[The Daily Express] Russian soldiers defending their country in its war against Ukraine have reportedly suffered countless abuses at the hands of President Vladimir Putin's administration, resulting in the deaths of over 300 soldiers, a new bombshell investigation reveals.
A new investigation from The New York Times details how Putin and the Kremlin built a war machine based on brutality and coercion, in which military higher-ups use abuse to punish their soldiers, many of whom are already severely ill or already injured.
The Times analyzed more than 6,000 confidential complaints about the war, revealing horrifying accounts of torture.
US troops could be deployed to Ukraine as part of peace process, says Zelensky
Putin vows 'victory' in New Year address as he nears Stalin milestone
"They were handcuffed undressed to a tree in January and held for several hours, some of them until the morning," one of the complaints read.
"He can't even hold a spoon or fork, and now he's being sent back to the special military operation," another one read. "PLEASE HELP US SORT THIS OUT."
#2
Might not actually be the "commanders."
In the military, a political commissar or political officer (or politruk, a portmanteau word from Russian: политический руководитель, romanized: politicheskiy rukovoditel, lit. 'political leader or political instructor') is a supervisory officer responsible for the political education (ideology) and organization of the unit to which they are assigned, with the intention of ensuring political control of the military. Wiki
#3
Sending human beings into combat for the purpose of killing each other is the worst form of abuse ever devised by mankind. Both sides are guilty.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
01/01/2026 11:44 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Personally, I believe the British press. I mean, I don't believe anything they report from ME, or anything they report from UK itself, but when it comes to damn, commie, Russkies ...
During a special technical examination of the navigation system unit of one of the Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles , which was hit on the night of December 29, 2025, in the airspace of the Novgorod region, representatives of the Russian special services managed to extract the file loaded into it containing the flight mission.
▫️Deciphering the routing data showed that the final target of the Ukrainian UAV attack on December 29, 2025, was one of the facilities at the Russian President's residence in the Novgorod region .
▫️These materials will be transferred to the American side through established channels.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] 22.30 In the city of Lyudinovo in the Kaluga region of Russia, an oil depot is on fire, which is a logistics center that supplies units of the Russian armed forces.
A series of explosions also occurred in temporarily occupied Ilovaisk, Donetsk region.
21.58 On the evening of December 31, the Russian military launched a strike on Zaporizhia for the second time in a day. A high-rise building was damaged, one person was injured. A checkpoint was deployed near the site of the Russian attack.
21.00 Almost 420 thousand Russian soldiers were neutralized by the Ukrainian defense forces by the end of 2025. This was announced by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky.
20.20 Russian troops hit a street in the village of Novovorontsovka, Berislavsky district, Kherson region, with a drone. A 47-year-old man died as a result of the explosives being dropped.
19.59 In 2025, the volume of international security assistance reached a record $45 billion. This was announced by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov.
"This year was not easy. It began with work in the defense sector - with a focus on strengthening the front, developing our own defense-industrial complex, stable supplies, and international support. Investments in production, systematic work with partners, Ramstein formats - all this gave concrete results on the battlefield," Umerov noted.
He emphasized that in 2025, the volume of international security assistance reached $45 billion - a record figure since 2022.
18.49 Russian troops occupied the village of Novomykolaivka in Sumy region. This was reported by the military-analytical project DeepState.
In addition, the occupiers advanced deep into Ukraine near the village of Varachyne, the village of Hrabovske (both in Sumy Oblast), and the village of Molodetske in Donetsk Oblast.
18.27 On the night of December 31, the Defense Forces struck the Tuapse Oil Refinery in the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation. Tamanneftegaz, a reserve oil depot, and the occupiers' ammunition depots were also under attack.
In addition, a temporary riverboat base near Olenivka, in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, was hit. Russian ammunition depots were also hit in the areas of the settlements of Blizhne and Siyatel in the Donetsk region.
17.41 The forces of unmanned systems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine within one hour destroyed two high-value anti-aircraft missile systems of the Russian occupiers - Buk and Tor. This was reported by the commander of the SBS Robert Brovdi (Magyar) on December 31, publishing a video. According to him, the SBS birds from the Asgard battalion 412 of the Nemesis separate brigade incinerated two, one after the other, high-value anti-aircraft missile systems in the Hulyaipil and Orikhiv directions on December 31.
17.28 On the front since the beginning of the day, Russian troops have carried out 58 combat clashes in different directions of the front. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the evening of December 31. It is noted that as of 16:00 on December 31, 2025, the Russian invaders continue offensive actions along the entire front line, trying to break through the defense of the Ukrainian troops.
16.47 In 2025, Russia launched over 60,000 guided bombs, about 2,400 missiles of various types, and more than 100,000 drones against Ukraine. This was reported by the UNITED24 platform.
In total, the air raid alert sounded at least 19,033 times.
16.22 On the morning of December 31, the Security Service of Ukraine struck a Rosrezerv oil depot in the Yaroslavl region of Russia.
The oil depot is part of the Rosrezerv system and is designed to store large volumes of fuel. We are talking about the Temp oil depot in the city of Rybinsk. After being hit by SBU drones, a large-scale fire broke out at the facility.
Rybinsk is a major transit and logistics hub, and the Temp oil depot itself is an important link in the storage and distribution of petroleum products in the northeastern region of the Russian Federation.
16.06 The European Union intends to introduce a new, 20th, package of sanctions against Russia, by the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This is reported by Welt, citing Dejrell.
Travel bans and asset freezes are expected for individuals and organizations, including those involved in the abduction and ideological "re-education" of Ukrainian children. Diplomats also report possible sanctions in the energy and banking sectors, as well as the closure of loopholes that allow circumvention of previous restrictions. A ban on the import of Russian uranium and sanctions against Rosatom are being discussed.
14.50 Several fires broke out in Zaporizhia as a result of an enemy attack, without any casualties. This was reported by the head of the Zaporizhia OVA, Ivan Fedorov, on his Telegram channel.
14.31 Russian troops struck an industrial infrastructure facility in Zaporizhia. This was reported by the head of the Zaporizhia OVA Ivan Fedorov on January 31.
14.30 The United States believes that on New Year's Eve, negotiations to end the Russian-Ukrainian war "have entered a critical phase." US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said this on the social network X.
14.24 The full-scale war against Ukraine cost Russia approximately $550 billion. The Kremlin is financing the war at the expense of the population through taxes and rising prices for energy, food, and real estate. This is reported by the SZRU.
The amount spent is equivalent to 24 annual budgets of the Russian Federation for higher education or 22 budgets for healthcare. However, a significant part of these expenses is hidden: 59% of the military budget is classified. For the first three quarters of 2025, 4.816 trillion rubles were spent on "open" items, while 7.038 trillion rubles were spent on "closed" items. In annual terms, the closed part of the expenses increased by 39%.
13.56 The total amount of contributions under the PURL initiative in 2025 amounted to $4.3 billion, and the filling of two more aid packages is ongoing. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"The total amount of contributions amounted to $4.3 billion, of which almost $1.5 billion for December alone. Thanks to this, we have already managed to form eight aid packages and two more are currently being filled. We thank everyone who helped Ukraine this year and will support it in 2026. We are bringing peace and guaranteed security closer for Ukraine and all of Europe," Zelenskyy noted.
13.42 More than 10,000 Russian soldiers have been captured in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported.
Since June 2023, Russian soldiers have been captured more often than Ukrainian soldiers.
13.28 The Armed Forces have launched the third wave of deployment of the Impulse military personnel accounting system, which is now also being implemented in the units of the Unmanned Systems Forces.
System deployment takes place in several stages: from preparing the infrastructure and setting up a secure environment to importing data and transitioning to daily work in the system.
12.41 Russia announced the strengthening of security measures on the Crimean Bridge. This was reported by the Public Crimea with reference to Russian media, which quoted the head of the Russian Ministry of Transport Andrei Nikitin. It is noted that security measures were strengthened on the bridge on the eve of the holidays. 212 additional checkpoints were involved to control traffic. The department claims that this will allow checking up to 17,520 vehicles per day and maintaining uninterrupted traffic.
12.30 European countries that agree to participate in the military component of the "coalition of the willing" can deploy up to 15 thousand of their troops in Ukraine during the first six months after the end of the war. This is reported by Welt with reference to sources in Brussels. It is noted that France and Britain are ready to provide appropriate security guarantees for Ukraine - including the use of ground troops to monitor the ceasefire. At the same time, depending on the commitments made by the coalition member states, up to 15 thousand troops can be deployed in Ukraine in the first six months.
12.29 Russia has begun using a new kamikaze attack drone in the war against Ukraine — a technologically simplified and cheaper-to-produce modification of the Iranian Shahed drone. Der Spiegel reports this, citing military analysts.
The Shahed-107 model, which Iran unveiled this year, has a reduced range of about 1,400 kilometers and a lighter explosive warhead, according to Fabian Ginz, an expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Such a UAV, Ginz explains, is cheaper and faster to produce compared to the Shahed-136 model - one of the key tools of the Russian Federation for long-range air strikes.
11.59 Two days after the occupiers' statement about an alleged "attack" by Ukrainian drones on the residence of the head of the Russian ruling regime, Vladimir Putin, the Russian Defense Ministry published a fake map of the movement of Ukrainian drones. The Foreign Intelligence Service (FIS) of Ukraine reported this on Facebook.
11.43 In the Yaroslavl region of Russia, on December 31, explosions were heard amid reports of an "unmanned danger." A fire broke out at the Kombinat Temp fuel and oil processing plant in the city of Rybinsk. This was reported by the Governor of the Yaroslavl region of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Yevraev, on Telegram, as well as the Astra Telegram channel. According to eyewitnesses, fuel tanks are on fire. Astra geolocated several frames from the scene of the incident and concluded that a tank farm in the Kopaevo microdistrict in Rybinsk had caught fire. The Kombinat Temp fuel and oil processing plant is located there, a facility that is part of the Rosrezerv system and is intended for storing fuel.
11.22 Six people were injured in an attack on Odessa on the night of December 31. This was reported by the head of the Odessa Oblast Emergency Situations Organization, Oleg Kiper. According to him, among the injured are three children aged from 7 months to 14 years. All the injured are members of two families. Five people have been hospitalized, including three children. One adult is in serious condition, the rest are in moderate condition, including an infant with inhalation poisoning.
10.58 Russian troops used a drone to attack a car delivering bread to residents of border villages in the Chernihiv region. The driver was injured. This was reported by the press service of the Chernihiv region police. It is noted that on December 30, in the Semenivska community of the Novgorod-Siversky district, Russians used a drone to target a car driven by a 47-year-old man who was delivering bread to residents of border villages.
10.27 Ukrainian military conducts search operations and destroys Russian occupiers in Hulyaipol, Zaporizhia region. Video published by the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine.
"The enemy does not fully control Hulyaipole. Our units are detecting and destroying enemy assault groups, as well as conducting strike and search operations," the report says.
10.16 Partisans destroyed a communications tower near the Tolmachovo airbase in Novosibirsk, Russia, which was used for military purposes. This was reported by the partisan movement ATESH. It is noted that this tower provided reliable, secure and effective control and communication for units of the Russian army based at the Tolmachovo airbase, including military unit 12739 (337th separate helicopter regiment), military unit 3733 (10th separate aviation squadron of the Russian Guard), military unit 23529 (21st aviation commandant's office).
9.25 On the night of Wednesday, December 31, Russian troops attacked the city of Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region with drones, injuring 2 people. This was reported by the head of the Kyiv OVA Mykola Kalashnik. A man born in 1964 received shrapnel wounds to his hand and head, and a woman born in 1977 suffered an acute stress reaction. They were provided with assistance on the spot.
8.08 Partisans carried out a successful sabotage on railway logistics near Voronezh, Russia (Kupyansk direction). This was stated in a message from the Atesh partisan movement on Telegram.
7.49 The Defense Forces neutralized a thousand Russian occupiers over the past 24 hours. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this in its morning summary published on Facebook.
05.28 A major repair of the power transmission line to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been successfully completed thanks to a temporary ceasefire agreement initiated between Ukraine and Russia. Power transmission between the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the neighboring Zaporizhzhia Thermal Power Plant, which was suspended two weeks ago due to active hostilities, has been resumed. This restoration provides a key path for the supply of power through one of the two available 330 kilovolt lines.
04.32 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that US President Donald Trump promised to support Ukraine with air defense means after reviewing the "situation."
04.06 A series of explosions were heard in the city of Tuapse in the Krasnodar Territory of Russia on the evening of Tuesday, December 30. According to local reports, a fire broke out on the territory of the oil depot. According to preliminary data, the AVT-12 unit was on fire, a key unit of primary oil processing at the local refinery, which is responsible for atmospheric-vacuum distillation of raw materials. With a capacity of about ~12 million tons per year.
03.37 On the night of Wednesday, December 31, Russian troops carried out a massive attack on Odessa using kamikaze drones. In two districts of the city, high-rise buildings were hit. In one of the buildings, apartments caught fire. Four people were injured, including three children.
02.35 On the night of Wednesday, December 31, Russia attacked Bila Tserkva with drones. According to preliminary data, one of the drones hit a multi-story residential building. Windows were broken and balconies from the first to sixth floors were damaged. There were no reports of injuries among residents.
01.29 On the night of Wednesday, December 31, the Russian occupation army sent strike drones to Odessa and the region. Powerful explosions thundered in the region. A fire was recorded in the warehouses of a logistics company and a drone hit a residential high-rise building.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] For both Ukraine and the Russian Federation, 2025 turned out to be a difficult year. Many are betting on the resolution of the war next year.
While there is no definitive opinion on whether the war in Ukraine will end in 2026, recent official statements and intelligence projections suggest that this year is crucial for a potential settlement of a full-scale Russian military invasion. OFFICIAL FORECASTS
Ukrainian leadership : President Volodymyr Zelensky said on December 30 that there was a "great chance" of ending the war in 2026. He cited mobilization problems in Russia, noting that for the first time in 2025, the number of Russian recruits only equaled their losses, which halted the growth of the army.
International organizations : The IMF's baseline scenario previously assumed the war would end by the end of 2025, but its negative scenario considers the fighting to continue until mid-2026. The European Union has also modeled financing scenarios assuming the war could end by the end of 2026.
KEY FACTORS FOR 2026
Negotiations : Intensive diplomatic efforts involving the United States and the European Union are expected to continue into 2026. Reports indicate that Kyiv and Washington have reached preliminary agreements on most points of the peace plan, although territorial disputes remain a major obstacle.
Resource depletion : Analysts suggest that a "window of opportunity" for a peace deal could appear in the second half of 2026 if Russia realizes that it cannot breach the front line and Ukraine demonstrates resilience in a war of attrition.
Russian strategic timeline : Ukrainian military intelligence reported that Moscow previously sought to "solve the Ukrainian issue" by 2026 to avoid further economic lag behind the US and China.
WHAT THE MILITARY AND EXPERTS SAY
Commander of the 429th separate Achilles unmanned systems regiment, Yuriy Fedorenko, in a comment to Channel 24 said: "In my opinion, we cannot say now that the war will end in the short term. Most likely, it will continue throughout 2026 and even at the beginning of 2027."
Retired Royal Air Force Vice Marshal Sean Bell believes that it is difficult to make predictions because there are currently no signs that Putin wants to end the war.
At the same time, diplomat Volodymyr Ohryzko is convinced that 2026 will be a year of peace for Ukraine.
"Without a doubt. Because I look at the problem not from our side, but from the Russian side, and I see that it is becoming more and more active. Therefore, I think that next year will be the last year when Russia will be able to do anything. After that, it will no longer have the physical ability to continue the war, so it will end," he said on Radio NV.
Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Kyiv-based Penta think tank, also believes that if Russia fails to break through the front line and advance quickly, there may be a chance to sign a peace agreement in the second half of 2026.
"Everything will depend on the personal willingness of the Kremlin and Putin to come to an agreement," he told Al Jazeera.
In turn, British political analyst Scott Lucas believes that Russia's economy is in a bad state, but it is unknown whether it will be able to stop Moscow's aggression.
"At some point, the Kremlin will have to make a choice about whether to continue the invasion. The Kremlin has 6 to 12 months to try to break Ukraine. If they can't do it in that time, they may have to back down," the expert wrote in X.
#1
Nope. My money is on 2027 to assimilate Odessa and 2028 for the dust to settle. The SMO has already outlasted the Great Patriotic War. Russians are taking the slow is smooth approach
#2
The Kremlin has 6 to 12 months to try to break Ukraine. If they can't do it in that time, they may have to back down," the expert wrote in X.
If Vlad backs down I would suspect his life expectancy would be measurable in days, maybe weeks
Posted by: Frank G ||
01/01/2026 6:45 Comments ||
Top||
#3
And, historically speaking, any country invading another has to complete that task quickly.
Drawn out conflicts benefit the local team as they are on defense and their supply lines are much shorter..
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
01/01/2026 11:21 Comments ||
Top||
#4
^ Operation Desert Storm, an extended air campaign followed by a highly successful 100-hour ground offensive, which defeated the Iraqi Army and removed Iraqi troops from Kuwait in early 1991.
#5
#4 Americans conquered Afghanistan in a month, fought an anti-guerilla war for 20 years, run away.
When Ukraine surrenders - which it will - it'll stay surrendered. That's how Russians build their empire in the first place.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[NewsFront] 15:30 Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov congratulated personnel of units with the liberation of the settlement of Dimitrov in the Donetsk People's Republic. 14:40 Paratroopers of the Northern group of forces burned an American armored fighting vehicle, video.
13:47 New Year's spirit for the pupils of a boarding school in the Donetsk People's Republic created our military from the "Center" group of forces.
Servicemen from the 6th Guards Tank Regiment of the 90th Guards Tank Division brought a little bit of the holiday spirit to children from the boarding school they sponsor and conveyed warm greetings to them on New Year's Eve.
13:27 Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation as of December 31, 2025:
Units of the North group of forces improved their tactical position, defeating formations of three mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a territorial defense brigade, and a border detachment of the Ukrainian Border Service in the areas of the settlements of Iskriskivshchyna, Myropillia, Novaya Sich, and Pavlovka in the Sumy region.
In the Khar'kov direction, units of a heavy mechanized and two motorized infantry brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Staritsa, Vovchanskie Khutora and Grafskoye in the Khar'kov region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 210 servicemen and 12 vehicles.
Units of the "West" force grouping inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade, an assault brigade, a security brigade of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and two National Guard brigades in the areas of the settlements of Kupyansk-Uzlovaya, Prokopovka, Palamarevka, Kovsharovka, Monachinovka, and Grushevka in the Khar'kov region.
In the Kupyansk direction, over the course of 24 hours, units of the 6th Army repelled three attacks by units of the 92nd Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 15th National Guard Brigade near the settlements of Nechvolodovka and Blagodatovka, aiming to break through to the city of Kupyansk. Up to 30 militants and two pickup trucks were destroyed.
In total, enemy losses in the "West" force group's area of responsibility amounted to 190 servicemen, a Kazak armored vehicle, and 16 vehicles. An electronic warfare station and four ammunition depots were destroyed.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces have taken up more advantageous positions and lines. Four mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade, a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a National Guard brigade have been defeated near the settlements of Kramatorsk, Kostyantynivka, Reznikovka, Ilyinovka, and Krivaya Luka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost over 210 service members, nine armored combat vehicles, 11 vehicles, and an artillery piece. Two electronic warfare stations and three ammunition and supply depots were destroyed.
Units of the Center Forces Group have improved their position along the forward edge. They have inflicted casualties on the personnel and equipment of two mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade, an assault brigade, an airborne brigade, an infantry brigade, an airborne assault brigade, three assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, four National Guard brigades, and the Azov* Special Forces Brigade near the settlements of Grishino, Novyi Donbas, Dobropillya, Toretskoye, Annovka, Maryivka, and Artemivka in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Novopavlivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
The enemy's losses amounted to 500 servicemen, an infantry fighting vehicle, three armored combat vehicles, eight cars, a US-made 155mm Paladin self-propelled artillery unit, and an electronic warfare station.
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, as well as four assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, near the settlements of Boykove, Zaliznychne, and Ternovatoye in the Zaporizhzhia region, and Velykomykhailivka and Bratske in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 190 servicemen, an armored personnel carrier, four armored combat vehicles, and eight cars.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Preobrazhenka, Veselyanka in the Zaporizhzhia region and Sadovoe in the Kherson region.
More than 50 Ukrainian servicemen, five vehicles and three electronic warfare stations were destroyed.
Operational-tactical aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces groups have damaged energy facilities used in the interests of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, a fuel depot, temporary deployment points of Ukrainian armed formations, nationalists and foreign mercenaries in 144 districts.
371 unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type were shot down by air defense systems.
12:50 Published footage of the Severyans' effective work in destroying enemy drones.
12:27 Recorded advance of the Russian Armed Forces in the Sumy direction (Andreevka, Alekseevka, Demidovka).
12:13 Posteda plan to destroy Ukrainian Armed Forces unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating in the direction of the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
12:03 Russian Armed Forcesare moving forwardin the Krasnolimansky direction (Svyatogorsk, Yarovaya, Krasny Liman, Dibrova).
11:39 It's coming: advance of the Russian Armed Forces in the Dobropolsky direction (New Donbass, Belitskoye, Rodinskoye).
11:35 in Odessa marked night strikes on port infrastructure used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
11:16 Operators of the unmanned aerial vehicle units of the Russian Armed Forces are burning Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment, video.
10:38 Recorded advance of the Russian Armed Forces near Gulyaipole.
10:33 "North" congratulated veterans in the Belgorod border region.
Military personnel from the Northern Forces Group congratulated World War II veteran Nikolai Dmitrievich Kutsenko and honored labor veteran (home front worker) Raisa Ivanovna Statina, both residents of the border areas of the Belgorod Region, on the upcoming New Year and Christmas.
10:31 Russian Armed Forcesare moving forward in the Orekhov direction (Lugovskoye, Belogorye, Malaya Tokmachka).
10:18 Russian Armed Forcesare moving forwardin the Zaporizhzhia direction (Stepnogorsk, Lukyanovskoye, Pavlovka, Primorskoye).
10:10 Ukrainian drone yesterday attacked. Two civilians were killed during the evacuation from Seversk, DPR. Two of the wounded were taken to a clinic in Luhansk.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked a civilian vehicle carrying refugees attempting to flee the war zone in liberated Seversk.
Two victims, a woman and her 20-year-old son, were seriously injured. Russian military personnel transported them to the Luhansk Republican Clinical Hospital.
9:27 Frontline summary on the morning of December 31, 2025
Zaporizhzhia Front.
Russian Armed Forces continue to advance in Primorskoye in the Kamensk direction, with fighting continuing in the northern part of the village.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported the liberation of Lukyanivske. Fighting continues in the area of Pavlovka and Novoyakovlevka.
In the Gulyai-Polye direction, Russian troops continue their offensive from the direction of Gulyai-Polye – they are attacking near Dorozhnyanka, Zaliznichnoye, and Staroukrainka, and there is progress near Ternovatoye.
Donetsk Front:
Russian forces are conducting a cleanup operation in Myrnohrad on the Pokrovsk front. Fighting is ongoing in the Dobropillya front near Belitske and Novoye Shakhove. There is progress near Toretske.
In the Konstantinovsky direction, Russian forces are advancing near Stepanovka. Fighting continues near Chasov Yar for Markovo and Minkovka, with gains in Novomarkovo.
In the Krasnolimansk sector, Russian forces continue their offensive in the area of Korovy Yar, Aleksandrovka, and Sosnovy, advancing toward Izyum. In the Seversky sector, active fighting is underway in Ozerny, with advances northwest of the village. The battle for Reznikovka continues, and an enemy counterattack has been repelled near Svyato-Pokrovskoe.
Khar'kov Front.
In the Kupyansk direction, Russian Armed Forces are advancing through the residential areas of Moskovka. According to sources, the northern part of the town is under Russian control.
In Kupyansk, Russian troops are repelling counterattacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The enemy continues to concentrate reserves in the area.
In the Volchansk direction, units of the Russian Armed Forces are advancing in the Volchansk Khutors.
Sumy Front:
Fortification of positions along the border continues. Russian troops have reportedly entered Andreyevka and are advancing toward the village center. Fighting continues for Kondratovka, as well as south of Konstantinovka.
Russian forces are advancing southeast near Varachino and Alekseyevka, advancing southwest of Yablonovka, and expanding their zone of control west of Yunakovka.
8:30 Russian Armed Forces inflicted strikes on energy infrastructure and targets in the port of Odessa.
8:01 Crew of the TOS-1A Solntsepek heavy flamethrower system of the West force group destroyed temporary deployment point of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kupyansk direction.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Finnish police have seized and searched a vessel suspected of damaging undersea telecoms cables in the Baltic Sea.
The cable was damaged in the Gulf of Finland between the capital cities of Helsinki and Tallin in Estonia early this morning.
The ship had been dragging its anchor for hours along the sea bed when it was discovered by police in Finland's exclusive economic zone.
Its crew of 14 - hailing from Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan - was detained by Finnish police, local media said.
The ship, named the Fitburg, was flagged in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It had been travelling from Russia to Israel.
Experts and political leaders have viewed the incidents as part of a 'hybrid war' carried out by Russia against the West - sabotaging vital infrastructure.
It has been flagged as an issue increasingly since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Helsinki police have opened an investigation into 'aggravated disruption of telecommunications' and 'aggravated sabotage and attempted aggravated sabotage'.
The damage happened in Estonia's exclusive economic zone, police said.
The cable, owned by Finnish telecommunications company Elisa, is critical to Finland's underwater infrastructure, providing power and communication for thousands of Europeans.
Finnish National Police Commissioner Ilkka Koskimäki told local media that investigators are not speculating on whether a state-level actor was behind the damage.
'Finland is prepared for security challenges of various kinds, and we respond to them as necessary,' Finnish President Alexander Stubb wrote on social platform X.
Earlier this year, a captain and and two senior officers of a Russia-linked vessel were charged after their vessel damaged undersea cables between Finland and Estonia on Christmas Day 2024.
Charges of aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with communications were filed against the captain and first and second officers of the Eagle S oil tanker, the Finnish deputy prosecutor general said in August.
Their names were not made public. The statement said they denied the allegations.
The Kremlin also previously denied allegations that they were involved in the damaging of the cables.
Top coast guard and police officials gathered to speak to press about the damage to the cable
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
