Washington Post:

PARIS — An unspoken, unspeakable potential endgame in the Russia-Ukraine war is suddenly being uttered out loud: Kyiv is at risk of losing — and suffering unimaginable carnage and consequences.

-In fact, Putin’s main advantage is strategic patience — the capacity to wait out what he is confident is finite Western political will and resources to sustain Ukraine, buttressed by his indifference to Russia’s staggering casualties. In the end, he believes, Ukraine will be forced to capitulate.
If he is right, the timetable of that ending would be accelerated if Congress and the E.U. fail to approve fresh support. That would leave Ukraine’s government unable to maintain basic services, and its military increasingly short of artillery ammunition, air defense capability and other equipment. Ukraine’s already badly battered front-line forces would become more brittle.

-That grim scenario would be a staggering blow to Western prestige and credibility, revealing that pledges to back Ukraine for “as long as it takes” were empty.
A failure on that scale — let alone actual defeat in Ukraine — would have much more lasting repercussions than Kyiv’s inability to break through Russian battle lines. It could raise the curtain on a new era of aggression by authoritarian states, unchecked by the world’s diminished democracies.

Zin Note: Blah blah blah, Western prestige, blah blah blah, democracy, blah blah blah authoritarianism...

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Can anyone explain this "Western prestige" that I keep hearing about?

It's been reported that the X-59s want a turn.

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🇷🇺⚔️🇺🇦 Russian fighters stormed a stronghold of Ukrainian militants in the Zaporozhye direction

The paratroopers entered a forest plantation where a unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was located. The assault group suppressed enemy resistance with dense small arms fire.

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"We established ourselves along the forest belt in the direction east of Bogdanovka."

zvofront TG

should be around here then

Svetlana Loboda changed her mind about giving up the Russian language - because "the Russian-speaking audience is very large": It is not the Russian language that kills Ukrainian children and Ukrainian people. Most of Ukraine speaks Russian. The Russian language does not belong to the Russian authorities. If only the Russian authorities spoke Russian, we would categorically not speak the language. But millions of people around the world speak Russian. That's the way it happened. I will continue to write songs in Ukrainian and Russian for the Russian-speaking audience, because it's big.

Note: it's not time to change shoes, aaahhhh!!! Changing slippers in a jump-we'll remember that.

@Slavyangrad

Panorama of today's Bakhmut (Artemovsk). The city is under the control of the Russian army.


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📹 WATCH the full version of our exclusive stream where Simeon Boikov (@AussieCossack) and Dimitri Simes Jr. from Sputnik International discussed the main highlights of the Vladimir Putin's Q&A session, made a political review of the year and much more.

Subscribe to @geopolitics_live

Ukrainian channel Strana:

The Russians have regained control of the waste heap near Gorlovka, the capture of which was recently announced by Vladimir Zelensky.

The Ukrainian military public page Deep State writes about this.

The Telegram channel verified a video with a Ukrainian flag removed from the waste heap of the Gagarin mine.

According to Deep State analysts, after the Ukrainian raid on the waste heap, which the president announced, the Russians will now strengthen the defense there, and it will become more difficult to break through to this height.

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Lt.Col. Oleg Shalandin on International law. War crimes. Part 1 of 3

Our armed forces, as you know, conduct a special military operation. Media sometimes use the wording that AFU “committed a war crime”, and this applies to the launches of ballistic missiles, and to artillery fire, and to the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

And what is a “war crime”? Let's figure it out.
A war crime is a serious violation of the norm of international humanitarian law during an armed conflict, and international law (yes, it exists!) establishes individual criminal liability for such deeds.
To ensure that the persons responsible for war crimes are unable to evade judicial persecution and punishment based on internal legal norms regarding the statute of limitations against ordinary crimes, the Convention on the inconsistency of the statute of limitations and crimes against humanity was adopted in 1968.
Four Geneva Conventions were adopted on the protection of war victims in 1949, each of the documents contained a list of the so-called “serious violations” - criminal acts directed against the fundamental rights of persons related to the relevant categories of patronized persons (wounded, sick, medical and spiritual staff, persons who suffered a shipwreck, prisoners of war, civilians.
Two additional protocols for the Geneva Conventions were adopted in 1977, the first of which expanded the list of “serious violations” to be criminalized in international armed conflicts, the second in armed conflicts of a non-national nature.
The Roman Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) was adopted in 1998, designed to administer justice against persons who committed crimes against humanity, aggression, genocide and war crimes. In accordance with Art. 9 The “elements of crimes” are attached to this statute, which should help the court in the interpretation and application of substantive law.
There is no generally accepted classification of war crimes in the international legal doctrine.
In Art. 8 of ICC Statute Military Crimes are located taking into account the context of the armed conflict:
• serious violations of the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949;
• other serious violations of laws and customs applicable in international armed conflicts;
• serious violations of Article 3, common for the four Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949, in the case of an armed conflict of a non-national nature;
• Other serious violations of laws and customs applicable in armed conflicts of a non -international nature.

#source

@Slavyangrad

Lt.Col. Oleg Shalandin on International law. War crimes. Part 2 of 3

Military crimes can be qualified on the objective side, distinguishing relations, regulated by Geneva Law (protection of property and property protection) and relations regulated by Hague law (the application of prohibited means and methods of conducting military operations), depending on the additional object of criminal encroachment). Military crimes are conditionally divided into the following groups:
1. Military crimes against persons
Military crimes are recognized only by acts that harm persons who are under protection in accordance with international humanitarian law.
2. War crimes against property and other protected rights.
Five provisions of the ICC Statute specifically criminalize the expropriation or destruction of property. In accordance with Art. 8(2)(a)(iv) of the ICC Statute, “unlawful, wanton and large-scale destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity” and committed in the context of an international armed conflict entails criminal liability.
Art. 8(2)(b)(xiii) of the ICC Statute criminalizes – also in the context of international armed conflicts – “the destruction or seizure of property of the enemy, unless such destruction or seizure is strictly dictated by military necessity.” Art. 8(2)(b)(xvi) of the ICC Statute criminalizes the looting of cities or towns in international armed conflicts.
3. War crimes related to the use of prohibited methods of warfare.
Methods of warfare are the order, tactics and methods of using weapons to suppress the enemy's forces and his ability to resist. The first group of war crimes associated with the use of prohibited methods of warfare consists of deliberate attacks on non-military targets. Articles 8(2)(b)(i), (ii), (ix) and (xxiv), and Articles 8(2)(e)(i), (ii) and (iv) of the ICC Statute establish responsibility for direct attacks on civilians, civilian objects and other similar targets. A special case of attacks on non-military targets are attacks on unprotected populated areas. Art. 8(2)(b)(iv) of the ICC Statute criminalizes causing disproportionate collateral damage.
Additional Protocol I, Art. 37 prohibits the "treacherous" killing or wounding of persons belonging to an enemy nation or army. Perfidy refers to the abuse of trust obtained fraudulently through the commission of a specific act contrary to international law. According to Art. 8 (2) (b) (xi) of the ICC Statute, such actions in the context of an international armed conflict constitute a war crime.
Declaring that there will be no quarter or threatening to give such an order is also a “classic” war crime under Article 8(2)(b)(xii) of the ICC Statute.
Art. 8 (2) (b) (xxiii) and art. 8(2)(b)(xxv) of the ICC Statute criminalize, respectively, the use of human shields and the commission of acts that expose civilians to starvation—that is, methods of warfare that primarily affect non-combatants.

#source

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Lt.Col. Oleg Shalandin on International law. War crimes. Part 3 of 3

4. War crimes related to the use of prohibited means of warfare.
Means of warfare are weapons, military equipment, weapons and other means used to destroy enemy personnel and military equipment. Art. 35(2) prohibits the use of weapons, projectiles, or substances that are likely to cause “unnecessary injury” or “unnecessary suffering.” The “unnecessary injury” criterion concerns the principle of distinction, since no weapon should be used if its destructive power is likely to cause indiscriminate effects (making it impossible to distinguish between combatants and civilians).
5. War crimes in relation to humanitarian assistance operations.
In accordance with Art. 8(2)(b)(iii) and Art. 8(2)(e)(iii) of the ICC Statute “deliberately targeting personnel, installations, material, units or means of transport engaged in the provision of humanitarian assistance or a peacekeeping mission in accordance with the UN Charter”

Circumstances excluding criminal liability for war crimes.
Art. 31 of the ICC Statute provides for several circumstances by virtue of which a person is exempt from criminal liability for acts that actually contain all the elements of a war crime:
1. mental illness or disorder;
2. a state of involuntary (forced) intoxication caused by the use of alcohol, drugs or otherwise;
3. protecting oneself or another person, or property critical to survival, from the imminent and unlawful use of force;
4. extreme necessity - a forced response to the threat of imminent death or imminent infliction of serious bodily harm to the person himself or another person.

Our Foreign Ministry maintains “White Books” (https://mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/belye_knigi/) - lists of crimes of Western states and their allies, including Ukraine.
We remember everything. And there will be a tribunal for Ukraine after the SMO.

#source

@Slavyangrad

🔴 Destroyed Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers in the Marinka area

Ukrainian. Do not be an idiot. Choose life.
Call "Volga" 149.200.

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Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation  (14 December 2023)

▫️ In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces supported by artillery and heavy flamethrower systems repelled five attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 60th, 115th mechanised brigades, as well as 57th Motorised Brigade near Sinkovka (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 45 servicemen, one tank, and two armoured fighting vehicles.
 
▫️ In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces repelled one attack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 44th Separate Rifle Battalion close to Yampolovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
 
The AFU losses amounted to up to 180 servicemen, three motor vehicles, as well as one French-made CAEZAR self-propelled artillery system during the day.

▫️ In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces supported by artillery repelled six attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 24th mechanised, 5th assault, and 112th territorial defence brigades close to Kleshcheyevka and Kirovo (Donetsk People's Republic).
 
In addition, strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of the AFU 30th mechanised, 79th and 95th air assault brigades close to Kurdyumovka, Maryinka, Krasnoye, and Andreyevka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 265 servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, and three motor vehicles.

In the course of the counterbattery warfare, two Akatsiya self-propelled artillery systems, three Msta-B howitzers, one D-30 howitzer were eliminated.

▫️ In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces supported by artillery and heavy flamethrower systems inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 72nd Air Assault Brigade near Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 90 servicemen killed and wounded, as well as two pickup trucks.

▫️ In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 33rd and 65th mechanised brigades close to Rabotino (Zaporozhye region).

The AFU lost up to 45 servicemen and two motor vehicles during the day.

▫️ In Kherson direction, as a result of actions of the Russian Group of Forces supported by artillery and aviation, the AFU lost up to 40 servicemen and four motor vehicles.
 
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces wiped out missile artillery ammunition depots of the AFU 37th Marines Brigade and 65th Mechanised Brigade near Daryevka (Kherson region) and Volnyansk (Zaporozhye region), as well as engaged manpower and hardware in 128 areas during the day.

Air defence units intercepted three HIMARS projectiles over the past 24 hours.

In addition, 26 unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down close to Belogorovka, Kremennaya (Lugansk People's Republic), Gorlovka, Maryinka (Donetsk People's Republic), Novaya Kakhovka and Tavriysk (Kherson region).
 
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North of Avdeevka.
The Russian Armed Forces expanded control along the railway towards Ocheretino.

🇷🇺 Sofa General Staff

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Ukraina RU:

⚡️ Zelensky wanted to personally take part in the European Council summit, but he was refused,

The American publication Politico writes about this.

— On the eve of the meeting in Brussels, rumors spread that Zelensky would personally take part in the EU summit today. But that plan was thwarted on Wednesday as the outcome of the meeting, especially on Ukraine's future accession to the EU, remains unclear, the newspaper writes.

There is also a version that EU leaders decided not to invite the Ukrainian president because it could anger Hungarian Prime Minister Orban.

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⚡️European leaders decided to begin negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on accession to the European Union, Georgia was granted EU candidate status

This was announced by the head of the European Council, Charles Michel.

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Austria blocked the 12th package of EU sanctions against Russia, demanding the lifting of Ukrainian sanctions against Raiffeisen Bank by Kiev.

Reuters reports this.

Earlier, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg openly criticized this blacklist as arbitrary at a meeting of European ministers in Kyiv, the agency writes, citing a source.

Raiffeisen is the only Austrian company on the list.

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