Author: dmitriy.vasyura@gmail.com

Russian troops are storming the Kherson direction in an attempt to gain a foothold on some islands in the Dnipro River delta, Vladyslav Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Southern Command, told Suspilne on Dec. 4.

Russian forces are trying to conduct attacks near the Kozatskyi and Kruhlyk islands, Voloshyn said.

His comments came after Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin told the Financial Times that Russia "wants to launch another offensive" in the direction of Kherson.

Kherson and other regional settlements west of the Dnipro River have been subjected to near-daily Russian strikes since Ukraine liberated the area in November 2022, and Russian troops were pushed to the river's east bank.

Russia has assembled "300 boats to cross the river" Prokudin said in an article published earlier on Dec. 4.

Voloshyn confirmed this claim, adding that Moscow's attack attempts have failed and resulted in losses.

"Their goal is to capture a certain foothold, hold it and bring as much of our forces and means as possible," he said.

Russia is now training its forcing assault groups in occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts, the spokesperson said, citing Ukraine's intelligence data.

According to Voloshyn, Moscow's troops are practicing how to cross water obstacles and transfer landing groups.

"There has not been a single successful attempt at this assault or enemy crossing in a month. The Ukrainian Defense Forces are now reliably defending the city of Kherson and Kherson Oblast, and the entire right bank," Voloshyn told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

Throughout 2024, Ukraine has faced a challenging situation in its defense of the front line, particularly in Donetsk Oblast, where Russia has consistently concentrated its offensive potential.

Ukraine has also been building heavy fortifications near the southern city of Zaporizhzhia in preparations for a potential Russian offensive in the region.

‘Destroying us little by little:’ Ukrainian troops worried about fate of Kursk operationEditor’s note: Ukrainian soldiers featured in this story are identified by first name only since they spoke without authorization from their command. Nearly four months after Kyiv launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, some Ukrainian soldiers are increasingly pessimi…The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima

Russian forces attempted a breakthrough to Kupiansk with equipment and infantry. Ukrainian troops destroyed the enemy forces that were trying to entrench before the arrival of reinforcements.

Today, December 4, Russian troops made an attempt to break through to Kupiansk with equipment and infantry, but the Ukrainian military "worked well", reported the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Andriy Kovalenko, writes UNN.

The Russian army really made an attempt to break through to Kupiansk today. Several pieces of equipment and infantry went on the offensive and were destroyed by our forces. Now the enemy on the front line is generally making such attacks, trying to break through to the residential sector or the outskirts, land a landing force and consolidate before reinforcements arrive. Our warriors worked well today

– said Kovalenko.

Supplement

On the front line during the past day, December 3, there were 192 combat clashes. The number of combat clashes per day in the Kupiansk direction reached thirteen. The defense forces repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of Lozova, Stelmakhivka, Kolisnykivka and Pershotravneve.

The media blitz following Russia’s strike on Dnipro with a new type of intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Nov. 21 was a carefully staged stunt designed to scare off the West, the Moscow Times reported on Dec. 3, citing four Russian official sources.

The attack alarmed and puzzled civilians and international observers, who got used to Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling that has been ongoing since the beginning of the war.

Later on Nov. 21, Putin said in a televised address that the attack was a test of Russia's "newest missile," an IRBM called Oreshnik.

During a press conference, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova took a call on stage. The microphones overheard a man saying "not to comment" on questions regarding the new missile.

This was all part of a plan to scare the West into submission, the Moscow Times reported, citing its sources.

The propaganda offensive was coordinated between government, military, and intelligence officials, as well as PR experts, the outlet wrote. It came as a response to the West's decision to permit Ukraine to strike inside Russia with Western long-range arms.

"This show, which was staged and presented to the public," was composed of the actual Oreshnik strike, dissemination of footage on social media, and foreign media coverage, a Russian official told the Moscow Times.

Speaking to the outlet, experts expressed skepticism about the feasibility of mass-producing the Oreshnik, saying that the weapon is still being tested and Russia lacks the technological means to mass-produce such a weapon.

This undermines a later threat by Putin that he might strike "decision-making centers" in Kyiv by the new Oreshnik.

‘Don’t overreact’ — Oreshnik missile isn’t as new as Russia claims, experts sayRussian President Vladimir Putin on Nov. 21 announced his country had launched a new type of missile in an attack on Ukraine, a demonstration of military might meant to deter Kyiv’s allies from further support against his full-scale invasion. “There are currently no ways of countering this weapon.…The Kyiv IndependentChris York

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that there is an exchange of military assistance between the Russian Federation and the DPRK. Russia is receiving troops and weapons, while in return it is helping the DPRK develop its missile and nuclear programs.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that in exchange for troops and weapons, Russia is providing the DPRK with support in the implementation of its missile and nuclear programs. Rutte emphasized this following the second day of meetings of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, reports UNN.

The increasingly close interaction between Russia, China, North Korea and Iran underscores the global nature of the threats we face. In particular, the escalation of dangers associated with the ongoing war in Ukraine. In exchange for troops and weapons, Russia is providing North Korea with support in the implementation of its missile and nuclear programs. These events could destabilize the situation on the Korean Peninsula and even threaten the United States

– said Rutte.

The NATO Secretary General pointed out that this could be the most difficult winter for Ukraine since 2022. According to him, the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting the day before discussed what else allies could do to ensure critical ammunition and air defense means.

"Allies are working to fulfill the financial promise to allocate 40 billion euros to assist in ensuring Ukraine's security in 2024. And I expect that the new command in Wiesbaden, the NATO Security Assistance and Training Management Office for Ukraine, will be fully operational by the end of this year", Rutte said.

Participation of the DPRK military in the war will have a huge impact on Asia – President of UkraineDec 2 2024, 08:43 AM • 18757 views

Addition

Russia and the DPRK have significantly strengthened their military ties in recent months. In June of this year, the DPRK and Russia signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement.

Ukraine is working with NATO to supply 20 air defense systems by the end of the year – SibigaDec 4 2024, 11:15 AM • 12835 views