The lack of manpower is taking its toll on the Ukrainian troops. Russia continues to press along the entire front line, and Ukraine is managing to hold its advance in the direction of the north of the Kharkiv region. In the Chasiv Yar area, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are
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also holding the front line, but the situation remains difficult. The most difficult situation continues to develop in the Avdiivka direction in the Ocheretyne and Toretsk area. Frontelligence writes that these advancements resulted from a lack of coordination and poor
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command decisions, similar to those made by the Ukrainian command during the rotation in Ocheretyne in the spring of 2024. Interestingly, the command of the Ukrainian 41st Mechanized Brigade, which was rotated to Chasiv Yar before moving to the Toretsk area, bears the lion's
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share of the blame for the loss of the canal district in Chasiv Yar and the Toretsk - Niu York area. In both cases, the Russians were able to advance within their areas of responsibility. Some officers we spoke to even suggested that the Russians are tracking the rotation
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of the 41st Brigade to exploit vulnerabilities in their command and cooperation during rotations. A similar situation happened in Ocheretyne in April - May 2024. Then, during the rotation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russia broke through the defense. Ukraine is a huge
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country. According to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, the front line is currently 3,700 kilometers long. Active hostilities were conducted on 977 kilometers, that is, on territories that are twice the length of the border between Germany and France. This means that the
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Ukrainian troops are stretched out and the defense line is very thin, and if it crumbles, the Russians can go behind the positions and advance several kilometers at once. Syrsky acknowledged the significant advantage of the Russians in equipment and personnel. By the end
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of 2024, the Kremlin plans to increase the army to 620 thousand. Now it numbers 520 thousand, which is 5 times more than at the beginning of the invasion. The number of the Armed Forces in 2024 is approximately 350,000. Frontelligence writes that according to multiple
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sources, the 41st Mechanized Brigade brigade did not have a chance to replenish its losses after the Kupyansk direction and was subsequently sent to Chasiv Yar and then to the Toretsk area. While the brigade command can be blamed for mistakes, the underlying issues are much
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more fundamental. These include a lack of rest, shortages of personnel and equipment, and insufficient reserves to send to risky areas, leading to the redeployment of brigades from other parts of the frontline. Despite these challenges, not everything is negative for the
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Ukrainian army. Early in the spring of 2024, when the Russians were advancing towards Chasiv Yar, the situation for Ukrainian forces was quite dire. They faced a shortage of artillery shells, delays in Western aid, and a lack of personnel. But it’s not just Ukraine that
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has problems. Russia suffers from a shortage of personnel and equipment. Although it is not so noticeable in the direction of the main onslaught of the Russians in the Pokrovsk direction in the area of Toretsk and Ocheretyne, the replenishment of the army is going with
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big problems. In Moscow, the one-time payment for signing a contract was raised to 2 million rubles and they began to use a new practice reminiscent of the multilevel marketing, only life is at stake. In general, in Russia they began to pay money if the signer of the
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contract can bring a friend into the army. All new contracts are indefinite. People sign them, thinking that the contract is for six months, but do not read the small print. However, again, we must not forget that the loss of a few kilometers of land and small settlements
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does not matter. The Ukrainian army is trying to preserve troops and retreat if holding a completely destroyed settlement no longer makes sense. Syrskyi said that they are not going to fight to the last soldier for the ruins.
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But Ukraine is tired, the people are tired. The world is tired of news from Ukraine. Fundraisings is slow. But despite the enormous difficulties, Ukraine is holding on and we must continue our support and increase our assistance.
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The outgoing Biden administration will be remembered in history as an example of failed U.S. security assistance policy. Enormous sums allocated by the United States for aid to Ukraine have remained uncontracted. Of the many billions of dollars provided through the USAI 1/5
program, only $13 million were committed to contracts. Approximately $10 billion remains unused, and its allocation will be handled by the new administration. For comparison, $4.6 billion in replacement funds were obligated during the same period. While the United States 2/5
continues to declare itself Ukraine’s strongest ally, its delays lead to significant losses among Ukrainians. Ukraine depends on international aid, and without the support of its allies, it would not have been able to hold back Russia’s advance for so long. However, 3/5
Russia exploits the energy crisis in Transnistria to escalate tensions in the region and shift blame onto Ukraine. Moldova offered assistance with fuel and gas supplies, but the government of the unrecognized republic refused the help. Playing the victim and portraying
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Ukraine in a negative light now serves their interests much better. The same tactics are employed by other allies of Putin and Moldova's neighbors - Hungary and Slovakia. The Kremlin uses these situations as part of a massive information campaign against Ukraine, aiming
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to influence public opinion across Europe. Propagandists are on the ground, producing videos showing freezing, impoverished residents left without gas. Although Hungary and Slovakia secured gas supplies through the TurkStream pipeline, costs have risen significantly.
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Happy New Year! So many events have unfolded during the break that it’s hard to choose a topic for an article. Perhaps the most pressing issue today is the new offensive in the Kursk region. Since the operation has just begun, and naturally, the Armed Forces of Ukraine
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keep their plans secret, reports on Telegram suggest the offensive is progressing successfully. Ukrainian forces are actively using electronic warfare systems. Regarding the Donetsk region, Russia continues its advance, though the pace has noticeably slowed, which does not
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make the AFU’s job any easier. In Pokrovsk, Russian drones are operating intensively. Multiple sources have noted that the main issue on the Pokrovsk front is internal problems within the Ukrainian army, as reported by numerous military insiders. There are shortages of
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This week, we received an answer on how effective the Korean troops are and how much they are helping Russia in the Kursk region. Footage of North Korean attacks demonstrates that they lack the skills to conduct modern warfare, which was not a surprise. They managed to
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capture several trenches, which were eventually recaptured by Ukrainian forces. The North Koreans became easy targets as they advanced through open fields in large groups. They proved to be ineffective, but it should not be forgotten that Ukrainians still have to repel these
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attacks, incurring their own losses. The situation remains difficult on the Pokrovsk direction as well. However, there have been some changes and personnel reshuffles. For a long time, reports from the area highlighted inadequate command, which led to the advancement of
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No dictatorship lasts forever, and all dictators are mortal. Putin, due to his age alone, may "kick the bucket" very soon, although, unlike ordinary Russians, he can afford proper medical care. The events in Syria are clearly a significant blow to his nervous system and 1/9
heart health. Such a scenario is now easy to imagine within Russia itself. The fall of Assad created a power vacuum in Syria, and now several countries are advancing their interests. Sunnis backed by Turkey, Kurds supported by the U.S., factions supported by Israel, Iran and 2/9
remnants of Hezbollah, along with the remains of Russian units — all of it has become a chaotic mix. It's far too early to speak of an end to the crisis. Stability in Syria will not return soon. Over the years, Assad destroyed the moderate opposition, leaving only the most 3/9
Russia continues to advance and achieve local successes in the areas of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove. However, it is difficult to call this a success, as it comes at a huge cost in Russian losses. In this sense, the report differs little from previous ones from this section of the
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front. But the main events of recent days are, of course, in Syria. The regime of Bashar al-Assad has fallen, and it took only a few days for this to happen. Bashar al-Assad was the last dictator from the era of the Arab Spring. Ben Ali, Hosni Mubarak, Abdelaziz Bouteflika,
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Muammar Gaddafi – for various reasons, they are no longer in power. Among all the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, Syria saw the highest number of casualties and destruction. Protests, which escalated into a civil war, began in 2011. Losing power and control,
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