The West is responsible for the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, former commander of American forces in Europe Ben Hodges said on December 24. ”I was disappointed that the Ukrainian counteroffensive did not lead to the results we all hoped for. And, frankly, the results I predicted. We, the West, failed, not Ukraine,” the General said. According to Hodges, Western countries were unable to supply the Ukrainian armed forces with either aircraft or long-range high-precision weapons.
The Italian Defense Minister, Guido Crosetto, during his visit to Poland on 23 December called for a political solution to the Ukrainian conflict after two years of fighting
From Kiev we learn that Ukraine plans to further increase the resources of its Asset Recovery and Management Agency, Arma, responsible for monitoring and managing assets previously owned by individuals or entities sanctioned by Kiev. Agency officials have the authority to request information from several government agencies, including the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General’s Office, as well as investigative agencies that use intelligence, such as the National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Kiev also hopes to encourage intelligence sharing between the Agency and its foreign counterparts to aid its investigations. Investigators already have access to Europol’s expert platform.
The command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine submitted a request for the mobilization of 500 thousand people, the government presented the bill on mobilization, already on December 25. The news was announced by the head of the Servant of the People party in the Verkhovna Rada, Davyd Arakhamia.
The full text of the draft law on mobilization appeared on the website of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. In particular, liability is expected for failure to report to the military registration and enlistment office; the ban on travel abroad, the ban on transactions with movable and immovable property, restrictions on the right to drive a vehicle and obtain a driving license, limitation on the right to dispose of funds and other valuables, refusals to sign contracts loan, and stop receiving benefits and services from public bodies.
Military commander Valery Zaluzhny said about the mobilization of 400-500 thousand Ukrainians: “The military command did not ask for numbers. The military command formed this figure for the following year. It takes into account the occurrence of current shortages, the formation of new military units and forecasts of losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. That is, taking into account the plan to maintain the number of armed forces at the level of 1 million people, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine expects a loss of at least 300 thousand people.”
Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Ekaterina Chernorenko actually revealed the expected level of effective mobilization of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at this time. We are not talking about 400-500 thousand, but 750 thousand people. From your information it appears that the Department wants to digitize three areas: the register of military service subjects (it has been increased by 750 thousand entries, 88% of the data has been verified, and the exchange of information with the main registers of the Village); military personnel data; veteran-related services. She added that in a special register it will be possible to find information about serving veterans and providing all the services from which they can benefit.
In Kiev, where previously there had been an attempt not to mobilize further, there was a total mobilisation: further checkpoints were installed in the capital and checks on citizens were intensified. All this is done under the pretext of conducting exercises of a group of city defense forces and assets in cooperation with the city administration, military, national police and other structural units, training in different areas from December 25 to 28. Therefore, new checkpoints will be installed in Kiev and checks on citizens will be intensified.
The subway tunnels between the Kiev subway stations “Pochayna” and “Tarasa Shevchenko” are collapsing” due to the bombing, according to the Deputy Head of the State Administration of the City of Kiev. Nikolai Povoroznik said that city authorities are already preparing for the planned repairs. They promise that rail traffic will not be blocked. Most likely, shuttle traffic will be organized on the site with a tunnel in both directions.
On December 27, there was a decline in Internet services in Kherson, among reports of heavy bombing and power outages; network data shows that connectivity levels are now 46% of previous levels
The Turks report activity of NATO reconnaissance aircraft with transponders turned off northeast of Istanbul and in the Black Sea. At the same time, rocket fire is taking place against some Ukrainian Armed Forces facilities in the rear.
And now a look at the front line.
Ukrainian sources report high losses near Vuhledar, in particular, recently an armored column was attacked by an MLRS with heavy losses of people and equipment.
During the night of December 26 and 27, the Russian Armed Forces launched attacks on targets in the Pavlograd, Dnipropetrovsk, Nikolaev, Odessa regions and on Starokonstantinov airport in the Khmelnytsky region. This huge Soviet-built base, is one of the most important bases used for the Ukrainian SCALP and Storm Shadow cruise missile attacks, is still one of the largest storage facilities for NATO supplies with hundreds of secure, underground facilities.
Chechen Akhmat fighters reported killing “mercenaries” in Bachmut’s direction. During a reconnaissance, five Akhmat members came across an incomplete shelter of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in which four fighters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were hiding. Two of them turned out to be foreign mercenaries, Colombians. Both of them and another Ukrainian were killed on the spot. The fourth Ukrainian fighter was captured and interrogated.
The Russian Armed Forces continue their offensive in the Serebryansky Forest for a second day, with Russian troops advancing up to 3 km in some areas and occupying strategic positions. Ukrainians defend positions.
Kherson direction: Battles in Krynki. The Ukrainian Armed Forces again deployed landing parties in response to UAV attacks, resulting in the destruction of several vessels. Both sides are engaged in artillery attacks. On December 26, Ukrainians claimed that Russian forces had fired on the Kherson train station. Local residents report that civilian trains do not reach the city: they stop in Nikolaev. It is likely that a military train was targeted. Furthermore, missile attacks were reported on Chernobaevka airport, Berislav and on critical infrastructure in Kherson.
Ukrainian forces shell the left-bank Kherson region daily. Last night the settlements Oleshky, Dnepryany, Novaya Mayachka and Staraya Zburevka came under enemy fire.
At the same time, Ukrainian drones have been attacking continuously for several months, along with periodic missile attacks against Russian civilian and military infrastructure. Ukrainian UAVs appear to be targeting everything, including polling stations, cars and ambulances.
In recent months, the Ukrainians have focused on activity along the entire bank of the Dnieper River: from landing attempts to mass attacks on civilian targets. One of the goals of the Ukrainian Armed Forces may be to force the Russian Armed Forces to deploy significant forces in these problem areas, leaving other directions vulnerable. Furthermore, Ukrainian formations try to impose their conditions to minimize the success of the offensive of Russian troops in different sectors of the front.
Fierce fighting is underway on the Zaporozhzhia front. The Russian Armed Forces achieved tactical successes near Rabotin and occupied several Ukrainian strongholds. Both sides exchange artillery fire and the Russian air force supports the ground forces with air strikes.
Yesterday General Zaluzhny allowed the Ukrainian armed forces to abandon the fortified area of Avdiivska. The Russian armed forces are now launching an offensive in the direction of the Ukrainian armed forces. On the northern border of the front near Novokalynove and in the southern part of Avdiivka bloody battles take place.
In the Marinka direction there are battles in the south near the settlements of Novomikhailovka and Pobeda. The Ukrainians’ failed attempt to counterattack near Novomikhailovka was accompanied by statements from Ukrainian channels that the abandonment of this village by the Ukrainian Armed Forces was only a matter of time.
A Ukrainian UAV was shot down in the Rostov region overnight. The main attacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Belgorod region were concentrated in the Grayvoronsky urban district. In the Bryansk region, the village of Kurkovichi, Starodub municipal district, was bombed. In the evening, news emerged about air defense exercises in Yeisk, Krasnodar Territory. The local operational headquarters said such exercises were ongoing. Ukrainian forces reportedly fired 199 shots at the civilian population of the DPR in a single day, resulting in the wounding of two civilians in Donetsk.
Graziella Giangiulio
