Pathetic

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 1:12 PM

From The Wall Street Journal:

The Biden administration doesn’t have enough time left to use the billions of dollars lawmakers have authorized to arm Ukraine, U.S. and congressional officials said, leaving in President-Elect Donald Trump’s hands what to do with the remaining money.

The administration still has more than $6.5 billion left in what is known as drawdown authority, which allows the Defense Department to transfer weapons and equipment to Ukraine from its own stocks, U.S. officials said. The Pentagon has reached the limit of the weapons it can send Ukraine each month without affecting its own fighting capability, however, and is facing logistical challenges in getting the arms to Kyiv’s forces, they said.

The U.S. would have to ship more than $110 million worth of weapons a day, or just shy of $3 billion in December and January, to spend the remaining funds in time. “I would say it’s impossible,” one congressional official said.

What Trump decides to do with the remaining money will have implications for the battlefield and could help determine how much leverage Kyiv has going into any potential peace negotiations with Russia. Trump has said he would end the war, and U.S. officials worry that his incoming administration could choose to withhold weapons to get Kyiv to the negotiating table.

The remaining funds “offer the next administration considerable leverage to stop or suspend shipments to Ukraine,” said Michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a U.S. think tank. “The Trump administration’s first order of business will be to decide what to do with remaining equipment and how best to pursue the next supplemental request to Congress.”

A spokesperson for the Trump transition team didn’t respond to a request for comment.

On Wednesday, Trump said on Truth Social that he planned to nominate retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, who served in his first administration as a top national-security adviser, to the role of special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg has advocated seeking a negotiated settlement of the Ukraine conflict but continuing to arm Kyiv to ensure Russia makes no further advances and wouldn’t attack again.

The Pentagon is now aiming to transfer $500 million to $750 million worth of weapons per month from its stocks to Ukraine, said one senior defense official, an increase from the average amount in previous months. But any more than that would require the Pentagon to draw down U.S. inventories to levels that would affect the U.S. military’s own readiness, which defense leaders are unwilling to do.

“We are scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of easy stuff to send off the shelf,” the senior defense official said.

The upcoming shipments are expected to be largely ammunition and artillery, in part, because they are easier to ship, U.S. defense officials said. Heavier equipment such as armored vehicles or tanks can take months to inspect, test and clean before it can be delivered.

The White House, which until two weeks ago said it was confident it could send the full amount to Ukraine before the end of the administration, is now backing off that claim, but it is arguing that people, not arms, are the major challenge for Ukraine.

The Ukrainians “now have healthy stockpiles of the vital tools, ammunition and weapons that they need to succeed on the battlefield,” a senior White House official told reporters Wednesday. “Today, the most pressing challenge for Ukraine is manpower.”

More at the link if you can stomach it.

Also, for accuracy, it is LTG (ret) Kellogg. He’s a retired 3 star, not a retired 4 star.

⚡️Some commitments from NATO summit in July remain unfulfilled, Zelensky says.
Key commitments from NATO’s July summit in Washington, including some air defense systems and other military support, have not been fulfilled, President Volodymyr Zelensky told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Nov. 27.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 27, 2024 at 4:47 PM

From The Kyiv Independent:

Key commitments from NATO’s July summit in Washington, including air defense systems and other military support, have not yet been fully implemented, President Volodymyr Zelensky told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Nov. 27.

“This significantly affects the motivation and morale of our people,” he said, emphasizing the need for timely delivery of promised support.

Zelensky also raised concerns about Russia’s use of new ballistic missiles, urging NATO partners to provide specific air defense systems that are readily available.

“The recent authorization of long-range strikes against military targets in Russia has helped. But the pressure on Russia must be maintained and increased at various levels,” Zelensky added.

The two leaders also discussed strengthening Ukraine’s ties with the United States and other allies, ensuring the execution of existing agreements, and advancing efforts for Ukraine’s eventual invitation to NATO.

While Ukraine didn’t get a firm commitment to join NATO at the alliance’s summit this year, the 32 allied countries did declare Ukraine’s path to membership “irreversible”.

Along with air defense systems, Ukraine was promised $43 billion in funding, a NATO representative in Kyiv, and new bilateral security agreements.

Sorry, but lowering the draft age to 18 for the sake of getting more manpower while partners still spend months and years weighing the risks of escalation with every single weapon and equipment type that Ukraine begs for does not seem to look like a good long-term strategy.

— Illia Ponomarenko (@ioponomarenko.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 12:45 PM

It is not a good long term strategy.

I have deleted what I originally wrote here in response to all of the above. When one’s words are no better than silence, one should be silent.

Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.

The Pressure on Russia Must Be Maintained and Increased at Various Levels – Address by the President

27 November 2024 – 19:56

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

I have just spoken to Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General. Yesterday, there was a meeting of our NATO-Ukraine Council related to Russia’s use of a new ballistic missile. And today, we discussed with Mark the available response options – the need to enhance Ukraine’s air defense. I identified specific air defense systems that are needed that can be effective. Our partners have these air defense systems. And it is crucial that the decisions made at the NATO Summit in Washington on air defense and other supplies to the frontline have not yet been fully implemented; we are looking forward to it, and this, of course, has a significant impact on our people’s motivation and morale. The recent authorization of long-range strikes on military targets in Russia has been helpful. But the pressure on Russia must be maintained and increased at various levels. To make Russia feel what war really is. We discussed engagements with our partners – the United States and others – and our coordinated efforts to ensure the fulfillment of what we have already agreed upon, as well as to secure the necessary additional reinforcements, both military and political. Including an invitation to NATO for Ukraine – this is a strategic political step – an invitation that our people truly deserve and that can really help. I am grateful to Mark for his assistance and for keeping me informed on his communications, and on his negotiations with partners.

Overall, today is a very active day: lots of meetings, including at the highest level, for Minister of Defense of Ukraine Umerov in the Republic of Korea. On my instructions. Rustem Umerov has spoken with the President of South Korea, and with his counterpart, the Minister of Defense, and the National Security Advisor. The agenda is clear. It includes everything related to Russia’s involvement of North Korea in the war against Ukraine – all aspects of this involvement. And the things we can do together. To defend our nations and to secure our regions together. The presence of not only missiles and shells from North Korea in Russia’s arsenals but also soldiers on the frontlines – this is the globalization of war, initiated by Russia; and it can only be stopped globally. And upon Minister Umerov’s return, I look forward to his report on the negotiations in Seoul.

There was a report from Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi. As usual, he provided detailed updates on the frontline situation and operations in the Kursk region. Donetsk remains the most intense area. Particularly the Kurakhove direction – facing the most intense hostilities and the most brutal assaults. As well as Pokrovsk and Kupyansk directions. I am grateful to all our units – to every soldier, sergeant and officer who is destroying the occupier and defending our positions.

And one more thing.

Today I held a meeting with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Minister of Finance of Ukraine Marchenko, and representatives of the Verkhovna Rada. We discussed the key parameters of next year’s state budget, our financial readiness for this December and for the coming year. And we agreed that tomorrow I will sign the law on next year’s state budget – as soon as the law is received from the Verkhovna Rada. The main thing is that all Ukraine’s financial needs for the near future and for the coming year are guaranteed.

I am grateful to all those who are working for the benefit of Ukraine! I am grateful to everyone who is fighting for our state and people.

Glory to Ukraine!

Can Ukraine even survive? CNN asked me. I said Russia believes we can last at least until 2029, but cost in lives is incomprehensible.

Q: How is Ukraine funding its war?

A: International aid is vital, Russian intelligence: Ukraine could sustain the war for 5-7 years, with significant human cost 1/

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— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@mylovanov.bsky.social) November 24, 2024 at 4:00 PM

Q: How do weapon delivery delays affect Ukraine?

A: Delays directly increase casualties by compromising defense capabilities. While NSA Sullivan emphasized manpower issues, timely weapon deliveries remain critical for protecting troops. 2/

— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@mylovanov.bsky.social) November 24, 2024 at 4:00 PM

Q: Could Trump’s presidency affect the war’s timeline?

A: Yes. While Trump claims he could end the war quickly, and Zelensky acknowledges potential changes under his leadership, an immediate resolution is unlikely given ongoing fighting and Russia’s unacceptable demands. 3X

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— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@mylovanov.bsky.social) November 24, 2024 at 4:00 PM

⚡️Baltic, Nordic countries and Poland to step up support to Ukraine ‘in coming months.’

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 27, 2024 at 12:13 PM

The heads of government of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Poland, and Sweden agreed to strengthen their support to Ukraine in the coming months to counter Russia’s full-scale war during a summit in Harpsund on Nov. 27.

— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 27, 2024 at 12:13 PM

Here are the details from The Kyiv Independent:

The heads of government of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Poland, and Sweden agreed to strengthen their support to Ukraine in the coming months to counter Russia’s full-scale war during a summit in Harpsund on Nov. 27.

Baltic and Nordic countries as well as Warsaw have been Kyiv’s staunchest supporters since the start of the all-out war, providing the country with military, financial and humanitarian aid.

“Ukraine must be able to prevail against Russia’s aggression, to ensure a comprehensive, just and lasting peace,” the nations’ joint statement read.

“In the coming months, we will step up our support, including to the Ukrainian defense industry, and we will invest in making more ammunition available to Ukraine.”

The announcement come at a critical time, as Moscow’s forces make their fastest gains in months in Ukraine’s east and North Korean troops are stationed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

The countries described Russia as “the most significant and direct threat to our security in the long term.” According to the statement, the countries support expanding sanctions against Moscow and strengthening their defense and resistance against conventional and hybrid attacks.

“We will work together to constrain, contest and counter Russia’s aggressive and highly confrontational actions as well as to ensure its full international accountability for the crime of aggression,” the statement read.

Eighteen years ago, Ukraine decommissioned the last portion of its strategic air force.

A total of 60 Tu-22M, 10 Tu-160, 25 Tu-95, and 2 Tu-134 aircraft, along with 423 Kh-22 cruise missiles, were destroyed.

8 Tu-160, 3 Tu-95 aircraft, and 575 Kh-55 cruise missiles were transferred to russia.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 5:14 AM

It could have protected us, but instead, it was used against us

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 5:14 AM

⚡ Russia’s army is actively deploying Ukrainian strategic bombers that Kyiv handed over to Moscow in 1999 in exchange for clearing Ukraine’s debt for imported Russian gas.

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— UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com) November 27, 2024 at 5:20 AM

From United24 Media:

Russia’s army is actively deploying Ukrainian strategic bombers that Kyiv handed over to Moscow in 1999 in exchange for clearing Ukraine’s debt for imported Russian gas.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Schemes reported this in an investigation on November 26.

Journalists also identified Russian pilots assigned to operate these former Ukrainian bombers. These pilots are now accused by Ukrainian intelligence of participating in Russia’s large-scale missile strikes against Ukraine.

According to the investigation, at least 6 of the transferred Tu-160 bombers remain in active service with the Russian military.

In particular, one of these Tu-160 appeared in the background of the commander of the Russian long-range aviation Sergey Kobylash, which in Ukraine had the serial number “10” and in Russia was named “Nikolai Kuznetsov.”

Kobylash has been charged in absentia by Ukraine for orchestrating the airstrike on the “Okhmatdyt” children’s hospital.

Russia could break through the front lines at any moment due to a catastrophic shortage of Ukrainian infantry, CNN reported, citing Ukrainian military.

“I have no people. I’m fking alone. I’m fking tired,” a Ukrainian sniper from the 15th National Guard told CNN

edition.cnn.com/2024/11/27/e…

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 9:49 AM

I don’t shy away from sharing difficult news about Ukraine. I’m not a propagandist – I’m just one of millions of ordinary people living through this war.

2/

— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 10:00 AM

Sharing such updates might seem like I’m losing hope in my country, but that’s not the case. I want those who support Ukraine to see the reality clearly – not to live in illusions or false hopes, but to understand the truth and face it with open eyes.

3/3

— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 10:00 AM

From CNN: (emphasis mine)

Pokrovsk, eastern UkraineCNN —  The Russian assault, caught in grainy feeds from multiple drones, is relentless and daily. Agingarmoredvehiclesrace across a pockmarked field. Then, in broad daylight, one tank is stopped by Ukrainian attack drones. Yet two vehicles make it to the treeline and drop off Russian troops to shelter in the scant winter foliage. Minutes later, more drones strike the lone dismounts.

Another tank, partially damaged in its first run, continues through the treeline ahead. It breaks into the next open field, with some troops apparently clinging still to its battered exterior. The sight and its bloodshed are perversely intimate in the live detail, even though the horror we are watching is about 10 miles away.

Once the tank is halfway across the next field, the swarm of single-use drones strikes it again and it slows to a smoking halt. However much of each assault they kill, the Ukrainians complain, the few Russians whoadvance are immediately reinforced by another 10.

Ukraine cannot match Moscow’s numbers, or a tolerance for casualties that Western officials claimis resulting in up to 1,200 dead or injured daily across the frontlines. Kyiv’s manpower crisis has been palpable in Pokrovsk for weeks, soldiers around the eastern front told CNN, and Moscow’s savage tactics are seeing persistent success.

“The situation is very critical,” said East, the callsign of a commander of a drone unit with Ukraine’s 15th National Guard working around Pokrovsk. “We lack infantry to fight and hold out for some time while the drones do their work. That’s why we often see situations where the enemy uncontrollably penetrates vulnerable areas.”

Troops in Pokrovsk told CNN of manpower shortages so acute they feared Russia could make a significant breakthrough and complained of having to use drones to strike advancing Russian units because they lacked infantry to confront them.

One commander said Selydove, a key town outside of Pokrovsk taken by Russia in October, was defended with only six Ukrainian positions, which he assessed meant about 60 troops were involved in the operation. They were quickly encircled, outnumbered and retreated with significant casualties.

It is rare to hear Ukrainian troops disparage commanders and starkly assess the frontline to reporters, but multiple soldiers around Pokrovsk presented a stark assessment of the current Russian offensive and their own prospects in the area over the coming months.

The upcoming presidency of Donald Trump causes some anxiety: troops were keen to not offend the incoming US commander in chief and also concerned about the fate of their fight. “I will hold back, as I talk straight,” said one soldier. Another feared a January peace initiative after Trump’s inauguration might be too late.

“I cannot say exactly how much time we have, if there is any time at all,” said Kashei, a callsign, a reconnaissance sniper from the 15th National Guard. “Now they are pushing their troops to the frontline as much as possible. And then at one point they will all go for an assault. They can go very far. In one day, let’s say.

“The enemy is advancing because there are no people defending on the ground,” he continued. “Nobody wants to sit there. There is a very high chance that they will not come back.”

The drone crew skip through their video library of the past weeks’ costly and chaotic withdrawals. There is the moment when three Ukrainian troops walk into a factory in Selydove a month earlier, advised it is under Ukrainian control, only for one of them to be shot down by Russians occupying the building.

Another scene involves a Ukrainian drone unit defending another village, mostly without infantry support, encircled by Russian troops. The footage shows a Russian soldier hiding nearby and the unit firing a drone – usually sent kilometers toward the front – just 30meters (98 feet) away to hit the approaching Russians.

Recruitment brings its own issues. The defense of Selydove, one commander said, was bolstered by 300 fresh recruits, sent to the frontline directly and expected to undergo basic training in the trenches. Errors by command are increasing, several soldiers said, sharing an episode in which a unit of Ukrainian soldiers was attacked by drones on the frontline, after two Ukrainian commanders mistakenly failed to identify them.

Mistakes are commonplace in the chaos and horror of a battlefield, yet this openness and candor is rare from troops who a year earlier would have spoken with fierce pride about Ukraine’s summer counteroffensive in Russia’s Kursk region.

“I have no people. I’m f**king alone. I’m f**king tired,” said Kotia, a callsign, another reconnaissance sniper from the 15th National Guard. “I love my job, but we need other young people to love this job too. Our country is awake, but people in it are not. Guys are dying here. This is trash.”

The prospect of peace talks beginning when Trump takes power in January provided little consolation. “Freezing this war is a double-edged sword,” Kotias aid. “Do we give up the land my friends died for, or to continue taking it back and lose even more friends. If these two old men (Trump and Russian President VladimirPutin) start measuring d*cks, Ukraine will be the middle of it all. That won’t be pleasant.”

East, the drone commander, said he was assigned to the area in August. “During this time, we have never gone to the training grounds or replenished our personnel,” he said. The Russians “are constantly staffed, constantly trained, there are certain rotations, replenishment of personnel. We constantly hear about it from intercepts, that they have replacements and rotations.”

More at the link.

The other day, I was giving a ride to an Azov guy I know.

And he was like…

“Sometimes, I find myself praying that the next shell comes for me and delivers me from this hell on earth. Sometimes, Russians on comms don’t get it why we laugh as we repel their meat grinder assaults…

— Illia Ponomarenko (@ioponomarenko.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 4:37 PM

….And we laugh and smile because we’re only waiting on them to bring us the sweet death and the eternal calmness in silence. When you’re fresh, it’s all adrenaline. But when you’re exhausted, and when you have lost so many friends, you think of death as salvation….

— Illia Ponomarenko (@ioponomarenko.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 4:37 PM

….yet you keep doing what we do. We fight and die for the unthankful, and the 15 days I finally have as my leave is just a joke on us.”

Heaven forgive us for not being thankful enough for what Ukrainian soldiers have done for us and the entire world all this time.

— Illia Ponomarenko (@ioponomarenko.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 4:37 PM

⚡️ The Economist estimates 60,000-100,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed in full-scale war.

Between 60,000 to 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the full-scale war, and 400,000 more are too injured to fight on, according to estimates by The Economist published on Nov. 26.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 27, 2024 at 7:35 AM

From The Kyiv Independent:

Between 60,000 to 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the full-scale war, and 400,000 more are too injured to fight on, according to estimates by The Economist published on Nov. 26.

Kyiv has largely avoided revealing the full extent of its military casualties, with President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledging only in February that 31,000 Ukrainian fighters have been killed.

Basing its calculations on leaked or published intelligence reports, defense officials, researchers, and open-source intelligence, The Economist wrote that Russia and Ukraine lost a greater share of their population than the U.S. during the Korean and Vietnam wars combined.

Almost one in 20 Ukrainian fighting-age men have been killed or injured because of the war, The Economist wrote.

In September, the Wall Street Journal provided similar estimates, positing that Ukraine had lost 80,000 soldiers killed and 400,000 wounded. The outlet estimated Russia’s losses at up to 200,000 killed and 400,000 injured.

The exact figures for both sides are nearly impossible to establish as Kyiv and Moscow are secretive about their casualties. The last figure provided by Russian authorities was 5,937 killed soldiers as of September 2022.

In turn, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces put Russian overall losses at over 735,000 as of Nov. 27. The losses Russia suffered in the full-scale war are believed to be greater than during all the wars since 1945 combined.

According to The Economist, civilian casualties are even more difficult to establish but likely reach many tens of thousands.

The U.N. mission in Ukraine verified that 11,743 civilians were killed as of the summer, but the number is likely higher due to Russia barring access for monitors to occupied territories, namely to areas that likely saw the heaviest civilian casualties like Mariupol.

For want of a nail:

This is… no, this was Toretsk. A town of lives, memories, and futures – obliterated by russian troops, like dozens of other Ukrainian towns and villages, leaving behind nothing but ashes and ruins.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 12:12 PM

Vovchansk, once a lively and lovely town, now lies in smoking ruins. It paid the price for restrictions.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 2:53 PM

Over 160 buildings in Kharkiv were damaged by Russian shelling in November, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

Mayor Terekhov also noted that, russian forces have been targeting Kharkiv with a variety of weapons, including S-300

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 9:59 AM

missiles, Iskander ballistic missiles, guided air bombs, and Shahed drones. Additionally, russia has begun deploying a new weapon: small, explosive drones they use to ruin homes.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 9:59 AM

Sumy:

A Russian missile attack on Nov. 26 struck a residential building and kindergarten in Sumy, leaving at least two people dead, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 26, 2024 at 9:05 PM

From The Kyiv Independent:

A Russian missile attack on Nov. 26 struck a residential building and kindergarten in the city of Sumy, leaving at least two people dead, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported.

The Russian missile, which was reportedly launched at a vehicle service station, also struck a nearby multi-story residential building and caused damage inside a nearby kindergarten, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

One more person may still be trapped under the ruble at the site of the attack as emergency services continue their work.

The attack on the city also damaged 13 cars, Suspilne reported.

The attack on the regional capital comes as Russia shelled Sumy Oblast 120 times on Nov. 26 in 21 attacks on the region, according to the regional military administration. An explosive dropped from a Russian drone also injured one person in the town of Velyka Pysarivka.

Shelling is a daily occurrence for the communities near Ukraine’s northeastern border with Russia, with residents in the region’s vulnerable border settlements experiencing multiple attacks per day.

Russian strikes against Sumy Oblast have become increasingly destructive in recent months, amid fears that Russia may launch a new attack on Sumy Oblast in the coming months.

A Russian missile strike on a residential building in Sumy on Nov. 17 killed 11 people and injured another 89.

A source in Ukraine’s General Staff said on Nov. 23 that nearly 60,000 Russian army personnel are currently stationed in Kursk Oblast, planning to reach the border with Sumy Oblast in an attempt to create a “buffer zone” there — as Ukraine looked to do with its surprise incursion into neighboring Kursk Oblast in August.

Russia continues its onslaught of drone and missile attacks ahead of an expected harsh winter amid Russia strike on energy infrastructure. Overnight on Nov. 25, Russia launched a record 188 drones at Ukraine, with Ukrainian air defenses reportedly being able to down 76 drones across 17 oblasts.

The left bank of the Dnipro, the Russian occupied portion of Kherson Oblast:

The Defense Forces of the South on the Dnipro hit a couple of Russian boats and then spectacularly set a dugout on fire, which started to smoke beautifully.
t.me/ssternenko/3…

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 11:17 AM

Sevastopol, Russian occupied Crimea:

Sounds in Sevastopol from this morning: Something that sounds quite like a cruise missile right at the beginning of this clip, then some big bangs. Some could be from air defenses, but pics from Russian-occupied Sevastopol also indicate something in the city was hit.

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— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 5:21 AM

Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Crimea is under attack by Ukrainian drones and Neptune missiles, sources in the territory say. There was a first wave of 12 drones, then a second of 50, and a third wave is expected. Missiles hit naval school, Sevastopol, also Belbek airfield.

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— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 3:25 AM

The Kursk cross border offensive:

The commander of the 80th Separate Airborne Brigade’s reconnaissance unit on Russian resistance in the Kursk region.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 7:55 AM

Zaporizhzhia Oblast:

⚡️Ukrainian soldiers repel attempted Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia sector, National Guard commander says.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 27, 2024 at 10:30 AM

Ukraine’s Spartan Brigade aerial reconnaissance spotted Russian troops planning to attack the National Guard positions with an infantry group in advance, General Oleksandr Pivnenko, the commander of Ukraine’s National Guard, said, sharing footage showing the attack.

— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 27, 2024 at 10:30 AM

From The Kyiv Independent:

Ukrainian soldiers repelled an attempted Russian offensive in the Zaporizhzhia sector, General Oleksandr Pivnenko, the commander of Ukraine’s National Guard, said on Nov.27.

In early October, Russian troops reportedly renewed their attack in the Zaporizhzhia sector. Kyiv warned of a potential Russian push in the southern region, saying Moscow was deploying trained assault groups to front-line positions in mid-November.

Ukraine’s Spartan Brigade aerial reconnaissance spotted Russian troops planning to attack the National Guard positions with an infantry group in advance, Pivnenko said, sharing footage showing the attack.

He did not specify the scale of the attack or the number of Russian troops involved in the offensive.

According to the commander, Russia is mostly trying to conduct assaults and reconnaissance attacks in the Zaporizhzhia sector with infantry groups consisting of 3 to 10 people.

“The enemy rarely uses equipment,” Pivnenko said. “But our soldiers destroy enemy personnel and firepower quickly and accurately.”

The Kyiv Independent could not verify these reports.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov.25 that Ukraine “sees the existing threats” in the Zaporizhzhia sector.

Russia is carrying out intense attacks in multiple sections of the eastern front, with attempts to break through Ukraine’s defenses in Donetsk Oblast toward the towns of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.

Krasnodar Krai, Russia:

Krasnodar Krai, Russia — something is buzzing in the sky and then exploding violently. Region is under UAV attack.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 27, 2024 at 6:37 PM

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

There are no new Patron tweets or videos today. Here is, I think, the next episode of Patron’s official cartoon that I have not posted here yet.

Open thread!