Moscow reports new attacks on Donzek – Ukraine expects another Russian invasion

Ukraine apparently expects a Russian invasion of Belarus soon. This was confirmed by a member of the military. The news ticker.

• Moscow worried about Vulnerability of Crimea? The British secret service sees a tactical change in Russia as a sign.
• nationwide air alert at the Saturday: The Russian military is carrying out renewed heavy attacks on the Ukrainian energy supply.
• This News ticker on the military situation in Ukraine war is continuously updated.

Update from December 17, 2:51 p.m.: Russian attacks around Donetsk Oblast in eastern Ukraine continued, according to the Defense Ministry in Moscow. There were also counterattacks by the Ukrainian army, which were repelled, as ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in Moscow on Saturday. Russian troops are said to have taken advantageous positions. The Ukrainian military reported that breakthroughs by Russian troops had been prevented.

In addition, sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the Ukrainian armed forces and a camp with foreign mercenaries were destroyed in the Donetsk region. Konashenkov confirmed Friday’s massive rocket attacks: “The aim of the strike was achieved. All targeted objects have been destroyed.”

The attack stopped the transport of weapons, ammunition and the production of armaments factories in Ukraine. The Russian missiles were fired by bombers from the air and from the sea, Konashenkov said. In addition, systems of the Ukrainian air defense were defused. The civilian infrastructure on the ground was also damaged by the “unprofessional actions” of the Ukrainian air defense. The information could not be independently verified.

Ukraine expects another Russian invasion: “Prepare for it”

Update from December 17, 1:10 p.m: The Ukrainian military leadership is currently preparing for another Russian invasion from the north. This was confirmed by Andrii Kovalchuk, Major General of the Ukrainian Army, in an interview with Sky News. “We foresee such options, such scenarios. We are preparing for it. We live with the thought that they will attack again. That is our task”, Kovalchuk.

The Major General also mentioned a possible time for another invasion. Ukraine expects “a possible offensive from Belarus from the end of February, maybe later.” The end of February marks the first anniversary of Russia’s first invasion of Ukraine. On February 24, Russia officially launched the so-called “military special operation” in Ukraine. The Russian military leadership could now use the anniversary for a renewed offensive in northern Ukraine.

Russia recently brought more than 60 Russian vehicles to Belarus as part of military cooperation. President Putin meets with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday.

Moscow worried about Crimea’s vulnerability? British intelligence expresses drone theory

First report from December 17, 12:45 p.m.:

LONDON – During the massive attacks by the Russian armed forces on the Ukrainian energy supply on Friday, Moscow apparently used combat drones again. Among other things, a video published on Twitter shows a drone being shot down over the capital Kyiv. In recent weeks, the Russian army has increasingly relied on the use of Iranian “Kamikaze” drones of the Shahed-136 type. In past missions, the compact missiles were usually fired from the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea.

Moscow worried about Crimea’s vulnerability? British intelligence expresses theory

According to reports from the British secret service, there was now a change in the process. The drones, most likely provided by Iran, were launched from the southern Russian region of Krasnodar, the British Ministry of Defense said in a daily briefing on Twitter on Saturday. The British see the shift as a sign that Moscow may be concerned about Crimea’s vulnerability. In addition, it is easier for the Russians to organize supplies at the new location, since the weapons are believed to arrive in the Russian region of Astrakhan, which is closer.

As part of the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the south, there were repeated attacks in Crimea. Above all, the Crimean Bridge, which connects the peninsula with the Russian mainland, was badly damaged in an attack. The Kremlin blames Ukraine for the attacks. Kyiv has not yet officially confirmed responsibility for the actions. Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014.

Nationwide air alert on Saturday — Russia targets Ukrainian energy infrastructure

On Saturday morning there were renewed air alerts in Ukraine almost across the country. According to reports from the Ukrinform news agency, air raid alarms were raised in the major cities of Kyiv, Lviv and Mykolaiv, among others. The Russian military has been carrying out attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for weeks. As a result, there are repeated power failures or entire areas are temporarily cut off from the water supply. (fd with dpa)