Material and soldiers: Putin's army is apparently sending "huge amounts" to neuralgic points
Created: 2022-12-28 04:53
By: Florian Naumann, Linus Prien, Patrick Mayer, Bedrettin Bölükbasi, Franziska Schwarz
Ukraine War: Russia suffers casualties in city of Kreminna, as reported by Serhi Haidai (pictured).
(Archive image) © Kovalyov Oleksiy/Imago
Ukraine confirms a drone attack on Russia's Engels airbase.
Cherson is bombed, Bakhmut is heavily contested.
News ticker on the military situation.
Iranian drones
for
Putin
: Ukraine apparently destroys most of the second shipment.
After eight years of
war
in
eastern Ukraine
: Russia allegedly wants to overrun Donetsk within four days.
After explosion near
Saratov
in
Russia
: Ukrainian armed forces confirm drone attack.
This
news ticker
on the military situation in the
Ukraine war
is constantly updated.
Update from December 27, 3:35 p.m .:
Heavy fighting continues in eastern Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian sources, the Russian military is concentrating troops outside the city of Kreminna in Luhansk Oblast.
"Russian occupying forces managed to build a very strong line of defense in a month," British newspaper
The Guardian
quoted Luhansk military governor Serhiy Hajday as saying.
Now the Russians would pump "huge amounts of reserves and equipment" into the area and "continuously renew their forces."
The background, according to Hajdaj: "They know that if they lose Kreminna, the entire line of defense will basically crumble." The Russian army controls a large part of Luhansk.
However, the Ukrainian military is currently trying to advance and recapture the areas.
Ukraine War: Another air alert throughout Ukraine
Update from December 27, 1:55 p.m .:
The air alarm was triggered throughout Ukraine.
According to consistent Russian and Ukrainian reports, sirens are also currently sounding in the capital Kyiv.
The Ukrainian news agency Unian attributed the alarm to the take-off of fighter jets from Belarus and the air patrol of a Russian early warning plane.
Iranian drones for Putin: Ukraine apparently destroys most of the second shipment
In this video screengrab, military hardware can be seen during a joint combat training session between Russian and Belarusian militaries.
© IMAGO/Russian Defense Ministry Press O
Update from December 27, 1:36 p.m .:
Ukraine once again reports the destruction of Iranian kamikaze drones.
Russia has been attacking Ukraine for the past two weeks using new Iranian drones from the second batch of weapons, said Yuri Ignat, spokesman for the Air Force, according to the official military
portal ArmyInform
.
These are Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 drones.
Ukraine has already destroyed around 70 of these around 250 drones, Ignat emphasized.
Alongside this, Russian warships with Kalibr cruise missiles would continue to be in the Black Sea.
However, the Russian military cannot use other ships in the Mediterranean because Turkey is blocking passage.
Ignat is likely referring to the Montreux Convention, which Turkey uses in the Ukraine war.
The convention hits Russia particularly hard, as it blocks the passage of warships through the Bosphorus into the Black Sea.
Ignat also warned that the threat of Russian air strikes remained.
Russia wants to continue attacking Ukraine's critical infrastructure in the future.
Ukraine war: Kyiv probably sends "saboteurs" to Russia
Update from December 27, 10:47 a.m .:
Ukraine is apparently sending men on a war mission to Russia.
According to the Russian secret service FSB, four "saboteurs" on the Russian-Ukrainian border were "liquidated" on December 25.
They were said to have had homemade explosive devices, foreign weapons and ammunition, and communication and navigation equipment with them in order to carry out terrorist attacks on Russian territory.
also read
"I'm a bit ashamed": 10,171 euros back payment for civil servants
READ
Money shortage in the Kremlin?
Wagner boss's proposal could push Putin to take sensitive 2000 measure
READ
Crimean liberation or "more"?
Experts give BBC forecasts for Ukraine war in 2023
READ
Ukraine urges Orthodox Church to distance itself from Moscow - 'says Putin is Satan'
READ
Large donation hole: CSU and SPD look into the tube - Green behind CDU and Communists in 3rd place
READ
Fancy a voyage of discovery?
My space
Ukrainian media reported on Tuesday that the men were performing military duties against Russia's war of aggression.
A soldier of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed the death of his comrades on Telegram, whose names and photos he also published.
However, he assumed that the men were killed by a mine explosion.
The FSB keeps reporting similar cases.
However, there are hardly any confirmations from the Ukrainian side.
Meanwhile, Austria's Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) warns of blackouts as side effects of the Ukraine war on the EU.
After eight years of war in eastern Ukraine: Russia allegedly wants to overrun Donetsk within four days
Update from December 27, 9:50 a.m.:
Ukraine is assuming that Russia has ambitious and threatening goals in Donbass: Moscow’s troops wanted to reach the borders of Donetsk Oblast by the end of the year, said Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar
in a television interview , according to the
Kyiv Independent .
Russia counts Donetsk as part of its national territory after an annexation that violated international law, but does not control the region in its entirety.
Pro-Russian forces and the Ukrainian state have been fighting in the area since 2014.
According to Malyar, the Russian troops had meanwhile managed a "slight advance" on Bakhmut, but this was repulsed again.
So far, Russia has not succeeded in encircling the city.
Bakhmut is currently Ukraine's "eastern fortress" in the Donetsk region.
But Moscow also stationed a large part of its weapons there.
Update from December 26, 10:30 p.m .:
Despite the repair work on the energy network, which was severely damaged by Russian attacks, around nine million people in Ukraine are still without electricity.
"But the number and duration of power outages is steadily decreasing," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his daily video address on Monday evening.
But there are still many deficits in the power supply.
Important decisions were made during his consultations with government officials on the situation in the energy and infrastructure sectors on Monday.
"We are preparing for next year, not just for the winter months," said Zelenskyy.
"There are steps that need to be taken, and the state will definitely take them." The president did not give any details.
At the same time, Zelenskyy warned of possible new Russian attacks on the Ukrainian energy grid.
"The air defenses are preparing, the state is preparing and everyone must prepare," he said.
The Russian military has repeatedly attacked the Ukrainian energy grid for weeks with cruise missiles, rockets and so-called kamikaze drones.
The aim is to put the population under pressure in the middle of winter with the failure of the electricity and water supply.
Ukraine Front: Alleged 225 bombings around Bakhmut in one day
Update from December 26, 10:20 p.m.:
A few days ago, Ukrainian President Bachmut described it as the “hottest point” along the more than 1,300-kilometer-long front.
The heavy fighting for the traffic junction continues unabated between Christmas and New Year's Eve.
“Russia is constantly shelling Bakhmut's infrastructure.
The enemy is sticking to scorched earth tactics,” stated Ukrainian Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko, according to
The Kyiv Independent
.
According to the report, more than 60 percent of the infrastructure has already been severely damaged or destroyed.
According to Kyrylenko, there were 28 combat operations and 225 bombardments by Russian artillery and tanks in the area around the city on December 26 alone.
The information cannot be independently verified.
Update from December 26, 8:30 p.m .:
US analysts see signs of a possible renewed Russian offensive from Belarus to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.
A Russian military blogger probably doubts that.
After explosion near Saratov in Russia: Ukrainian armed forces confirm drone attack
Update from December 26, 8:15 p.m .:
The Ukrainian armed forces have confirmed a drone attack on the Russian air base Engels near Saratov on the Volga.
“These are the consequences of Russian aggression.
If the Russians thought that the war would not affect them in the deep rear, then they are mistaken," said Yuriy Ihnat, spokesman for the Air Force of Ukraine, in a released video message.
Videos are said to show how the drone was shot down by Russian anti-aircraft defenses shortly before the impact.
According to authorities, however, flying wreckage killed three Russian soldiers on site.
Saratov is almost 800 kilometers from the Bakhmut front.
After suspected Russian artillery fire: the number of victims in Cherson is likely to continue to rise
Update from December 26, 4:30 p.m .:
According to the authorities, after alleged Russian artillery shelling of the southern Ukrainian city of Cherson and after explosions at Christmas, the number of victims has risen to 16.
Among the dead were three men who died during mine clearance work, Ukrainian military governor Yaroslav Yanushevich told the Telegram news service.
64 people were injured by Russian attacks, Yanushevich explained.
The Ukrainian armed forces only recaptured the city (population around 290,000) not far from the Black Sea at the end of November.
Can't Russians defend minefields?
British intelligence provides assessment
Update from December 26, 10:32 a.m .:
According to British secret services, Russia lacks suitable personnel to defend its minefields laid in the Ukraine war.
In the past few months, the Russian armed forces have concentrated on expanding their defenses with anti-tank and anti-personnel mines on many sectors along the front line, the British Ministry of Defense said in its daily briefing on Monday.
However, the British point out that such minefields are only a hurdle for professional troops if they are protected by appropriate surveillance and shelling.
However, the Russians' lack of trained personnel and suitable resources poses a major challenge for Moscow, London suspects.
Ukraine-News: Russia reports Ukrainian drone attack on military base in Russia
Update from December 26, 8:16 a.m .:
According to Russian information, three soldiers died in a drone attack on the Engels military airfield in southern Russia, hundreds of kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
"On December 26 at 1:35 Moscow time, the Russian anti-aircraft defense system shot down a Ukrainian drone at low altitude while approaching the Engels airbase in the Saratov region," the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.
Three soldiers were killed by the falling splinters.
The information could not initially be verified independently.
According to media reports, four people were also injured.
"The aircraft technology was not damaged," emphasized the military leadership.
Strategic bombers are stationed in Engels, and Russia uses their missiles to destroy Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
The city on the Volga is more than 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Battles for Cherson: Ukrainian troops probably put the command post out of action
Update from December 25, 8:30 p.m .:
The Ukrainian armed forces claim to have disabled a Russian command post in an attack in the Cherson region in the south of the country.
The staff in the village of Sabaryne was attacked during an officers' meeting, the general staff of the Ukrainian army said in Kyiv on Sunday.
At least 70 soldiers were wounded in the process, and the number of dead is not yet certain.
The information could not initially be verified independently.
During the course of the war, the Ukrainian defenders repeatedly attacked Russian command centers and command posts.
These had been localized either by monitoring the radio traffic or the mobile network.
Several high-ranking Russian officers have already been killed.
Ukraine war: military expert sees new Russia offensive in a lost position
Update from December 25, 6:10 p.m.:
The political and military leadership of Ukraine fears a new offensive by the Russian armed forces at the beginning of the new year.
However, according to the Ukrainian military expert Alexander Kovalenko, the chances of success for any offensive are very slim.
There is currently no direction in which the Russian troops could succeed, he said in an interview with the Ukrainian broadcaster Kanal24, according to the Unian news agency.
Even in Bakhmut, where an enormous force is concentrated, the Russian military has not been successful and has even had to accept counter-offensives from the Ukrainian side.
In addition, Russia does not have the necessary strength to prepare for an offensive.
According to Unian, Russian troops could only dare an offensive in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
However, this would only serve to increase the pressure on the Ukrainian military.
According to the military expert, however, the conquest and holding of large pieces of land does not seem possible there either.
Ukraine sees heavy casualties for Russia - 'a whole battalion every time'
Update from December 25, 5:00 p.m.:
According to the Ukrainian military, Russian troops in eastern Ukraine are inflicting heavy losses.
The heaviest fighting would continue in eastern Ukraine, said Colonel Serhiy Cherevatji, spokesman for the eastern battle group, according to the official military information
portal ArmyInform
.
The Russian army is concentrating both personnel and equipment such as artillery, tanks and aircraft in the area, he said.
"The Russian occupiers are trying to advance in Bakhmut, Avdjiwka and now also in Lyman," he said, according to the portal.
However, the Ukrainian armed forces would prevent this and repel Russian attacks.
On Sunday morning alone, 620 Russian soldiers were killed in the area, he claimed, citing the Ukrainian general staff.
According to Cherevatji, Russia "loses a whole battalion every time."
However, this information cannot be independently verified.
Ukraine war: "Putin's cook" probably increases the pressure on the Kremlin boss
Update from December 25, 11:41 a.m
.: According to an ISW analysis, "Putin's cook" is now increasing the pressure on the Kremlin boss: Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group, suggest that Moscow should confiscate accommodation and luxury goods from oligarchs, who have so far not supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The details of the rumored shortage of money in the Kremlin.
Battles in Bakhmut: Forced Putin military to 'tactical' pause?
Update from December 25, 9.46 a.m
.: Russian offensive in Bakhmut: Putin's military is apparently not making as much progress in the region as planned - and could therefore take a "tactical break".
This is what the US Institute for War Studies (ISW) writes in its latest situation analysis.
The pace of advance has slowed down in the past few days.
However, it is still too early for a final judgement.
Most recently, the Russian attacks were concentrated on the east of the country, especially the city of Bakhmut.
Air alert throughout Ukraine: sirens wail in the cities
Update from December 25, 9:09 a.m
.: As the
mirror
now reports, there is currently an air alarm nationwide in Ukraine.
Sirens wail in the cities.
There are also reports from Ukraine that the reason for this could be that Russian jets took off from Belarus.
However, this information could not initially be checked independently, the news magazine emphasizes.
Selenskyj plain text on Christmas: "Fight absolute evil"
First report from December 25
: Kiev - Despite war and suffering and constant shelling: In the Ukraine, too, many people celebrate Christmas Day.
In his most recent video on Christmas Eve, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was standing on the street - in dim light and with a Christmas tree in the background.
Zelenskyy's Christmas speech: "Let's get through this winter"
“We endured attacks, threats, nuclear blackmail, terror and missile strikes.
Let's get through this winter because we know what we're fighting for," Zelenskyy called on his compatriots to persevere.
On the same day, new Russian attacks on the city of Kherson caused widespread horror.
Attacks on Kherson: Ukraine reports at least 10 dead and 55 wounded
The attacks on the city in southern Ukraine killed 10 people and wounded 55 others, military governor Yaroslav Yanushevich said on Ukrainian television.
18 people were seriously injured.
The information could not be checked independently.
Most of the Kherson region is still controlled by Russian troops.
Selenskyj condemned the attack as another crime by the "terror state" Russia right before Christmas.
The photos of the dead would certainly be flagged by social networks because of the content.
"But this is not sensitive content, this is real life of Ukraine and Ukrainians," he said.
"The world needs to see and understand the absolute evil we are fighting."
Allies Putin and Lukashenko: Kyiv fears an offensive from Belarus
In addition, due to a concentration of Russian troops in Belarus, there are fears of a new Russian offensive from there in Kyiv.
The US Institute for War Studies (ISW) estimates that such an attack is unlikely but possible.
As an indication, the military experts saw the establishment of a hospital.
"Field hospitals are not necessary for exercises and can be an indication of the preparation for combat operations.".
In Belarus, the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, has made his military bases available for attacks on Ukraine to the politically and financially dependent ruler Alexander Lukashenko.
(dpa/frs)
