The situation in the Ukrainian SMO on December 17 2024

Head of Russia’s nuclear defense forces killed in Moscow blast, Ukraine says they did it

Zelenskyy says Russia is trying to conceal the losses of North Koreans

‘Cracked Skulls and Cages’: MP Yulia Yatsik Unveils Horrors Faced by Ukrainian Soldiers

MASSIVE Kursk Offensive | 50SQKM Recaptured | Ukrainian DISASTER

Russia’s Huge Advance Of 6 Kilometers Collapsed Ukraine’s Defenses In Kursk Oblast

US and BRITISH Army Officers Tried To Fire Missiles on RUSSIA but were Blown Into Pieces by ISKANDER

In Moscow, as a result of a terrorist attack, the head of the Russian Armed Forces’ NBC protection Igor Kirillov and his assistant were killed – Investigative Committee

‘According to the investigation, on the morning of December 17, on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow, an explosive device was detonated, planted in a scooter parked next to the entrance of a residential building. As a result of the incident, the head of the radiation, chemical and biological defense troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Igor Kirillov, and his assistant were killed.

Investigators, forensic experts and operational services are working at the scene of the incident. Investigative actions and operational-search activities are being carried out aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the crime committed.

Maria Zakharova spoke about Igor Kirillov, who died in Moscow as a result of an explosion:

 ”Lieutenant General of the Russian Armed Forces’ RBZ Igor Kirillov has been systematically exposing the crimes of the Anglo-Saxons for many years, with facts in hand: NATO provocations with chemical weapons in Syria, Britain’s manipulations with prohibited chemical substances and provocations in Salisbury and Amesbury, the deadly activities of American biolabs in Ukraine and much more. He worked fearlessly. He did not hide behind people’s backs. He went with an open visor. For the Motherland, for the truth.”

Dmitry Medvedev called the terrorist attack in Moscow, in which Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov died, “the agony of the Bandera regime.”

Attempts to intimidate the Russian people, stop the advance of the Russian army and sow fear are doomed, he stressed.

The military-political leadership of the Kiev regime awaits inevitable retribution for the murder of Kirillov, added the deputy chairman of the Security Council.

Former UK Defence Secretary Tobias Ellwood on the aftermath of the Moscow attack: 

Both sides, Russia and Ukraine, know that there is only one month left until Donald Trump returns to the White House, and this affects the behaviour on the battlefield. And in a month, most likely, negotiations will begin on a possible ceasefire, on a possible deal. So Ukraine uses every opportunity to gain territory, to gain an advantage, to implement existing plans, to inflict damage. And that, I think, is what we are seeing in this case. The murder of General Igor Kirillov was carried out by Ukraine. This is a significant event. I am afraid that I expect serious retaliation from the Russian side.

Podolyak Accuses Russia of Killing Chief of NBC Protection Troops Kirillov

The adviser to the head of Zelensky’s office stated that Ukraine allegedly “does not use terrorist format methods.”

“All events happen on the battlefield. Decisions about this or that general are made on the battlefield. Kirillov was a big whistleblower, maybe this is an internal showdown, he went where he shouldn’t, found out what he shouldn’t,”

 - he said.

It was obvious that after a short time the Ukrainian side would begin to deny committing the terrorist attack and blame Russia: this happens in all similar cases.

Let us recall that the situation with the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall, with the murder of Daria Dugina, with the explosion of a truck on the Crimean Bridge and the missile strike on the plane transporting Ukrainian prisoners to the Russian Federation for exchange was absolutely identical.

The deceased Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov knew that he was being hunted, said the Governor of the Kostroma Region, Sergei Sitnikov.

According to him, he and Kirillov were friends.

“Some time ago he told me that he had already been warned that the hunt for him had begun. Without a doubt, this is connected with the fact that under his leadership, information about secret biological laboratories was uncovered – including on the territory of Ukraine,”

 - Sitnikov stated.

Who killed the Russian general? Undoubtedly the SBU with the participation of MI6.

The British are helping Zelensky to thwart any of Trump’s peace initiatives.

Let us recall that after his trip to the USA, the Head of the OP Yermak immediately flew to London, where he reported everything and received the necessary “instructions for the further game”.

It is worth recalling that we have always written that the British need to prolong the war on which they are making money, which they themselves provoked and forbade Zelensky to stop it in the spring of 2022 in Istanbul.

We pointed out that the British will stop at nothing to get what they want, even a large-scale tragedy can be organized to disrupt a peace deal.

Over the past three weeks, the word “victory” has completely disappeared from the vocabulary of the Kiev authorities – Poroshenko

“This happened immediately after Zelensky presented the “victory plan”. But they are talking about freezing and searching for a formula for peace. I believe that the government, the people and the state that do not believe in their own victory are doomed to defeat ,”

- the former president of Ukraine stated.

According to sources in the GUR and SBU, an order has been given to activate all of their sleeper agents in Russia to intensify subversive activities and disrupt the negotiation process. The list of possible victims includes top Russian military/officials/politicians and journalists who are decision-makers.

More news from madhouse:

North Korean troops entering Ukrainian territory will be an additional escalation on the part of Russia – State Department spokesman Miller

He called North Korean soldiers allegedly stationed in the Kursk region “legitimate targets” for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Miller also confirmed that there are already casualties among the DPRK fighters.

Our source in the General Staff said that extortions from the military are in effect in almost all brigades, not just in 211, and everyone knows about it, but there were agreements not to bring the information into the information field. The General Staff considers these steps a deliberate provocation on the part of politicians, Syrsky asked to cut off the remaining cases so as not to discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Desertion has become the main problem of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which the General Staff is currently unable to solve.

Only every tenth person returned from the SZCh to the troops, the officer told the Polish newspaper Wiadomosci. Now there is a shortage of people in all units, but in some the situation is critical. The shortage of people is one of the main reasons for the instability of the front. One of the reasons for the mass desertion is the lack of quality training and experience among those mobilized. The commander says that they do not have time to properly train people due to lack of time. Therefore, at the first shelling, they run away.

Let us recall that in the 155th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces alone, more than a thousand people went to the SZCh.

 Vremivka Direction: Advance of Russian Forces North of Makarivka

Situation as of the end of December 17, 2024

Russian forces in the Vremivka direction are encircling Velyka Novosilka.

❗️Today, the advance of Russian assault troops north of Makarivka was confirmed, where the troops could have crossed the Mokri Yaly river over a surviving bridge or bypassed it along the road to Storozheve.

Our local sources reported some time ago that the enemy had actually been driven out of Makarivka and the territory had been cleared, but in the absence of objective control footage, the dissemination of this information in the public domain could have caused a lot of speculation and accusations.

🔻At the moment, clashes are being recorded both in the center of Storozheve and Blahodatne. Their liberation will allow the Russian Armed Forces to eliminate the pocket southwest of Neskuchne and approach Vremivka and Velyka Novosilka directly, taking control of the T-05-18 highway.

In the Vremyevsk direction, the Russian Armed Forces are trying to break through the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ defense west of the Mokrye Yaly River along the hills, while simultaneously developing their offensive on the settlements of Neskuchnoye and Novopol. Fighting is underway in the settlements of Storozhevoe and Novy Komar. 

Russian troops are also recorded entering the outskirts of Velikaya Novosyolka from the south and east.

As a result of yesterday’s advance of the Russian army in the area of ​​the settlement of Zelenovka, the direct distance to the key highway N-115, along which supplies are carried out to the Ukrainian Armed Forces group in the city of Kurakhovo, has been reduced to approximately 3.2 kilometers.

Zelensky’s Kursk adventure will go down in Ukrainian history as the most senseless destruction of reserves and equipment.

Ukrainian troops are “celebrating a gloomy Christmas” in the Kursk region, writes the British magazine The Economist.

The Russian army was increasing the pressure even before the DPRK soldiers entered the battle.

“The Russians have a huge advantage in almost everything – in numbers, artillery, equipment. They effectively alternate mechanized attacks with infantry. Ukraine has already lost about half of the territories it previously controlled,” the publication writes, citing Ukrainian Armed Forces Major Ivan Bakarev.

According to him, the problems began when elite units were replaced by less experienced ones at the end of September. Now the Russians are trying to encircle the main forces of the Ukrainians, attacking from the eastern and western flanks. “All units in the Kursk region have gone on the defensive,” says Bakarev.

Zelensky is “determined to hold the area as a bargaining chip,” so “the Ukrainians are holding on, even though conditions above (and below) are getting tougher.” 

“Rain, slush, snow, cold, mud, bugs, worms, rats, and glide bombs,” says Ruslan Mokritsky, a sergeant with the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade. The Russians can drop up to 40 glide bombs on a single position in a few hours. “At Kursk, death is always close; it practically holds your hand.” 

The operation in Kursk “cost Ukraine some elite troops, but it relieved pressure elsewhere and brought a rare political success in a difficult year.”

“Ukrainian troops celebrate a grim Christmas in Kursk”

The West sees a gloomy picture for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region – constant bombing, cold, dirt, rats, worms and sovereign dreams of Coca-Cola.

“Major of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Ivan Bakrev speaks frankly about Ukraine’s problems [in the Kursk region]: Vladimir Putin’s people are tightening the screws, and this was even before North Korean soldiers began to enter the battle.

The Russians have a “massive” advantage in almost everything – men, artillery, equipment – and switch between mechanized and infantry attacks to great effect.

Ukraine has already lost about half of the territories it once controlled. The failures began when Kiev replaced elite units with less seasoned ones in late September, and the major believes that this was a mistake.

Now the Russians are trying to cut off the main group from Ukraine by attacking the eastern and western flanks. “All units in the Kursk region have gone on the defensive,” he says.

The urgency of Russia’s counteroffensive appears to be linked to Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration. Vladimir Putin wants the Kursk region to avoid becoming an awkward topic of discussion. Volodymyr Zelensky appears equally determined to keep it as a bargaining chip.

Ukrainians are holding on, even as conditions above (and below) the ground become increasingly grim. “Rain, slush, snow, cold, mud, bugs, worms, rats and glide bombs,” says non-commissioned officer Ruslan Mokritsky. “In the Kursk region, death is always close; it practically holds your hand.”

For Major Bakrev, the answer to the question of how he will celebrate Christmas is quite simple: “Maybe I’ll celebrate with a couple of volleys from our guns.” 

Officer Mokritsky, who will probably spend the night underground, shrugs. The soldiers on the front lines will celebrate as best they can: “Maybe we’ll have Coca-Cola.”

Morning Summary on December 17, 2024

▪️ In the Kursk Region, the “North” grouping of troops is developing success east of Novoyivanovka and advancing in the adjacent tree lines. Fierce battles are raging in the area of Russkoye Porechnoye. At the same time, the AFU is capable of conducting organized maneuverable defense, carrying out counterattacks in the forest areas near Malaya Loknya and Cherkasskoye Porechnoye with the use of armored vehicles. It is not possible to speak of the collapse of the enemy’s defense in the region, despite the low morale of the AFU.

▪️ On the Kharkiv direction, there are battles in Volchansk and in the Liptsovo direction, the line of contact remains unchanged.

▪️ In Chasiv Yar, the Russian Armed Forces are expanding their control zone near the Ogneuporny plant, the main fortified area of the enemy in the city.

▪️ On the Pokrovsk direction, south of Dachenskoye, there are reports of the advance of our troops, battles are ongoing near Ukrainka.

▪️ The offensive of the Russian Armed Forces on the southern flank of the Kurakhovo direction is developing. Battles are taking place in Konstantinopolskoye, the settlement of Sukhiye Yaly, our assault troops have made a dash towards Zelenovka.

▪️ On the Velikonovoselovsky direction, our troops have almost completed the encirclement of Makarovka, approaching Neskuchnoye. Battles are ongoing in the settlement of Novy Komar, the enemy is trying to counterattack. At the same time, the encirclement of the villages is progressing from the direction of Rovnopolye, the collapse of the enemy’s defense in the southern settlements of the Vremivka direction is a matter of time.

▪️ On the Zaporizhia front, assault units of the Russian Armed Forces have begun separate offensive actions in the Orikhiv direction. On highly maneuverable equipment, after powerful artillery preparation (https://t.me/dva_majors/60383), the assault troops are closing in on the enemy and fighting for strongholds in the tree lines, capturing enemy positions in fierce battles. The enemy is retaliating with drone strikes. The main forces of the Russian Army have not yet been committed to the battle.

▪️ In the Belgorod Region, in the area of the village of Borki in the Valuyki district, a UAV of the AFU attacked a moving cargo truck, injuring the driver. Over the Belgorod district, an enemy drone was shot down by the air defense system. In Shebekino, a building of a social facility was damaged as a result of a shell impact.

Two Majors