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Sister battles to rescue teen brother from Russian torture camps. Kyrylo Rozumiei kidnapped by collaborators in Kherson Oblast as terror grips Ukraine’s occupied territories. |
Military
Russians have not captured Kurakhove, Deep State analysts challenge ISW. Ukrainian military analysts contradicted American reports of Kurakhove’s capture, citing ongoing combat on the town’s western and southern edges.
Frontline Report: Eight Chechens die in North Korean friendly fire near Kursk. A North Korean contingent operating in Kursk Oblast destroyed multiple vehicles of their own allies, killing eight Chechen Spetsnaz soldiers after mistaking them for Ukrainian forces.
US officials: Ukraine may lose Kursk foothold by spring, as Russian and North Korean forces multiply. Ukrainian forces could be forced to abandon their hard-won territory in Russia’s Kursk Oblast within months, facing mounting pressure from an estimated 50,000 Russian troops including North Korean reinforcements.
Forbes: Ukraine fields new Leopard tanks and Caesar howitzers against 70,000 Russians in battle for Pokrovsk. A new, Western-trained Ukrainian brigade moves to defend a strategic Donetsk hub against Russian forces that outnumber defenders three to one.
Frontline report: Russians burn North Korean soldiers’ faces near Kursk to take credit for their advances. Ukrainian drone footage reveals Moscow’s desperate tactics to conceal foreign assistance, as North Korean troops sustain heavy losses leading assaults in Kursk Oblast.
North Korean forces execute their own troops in Kursk Oblast, Zelenskyy reveals. Russia deploys North Korean troops with minimal protection in apparent suicide missions.
HIMARS strike eliminates three Russian captains at Zaporizhzhia command meeting. Drone attacks on rescue teams followed the strikes.
As of 28 DEC 2024, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:
- Personnel: 784200 (+1690)
- Tanks: 9651 (+7)
- APV: 19970 (+19)
- Artillery systems: 21408 (+29)
- MLRS: 1256
- Anti-aircraft systems: 1032
- Aircraft: 369
- Helicopters: 329
- UAV: 21013 (+14)
- Cruise missiles: 3003
- Warships/boats: 28
- Submarines: 1
- Vehicles and fuel tanks: 32328 (+66)
- Special equipment ‒ 3668 (+0).
Intelligence and Technology
Russia switches to larger but rarer strikes on Ukraine, UK Intel says. The December 12-13 bombardment that struck Ukraine with 270 weapons marks a strategic evolution in Moscow’s air campaign.
Greece to send 24 aging Sea Sparrow missiles for Ukraine’s air defense. Ukraine will integrate the American-made missiles into its existing air defense systems, where engineers have successfully adapted Soviet-era Buk-M1 platforms to fire Western ammunition.
Russian losses hit 421,000 in 2024 – highest of war, Ukraine’s top general says. Russia has lost 784,200 soldiers during the three years of full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Drone supplies to Defense Forces up 19-fold in 2024, Commander-in-Chief says. Over 170 types of unmanned systems are now in use by Ukrainian Defense Forces, according to Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Sukharevskyi.
Ukraine decimates key Russian drone base using long-range Storm Shadow missiles. Ukrainian military officials stated that this strike “significantly reduced” Russia’s unmanned aircraft capabilities.
Ukraine’s defense industry claims 59% of military contracts after production surge. Ukraine triples domestic weapons production, secures 59% of defense contracts as local manufacturers achieve self-sufficiency in drones and electronic warfare systems.
International
“I will stay here.” Georgian president refuses to leave palace ahead of pro-Russian leader inauguration. President Salome Zourabichvili called supporters to Orbeliani Palace on Sunday – one hour before her “illegitimate” successor’s inauguration.
Putin ordered Fico to open “second energy front” against Ukraine, says Zelenskyy. Slovakia’s PM Robert Fico returned from Moscow with threats to halt power exports to Ukraine, which depends on Slovakia for 19% of its electricity since Russian missile attacks crippled its grid.
Ukraine receives first LNG shipment from US amid shift from Russian gas. As Russian attacks leave half a million Ukrainians without electricity and heating, the US sells its first shipment of liquefied natural gas to Ukraine through Greece, days before the expiration of a Russian gas transit to Europe.
Ukrainian energy experts dismiss Slovak threats to cut power off over Russian gas transit ban. Ukraine can maintain stable electricity imports through existing connections with Poland, Hungary, and Romania in case of any potential loss of Slovak electricity supplies, as Russia targets Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
AP: US prepares $ 1.25 billion military package for Ukraine before transition. Sources said the shipment will include air defense systems and artillery rounds.
Slovak PM Fico blackmails Ukraine with power cuts over Russian gas transit ban. After Ukraine’s transit ban, the pro-Russian Slovak PM has earlier visited Russian President Putin, trying to secure gas supplies.
Zelenskyy announces 500 tons of wheat flour en route to Syria after Assad’s regime fall. This aid is part of Ukraine’s “Grain from Ukraine” initiative and will help 33,250 Syrian families.
Humanitarian and Social Impact
Ukraine builds over 139 underground schools amid Russian war. Deputy Education Minister announces 79 underground schools are under active construction in frontline and border oblasts of Ukraine.
North Korean troops fighting against Ukraine opt for suicide over surrender in fear of family reprisals. Amid devastating losses of around 1,000 killed or wounded in just seven days, North Korean soldiers are reportedly taking their own lives rather than risk capture and potential consequences for their families, according to US National Security Council.
Life prevails over darkness: The Guardian selects photographs from Ukraine for its list of 2024’s most defining images. Guardian’s 2024 defining images feature a photograph from a memorial service for Ukrainian combat medic Iryna Tsybukh, who left a posthumous letter shared by her brother.
Political and Legal Developments
Kremlin’s silence on plane crash mirrors MH17 tactics, Ukraine says. Moscow’s refusal to comment on the Azerbaijan Airlines crash and Finnish cable damage reveals a familiar pattern of denial, as evidence points to Russian military involvement in both incidents, says Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, a working body of the National Security and Defense Council.
The Telegraph: Azerbaijan airline plane crash resembles MH17 tragedy in Ukraine. Aviation experts find shrapnel damage on crashed Azerbaijani airliner matching MH17’s 2014 downing pattern.
US confirms evidence Russia downed civilian Azeri plane that killed 38. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said there are “early indications” beyond widely circulated wreckage photos that Russia’s air defenses downed civilian aircraft.
Ukraine postpones defense anti-corruption vote after digital platform fails. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry suspended its digital anti-corruption vote due to technical failures, delaying the selection of 15 public watchdogs meant to prevent procurement scandals.
Read our earlier daily review here.
