UKRAINE WAR BRIEF DAILY DRAFT
For: 2023-12-22
Slava Ukraini! For the past six months I have provided a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 40 sources daily much of which ends up in the Ukraine War Written Brief. While this is going through a period of transition I will make this Draft available here for those who wish to keep up with events on a daily basis.
INSIDE UKRAINE
ALONG THE CONTACT LINE
Ukraine shoots down three SU-34 Russian fighter-bombers on Dec. 22
On Dec. 22 the Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Lt. General Mykola Oleshchuk announced the destruction of three Russian Su-34 aircraft on his Telegram channel.
"Today at noon in the South direction — minus three Russian fighter-bombers Su-34"
— Lt. General Mykola Oleshchuk
At night, December 22, 2023, a piece of whipped „shaheda“ with a series of „I“ received a message from the occupiers: „sDohnite sYki“. [Die Bitches] Great idea! Here is our answer to you! Today at noon in the South direction — minus three Russian fighter-bombers Su-34!
Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat on the air of the United News telethon pointed out that the Su-34 has not appeared in the statistics of losses of the Russian Federation for a long time.
Ignat said that the occupiers have dozens of such aircraft and continue to manufacture them and added that these are some of the most advanced aircraft the Russian Air Force has in its inventory. He claimed each of these aircraft costs at least $50 million USD.
The Sukhoi SU-34 is a twin seat, all weather aircraft and the most advanced fighter-bomber in the VVS (Russian Air Force)
In the meantime Newsweek reports that the Oryx open-source intelligence tracker has reported 21 Su-34 strike aircraft destroyed since February 2022, among a total of 88 downed military planes. Oryx lists 77 destroyed Ukrainian aircraft over the same period.
Newsweek claimed that an additional SU-34 had been destroyed last weekend.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy referred to the event in his evening address:
“It's the gain of our Air Force and the direct action of the Odesa Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade. Thank you, guys! And may every Russian pilot be well aware of our response to every Russian killer – none of them will go unpunished.”
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group is responsible for the Kup’yans’k, Lyman, and Bakhmut axes, in the northeastern part of Ukraine.
Nothing to report.
The Tavria operational-strategic group is responsible for the Avdiivka, Mar’inka, Shaktars’ke, and Zaporizhzhia axes, in the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.
Nothing to report.
The Odesa operational-strategic group is responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea
Nothing to report.
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Nothing to report.
THE HOME FRONT
Nothing to report.
THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION / OCCUPIED BELARUS
Nothing to report.
NEWS WORLDWIDE
Polish Delegation visits Kyiv — Hopes for a “new page’ in relations
Poland’s new Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who is on his first visit to Kyiv in this role. Met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Dec. 22.
According to the Office of the President of Ukraine, Zelenskyy and Sikorski agreed that "bilateral relations should find fresh impetus, and all areas of concern should be settled with mutual trust and respect".
“We hope for the opening of a new page in our relations. We are very strong neighbours with a shared history. We are glad to see you here. I hope that the Prime Minister of Poland will also visit Ukraine at the earliest convenience,"
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Sikorski had visited Ukraine after the onset of the full-scale war, in particular, when he brought an off-road vehicle that he and his wife had purchased for the needs of the Armed Forces.
— — —
During a briefing with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and his newly-appointed Polish counterpart Radosław Sikorski was held in Kyiv. An air-raid siren was sounded when the Polish diplomat began to deliver his statement.
"Thank you very much for the invitation to Kyiv... This air-raid siren that you all hear now is the reason why I am here,"
— Radosław Sikorski, Polish Foreign Minister
— — —
Paweł Gancarz, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure of Poland, on a visit in Kyiv on 22 December, has announced a breakthrough in solving the issue of the Polish haulers’ blockade of the Polish-Ukrainian border.
Gancarz expressed hope that after "today's meeting there is a meeting of (Polish Infrastructure – ed.) Minister Klimchak with the committee which is protesting at the border, and we will be able to solve this issue by Christmas."
President Zelenskyy outlines Ukraine's foreign policy goals for upcoming year
On the occasion of Diplomatic Service of Ukraine Day [ Dec.22], President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Ukrainian diplomats and outlined the country's foreign policy goals for the coming year.
"We need more weapons, as we have no intention of surrendering. Ukraine will prevail," the president said.
Furthermore, active cooperation with the European Union should be pursued, particularly in developing the negotiation framework and starting full integration with the EU in all areas.
Zelenskyy stressed the importance of fully engaging each defence coalition within the Ramstein format and other platforms that enhance Ukrainian military capabilities and the state's resilience.
In addition, Zelenskyy said sanctions against Russia for its war against Ukraine should be further extended.
Zelenskyy also pointed out the significance of cooperating with Ukraine’s partners to trace, freeze and confiscate Russian assets in favour of Ukraine.
The president focused on developing and increasing the number of long-term support programmes for Ukraine as one of the pillars of the country's stability in times of war.
Zelenskyy also drew attention to developing domestic defence production. "Each of you who can help Ukraine increase the output of weapons, ammunition, equipment, air defence in Ukraine or relevant cooperation with partners should do so," Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian president highlighted the urgency of ensuring the continuation of seaborne exports, implementing the humanitarian programme Grain from Ukraine, and promoting cooperation with Latin America, Africa, and Arab and Asian nations.
The president stressed that efforts should be made at various levels to promote Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration. "With regard to NATO, the issue is not simple. We need a key to the decision on the Alliance for Ukraine. And this key should not only be sought in high political offices. We need to convince societies, just as we were able to do at the very beginning of the war, to unite around Ukraine. We must win people's hearts," he stressed.
Ukraine's representatives should also pay the utmost attention to the work on the Ukrainian Peace Formula, Zelenskyy said.
"And, of course, Ukrainian diplomacy must continue to be a reliable defender for Ukrainian citizens around the globe, wherever Ukrainians are. Our people must be confident that Ukraine will be there to help. Always," the president underscored.
President Biden signs executive order providing sanctioning banks which help Russia procure goods for their military
Joe Biden, President of the US, has signed a decree providing for sanctions against foreign financial institutions involved in supplying Russia with sanctioned military goods.
According to the document, the US Secretary of Treasury, after consulting with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce if necessary, will be able to impose sanctions on a foreign financial institution if it helped an individual connected with the technological or defence sector of Russia make a payment.
Another reason for imposing sanctions is providing "any service, involving Russia’s military-industrial base, including the sale, supply, or transfer...of any item or class of items".
"Foreign financial institutions" are any institutions that provide financial services, from banks to pension funds or payment systems operators, as well as their affiliates.
EU sends 500 additional power generators to Ukraine
The European Commission has announced on Twitter plans to send 500 more power generators to Ukraine.
The commission noted that Russia's brutal attacks have left Ukraine's energy infrastructure vulnerable, and so it is sending another 500 generators to Ukraine. This will bring the total number of generators sent to Ukraine to more than 5,500, "to ensure a sufficient energy supply and to keep vital services running".
Stoltenberg: Putin has lost Ukraine forever
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Russia’s attempt to stop Ukraine from joining NATO and the EU has backfired, as Ukraine is now closer to the West than ever.
Russia will not be able to achieve its goals in Ukraine despite its great efforts, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview.
Russia has suffered a major strategic defeat in Ukraine, while Ukraine will eventually achieve its goal of joining NATO, Jens Stoltenberg said.
Russia pays a massive price for the all-out war against Ukraine and has already lost hundreds of aircraft, thousands of tanks, and over 300,000 soldiers killed and wounded in action, Jens Stoltenberg said.
Inflation has increased, and living standards have decreased in Russia because of its ill-fated invasion and Western sanctions, according to Jens Stoltenberg. Although Russia is now more politically isolated than before, it has not changed the Kremlin’s course, Stoltenberg said.
ISW: Continued Western assistance only way to make Russia fail in war against Ukraine
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in its Dec. 21 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment said that the failure of Russian operations in Ukraine to achieve Russian President Vladimir Putin’s maximalist objectives thus far is not a permanent condition, and only continued Western support for Ukraine can ensure that Putin’s maximalist objectives remain unattainable.
Putin has recently re-emphasized that his maximalist objectives in Ukraine remain unchanged, and Putin and senior Kremlin officials have increasingly expressed expansionist rhetoric indicating that these objectives do not preclude further Russian territorial conquests in Ukraine.
ISW has assessed that the collapse of Western aid would likely lead to the eventual collapse of Ukraine’s ability to hold off the Russian military and that the current positional war in Ukraine is not a stable stalemate because the current instable balance could readily be tipped in either direction by decisions made in the West.
US National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby stated that the White House assesses that Russian forces will be able to conduct offensive operations more easily when winter weather conditions become more conducive for mechanised manoeuvre warfare (likely in January–February 2024) — an assessment that is consistent with ISW’s observations and assessments about the tempo of fighting in Ukraine during the winter.
MILITARY & TECH
Netherlands starts preparing first 18 F-16 aircraft for Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a telephone conversation, thanked Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte for the decision to start preparing the first 18 General Dynamics F-16 multirole fighter jets for delivery to Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.
“Had a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, during which I thanked the Dutch government for the decision to start preparing the first 18 F-16 fighter jets for transfer to Ukraine”
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Ukraine receives another shipment of military aid from Germany
The German government updated the list of military aid delivered to Ukraine on Dec. 22 announcing the supply of 3 Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft systems with additional components in addition to the 49 systems supplied earlier.
In addition to the 3 Gepard systems, Germany also supplied Ukraine with 30,240 projectiles, as well as 2,500 155-mm projectiles from the stocks of the German Armed Forces and the industry. Two demining Wisent 1 tanks, 10 Vector reconnaissance drones, 2 border patrol vehicles and 2 self-defence systems for the AMPS helicopters.
Ukraine also received 8 Zetros heavy trucks, 2 8x8 HX81 truck tractors and 5 semi-trucks, 8 vehicles from the storages of the German Armed Forces and the German industry, 25,536 40-mm calibre projectiles and an unspecified amount of medical supplies.
That’s it for today’s Draft folks if you would like to keep up with events in Ukraine daily please consider subscribing, its free!
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