(Image by NEIVANMADE)
Two quick housekeeping notes. First, Rosie is still doing great. Thank you all for the good thoughts, well wishes, prayers, and donations.
Second, I’m just going to run the basics tonight. It was a long day and I have two more very long days ahead of me.
The Russians have a new way to bring terror by drone to the people of Kharkiv:
Russia hits Kharkiv with new Molniya drones in combat test on civilians
As Russian forces have been testing Molniya on the battlefield since May, the drone now poses a potential new threat to Ukrainian cities.
— Euromaidan Press (@euromaidanpress.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 2:30 PM
From EuroMaidan Press:
Russian forces launched two Molniya drone strikes on Kharkiv on 12 November, hitting residential areas and injuring three civilians, according to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
Today’s attacks on Kharkiv may indicate Russia is testing the drones’ effectiveness against civilian infrastructure. As Russians have been extensively testing Molniya on the battlefield since May 2024, now the drone might represent a new threat to Ukrainian cities.
The first strike hit Kharkiv’s northern Saltivsky district at 1:55 p.m. local time, causing two injuries. A second strike at 3:35 p.m. targeted an eleven-story apartment building in the southern Slobidskyi district, injuring a 70-year-old woman.
Built from Chinese components, including plywood, veneer, foam, and 18-mm aluminum tubes, these low-cost drones can carry up to three kilograms of explosives. While they use similar communication and electronics as FPV drones, their 40-kilometer range—far exceeding that of FPV drones—allows Russian forces to target Ukrainian positions previously considered secure from drone threats.
Despite their extended range capability, these drones have shown limited effectiveness in combat, with only about one in eight strikes hitting their intended targets.
And here’s the Ukrainian air defense tally:
Eight of the Shahed drones that Russia used in its attack on Ukraine last night appear to have wandered into Belarus during the attack. Meanwhile, Ukraine shot down 46 of 110 incoming drones, 60 were brought down by jamming, and 2 left Ukrainian airspace, the military says.
— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 4:55 AM
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.
We Have a Solution for Many of Our Warriors Who Want to Transfer to Another Unit within the AFU – Address by the President
12 November 2024 – 19:40
I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!
The key points for today.
First, we have a solution for many of our warriors who want to transfer to another unit within the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a resolution today. Technically, the feature is ready. The Ministry of Defense will determine how the system will be launched. Everything should work through the Army+ app – no more bureaucracy. And there should be a clear answer to every single report. The Ministry of Defense must clarify all the details to the public – what will happen in the first, testing phase, and what will happen after the full launch.
All decisions by military commanders on reports will be monitored to ensure that there are no unreasonable denials. The algorithm for responding to a report has been established. The system should work exactly as we discussed with the guys on the frontline and with civil society representatives. And I am grateful to all those involved in the development of this new feature.
Today, I have also instructed the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff to report on how this option can be extended to all the Defense and Security Forces, including the National Guard of Ukraine and the Border Guard Service. All our warriors deserve equal respect.
Second. I held a detailed meeting on other issues that we discussed earlier with representatives of the civilian sector. The issue of officer ranks and positions – there is already a vision of how to modernize this. Technology Staff – we have approved the working format, and we are in the process of determining the exact members and responsible persons. Sanctions and pressure on Russia, in particular against its shadow tanker fleet, – a system of measures is in place. We will work more closely with our partners, although it is not easy.
Third. Letters of credence from the ambassadors of our partner countries who have started their work in Ukraine. The ambassadors of Greece, Albania, Japan and Egypt. I have spoken with each of them today. Together, we must do our utmost to restore the full effectiveness of international law, to support Ukraine, and to ensure simple human justice, which is something every nation deserves.
And one more thing.
I have signed several decrees today imposing sanctions on Russian enterprises and individuals who are working in the interests of the aggressor state, enabling it to evade responsibility for the war. And Ukraine will ensure that these sanctions are coordinated with those of its partners, including those against Russia’s aviation infrastructure.
And one more decree on establishing a professional day for the State Bureau of Investigation. Today marks the ninth anniversary of the adoption of the law on the State Bureau of Investigation, and I thank each person in the SBI structure who cares about our national interests and through their work ensures greater prospects for justice in Ukraine.
I have also presented awards to the guys from the State Bureau of Investigation. Sadly, two of them posthumously. The guys were carrying out tasks in the frontline areas.
And now I have a conversation scheduled with the Prime Minister of Canada. We have many issues to discuss.
The main of them is our continued cooperation with Canada and the G7 states in general to strengthen our common positions and to defend Ukraine together with all partners from Russia’s constant desire to cause even more damage through war. Through war and intrusion. I thank all those who stand with Ukraine!
Glory to Ukraine!
Germany:
😲 Wow. 50% of Germans say raising the defence spending to 3-3,5% GDP is *just right*!
15% even think that’s not enough!Source:
koerber-stiftung.de/en/projects/…— Ulrike Franke (@rikefranke.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 3:08 AM
The defense forces will receive more satellite photos with full coverage of the combat zone.
With the support of the German government and Rheinmetall, the Ministry of Defense signed a contract with ICEYE. Now the Ukrainian military has access to high-precision satellite imagery.
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 7:37 AM
Poland & NATO:
NATO won’t intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine, Polish army chief reiterates
General Kukuła also emphasized the real risk of war, noting Russia’s ongoing military buildup and stressing the importance of NATO cohesion.
— Euromaidan Press (@euromaidanpress.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 6:00 PM
EuroMaidan Press has the details:
Poland and NATO will not intercept Russian missiles over Ukrainian territory, Poland’s Chief of the General Staff General Wiesław Kukuła said in an interview with Rzeczpospolita published on 12 November.
When asked if Poland could intercept missiles or drones approaching from Ukrainian territory, Kukuła reaffirmed Poland’s previously stated position:
“Our and allied position is unequivocal. We won’t do this. Today, our responsibility for allied air defense is defined by our borders,” the general told Rzeczpospolita.
Ukraine has repeatedly sought NATO’s help in intercepting Russian aerial threats over its territory. This summer, then-NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg rejected Poland’s proposal, citing the risk of drawing NATO into the war. Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz noted NATO’s skepticism, while Ukraine’s then-Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba argued such interceptions wouldn’t make countries combatants. Meanwhile, Polish FM Radosław Sikorski, expressing his personal opinion, supported intercepting missiles near Ukrainian nuclear plants but confirmed no official decision.
The Polish military chief warned about Russia’s growing military capabilities, citing an assessment by General Carsten Breuer, Chief of Defense of Germany, that Russia could rebuild its capacity for conflict with NATO by 2029. According to Rzeczpospolita, Kukuła noted this timeline is “generally shared” among NATO command.
“Russia has demographic and resource potential, and most importantly, a still efficiently functioning defense industry not only to wage war but also to simultaneously develop its defensive potential,” Kukuła said.
The general emphasized that Russia’s approach to potential conflict is defined by three vectors – intentions, strength, and opportunities. He noted that Russia’s intentions have been “perfectly communicated” by President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov since late 2021.
The Polish commander emphasized NATO’s commitment to defending all member states, including the Baltic countries, widely regarded as the NATO members most threatened by Russia.
“From the alliance’s cohesion perspective, Poland’s security begins in Estonia and other Baltic States. Fighting for every centimeter of NATO is critical for the alliance’s credibility,” he stated.
France:
France will send 6 Mirage 2000-5F multi-role fighters to Ukraine in early 2025. Previously, it was 3 fighters.
www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/17/rappo…— WarTranslated (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 9:10 AM
The Kursk cross border offensive:
Frontline report: Ukrainians obliterate Russians and North Koreans in Russia’s Kursk counteroffensive
— Euromaidan Press (@euromaidanpress.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 3:00 PM
From EuroMaidan Press:
After over a month of preparations, the Russians initiated a new wave of counterattacks to recapture Malaya Loknya from two axes of advance, with the engagement of North Koreans. However, Ukrainians took advantage of the operational pause, enabling them to fully prepare some of their most elite units to face the Russian assaults.
The Russian plan in this area was to advance 4 kilometers along a paved road toward Malaya Loknya, aiming for the town near the settlement of Pogrebki. A second route was planned to the west of Malaya Loknya, advancing via the road from Novoivanovka. Gaining control of Malaya Loknya would allow the Russians to cut off Ukrainian forces positioned north of the town and secure a large northern area, thereby extending their counteroffensive southward toward Sudzha.
Some of Ukraine’s most elite and experienced units, including the 47th Mechanized Brigade, 82nd Airmobile Brigade, 17th Mechanized Brigade, and 80th Airmobile Brigade, were tasked with defending this area. Given these units’ expertise and strong leadership, they anticipated repeated large-scale Russian mechanized assaults along the paved roads to Malaya Loknya. Recognizing that the Russians could only attack from two directions due to the limited road access, Ukrainian commanders prepared by deploying substantial drone units and implementing remote mining along these roads to counter the assault.
As anticipated, the Russians launched a major assault north of Pogrebki along the road to Malaya Loknya, deploying around 15 BTRs and over 150 soldiers from the Russian 810th Marine Brigade, reportedly with North Korean troops. The assault hit landmines immediately, wiping out the first three vehicles and an entire platoon before reaching Ukrainian-controlled areas. By the time Russian forces entered Pogrebki, five of the 15 BTRs had already been destroyed by landmines alone. Ukrainians then destroyed nine more BTRs around Pogrebki using a combination of drones, landmines, and RPGs, forcing a desperate Russian retreat. Only one BTR managed to reach the rear but was soon eliminated, marking the total destruction of the Russian column.
Published footage by the Ukrainian troops from the area reveals that North Korean Type 73 machine guns were discovered scattered around the eliminated column. This implies the gradual inclusion of North Korean soldiers in Russian storming operations as their numbers of deployed fighters are slowly growing in Kursk.
More at the link including pictures and maps.
18+
Five Russian columns were devastated one after another in the Kursk zone as Putin reportedly ordered the recapture of the area by Trump’s inauguration on 20 January 2025.
Combined work of several Ukrainian brigades, footage by the 225th Separate Assault Battalion.
t.me/wartranslate…— WarTranslated (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 5:03 PM
Once again, Kursk—another repelled “meat assault” using heavy equipment. For over three months, ‘Putin’s elite’ have been smashing against the defenses of the true Cossack elite. Out of 30 vehicles, 10 were destroyed.
Footage by the 47th Mechanized Brigade.
t.me/brygada47/1051— WarTranslated (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 5:12 PM
Over the past week, Russia had been gathering forces in what appears to be preparations for a decisive push in the country’s Kursk Oblast.
— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 12, 2024 at 2:59 PM
From The Kyiv Independent:
Over the past week, Russia had been gathering forces in what appears to be preparations for a decisive push in the country’s Kursk Oblast.
“The situation is changing every day. Not long ago, we were on the offensive, and now we are on the defensive,” a 35-year-old artilleryman with the callsign Spys, fighting in the area, told the Kyiv Independent.
In light of the recent advances of Russian troops in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv oblasts, the country now faces a new challenge: defending the positions gained in the August cross-border offensive.
Ukrainian soldiers are holding off nearly 50,000 troops in Russia’s embattled Kursk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 11.
Spared from decreasing the number of personnel conducting assaults in Ukraine’s east and beefed up by over 10,000 soldiers from North Korea, Russia is likely to attempt to launch a major offensive from the north, potentially not stopping at the now nonexistent border.
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported in early October that Russia had transferred around 50,000 soldiers from the front to Kursk Oblast. In early November, Ukrainian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the New York Times (NYT) that an assault involving these soldiers would take place “very soon.”
The Russian grouping in Kursk Oblast consists of marine brigades, including the 155th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade of the Pacific Fleet and the 810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet, an airborne division, special forces battalion units, and a number of assault battalions, according to Vadym Mysnyk, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Operational Tactical Group Siversk.
Experts who spoke to the Kyiv Independent noted that Russia had also deployed troops from the Leningrad Military District, stationed near St. Petersburg, and even formed some infantry units from military personnel who had previously maintained Russian airfields.
“The Ukrainian military was able to gain advantageous heights in Kursk Oblast and thus lured Russian reserves,” Ukrainian military expert Dmytro Zhmailo told the Kyiv Independent.
More at the link.
Kurakhove:
🌊🙏 The moment of the explosion on the Kurakhove dam!
❗️Yesterday, water from the Kurakhove Reservoir filled the Vovcha River in the direction of the villages of Bohatyr, Andriivka and Oleksiivka. The majority of civilians were evacuated from the villages.
— MAKS 24 👀🇺🇦 (@maks23.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 5:06 AM
Russian news channel posted aerial drone footage of the destroyed Kurakhove dam. Earlier, Ukrainian TSN channel also shared footage of the explosion.
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 5:38 PM
Kharkiv:
During these brutal war, Kharkiv has endured it all: missiles, Shahed drones, MLRS, artillery, bombs. Now, as if for sport, russian troops hit residential buildings with crude drones called Molniya.They want to make Kharkiv unlivable, & at this rate, they might, since all we have here are promises.
— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 10:02 AM
Oleshky, Russian occupied Kherson Oblast:
🇺🇦 In the temporarily occupied city of Oleshky, the Ukrainian National Anthem echoed through the streets. The 124th Territorial Defense Brigade, together with the SBU, carried out a unique operation: using drones to secretly deliver portable speakers, playing the anthem right in the city center.
— NOELREPORTS (@noelreports.com) November 12, 2024 at 3:17 PM
More on yesterday’s Russian war crimes in Kryvyi Rih:
this is Maksym Kulyk.
russians have just killed his entire family in the Kryvyi Rih bombing:
his wife Olena, 32 yo
son Kyrylo, 10 yo
son Demyd, 2 yo
daughter Ulyana, 2 months old— вареничок.eristavi🇺🇦🏳️🌈 (@maksymeristavi.com) November 12, 2024 at 4:53 AM
😭 Youngest child was 2 months old: what is known about family killed by Russian missile in Kryvyi Rih – photo
— Ukrainska Pravda 🇺🇦 (@pravda.ua) November 12, 2024 at 11:50 AM
From Ukrainska Pravda:
A mother and three children have been killed in a Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih. The youngest was a baby just 2 months old.
Source: Oleksandr Vilkul, Head of Kryvyi Rih City Military Administration
Details: On the morning of 11 November, Russia attacked Kryvyi Rih with a ballistic missile launched from Crimea. The strike destroyed the third and fourth sections and the roof of a five-storey residential building.
The attack claimed the lives of 32-year-old Olena Kulyk and her three children, 10-year-old Kyrylo, Demyd, who was nearly three, and two-month-old Uliana.
The only survivor of the family was the father, Maksym Kulyk. He survived because he was in another room at the time of the attack.
“My son had gone into the kitchen to cook breakfast. He survived; he fell to the first floor,” Maksym’s mother Iryna told Suspilne.Dnipro.
Iryna was at work when the explosion rang out. She says she immediately started calling her family, but there was no answer. Then she went to the apartment building where they lived.
The search and rescue operation went on until the morning of 12 November. At midnight, rescue workers uncovered Olena’s body. Later, they found the two older children, and it wasn’t until the morning that they found the youngest.
More at the link!
Simferopol, Russian occupied Crimea:
🚨 In Simferopol, a fuel tanker explosion has been reported. So far, one person is known to be injured, but local sources say the blasts are ongoing. Firefighting efforts involve 40 firefighters and 12 fire engines
— NOELREPORTS (@noelreports.com) November 12, 2024 at 8:48 AM
Over 10 explosions have been reported in Simferopol, occupied Crimea, reportedly near a gas station.
— NOELREPORTS (@noelreports.com) November 12, 2024 at 7:53 AM
The Siversk direction:
💥🤩 Powerful detonation of Russian tank ammunition after FPV drone strike in Siversk direction!
— MAKS 24 👀🇺🇦 (@maks23.bsky.social) November 12, 2024 at 5:11 AM
Belgorod Oblast, Russia:
A Ukrainian drone struck an oil depot in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast; The Russian army is deploying trained assault groups to frontline positions in Zaporizhzhia Oblast; and more.
— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 12, 2024 at 4:07 PM
From The Kyiv Independent:
A Ukrainian drone struck an oil depot in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, igniting one silo, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported on his Telegram channel on Nov. 12.
“Ten fire crews worked at the scene and quickly extinguished the fire,” Gladkov said, adding there were no reports of casualties.
The oil depot is located near the city of Stary Oskol, he added.
In recent months, Ukrainian forces have launched a series of drone strikes aimed at damaging Russia’s oil industry, whose profits fuel Moscow’s war efforts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s concerted campaign to get permission to use Western-supplied weapons like the U.S-made ATACMs and the U.K’s Storm Shadows to strike deep inside Russia has, to date, failed.
However, drones can potentially have an outsized impact when they hit highly flammable and less protected targets, such as ethanol distilleries or fuel depots.
Ukraine in September established the Unmanned Systems Forces, a separate branch of Ukraine’s Armed Forces dedicated to drone warfare.
Kyiv said it aims to produce 1 million drones this year, in addition to the thousands pledged by foreign partners.
That’s enough for tonight.
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@patron__dsns Стояв та й не вірив своїм очам! ✨🦆🍃🤭 #песпатрон
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Open thread!
Adam L Silverman
I’m racking out.
Catch everyone on the flip.
Jay
Thank you, Adam.
Gin & Tonic
A friend found and forwarded a passage in a historical memoir that was of interest to me. For background, know that parts of western Ukraine, including much of the oblast known as Halychyna (Galicia), were under Polish control prior to WWII. This is an account of a region of that oblast. I’ve loosely translated.
This speaks to the futility of negotiating with the russians. This passage was of interest because Prof. K. was my grandfather. After his arrest he was sent to the Gulag and never returned. His wife and two daughters were exiled to Kazakhstan, where they remained until after Stalin’s death. My father, the eldest, was living in Krakow at that point, so he wasn’t caught up in it, but he never saw his parents or his sisters again.
Mathguy
Gods, the idiot picked by the shitgibbon for SecDef is stupid ever for him.
J. Arthur Crank
@Mathguy:
I suppose the Senate will confirm that pick. They had a chance 4 years ago to get rid of Trump and did not take it, so why change course now?
Bill Arnold
@J. Arthur Crank:
‘Germs are not a real thing’: Fox News host says he hasn’t washed hands in 10 years – Pete Hegseth denies existence of germs, saying: ‘I can’t see them, therefore they’re not real’ (The Guardian, Sam Wolfson, 11 Feb 2019)
Only comment is, does Mr. Trump know about this?
YY_Sima Qian
Posted this in the previous open thread:
More on Hegseth:
& more:
Even if one is a China Hawk bent on Cold War 2.0, Hegseth is a nonsensical pick, but this is Trump we are talking about:
But Hegseth is certainly the type to help bring force Fascism using “Yellow Peril/Red Scare” & “Drain the Swamp” as justifications:
Now the pick makes sense, if your are Trump & his Fascist coterie.
YY_Sima Qian
@Gin & Tonic: Communists everywhere really tend to go after the intelligentsia, to force a break both w/ the past & w/ rival schools of thought, so that they can build their idea of a utopian society (but in reality settling petty scores & maximizing self interests) w/o opposition.
Very sad to learn about your grandfather.
YY_Sima Qian
Ratcliff at the CIA is just as bad. Both he & Hegseth will probably try to turn the CIA & the military against the domestic opposition.
Jay
@YY_Sima Qian:
So do Fascists.
YY_Sima Qian
@Jay: Pretty much, even though Fascists (as reactionaries) generally idolize a perverted vision of some glorified past, they want monopoly over thought including interpretations of the past.
J. Arthur Crank
@Bill Arnold: There are other reasons besides germs to wash your hands, for example after wiping your ass. However, if germs are not real, then is it OK to eat literal shit?
JaySinWA
@J. Arthur Crank: He probably ascribes to the Arab dirty hand policy, Eat and greet with your right, wipe with your left. Don’t wash either one, or so said a teacher who lived in the area prior to the sixties
https://dohanews.co/qtip-why-arabs-dont-like-to-use-their-left-hands-2/
way2blue
@Gin & Tonic: I’m so sorry to hear about the Russian treachery that ensnared your family. Such darkness.
Jay
@JaySinWA:
He, in his own words, ascribes to they theory, that since he can’t see germs, they don’t exist.
Fruit Loop.
JaySinWA
@Jay: OTOH he may see dirt. Obviously he doesn’t do anything that would get his hands dirty./s
Or he practices the Sgt Shultz “I see nothing” philosophy.
way2blue
Where. Is. Biden? Has he given an address to the nation following the devastating outcome(s) to last week’s election? And I missed it? Trying to reassure the millions who voted for Democrats that the sky hasn’t fallen?
I actually looked up his daily schedule today to see if I’d missed something. It appeared to my untrained eye—that he only has a series of regular meetings & other sundry events planned. I hope there’s more.
AlaskaReader
@way2blue:
President Joe Biden addressed the nation following the election.
AlaskaReader
Thanks Adam
YY_Sima Qian
@way2blue: I replied to your question at the end of yesterday’s thread.
YY_Sima Qian
OT: Completely predictable. Even in the waning days of a term, after a bad loss to the very Fascists in close sympathy w/ the reactionaries running Israel, should have little to lose, the Biden Administration continues to do the same thing over & over again. I can’t say they are insane, because perhaps they are not actually expecting a different result.
way2blue
@AlaskaReader: Found it. Thanks. Was hoping for a more vigorous call to those defending Democracy going forward. Rather than a gracious call out (in defeat) to the his staff & election workers across the country. And a description of where he’s directed his administration to Trump-proof civil society. Maybe his next address…
way2blue
@YY_Sima Qian: Just read it. Thanks. I will never understand why Biden refuses to take a step back and see the larger dynamic taking place. Gaza as well as Ukraine, and elsewhere. He needs a better pair of glasses…