Summary: Russia continues taking advantage of the US abandonment of Ukraine by taking more Ukrainian territory, but at great loss of life. The big loss over the Christmas holidays was the fall of Marinka. Russian forces have retaken half of Bohdanivka (near Bakhmut) and Krynky (on the left bank of the Dnipro River). Russian forces are also closing in on Avdiivka, Spirne, Novomykhailivka, Pervomaiske, and Robotyne.
Sloboda Front – Initiative Russia – Current Target: Recapture Kupyansk
Russian forces marginally advanced southwest of Pershotravneve (14 miles E of Kupyansk). Russian sources claim that Russian forces have advanced closer to Synkivka (6 miles NE of Kupyansk), but this has not been confirmed.
Video footage was released of a Russian column of tanks being routed by Ukrainian defenders near Synkivka last week. One Russian soldier was caught on one of the tanks and dragged some distance before getting free. You can watch the video here.
Siversky Donets Front – Initiative Russia – Current Targets: Zherebets River, Siversk, Spirne, Khromove, Bohdanivka, and Ivanivske
Zherebets River – Russian forces have pushed farther west from Kreminna along a tree line 2.5 miles east of Terny (12 miles NW of Kreminna). Russian forces claim to be under 2 miles from Terny, but that is not confirmed. Russian sources also claim to have advanced southeast of Yampolivka (12 miles W of Kreminna) and advanced two miles in the Serebrianska Forest (8.5 miles SW of Kreminna). None of these claims have been confirmed.
Siversk – Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces advanced southwest of Verkhnokamyanske (4.5 miles E of Siversk), but this has not been confirmed.
Spirne – Russian forces have advanced closer to the eastern outskirts of Spirne.
Around Bakhmut – Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces have regained some territory recently lost near Khromove (western border of Bakhmut) and Klishchiivka (5 miles S of Bakhmut), but this has not been confirmed. Russian sources claim that Russian forces captured the dacha area southwest of Bakhmut, captured the cemetery northwest of Khromove, and have taken 40% of Bohdanivka. None of these claims are confirmed.
Horlivka – Ukrainian forces made some marginal advances towards Horlivka from the west taking more of the waste heap.
Donetsk Front – Initiative Russia – Current Targets: Avdiivka, Marinka, Pervomaiske, & Novomykhailivka
Marinka – It was a sad Christmas day for Ukraine as Marinka was finally captured by Russian forces after nearly ten years of fighting. Ukrainian forces withdrew to defensive positions just outside the settlement that used to be the home of 9000 Ukrainians now reduced to rubble. The strategic importance of pushing Ukrainian forces back was to protect occupied Donetsk from Ukrainian artillery and mortar fire. Russia claimed that it was trying to take Marinka to liberate it from Ukraine who was mistreating the ethnic Russian people who lived here. Watch this video to see how Russia “liberates” people from Ukraine.
Avdiivka – Russian forces have advanced into northern Stepove (5 miles NW of Avdiivka) and made advances east of Stepove, advanced into the northern outskirts of Opytne (3 miles SW of Avdiivka), advanced in the industrial area southeast of Avdiivka, and advanced further south in the ash heap in the northeast of Avdiivka. Russian sources claimed to have captured the vineyard area southeast of Avdiivka, advanced to within 650 feet of southwest Avdiivka, and advanced another 1000 feet along the rail line towards Ocheretyne (10 miles NW of Avdiivka), but none of this has been confirmed.
Pervomaiske – Russian sources claim that Russian forces advanced another 650 feet closer to Pervomaiske (2.5 miles W of Vodiane) from occupied Vodiane (4.5 miles SW of Avdiivka) and advanced 650 feet southeast of Nevelske (2.5 miles S of Pervomaiske), but these claims have not been confirmed.
Novomykhailivka – Russian forces have made marginal advances towards Novomykhailivka from the east.
Zaporizhia Front – Initiative Russia – Target: Recapture Robotyne
Russian forces have made marginal advances towards Robotyne from the northwest. Russian forces also retook positions west of Verbove after Ukrainian troops withdrew to hunker down for the winter in Robotyne. Russian sources also claimed that Russian forces advanced towards Kamianske from the south, but that has not been confirmed.
Left Bank Front – Initiative Russia – Current Target: Recapture Krynky
After Ukraine recently shot down five Russian bombers over the region, Russia has greatly decreased their military operations in the sector now that they do not have air cover, but Russian forces still managed to make some marginal advances in Krynky.
Sunday, December 24
Ukraine shot down another SU-34 fighter bomber near Mariupol bringing the total shot down recently to four. Each of these planes are worth $50 million.
Russia launched 15 drones and 2 missiles against Ukrainian targets, but Ukraine air defense systems intercepted 14 of the drones. The two missiles struck civil infrastructure in Kherson. The attack on Kherson also included the firing of 71 artillery shells. Residential buildings and a hospital were hit killing four, including two octogenarians, and injuring nine others.
Russia has mobilized three regiments of the National Guard to the occupied regions of Ukraine to free up the Russian military from maintaining control over the regions and beef up the frontlines.
Ukraine Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated in an interview that Ukraine is developing a more transparent recruitment process that will clearly communicate how one enters the military service, undergoes training, receives leave, and concludes service. He also stated that there will be no “demobilization” while the war continues. The goal for 2024 will be to mobilize 450,000 – 500,000 new troops and confirmed that the draft age will lower from 27 to 25.
European Union Foreign Affairs High Representative Josep Borrell stated that President Putin will never settle for a limited territorial victory in Ukraine and allow the remaining part of Ukraine to join the EU. He added that Putin will continue the war until Ukraine is completely defeated and a pro-Russian government installed in Kyiv. Borrell called on the West to prepare for a long war of high intensity.
Footage of President Putin attending a ceremony at the Russian National Defense Management Center on December 19 was released today. The staged performance portrayed Putin as a president who cares for his troops. When a journalist mentioned that Russian soldiers were tired and needed some rest, Putin waved his hand and responded, “Let them rest!”.
Putin had promised that none of the troops conscripted during regular annual mobilization would be sent to the Ukrainian frontlines but would serve their one-year mandatory service defending the homeland. A video was released by Russian soldiers full of expletives who just found out they were being sent to the Ukrainian frontlines. You can watch the video here.
Fifty Orthodox Churches in Russian-occupied Chisinau (Moldova) have rebelled against the Russian Orthodox Church and have joined with the Romanian Orthodox Church bringing the total of rebellious parishes to 200. But even with these recent defections, 85% of the Orthodox churches in Moldova have remained loyal to the Russian Orthodox Church.
Polish truckers ended their blockade of the Ukraine/Poland border allowing Ukrainian truckers to continue freely bringing humanitarian aid into Ukraine.
Monday, December 25
Ukraine conducted another costly strike on Russia’s air force bringing down a SU-30SM Multirole Fighter Jet over the Black Sea valued at $50 million. That brings the number of Russian military jets shot down to five over the last three days at a cost of $250 million.
Russia took revenge by hunting down and destroying four Ukrainian aircraft – three SU-27s and one SU-24 tactical bomber. These are older Soviet aircraft with a combined value of $115 million today.
Russia launched 31 drones and two missiles against Ukraine as their Christmas gift. Ukrainian air defense systems intercepted 28 of the drones and both missiles. Port infrastructure was damaged in Odesa.
In a show of defiance, Ukraine celebrated Christmas on December 25 for the first time in its history. Ukraine, because of its connection to the Russian Orthodox Church, had celebrated Christmas on January 7.
Ukrainian soldiers released a poignant Christmas video greeting to the world. You can watch it here.
Russian soldiers have been surrendering in larger numbers lately that the Russian commanders have begun beating and terrorizing their troops to maintain them fighting. One video created meant to scare Russian soldiers into remaining faithful was leaked to the public. You can watch that video here.
Tuesday, December 26
Ukrainian forces conducted a successful Shadow-missile strike on the Russian Black Sea Fleet in occupied Feodosia, Crimea sinking the Novocherkassk Ropucha-class landing ship worth $85 million and damaging surrounding port facility structures.
Russia launched 19 drones against Ukraine with Ukrainian air defense systems intercepting 13 of them. Infrastructure was hit in Odesa Oblast and an industrial facility destroyed in Mykolaiv Oblast.
Russian forces shelled a train station in Kherson where 140 civilians had gathered to evacuate the city. One person was killed and another four injured in the attack.
Since the renewed Russian invasion last year, 589 Orthodox churches in Ukraine have switched from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (which is under the Russian Orthodox Church) to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (recognized by the other Eastern Orthodox Churches as the official church in Ukraine). 8195 churches remain as part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, making it still the largest religious denomination in Ukraine.
Wednesday, December 27
Satellite imagery confirms that port infrastructure in occupied Feodosia was damaged when missiles struck and sank the Novocherkassk landing ship. The pier and a nearby warehouse were damaged. 33 Russian sailors are still unaccounted for and another 19 were injured in the attack.
Russia launched 46 drones against Ukrainian targets and 32 of them were intercepted by Ukrainian air defense systems. Most of those that were not intercepted were because they were targeting frontline positions and there was not enough time to shoot them down. But even then, many of them fell without any consequences.
Ukraine released its figures for 2023 showing that they increased their military production by 200% in 2023 over the previous year.
Ukraine has sentenced the Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin in absentia to 15 years in prison for treason and collaboration with the enemy.
Ukraine has opened a criminal investigation after a Russian video was released showing three Ukrainian POWs being executed by Russian soldiers near Robotyne. The Russian soldiers were using the POWs as human shields, another war crime violation, and then executing them when they were finished using them.
Indian Prime Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met with President Putin and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow to discuss trade between the two countries. India is the second largest buyer of Russian oil.
Chinese-made all-terrain vehicles are now being spotted in use by Russian forces in occupied regions.
Russian presidential candidate Ekaterina Duntsova lost her bid to run in the 2024 Russian presidential race after losing her appeal of the decision that rejected her application. She has vowed to begin forming her own political party.