Summary

The website content provides an update on the situation in Ukraine as of January 1, 2024, detailing military losses, territorial changes, internal Russian dynamics, and media coverage of the conflict.

Abstract

The Ukraine Update for January 1, 2024, presents a grim overview of the ongoing conflict, highlighting significant Russian military losses, including over 7,000 armored vehicles, 101 aircraft, and 150,000 personnel. Despite these losses, Russia has managed a net territorial gain of 64 square kilometers, though this is offset by Ukraine's control of maritime territory in the Black Sea. The content also discusses mysterious fires in Russia, possibly due to malfunctioning air defense systems, and the growing momentum of the "Way Home" movement within Russia, which calls for the return of mobilized men. The update touches on the political front, with Ukraine considering stricter laws against public corruption, and includes criticism of media coverage, particularly by CNN, for perceived bias and inaccuracies. The author also reflects on the evolution of technology and society, expressing disappointment that contemporary advancements fall short of past expectations.

Opinions

The author suggests that Russia's territorial gains are minimal compared to the losses they have incurred, particularly when considering the maritime territory now controlled by Ukraine.
The mysterious fires in Russia are implied to be the result of incompetence or malfunction, rather than deliberate attacks.
The UK's response to Russia's security council meeting regarding the Bilhorod explosions is presented as a strong rebuke, placing blame for the conflict squarely on President Putin.
The "Way Home" movement's growing popularity indicates a shift in public sentiment within Russia regarding the war.
The author expresses a clear stance that Ukraine's level of corruption is significantly less than Russia's and even favorably compares Ukraine to the United States in this regard.
There is a strong critique of the media, particularly CNN, for biased and ignorant reporting on the conflict, which the author believes has failed to accurately represent the situation.
The author reflects on the discrepancy between the futuristic expectations of the past and the more mundane technological advancements of the present.

Ukraine Update 01 January, 2024

Happy New Year to everyone.

Updated statistics for the 29 December attacks are below, left.

Below right, 2023 in review, with Ukrainian gains in yellow and Russian in blue. Russia has lost over 7,000 armored vehicles, 101 aircraft, over 6,000 artillery pieces, and 150,000 men in those little blue areas. The net change is a Russian gain of 64 square kilometers — unless one counts the control of maritime territory in the Black Sea — and then Ukraine has gained 600,000 square kilometers — about the size of the shipping lanes on the western shores. Also, Russia has lost control of the naval facilities in Crimea, and that is hard to measure.

Mysterious Fires

The mystery around Bilhorod explosions continues, but it is now more likely that the explosions were caused by Russian air defense systems that malfunctioned — perhaps not even hitting any targets.

There is a fire in Moscow (below left); a hanger with diesel is burning, spreading black smoke. Careless fireworks? On the right is a Gazprom facility in Novy Urengoy. This facility is deep in the Russian north, just south of the Kara Sea.

The UK responded to Russia’s calling a security council meeting about Bilhorod as follows. “If Russia wants someone to blame for the deaths of Russians in this war, it should start with President Putin. President Putin is responsible for sending many thousands of Russian servicemen and women to their needless deaths.”

Mobilization

The “Way Home” movement in Russia, which calls for the return of the mobilized men, is gaining momentum. Posters and graffiti show up at bus stops and other public areas.

Russian politician Alexey Roshchin posted on Telegram that the strikes on Ukraine on 29 December were a mistake.

Front

Russians are attacking in many areas — Kupyansk, Liman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Mar’insk, Shakhtarsk, Robotyne, and along the Dnipro river at Krynky. Ukraine is on the defensive everywhere but carried out strikes on warehouses, control points, and communications centers.

Near the village of Dibrovy in Donetsk region there was a strange sight caught by Ukrainian drones. A Russian tank attacked a Russian trench, and then the area was stormed by Russian soldiers, resulting in wounded and dead. Russia succeeded in taking the position from itself.

Corruption

In the “Senate” (Upper House), Ukrainian politicians are considering a law that would put public corruption on the same level as treason and a sentence of fifteen years in jail for the charge.

Don’t ever tell me that Ukraine is corrupt. Compared to Russia, they are saintly. Compared to the US, they are a sterling example of what I wish America could be.

Press Notes

Hardly a day goes by without some major news source screwing up their take on Ukraine and Russia, and today the guest on our show is CNN.

Russia retaliates? Really? As though Ukraine deserves to be attacked? This conflict has made me super-alert towards turns of phrase and word choice in how headlines are written. The bias and ignorance run deep.

Before the press was consumed with something I understood well, I assumed they were doing a decent job in everything else. There was some level of trust there. Now that’s all coming into question. The media have failed so catastrophically in Israel and Ukraine that it has caused me to doubt everything they do. I mean, Fox never had my trust, but NYT did. CNN International is much better than CNN (domestic), but every day now. Every day.

Interesting Note

By now, perhaps you have heard of “200” and “300” as Russian slang for Dead and Wounded. Well, here are the rest of the types of cargo that Russians carry.

End Note

2024 is the future. When I was a kid in the 80s, I thought we would have flying cars by now, but we have slightly more complicated gas cars, and so many of them that driving has become terrible. Why am I living in the future, and it’s so … meh?