I feel like I should provide some context regarding my extensive coverage of Russian missile attacks, as it's always been one of the main focal points for my account.

Over the last 2 years, I've spent over 1,000 hours covering more than 100 Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine live. To my knowledge, I was the first ever OSINTer in the world to provide real-time updates of missile trajectories with maps. But these attacks are only a small part of this war, so why spend so much time and effort covering it?

For me, when I first started covering these attacks, I had less than 50 followers on Twitter. Doing something like this brought attention to my account as no one had seen it in public spaces before. As my reporting got significant more accurate, more and more people tuned into my live updates. This provided me with a lot of motivation to continue covering these attacks, allowing for me to get even more precise and reliable.

This motivation, combined with me finding a lot of interest in these attacks and learning about so much stuff, meant I just never stopped, despite it being such a small portion of this war's events.

More recently, I have frequently been messaged by Ukrainians and people visiting Ukraine thanking me for my coverage as it provided them with knowledge of whether it is safe or not in their respective cities. The Ukrainian Airforce is notoriously slow on updating threats and air raid alerts, which is why far less people use official outlets for this anymore.

So, a combination of these factors means that I don't intend on stopping any time soon, even if it restricts my ability to cover other areas of the war such as political developments. Obviously, real-life factors for me can reduce my ability to cover attacks, but I hope to continue as it's good for my account and good for those watching it.

A big thanks to those behind the scenes who help make this possible. You all know who you are.

3 Tu-22m3 strategic bombers have redeployed from Shaykovka Airbase, Kaluga Oblast, to Engels-2 Airbase, Saratov Oblast. Earlier, an IL-76MD cargo plane landed at Engels-2 Airbase, transporting Kh-32 cruise missiles for the Tu-22m3 bombers.

Engels-2 was the airbase which the Tu-22m3 bombers departed from during the most recent large-scale attack. Therefore, there is a significantly increased threat to Odesa Oblast for the next 36 hours.

Correction: at least one of the Tu-22m3 strategic bombers did not land at Engels-2 Airbase and flew further southwest into Volgograd Oblast.

It is currently flying past Volgograd in the direction of Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai, and the waters of the Black Sea.

Last night, Ukraine apparently attempted to strike Moscow with Ukrainian-made Grom-2 ballistic missiles.

Russian sources report that both missiles were shot down by air defence over Tula Oblast. They stated that missile dangers were declared in a number of regions after the missiles were shot down due to the speed at which they were flying, and apparently due to very late detections.

The Tu-22m3 appears to be carrying out a training mission in the eastern Black Sea,

New footage shows Russian drones carrying out deep strikes on Ukrainian targets.

The video shows the following being hit:

- P-19 radar
- 19Zh6 radar
- 79K6 Pelican radar
- Zoopark-3 radar
- P-18 radar
- An-26 cargo plane
- Mi-24 helicopter (apparently a decoy)
- 2 dry cargo ships

I personally don't believe there was any drone attack attempts on Putin's presidential palace.

The Russian MOD claims that they shot down 91 (!) UAVs in Novgorod Oblast flying towards the presidential palace in the region. Not a single Russian monitoring channel reported on any UAV detections in the region during the day, despite their coverage reflecting Russian MOD interception statistics on other regions.

To me, this seems like an attempt at further portraying Ukraine as unwilling to negotiate while not having to carry out any false flag themselves. This kind of activity should be expected from both sides, so as usual, don't believe everything you see at face value.

Those who blindly trust the Russian MOD are as dumb and naive as NAFOids trusting everything that comes from the Ukrainian general staff.

No large attack tonight.

The highest threat is in place for tomorrow, meaning the probability of strategic bombers being used has increased.

Nothing is definite at the moment as some unusual Russian movements have taken place.

It could also be on new years. It's just too difficult to tell right now. I will update you all when I get more concrete information.

In the Stepnohirsk direction, Russian forces continued to advance and have made new progress in two different areas.

In the west, Russian forces continued to advance north through Prymorske. They were able to consolidate in new positions in the southern part of the village, including in a number of three-story buildings. DRGs continued to operate further north in the area of the village centre, and reached its northern streets, while others infiltrated further east through the Pererva Gulley

In the east, Russian forces continued to expand their zone of control northeast of Stepnohirsk, capturing new positions in the treelines west of the gulley leading from Stepnohirsk. Other forces infiltrated further into Lukyanivske, and are engaged in fighting for the residential part of the village. Fighting also continues for the central and northern parts of Stepnohirsk, where a grey-zone remains.

+ ~4.26 km² in favour of Russia.

Interactive map link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?hl=en&mid=1thW9kqnDOaS2lAepLhLdzSX8Ur9Sc4k&ll

In the Omelnyk direction, Russian forces continued to advance following the fall of Hulyaipole and have made new progress south of the city.

Ukrainian forces have completed their withdrawal from the 2022-era fortifications east of the highway due to the risk of encirclement from the recent Russian advances in Hulyaipole. This allowed for the Russians to capture the remaining stretch of highway between Hulyaipole and Dorozhynyanka. Other assault groups advanced further southwest down the nearby gulley, capturing additional treeline positions.

+ ~2.31 km² in favour of Russia.

Interactive map link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?hl=en&mid=1thW9kqnDOaS2lAepLhLdzSX8Ur9Sc4k&ll

In the Dobropillya direction, both Russian and Ukrainian forces have advanced in various different areas.

In the southwest, the frontline was corrected in favour of Ukraine after they carried out additional counterattacks around two weeks ago. They advanced east from the area of the pig farms, recapturing the rest of the road the Hryshyne, and consolidating in the treeline to the north. From there, they recaptured the forested areas on either side of the highway, including the intersection northwest of Svitle.

To the northeast, Russian forces continued their assault operations in Rodynske. They were able to recapture School No. 35 and some of the nearby 3-story buildings and are now assaulting Ukrainian positions in the remaining buildings to the west. Fighting continues for the northern low-rise residential area, where small assault groups from both sides are currently operating, and in the southwestern streets of the city.

In the northeast, Russian forces continued pushing the Ukrainians back from the rear of Rodynske. They advanced from their newly recaptured positions at the Krasnolymanskaya Mine, consolidating in the nearby treeline and forested areas. Small groups of infantry are now attempting to advance across the fields and reach the railway line. Additionally, the Russians managed to advance further north up the forests northeast of the mine, recapturing the mine shaft and the surrounding areas following a Ukrainian withdrawal back to the village of Sukhetske.

+ ~3.71 km² in favour of Ukraine.
+ ~3.12 km² in favour of Russia.

Interactive map link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?hl=en&mid=1thW9kqnDOaS2lAepLhLdzSX8Ur9Sc4k&ll

In the Rai-Oleksandrivka direction, Russian forces continued to advance, capturing new positions in two differenat areas southwest of Siversk,

In the north, Russian forces continued to advance in the village of Riznykivka. They pushed further west down the southern bank of the Sukha River, capturing new positions in the direction of the central part of the village.

In the south, Russian forces captured the rest of a treeline and an adjacent forest west of Zvanivka, thereby fully aligning the front with the gulley stretching southwest from Riznykivka.

+ ~1.69 km² in favour of Russia.

Interactive map link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?hl=en&mid=1thW9kqnDOaS2lAepLhLdzSX8Ur9Sc4k&ll

In the Lyman direction, Russian forces continued to advance southeast of Lyman and have made new progress in the village of Dibrova.

Russian forces resumed their assault operations from northern Dibrova and captured new positions in the nearby forests. From there, they entered the western streets of the main part of the village, capturing new positions there too. Other forces advanced west from the eastern streets, securing the central part. Fighting is ongoing for the southwestern streets.

+ ~0.75 km² in favour of Russia.

Interactive map link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?hl=en&mid=1thW9kqnDOaS2lAepLhLdzSX8Ur9Sc4k&ll

Shocker

In the Lyman direction, Russian forces continued to advance and have captured new positions northeast of Svyatohirsk.

Building on their earlier success, Russian forces advanced further through the Sviati Hory National Park, capturing additional positions further southwest in the direction of the Sosnove - Oleksandrivka. DRGs have since infiltrated through the forests into the area of the Sosnove Railway Station.

+ ~1.38 km² in favour of Russia.

Interactive map link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?hl=en&mid=1thW9kqnDOaS2lAepLhLdzSX8Ur9Sc4k&ll

In the Kupyansk direction, Ukrainian forces continued their counterattacks and have made additional progress in western Kupyansk.

Following the capture of the Kupyansk Motor Transport College, Ukrainian forces began attacking northwest through the low-rise residential streets in the grey-zone. Other forces who were already advancing southeast from the highway linked up with them, physically encircling the remaining Russian formations entrenched in and around the Yuvileynyi high-rise micro-district.

+ ~0.27 km² in favour of Ukraine.

Interactive map link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?hl=en&mid=1thW9kqnDOaS2lAepLhLdzSX8Ur9Sc4k&ll

In the Khotin direction, Russian forces continued their intensified assault operations and have made more progress south of Varachyne.

Following earlier assaults which saw Russia capture Varachyne and the defences south of the village, they continued advancing south, capturing additional treeline positions. Other assault groups advanced further south down the gulley to the east, capturing new positions in the forests there.

Ukrainian forces are responding by heavily striking Russian logistical routes to the Yablunivka - Varachyne sector with FPV drones. As a result of this and somewhat clearer weather conditions at times, Russian movement to and from positions is becoming much more difficult. A significant portion of supplies are now being carried by drone drops.

+ ~1.35 km² in favour of Russia.

Interactive map link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?hl=en&mid=1thW9kqnDOaS2lAepLhLdzSX8Ur9Sc4k&ll

Iskander on Kharkiv OBlast