Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 22.33 Since the beginning of the current day and as of 22:00, 255 combat clashes have occurred at the front. The relevant information was published by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in an operational summary.
21.15 Russian invaders occupied the village of Serebryanka and advanced near four more settlements in the Donetsk region. This was reported by analysts of the DeepState project on their Telegram channel.
22.13 France and the European Commission are considering the possibility of providing Ukraine with a reparations loan of 90 billion euros in 2026-2027 using frozen Russian assets, two-thirds of which are planned to be used for military support. This was announced at a briefing at the Elysee Palace on Tuesday, Ukrinform reports .
20.59 Volunteer from Bulgaria Todor Nikolaev Kuzmov died in the battles for Ukraine. This was reported by the Bulgarian news agency Novinite, referring to a post on the Memorial - International Volunteers for Ukraine Facebook page.
20.04 On December 16, following the results of the 32nd meeting in the Ramstein format, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal reported on the partners' commitments to long-term support for Ukraine.
"In 2025, the partners committed to allocate almost $5 billion to Ukrainian defense production and about another $5 billion to the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine. Both indicators have become record highs, and we aim to maintain this momentum in 2026," he noted.
19:55 60 Ukrainian citizens were returned to Ukraine from Russia and the temporarily occupied territories (TOT). This was reported by the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets on Telegram.
The return of citizens took place following a meeting between Lubinets and the Russian Commissioner for Human Rights, Tatyana Moskalkova, and the heads of missions of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Ukraine and Russia.
19.00 The compensation commission, which will deal with the issue of compensation for losses caused to Ukraine as a result of full-scale Russian aggression, will be located in the Netherlands. This was stated by Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof during a joint briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in The Hague, Ukrinform reports.
18.34 Ankara warns the Russian and Ukrainian sides against actions that could pose a threat to shipping in the Black Sea. This was stated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after the incident with a downed drone in the Black Sea area, the local newspaper Daily Sabah reports.
17.41 Ukraine has found an opportunity to release at least 800 MW of electrical capacity. This was announced by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. According to her, this will reduce the duration of power outages for the population and industry.
17.32 Military counterintelligence officer Matthew Robar was arrested in Canada on suspicion of passing classified information to Ukraine without approval from his superiors, The Globe and Mail reported, citing an anonymous source.
16.58 A video with footage of a "shaheed" flying from the sea towards Odessa and heading towards civilian buildings has been posted on social networks. In particular, it was published by Ukrainian military correspondent Andriy Tsaplienko.
16.50 Since the beginning of the current day and as of 16:00, 167 battles have taken place on the front, which is more than twice the figure for Monday as of this time. This information was published by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in an operational summary . The Russian occupiers have become more active in almost all main directions, and in the Pokrovsk area they have already organized more than 50 assaults.
16.40 Ukraine received a record amount of military aid this year, but it needs to be increased. This was written by Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal in Telegram following the results of the 32nd meeting in the Ramstein format.
15.59 The Verkhovna Rada voted in the first reading on a draft law on commemorating those killed as a result of the full-scale Russian invasion.
The corresponding initiative No. 14144 was supported by 314 people's deputies.
The purpose of the document is to define at the legislative level a nationwide minute of silence as a daily commemorative event in the field of national memory.
15.34 The Ukrainian delegation will leave for the United States after the US-Russian contacts this coming weekend or a little later. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference in the Netherlands. In Kyiv, they will wait to see how the negotiations between representatives of the US and Russia will end, the president noted.
15.08 The day before, Ukrainian Sub Sea Baby naval drones attacked the Russian class 636.3 submarine Varshavyanka in the port of Novorossiysk. Radio Liberty published satellite images of the berth where this submarine was located.
The pictures show that the explosion occurred several dozen meters from the pier. The photo shows damage to the pier. It is noted that it is difficult to assess the extent of damage to the submarine. Journalists suggested that there was no direct hit by the drone on the Varshavyanka's hull.
Meanwhile, in the comments under the post of Ukrainian journalist Andriy Tsaplienko, users write about significant damage to the Russian submarine:
"The Kilo-class submarine has a propeller extending significantly below the waterline, possibly up to 10 meters. Photos of the pier damage show the submarine below waterline, indicating at least partial water intrusion, and possibly complete flooding, depending on the depth of the pier water."
"Two compartments are flooded, the propeller mechanism is destroyed, it is unlikely to be repaired."
14.49 The United Kingdom will allocate 600 million pounds sterling (over 800 million dollars) to strengthen Ukrainian air defense. This was stated by the British Minister of Defense John Healy at the 32nd meeting of the Contact Group on Ukrainian Defense in the Ramstein format.
14.37 The Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police detained another collaborator in the Donetsk region - the head of the "press center" from the occupation "employment center" of the "DPR". The SBU reported this on its Telegram channel.
14.22 Ukrainian military drones struck storage sites of Russian Uragan MLRS . This was reported by the Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The strikes were carried out in the settlement of Blagodatne in the temporarily occupied territory in the Donetsk region.
On April 14, the signing of the Convention on the Establishment of an International Commission to Consider Claims of Damage Caused by Russia's Aggression against Ukraine took place in The Hague, Netherlands . This was reported by Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Mudra in a comment to Korespondent.net .
13.22 The aggressor country Russia is negative about the proposal for a truce with Ukraine for Christmas. This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a comment to Russian media. He cynically believes that within a few days of the truce, Ukraine could supposedly "prepare to continue the war."
12.38 Turkish defense company Roketsan has developed and is testing a cheap missile to destroy Shahed attack drones . Its cost will be 30 times lower than the analogues currently in use.
11.32 On Tuesday night, Russian aggressors carried out attacks on energy facilities in several regions . There are new power outages, Ukrenergo and the Ministry of Energy reported.
Thus, as a result of racist attacks, consumers in the controlled part of the Donetsk region were completely cut off from electricity - 427 thousand subscribers were left without electricity.
There are also new power outages in the Dnipropetrovsk and Mykolaiv regions. And due to the difficult situation in the power system, emergency shutdowns were applied in the Kharkiv region this morning.
In addition, in the Odessa region, power supply has been restored to over 334 thousand consumers, but another 278 thousand subscribers remain without electricity.
11.11 The Russians destroyed a warehouse with boilers and heaters in the Odessa region. The fire has now been completely extinguished by rescuers. A nearby warehouse of a logistics company was also saved.
10.52 Ukrainian military continues defense of Pokrovsk agglomeration. Over the past week, the total losses of Russian occupiers in the battles for Pokrovsk amounted to 446 people, which is 30% more than in the previous period, the 7th Airborne Assault Corps (AAF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.
10.28 Law enforcement officers found the pistol used to kill MP, former Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Andriy Parubiy. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported this .
"According to preliminary data, the found weapons were planned to be used in the future to commit other contract killings on the territory of Ukraine," the special service noted.
09.41 On the night of December 16, Russian troops attacked a farm in the village of Koropska, Novgorod-Siversky district, with Geran strike drones. As a result of the hit, a fire broke out on the spot, and a cowshed and agricultural machinery were damaged. Livestock also died - previously, seven cows.
09.13 On the night of December 16, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 69 Shahed, Gerber attack UAVs and other types of drones.
Air defenses shot down/suppressed 57 enemy Shahed, Gerbera and other types of drones in the south and east of the country. 10 strike UAVs were recorded being hit at seven locations.
08.28 Over the past 24 hours , 151 combat clashes were recorded on the front . Aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces struck two areas of concentration of personnel and equipment, one artillery piece and two enemy control points.
07.50 Russian military drones hit a high-rise building in Zaporizhia, three casualties are known.
Apartments on two floors of a residential building burned down. The fire occurred in four apartments. The residents of the high-rise building were evacuated by rescuers. The fire is currently under control.
07.29 From February 24, 2022 to December 16, 2025, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine amounted to approximately 1,190,620 people (+1,150 per day).
05.50 In Zaporizhia, a Shahed hit a high-rise building, causing a fire. At least two people were injured.
02.30 Ukraine and the US supported the idea of a truce for the Christmas and New Year holidays. Now everything depends on the political will of the Russian Federation, said President Volodymyr Zelensky.
00.01 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, summing up the negotiations in Berlin, stressed the importance of clearly defining security guarantees for Ukraine and financing the country's reconstruction. According to him, the first drafts of documents prepared by the Ukrainian military look encouraging, although work on them is ongoing.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Russian occupiers became more active in almost all major directions, in particular, in the Pokrovsk area, the enemy carried out about 60 assaults.
Since the beginning of the current day and as of 10:00 p.m., 255 combat clashes have occurred on the front. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published the relevant information in an operational summary on Tuesday, December 16.
Thus, 15 combat clashes took place in the North-Slobozhansk and Kursk directions. The enemy carried out three air strikes, dropping eight guided bombs, and carried out 102 attacks, including seven from multiple launch rocket systems.
Today, the enemy attacked nine times in the South-Slobozhansk direction in the areas of the settlements of Prylipka, Synelnykovo and in the direction of Izbitsky, Obukhivka, and Kolodyazny.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy carried out 24 attacks in the direction of Kupyansk, Petropavlivka, Kucherivka, Peshchanye, Novoplatonivka, Golubivka, Novaya Kruglyakivka. Three clashes are ongoing.
In the Lyman direction, the Defense Forces repelled 27 assault actions in the Torske area and towards the settlements of Lyman, Stepove, Koroviy Yar, Zarichne, Drobysheve, Novoselivka, Stavky, and Hlushchenkove. Two clashes are ongoing.
In the Slavyansk direction, the enemy attacked four times in the areas of Siversk, Serebryanka, and towards Pazeno. One clash is currently ongoing.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the enemy once attacked the positions of our defenders in the direction of Bondarne.
There were 16 combat clashes in the Kostyantynivka direction today. The enemy tried to storm the positions of Ukrainian units near Pleshchiivka, Ivanopillya, Rusynyi Yar, Yablunivka, and towards Sofiivka.
In the Pokrovsky direction, since the beginning of this day, the enemy has attacked 60 times in the areas of the settlements of Kotlyne, Udachne and towards Rivne, Myrnograd, Rodynske, Hryshyne, Zvirovoye, Sergiyevka, Novopavlivka, Filia, Novyy Shakhovye, Dorozhnye, and Sukhetske. Six of them are currently ongoing.
Today, according to preliminary data, 220 occupiers have been neutralized in this direction, of which 143 have been irretrievably destroyed. In addition, Ukrainian soldiers destroyed three tanks, 12 units of motor vehicles, four armored combat vehicles, one motorcycle, nine unmanned aerial vehicles, five units of special equipment, two personnel shelters. Three units of motor vehicles, a BM-21 Grad MLRS, and seven enemy personnel shelters were damaged.
In the Oleksandrivka direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled 20 attacks by the invaders in the areas of the settlements of Zeleny Hai, Sichneve, Krasnohirske, Zlagoda, Rybne and towards Ivanivka, Iskra, Oleksandrovka, Verbovye, Pryvilne. The enemy carried out an air strike in the area of the settlement of Ivanivka.
There were 28 clashes in the Hulyaipil direction, in the area of the settlement of Solodke and towards Varvarivka, Hulyaipil. The enemy carried out air strikes using guided aerial bombs on Vozdvizhivka and Zaliznychne.
In the Orikhiv direction, the enemy tried in vain eight times to break through our defenses in the areas of the settlements of Shcherbaki, Stepove and in the directions of Malaya Tokmachka, Novoandreyevka, and Prymorske.
While in other areas, there have been no significant changes in the situation.
As a reminder, 151 combat clashes took place on the front during the day on December 15. The largest number of battles was recorded in the Pokrovsk area – 40.
Russia lost 1,150 soldiers killed and wounded in the past 24 hours. Since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, Russian losses have amounted to almost 1.2 million people.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 22:13 Improvement of positions south of Dronovka in the Seversky direction, –MAP 21:16 Kupyansk. LBS correction. Sobolevka and Moskovka, which were the subject of prolonged fighting, are currently reoccupied by the enemy. We are also detecting enemy positions in the southern part of the city. MAP
20:53 There is no longer an organized line of defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Dimitrov (Myrnograd), but pockets of resistance remain, MAP
20:40 In the period from 16:00 to 20:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed ten Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
Six – over the territory of the Bryansk region,
Three – over the territory of the Tver region,
One – over the territory of the Oryol region.
20:37 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS crews of the Yuzhnaya force group destroyed a temporary deployment point for Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen and an enemy UAV control point near Konstantinovka.
20:04 Drone crews of the Northern Forces Group destroyed the Baba Yaga hexacopter and an artillery unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Sumy region.
UAV operators from the Vostok group of forces destroyed enemy hexacopters and control antennas in Gulyai-Pole.
A FPV drone crew from the 51st Guards Army's Center grouping of forces eliminated an enemy stronghold in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
Kamikaze drone crews destroyed a hexacopter, a pickup truck, and an ATV carrying Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen.
UAV crews conducted strikes against enemy strongholds, manpower, and electronic warfare stations near the village of Sadki in Sumy Oblast.
18:56 Specialists of the electronic warfare company of the 3rd Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Combined Arms Army of the West group of forces experienced a mobile electronic warfare station based on the Kurier ground-based robotic platform.
17:57 Specialists from the Rubicon Center amazed enemy equipment, personnel, elements of communication systems, firing positions and UAVs in the SVO zone.
16:36 In the period from 12:00 to 16:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 20 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles were:
10 – over the territory of the Kaluga region,
Eight – over the territory of the Bryansk region,
Two – over the territory of the Moscow region.
14:56 The Russian Ministry of Defense showed footage of the control of the central part of Kupyansk, MAP
13:47 Snipers of the motorized rifle regiment of the 27th Guards Motorized Rifle Division of the Center group of forces covered up ground units from enemy UAVs in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
12:50 In the period from 8:00 to 12:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty intercepted destroyed and 28 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
18 UAVs – over the territory of the Bryansk region,
Six UAVs – over the territory of the Leningrad region,
Two UAVs – over the territory of the Moscow region,
One UAV flying towards Moscow,
One UAV – over the territory of the Kaluga region,
One UAV – over the territory of the Smolensk region.
12:43 Khar'kov border area. Assault units of the North Guard Forces have entered the southern part of Vilcha and are advancing west of Liman. MAP
12:38 Summary Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the Special Military Operation as of December 16, 2025
Units of the North group of forces defeated formations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' mechanized brigade and two territorial defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Novaya Sich, Kondratovka, and Miropolye in the Sumy region.
In the Khar'kov direction, units of three mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a territorial defense brigade, and a National Guard brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Pershotravnevoe, Baranivka, Nesternoye, Vovchanskie Khutora, and Primorskoye in the Khar'kov region.
The enemy lost over 250 servicemen, a Grad multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle, an artillery piece, 23 vehicles, an Israeli-made RADA radar station, an electronic warfare station, and three supply depots.
Units of the "West" military group, as a result of active operations, liberated the village of Novoplatonovka in the Khar'kov region.
The manpower and equipment of three mechanized brigades, an assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a territorial defense brigade, and a National Guard brigade were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Blagodatovka, Podoli, Shiykovka, Glushkovka, Kupyansk-Uzlovaya in the Khar'kov region and Krasny Liman in the Donetsk People's Republic.
Ukrainian armed forces suffered losses of over 220 servicemen and four armored combat vehicles. Eighteen vehicles, three artillery pieces, an electronic warfare station, and three ammunition depots were destroyed.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces have taken up more advantageous positions and lines. Formations of two mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, an airmobile brigade, a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, and a National Guard brigade have been defeated near the settlements of Mayaki, Alekseyevo-Druzhkovka, Stepanovka, Slavyansk, Petrovskoye, Konstantinovka, and Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost up to 200 military personnel, four armored combat vehicles, 13 cars, three artillery pieces and five supply depots.
Units of the Center group of forces continued to destroy the encircled enemy in the Eastern and Western microdistricts of the city of Dimitrov in the Donetsk People's Republic and liberated 120 buildings.
The clearing of the settlements of Svetloe and Grishino in the Donetsk People's Republic from scattered formations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces continues.
In the area of the village of Rodynskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic, two attacks by units of the 425th Assault Regiment "Skala" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which were attempting to regain lost positions, were repelled.
The manpower and equipment of a mechanized unit, two infantry brigades, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, a territorial defense brigade, and two National Guard brigades were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Svetloe, Toretskoye, Belitskoye, Shevchenko in the Donetsk People's Republic and Novopavlivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
The enemy's losses amounted to over 505 military personnel, four armored combat vehicles, including a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier, a Grad multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle, nine vehicles, and ten artillery pieces, including six Western-made ones.
Units of the "East" force group continued to advance deep into the enemy's defenses. They inflicted losses on the personnel and equipment of a mechanized and assault brigade, three assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a territorial defense brigade near the settlements of Andriivka and Velykymykhaylivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and Hulyai-Pole and Kosivtseve in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 295 servicemen, two tanks, two armored combat vehicles, nine cars, three field artillery pieces, and two supply depots.
Units of the Dnipro group of forces defeated formations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' mechanized brigade, the territorial defense brigade, and the National Guard brigade in the areas of the settlements of Orekhov, Novoandriivka in the Zaporizhzhia region, and Otradokamenka in the Kherson region.
Up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, 19 vehicles, six field artillery guns, two electronic warfare stations and three supply depots were destroyed.
12:02 pm A crew of the Orlan-10 UAV from the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) unit of the 18th Combined Arms Army of the Dnepr group adjusted combat operations of the 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS against the concentration of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel and equipment on the right bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region.
UAV operators from the unmanned aerial systems unit of the Dnepr Airborne Forces Group adjusted artillery strikes on enemy vehicles and a temporary deployment point in the Orekhov area of the Zaporizhzhia region.
10:47 Units of the Eastern Group of Forces lead active assault operations are underway in the Zaporizhzhia region near Hulyai-Polye. The advance is being facilitated by the suppression of enemy fire positions and consistent pressure on their defenses.
10:45 According to urgent operational data, our troops advanced in the southern part of the city of Gulyaipole.
Currently, the zone of control of our forces in the city extends all the way to the city cemetery on Mira Street.
Thus, our troops are already approaching the center of Gulyaipole.
10:28 Khar'kov border area. After the liberation of Vovchansk, fighters of the North Guard Forces entered the western outskirts of Vovchansk Khutors. MAP
08:25 TOS-1A "Solntsepek" crew of the "Center" force group destroyed stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
08:14 During the past night, air defense systems on duty destroyed 83 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
64 – over the territory of the Bryansk region,
Nine – over the territory of the Kaluga region,
Five – over the territory of the Smolensk region,
Two UAVs were destroyed over the Moscow region,
Two – over the territory of the Republic of Crimea,
One flying towards Moscow,
One – over the territory of the Tver region.
08:00 A TOS-2 "Tosochka" crew from the "Vostok" force group dismantled an enemy stronghold near the village of Gulyai-Pole in the Zaporizhzhia region.
07:35 Changes on map over the past 24 hours:
Advance in Kurilovka
Peschanoye was liberated
Advance in Gulyaipole
Expansion of the control zone in Mirnograd
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] At its plenary session on December 16, the State Duma adopted in the first reading a bill establishing April 19 as the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Genocide of the Peoples of the USSR, committed by the Nazis and their allies during the Great Patriotic War.
The initiative's authors noted that the chosen date has a historical basis. On April 19, 1943, Decree No. 39 was issued—the first official legal act that formalized the targeted and large-scale policy of the Nazis and their collaborators to exterminate civilians in the occupied territories. This act also established the legal basis for holding those responsible accountable.
"Our duty is to preserve the memory of the heroism of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers who saved the entire world from the Nazis. And to prevent others from forgetting the truth about the atrocities of the Nazis and the heroism of the Soviet people," said State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.
On April 21, President Vladimir Putin signed the law "On the perpetuation of the memory of the victims of the genocide of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945." Vladimir Medinsky, Chairman of the Russian Military Historical Society, noted that approximately 15–16 million people fell victim to the genocide perpetrated by Nazi Germany in the USSR.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Washington is demanding that Kyiv agree as soon as possible to a peace deal with security guarantees comparable to Article 5 of the NATO Charter. Politico reported this on December 15, citing a senior US official.
"This offer is the strongest and most explicit security promise the Trump administration has made to Ukraine, but it comes with a hidden ultimatum: accept it now, or the next option will be less generous," the newspaper's source said.
The publication noted that guarantees may not be included in the peace deal if the Ukrainian authorities delay making a decision.
Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, following talks in Berlin, noted that the issue of territorial concessions to Ukraine is a US condition for concluding a peace agreement.
On December 14, a meeting between the American and Ukrainian delegations on conflict resolution took place in Berlin. A second round of talks took place on the afternoon of December 15. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the American delegation demanded the complete withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Donbas. Trump, speaking about Ukraine's territorial concessions, had previously stated that Kyiv had already lost some territory.
President Vladimir Putin stated that Donbas and Novorossiya would be liberated by military or other means. He recalled that Moscow had proposed that Kyiv withdraw its troops from Donbas and avoid military action, but the Ukrainian authorities chose to continue fighting.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Valeriy Zaluzhny, former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and current Ukrainian ambassador to London,is confident that civil war could break out in the country after the conflict ends.
He identified the main danger as the approximately 1 million soldiers returning from the end of hostilities, who will face reduced incomes, lack of jobs, housing, and opportunities to realize their potential in society and family. According to Zaluzhny, they will become vulnerable to provocations and the temptation of easy money.
"Therefore, serious risks arise, starting with an increase in crime and danger on the streets, at a minimum <…>. And even all this could lead to risks of political destabilization in Ukraine and a threat to national security, such as, for example, a civil war," the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces emphasized at a forum dedicated to the status of combatants in Ukraine.
Zaluzhny called the end of the conflict a new challenge for the state and civil society of Ukraine.
Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service has previously reported repeatedly on the possible removal of Kyiv regime leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy with the approval of Western countries. According to one theory, the US and UK were preparing to replace him with Valeriy Zaluzhnyy. American journalist Seymour Hersh suggested that Zelenskyy's violent overthrow could also be in the works.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] Undesirable bloggers embezzled funds. Law enforcement officers conducted searches in Yekaterinburg at the homes of bloggers Alexei Sokolov, Larisa Zakharova, and Roman Kachanov. The investigation is related to a criminal case on organizing the activities of an undesirable organization. According to the agency, law enforcement agencies conducted searches at the defendants' homes this morning. Investigators suspect them of embezzling grant funds from foreign organizations deemed undesirable in the Russian Federation under the guise of human rights work while in prison. They embezzled funds from the sacred cause of fighting the regime. The funds belonged to the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The latter is completely unmarked, as it is an organization closely linked to the State Department and the CIA. As we can see, recipients of American budget money still have to be caught.
Commentary from Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin
[ColonelCassad] We were a bit lucky in Novorossiysk today with the enemy's naval drone attack on Novorossiysk, as was the case with the attempt to blow up the Crimean Bridge support. The explosion occurred near the pier (and was damaged) between two submarines. The damage to one of them was minor.
The attack itself has been confirmed, so questions remain about the harbor defense organization. Next time, we might not be so lucky. As a reminder, during the attack on the Crimean Bridge, the enemy also hacked surveillance cameras on the bridge itself.
Satellite images have emerged of the pier in Novorossiysk, where an enemy underwater drone exploded yesterday. Traces of an explosion are visible on the pier near one of the Varshavyanka-class diesel submarines. No visible damage to the hull structure has been detected, while yesterday the enemy claimed to have "destroyed the submarine."
The Black Sea Fleet reported yesterday that the submarine sustained no damage. Overall, we were lucky yesterday that this was all. But next time, if there's a similar lapse in security at one of the key Black Sea harbors, we may not be so lucky.
There will likely be a closed inspection of the base's security organization, as well as questions regarding the enemy's access to video footage of the harbor. Similar measures were also taken during the enemy's attempts to blow up the Crimean Bridge, where we also had some luck.
#1
1) It didn't happen
2) It happened but no damage was reported
3) The damage was minor and easily repaired
4) The subs have been placed in drydocks for "upgrades"
5) ....
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/17/2025 7:51 Comments ||
Top||
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] This is the moment Ukrainian forces are believed to have destroyed a Russian submarine using underwater drones, in what is believed to be the first attack of its kind in history.
Footage shared by Ukraine's security service (SBU) appeared to show 'Sea Baby' drones decimating a Kilo-class submarine, in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
A plume of water and debris can be seen soaring high into the air above the Russian naval base.
It appears that no other military vessels docked in Novorossiysk were attacked by Ukrainian forces.
The SBU claimed that the submarine 'suffered critical damage and... was put out of action', adding that the joint operation between itself and Ukraine's navy is the first time in history a submarine has been taken out by a naval drone.
It said that the vessel was a Class 636.3 'Varshavyanka', the most recent variant of the diesel-electric attack submarines in Russia's fleet.
These deadly vessels are said to be capable of operating at a depth of 790ft, and are typically armed with dozens of torpedoes, mines and a host of missiles.
Designed to operate in shallow, coastal waters and tasked with anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare, US forces have nicknamed the submarines 'Black Holes' as they are among the stealthiest in the world.
The SBU claimed the submarine it targeted was, at the time, carrying four Kalibr cruise missiles, the land-based versions of which have a range of up to 1,550 miles.
Estimates of the cost of each submarine vary, but they are believed to cost hundreds of millions of pounds to make.
Ukraine said that given the increased costs associated with the international sanctions imposed on Russia since it invaded Ukraine nearly four years ago, Putin may have to fork out half a billion dollars to replace this submarine.
The Sea Baby drone, developed by Ukraine following Putin's invasion, is capable of carrying nearly 1,900lbs of explosives that can be detonated remotely.
They are also capable of carrying up to six grenade launchers for use in battle, have a range of at least 600 miles and can travel at up to 60mph.
Each one is believed to cost around £180,000 to make.
Ukraine has been using Sea Baby drones more and more in recent weeks. Late last week, the navy attacked a tanker from Putin's notorious shadow fleet using a fleet of Sea Baby drones.
Footage shows the detonation in the stern of the giant Dashan in the Black Sea.
The explosion on the 164,608-ton vessel came after attacks by Sea Baby marine drones.
The extent of the damage is unclear but satellite data shows the 902ft-long tanker stopped moving.
Russian sources immediately sought to implicate Britain in the attack on a tanker which could carry £45million worth of oil.
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