12/22-12/25/22 Ukrainian General Update LanguageLearner

12/22-12/25/23 Update, day 667-670 of Russian invasion.


Belarus/Western Border:

Lukashenko visited Putin in St. Petersburg, where he reiterated support for the RU war.

Currently there are 3 checkpoints blocked, with 1 recently unblocked on the polish border. Approximately 4100 trucks are waiting on the border. There is an estimated capacity of 1200-1400 trucks per day, and currently its restricted to less then 150/day.


Kyiv/ West Ukraine:

UA has submitted a draft bill to amend mobilization requirements. It calls for:

Lowering the mobilization age from 27 to 25
Sending digital summons rather then physical ones
Applying punitive financial measures restricting driving licenses, credit agreements, and pension payments.
Introducing basic military training for up to 3 months for citizens aged 18-25 in school.

This comes on the heels of Zelensky stating he received a proposal for calling up 450k-500k additional people.

The Minister of Defense Umyerov is stating there is a defensive plan being implemented on the frontline, taking into account the slowdown of western and US military aid.

He also reiterated that there's active work to speed up the production of UA drones for 2024.

Per the UA GUR military intelligence, RU has already commenced its efforts to attack UA energy grids, but has thus far been markedly less successful then last year's strikes.

UA held Christmas celebrations on December 25th, after changing over from the orthodox January 7th date. The police presence was heavily increased, as curfew was enforced.



Sumy/Chernihiv/Kharkiv city:

Due to ongoing RU strikes on the border villages, people have been completely evacuated from 19 settlements in the Sumy region.


Kupyansk/East Kharkiv/Kreminna:

RU shelled Kupyansk heavily, and has continued striking Synkivka as they attempt to push down towards Kupyansk and the Oskil river.

RU is pushing NW of Kreminna towards the Zherebets river, as they push across the fields towards Terny. Currently, they are about 5-6km away from the riverside highway.


Kramatorsk/Bakhmut:

RU continues to push from the NW of Bakhmut, as they attempt towards Chasiv Yar. UA managed to stage a counteroffensive here, pushing back along the central line towards Bakhmut near Khromove.

RU forces continue attempts to dislodge UA troops in the hills W of Klischiivka, but have made zero successful gains in the last week.

Avdiivka:

RU continues efforts to push the Avdiivka direction, where 40 assaults were repelled over the last 24 hours. No reported assaults were successful near Avdiivka in the last 72 hours, and it appears that RU is pushing further to the NW along the rail line, towards Novobakhmutivka.

RU airstrikes in Avdiivka continue to target the industrial district to the NW, and the city center. Approximately 1200 people still remain in Avdiivka.

Two former US marines were KIA this month:

Ethan Hertweck, 21 years old, combat medic who killed 12 RU soldiers assaulting his position before being shot when leaving his bunker to retrieve and injured soldier, performing medical care until he expired.

Graham Dale, an Irish born immigrant to the US, was killed in close combat when repelling an RU assault. He wrote a book "The Green Marine: An Irishmans War in Iraq". Currently, approximately 45 Americans have died in combat in UA.


Donetsk/Luhansk occupied regions:

RU is massively attacking near Novomykhalivka, with heavy combined arms and substantial rocket strikes.

RU targeted a coal plant in Donetsk, forcing its shutdown and injuring 5 plant workers.

There have been noted issues with rats and mice on the frontlines, allegedly leading to widespread Hantavirus. The specific type appears to be a hemorrhagic fever, due to apparent renal failure and bleeding from orifices.

UA continues to fight for a toehold in the remaining suburb street in Marinka.


Zaporizhia/Southern Axis:

RU is currently offering money for false testimony in the occupied regions, for propaganda purposes.

The situation around the frontlines in the south remains broadly positional with no major change, as RU drone strikes continue to propagate behind the frontlines.


Kherson:

The RU 810th marines officially came out and said that they were using drone dropped CS K-51 gas grenades to flush out UA troops in Krynky. RU troops appear to have retaken parts of the SW side of Krynky.

UA apparently shot down at least 3 SU-34 jets near Krynky over the weekend, with unconfirmed reports of an additional SU-30 and SU-34 being shot down on the southern Axis.

RU heavily shelled Kherson on christmas eve, targeting the urban center extensively, damaging gas lines and a hospital. 3 people were killed. RU also targeted a red cross warehouse.

RU soldiers executed an 8 year old in front of his mother in Nova Khakovka, after he was accused of taking pictures of RU military equipment.


Odessa/Black Sea/Crimea:

RU UAV continue to target Odesa, causing light damage despite interception.

The SBU stated that they are actively using 2 drones in the black sea- The Mamai and Sea Baby. The Mamai speed boat variant can reportedly attain 110km/hr, and would thus be among the fastest boats in the black sea. The Sea baby variant can carry approximately 850kg of explosives, and was utilized in the most recent attack on the Kerch bridge.

Currently there are no RU missile capable ships in the black sea or Sea of Azov.

UA guerillas in Crimea discovered a new command post for RU soldiers in Yevpatoriya.

There appears to have been a missile attack on RU ships in Yevapatoriya in the last several hours, with several large secondary explosions. Per local partisans, it was a ship carrying Iranian-supplied ammunition. Other sources allege it is a Ropucha-Class landing ship, which would be the 3rd one destroyed/damaged by UA so far.


Russia:

Anton Krasovky, former head of RT Russia, was reportedly poisoned and is in hospital.

Putin opponent Alexi Navalny was found in a prison in far N Russia, inside the arctic circle. He had been missing for about 2 weeks before his lawyers contacted him.


General:

Over the last day UA forces conducted 16 airstrikes and RU forces conducted 31 air strikes and 5 missile strikes.

Yesterday Ukrainian forces eliminated:
760x troops (353,950 in total)
31x APC
19x Tank
2x Air defense
35x Artillery (2xMLRS)
2x Aircraft
53x vehicles
32x UAV

Over the last week, UA eliminated:
7120 soldiers
119 tanks
196 apc
177 artillery
2 Air defense
256 vehicles
126 UAV

Overseas:

The London Mayor Sadiq Khan stated he would be in favor of sending otherwise scrapped 4WD cars to Ukraine.

Iceland is joining the IT coalition and providing medical supplies, supporting NATO efforts with some 350 million Euros.

The US passed its NDAA, although it did not directly allocate any additional funding for UA at this time, aside from US contracted operations and goods ongoing. Some 300 million has been allocated for 2024/2025 under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.

Latvia has sent some 1 million Euros worth of cars confiscated from drunk drivers. Another 162k euros worth of vehicles