A bit long but worth sticking with until the end. COST OF WAR

74OA said:

---

GAC06 said:

---

Tough to make fun of them for that when we had Bonhomme Richard burn to a total loss fairly recently

---

Hardly. The Russians can't even burn a ship properly. We melted the BR down to its hull on our first try.

AGAIN

---

The Russians have demonstrated repeatedly that they knw how to really fire Admirals and Generals, and they do it with "extreme prejudice" that dramatically shortens their life expectancy. The US military gets very squeamish about anything stronger than a nonpunitive letter of caution even when an LHD burns or the skipper forgot to put safety boats in the water.

Today's SITREP.

The update from a couple of days ago doesn't include any map updates because there was pretty much no progress made by either side, however, this video is packed with Russian State TV footage.

Quote:

---

Canada: Arms trade between the Wagner Group and North Korea constitutes a violation of Security Council resolutions

---

https://liveuamap.com/en/2022/23-december-canada-arms-trade-between-the-wagner-group-and

Quote:

---

Vehicle exploded in Melitopol, 2 FSB employees reportedly wounded

---

https://liveuamap.com/en/2022/23-december-vehicle-exploded-in-melitopol-2-fsb-employees

Depends on who's reporting it. If it's Russia, they could be dead.

This was posted to Twitter on 12/13. Look at how bad the mud is.

- Nie rozumiem jak trochę błota może zatrzymać ofensywę
["Trochę błota" na nagraniu] pic.twitter.com/NFAEMveIkv

— Aryo (@SomeGumul) December 13, 2022

SIAP, good article on Putin's isolation, and the disinformation is apparatus is set up to provide him with. The country is a pyramid of lies.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/putin-russia-ukraine-war-advisers-11671815184

Quote:

---

Air defense is active in Crimea

---

https://liveuamap.com/en/2022/23-december-air-defense-is-active-in-crimea

It is hard to geolocate it, but this is my best take (85% sure), but there are many coinciding lines where I'm fairly certain to have a match. pic.twitter.com/jSU5QzTxpN

— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) December 23, 2022

Today's SITREP.

Map updates are generally very mild and mostly unchanged. Still, some minor activity upon the frontline.

Oh dear... 🤦‍♂️

Russian state broadcaster RT has a Christmas message for Europeans pic.twitter.com/XSgymlnlFt

— Francis Scarr (@francis_scarr) December 23, 2022

Oh yeah this will no doubt thaw relations with Western Europeans

Russian state media: Finns are dying of cold due to cutting ties with Russia.

Finns: @itsronyrex pic.twitter.com/rOYEkHfz33

— Very Finnish Problems (@VFinnishProbs) December 9, 2022

Man, they are really reaching…it's a sad day when they think they can conquer Europe but can barely do anything about tractors and drones.

Finns are mutants with a freakishly high ratio of brown body fat. I think they would have fought at Chosin Reservior in short sleeves.

Fitch said:

---

Oh dear... 🤦‍♂️

Russian state broadcaster RT has a Christmas message for Europeans pic.twitter.com/XSgymlnlFt

— Francis Scarr (@francis_scarr) December 23, 2022

Oh yeah this will no doubt thaw relations with Western Europeans

---

They are pretty delusional to be honest .. they can't even win a battle much less a war yet they put this out… Putin will boil in his own grease when he meets his maker one day Soon

UPDATE

Fitch said:

---

Oh dear... 🤦‍♂️

Russian state broadcaster RT has a Christmas message for Europeans pic.twitter.com/XSgymlnlFt

— Francis Scarr (@francis_scarr) December 23, 2022

Oh yeah this will no doubt thaw relations with Western Europeans

---

Heh...I think they've mistaken Western Europe for Russia in general

That's great.

If only they could see all the Christmas markets all decorated and lit up. Not a care in the world regarding Russia as a threat. Life goes on, aid and weapons keep flowing, and Ukraine keeps stacking dead Russians.

Today's SITREP.

I can't vouch for this dude or his story, but it's interesting. SABOTAGE

74OA said:

---

I can't vouch for this dude or his story, but it's interesting. SABOTAGE

---

The dude could be playing a dude being played by other dudes.
I thought the CIA never confirmed nor denied a story. They denied.

wessimo said:

---

Russian state media: Finns are dying of cold due to cutting ties with Russia.

Finns: @itsronyrex pic.twitter.com/rOYEkHfz33

— Very Finnish Problems (@VFinnishProbs) December 9, 2022

---

There's not enough likes for that Tweet.

Waffledynamics said:

---

This was posted to Twitter on 12/13. Look at how bad the mud is.

- Nie rozumiem jak trochę błota może zatrzymać ofensywę
["Trochę błota" na nagraniu] pic.twitter.com/NFAEMveIkv

— Aryo (@SomeGumul) December 13, 2022

---

Ra - Ra - Rasputitsa!

Recommended reading: Mud: A Military History

One extra nasty way that military tracked vehicles can get extra stuck - because the hull bottom is usually flat, if the vehicle sinks deep enough, you can get suction between the hull and the mud. I saw it happen to an M-1 Abrams at Hohenfels back in 1997. 65 tons, suctioned into the mud. Broke a tow bar on the first attempt to get it unstuck. Eventually took 2 M-88s to get it out.

Seems like the movement through that kind of mud would leave an easily visualized trail that could be tracked to a hiding spot, no?

Russians having issues with artillery ammunition supply

agent-maroon said:

---

Seems like the movement through that kind of mud would leave an easily visualized trail that could be tracked to a hiding spot, no?

---

Yes and no. Tracked vehicles already make pretty obvious tracks when driven across anything that's not pavement or at least hard packed gravel roads. Even in the desert at Fort Irwin, tanks and anything else on tracked leave obvious trails.

Learning to 'read' those trails is a key skill for photo/video intel analysts.

Once upon a time, I was a staff officer in the U.S. Army's very first Stryker brigade (3/2 SBCT at Fort Lewis). One of the many things they looked at when we fielded the new vehicles was a comparison of the environmental impact as compared to a heavy mechanized brigade. Significant difference.

Now, in mud like that, I don't think anything with wheels is moving off the hardball roads without getting stuck.

#Kherson is on fire. All day long today, pig dogs are shelling #Kherson.
As of now, we know about 68 victims as a result of today's attack by the Russian invaders on the Kherson region.
In Kherson, the Rashists killed 10 people #PutinHitler #RussiaisATerroistState #SlavaUkrayini pic.twitter.com/zWIcqwQEKG

— Feher_Junior (@Feher_Junior) December 24, 2022

10 people died as a result of the shelling of the center of #Kherson.68 people were injured.On Christmas Eve the accursed Putin launched an attack on Ukrainian civilians, this is the Russian Peace that deceives and indoctrinates the Putinians#PutinHitler #RussiaisATerroistState pic.twitter.com/dGSLIfD7xI

— Feher_Junior (@Feher_Junior) December 24, 2022

The man in the second tweet, first picture lifting the blanket to confirm a loved one is just heartbreaking.

**** the Vatniks

Smeghead4761 said:

---

Russians having issues with artillery ammunition supply

---

Thought this was fitting to this article.

https://instagr.am/p/Cmj5gugKy8Z

“Today, when Ukraine and the whole world celebrate Christmas, the Ukrainian 108th brigade carried out assaults on Russian positions, as a result many invaders were destroyed and 10 Russians were captured”https://t.co/jXnFy8YCD9 pic.twitter.com/Pi7HPF6KWk

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) December 25, 2022

Russians are gradually losing ground in Bakhmut. After their defeat in the industrial sector in the east, Ukrainian troops push north-east and south. Optytne has been liberated by 80%.

If Russians don't deploy reserves, then it's game over for them in Bakhmut. #Bakhmut pic.twitter.com/g6Am5mvES8

— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) December 25, 2022

Seems like a bit of an exaggeration, but great news for Ukraine's progress in their counterattack.

Update from Bakhmut 25 December pic.twitter.com/G5Y40IPsx5

— Dmitri (@wartranslated) December 25, 2022

Rumors of Engels getting hit again.

Something might be going on at Engels Air Base in Russia. Sounds of explosions and air raid alerts.
If this checks out, it will be a huge embarrassment for Russia. https://t.co/jaJ4ApqdKe pic.twitter.com/N19mZ4HtZl

— Def Mon (@DefMon3) December 25, 2022

Kolejne nagrania z okolic lotniska Engels. Trwa alarm przeciwlotniczy prawie 600km od granicy z Ukrainą.#Ukraine #UkraineWar #Russia pic.twitter.com/YRo4aeKDyC

— Geopolityka z kraju i ze świata (@z_swiata) December 26, 2022