Russia continues its nightly attacks on civilian targets – High Russian losses

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The overnight attacks by Russia on Ukraine were, as usual, aimed at civilian targets. Several residential buildings have been destroyed and are on fire. Videos here, here, and here.

Russian losses

Relatively high losses of KWIA but also of armor with a total of 25 vehicles. The war in Ukraine has probably soon depleted Russia’s stock of older equipment.

  • 1240 KWIA
  • 5 Tanks
  • 19 AFVs
  • 33 Artillery systems
  • 205 UAVs
  • 158 Vehicles & fuel tanks!

Russian activities

High number of clashes, relatively low number of shells and drones.

  • 258 Clashes
  • 65 Airstrikes
  • 174 KAB
  • 3,130 shells (including 115 from MLRS)
  • 3,624 Suicide drones

SLAVA UKRAINI

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40 thoughts on “Russia continues its nightly attacks on civilian targets – High Russian losses”

  1. MXT

    “Ryska drönare träffar Kyiv: tre bostadstorn i brand, 8 skadade, en person fastklämd under rasmassor. Räddningsteam söker igenom 18-våningsbyggnad. Tio evakuerade från äldreboende när branden sprider sig. En tredjedel av huvudstaden utan värme – Borgmästare Klitschko”

  2. MXT

    Off-Topic, weather:

    Hold on to your hats!

    “During the night towards Saturday, storm Johannes swept over the northern parts of Sweden. The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) has issued an orange warning for strong winds that applies to almost half of the country. Heavy snowfall is also expected in the mountains.

    The power company Eon has increased preparedness and urges customers to prepare by charging their phones, securing loose objects, and having lights and lighters at hand.

    “It may also be wise to fill up with extra water, as water pressure can disappear during power outages,” says regional manager Lena Berglund in a press release.

    On Friday evening, SMHI, the Police Authority, and the Swedish Transport Administration issued a joint warning against traveling in the affected areas.”

    https://omni.se/eon-uppmanar-manniskor-att-tappa-upp-vatten-nu-drar-stormen-johannes-in/a/OkplWl

  4. MXT

    “Over 2,600 residential buildings as well as 187 preschools and 138 schools in Kyiv are without heating after the night’s new Russian attacks. This is reported by Ukrainian authorities according to Reuters.

    In the Kyiv region around the capital, about 320,000 households have been left without electricity after the attack, according to regional authorities. The region surrounds Kyiv but does not include the city itself, Reuters reports.

    The temperature in the capital was around zero degrees on Saturday morning.

    During the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Florida for meetings with Donald Trump regarding the plan to end the Russian invasion war.”

  5. 205

    Significant increase in Russian attacks in Lyman, Pokrovsk, and Huiliapil. Also a significant increase in other front sections.

    Note: In the AFU’s morning report, the number of unlocalized battles decreased compared to the evening report, which is why the significance of unlocalized battles may once again appear somewhat unclear. That is, the battles that remain when subtracting the sum of battles reported along the front from the total.

    N Slobozhansky 3
    S Slobozhansky 9💥
    Kupyansk 12💥↗️
    Lyman 33💥💥↗️↗️
    Slovyansk 8↗️
    Kramatorsk 3
    Kostjantynivka 25💥💥↗️
    Pokrovsk 63💥💥💥↗️↗️
    Oleksandrivskij 21💥↗️
    Huliaypillia 31💥💥↗️↗️
    Orikhivsk 9💥↗️
    Prydniprovskij/Dnipro 0

    Sum sectors 217↗️
    Unlocalized 41↗️
    Total 258↗️

    Lyman 33💥💥↗️↗️

    Pokrovsk 63💥💥💥↗️↗️

    Huliaypillia 31💥💥↗️↗️

     

    1. 205

      Morning report jmfm 22-report +/-diff:

      N Slobozhansky 3
      S Slobozhansky 9💥
      Kupyansk 12💥11 +1
      Lyman 33💥💥31 +2
      Slovyansk 8
      Kramatorsk 3
      Kostjantynivka 25💥💥21 +4
      Pokrovsk 63💥💥💥50 +13
      Oleksandrivskij 21💥13 +8
      Huliaypillia 31💥💥21 +10
      Orikhivsk 9💥6 +3
      Dnipro 0

      Sum 217 176 +41
      Unloc 41 61 -20⁉️
      Tot 258 237 +21

  7. MXT

    Russia systematically recruits foreigners to its army, and in October, more than 18,000 soldiers from 128 countries fought in the war against Ukraine. This information is provided by Ukrainian intelligence sources to several media outlets.

    “Moscow is capitalizing on the economic instability in poor countries and the lack of legal migration paths,” says Ukraine’s intelligence chief Oleh Ivashtchenko to Kyiv Independent.

    Most recruits come from former Soviet republics and countries such as Cuba, Kenya, and China. The majority are from North Korea. Soldiers are enticed with good pay, a fast track to Russian citizenship, and amnesty for convicted criminals.
    https://omni.se/uppgifter-soldater-fran-128-lander-strider-for-ryssland/a/bO54zA

    The Russian army is primarily filled with contract soldiers, according to the public service channel Suspilne.

  8. MXT

    Donald Trump is taking a wait-and-see approach to Volodymyr Zelensky’s new peace plan and signals that he is the one who decides whether it is sustainable or not, reports Politico.

    “He has nothing until I approve it. So we’ll see what he has,” Trump says in an interview with the political website.

    Zelensky will meet Trump in the US on Sunday and will bring with him a new 20-point peace plan. It includes a proposal for a demilitarized zone, and the presidents’ meeting is expected to focus on security guarantees from the USA.

    The Ukrainian president is open to a referendum on a peace plan if Russia agrees to at least a 60-day ceasefire.

    1. Proxima

      Off topic. The Gävle Goat has been toppled according to Expressen/Aftonbladet. I wonder how things are going with the container cranes in Fredriksskans?

      1. MXT

        Yes, I saw it. Haven’t heard anything about the cranes, but it’s blowing really hard in the gusts. An older tree in a grove across the street gave up a while ago.

  12. MXT

    🔥👀 About 40 thousand residents of the Irkutsk region were left without heating because someone set fire to the Novo-Ziminsk CHP. Residents of Sayansk are asked to close their windows and keep out the general frost. It is currently -13 in Irkutsk.

      1. MXT

        Checked the weather, the temperature is expected to drop to between -22 and -25 degrees tonight according to the forecasts. If they don’t get the heat going before then, they will freeze severely. But they are lucky anyway, a bit further north it’s going down to between -33 and -40 degrees.

        Ukraine is also having problems with both electricity and heat, but there they have significantly milder temperatures, between -1 to -3. Of course, it’s difficult to keep warm there too, but there shouldn’t be any risk of people freezing to death at least.

  13. MXT

    “Zelenskyy visits Canada for strategy session with PM Mark Carney and European leaders before Sunday’s Trump meeting in Florida. “We will exchange those details of the documents that I will discuss with the President of the US,” he told journalists.”

  15. 205

    Kupyansk 12💥↗️

    Russia is trying to apply new pressure near Kupiansk after its failed assault on the city, according Ukraine’s Joint Forces spokesman Viktor Trehubov.

    He says Russian forces are regrouping on the Oskil River’s left bank, hoping to compensate for an operation that “they rushed for a date” and which lacked any proper foundation. Ukrainian troops, meanwhile, continue clearing Russian forces inside Kupiansk.

    https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/12/26/russia-ramps-up-pressure-after-kupiansk-defeat-but-it-may-already-be-too-late/

  16. MXT

    “Ukraine fires 2 brigade commanders after Siversk falls to Russia. Colonels Oleksiy Konoval (54th Brigade) & Volodymyr Poteshkin (10th Brigade) dismissed for false reporting—claimed positions were manned when troops had abandoned them weeks earlier.”

  17. Proxima

    Thank you for all the info, 205. Despite everything, I still think that Christmas has gone well for Ukraine. The noose is slowly tightening for the Russians. I read somewhere today that it could be likened to a “slow-moving tsunami”.

    1. 205

      👍 Yes, Ukraine has shown where the wall stands. The Russians are blue in the nose when they freeze to ice pillars on the Ukrainian steppe.

       

      Thank you, and Merry Christmas!🎄 

  20. MXT

    Off-Topic, weather

    “Around 40,000 households are without power as a result of the storm Johannes sweeping across the northern half of the country, writes TT.

    Of Eon’s 90,000 customers in the North region, 13,000 were without power in the afternoon, according to Ekot. According to regional manager Lena Berglund, it may take several days before everyone gets their power back.

    – There are very many faults, a large and extensive area, and so far quite uncertain to be out and troubleshooting, she says.

    Ellevio’s press officer Jesper Liveröd tells TT that they have 18,000 customers without power, and Hälsingland is the worst affected. The power company has technicians out all evening, he says, adding:

    – But there is a high risk that customers there may be without power until tomorrow morning.”
    https://omni.se/tusentals-utan-el-i-stormen-bara-borjan/a/n1aMxx

  24. MXT

    Agree with Budanov. As long as the war in Ukraine continues, I don’t think Russia will do more than provoke. Some may argue that the Russians don’t really follow our logic, and they don’t care about losses, etc. but I don’t think they would be so foolish as to attack another country that is also a member of NATO when they are nowhere near defeating Ukraine.

    “❗️”Russia is preparing for an invasion of the Baltic countries. But as long as the war in Ukraine continues, it hinders them,” — Budanov.”
    https://bsky.app/profile/militarynewsua.bsky.social/post/3may6vav4js2u

    1. Proxima

      Agree with MXT. If they were to be so foolish to do it anyway, just close the straits and belts for Russian traffic. A direct hit at Omsk would also close the Trans-Siberian Railway. The Russians are well aware of this.

  27. MXT

    Poland is to strengthen its eastern border with anti-drone defense for the equivalent of over 20 billion Swedish kronor, according to Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk for The Guardian. – We expect to have the first components in place in around six months, maybe earlier, and the whole system in two years. The drone defense is expected to include firearms, robots, and signal jamming, according to Tomczyk. In September, a dozen suspected Russian drones flew into Polish airspace, leading to closed airports, operations with fighter jets, and ground damage when they were shot down. Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski describes it as Russia “testing us without starting a war.”

  29. MXT

    Off-Topic, weather

    Now there are SMS messages from SOS Alarm and the Swedish Transport Administration urging everyone not to go out on the roads because there are so many trees falling and in some places also fallen power lines.

    So far, we have been spared power outages at least.

  30. 205

    ⚔️AFU🇺🇦
    The highest political leadership in the aggressor state is once again spreading false information about significant “successes” of the Russian army on the battlefield. In fact, Kremlin’s claims about the conquest of the cities Huliaipole and Myrnohrad are not confirmed by facts.

    The situation in Huliaipole in the Zaporizhia region is complex, but the defense operation in the town continues. Ukrainian soldiers continue their active actions to destroy the invaders’ infantry groups in the city.

    The operational situation in Myrnohrad is also still difficult, but the hostile units still fail to carry out their plans to conquer the Pokrovsko-Myrnohrad agglomeration, so they resort to weapons of disinformation.

    It is also fabricated that they control half of the city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk oblast. Ukraine’s defense forces hold the defense lines and destroy the enemy at the entrances to the town. On December 26, the occupiers attempted a storming and advanced in a column towards Kostiantynivka. As a result of the successful efforts of the Ukrainian defenders, two enemy tanks with mine-clearing equipment were destroyed, and the enemy infantry was eliminated by our UAV.

    We remind you that in the case of Kupiansk, the Russian leadership has already reported several times that the city has been taken under control, that Ukrainian units have been surrounded in the city, etc. In fact, through skillful actions, Ukraine’s defense forces liberated a number of settlements north of Kupiansk, cleared most of the city itself, and blocked the remnants of the Russian group.

    The same situation applies to Pokrovsk, whose conquest the aggressor has been talking about since the end of September last year. However, the defense of the city has been ongoing for 17 months, and the enemy has suffered significant losses there throughout this time.

    It is evident that the Russians’ lies are primarily aimed at foreign partners and have intensified during the peace negotiations. However, Russian disinformation will not affect Ukraine’s position and ongoing diplomatic work.

    The only real result of the Kremlin dictator’s false statements is significant losses for his occupation army, amounting to at least 1,000 killed and wounded Russian soldiers every day.

    The defense forces once again urge to only use verified sources of information and not to succumb to provocations from Russian propagandists.

    The fight continues.
    Glory to Ukraine!🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

  31. 205

    Kenneth Gregg

    Update 27.12.2025

    During the night of December 27, Kyiv and its surroundings were subjected to the most concentrated air attack since the beginning of the war. What set this attack apart from the major offensive on December 23 was not only the scale – but how, where, and for how long it was carried out.

    For the first time, we witnessed an attempt to concentrate virtually the entire volume of the attack on the capital. No major secondary targets, no clear diversionary attacks in other regions. Everything was directed at Kyiv and its immediate vicinity. This is a clear strategic message in itself.

    The second crucial factor was the number of air targets. Russia attempted something that had long been theoretical but rarely fully practiced: to gather drones and missiles in a single targeted saturation attack on the same urban target area.

    The third aspect was the time period. The attack lasted for over ten and a half hours, which is extremely long even by today’s standards. This was not a shock attack, but a test of endurance – an attempt to wear down air defenses, personnel, sensors, and repair capacity.

    The fourth and perhaps most interesting aspect was the attack pattern:

    missiles – drones – missiles – small groups of drones.

    Wave after wave, with a clear ambition to force the air defense to work continuously without respite.

    Hits – but not the breakthrough Russia hoped for

    There were hits. That cannot be denied. But once again, the strategically decisive damages did not materialize.

    A clear example was the attack on the water treatment plant and dam in Vyshhorod. From the outside, the damages may seem serious, but in practice, it was a near miss. Three missiles were shot down, and the fourth one hit the edge of the road near the bridge. The blast wave was strong and knocked down walls around the transformers, but they were not destroyed. They did not turn to ashes. The infrastructure could be saved.

    The situation strongly resembles past experiences, including when my own house was hit by blast waves. The devastation looks dramatic – but the technical function can often be quickly restored. In this case, we have been promised that the power supply will be back within a day.

    Why now?

    Two factors clearly coincide.

    First: politics and diplomacy.

    The attack was carried out while President Volodymyr Zelensky was facing new contacts with the West, including talks in the USA. It is difficult to interpret this as anything other than a show of strength. The message is simple: Russia wants to set the framework for every discussion by showing that it can escalate towards the capital at any time.

    Second: the winter war against civil society. Power and heating disruptions in Kyiv in the middle of winter are not a military mistake – it is a deliberate method. Cold, darkness, and uncertainty are weapons. The goal is not necessarily total collapse, but attrition: on the economy, healthcare, industry, and psyche.

    Air defense: impressive – but not all-powerful

    Ukraine’s air defense once again demonstrated very high effectiveness. An overwhelming majority of incoming targets were neutralized through interception or electronic warfare. That is a fact. Additionally, 6 draggers were neutralized, last time they hit nothing and now they were taken out.

    But the night’s attack also shows the uncomfortable truth:

    in a saturation attack, it is enough for a small percentage to get through to create significant civilian consequences. When the targets are heat, electricity, water, and residential infrastructure, the effect is disproportionately large compared to the military effort.
    This is exactly why Russia continues with this type of attack – despite significant losses in the air.

    Kyiv as a message

    Kyiv is not just a military target. It is a political and psychological target.

    Striking the capital is about:
    • showing that it is not beyond reach
    • dominating the news flow
    • putting pressure on both the Ukrainian leadership and its international partners

    In that sense, the night’s attack was as much a message to the West as it was to Ukraine.

    Conclusion

    The night’s massive air attack had three clear purposes:

    1. To put maximum pressure on Kyiv in a sensitive diplomatic situation.

    2. To test the endurance of Ukraine’s air defense and repair system over a long period.

    3. To once again use winter as a weapon by disrupting heat and electricity supply.

    What I am following in the next 72 hours

    The crucial thing now is not just what happened last night, but what happens next:

    • Will the pattern be repeated with another one or two mass nights – or will Russia revert to low-intensity reconnaissance attacks?

    • How quickly will electricity and heating stabilize in Kyiv, and will there be follow-on effects on water, transportation, or healthcare?

    • Are there signs of increased strain in the air defense through more penetrations, more fires, or silent sectors?

    That is where the next answer lies – not in the headlines, but in the patterns.

    So, the impact of last night’s attack on me was that our battery was hit by falling debris and knocked out. I spent the whole day looking for a strong enough generator and got a Starlink. Got everything set up by the afternoon.

    Remember to sign up for Gregg’s Ukraine Brief. Either via my Messenger (provide your email address) or via email at kentzu.gregg@gmail.com

    SLAVA UKRAINI

     

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