Category: War in Ukraine

Russia has lost 755,940 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Dec. 10.

This number includes 1,350 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

According to the report, Russia has also lost 9,524 tanks, 19,596 armored fighting vehicles, 31,037 vehicles and fuel tanks, 21,064 artillery systems, 1,253 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,023 air defense systems, 369 airplanes, 329 helicopters, 20,107 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.

Ukraine won’t trade young soldiers’ lives for better weapons, Zelensky says“The priority should be providing missiles and lowering Russia’s military potential, not Ukraine’s draft age. The goal should be to preserve as many lives as possible, not to preserve weapons in storage.”The Kyiv IndependentAbbey Fenbert

Over the last day, 175 combat engagements took place, with the largest number of attacks in the Pokrovsk sector – 51. The enemy carried out 37 air strikes and fired over 4,000 times, using 1,617 kamikaze drones.

Over the last day, 175 combat engagements took place in the frontline, 51 of them in the Pokrovsk sector. Active combat also took place in the Kurakhove sector. This is stated in the report of the General Staff as of 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, UNN reports .

According to updated information, the enemy launched 37 air strikes on the positions of Ukrainian units and settlements, dropping 57 guided aerial bombs. In addition, he carried out more than four thousand attacks, including 115 from multiple launch rocket systems, and used 1,617 kamikaze drones to hit.

Over the past day, missile forces of the Defense Forces hit the control point of the Russian invaders.

In the Kharkiv direction , the enemy conducted offensive operations six times in the areas of Glubokoe and Volchansk.

The number of military clashes per day in the Kupyansky direction reached seven. The defense forces repelled the attacks of the invaders in the areas of Lozovaya and Zagrizovo.

In the Limansky direction, our troops stopped 14 enemy attacks. The main efforts of the invaders were concentrated in the areas of Grekovka, Zeleny Gai, Nadezhda, Makeyevka, Torsky and Yampolovka.

Two attempts of the invaders to move forward near Chasovy Yar and Orekhovo-Vasilyevka were stopped by Ukrainian soldiers in the Kramatorsk direction.

In The Turkish direction the enemy tried to advance eight times in the areas of Toretsk, Shcherbinovka and Nelipovka.

Fifty-one attacks over the past day were repelled by our defenders in the Pokrovsky direction. Enemy troops are most active near Mirolyubovka, Lisovka, Luch, Dachensky, Chumatsky and Shevchenko.

The Defense Forces continue to hold the enemy in the Kurakhovsky direction. in the areas of Solntsevka, Starye Terny, Zarya, Dalny, Dachny and Kurakhovo, the invaders tried to sell Ukrainian defensive lines 40 times.

Twenty-seven enemy attacks were stopped by our defenders in the direction of Konstantinopol, Novoselka and near Sukhoi Yalov, Storozhevoye, Neskuchny and Blagodatny in the Vremovsky direction.

Seven unsuccessful attempts to seize the positions of our defenders over the past day were made by the enemy in the Dnieper direction.

Plus 1,350 occupants, 5 tanks and 14 drones: General Staff updates data on enemy lossesDec 10 2024, 06:08 AM • 4544 views

The operational situation in Volyn and Polessky directions without significant changes. No signs of forming enemy offensive groups were found.

On the border with the Chernihiv region, the enemy maintains a military presence, conducts reconnaissance activities and artillery attacks.

The Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to conduct operations in Kursk Region, where the enemy conducted 11 assaults on the positions of Ukrainian units over the past day.

Russia’s spending on “national defense” reached an unprecedented $43 billion in the third quarter of 2024, The Moscow Times reported on Dec. 9.

From July to September, the Russian government spent an average of $3.29 billion per week, or $19.6 million per hour, on military maintenance and arms purchases, based on an exchange rate of 100 rubles per dollar.

Both open and classified defense expenditures soared. Publicly disclosed spending totaled $13.81 billion, up 71% from the previous quarter, while classified spending surged 131% to $29.47 billion.

This marks an 80% increase compared to the second quarter and a 53% year-on-year rise.

This single-quarter defense expenditure is nearly triple Russia’s annual higher education budget of $15.46 billion and about 15 times the yearly budgets of regions such as Irkutsk ($2.7 billion) or Novosibirsk ($3.33 billion).

Spending on military salaries, including substantial bonuses for contract workers, rose by 26% year-over-year to $6.14 billion.

Additionally, expenditures on “military cooperation with foreign countries,” potentially including Iranian drones and North Korean munitions, reached a record $1.73 billion in Q3.

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a federal budget on Dec. 1 with record defense spending over the next three years.

In 2025, military expenditures will reach 13.5 trillion rubles ($126 billion), or over 6% of GDP, exceeding combined spending on education, healthcare, social policy, and the economy.

While military spending is projected to decline slightly in 2026 and 2027, it will remain substantial at 12.8 trillion rubles ($114.9 billion) and 13.1 trillion rubles ($122.4 billion).

Russia has spent $200 billion on full-scale war in Ukraine, suffered 700,000 casualties, Austin saysRussia has spent at least $200 billion on its war with Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said at a conference on Dec. 7 in California.The Kyiv IndependentBoldizsar Gyori

There is one Russian carrier ship without Kalibr cruise missiles in the Black Sea. There are 6 enemy ships in the Mediterranean, 4 of which have 41 missiles on board.

One enemy Kalibr carrier without cruise missiles is on combat duty in the Black Sea, the Ukrainian Navy reports, UNN reports.

In the Black Sea, there is 1 enemy ship, which is the carrier of Kalibr cruise missiles, with a total salvo of 0 missiles, in the Sea of Azov there are no enemy ships,

– the statement said.

Details

It is also reported that there are 6 enemy ships in the Mediterranean Sea, 4 of them are carriers of Kalibr cruise missiles, with a total salvo of up to 41 missiles.

Over the past day, due to weather conditions, no passes through the Kerch Strait were recorded.

Pletenchuk on the russian military-industrial complex and missile buildup: "Although lame, it works"Nov 15 2024, 10:16 AM • 15613 views

Ukraine successfully returned five children from Russia and Russian-occupied territories as part of the "Bring Kids Back UA" initiative, Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak announced early on Dec. 10.

Among those rescued were three young Ukrainians who had just turned 18. Yermak added that two of them suffered from psychological pressure while living in Russia, and the third, a young man without family support, finally managed to leave the occupied territory.

The initiative also helped a family of four, including children aged 11 and 14, who faced persecution for their pro-Ukrainian position. They also assisted a 77-year-old woman who could not evacuate on her own. "Their stories reveal the terror and fear people endure under occupation," Yermak said.

Since February 2022, at least 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted from Russian-occupied territories and sent to other Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine or to Russia itself, according to a Ukrainian national database "Children of War."

The Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, estimates that Russia has unlawfully deported up to 150,000 Ukrainian children, while the Children’s Ombudswoman, Daria Herasymchuk, puts the figure at 200,000–300,000.

A Yale School of Public Health study published on Dec. 3 detailsed Russia's systematic program of deporting and forcibly assimilating Ukrainian children.

Under orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin, children were transported via military aircraft in 2022, reclassified in Russian databases as native-born, and subjected to pro-Russian re-education before being adopted into Russian families. Ukrainian children had been transported to at least 21 regions throughout Russia.

Ukraine names pro-Russian collaborators suspected of forcibly deporting Ukrainian childrenOne suspect was identified by the Kyiv Independent’s War Crimes Investigations Unit in the documentary “Uprooted.”The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

The Ukrainian president said he told Trump about Putin's fear of him and China. Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of American and European unity for a just end to the war.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he told US President-elect Donald Trump that the Russian ruler "is only afraid of him and possibly China." He said this on the social network X, UNN reports.

Details

Zelensky noted that America is capable of achieving extraordinary results – what others have not been able to achieve. To succeed in ending this war, Ukraine needs unity – the unity of America, Europe, and everyone in the world who values security – as well as strong positions and guarantees of peace.

I told President Trump that Putin is only afraid of him and possibly China. And it's true. Only determination can bring this war to a just end and ensure lasting peace. We must act now to restore proper international order,

– Zelensky said.

recall

The president of Ukraine spoke out against lowering the military age for sending to the front. He stressed the importance of providing existing brigades with equipment and training instead of attracting young soldiers.

Friedrich Merz, the leading contender to become Germany's next chancellor, criticized his country's arms policy during his visit to Kyiv on Dec. 9, likening it to forcing Ukraine to fight with one hand tied behind its back.

During his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Merz condemned the German government's hesitance to provide long-range weaponry like Taurus cruise missiles. Merz's CDU alliance, currently leading in polls by over 10% points, positions itself as a staunch supporter of Ukraine's military needs.

"We want your army to be capable of hitting military bases in Russia. Not the civilian population, not infrastructure, but the military targets from which your country is being attacked," Merz said.

His comments reflect growing frustration in Kyiv over Germany's cautious stance, which Chancellor Olaf Scholz defends as necessary to avoid escalating tensions with Russia.

Scholz, who recently visited Kyiv himself, portrays his approach as measured and aimed at avoiding actions that could be perceived as direct German involvement in the war. He has resisted calls to supply Taurus missiles, citing risks of escalation and nuclear retaliation.

Germany remains a major financial and military supporter of Ukraine and hosts over a million Ukrainian refugees. However, its flagging economy and public fatigue over the war have emboldened populist parties from both the left and right to challenge the prevailing pro-Ukraine consensus, according to Reuters.

Both Scholz and Merz are leveraging the Ukraine issue to solidify their voter bases, though with different narratives.

President Zelensky thanked both German leaders for their visits and continued support but echoed Merz's sentiment on the need for enhanced military aid. "Putin doesn't want to end this war. He must be forced to, and he can only be forced if Ukraine is strong," Zelenskiy said.

German opposition leader proposes European contact group to unify Ukraine peace strategySpeaking to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the German politician said that this united vision should be then presented to the U.S. leadership. Zelensky voiced his support for the proposal, Ukrinform reported.The Kyiv IndependentBoldizsar Gyori

The President of Ukraine opposed lowering the conscription age for sending soldiers to the front. He emphasized the importance of providing existing brigades with equipment and training instead of recruiting young soldiers.

Ukraine should not compensate for the lack of equipment and training with younger soldiers. It should focus on providing the existing brigades. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the social network X, UNN reports.

There is a lot of talk in the media about lowering the conscription age for Ukrainians to be sent to the front. We should focus on providing existing brigades with equipment and training personnel to use this equipment. We should not compensate for the lack of equipment and training with younger soldiers,

– he noted.

The head of state also added that the priority should be to supply missiles and reduce Russia's military potential, not to lower the conscription age in Ukraine. He emphasized that the goal should be to save as many lives as possible, not to keep weapons in warehouses.

The most important thing is to work together to end this war. This is our top priority. This is what we focused on during our meeting in Paris, and it was a very productive conversation. I once again express my gratitude to President Macron for organizing it, as well as my deep appreciation to President Trump for his strong determination to end this war justly,

– Zelensky emphasized.

He added that this is the right approach, and it is important that all the details are carefully worked out to ensure a truly lasting peace.

Recall

American politicians call on Ukraine to mobilize from the age of 18, as it was during the Vietnam War. Zelenskiy refuses and continues to ask for weapons without changing the draft age.

Partners would like to: Zelensky says there are no plans to mobilize from the age of 18Oct 18 2024, 04:50 PM • 23912 views

The United States is ready to take over the training of new Ukrainian soldiers and provide them with the necessary weapons if Ukraine changes its mobilization policy, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said during a meeting with journalists on Dec. 9.

"We have had conversations with the government of Ukraine about the security situation it faces in the East," Miller said.

"Ultimately, the decisions about the composition of its military force are those are decisions that the Ukrainians have to make for themselves. What we have made clear is that if they produce additional forces to join the fight, we and our allies will be ready to acquit those forces and train those forces to enter battle."

His comments come as part of a broader wave of statements from senior U.S. officials, amid reports that Western allies are urging Ukraine to reduce its minimum mobilization age from 25 to 18 in order to replenish its military forces.

Earlier on Dec. 4, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Ukraine faces "hard decisions" regarding further mobilization in its fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion.

"These are necessary decisions," Blinken noted during a press conference in Brussels. He emphasized that mobilization is critical for Ukraine, adding that while the country has the necessary funds and ammunition, it also requires more people to effectively repel Russian aggression.

Blinken also reiterated that every soldier that Ukraine mobilizes would have "the training and the equipment they need to effectively defend the country."

President Volodymyr Zelensky has so far refuted Washington's appeals. According to the president, partners have only provided enough aid to fully equip 2.5 out of the 10 Ukrainian brigades that Ukraine had requested support for.

Ukraine’s fight against Russian invasion undermined by draft-dodging graftHeavy fighting on the front lines of Russia’s full-scale invasion, dragging out for almost three years, has left thousands of Ukrainian soldiers seriously injured or killed in action. Many still fighting for years along more than 600 miles of the front line in Ukraine’s east and south areThe Kyiv IndependentNatalia Yermak

The Ministry of defense of Ukraine has allowed the Droid TW 12.7 robotic system with a Browning machine gun to operate. The combat system on the tracked platform has been successfully tested and codified.

The Ministry of defense of Ukraine has codified and allowed to operate in the units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine Droid tw 12.7 – a robotic combat complex on a tracked platform with a Browning 12.7 machine gun. this is reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense, writes UNN.

Кодифіковано і допущено до експлуатації український бойовий роботизований комплекс на гусеничній платформі з кулеметом Браунінг 12.7 – дроїд ТВТ 12.7,

– the message says.

The complex confirmed its reliability during combat tests.

Droid TW 12.7 features:

• 12.7 mm machine gun

• crawler platform for the most difficult conditions

• remote control via tablet

• works on digital communication.

Codification and approval for operation of the Ukrainian Robotic Complex Droid TW 12.7 is a significant step towards introducing innovations in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We codify samples that become a reliable tool for our defenders, helping them complete tasks in the most difficult conditions. Our advantage is a high-tech army that can withstand modern challenges,

– – said Deputy Minister of defense of Ukraine Dmitry Klimenkov.

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