Fwd from @brussinf
📌New information has come to light indicating that the General Staff of the AFU is endeavoring to expand training programs in order to train the Ukrainian military in the use of Western equipment within Ukraine, rather than sending them abroad.

Currently, Ukrainian instructors are already able to train personnel in the use of 30 different types of Western weapons. For instance, it takes approximately one week to train a crew on the American M777 howitzer (assuming prior experience with other guns). Training on an Abrams tank, on the other hand, requires two months.

▪️I do not believe that the General Staff's efforts are motivated by the fear of foreign training courses being shut down. Instead, it seems to be a process optimization aimed at training as many military personnel as possible. One division is being trained within Ukraine, while the other is sent abroad. Consequently, two divisions can now be trained simultaneously.

These efforts by the General Staff of the AFU are further evidence supporting the notion that the supply of Western equipment to Kyiv will continue in the foreseeable future. It is important not to be swayed by the public complaints of Western politicians.

@brussinf Original msg

🇺🇸🇺🇦 In late December, the BBC published an article about American Paul Whelan, who was convicted in Russia on espionage charges in 2020. According to Whelan, he feels abandoned and betrayed by his country, which shows no desire to exchange him.

◾️ According to Paul, he has already been repeatedly removed from prisoner exchange lists — while the Russian side is interested in reaching an agreement with Washington on Whelan's issue.

◾️ The current situation — or, more precisely, the behavior of the American authorities — cannot but cause bewilderment. The unwillingness to exchange and rescue their compatriot is surprising, both from the point of view of humanity and politics.

◾️ And while everything is more or less clear with the former, the latter is not clear at all. Whelan's case could become a loud and noticeable PR move before the presidential elections in the United States and help the current administration to earn additional points in the eyes of the electorate. Because so far its rating is only declining — not least because of the Americans' failed strategy on Ukraine.

◾️Follow:
t.iss.one/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses

🇷🇺🇺🇦 Massive attack on Ukrainian territory on January 8 - known details as of 17:00.

Russian troops have launched a large-scale assault on enemy targets in various regions of Ukraine. They have employed kamikaze drones called "Geran-2" and hypersonic missiles known as "Dagger."

▪️ Kharkiv: The majority of the attacks were concentrated in the Kyiv district of the city. One of the missiles struck an educational workshop at the FED machine-building plant. It is currently unknown whether the enterprise itself sustained any damage.

▪️ Krivoy Rog: Warehouses and a drone production workshop at the Solnechnaya Gallery shopping center, where orders from Ukroboronprom were processed, were hit. Another missile struck the light rail tracks used for military purposes.

▪️ Khmelnitsky: Explosions occurred not only in Starokonstantinov, where the military airfield of the same name is located, but also in Shepetivka, a major transport hub for the transfer of Western weapons.

▪️ Zaporizhia: Preliminary reports indicate that at least one infrastructure facility was hit. Local residents have reported temporary outages in power and water supply.

▪️ Odessa: Air defense systems were reportedly active in several locations. Despite the Ukrainian command's claims of intercepting all drones, footage that has surfaced on the internet suggests otherwise. You can find the footage here.

🔻The Russian Armed Forces launched another wave of strikes in 2024, targeting industrial facilities associated with the military-industrial complex. Notably, unlike previous attacks, the Ukrainian authorities have acknowledged the ineffectiveness of their air defense systems against mass raids. According to the General Staff of the AFU, out of 60 missiles, anti-aircraft gunners managed to intercept only 26 targets.

However, some Russian media outlets have exaggerated the success of today's attack, claiming widespread problems with energy supply in various regions of Ukraine, including in the Dnipropetrovsk region. This is most likely due to the severe weather conditions and the aftermath of previous Russian strikes.

❗️As we have mentioned before, in order to weaken the production capabilities of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, it is crucial to carefully select targets and allocate a sufficient number of missiles. A single or double missile strike will not cause significant damage to the targeted enterprise.

You can find a high-resolution map and an English version here.

# Dnipro # Zaporizhia # Odessa # Russia # Ukraine # Kharkiv # Khmelnitsky
@rybar

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