Ukraine

Russian forces have not conducted a sustained battlefield air interdiction (BAI) campaign with drones against operational and tactical rear areas along the international border in northern Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts to prepare the battlefield for ground assaults, as the Russian forces have done in the Pokrovsk and Hulyaipole directions.[21]

These BAI campaigns are part of a new Russian campaign design that aims to set conditions for intensified ground operations by degrading Ukrainian logistics and defenses ahead of such ground operations.[22] The absence of such preparation of the battlefield in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts is therefore noteworthy, as such shaping operations have become the standard Russian operational template for enabling ground operations. Ukrainian Joint Forces Task Force Spokesperson Colonel Viktor Trehubov’s stated that the Russian operations in the border area do not appear to be an effort to conduct a large-scale breakthrough or a major military operation but are a local provocation — a statement consistent with all available open-source information.[23]

The Russian tactics in the assault in Sotnytskyi Kozachok are not consistent with Russian assault tactics across the theater and suggest the attack was designed to be seen.

Russian forces have reportedly deployed the Chinese-made Silent Hunter high-energy laser system in Ukraine, marking its first known combat use. The move, alongside Ukraine’s own apparent laser deployments in Odessa, signals a new phase in the escalating drone-countermeasure race.

...

Meanwhile, evidence has emerged that Ukraine is deploying its own laser systems in defensive positions around key infrastructure. A video published on December 20, 2025, by crew members of a Turkish amphibious ship docked in Odessa shows Ukrainian air defense positions in full operation. The footage, shared on multiple social platforms without censorship, shows two laser beams emitted from ground-based platforms near anti-aircraft artillery emplacements. Open-source analysts and former NATO targeting officers reviewing the footage confirm the beams are active and focused, indicating either a targeting, guidance, or counter-optics function.

A photo of the tanker "Valery Gorchakov" in Rostov, which was hit on December 18th.

As a result of the strike, the navigation bridge was damaged, the engine room also received holes, and a compartment caught fire. Two crew members were killed: 200: a cook and a third mechanic. 300: a senior assistant to the captain and two sailors.

As can be seen from the photo, the stern of the ship sank below the water level due to the holes.

https://t.me/exilenova_plus/14928

Загальні бойові втрати противника з 24.02.22 по 21.12.25 (орієнтовно)

#NOMERCY #stoprussia

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/40490642