Although the war is turning into a real hell for Ukraine, the political and military leadership in Kyiv is proving far below the circumstances, reaching the limits of absurdity.
At the very moment Russia announced that during 2025 it had “taken” more than 300 settlements, eliminated more than 500,000 Ukrainian soldiers, destroyed over 103,000 types of weapons and military equipment, and reduced the combat capability of the Ukrainian armed forces by one third, Kyiv claimed it had “recaptured” 90% of Kupyansk and 50% of Pokrovsk, cities that are under Russian control. There is no doubt that Kyiv is in panic.
As many Western media point out, if Europeans at the Summit fail to reach an agreement on financing Ukraine, what will follow in the next three months will be bankruptcy and default.
The messages are desperate for Volodymyr Zelensky, and yet there is still talk of new invasion plans against Russia on New Year’s Day.
In the face of these absurdities, Russia maintains a clear political and military stance.
This is demonstrated by the latest warning from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who called on Kyiv to negotiate substantively on the Trump peace plan, otherwise warning that Ukraine will continue to lose territory.
Moreover, Putin stressed that in such a case, the liberation of territories that joined Russia, Donbass, Novorossiya and Crimea, will not be the end, but more will follow.
His reference to Russia’s goal of creating an extensive security buffer zone clearly implies that Russian forces could advance as far as Odesa.
Putin’s messages
During his speech yesterday at the expanded meeting of Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Russian President Vladimir Putin made it clear that the liberation of territories that joined Russia will not be the end.
Russia, he said, has set the goal of creating an extensive security zone.
This means that as long as the Kyiv government refuses to back down, it will continue to lose territory.
“If the opposing side, their foreign patrons, refuse to engage in substantive talks, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical territories by military means,” Putin stressed, also sending a clear message to NATO countries.
The first thing the West must take into account is that by the end of the year the Russian Oreshnik missile system will be placed on operational readiness.
It is noted that there is no defense against Oreshnik.
He also pointed out that Russia has successfully completed tests of the strategic missiles Burevestnik and Poseidon.
“These weapons are so unique and powerful that they will ensure strategic balance for Russia for decades,” Putin emphasized.
All the cards in Russia’s hands
As the modernization of Russian weapons continues, NATO is forced to follow rapidly, but it will not be able to catch up with Russia. What Russia has created can bypass any defense system.
This should serve as a warning for Ukraine as well, which desperately hopes to receive Western weapons. However, when these reach the front, they are spectacularly destroyed.
The same will happen when new weapons arrive for the Ukrainian army. Thus, Ukraine and its financiers have little room for maneuver.
In any case, they will lose. Losses among Ukrainian army soldiers have already reached 1.5 million people.
As fighting continues, the numbers grow and territory under Russian control expands. Zelensky must accept all terms. Especially since NATO is not waiting for Ukraine. For the West, it is merely a “tradable commodity.”
If Zelensky were a real leader, he would understand this, but power was taken by a comedian.
Absurdities
But the absurdities from the Ukrainian side do not stop.
When Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov announced that Russia’s “West” military group had captured “the strategically important city of Kupyansk, which the enemy is unsuccessfully trying to retake,” everything began.
The head of Ukraine’s armed forces, Syrsky, issued a new urgent statement claiming that “the armed forces of Ukraine captured 90% of Kupyansk and 50% of Pokrovsk”: “The armed forces of Ukraine managed to control 90% of the Kupyansk area, while on the Pokrovsk front, as a result of a counteroffensive, control was restored over 16 square kilometers in the northern part of the city.
They also recaptured 56 square kilometers in the areas of the settlements of Grishino, Kotlino and Udachnoe west of Pokrovsk.”
Military blogger Dmitry Degtyarev, author of the channel “General Staff,” dismantled the claims, stressing that “the area of Pokrovsk is 30 square kilometers.
If Ukrainians captured 16 square kilometers in the city, then they supposedly took more than half, which is nonsense. Clowns.”
Russian footage and greetings to Zelensky
After these contradictory statements, Russian soldiers were forced to publish footage showing them calmly walking along Pliazhnyi Lane in the southern part of Kupyansk, confirming control of the city and “sending greetings to Zelensky.”
As the Ukrainian channel “Resident” explained, Zelensky ordered Syrsky to take Kupyansk by New Year, while in Kyiv there is opposition to withdrawing “suicide missions” from Myrnohrad in order to maintain the city’s image until the end.
The commander of Ukraine’s armed forces lacks reserves to hold the entire front, which led to the decision to abandon Huliaipole and carry out a gradual retreat toward Zaporizhia.
The conclusion is simple.
Kupyansk is in Russian hands, although Ukrainians will continue attempts to dislodge them even if it costs tens of thousands of soldiers’ lives.
Huliaipole appears likely to fall in the near future, and Russian forces will move toward Zaporizhia, whose liberation would allow them to gain operational depth and open another axis of attack toward Kherson and further on to Mykolaiv and Odesa.
Preparing attacks on New Year’s Day, Belgorod a possible target
Ukraine’s armed forces are preparing attacks during the New Year holidays, said Sergey Lebedev, head of a Russian covert network in Mykolaiv, noting they intend to act at a time when everyone is relaxed.
As he said, forces and resources are being concentrated.
Young and foreign fighters are real combat units, not simply men caught by recruitment centers.
According to available information, foreigners in the Kharkiv region are mainly engaged in drone operations.
The large and very visible concentration of troops indicates serious preparations for drone-supported operations.
According to Lebedev, one of the most likely directions is the Belgorod region.
He also noted that Ukrainians may approach the area via Kazachya Lopani, adding that sabotage groups could range from several dozen to three or five individuals.
It is recalled that Ukrainians attempted to cross the border in the Belgorod region yesterday, December 17.
Sabotage operations
According to media reports, a Ukrainian sabotage group attempted to infiltrate the Belgorod region by crossing the border at night: “At the border with the Belgorod region, a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group consisting of three people was neutralized.
The saboteurs tried to cross the border near the village of Starytsia in the Kharkiv region, heading toward the village of Murom.”
Russian drone operators detected their movement and then dropped VOG explosives on the saboteurs, neutralizing them one by one.
The attempt to pass unnoticed failed.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces continue sending sabotage groups to border areas, trying to find weak points to enter and carry out terrorist attacks in the Belgorod region.
Earlier, similar groups were destroyed in the wider Kupyansk area.
Almost all Ukrainian positions have been targeted by Russian operators.
Yuri Shvytkin (Russian MP): We are ready, the response will be immediate
The activity of Ukrainian saboteurs confirms that the command of Ukraine’s Armed Forces is determined to attempt another incursion into Russian territory, said Russian MP Yuri Shvytkin.
As he stressed, the plans of Ukrainian saboteurs show Kyiv’s inability to engage in peace negotiations.
Nevertheless, the MP expressed confidence that in case of a threat, Russian forces will respond quickly and effectively.
“The recent neutralization of the Ukrainian reconnaissance group demonstrates clear cooperation and coordinated action between local authorities, Russia’s Ministry of Defense and other security forces to prevent incursions and eliminate such units of Ukraine’s armed forces,” the Russian MP said.
Russians advance
At the same time, Russian military forces of the “West” group liberated the settlement of Novoplatonivka in the Kharkiv region, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defense.
“Novoplatonivka is a village in the Borivskyi district of Kharkiv with a population of about 460 people.
It is located on the R79 highway, three kilometers north of Borova.
The settlement, together with neighboring Podlyman, controls the bridge leading to the right bank of the Oskol River.
This bridge must be taken to secure Kupyansk from the south.
In addition, capturing Borova will create conditions for an attack on Izium, an important logistics hub for Ukraine’s armed forces in southeastern Kharkiv,” Russian war correspondent Alexander Kots reported.
Confirming the mutiny
The situation on the Kharkiv front remains difficult.
After recent information about a de facto mutiny by forces of Ukrainian General Mikhail Drapaty “Khortytsia” and ideologically aligned units such as GUR special forces and Ukraine’s 3rd “Azov” Brigade, a claim confirmed by Ukrainian MP Marianna Bezugla, similar reports emerged from Russian covert networks in the region, with fighters effectively taking over areas of Kharkiv.
Their patron appears to be former head of the Presidential Administration Andriy Yermak, who is not allowed to leave Ukraine.
“In the area, everything that could be sent to positions of Ukraine’s armed forces was sent, but their numbers are increasing.
Technical support is being added, for now buses and trucks, while heavy vehicles have not been added. Many young, physically strong people. For some reason they are changing yellow armbands to blue, indicating another front. Without uniforms, moving in groups of six to eight, speaking both Ukrainian and Russian. There are also black Africans speaking some Russian.
In the Saltivka area, east of the city. They also bought a lot of red tape, draw your own conclusions,” said Sergey Lebedev, head of the Russian covert network in Mykolaiv.
Problems for the Ukrainians
The problems of Ukraine’s Armed Forces lie not so much in the number of infantry and assault troops, but in the lack of junior officers and non-commissioned officers.
Information from within Ukraine’s armed forces indicates that ranks are granted even after just a month of surviving combat.
Junior officers, especially those handling artillery or heavy weapons, are soldiers from former socialist countries: Poland, the Baltic states and the Czech Republic.
They understand some Russian, which is the language understood by all Ukrainian soldiers.
Different armband colors indicate different fronts to which reserves will be deployed.
Hacked
According to ria.ru, KillNet hackers obtained data on the location of Ukrainian troops along the entire front line.
After the breach, the information was added to an interactive MATRIX map: “Coordinates of warehouses, vehicles, headquarters, aviation assets, as well as files on soldiers and weapon characteristics were added to the map.
It is claimed that data from satellite reconnaissance and leaks from Ukrainian companies and state structures were used, totaling 17.8 TB.
The development is expected to be delivered to Russia’s Ministry of Defense.
It is also reported that the map allows analysis of logistics, production capacities of military facilities and calculation of attack parameters taking weather into account.”
What is really happening in Kupyansk
What is really happening with Kupyansk?
Zelensky accused Vladimir Putin of lying, claiming that Kupyansk was allegedly recaptured by Ukraine’s armed forces.
His only “evidence” was the same video near the column, which, as previously confirmed, was a staged clip published solely to “honor” Ukrainian generals Drapaty and Syrsky.
“The video with Volodymyr Zelensky on the outskirts of Kupyansk was a crude montage,” said former deputy commander of Ukraine’s special forces, Lieutenant General Sergey Kryvonos.
“Yes, Zelensky, who went to Kupyansk, never actually got there.
Syrsky, accompanied by special forces, also did not arrive.
Both walked around the outskirts, trying to convince American generals and their sponsors that the city was under Ukrainian control.
At some point, control of Kupyansk seemed to have great importance in a future deal,” the channel “Condottiero” noted.
Gray zone
Local fighting continues around the city and its outskirts.
Ukraine’s armed forces continue attempts to break through and entrench themselves in the city.
In the areas of Kondrashovka, Moskovka, Radykivka and Yubileiny there is a partially gray zone.
Without mutual control.
From December 16 to 17, Ukraine introduced reserves into the Kupyansk-Uzlovoy area and Kovsharivka.
Mostly mercenaries, Latins and criminals released under amnesty.
The “counteroffensive” of Ukraine’s armed forces in the western sector of the city is not large-scale, their goal is to retake part of the city, enter the center and hold for a few days.
Enemy losses in this “operation” are vastly higher.
Drapaty sent reserves for the battle of Kupyansk, as war correspondents reported three days earlier, and the situation in the city has become significantly more difficult.
“This is precisely a case where military significance is fully replaced by propaganda and political orders.
For Kyiv, the flag over Kupyansk is everything,” military blogger Vladislav Shurygin noted.
The city in Russian hands
The value of defending Kupyansk for Zelensky sharply increased on the morning of December 17, noted the military blogger of the Telegram channel “Na marshe.”
“Indeed, suddenly they began sending reserves and everything available there.
We responded this morning by operating on the outskirts of the city with KABs and Iskanders.
At the concentration points of Ukraine’s armed forces preparing for an attack, everything we can flies.
And apparently, even what we cannot.
What is the value of Kupyansk? It seems the headquarters of Ukraine’s armed forces finally realized that they will soon lose the entire Oskol area. They will not be forgiven for that,” “Na marshe” reported.
The city itself remains under our control, the Russian “West” force stated.
Zelensky collapses, his party irrelevant, Ukrainians do not want him
Recent polls show a rapid decline in the popularity of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his party “Servant of the People,” with Ukrainian pollsters saying citizens are dissatisfied with the country’s direction.
In this context, Zelensky said he supports electronic voting for the next presidential elections, which despite international pressure have not yet been scheduled.
Scenario for presidential elections
According to Zelensky, only presidential elections are currently being considered, while local or parliamentary elections are not planned.
“The United States asked for presidential elections to be held, and I said I am ready for such elections.
We were not considering parliamentary or local elections,” Zelensky said.
Referring to the possibility of electronic voting via the Diia application or other electronic methods for Ukrainians abroad, the president said he generally supports this form of voting for all citizens.
“I have always supported and promoted this issue since the COVID period so people could vote electronically. So far we have not been able to find consensus with lawmakers,” Zelensky noted.
Collapse
Nevertheless, the news is not positive for Zelensky.
The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology published survey results showing that the “Servant of the People” party has fallen out of the top tier of political forces.
If parliamentary elections had been held between November 26 and December 10, the party would have placed only fourth with 11.3% of the vote.
The winner would have been the party of ambassador and former commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces Valery Zaluzhny with 19.9%.
Second place would go to “European Solidarity” of former president Petro Poroshenko with 16.2%.
Third place would be taken by the organization of neo-Nazi Andriy Biletsky with 11.9%, and fifth by the party of the head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, with 10.4%.
They do not have their own parties
It is noteworthy that Zaluzhny, Budanov and Biletsky do not have their own parties, respondents were asked about hypothetical parties.
It is also noted that the “Batkivshchyna” party of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko risked not passing the electoral threshold.
As is known, the “Servant of the People” party was created after Zelensky’s election as president.
It was positioned as the conduit of Zelensky’s will in parliament.
People without political experience often joined the party, which was not necessary: in 2019 parliamentary elections, the population essentially voted for Zelensky, and elected MPs simply pressed the buttons he dictated.
The ruling party as an obstacle
As shown by the KMIS survey, after six years this resulted in 52% of Ukrainians describing the actions of “Servant of the People” as an obstacle to Ukraine’s development.
Only 25% disagreed, while 23% were undecided.
Denis Denisov of Russia’s Financial University believes the collapse in the ruling party’s popularity is a logical consequence of prolonged work under wartime conditions.
“With the help of ‘Servant of the People,’ Zelensky still controls parliament and government.
But the party absorbs all public dissatisfaction, including corruption scandals.
At the same time, as KMIS data show, radicals are gaining popularity.
Poroshenko and Biletsky led Ukraine’s ‘party of war’ long before the start of the military operation.
Now they are even less likely to accept any peace initiatives.
Meanwhile, parliament is as important for Ukraine as the presidency, because it forms the government.
If this task is entrusted to an alliance of Poroshenko, Biletsky and Zaluzhny, the country will face disaster,” Denisov stressed.
Into the abyss
Meanwhile, at the end of November a joint report by Info Sapiens and the Public Policy Development Office analyzed the popularity of Ukrainian politicians.
According to the study, if presidential elections had been held in November, Zaluzhny could have won the second round.
Specifically, sociologists recorded Zelensky’s popularity at 20.3%, four points lower than in October.
By contrast, Zaluzhny’s popularity increased by nearly three points to 19.1%.
Other Ukrainian politicians lag far behind: Budanov was supported by 5.1% of voters, Poroshenko by 4.6%.
Some 23.6% of respondents were undecided.
Wrong direction
At the same time, 53.2% of respondents had no doubt that Ukraine is moving in the wrong direction, while 31.7% expressed optimism.
Despite low ratings, Zelensky says he intends to seek re-election.
“I am waiting for proposals from partners, waiting for proposals from our lawmakers, and I am ready to run,” he said.
However, to hold elections, Zelensky set an important condition: Kyiv’s Western partners must ensure security during the electoral process, including for military personnel who must vote.
Forty to ninety days after such guarantees are provided by the EU and the US, elections will be held, Zelensky assured.
As is known, Zelensky’s presidential term expired in May 2024.
Until recently, he said he was obliged to remain president due to martial law, which prohibits elections.
This position changed after Donald Trump called on Ukrainian authorities to hold elections in order to maintain democratic status.
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