In the Hulyaipole and Pokrovs'ke directions, Russian forces have intensified their assault operations, making significant progress over the last week.

In the north, following weeks of DRG infiltrations under the cover of fog and poor weather conditions, ordinary assault groups began taking up positions in multiple villages. Russian forces managed to consolidate in the remaining treelines and forested areas east of the Haichur and south of the Yanchur Rivers, which they used to accumulate in before crossing the Haichur River, infiltrating and quickly establishing control over the village of Pishchane.

Other forces advanced west along the northern bank of the Yanchur River from the area of the Hulyaipole - Pokrovs'ke highway and captured the village of Ostapivske and the surrounding treelines. Other forces improved their positions southwest of Vidradne, capturing new treeline positions. From there, they pushed north from Ostapivske to the neighbouring village of Andriivka and consolidated in its southern streets. Assault operations were then carried out further north, allowing for the Russians to bring most of the settlement under their control. Fighting continues for the northern streets, which remain in the grey-zone.

In the south, following earlier infiltrations, Russian forces managed to consolidate in the treelines across the Haichur River west of Nove Zaporizhzhya. Other assault groups continued expanding their main bridgehead by advancing further north and linked up with this smaller bridgehead west of Nove Zaporizhzhya.

+ ~24.33 km² in favour of Russia.

In case you haven't noticed, Telegram keeps randomly turning off comments on certain posts. That's why I sometimes have to delete and then repost the same thing.

In the Novopavlivka direction, Russian forces intensified their assault operations and have made significant progress in recapturing previously lost positions over the last week.

In the west, Russian forces continued to advance and managed to consolidate along the road from Filiya, allowing for them to enter Novopavlivka from the southwest and link up with their formations which were previously operationally encircled there. A large grey-zone remains in part of southern Novopavlivka.

To the southeast, Russian forces began pushing the Ukrainians back from the fortifications south of Novopavlivka. They advanced from their positions east and west of the strongpoints north of the gulley, dislodging the Ukrainians from their positions there and beginning a push north towards the northern gulley. They were able to establish control over the forested areas there, while other forces consolidated in the treelines northeast of Filiya.

In the east, Russian forces advanced on a wide front northwest of Horikhove, pushing north up five parallel treelines and establishing control over the perpendicular treelines to the north. Other assault groups cleared the treelines northwest of Horikhove, further shrinking the Ukrainian salient east of Novopavlivka.

+ ~18.60 km² in favour of Russia.

In the Dobropillya direction, Russian forces continued to advance west of Pokrovsk and have made new progress in three different areas.

In the southwest, Russian forces consolidated in the rest of the railway windbreaks between Udachne and Molodetske and began assault operations to the north, with the goal of outflanking the Pokrovsk Coal Mine, which was recently recaptured by Ukraine. They managed to advance north up the treeline west of Udachne, while other forces improved their positions in the forested gulley southwest of the mine.

In the northeast, Russian forces improved their positions along the railway line south of Hryshyne, capturing new positions in the windbreaks there, and established control over a treeline to the south. Other assault groups continued their incremental advance through Hryshyne and secured new positions in the residential streets south of the village centre.

+ ~4.26 km² in favour of Russia.

Boys, I assembled the giga-chads to give you a special Christmas gift.

Thank you AMK and History Legends for spending some time with me for Christmas.

Thank you legends at home for supporting me all year.

Enjoy
https://youtu.be/IugDI2G-BLw

As usual with these peace plans, I won't really cover them.

This new 20-point plan proposed by Zelensky is based entirely on idealism and only serves as a way to label Russia as unwilling to negotiate. They know Russia won't accept this; the same way Russia knows Ukraine won't accept their demands. It's all informational and is one of the reasons why I constantly say this war will be fought to its conclusion.

Russia is the stronger side and is the side which is currently winning. Attritional warfare doesn't care about morals, your feelings, or what's "right" and "wrong". The stronger side wins and the weaker side loses. It might suck, and it might be a horrible thing to accept for many, but that's just the reality of how this works.

It either side is truly trying to achieve a lasting peace, any realistic agreements need to take into account the battlefield reality, not what either side "deserves" to have. The actual reality on the ground is what influences negotiations, not what people claim is right or wrong morally.

Merry Christmas everyone!

It's now the 25th of December for me in New Zealand, which is quite insane. To those who celebrate it, I hope you have a great time with your family on this holiday occasion.

I'm looking forward to 2026 which I hope will be another great year of reporting for me. Thank you all for following and supporting, it means the world :)

Unlike last year, no large-scale missile attack on Ukraine is expected this Christmas.

However, preparations for the next series of strikes are ongoing:

The 4 MiG-31K fighters which took part in the most recent attack redeployed from Lipetsk-2 Airbase, Lipetsk Oblast to Savasleika Airbase, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. They will be equipped with Kinzhal hypersonic aeroballistic missiles there.

Part of southwestern Ryazan Oblast’s airspace in the area of the MiG-31K launch lines is currently closed, which means there is a threat of Kinzhal launches for the near future.

The Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers which took part in the most recent attack are in the process of being equipped with Kh-101 cruise missiles at Engels-2 Airbase and then redeploying to the far east.

There is still an unprecedented accumulation of Geran-2 drones at launch sites surrounding Ukraine, and a large number of Iskander-M ballistic missiles and Iskander-K cruise missiles that are ready be used.

3 Tu-22m3 strategic bombers carried out a scheduled training flight over the eastern Black Sea from Shaykovka Airbase, Kaluga Oblast.

3 Tu-22m3 strategic bombers carried out a scheduled training flight from Olenya Airbase, Murmansk Oblast with the help of an Il-78M tanker for refueling.

This evening, a single Kh-59 cruise missile likely launched from a Su-34 struck the Cherkasy combined heat and power plant. A large fire subsequently broke out.

Possible launches of storm shadow cruise missiles from Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, in the direction of Russian-controlled Kherson Oblast.

4 missiles are detected flying from Nova Kakhovka on a southeastern course.

One of the missiles over Kherson Oblast

S-300 activity from Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The missiles are flying in the direction of the Sea of Azov.

The Kerch Bridge has been temporarily closed.

Sirens in:

Rostov Oblast
Crimea
Zaporizhzhia Oblast
Kherson Oblast
Krasnodar Krai
Sevastopol

As many as 2 interceptions may have taken place.

2-4 Storm Shadows are now over the Sea of Azov, ~100 km from the Kerch Bridge.

S-400 launches from Taganrog, Rostov Oblast.

~2 more storm shadows are flying past Debaltseve, Luhansk Oblast to Rostov Oblast.