Summary: Neither side made any significant advances as the war continues in a standstill. Russia continues to attack all along the line hoping to use the bad winter weather to regain initiative in the war. Ukraine is mostly taking a defensive posture during these winter months.
Russia 1 – Kupyansk/Svatove Line
Russian forces attempted to advance near Synkivka (6 miles NE of Kupyansk) but were repelled by Ukrainian defenders.
Russia 2 – Svatove/Kreminna Line
Russian forces advanced southeast of Terny (12 miles W of Kreminna). Russian forces attempted to advance past Novoselivske (11.5 miles NW of Svatove) but were repelled by Ukrainian defenders.
Russia 3 – Avdiivka/Marinka Line (Outskirts of Occupied Donetsk City)
Russian forces maintained their hold of eastern Stepove (5 miles NW of Avdiivka) and captured a water treatment plant just south-east of the ash dump in the northern outskirts of Avdiivka.
Russian forces attempted to advance near Marinka, Pobieda (2.5 miles SW of Marinka), and Novomykhailivka (6 miles S of Marina) but were repelled by Ukrainian defenders.
Ukrainian forces regained control over a building in the industrial zone in the southeast outskirts of Avdiivka.
Ukraine 1 – Liberate Bakhmut
Ukrainian forces did not make any confirmed of claimed advances in the sector.
Russian forces attempted to advance on Bohdanivka (5 miles W of Bakhmut), Ivanivske (4 miles W of Bakhmut), and Klishchiivka (5 miles S of Bakhmut) but were repelled by Ukrainian defenders.
Ukraine 2 – Drive to Berdyansk from Velyka Novosilka
Ukrainian forces made no confirmed or claimed advances in the sector.
Russian forces attempted to advance towards Staromaiorske (6 miles S of Velyka Novosilka).
Ukraine 3 – Drive to Melitopol from Orikhiv
Ukrainian forces made no confirmed or claimed advances in the sector.
Russian forces advanced towards Novoprokopivka (11 miles S of Orikhiv) and attempted to advance near Novopokrovka (10 miles SE of Orikhiv) but were repelled by Ukrainian defenders.
Ukraine 4 – Liberate Eastern Kherson
Russian forces attempted to recapture more of Krynky but were unsuccessful.
Friday, December 8
Russia launched seven drones and 23 missiles against targets in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts. Ukrainian air defense intercepted five of the drones and 14 of the missiles. Whereas Kyiv Oblast was spared any hits, civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv and Pavlohrad (Dnipropetrovsk Oblast) were hit. Five missiles landed on residential buildings in Kharkiv wounding one person. Another missile hit a coal mine in Toretsk resulting in one injury.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his presidential bid for 2024, but in a way that made it look like he made the decision spontaneously after Russian military personnel begged him to run for another term. No one is buying it except maybe Tucker Carlson.
UK Foreign Minister and former Prime Minister David Cameron visited the United States and pleaded with U.S. lawmakers to put aside their differences and continue to support Ukraine’s struggle against Russia.
Japan pledged $4.5 billion in humanitarian and recovery aid to Ukraine.
Ukraine sent the first trainload of trucks into Poland to bypass the blockade by Russian truckers trying to force the EU to cancel the permit requirement for Ukrainian truckers to transport humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Polish truckers claim that Ukrainian truckers are taking advantage of this by transporting commercial assets as well.
French President Emmanuel Macron met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Elysée Palace to persuade Orban not to block the next step for Ukraine’s integration into the EU at the upcoming EU summit next week.
Saturday, December 9
The EU reached an agreement allowing member states to restrict the imports of natural gas from Russia and Belarus, noting that the Russian economy is growing despite sanctions because of the international sale of natural gas.
The Ukrainian legislature has passed legislation designed to appease Hungarian Prime Ministers Orban’s objection to allowing Ukraine to become part of the EU. The new legislation allows private educational institutions to teach in the language of their choice but must provide courses in learning the Ukrainian language. Public institutions must also provide instruction to persons who belong to national minorities, in languages that are the official languages of the EU. This law allows Hungarian private schools to continue teaching in Hungarian and to provide instruction in the public school system in Hungarian to those who desire instruction in the Hungarian language.