Weekly megathread for news/updates/discussion of Russian invasion of Ukraine - December 14

Is Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's right-hand man, handing war-torn Ukraine over to the oligarchs? (Business Insider)

In political and business circles in Kyiv, Yermak, a former lawyer and film producer, is widely viewed as the second most powerful person in the country — a sort of masterminding Dick Cheney to Zelensky's George W. Bush.

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The "good story," she told me, is that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has largely destroyed the generation of oligarchs who had enjoyed free rein to plunder Ukraine's economy since the country freed itself from the Soviet Union in 1991. The old titans no longer possess the power they once exerted over parliament and the media, and many of their industrial assets lay beyond their reach in territory now occupied by the Russian military.

But the "bad story," Kaleniuk continued, is that Yermak — whom she called "intoxicated by power" — is creating a new system of oligarchy over which he presides. By her account, Yermak, through his deputies in the Office of the President and cabinet ministers at his beck and call, is maneuvering to exert control over a large swath of Ukraine's economy, as well as its law enforcement and security apparatus. Through these machinations, she said, "well-connected people" in business are getting government contracts at inflated prices. "He is not building a strong Ukraine," Kaleniuk said. "He is damaging the war effort." What she was describing, in effect, is the formation of an accidental oligarchy, under the cover of martial law invoked by the Zelensky government.

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In Ukraine, as in Russia, conspiracy thinking is an inevitable byproduct of years of oligarchic rule. One source in Kyiv assured me that the nation's gambling operations were secretly funneling bitcoin to the Zelensky team in exchange for favorable tax treatment. No one was able to substantiate the claim.

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A crucial difference between Russia in the Putin era and today's Ukraine is that Putin has crushed Russia's civil society. The press is cowed; anti-Putin political activists are imprisoned or exiled. In Ukraine, even as the Office of the President maintains wartime control of TV broadcasts, civil society remains vibrant. News outlets have trained their investigative sights on the Yermak crew. Anti-corruption groups abound, not only in Kyiv but in big cities like Kharkiv. Opposition figures in parliament, along with critics of the Zelensky government in the business and financial communities, are for the most part not afraid to make their voices heard. It's possible there will be a peaceful reckoning, one that will force the ouster of Yermak and his underlings and speed Ukraine's integration into the West.

Ukrainian Air Force destroys Russian landing ship in occupied Crimea

Ukraine reportedly destroyed the Russian landing ship Novocherkassk in Feodosia in occupied Crimea during the early hours of Dec. 26, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk announced.

Russia Announced It Had Deployed, To Ukraine, Its Best New Artillery-Detecting Radar. Hours Later, The Ukrainians Blew It Up—With Artillery. (Forbes)

It has apparently been a pretty rough day for the Russians in Ukraine: https://www.newsweek.com/russia-tank-losses-artillery-apvs-bmps-avdiivka-ukraine-1853228

Ukraine’s Air Defense Repels World’s Largest Combined Missile Attack Using Hypersonic Weapons (Kyiv Post)

Five people were killed in a massive Russian bombardment that, had the Kinzhal and other missiles not been destroyed by Patriot and other air defense systems, would have been catastrophic.

Slovakia and Hungary quietly bolster Ukraine’s defenses despite political rhetoric (Euromaidan Press)

Business overrides politics in Slovakia and Hungary as both nations’ defense firms expand production and cooperation with Ukraine despite claims of not supplying weapons

Ukraine’s Funniest Joke: Waiting Until Russia’s New Strategic Supply Bridge Was Almost Built, Then Blowing It Up With Rockets (Forbes)

Norway approves direct arms sales to Ukraine

Norway has opened the door for direct sales of weapons and defense products to Ukraine, marking a significant shift in its defense policy.

Meet Bohdana, Ukraine’s gritty goddess of war with NATO-caliber punch (Europmaidan Press)

With a firing range equal to the famed French Caesar but at half the price, Ukraine’s domestic 155mm howitzer Bohdana goes from prototype to mass production under missile strikes.

Strike on Belgorod that killed more than a dozen 'will not go unpunished', Russia says

More than a dozen people were killed by Ukrainian strikes on the Russian provincial capital of Belgorod, Russia's emergencies ministry said Saturday, with the Russian defence ministry vowing the strike "will not go unpunished".

Russia Got 7,500-Pound Rockets From North Korea—And Promptly Blew Up A Pair Of Ukrainian Supply Bases (Forbes)

Moscow Deploys 35,000 National Guards to Counter Partisans in Occupied Ukraine (Kyiv Post)

Russia has become concerned about partisan activity and anti-Kremlin attitudes among the local population in the occupied territories of Ukraine as its presidential elections approach.

‘Entire Russian Platoon’ Tries to Flee to Crimea, Now Being ‘Hunted Down,’ Says Ukraine Military (Kyiv Post)

According to Ukrainian military spokesperson, nearly 40 Russian soldiers took their weapons and ran, the latest in a string of incidents suggesting rock bottom morale.

Estonia: West should allow Ukraine to hit targets in Russia with Western weapons (Euromaidan Press)

Estonia’s President Alar Karis voiced his support for Ukraine to freely strike Russian territory using Western-provided weapons, without constraints only allowing attacks on Russian-occupied Ukrainian land.

Russia Sent Its New A.I. Drone-Killer To Ukraine. A Ukrainian Drone Blew It Up. (Forbes)

Ukrainian Sources: We Just Shot Down Two Of Russia’s Best Command Planes (Forbes)

Ukraine Confirms St Petersburg Attack, Claims Drone Flew Over Putin’s Valdai Residence

Kyiv Post sources did not disclose the type of drone used or its payload but did say it may have been “carrying treats.” St Petersburg lies some 1000km from Ukraine.

Meta: is it on purpose that this scheduled topic ran out?

Racing Back And Forth Along A Single Road In Stepove, The Ukrainians Knock Out 13 Russian Vehicles For Every One They Lose (Forbes)