Ukraine/Russland/NATO – der Sammler am 21. Dezember 2022 (m. Nachtrag Biden/Selenskyj)

Erstmals im andauernden russischen Angriffskrieg gegen die Ukraine hat deren Präsident das Land verlassen – für eine Reise in die USA, den wichtigsten militärisachen Unterstützer. Der Sammler am 21. Dezember 2022:

• Der ukrainische Präsident Wolodymyr Selenskyj ist auf dem Weg nach Washington, um dort sowohl US-Präsident Joe Biden als auch Mitglieder des Parlaments zu treffen. Worum es in den Gesprächen vor allem gehen dürfte, hatte die US-Regierung in einem Briefing am Dienstagabend deutlich gemacht:

In the meeting tomorrow, President Biden will have the opportunity with President Zelenskyy to have an in-depth strategic discussion on the way ahead on the battlefield; on the capabilities and training that the U.S. and our allies will continue to provide to Ukraine; on the sanctions and export controls that we have imposed and will continue to tighten and reinforce that have placed significant costs on Russia’s economy and Russia’s defense industrial base; and on the economic and energy sector assistance as well as the humanitarian assistance we’re providing to make life better for the people of Ukraine.

Im Gespräch ist ein neues Hilfspaket von 1,8 Milliarden US-Dollar – für eine Milliarde Waffenlieferungen, darunter erstmals das Luftverteidigungssystem Patriot, und für 800 Millionen weitere Unterstützung. Es ist die erste Auslandsreise Selenskyjs seit Beginn des russischen Angriffskriegs am 24. Februar.

Nachtrag: Die gemeinsame Pressekonferenz von Biden und Selenskyj am Mittwochabend (Ortszeit) hier zum Nachlesen; Kernaussage des US-Präsidenten:

The United States and our allies and partners around the world have delivered a broad range of assistance at historic speed, and it’s been critical to bolstering Ukraine’s success thus far.
Ukraine has won the battle of Kyiv, has won the battle of Kherson, has won the battle of Kharkiv. Ukraine has defied Russia’s expectations at every single turn. 
And, President Velenskyy [sic] — Zelenskyy, you have made it clear he is open to pursuing a — well, let me put it this way: He’s not open, but you’re open to pursuing peace. You’re open to pursuing a just peace.
We also know that Putin has no intention — no intention of stopping this cruel war. And the United States is committed to ensuring that the brave Ukrainian people can continue — continue to defend their country against Russian aggression as long as it takes. 

Wie erwartet, kündigte die US-Regierung während des Besuchs weitere Militärhilfe für die Ukraine an, wesentlicher Bestandteil eine Batterie des Patriot-Luftverteidigungssystems:

On December 21, as part of President Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced $1.85 billion in additional security assistance for Ukraine. This includes the authorization of a Presidential Drawdown of security assistance valued at up to $1 billion, as well as $850 million in assistance via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).

The Presidential Drawdown is the twenty-eighth such drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine that the Biden Administration has authorized since August 2021. Capabilities in this package include:

• One Patriot air defense battery and munitions;
• Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);
• 500 precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds;
• 10 120mm mortar systems and 10,000 120mm mortar rounds;
• 10 82mm mortar systems;
• 10 60mm mortar systems;
• 37 Cougar Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles;
• 120 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs);
• Six armored utility trucks;
• High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs);
• Precision aerial munitions;
• Over 2,700 grenade launchers and small arms;
• Claymore anti-personnel munitions;
• Demolition munitions and equipment;
• Night vision devices and optics;
• Tactical secure communications systems;
• Body armor and other field equipment.

Under USAI, the DoD will also provide Ukraine with:

• 45,000 152mm artillery rounds;
• 20,000 122mm artillery rounds;
• 50,000 122mm GRAD rockets;
• 100,000 rounds of 125mm tank ammunition;
• SATCOM terminals and services;
• Funding for training, maintenance, and sustainment.

Unlike Presidential Drawdown, USAI is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry rather than delivering equipment that is drawn down from DoD stocks. This announcement represents the beginning of a contracting process to provide additional capabilities to Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

• Der russische Präsident Wladimir Putin hat der Militärführung seines Landes zugesichert, Russland werde alle Mittel für den Krieg in der Ukraine bereitstellen. Eine Übersicht der Tagesschau dazu hier; aus dem vom Kreml veröffentlichten Transkript seiner Aussagen in englischer Fassung (ausführlich wiedergegeben, weil etliche Grundsatzaussagen darin stecken):

It is well known that the military potential and capabilities of almost all major NATO countries are being widely used against Russia.
Still, our soldiers, sergeants and officers are fighting for Russia with courage and fortitude and are fulfilling their tasks with confidence, step-by-step. Without a doubt, these tasks will be fulfilled in all territories of the Russian Federation, including the new territories, and a safe life for all our citizens will be ensured. Our Armed Forces’ combat capability is increasing day by day, and we will certainly step this process up. (…)
We are well aware of all the NATO forces and resources that they have been using against us over the course of the special military operation. You have all the information, and it should be carefully analysed and used to build up our Armed Forces, as I have said, to improve the combat capabilities of our troops, as well as our national special services.
Our units have gained extensive combat experience during this special operation.
The job of the Defence Ministry and the General Staff, as I mentioned, is to carefully analyse this experience, systematise it as quickly as possible and include it in the programmes and plans for personnel training, training troops in general and supplying the troops with the necessary equipment.
In addition, the experience of the special military operation, as well as what our troops gained in Syria, should, as I have said, pave the way for a major improvement in combat training, and should be applied in our preparations and in our exercises and training at all levels.
In turn, officers and sergeants who have shown exemplary achievements during the special military operation should be promoted to higher command positions as a matter of priority, and be the prime personnel reserve to be admitted to military universities and academies, including the General Staff Academy.
Second. I would like to draw the attention of the Government, the Defence Ministry and other agencies to the need to cooperate closely at the Coordination Council, which is a specially created platform. You should also cooperate with the heads of regions and representatives of the defence industry.
I also expect our designers and engineers to continue the practice of visiting the frontline. I would like to express my gratitude to them for making regular trips and making the necessary adjustments to the equipment. I hope that they will continue the practice of checking the tactical and technical characteristics of weapons and equipment in real combat situations and, as I have already said, of improving them.
In general, it is necessary to conduct substantive work with related ministries and departments. We are seeing what works really well and what needs additional efforts. Engineers, technicians and scientists are seeing this. And this entire machine is working. When I said we are improving and will continue to improve our armaments and equipment, I had in mind this process as well. The Military-Industrial Commission must become a headquarters for the interaction of the defence industry, science and the Armed Forces with a view to resolving both urgent and future tasks, primarily related to military-technical supplies for the troops. I am referring to equipment, ammunition and so on.
The third point. We will continue maintaining and improving the combat readiness of the nuclear triad. It is the main guarantee that our sovereignty and territorial integrity, strategic parity and the general balance of forces in the world are preserved.
This year, the level of modern armaments in the strategic nuclear forces has already exceeded 91 percent. We continue rearming the regiments of our strategic missile forces with modern missile systems with Avangard hypersonic warheads.
In the near future, Sarmat ICBMs will be put on combat duty for the first time. We know there will be a certain delay in time but this does not change our plans – everything will be done. Our troops continue receiving Yars missiles. We will continue developing hypersonic missile systems with unique characteristics, unmatched in the world. In early January of next year, the Admiral of the Soviet Fleet Gorshkov frigate will start combat duty. I will repeat, it will carry cutting-edge Zircon sea-based hypersonic missiles without equal in the world.
We will continue equipping our strategic forces with the latest weapon systems. Let me repeat that we will carry out all of our plans.
Next. It is important to enhance the combat capabilities of the Aerospace Forces, including the numbers of fighters and bombers operating in the zone covered by modern air defence systems.
A pressing task is upgrading drones, including strategic and reconnaissance ones, as well as methods of using them. The experience of the special military operation has shown that the use of drones has become practically ubiquitous. They should be a must-have for combat units, platoons, companies and battalions. Targets must be identified as quickly as possible and information needed to strike must be transferred in real time.
Unmanned vehicles should be interconnected, integrated into a single intelligence network, and should have secure communication channels with headquarters and commanders. In the near future, every fighter should be able to receive information transmitted from drones. We must work towards this; we must strive for this. Technically, this can be implemented in the very near future, almost now. I ask you to focus on this when finalising the entire range of equipment and tactical gear for personnel.
We know that there are no small things on the battlefield, so you need to pay special attention – I know that the Ministry of Defense is working on this, but I want to emphasise it once again: medical kits, food, dry rations, uniforms, footwear, protective helmets, body armour – everything should be at the most up-to-date and highest level. The troops need to have enough night vision devices, high-quality sights, and new generation sniper rifles. I will not list everything now, but I will mention what is most important: everything that a fighter uses should be cutting-edge, convenient and reliable, and the supply should correspond to their actual needs. If some ministry standards are outdated, they need to be changed – and quickly.
I would like to draw the attention of the Defence Minister, the Chief of the General Staff and all the commanders here: we have no funding restrictions. The country, the Government will provide whatever the Army asks for, anything. I hope that the answer will be properly formulated and the appropriate results will be achieved.
Returning to the topic of drones, I must note that we have good experience in developing unique unmanned underwater systems. I know that the industry has every capability it needs to create a wide range of unmanned aerial and ground vehicles with the best and highest tactical and technical characteristics, including elements of artificial intelligence. In addition, we generally need to consider ways to expand the arsenals of the latest strike weapons.
Fifth, it is necessary to improve the management and communication system in order to ensure the stability and efficiency of command and control of the troops in any conditions. To do this, we need to use artificial intelligence more widely at all levels of decision-making. As experience shows, including that of recent months, the weapons systems that operate quickly and almost automatically are the most effective ones.
Furthermore, the partial mobilisation has revealed certain problems – this is common knowledge – that must be promptly resolved. I know that the necessary measures are being taken but we should still pay attention to this issue and build this system in a modern way. First, it is necessary to upgrade the system of military commissariat offices. I am referring to the digitisation of databases and interaction with the local and regional authorities. It is necessary to upgrade the organisation of civil and territorial defence and interaction with industry. In particular, we need to improve the system of stockpiling and storing arms, combat equipment and material resources for the deployment of units and formations during mobilisation.
As you know, 300,000 people have been drafted into the Armed Forces. Some of them are already in the zone of hostilities. As the Defence Minister and the Chief of the General Staff report, 150,000 people are undergoing training at military grounds and this reserve is adequate for conducting the operation. It is basically a strategic reserve that is not being used in combat operations currently, but people undergo the required training there.

• Das britische Intel Update:

Over the last week, Russian military and Wagner proxy forces have made small advances on the eastern edge of the Donetsk Oblast town of Bakhmut.
Russian infantry likely now has a foothold in the eastern industrial areas of the town, and at times has advanced into the residential district of the city. Street fighting is ongoing.
Intense combat has occurred in the Bakhmut sector since June 2022, but the front lines have primarily been in open country around the eastern approaches to the town.
The war has seen little protracted, large-scale fighting in built up areas (FIBUA) since the Russian advances into Lysychansk and Siverodonetsk in July 2022.
With FIBUA demanding highly trained infantry with excellent junior level leadership, this type of combat is unlikely to favour poorly trained Wagner fighters and the Russian army’s mobilised reservists.

• Das Morgenbriefing des ukrainischen Generalstabs (bislang keine englische Version verfügbar, deshalb Übersetzung aus dem Ukrainischen):

Operative Informationen über die russische Invasion (Stand: 06.00 Uhr 21.12.2022)
Der einunddreißigste Tag [offensichtlich Übersetzungsfehler; gemeint ist der 301. Tag; T.W.] der russischen Großinvasion hat begonnen.
Im Laufe des vergangenen Tages wehrten die Einheiten der ukrainischen Streitkräfte die Angriffe der Besetzer in den Gebieten von fünfundzwanzig Siedlungen ab. Dazu gehören Masiutivka in der Region Charkiw, Pidkuychansk, Dibrova und Bilohorivka in der Region Luhansk sowie Verkhnokamianske, Vesele, Yakovlivka, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Vodiane, Pisky, Nevelske, Maryinka, Novomykhailivka und Prechystivka in der Region Donetsk.
Gleichzeitig führte der Feind 5 Raketen- und 16 Luftangriffe sowie 61 Angriffe mit Mehrfachraketenwerfern durch. Infolgedessen wurde die zivile Infrastruktur schwer beschädigt, und die Zivilbevölkerung in Cherson, Kostiantyniwka und Wowtschansk kam zu Schaden.
In der gesamten Ukraine besteht nach wie vor die Gefahr von Luft- und Raketenangriffen.
Die Lage in den Sektoren Volyn und Polissya blieb unverändert, es wurden keine Anzeichen für die Bildung feindlicher Angriffsgruppen festgestellt.
In den Richtungen Siversky und Slobozhansky beschoss der Feind die Stellungen unserer Truppen in der Nähe von sechzehn Siedlungen mit Artilleriefeuer. Dabei handelt es sich insbesondere um Mykhalchyna Sloboda in der Region Tschernihiw und Vilcha, Vesele, Vovchansk, Vovchanski Khutory, Varvarivka, Vilkhuvatka und Dvorichna in der Region Kharkiv. Außerdem setzte der Feind in der Nähe von Krasne (Region Charkiw) eine Kampfdrohne und ein Militärflugzeug ein.
In den Richtungen Kupjansk und Lyman wurden die Gebiete Nowomlynsk, Kupjansk, Kysliwka, Kotlariwka und Krochmalne im Gebiet Charkiw sowie Stelmachiwka, Makiwka, Ploschanka, Tscherwonopopiwka und Dibrowa im Gebiet Luhansk beschossen.
Der Feind führt weiterhin Angriffsaktionen in den Sektoren Bakhmut und Avdiivka durch. Er feuerte mit Panzern und Artillerie auf unsere Stellungen in der Nähe von mehr als zwanzig Siedlungen. Dazu gehören Verkhnekamianske, Spirne, Bilohorivka, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Diliyivka, Vodiane, Nevelske, Maryinka und Novomykhailivka im Gebiet Donetsk. Luftangriffe wurden in den Gebieten von Spirne und Bilohorivka durchgeführt.
Im Sektor Nowopawliwsk beschoss der Feind mit Panzern und kleinkalibriger Artillerie die Stellungen unserer Truppen bei Wuhledar, Prechistiwka und Welyka Nowosilka im Gebiet Donezk.
In den Richtungen Saporischschja und Cherson beschießt der Feind weiterhin mit Raketenartillerie die Gebiete Bilohirya, Kamianske und Mali Shcherbaky in der Region Saporischschja und Novodmytrivka, Kamianske, Respublikanets, Novoberyslav, Poniativka, Kherson, Mykilske, Sadove und Antonivka in der Region Kherson.
Das Feuer wurde am 19. Dezember in der Region Kherson, in der Nähe von Vasylivka, im Bereich der Arbeitskräfte- und Ausrüstungskonzentration der Bewohner bestätigt. 8 Einheiten von schwerem militärischem Gerät verschiedener Typen wurden zerstört. Die Informationen über die Verluste an Arbeitskräften werden derzeit geklärt.
Seit dem 12. Dezember bereiten die russischen Besatzungstruppen die Zwangsevakuierung der ukrainischen Bürger vor, die in Wassiliwka und den umliegenden Siedlungen des Bezirks Wassiliwka in der Region Saporischschja leben.
Im Laufe des vergangenen Tages hat die Luftwaffe der Streitkräfte 10 Angriffe auf Konzentrationen von Personal, Waffen und militärischer Ausrüstung sowie 12 Angriffe auf Stellungen gegnerischer Flugabwehrraketensysteme geflogen.
Einheiten der Raketentruppen und der Artillerie der ukrainischen Verteidigungskräfte trafen ein Munitionsdepot, 3 Kontrollpunkte und 10 Bereiche, in denen sich die Arbeitskräfte der Insassen konzentrierten.
(Übersetzt mit deepl.com)

• Das Briefing des russischen Verteidigungsministeriums:

Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine (21 December 2022)
Russian Federation Armed Forces continue the special military operation.
In Kupyansk direction, as a result of a complex shelling of the enemy up to 60 Ukrainian servicemen, 2 armoured personnel carriers and 3 pickup trucks have been eliminated near Petropavlovka, Peschanoye and Berestovoye (Kharkov region).
In addition, the Russian Air Force destroyed a bulk storage plant near Andreyevka (Kharkov region), which was used to supply fuel for the Ukrainian Armed Forces‘ military equipment.
In Krasniy-Liman direction, more than 30 Ukrainian servicemen, 1 tank and 5 pickup trucks have been eliminated by army aircraft and artillery fire at places of concentration of enemy troops and military equipment near Terny and Torskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic). 6 Ukrainian servicemen laid down their arms and surrendered.
In Donetsk direction, Russian troops have taken new dominant heights and lines in the course of the offensive.
More than 80 Ukrainian servicemen, 1 tank, 3 infantry fighting vehicles and 4 motor vehicles have been eliminated.
In South Donetsk direction, as a result of artillery fire the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade near Novomikhailovka and the AFU 108th Brigade of Territorial Defence near Prechistovka (Donetsk People’s Republic) have been hit. The enemy suffered up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded, 2 armoured fighting vehicles and 4 pickup trucks.
Operational and Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and artillery of groups of troops (forces) of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised 63 artillery units of the AFU at firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 87 areas.
1 Ukrainian Buk-M1 surface-to-air missile system and one P-18 target designation radar have been destroyed near Belozyorka (Kherson region).
1 radar station of the Ukrainian S-300 anti-aircraft missile system has been destroyed near Andreyevka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
3 U.S.-made M-777 artillery systems have been destroyed near Zelyonovka (Kherson region) and Trudovoye (Donetsk People’s Republic).
2 hangars with foreign-made weapons and military equipment have been destroyed near Temirovka (Zapororozhye region), and Artyomovsk (Donetsk People’s Republic).
2 munition depots belonging to the AFU have been destroyed near Berestovoye (Kharkov region), and Veselyanka (Zapororozhye region).
1 Grad multiple-launch rocket system has been destroyed near Vodyanoye (Donetsk People’s Republic).
1 Su-25 aircraft of the AFU has been shot down by the Russian Air Force near Krasnogorovka (Donetsk People’s Republic).
In addition, 1 Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter has been destroyed near Artyomovsk (Donetsk People’s Republic).
2 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down by anti-aircraft defence forces near Knyaze-Grigorovka (Kherson region), and Nikolayevka (Donetsk People’s Republic). 2 HIMARS multiple-launch rocket systems‘ missiles have been also intercepted near Novokrasnyanka (Lugansk People’s Republic).
In total, 348 airplanes and 187 helicopters, 2,691 unmanned aerial vehicles, 399 air defence missile systems, 7,179 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 932 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 3,696 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 7,693 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

• Das Abendbriefing des ukrainischen Generalstabs:

Operational update of General Staff of UAF regarding the russian invasion as of 18.00, on December 21, 2022
The three hundred first (301) day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a russian military large-scale invasion continues.
During the day, the enemy launched 3 missile strikes and an airstrike on civilian objects in the Zaporizhzhia oblast. In the city of Hulyaipole, russian aviation cynically struck the city hospital. In addition, the enemy launched more than 20 MLRS attacks.
The enemy continues to focus its efforts on conducting offensive actions in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions and tries to improve the tactical position in the Kupyansk and Lyman areas.
In the Volyn, Polissya, Siverskyi, and Slobozhanskyi directions, the situation has not changed significantly, and no signs of the formation of offensive groups of the enemy have been detected. Certain units of the armed forces of the republic of belarus and the russian federation continue to be located in the border areas with Ukraine.
At the same time, in the Slobozhanskyi direction, areas of Chervona Zorya, Kozacha Lopan, Vesele, Varvarivka, Starytsa, Vovchansk, Vilcha, Chernyakiv, Chuhunivka and Ambarne settlements of the Kharkiv oblast were subjected to tank, mortar and artillery shelling.
In the Kupyansk direction, fire damage was recorded in the areas of the settlements of Novomlynsk, Kupyansk, Kislivka, Kotlyarivka, Krokhmalne and Berestove in the Kharkiv oblast and Novoselivske and Stelmakhivka in the Luhansk oblast.
In the Lyman direction, the enemy does not stop shelling the areas of Makiivka, Ploshanka, Chervonopivka, and Dibrova in the Luhansk oblast.
In the direction of Bakhmut, the areas of Verkhnokamianske, Spirne, Bilohorivka, Yakovlivka, Soledar, Pidhorodne, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Andriivka, Oleksandro-Shultine, Kurdyumivka, Diliivka, Ozaryanivka, Druzhba, Severnye, Zalizne and New York of the Donetsk oblast were affected by fire.
In the Avdiyiv direction, the enemy shelled Vodyan, Pervomaiske, Nevelske, Maryinka and Novomykhailivka in Donetsk oblast.
In the direction of Novopavlivsk, the enemy fired tanks and artillery at the areas of Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Novoukrainka, and Velyka Novosilka of the Donetsk oblast.
On the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, the settlement of Chervonohryhorivka of the Dnipropetrovsk oblast, the suburbs and the city of Kherson, and the city of Ochakiv of the Mykolaiv oblast were shelled by rocket and barrel artillery. There are casualties among civilians in these settlements.
On December 15 and 16 of this year, enemy ammunition depots in the Kadiivka settlement of Luhansk oblast were damaged by fire. The detonation at these warehouses lasted more than 20 hours.
On December 20 of this year, the occupiers gathered at the field airfield in the Kakhovka district of the Kherson oblast suffered fire damage. There were about 30 units of artillery systems of various types, self-propelled guns and anti-aircraft guns, as well as ammunition and fuel and lubricants. Detailed information on the loss of equipment and personnel is being clarified.
The occupiers organized a field hospital in the village of Novobohdanivka, Zaporizhzhia oblast. In Novotroitske, in the Kherson oblast, the russian invaders rebuilt the local hospital for the treatment of their wounded. Sick local residents were forcibly „discharged“. In this settlement, the occupiers intensified counter-intelligence measures. All this indicates significant losses of the enemy.
During the day, the Ukrainian aviation carried out 9 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment. Also, our defenders shot down an enemy UAV of the „Forpost“ type, which costs about 6 million US dollars.
Units of missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, at the same time, hit the command post and two areas of concentration of the occupiers‘ manpower.