By all accounts the Russians have been getting hammered with huge losses around Avdiika. They really want that shell of a town badly as the long winter begins to set in.

Yes, the Russians are taking huge losses, but unfortunately it does allow Russia to gain ground, at least temporarily, and this is more important to Putin.

The Russians have claimed the capture of Marinka, a small town that was fully evacuated about a year ago and has seen fierce fighting for months which has leveled every building.  I'm not really sure why the Russians would want ruined land considering that they already have plenty of it, but they have ruined Marinka now, or most of it anyway.

The Russians also shot and killed two Ukrainian soldiers who were surrendering, obviously unarmed, hands over their heads.  Just another example of warcrime bingo and the inherent lawlessness and rampant cruelty of Putin's forces.

But Russia is not truly a lawless place - the authoritarian regime has criminalized LGBT "activism" which as you might guess, is defined very nebulously.  Very recently, Russian police have begun raiding places where LGBT people congregate and while afaik, there have not yet been any arrests, the clear intent is one of intimidation and sending a signal that LGBT people can no longer safely congregate/organize.  This sets the stage for further repression in the future.

Ukraine creates new electronic warfare systems

QuoteOne of these systems is designed to combat all types of Russian drones, suppress satellite navigation signals, and create a variety of false signals, according to Havryliuk.

Another two electromagnetic systems are currently being tested in the Defense Ministry to counter Russian Lancet and FPV drones

Surrounded by the enemy, a Ukrainian soldier called in artillery to his own position and lived to tell the tale

QuoteFor the next three days Serhii hid in his dugout surrounded by the enemy. Each hour Russian troops came closer and closer to his position. He could hear their voices and knew their plan.

Believing that he would not survive, Serhii contacted his commander on the radio and whispered to him the coordinates of the enemy - essentially calling in artillery strikes on his very own position.

QuoteAt one point, Serhii thought his time was up when a Russian soldier climbed into his dugout. The soldier asked Serhii where he was from and the Ukrainian replied in Russian that he had a concussion and asked for water. The Russian soldier did not give him water but crawled out of the trench, apparently still unaware Serhii was Ukrainian.

"I still can't understand how he didn't realize I was from the Ukrainian armed forces. I was wearing a Ukrainian uniform. My pants were in pixels. Yes, they were dirty. But it was obvious that the boots were Ukrainian," Serhii recalled.

When I first saw the word "dugout" I thought: "they use canoes in warfare?"
🤣

Ukraine blows up 2 railway connections between Russia and China

QuoteThe SBU set off several explosions inside the Severomuysky tunnel of the Baikal-Amur highway in Buryatia, located some 6,000 kilometers east of Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian official with direct knowledge of the operation told POLITICO.

"This is the only serious railway connection between the Russian Federation and China. And currently, this route, which Russia uses, including for military supplies, is paralyzed," the official said.

They even hit the alternative route:

QuoteThe first cargo train exploded directly in the Severomuysky tunnel.

To continue transportation, the Russians began to use the detour route through the so-called Devil's Bridge — a 35-meter high viaduct structure, which is part of the Trans-Siberian Railway. At that point, SBU saboteurs struck again.

"When the train was passing over this 35-meter high bridge, the explosive devices embedded in it went off," the same official added.

Quote"Russian special services should get used to the fact that our people are everywhere. Even in distant Buryatia," the Ukrainian official warned.

This guy was a LOT smarter than that Wagnerite, who ultimately died while this guy lived.

There's also pretty graphic footage of a Russian soldier who stole Ukrainian speakers to entertain himself (he lamented not being able to take a washing machine) to *spoilers* a pretty grisly end.  Moral of the story - if you go to Ukraine, do so as a guest, not a pest.  Because they're very, very good at ridding themselves of pests.

As bad as things are for Ukrainian defenders - they shoulder a lot of hardship and loss - it's still miles better than what the Russians go through.

The video of Russian soldiers murdering 2 surrendered Ukrainians was confirmed as authentic by the Ukrainian military

It's small comfort that the murderers were themselves killed in combat afterwards.

Quote from: Hydra009 on December 03, 2023, 10:02:48 AMThe video of Russian soldiers murdering 2 surrendered Ukrainians was confirmed as authentic by the Ukrainian military

It's small comfort that the murderers were themselves killed in combat afterwards.

It is a stupid move, why would any Ukranian give up now?

Quote from: Cassia on December 03, 2023, 10:28:00 AMIt is a stupid move, why would any Ukranian give up now?

Yeah, it only motivates them to fight harder and if cornered, go out in a blaze of glory rather than risk capture.  And this sort of casual cruelty only embitters the rest of the world against Russia.

Speaking of: cat-torturing mobnik gets eliminated

They really do send the scum of the Earth off to die.  I would be perfectly happy with this arrangement if only they didn't try to kill good people in the process.

Russia stops prisoner exchange because it wants Ukrainian families to think the Ukrainian military has abandoned their loved ones

There hasn't been a prisoner exchange since August.

Prisoner exchanges have been a regular thing in this war because Russia amassed a large amount of Ukrainian POWs early in the war and because the Ukrainians typically offer favorable exchange rates.  One notable exchange was a Pro-Putin oligarch in exchange for Avoz POWs

Since then, Putin has likely decided that it's worth it to abandon his own soldiers in captivity in order to inflict psychological distress on Ukrainian families (once again, I am reminded of what a small, petty, and cruel man he truly is, in stark contrast to his "manly" public persona)

This move may be part of a recent concerted effort by Russia to sow uncertainty and discord among Ukrainians to hamper its war effort and meddle with its upcoming election.

Ukrainian resistance blew up a refueling station and eliminated invaders there

QuoteUkrainian resistance forces blew up a gas station used by Russian occupation forces to refuel military equipment in Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on Dec. 1, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) reported on Dec. 2.

The explosion damaged military equipment and killed several Russian military personnel, the HUR said.

Mysterious fire engulfs Moscow war factory 🔥🔥🔥 будмо!