Russian special military operation in Ukraine #51

Note that the BBC correspondent didn't get to ask any question. Not relevant. When the mic was going to be handed to the NYTimes Putin interrupted and sent it to a Chinese correspondent. It seems times change for the Times.

Putin's "Direct Line": Europe in shock

In fact, in many European countries, Putin's "Direct Line" was broadcast live. For example, in France it was the LCI channel, whose representative asked our president his question.

The first reaction to what our President said today was shock. Judging by the first comments, Europeans, and specifically the French, have finally realized that Russia is no longer the same as it was before 2022. It is not joking with anyone and is ready to defend its interests, if necessary, "up to and including Lvov". Therefore, it will not accept any fake negotiations, a la "Minsk-3". The time of "Istanbul empty talk" (spring 2022) is gone.

And Kiev, obviously, is no longer able to effectively resist the Russian “onslaught”. And this is what Europe has now fully begun to realize. And they are afraid.

InfoDefenseENGLISH
InfoDefense

Zlatti71
@djuric_zlatko
“It’s Peskov’s fault, I’m an open, democratic person”

Putin joked that Peskov does not allow Western journalists on direct lines, responding to a remark from a journalist from The New York Times.

She said that for almost a year Western media correspondents could not take part in events organized by the presidential press service, and that she was glad to be able to participate in the live line today. By the way, her question was as “professional” as possible

And here’s another interesting statement from the president after Peskov asked to pass the microphone to a New York Times journalist:

“No, let’s give Xinhua (the official news agency of the Chinese government) first, and then The New York Times,” Putin set his priorities.

Zlatti71
@djuric_zlatko
More than 40 Leopard tanks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces cannot continue to participate in battles.

According to Ukrainian TG channels, some of the tanks were damaged after artillery shelling, ATGM and UAV hits.

However, Western technology also becomes unusable due to technical faults. For example, the on-board computer of German vehicles often fails, making their further use on the battlefield impossible. It is also necessary to replace rollers, brakes and repair various electrical equipment. In some tanks, smoke was observed in the turret while the fire control system was operating. - FRWL reports

Putin on mobilization.

1. In total, 300,000 people were mobilized through partial mobilization.
2. 244,000 of them are still in the NWO zone.
3. 41,000 have already returned home for various reasons.
4. 486,000 signed up for contract service.
5. 1500 people per day sign up for a contract.
6. 14 mobilized have already become heroes of Russia.
7. There will be no new wave of mobilization.
8. All volunteers must be in the same conditions as the military.

ISZ reports
5:05 PM · Dec 14, 2023
·
6,600
Views

Truth seeker
@Hojiakbarj98976
One of my relative had been in Ukraine war from 2022 February to 2023 February . He said that Russian elite army did not attend to the war because Putin is waiting strike from NATO countries. He can not fling his elite army to the war because there is a risk from NATO countries.
5:11 PM · Dec 14, 2023
·
1,086
Views

Just seen this. My highlight. How about that then! This is not actually a new appointment, its just that he is spending more time in Ukraine. Note that he is the one that was in top command of the Ukie offensive this year so perhaps the Pentagon is making him see it through. Or no-one else wanted the job

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Aguto

Antonio Alzona Aguto Jr.[1] (born November 18, 1966)[2] is a United States Army lieutenant general who serves as the first commander of a joint headquarters group of US Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines Security Assistance Group–Ukraine (SAGU) since December 2022.[3][4][5]

He most recently served as the 40th commanding general of First United States Army from July 8, 2021, to December 2, 2022.[6][7][8] He previously served as the Commanding General of the 3rd Infantry Division and prior to that as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Training of the United States Army Forces Command.[9][10][11][12][13]

Aguto is a 1988 graduate of the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering. He served as the commanding officer of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment from 2010 to 2012 and the 7th Army Training Command from July 2016 to May 2018.[10]


https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2023-12-12/army-general-ukraine-eucom-12335117.html

https://sof.news/ukraine/sag-u/

A US general who has been in charge of the Ukraine Command in Germany/Wiesbaden for some time, NOW regularly travels to Ukraine. He is not there all the time.

Why?

Speculation:

*To make the Ukrainians believe that Nato is not abandoning them, "otherwise they wouldn't send a general"
*to be able to claim to the Russians that they are "neutral" because the commander is not permanently in the country
*Avoid leaks in the information chain
*The general needs something for his CV and career
*The general has learnt Ukrainian and wants to practise it on the ground
...

JohninMK wrote:Putin on mobilization.

1. In total, 300,000 people were mobilized through partial mobilization.
2. 244,000 of them are still in the NWO zone.
3. 41,000 have already returned home for various reasons.
4. 486,000 signed up for contract service.
5. 1500 people per day sign up for a contract.
6. 14 mobilized have already become heroes of Russia.
7. There will be no new wave of mobilization.
8. All volunteers must be in the same conditions as the military.

ISZ reports
5:05 PM · Dec 14, 2023
·
6,600
Views

Truth seeker
@Hojiakbarj98976
One of my relative had been in Ukraine war from 2022 February to 2023 February . He said that Russian elite army did not attend to the war because Putin is waiting strike from NATO countries. He can not fling his elite army to the war because there is a risk from NATO countries.
5:11 PM · Dec 14, 2023
·
1,086
Views

In addition the Lugansk / Donetsk Militias mobilized almost 80,000 of their own reservists above and beyond the Russian ones.

JohninMK wrote:Putin on mobilization.

1. In total, 300,000 people were mobilized through partial mobilization.
2. 244,000 of them are still in the NWO zone.
3. 41,000 have already returned home for various reasons.
4. 486,000 signed up for contract service.
5. 1500 people per day sign up for a contract.
6. 14 mobilized have already become heroes of Russia.
7. There will be no new wave of mobilization.
8. All volunteers must be in the same conditions as the military.

ISZ reports
5:05 PM · Dec 14, 2023
·
6,600
Views

Truth seeker
@Hojiakbarj98976
One of my relative had been in Ukraine war from 2022 February to 2023 February . He said that Russian elite army did not attend to the war because Putin is waiting strike from NATO countries. He can not fling his elite army to the war because there is a risk from NATO countries.
5:11 PM · Dec 14, 2023
·
1,086
Views

So 15K of the mobilized were killed then. My ex's first suitor was killed in the SMO, just hearing this shocked me and made it so real

GarryB wrote:

At the same time, the Russian military is preparing a major “strategic air operation” with the aim of “completely suppressing [the Ukrainian] air defense systems, gaining air superiority, isolating combat areas and destroying critical infrastructure on a mass scale with the complete collapse of the economy and vital functions of Ukraine,” the MP said.

Perhaps the suffering of the Palestinians has created a real opportunity... previously the west has talked about the suffering of civilians and brutality of the Russians in this conflict, which most of the rest of the world has seen through for the BS it is because they have seen the brutality of the west against other countries, but with Israelis shelling civilians in gaza and elsewhere you actually have to ask yourself why are the people in the east of the Ukraine getting off so lightly considering it is their views and support that created this entire situation in the first place... they hate Russia and Russians and equate Ukrainians in the east who speak Russian as being Russians that should be used to kill more Russians where possible.

In such a situation why let their logistics continue and likely the secret stocking of their army on the front line with those trucks and trains and cars delivering people and fuel and ammo and weapons to the front and taking the wounded out.

If they are not suffering then they wont mind if this war continues forever... lets make them suffer properly and see how long they want to continue.

They think they are winning or at least have fought the Russians to a stalemate... lets disabuse them of this idea.

I have been advocating this for month. Stop the diesel and its FINISHED.

A few bits today.....

Well EU is setting itself up for more issues, Ukrainians entering their country to claim benefits, start criminal Nazi gangs, increased prostitution, fill the market with cheap labour undermining locals, as well having to pay out billions to prop up whatever is left of Ukraine. I can see resentment setting in. Here in UK many were duped into taking Ukrainian refugees believing they were doing good and in majority of cases the Ukrainians took the piss out of their hosts kindness. People seem to be happy to send money but not have Ukrainians in their homes or even their country now. Am not against migration but it has to be done right, criminal background checks, and no Nazis.

So Gazprom earned £39mn profit from UK waters, and the UK received €4mn in taxes. Sanctions?????

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67720198


The EU has failed to agree a critical €50bn financial aid package to Ukraine after Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán vetoed the proposal, throwing into doubt Europe’s ongoing support to Kyiv.

The collapse of talks on the funding, seen as crucial for Ukraine’s financial stability into 2024, follows repeated failures by the US Congress to agree a $60bn aid package proposed by the White House. That has raised fears of weakening western resolve to sustain the country as it continues to battle against Russia.

https://www.ft.com/content/deb40df7-7832-4fee-a822-655ab0288c05

EU sidesteps Viktor Orbán to open membership talks with Ukraine

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/14/eu-sidestep-viktor-orban-to-open-membership-talks-with-ukraine

media correspondents could not take part in events organized by the presidential press service

West banned russian journalists and news organisations and the western presstitutes cheered it.
They can be glad that they are still allowed to enter Russia.

They can fire the Kinzhal with the Su-34 now. This means the technique of sounding an alarm when a MiG-31 is in flight does not work anymore.

Being Widened to 4 Lanes

Why not 6?

sounding an alarm when a MiG-31

The VKS can play games now. Send a MiG-31 up every few hours... nothing happens.
Then a few Su-34s fly around, drop some glide bombs - and one of them launches a Kinzhal.
Surprise, surprise.

Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation (for the period from December 9 to December 15, 2023)

In the period from December 9 to December 15 this year, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out 40 group strikes with precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles on military airfield infrastructure, arsenals, places of storage of artillery ammunition, weapons and military equipment of the enemy.

In addition, the locations of the AFU units, the Azov national formation, as well as the "Foreign Legion" were affected. All assigned objects are hit.

In the Kupyansk direction, units of the "Western" grouping of troops improved their position along the front edge and repelled 27 enemy attacks.

Air strikes and artillery fire defeated the manpower and equipment of the 113th Air Defense Brigade, 57th motorized Infantry, 14th, 21st, 41st, 43rd, 60th and 115th mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Sinkovka, Ivanovka, Yagodnoye, Petropavlovsk and Kupyansk, Kharkiv region.

The enemy's losses during the week amounted to over 425 soldiers, five tanks, including one Leopard, 11 armored combat vehicles, 12 vehicles and three field artillery guns.

In the Krasnolimansk direction, units of the Center group of forces, with the support of aviation and artillery fire, repelled 11 attacks by assault groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In addition, clusters of manpower of the 24th, 63rd, 67th mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as the 1st, 5th and 31st brigades of the National Guard of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Kirovsk, Torskoye, Yampol and Grigorovka of the Donetsk People's Republic were defeated.

The total enemy losses during the week amounted to 1,100 troops, four tanks, three armored combat vehicles, 17 vehicles and two field artillery guns.

In the Donetsk direction, units of the "Southern" grouping of troops over the past week, with the support of aviation and artillery fire, improved the position along the front edge in some areas, and also repelled 49 enemy attacks.

In addition, in the areas of the settlements of Artemovskoye, Kleshcheyevka, Kurdyumovka and Georgievka of the Donetsk People's Republic, fire damage was inflicted on the personnel and equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The enemy's losses in this area during the week amounted to more than 1,580 soldiers killed and wounded, two tanks, 16 armored combat vehicles, 13 vehicles and 31 field artillery guns.

In the South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok group of forces repelled two enemy attacks.

Air strikes and artillery fire inflicted fire damage on units of the 58th Motorized Infantry, 72nd mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 128th Air Defense Brigade in the areas of the settlements of Novomikhailovka, Ugledar, Makarovka of the Donetsk People's Republic and Levadnoye of the Zaporozhye region.

The losses of the Armed Forces amounted to over 600 soldiers, three armored combat vehicles, 14 vehicles and 11 field artillery pieces.

In the Zaporozhye direction, units of Russian troops conducted an active defense, during which they repelled eight enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Rabocino and west of Verbovoye in the Zaporozhye region.

In addition, fire damage was inflicted on the manpower and equipment of the 128th mountain assault, 33rd, 65th, 117th and 118th mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of the settlements of Malaya Tokmachka, Novodanilovka and Novoandreevka of the Zaporozhye region.

The enemy's losses in this direction amounted to up to 335 soldiers killed and wounded, 19 vehicles and three field artillery guns.

In the Kherson direction, all attempts to land enemy sabotage groups on the islands and the left bank of the Dnieper were stopped.

Air strikes and artillery fire defeated units of the 35th, 36th and 37th Marine brigades, as well as the 124th Air Defense Brigade in the areas of the city of Kherson and the settlements of Berislav and Tyaginka of the Kherson region.

As a result of the preemptive actions of the Russian troops, the AFU lost up to 290 servicemen, 18 vehicles, 17 boats, and nine field artillery pieces.

An air defense helicopter Mi-8 of the Ukrainian Air Force was shot down near the settlement of Tyaginka in the Kherson region.

Intercepted in a week: The Tochka-U tactical missile, two S-200 anti-aircraft guided missiles, 17 HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, as well as 119 unmanned aerial vehicles.

During the week, 82 Ukrainian servicemen were captured and voluntarily surrendered, 25 of them in the past day alone.

In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 550 aircraft, 258 helicopters, 9696 unmanned aerial vehicles, 442 anti-aircraft missile systems, 14078 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1188 multiple rocket launchers, 7338 field artillery and mortars, as well as 16336 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed.

https://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12491241@egNews

Arkanghelsk wrote:

GarryB wrote:At the same time, the Russian military is preparing a major “strategic air operation” with the aim of “completely suppressing [the Ukrainian] air defense systems, gaining air superiority, isolating combat areas and destroying critical infrastructure on a mass scale with the complete collapse of the economy and vital functions of Ukraine,” the MP said.

This is what I said when SMO started

And everyone said it was stupid,  heartless,  genocidal

Bla bla bla

Now with so many losses of our guys in these frontal attacks to take marginal towns

It seems these old clowns listened to me

What is sad is that it took this long for them to come to this obvious conclusion


The naivety of the leadership never ceases to amaze me,

During the direct line to Putin, he literally called himself naive, when asked what he would tell his younger self back in 2000 - he said not to be naive with regard to western partners

And he still has not learned

Let's see if they can get this right,  or if Israel will take Gaza by the time they take Avdeevka

By February,  I hope they can conduct a combined arms offensive, bombing everything in front of them, and just taking minimal losses in mopping up survivors

The so-called "leadership" is the crypto-Ukrainian Putin.

I think thousands of Russians were needlessly killed and wounded due to his decisions.


And why is Girkin/Strelkov still in jail?      

You all know I like a decent bang

Village Council in Ethnic Hungarian Village in the Trans-Carpathian Rus Attacked by Three Hand Grenades.


https://www.origo.hu/nagyvilag/20231215-karpatalja-kerecke-robbantas.html



One killed, another 26 wounded. All of them civilians.


Can anybody confirm if this is really an ethnic Hungarian village?

A Hungarian article to which I listed the link above claims so.

Is this terrorist attack "to show Orban his place"?

Hole wrote:

Being Widened to 4 Lanes

Why not 6?

Lots of reasons but the most important is that 4 lanes is probably plenty for the anticipated traffic.

Also, 4 lanes means that the existing road can be use pretty much as is as 2 of them, 6 lanes is a large increase in cost and materials that could be used upgrading another road to 4 lanes somewhere else.

A quick wash and on a transporter to Moscow