Live Conflict Ukraine-Russia War

[Spitfire9]

Things are not really going Putin's way in Ukraine.

Sergei Chemezov, head of state defense corporation Rostec, has twice publicly threatened to cease arms exports due to the high cost of borrowing. And a third of Russian freight haulers have said they fear bankruptcy next year due to increased costs and rates. Andrei Repik, head of the Delovaya Rossiya lobby group, last month warned of “guaranteed bankruptcies” among businesses.

The Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Forecast, a think tank that has long opposed high interest rates and which has connections to Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, recently reached the counterintuitive conclusion that high rates are driving inflation more than increased salaries. Almost 19% of the economy (when measured by revenue) is threatened with bankruptcy due to interest rate rises next year, it said

https://en.thebell.io/tough-choices-for ... tral-bank/

Consumer spending has been partially maintained through the government indirectly transferring money from the national wealth fund into consumers' pockets via high wages in the MIC (forcing labour costs up in other sectors of the economy), 'golden hellos' to contract soldiers, high salaries for contract soldiers, death and injury payments to soldiers and their families.

Through the 'special military operation' the Russian government has set the country on a downward economic and financial course. Where are the signs that the government is going to change the course of the country's economy? I see none.

I think that the longer the Ukraine military can hang on, inflicting unsustainable losses of men and equipment on the enemy as it advances, the less viable it will become economically, financially and militarily for Russia to persist with the war. I think that Putin must now be gambling everything on Trump halting the war before the wheels come off Russia. If the war continues, what does the future hold for Vladimir?

PS Any guesses on what will happen to interest rates on 20 December? The central bank has a meeting at which it may change the base rate,.

 

[Soldier30]

The first real North Korean 170-mm M1989 Koksan self-propelled guns were recorded by eyewitnesses on one of the military trains in Russia. There is little information about the M-1989 Koksan self-propelled guns; they were created in the 1970s on the chassis of T-54, T-62 or Type 59 tanks. With a 170-mm gun, more than 58 calibers long, the M1989 DPRK self-propelled gun can fire shells at a range of up to 40 km, and active-rocket projectiles at a range of up to 60 km.

 

[blackjack]

 

[Soldier30]

Russian sappers of the Karbyshev engineering battalion have started using FPV drones for mining and demining in Ukraine. The video shows the installation of POM-2 mines and demining using a Russian FPV drone. POM-2 anti-personnel fragmentation mines were developed in the 1980s in the USSR. The POM-2 mine family includes several types of ammunition, the mine weighs 1,500 grams, the amount of explosive is 140 grams, and the radius of continuous destruction is 16 meters. The POM-2 mine explodes after touching one of four nylon threads 10 meters long. The POM-2 mine is not extractable or neutralized, it self-destructs after a period of time, from 4 to 100 hours. The radius of destruction of the POM-2 mine is 16 meters.

 

[Spitfire9]

In my opinion things are not going too well for Russia at the moment.

A brief insight into some of its economic problems:

How things are going on the battlefield:

Russia has been advancing much more quickly recently. At this increased pace, Russia will still take over 50 more years to occupy the rest of Ukraine. There is an increased cost in men and materiel in advancing more quickly. Ukraine claims the highest number of Russian troop losses ever in one day: 2,200

Sorry, I don't post video of a few Russian or Ukrainian tanks, APC's etc being destroyed or troops being killed because IMO they are not relevant to the outcome of the war. Boring old politics and economics will decide the outcome of the war.

 

[Relic]

Multiple sources are reporting that the incoming Trump Government has promised continued U.S. military and economic aid for Ukraine, pending an an agreement by Europe to increase their own military spending to better prepared for war. Initially the Trump Government is requesting that EU countries spend 5% of their GDP on their the military, however, anonymous sources are reporting that the actual number they are seeking is 3%-3.5%, which would roughly match U.S. military spending.

Trump wants NATO to increase defense spending target to 5%: Report

The Financial Times reported Donald Trump also plans to continue providing Ukraine with military aid.

www.newsweek.com

 

[Saithan]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1870342416873451856

Ukraine Secret Service HQ attacked, NATO ppl among casualties, according to tweet.

 

[contricusc]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1870342416873451856

Ukraine Secret Service HQ attacked, NATO ppl among casualties, according to tweet.

Any other source? That tweet is already deleted.

 

[Spitfire9]

Russia's newest assault idea appears to be to cross the Dnipro.

"ATESH agents report growing tension in Russian units located in the occupied territory of the Kherson region.

"The situation is becoming increasingly alarming: military personnel note intensified preparations for the offensive.

"Commanders are constantly called to urgent meetings, after which they return late at night - pale and clearly alarmed.

"This increases nervousness in units where no one really understands what is happening.

"Meanwhile, the command continues to set suicidal goals, further undermining the morale of the personnel."

The partisans noted that Russian units in Crimea were destroying their boats in a desperate bid not to be sent to Kherson to join the assault.

ATESH is a military partisan movement operating in the occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as in Russia.

It was created by Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars in September 2022 as a result of the Russian military invasion.

The partisans said that the rate of suicides in Russian units based in Kherson was also increasing, prior to the planned assault.

Having had a member of my extended family in Kherson 'liberated' by the Russian army (and soon after to be dead), I have to hope that an attempt by the Russians to cross the Dnipro to 'liberate' (kill) the civilians on the other side will be a complete failure.

What is the Russian army doing - trying to break the record for the highest number of Russian troops killed in one day in this war?

 

[Soldier30]

The Ukrainian 44th Mechanized Brigade demonstrated the use of a Polish Rosomak APC with Mk 310 PABM-T programmable air-burst ammunition. The Ukrainian Rosomak APC fires Mk 310 PABM-T programmable projectiles from a 30mm Mk44 Bushmaster II automatic cannon. Before feeding the projectile into the barrel, a special programmer, through the receiving coil, enters into the fuse electronics the distance at which the main charge of the projectile should be detonated.

 

[blackjack]

I wish there was someone here that could record and post Russian losses for each day and not give me unorganized lists

 

[Soldier30]

A resident of the Tyumen region of Russia filmed a train of military equipment. The video shows the M1989 Koksan self-propelled guns produced by the DPRK, which were previously shown, and an unknown model of military equipment. The video is of low quality and it is difficult to draw conclusions, the outlines of the installations are similar to the North Korean Pukguksong-2 ballistic missile installations. So far, there is no convincing damage that Russia has received Pukguksong-2 missiles.

Pukguksong-2 missiles, KN-15 according to Western classification, were adopted by the DPRK in 2017. The name of the missile - Pukguksong-2 - is translated as "Polar Star". Presumably, the missile is a land-based version of the Pukguksong solid-fuel missile for submarines. Pukguksong-2 missiles are mounted on the chassis of the T-62 tank, the production of which is established in the DPRK. According to North Korean media, the range of the Pukguksong-2 missiles is from 3,000 to 5,500 kilometers; according to Western experts, the range of the missiles is up to 2,500 km.

 

[blackjack]

 

[Spitfire9]

View attachment 72817

View attachment 72818

How many left the country last year in the week before the major Christian religious festival of Christmas? How many returned after the festival?

Several million Ukrainians have left Ukraine for adjoining countries since the invasion. It is not surprising that some Ukrainians want to re-unite with their family at Christmas. Of course, if it is predominantly young males leaving the country, rather than young females, that is remarkable.

Is there a rumour in Ukraine that the mobilisation age is soon going to be lowered?

 

[Soldier30]

An episode of the battle of the Russian 114th brigade in the Kurakhovsky direction, in the Donbass. During the battle, a Russian portable electronic warfare system was used, protecting soldiers from drones. The model of the electronic warfare system is not reported. The video shows an attack by a Ukrainian FPV drone, which, under the influence of the electronic warfare system, cannot hit the soldiers, as a result, the drone falls.

 

[GoatsMilk]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1871179466753654937

 

[Soldier30]

An episode of the battle between the Russian robotic platform NRTK "Courier" and the Ukrainian FPV drone. Technical information on the ground drone NRTK "Courier" is in the link to the video in the comments to the video. In this case, the robot can be said to have replaced the reconnaissance squad. In this configuration, the Russian robot NRTK "Courier" is equipped with an AGS-17 grenade launcher. The task of the military robot "Courier" was to conduct reconnaissance in the area of the settlement of Velyka Novosyolka in the Donbass, and it was also supposed to shell the positions of the Ukrainian army in the settlement.

The robot completed the task, reached the settlement and shelled the positions. The range of the robot was 8 kilometers. On the way to the settlement, the robot NRTK "Courier" successfully overcame four minefields, one anti-tank ditch and one barbed wire fence. When the ammunition was exhausted and the Russian robot was retreating to its initial positions, it was attacked by Ukrainian FPV drones. As a result of the Ukrainian drone strikes, the Russian robot lost its speed and was abandoned. The NRTK "Courier" robot is currently the most actively used robot by the Russian army in Ukraine.

 

[Relic]

Germany announced the delivery of another significant military aid package to Ukraine today. This package will serve as the final one in 2024, with aid slated to continue to arrive throughout 2025. Per usual, Germany did not announce the delivery until it was already in Ukraine. It consists of the following.

- 2x Patriot Air Defense Launchers
- 1x IRIS-T SLM Air Defense Systems
- 1x IRIS-T SLS Air Defense Systems
- 12x Diehl Air Defense Vehicles
- 2x Gepard Air Defense Systems
- 15x Leopard 1A5 MBTs
- 30x DINGO MRAPS
- 7x Caracal Assault Vehicles
- 12x Zetros Trucks
- 8x Zetros Tankers
- 1x Border Protection Vehicle
- 1x Panzerhaubitze 2000 Artillery
- 2x TRML-4D Air Defense Radars
- 52,000 155mm Artillery Shells
- 20,000 40mm Rounds
- 15,000 120mm Mortar Rounds
- 4,420 Anti-Tank Mines
- Leopard 1 105mm Tank Shells
- Leopard 2 120mm Tank Shells
- 120x GMG Grenade Launchers
- 200x MG4 Machine Guns
- 420x MK 556 Assault Rifles
- 100x HLR 338 Sniper Rifles
- 100x CR 308 Assault Rifles
- IRIS-T SLM Missiles
- 65,000 Anti-Aircraft Rounds (Gepard)
- 4.3 Million Rounds of Ammunition
- AIM-9L/I Missiles
- 30x Vector Recon Drones
- 24x RQ-35 Heidrun Recon Drones
- 14x Hornet XR Recon Drones
- 5x Remote Mine Clearing Systems
- 15 AMPS Systems For Helicopters
- 45x Underwater Scooters
- 43,000 Tourniquets
- 1 Million Trauma Bandages
- Explosive Ordinance Disposal

Military support for Ukraine | Federal Government

War in Ukraine: This list provides an overview of Germany’s lethal and non-lethal military support for Ukraine.

www.bundesregierung.de

 

[Relic]

Britain announced a new $286 million usd military aid package for Ukraine consisting of the following:

- Small Surface Boats
- Recon Drones
- Uncrewed Surface Vessels
- Loitering Munitions
- Mine Countermeasure Drones
- Air Defense Radars
- Drone Counter Measure Equipment
- Decoy Equipment
- 1000x Electronic Warfare Systems
- Spare Parts
- Increased Training

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/britain-pledges-new-286-million-defence-package-ukraine-2024-12-19/

 

[Relic]

USA is expected to announce a new $1.2 Billion usd package for Ukraine in the coming days. The package will be funded by the last of the USAI funds approved in the spring supplemental package and is expected to be heavily focused on artillery shells and air defense interceptors.

USA also has $5.6 Billion usd remaining in Presidential Drawdown Authority and the Biden Government is expected to continue to drawdown equipment from that pool as well until they leave office on January 20th.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-announce-final-package-new-arms-ukraine-coming-days-sources-say-2024-12-20/