In the New Year’s speech by the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, many points were touched upon, not only in foreign policy. Of relevance was the Russian historical vision expressed by the Minister: ‘The course of history cannot be stopped a multi polar world. There is no end to history and there never will be’. The bibliographical reference is to a text written by Francis Fukuyama thirty years ago in which he said that the ‘end of history’ had arrived
“We are obliged to do everything to have our state function in terms of critical industries and technologies. The real interest of the West lies in the interest of colonial and neo-colonial politics. Whether we want to or not, we have to negotiate. We do not need to chase the West. They have torn up relations, but we have those with whom we have cultural, economic, sporting relations. We will focus on those who have never let us down, with whom complex compromises have been reached, but when they have been reached no one has ever deceived the other. With the West it is exactly the opposite,’ Lavrov said. By this he meant the complete domination of liberal ideology, democracy, lifestyle and the disappearance of the competing world system, socialism. It is precisely this that Lavrov blames on the West’s desire to shape the world in its own image by not accepting multi-polarity.
The Russian minister said that sooner or later negotiations will have to take place because this is the only way. Even if Russia will no longer chase anyone. “The Federation looks to the future and turns to those who have never betrayed its expectations to those who have never betrayed agreements,” he said. He addressed India and China implicitly in his message. Asserting that: “Sometimes agreements have been complex to reach. But once reached no one has broken them. With the West it is exactly the opposite’.
Moscow will therefore take no further action to mediate, the floor is now up to Europe. A region that Russia is calling for dialogue while the door with the United States is currently closed but not locked.
And now a look at the fronts. Situation at 14:00 on 27 December 2022.
Fighting continues near Bachmut. WAGNER men together with LNR militias from Russia are conducting an offensive in several areas.
However, the Ukrainian command is moving reserves to maintain control over the territory, so it is premature to speak of an early liberation of Bachmut
In the Bachmut sector (Artemivsk), assault detachments of the Wagner PMC squads forced units of the 63rd Ukrainian Brigade out of the shadows from five platoon strongholds near Opytne on the Ivanhrad side with their offensive. The eastern outskirts of Klishchiivka recorded urban fighting for the capture of the village. Units of the 28th Ukrainian Brigade are placing minefields in the central part of the village.
Artillery crews of the 28th and 53rd Ukrainian infantry brigades and the 57th are firing volleys at the areas where the Russian armed forces are advancing. Mavic-3, Matrix-300 and Autel Evo II UAVs provide the targeting.
On the south-eastern outskirts of Bachmut, Russian forces are gradually overrunning the Ukrainian garrison defences. Reinforcements and three tanks have been moved into the area of the 57th Infantry Division to assist and supply it.
In addition, the activity of formations of the 17th Tank Brigade from the direction of Kherson was noted in Kramators’k. Earlier, one of the battalions was seen in the Liman area.
The number of casualties is increasing by the day. Ukrainian formations are spreading the information that less than 100 of the 800 mobilised men who arrived earlier are still alive. We have no confirmation of this latest news. The hospitals are full of the wounded and it is currently not possible to take the dead away.
From the Kharkiv oblast, the deployment of TERO forces has begun – despite the formal relationship with the TERO, the units are equipped with heavy equipment and air defence complexes. In Dnipropetrovsk oblast, the re-equipping of the 56th Infantry Battalion is underway and will be completed in January 2023.
A training camp for the mobilised has been set up at the Cherkasy polygon, while in Bilozir’ya, south-west of the administrative centre, units of the 53rd Ukrainian Mechanised Brigade have been reorganised after being withdrawn from the combat zone.
In the Soledar sector, Wagner’s men continue to advance in different directions, systematically improving their tactical position. Currently, fighting is taking place in the vicinity of Rozdolivka, Veselohorivka and the eastern outskirts of Soledar from the direction of Bachmut.
Units of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade and the 46th Ukrainian Airborne Brigade defend themselves in almost destroyed settlements without serious fortifications. The holding of the villages is complicated by artillery and aviation fire from the Russian Armed Forces and ammunition supply problems.
Assault groups of the 128th Ogsh Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces attempted to break through the advancing ranks of the Russian Armed Forces in the Stryapivka area. As a result of the Russian military’s counter-attack, the Ukrainian Forces lost control of four positions.
Graziella Giangiulio
