Victory Chronicles
-DAY 302

ISW KEY TAKEAWAYS: HEROIC ZELENSKY THANKS USA PEOPLE FOR THEIR SUPPORT WHILE MOSCOW ADVANCES ANTI-NATO STRIKE FORCE NEAR FINLAND, SWEDEN

Above: President Zelensky spoke to the US Congress Wednesday to a standing ovation and cries of “Slava Ukraini!!” A full English transcript of his remarks here. (Meidas Touch)

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with US leaders on December 21. This is Zelensky’s first trip outside Ukraine since the escalation of Russia’s war on February 24.
• The Kremlin accused NATO expansion of presenting a military threat to Russia, that NATO’s military expansion near Russian borders, including Finland’s and Sweden, necessitates a Russian force group in northwestern Russia.
• Kremlin proposed an increase of Russian Armed Forces to 1.5 million, including 695,000 contract servicemen, Among many goals, Moscow proposed to reestablish the Moscow and Leningrad military districts, form a new army corps in Karelia, two new airborne assault divisions, three new motorized rifle divisions in occupied Kherson and Zaporizhia oblasts, and to expand seven existing brigades of the Northern Fleet.
• Putin said that Russia has no financial limitations and must provide everything the Russian Armed Forces request. Putin can appropriate Russian state funds to allow the Kremlin to field a large conventional military at the expense of economic growth and consumer comforts as the Soviets did.
• Kremlin retains maximalist goals for the war in Ukraine that include: the recognition of illegally annexed territories, regime change of the Ukrainian government, “denazification”, control of Ukraine’s political and social character, and Western granting of Russia’s desired “security guarantees.”
• Russian Defense Minister boasted about the growing Russian Young Army Cadets National Movement (Yunarmia), claiming the Yunarmia movement presently consists of more than 1.251 million children and teenagers. The Yunarmia movement provides Russian children with military and “patriotic” education. 
• Moscow authorities are rounding up migrants without Russian citizenship in the city and forcing them to register as military volunteers.
• Russian forces are completely unprepared for a winter Ukrainian counteroffensive. The Ukrainian Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) published an intercepted phone call in which a Russian soldier tells his mother that Russian friendly fire is more dangerous to Russian soldiers than Ukrainian forces. A mobilized soldier from Bratsk, Irkutsk Oblast described graphic deaths of fellow soldiers, heavy losses, a lack of food, and the generally poor emotional state of deployed soldiers.
• The Ukrainian Resistance Center reported on December 21 that the Russian Duma passed a law that stipulates life imprisonment for facilitating subversive activities. The law identifies facilitating subversive activities as an activity related to inciting, recruiting, or involving a person in carrying out sabotage, arming or training of others for this purpose, as well as financing sabotage.
• The Ukrainian Resistance Center reported on December 21 that Russian officials are transporting  Ukrainian children from boarding schools to remote regions in Russia, including Leningrad, Volgograd, Novosibirsk, and Tymen oblasts, for forcible adoption and that Russian officials are forcibly transferring Ukrainian mental hospital patients in occupied Nova Kakhovka and Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, to the “Geolog” Recreation Base in occupied- Strilkove, Kherson Oblast.

GENERAL STAFF DAILY ENEMY LOSSES

Above: An enemy tank turret launched into space. (Ukraine Battle Map)

https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua

Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces estimated enemy losses for last 24 hours

• Liquidated personnel, 100,400 (+660)
• Tanks, 3,003 (+1)
• Armored personnel vehicles, 5,981 (+2)
• Artillery systems/MLRS, 1,978/413 (+6/1)
• Anti-aircraft warfare systems, 212 (0)
• Aircraft/helicopters, 283/267 (+1/0)
• UAV operational-tactical level, 1,693 (+5)
• Cruise missiles, 653 (0)
• Warships/boats, 16 (0)
• Vehicles and fuel tanks, 4,615 (+7)
• Special equipment, 178 (0)

CIVILIAN MISSILE STRIKES

Above: New York Times

Glory to Ukraine! The three-hundred-second day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a russian military large-scale invasion continues.

• Continuing the aggression, during the past day, the enemy launched 6 missile and 15 air strikes, including on civilian objects in the Zaporizhzhia region. Also, the enemy launched 64 MLRS attacks.
• At the same time, in the Siverskyi direction, the enemy shelled the Zarutskyi district in the Sumy oblast with multiple rocket launchers.
• In the Slobozhanskyi direction, areas of Chervona Zorya, Kozacha Lopan, Vesele, Varvarivka, Starytsa, Vovchansk, Vilcha, Chernyakiv, Chugunivka and Ambarne settlements of the Kharkiv oblast were hit by tank and artillery shelling.
• In the Kupyansk direction, Novomlynsk, Kupyansk, Kislivka, Kotlyarivka, Krokhmalne and Berestovka in the Kharkiv oblast and Novoselivske and Stelmakhivka in the Luhansk oblast came under fire.
• On the Lyman direction, shelling was recorded near Makiyivka, Ploshchanka, Nevske, Chervonopopivka, and Dibrova in the Luhansk
• In the direction of Bakhmut, the enemy fired from tanks and the entire range of artillery in the areas of the settlements of Verkhnokamyanske, Spirne, Bilohorivka, Yakovlivka, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Pidhorodne, Bakhmut, Opytne, Klishchiivka, Andriivka, Oleksandro-Shultine, Kurdyumivka, Diliivka, Ozaryanivka, Druzhba , Pivnichne, Mayorsk, Zalizne and New York of the Donetsk
• Krasnohorivka, Vesele, Vodyane, Pervomaiske, Nevelske, Maryinka and Novomykhailivka in Donetsk oblast were affected by fire in the Avdiivka
• In the direction of Novopavlivsk, the enemy fired tanks and artillery of various calibers in the areas of Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Novoukrainka, and Velika Novosilka of the Donetsk
• On the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, the settlement of Chervonohryhorivka of the Dnipropetrovsk oblast and the city of Kherson were hit by rocket and barrel artillery fire.

Believe in the Armed Forces! Together we will win! Glory to Ukraine!

KHARKIV-LUHANSK

Above:  The Guardian

Map via ISW

• Russian forces continued to conduct limited counterattacks to recapture lost territory along the Kreminna-Svatove line on December 21. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces repelled Russian assaults near Masyutivka, Kharkiv Oblast (50km northwest of Svatove) and Pidkyuchansk, Luhansk Oblast (8km northwest of Svatove). The Ukrainian General Staff also reported that Ukrainian forces repelled Russian assaults near Dibrova (5km southwest of Kreminna) and Bilohorivka (12km south of Kreminna).
• Luhansk Oblast Head Serhiy Haidai reported that Ukrainian forces are currently a few kilometers away from reaching Kreminna but that dense mine concentrations in the area are slowing Ukrainian advances.
• Haidai reported that decreasing temperatures have produced conditions more conducive to fighting and that he expects current Ukrainian counteroffensive operations to experience success by the end of the year with the intensified pace of fighting.

LUHANSK-DONETSK-ZAPORIZHZHIA

Above: Ukrainian defensive lines in Bakhmut. (New York Post)

Map via ISW

• Russian forces continued offensive operations around Bakhmut on December 21. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces repelled Russian assaults near Bakhmut and within 33km north of Bakhmut near Verkhnokamisnke, Vesele, Yakovlivka, and Bakhmutske.
• A preponderance of Ukrainian drone surveillance in Bakhmut allows Ukrainian forces to quickly neutralize small Russian units that penetrate the outskirts of the city.
• Russian forces continued offensive operations in the Avdiivka-Donetsk City area on December 21. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces repelled Russian assaults within 37km southwest of Avdiivka near Vodyane, Pisky, Nevelske, Marinka, and Novomyhailivka.

KHERSON-ZAPORIZHZHYA-CRIMEA

Above: Ukrainians targeted enemy assets in Melitopol in early December.  Melitopol may be the strategic target for the next southern counteroffensive. (RFERL)

Map via ISW

• Russian forces conducted limited assaults to regain lost positions in southern Kherson Oblast and continued shelling settlements in Kherson, Zaporizhia, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. Ukrainian forces repelled Russian attempts to establish control over the islands of the Dnipro delta over an unspecified time frame and that Russian forces may attempt future efforts to seize the islands.
• Russian forces are moving forces in lower Kherson Oblast to support the construction of second and third lines of defense in the direction of Zaporizhia Oblast and Kherson City and are not demonstrating signs of retreat.
• Russian forces have been preparing for forcible evacuations of Ukrainian residents in Vasylivka, Zaporizhia Oblast, and nearby settlements of Vasyliv Raion in Zaporizhia Oblast since December 12.
• Russian forces in Crimea continue to build defensive fortifications amidst discussions of potential Ukrainian attacks. Russian forces are requiring residents with beachfront property in Mizhvodne to vacate the premises for interfering with defensive construction efforts.