.
ZAPORIZHIA
December 4
11:43 Zaporizhia RMA: This night, several arrivals were recorded by Russian troops in one of the villages of the Zaporozhye district.
· As a result of explosions on the territory of private buildings, window panes were knocked out, the roofs of private residential buildings and power lines were damaged. The fire was extinguished by rescuers. All people remained alive and unharmed.
December 3
11:39 Social Networks: Locals report repeated sounds of explosions in Zaporizhia.
21:59 Social Networks: Local residents report explosions in Zaporizhia.
12:38 Mayor of Melitopol: Residents of the temporarily occupied Mykhailivka, Melitopol district, report loud explosions. It detonates near The Fruit, machine gun bursts are heard.
DNIPRO
December 4
08:16 Dnipro RMA: At night, Russians shelled the Nikopol, Marganetska, Chervonohryhorivska and Pokrovska communities.
· "The Russians fired 10 times at peaceful cities and villages from Grad rockets and heavy artillery. It passed without the dead and wounded. In the Chervonohryhorivska community, 5 private houses, outbuildings, garages and power lines were beaten," Reznichenko wrote.
December 3
21:16 Dnipro RMA: During the day, Russian troops shelled the Nikopol district several times, firing more than 30 shells from heavy artillery and MLRS at it.
· In the afternoon and in the evening, they beat Nikopol himself. In addition, the Pokrovska community was attacked. Previously, no one was injured. The consequences of damage are being clarified.
13:54 Social Networks: Explosions are heard again in Nikopol.
KHERSON
December 4
11:18 Kherson RMA: Russians shelled the territory of Kherson region 46 times. They fired artillery, tanks, mortars, MLRS on peaceful settlements.
· There are hits in private and apartment buildings in Kherson. Other civilian infrastructure of the city was also damaged. 1 person was killed, another 2 residents of the Kherson region were injured of varying severity.
00:44: On the left bank of the Kherson region, a Ukrainian flag was raised. Special Forces "Carlson" said that a bridgehead was opening for the Armed Forces for further de-occupation of the left bank.
December 3
21:42: In Kherson, "arrival" to houses near Svobody Square, according to local journalist Konstantin Ryzhenko.
23:30 Social Networks: Local residents report explosions in Hlukhiv district of Sumy region.
20:48 Social Networks: Local residents report repeated explosions in Kherson.
19:38: Explosions in Kherson are reported.
21:10: Sounds of shelling of Kherson by Russian troops.
18:30 Kherson RMA: 75% of the city of Kherson has electricity.
· "The power grids that failed due to enemy shelling are reconnected to the current," Yanushevich wrote.
15:42: Kherson journalist Kostiantyn Ryzhenko published leaflets that the Armed Forces of Ukraine used drones to scatter in the temporarily occupied Hola Prystan.
14:22: Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov visits Chornobaivka.
· "These are the remains of the sign of the Kherson International Airport. Russians will understand the first three letters of the city name without an interpreter, and this is the only thing they can get from Ukraine. Many of them, who fertilize the fields around, have already seen this.
14:14 Kherson Military Administration: Today, Russians shelled the Pallada plant in Kherson.
13:14 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
MYKOLAIV
December 4
08:53 Mykolaiv RMA: Tonight, Russians fired mortars at the Ochakov community.
· It is also known that yesterday, December 3, one of the settlements of the Kutsurub community suffered enemy shelling. It passed without casualties.
ODESA
December 4
08:37 Odesa RMA: In the Black Sea, the group of enemy ships is 21 combat units.
· The number of rocket carriers has not changed: now there are 4 of them. The total volley can be 24 "calibers".
KYIV
December 3
23:52: Heating stations in Kyiv will operate around the clock in case of an emergency
· In the capital, heating points will operate around the clock only if there is an emergency with heating and other communications. According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, they are currently not available around the clock due to curfew.
SUMY
December 4
11:10 Sumy RMA: After 00:00 on the territory of the Hlukhiv gomada, the Russians opened fire from mortars of 120 mm caliber (8 "arrivals").
· And at about 01:20 in one of the villages of the Znob-Novgorod community, the Russians used small arms. There were 6 single shots.
· In both cases, no casualties or destruction.
00:33 Social Networks: Sounds of explosions in Hlukhiv, Sumy region.
December 3
21:51 Sumy RMA: During the day, the Russians shelled the Esman community.
· One of the border villages was hit with 120 mm caliber mortars. 4 mines exploded on the territory of Ukraine.
16:41 Sumy RMA: Consequences of yesterday's shelling of the border village of Znob-Novgorod community. Warehouses and hangars were completely destroyed.
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