Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available for my followers here on Substack for those who wish to keep up with the news from the war.
All the latest news on the Russo-Ukraine War 6 days per week
ALONG THE CONTACT LINE
GSAFU Morning Report
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 22:00 on Dec 8 stated that day 1020 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine was about to begin.
During the past two days, 360 combat engagements took place. Over the past 48 hours, the enemy carried 36 air strikes, 873 drone strikes and more than 5,500 artillery strikes across the positions of Ukrainian forces.
At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers continue to inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the occupying troops, exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and continue to disrupt the plans of Russian occupiers to advance deeper into the territory of Ukraine.
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Air Force Daily Report
On the night of December 8, 2024 (from 20:30 on December 7), the enemy attacked with 74 attack UAVs of the "Shahed" type and other types of drones (launch areas: Bryansk, Kursk, Orel, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russian Federation).
As of 08:30, units of anti-aircraft missile forces, EW and mobile fire groups of the Air Force and the Defense Forces of Ukraine shot down 28 enemy UAVs in the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhia regions.
46 drones were lost in location.
Houses and property of citizens were damaged due to the fall of a downed Shahed in Kamianskyi, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and assistance is being provided to the victims.
On the night of December 9, 2024 (from 19:30 on December 8), the enemy attacked with two guided air missiles from the airspace over the Black Sea, 37 strike UAVs of the "Shahed" type and other types of drones (launch areas: Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russian Federation ).
As of 08:00, units of anti-aircraft missile troops, EW and mobile fire groups of the Air Force and the Defense Forces of Ukraine shot down two Kh-59/69 guided air missiles and 18 enemy UAVs in Sumy, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Ternopil and Odesa regions.
18 drones were lost in location, one in the air. Combat work continues.
Due to the fall of downed enemy UAVs in Vinnytsia, the infrastructure of several private enterprises was damaged.
The Russian Border Incursion
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US based think tank, in its Dec 8 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment reported that Russian forces recently advanced in the main Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast amid continued fighting in the area on Dec 8. Geolocated footage published on Dec 8 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced on the southern outskirts of Novoivanovka (southeast of Korenevo).Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces recaptured Plekhovo (southeast of Sudzha), advanced towards Kurilovka (south of Sudzha) and Guevo (south of Sudzha), and advanced near Nizhny Klin (southeast of Korenevo). A Russian source claimed that the frontline runs along the Psel River (west of Plekhovo). ISW has not observed confirmation of these claims, however.
Fighting continued southeast of Korenevo near Novoivanovka, southeast of Sudzha near Plekhovo, and south of Sudzha near Guevo on Dec 7 and 8. A Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces are attacking with armored vehicles in order to gain a foothold on the southern outskirts of Darino (southeast of Korenevo). The milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces are operating in Pogrebki (northwest of Sudzha) after unsuccessful Russian attacks towards Novaya Sorochina and Staraya Sorochina (both just south of Pogrebki) that forced Russian forces to withdraw to the outskirts of Pogrebki.
The spokesperson for a Ukrainian brigade operating in Kursk Oblast reported on Dec 8 that Russian forces have intensified their offensive operations in Kursk Oblast after a period of relative calm. The spokesperson stated that elements of the Russian 155th Naval Infantry Brigade (Pacific Fleet, Eastern Military District [EMD]), which are well-trained and equipped, are the main force conducting assaults and that Russian forces are using armored personnel carriers and armored fighting vehicles after having not used heavy equipment for the past two to three weeks (since about Nov 17 to 24). Drone operators of the Russian 83rd Airborne (VDV) Brigade are reportedly operating near Darino.
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
Kharkiv Sector: Over the last day Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 4 Russian attacks in the area of Vysoka Yaruha, Lyptsi and Vovchansk.
Kupyansk Sector: Russian Forces carried out 8 offensive actions against Ukrainian defensive positions near Zapdne, Kolisynivka, Zahryzove and Lozova. 2 engagements are ongoing.
Lyman Sector: Russian Forces carried out 28 offensive actions against Ukrainian defensive positions near Bohuslavka, Zelenyi Hai, Kopanky, Nadiia ,Druzhelyubivka, Makiivka, Terny, Yampolivka and Zarichne. 3 engagements are ongoing.
Siversk Sector: In this sector, over the last day, there has been no significant change in the combat environment.
Kramatorsk Sector: Russian forces carried out 3 offensive actions against Ukrainian defences in the vicinity of Chasiv Yar, Stupochky and Bila Hora.
Toretsk Sector: Over the last dayRussian forces carried out 8 offensive actions with air support near Dyliivka, Toretsk, Shcherbynivka and Leonidivka. 1 engagement is ongoing.
The Tavria operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)
Pokrovsk Sector : Over the last day in this sector, Russian Forces carried out 53 offensive actions against Ukrainian defensive positions in the vicinity of Myrolyubivka, Novotoretske, Promin, Lysivka, Dachenske, Novoukraina,, Zhovte, Novottoitske and Chumatske. 4 engagements are ongoing.
Kurakhove Sector: Russia conducted 40 offensive actions in the vicinity of Sontsivka, Stari Terny,Kurakhove, Dachne, Uspenivka, Hannivka, Romanivka and Yelyzavetivka. 4 engagements are ongoing.
Vremivka Sector: Russian forces made 19 attempts to break through Ukrainian defences in the vicinity of Novodarivka, Novosilka, Bahatyr and Sukhi Yaly.
Orikhiv Sector: In this sector, over the last day, there has been no significant change in the combat environment.Russian forces made 1 attempt to break through Ukrainian defences in the vicinity of Nesteryanka.
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
Prydniprovsk Sector: In this sector, over the last day, there has been no significant change in the combat environment. Russian forces made 4 unsuccessful attempts to dislodge Ukrainian units from their positions.
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Ex-chief of Russian-run Olenivka prison allegedly killed in car bombing in occupied Donetsk.
A car exploded in Russian-occupied Donetsk on Dec. 9, seriously injuring two people inside, The Kyiv Independent reported citing Russian state media.
The Russian Telegram channel Mash claimed that Serhii Yevsiukov, the former head of Russia's notorious Olenivka prisoner of war (POW) camp in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast, was killed in the blast.
The claims could not be independently verified as there has been no official confirmation that Yevsiukov was killed in the bombing. Ukraine did not comment on the incident.
Yevsiukov was wanted by Ukraine on murder, torture, and war crime charges. The Olenivka camp, notorious for the torture and abuse of Ukrainian captives, was hit by an explosion in June 2022, killing over 50 Ukrainian POWs and injuring more than 150. Kyiv called this a deliberate Russian war crime.
Yevsiukov was one of the key figures in the Kyiv Independent's investigation into the torture of captives in the Olenivka prison. He and his deputy, Dmytro Neiolov, were charged by Ukrainian prosecutors in July for violating laws of war.
Ukrainian authorities said that days before the explosion in the Olevnika prison, Russian occupation authorities singled out Ukrainian members of the Azov Regiment, who were captured in Mariupol and were awaiting a prisoner exchange, to a separate part of the prison building—the one that was destroyed.
The Prosecutor General's Office said that Russia likely used a thermobaric munition to strike the prison. Russia rejected the accusations and instead blamed the explosion on a Ukrainian HIMARS strike, an assertion rejected by the U.N.
Russian state news agencies reported that a Toyota SUV exploded in central Donetsk, seriously injuring two people inside the vehicle who were also family members. The man's leg was torn off by the blast, RIA Novosti reported, without revealing his identity.
The explosion occurred on the side of the driver, the state news agency TASS reported.
The Mash Telegram channel later claimed that the man in question was Yevsiukov and that he was killed as a result. The second victim was said to be his wife, who is in a hospital in serious condition, Mash claimed.
Russia's Investigative Committee launched a criminal investigation into the explosion.
THE HOME FRONT
Zelenskyy 'may consider' deployment of foreign peacekeepers in Ukraine to ensure ceasefire
Ukraine "may consider" French President Emmanuel Macron's proposal to deploy foreign peacekeepers on its territory but only after getting a clear understanding of the NATO membership timeline, The Kyiv Independent reported citing President Volodymyr Zelensky after meeting German opposition leader Friedrich Merz on Dec. 9.
The president also said he plans to call U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss a NATO membership invitation for Ukraine.
"I'm telling you frankly: We can work on Emmanuel's (Macron) proposal. He proposed that troops of this or that country could be present on Ukrainian territory to guarantee security while Ukraine is not in NATO," Zelensky said following talks with Merz in Kyiv.
According to recent media reports, the U.K. and France are considering the deployment of peacekeepers to Ukraine following a possible ceasefire, with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also not ruling out the possibility. Merz called Baerbock's statement irresponsible, saying that ending the war is currently the most pressing matter.
European troops overseeing a peaceful post-war situation in the country were reportedly included in a peace plan of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's team.
"But first, we must have a clear understanding of when Ukraine will be in the EU and NATO," Zelenksy said.
Ukrainian officials have said that NATO membership is the only path toward a just and lasting peace. While acknowledging that the country cannot become a full member amid the full-scale war, Kyiv asked the allies to at least extend an invitation now as a clear signal of support.
NATO said that Ukraine is on an "irreversible" path toward membership, but its members have failed to reach a consensus on an invitation. The U.S., Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia are among the main opponents of the step.
Following his meeting with Merz, Zelensky revealed he plans to talk with Biden on the phone to discuss an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO.
"It is difficult to talk to President Trump about it because he is not yet in the White House; he does not have all the authority," the Ukrainian president said a few days after meeting the U.S. president-elect in Paris.
After the talks, Trump proclaimed that Zelensky was ready for peace and called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to also strive for a ceasefire. Trump also said he is "formulating a concept of how to end that ridiculous war."
Speaking in Kyiv, Zelensky said that Ukraine "wants to end the war more than anyone else in the world. And, of course, a diplomatic end to the war will save more lives."
"But I stressed to both President Macron and President Trump: you will see that Putin does not want to end this war. He must be forced to do it.
"He can be forced toward it only when Ukraine is strong... This means being strong on the battlefield, having a strong army, having military packages, etc. This means long-range systems, like ATACMS, Taurus, Storm Shadow."
RUSSIAN WORLD
Russian reaction to the fall of the Assad regime in Syria.
Islamist-led rebels in Syria announced they had seized Damascus in a swift offensive on Sunday, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to flee the country and bringing an end to five decades of Baath rule in Syria. The Moscow Times reports.
President Vladimir Putin, who helped Assad to stay in power when Moscow intervened in Syria's civil war in 2015, has yet to comment on the events.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Sunday it was “closely following the dramatic events in Syria” and urged everyone “to refrain from using violence and resolve all issues through political means.”
“As a result of recent negotiations between B. Assad and several participants in the armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, he made the decision to resign from the presidency and leave the country, instructing a peaceful transfer of power,” the ministry said, adding that Moscow was not involved in the negotiations.
Russia also said that it “is in contact with all factions of the Syrian opposition.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia's position was outlined by the Foreign Ministry.
The Russian Embassy in Syria told the state-run TASS news agency that all its staff members were safe following the offensive. "We are fine," an embassy staff member told TASS without providing more details.
Senator Konstantin Kosachev said the main priority for Moscow is “to ensure the safety” of Russian citizens in Syria. "If the Syrian people continue to require our support, it will be provided. However, it is unlikely to extend to the conditions of a full-scale civil war. Syrians will have to handle that on their own," Kosachev said.
"For us, as Russians, the primary task is to ensure the safety of our compatriots and civilians, including diplomats and their families, as well as, of course, the military personnel who are there for the sake of Syria,” Kosachev said, also referring to personnel at Russian military bases in Syria.
Russia has two strategically important military facilities in Tartus and Khmeimim which are used as repair hubs and staging posts to transfer its military contractors in and out of Africa.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Sunday that “Russian military bases in Syria are on heightened combat readiness.”
On Saturday Russia held talks with fellow Assad ally Iran and opposition supporter Turkey in Qatar, aimed at preventing Syria from collapsing into chaos after the insurgent offenses.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday that Syria must not be allowed to fall into the hands of a "terrorist group," referring to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group that has headed the assault and is rooted in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda. HTS has sought to soften its image in recent years but remains proscribed as a "terrorist organization" by Western governments. The rebels took Damascus the next day
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Syria’s rapid collapse creates a crisis for the Kremlin.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US based think tank, in its Dec 8 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment reported that the rapid collapse of the Assad regime in Syria – a regime that the Kremlin helped prop up since 2015 – is a strategic political defeat for Moscow and has thrown the Kremlin into a crisis as it seeks to retain its strategic military basing in Syria. Russia intervened on behalf of former Syrian President Bashar al Assad in 2015 in order to secure Assad's regime after mass protests began in 2011 as part of the larger Arab Spring movement, which triggered the Syrian Civil War and threatened to oust Assad.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has long viewed the "color revolutions" that ushered in new democratic governments in former Soviet states as a threat to his own regime's stability and security. Putin has also more widely opposed democratic movements to oust Kremlin-allied authoritarian rulers worldwide as he views these movements as hindering his efforts to create his envisioned multipolar world where Russia and Russia's key authoritarian allies and partners play a major role.
Russia's inability or decision to not reinforce Assad's regime as the Syrian opposition offensive made rapid gains throughout the country will also hurt Russia's credibility as a reliable and effective security partner throughout the world, which will in turn negatively affect Putin's ability to garner support throughout the world for his desired multipolar world.
Kremlin newswire TASS reported on Dec 8 that a Kremlin source stated that Assad and his family fled to Moscow and that Russian authorities granted them asylum.[4] Putin has been able to ensure the survivability of Assad himself, but Putin intervened in the Syrian Civil War with the primary objective of bolstering Assad's regime and preventing his loss of power – an objective that the Kremlin has failed to achieve.
The Kremlin reportedly secured an agreement on Dec 8 with unspecified Syrian opposition leaders to ensure the security of Russian military bases in Syria, but the contours of this arrangement and its longevity remain unclear given the volatile and rapidly evolving political situation on the ground in Syria.
ISW has collected strong indicators that Russia has been setting conditions to evacuate its military assets from Syria and that Russian military basing is not secure. Satellite imagery collected on December 7 shows three Il-76 and one An-124 military transport aircraft at Russia's Khmeimim Air Base, possibly in order to evacuate limited amounts of Russian military assets from the country.
The Kremlin would likely need to conduct a substantial number of airlift sorties to properly evacuate Syria. Geolocated footage published on December 6 showed Russian forces transporting S-300 or S-400 and Tor-M1 air defense systems near Baniyas along the M1 Lakatia-Tartus highway, possibly as part of a tactical redeployment or for evacuation out of Syria.
A Russian source claimed on December 8 that Russian forces "are leaving Syria completely" and withdrawing from Khmeimim Air Base and the Port of Tartus.
The loss of Russian bases in Syria will have major implications for Russia’s global military footprint and ability to operate in Africa. Russia has leveraged its Tartus naval base to project power in the Mediterranean Sea, threaten NATO's southern flank, and link its Black Sea assets to the Mediterranean Sea.
The loss of Russian bases in Syria will likely disrupt Russian logistics, resupply efforts, and Africa Corps rotations, particularly weakening Russia’s operations and power projection in Libya and sub-Saharan Africa. Russia could seek to leverage its presence in Libya or Sudan as alternatives, but the lack of formal agreements with these countries and insufficient infrastructure makes them inadequate substitutes. The collapse of Assad's regime and Russia’s inability to preserve the regime will also damage Russia’s global image as a reliable ally, threatening its influence with African autocrats whom Russia seeks to support and its broader geopolitical objective to posture as a global superpower.
Russia Seeking Turkish Help Evacuating Soldiers From Syria.
Russian troops have requested Turkey’s support for their safe exit from Syria following a lightning Islamist-led offensive that resulted in regime change, The Moscow Times reported citing CNN Turkey on Sunday.
The broadcaster said that Russia would withdraw ground troops, but that the request did not extend to its Tartus naval facility or Hmeimim airbase, according to anonymous sources.
The Russian soldiers will reportedly be sent to Turkey-controlled parts of Syria and then evacuated to Russia by air.
Russian troops used those bases in 2015 to help Moscow’s ally, the now-toppled president Bashar al-Assad, crush the Syrian opposition and Islamic State terrorists.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Moscow views the security of the bases as “very important.”
“We’re doing everything possible and necessary to get in touch with those who can provide security. And our military are also taking precautionary measures,” he said.
Peskov told reporters it was “premature” to discuss the future of Tartus and Hmeimim, saying they are “subject for discussion with whoever is going to be in power in Syria.”
He added that Russia was in talks with Turkey, an ally of the rebel forces that ousted Assad after a two-week advance.
On Sunday, Russian news agencies cited anonymous sources saying that the rebels who ousted Assad “guaranteed the security of Russian army bases and diplomatic institutions on Syria’s territory.”
Trump calls for immediate Ukraine ceasefire
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump called on Sunday for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end "the madness", prompting Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy and the Kremlin to list their conditions. Reuters reports.
Trump made his comments just hours after meeting Zelenskiy in Paris for their first face-to-face talks since Trump won last month's U.S. election. Trump has vowed to bring about a negotiated end to the conflict, but so far has not provided details.
"Zelensky and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, adding that Kyiv had lost some 400,000 soldiers. "There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin."
"I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!" Trump added, referring to Russian President Putin.
Trump, in Paris for the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, sat down with Zelenskyy on Saturday for about an hour, along with host President Emmanuel Macron.
Trump and Zelenskyy shook hands and smiled, but it was unclear how the conversation had gone. Accounts of the talks from the French and Ukrainian sides said only that the discussions had been good and productive.
Zelenskyy reacted to Trump's message on Sunday saying peace was not just a piece of paper, but needed guarantees.
"When we talk about effective peace with Russia, we must first and foremost talk about effective guarantees for peace. Ukrainians want peace more than anyone else," he said on X.
"It (the war) cannot simply end with a piece of paper and a few signatures. A ceasefire without guarantees can be reignited at any moment, as Putin has already done before. To ensure that Ukrainians no longer suffer losses, we must guarantee the reliability of peace and not turn a blind eye to occupation."
It appeared Trump's figure of 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers lost in the war meant both killed and wounded. Zelenskiy said 43,000 soldiers had been killed in the war and that there had been 370,000 wounded soldiers.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov convened a conference call with reporters to address Trump's comments.
Peskov said Russia was open to talks, but that they had to be based on agreements reached in Istanbul in 2022 and on current realities on the battlefield where Russian forces have been pushing forward at their fastest rate since the early days of the war in 2022.
Putin has said repeatedly that a preliminary agreement reached between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in the first weeks of the war at talks in Istanbul, which was never implemented, could serve as the basis for future talks.
"Our position on Ukraine is well known," said Peskov.
"The conditions for an immediate stop to hostilities were set out by President Putin in his speech to the Russian Foreign Ministry in June of this year. It is important to recall that it was Ukraine that refused and continues to refuse negotiations," he said.
Putin has said that Ukraine must not join the NATO military alliance and that Russia should be left fully in control of four Ukrainian regions his troops partially control at the moment for a peace deal to be done.
Peskov noted that Zelenskiy had banned contacts with the Russian leadership through a special decree, which Peskov said would have to be revoked if talks were to proceed.
US readies $988 million aid package to Ukraine
The United States unveiled a $988 million aid package of new arms and equipment to Ukraine for its ongoing fight against Russia's invasion on Saturday. Reuters reported.
The package nearly halves the available $2.21 billion remaining in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative as the Biden administration works to commit to buying weapons from industry, rather than pulling from U.S. weapons stocks.
The USAI funds will be put toward buying ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) made by Lockheed Martin as well as drones and spare parts to maintain artillery equipment, according to the Pentagon.
Announcement of the package came on Saturday as the defense industry and policy makers met at the annual Reagan National Defense Forum in California.
The Biden administration has often used the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which authorizes President Joe Biden to transfer excess articles and services from U.S. stocks without congressional approval during an emergency.
The USAI funds are separate and will go to purchase new weapons from industry.
The Biden administration still has about $6 billion of congressionally granted presidential drawdown authority, including funds authorized in 2024 and funds discovered by the Pentagon after overestimating the value of arms shipped to Ukraine.
Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the U.S. has committed more than $62 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine.
MILITARY & TECH
Ukraine gains an important technological edge with Starshield.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US based think tank, in its Dec 7 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment reported that Ukrainian forces will reportedly receive increased access to Starshield, a more secure satellite network for Starlink terminals, which may give Ukrainian forces an advantage in the technological innovation arms race in which Ukrainian and Russian forces are currently engaged.
Bloomberg reported on Dec 6 that SpaceX recently received a Pentagon contract to increase Ukraine's access to Starshield, an encrypted version of the Starlink satellite network that can transmit classified data and is more difficult to jam or hack. The US Space Systems Command's Commercial Satellite Office stated that 3,000 Ukrainian Starlink terminals will gain access to the more secure network — an increase from the 500 Ukrainian terminals that were previously connected to Starshield. Russian and Ukrainian forces have been engaged in an offense-defense race to adapt and innovate their strike and electronic warfare (EW) capabilities.
Ukrainian military personnel have recently reported that Russian forces are increasingly using Starlink terminals to fix their combat coordination and communications and to improve the precision of Russian tactical fires. The Associated Press also recently reported that Russia is using Starlink systems to make Russian drone variants more resistant to jamming. Ukraine's increased access to the more advanced and more secure Starshield network may afford Ukrainian forces a technological edge to conduct more effective combat coordination and field new developments in their tactical reconnaissance strike complex (TRSC) ahead of Russian forces.
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