Stronghold under Resistance Opposition: Pre-collapse State of Wuhledar
Russian Forces Capture Eastern Ukrainian Town of VuhledarPer Russian media and local bloggers, Russian troops have taken control of the eastern Ukrainian town of Vuhledar. As Yuri Podolyaka, a pro-Russian military blogger, puts it, "Russian units have infiltrated Vuhledar - the city's assault has commenced." Other pro-Russian war correspondents report on the offensive. According to Russian state media, the Donetsk region's city has been encircled, and combat is ongoing to the east of the settlement. Colonial military expert Reisner tells ntv.de that Russian forces are progressing towards the city from multiple directions, like a vise. "Vuhledar faces the risk of encirclement. It can be assumed that the 72nd mechanized brigade, armed with tanks and combat vehicles, will not be able to maintain control of the area."
08:59 Nighttime Russian-Ukraine Drone ConflictRussian air defenses have reportedly downed 13 Ukrainian drones during the night, according to state reports. Six were shot down over Belgorod, Kursk, and Bryansk regions, and one was over Bryansk. The Ukrainian Air Force claims that Russia attacked Ukraine with 81 drones and four missiles the previous night, with 79 drones either shot down or forced to crash. Initial reports suggest no casualties or damage.
08:17 Denmark Urges Allies to Open Up Long-Range Attack Options Against RussiaDanish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen advocates for loosening restrictions on the use of long-range western weaponry against Russia by allied countries. "Let's put an end to this debate about red lines," Frederiksen suggests to Bloomberg. She adds, "The most important red line has already been crossed—the one when Russia invaded Ukraine." Frederiksen insists that no one from Russia should be entitled to dictate what's right in NATO, Europe, or Ukraine.
07:38 Russian Casualties Buried to Save MoneyAccording to a phone call released by Ukrainian military intelligence, Russian soldiers killed in battle are being buried and reported missing to reduce expensive payments to their families. "They eliminate them on the battlefield, the fighting continues, it's hot, they start to smell, so we bury them there and then they're considered missing," a man tells a resident of the Russian Belgorod region in a phone call reported by Kyiv Independent. The compensation for each fallen soldier is said to be between $67,500 and $116,000.
06:59 Russia Shows No Signs of Desiring Peace SettlementWhile Ukrainian President Zelensky promotes his "victory plan" in the US, Russia has exhibited no interest in resolving the conflict. "The Kremlin continues to openly display its reluctance to negotiate a peace agreement that doesn't involve the Ukrainian government's complete surrender and the Ukrainian state's destruction," writes the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). High-ranking Russian officials have expressed opposition to participating in the next peace summit, and Kremlin spokesman Peskov has reiterated that Russia is unwilling to negotiate over anything other than Ukrainian capitulation. "The ISW continues to assess that the Kremlin is not interested in genuine peace negotiations with Ukraine and will only mention 'peace plans' and 'negotiations' to pressure the West to coerce Ukraine into making concessions regarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity."
06:27 Zelensky Believes Stronger US Actions Could End Russian Aggression SoonerUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that firm measures by the US government could bring an end to Russian aggression towards Ukraine sooner. "Now, at this year's end, we have a true chance to strengthen cooperation between Ukraine and the US," Zelensky wrote in a post on his Telegram channel after meeting with a bipartisan US congressional delegation. Zelensky is presently in the US to attend UN General Assembly sessions and promote his "victory plan" to the US government.
05:44 Teenagers Set Mi-8 Helicopter on Fire in OmskTwo teenagers set fire to a Mi-8 helicopter at a Russian airbase in Omsk last Saturday using a Molotov cocktail, reports the Telegram channel Baza. The 16-year-olds were later arrested and reportedly confessed to accepting $20,000 via Telegram to carry out the attack. The helicopter suffered significant damage, as media reports indicate. This incident follows a similar attack on September 11, when two young boys set fire to a Mi-8 helicopter at the airport in Noyabrsk, Tyumen region. Sabotage acts, including train derailments, have been occurring frequently in various Russian regions. In January, the Ukrainian military intelligence service (HUR) claimed that some of Russia's railways had been attacked by "unknown enemies of the Putin regime."
04:44 G7 to Consider Long-Range Missile Supply to UkraineThe G7 countries' foreign ministers will discuss the possibility of delivering long-range missiles capable of reaching Russian territory to Ukraine on Monday, according to EU foreign policy chief José Borrell. Borrell revealed this information during the UN General Assembly's sideshow. It has also been reported that Russia is receiving new weaponry, including Iranian rockets, despite Tehran's repeated denials.
03:50 Zelensky: "Peace is closer than we believe" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expresses hopefulness regarding an imminent end to the conflict with Russia. "I believe we're closer to peace than we believe," Zelensky says in an interview with U.S. broadcaster ABC News. The end of the war is drawing near, he adds. In the interview, he urges the U.S. and other allies to keep backing Ukraine.
23:50 Casualties after Russian assaults on Saporizhzhia Russian forces conducted the latest in a series of assaults on southeastern Ukrainian city Saporizhzhia on Tuesday evening. One person was killed, as per regional governor Ivan Federov. A city official, speaking to state broadcaster Suspilne, mentions five injured individuals, including a 13-year-old girl. At least 23 people were hurt in earlier attacks on the city, with a few more injured the night prior. Federov shares on Telegram that two houses were destroyed in the latest attack, although it's unclear which weapon was used. Russian forces also targeted infrastructure in the city, sparking a fire that the rescue services swiftly put out without any casualties.
00:39 Ukrainian military under strain in Pokrovsk The Ukrainian military continues to face pressure in the eastern part of the country, according to their evening update. "The situation in Pokrovsk and Kurakhove remains volatile," the Kyiv-based General Staff reports. More than 50 out of 125 Russian assaults along the frontline were carried out in this sector. "The enemy's main focus has been on Pokrovsk," the Ukrainian military command clarifies. While independent analysts credit the Ukrainians with having slowed down the Russian advance on strategically important Pokrovsk, the situation remains risky for defenders near Kurakhove farther south. Russian troops' advances near the mining town of Hirnyk pose a threat to surrounding units. A similar outflanking tactic is noticed farther south near the town of Vuhledar, which the Russians have failed to capture through frontal attacks.
00:01 American convict gets 6 years in Russia for child abduction attempt A US citizen has been given a six-year prison sentence in Russia for attempting to leave the country with his Russian son without the mother's consent, Russian legal officials claim. A court in Kaliningrad found the man guilty of attempting "child abduction" and ordered him to serve his term in a penal colony. According to the verdict, the US citizen attempted to leave Russia with his 4-year-old son in July 2023. "Without the mother's consent, he attempted to take the child out of the country," the court stated on Telegram. He was stopped by border guards while trying to cross into Poland through a forest area. Tensions between the US and Russia are especially high due to the conflict in Ukraine.
22:44 Russia Reports Deaths After Attack on Belgorod An attack on a Russian village near the Ukrainian border resulted in the death of three individuals, as per local authorities. The village of Archangelskoe, five kilometers from the border, was "attacked by the Ukrainian army" on Monday, according to the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, on Telegram. A couple of adults and an adolescent were killed, and there were two wounded, including a child, the governor said.
21:35 Zelensky Thanks Scholz for German Support Following Meeting in New York Following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in New York, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the significance of Germany's support. "We are profoundly grateful to Germany for its support," Zelensky tweeted. "Together, we have saved countless lives, and we can certainly do more to bolster security across the entire European continent." Scholz, however, restated the German government's position of not providing Ukraine with advanced weaponry.
20:52 Forbes: As Russia's Lone Aircraft Carrier Disintegrates, Crew Sent to War Russia has only one aircraft carrier, named "Admiral Kuznetsov," which has received much attention due to its limited deployments since its launch in the 80s, as well as multiple issues. Now, Forbes reports that soldiers from the 15,000-strong Admiral Kuznetsov crew are joining the conflict in Ukraine, not aboard their aircraft carrier, but as part of their own battalion. This is one of the measures to meet Russia's monthly recruitment needs, which Forbes estimates at 30,000 new fighters each month. Meanwhile, the Admiral Kuznetsov is reportedly degrading and may become a permanent inhabitant of the Murmansk coastline, where it has been stationary for some time.
Despite ongoing combat in the Donetsk region, Russian forces are reportedly making progress towards encircling Vuhledar, with Colonial military expert Reisner suggesting that the city could eventually lose control of the area due to the Russian advance from multiple directions.
In response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has called for loosening restrictions on the use of long-range western weaponry against Russia by allied countries, arguing that the red line was crossed when Russia invaded Ukraine.
