35 votes

Russia-Ukraine war megathread - End of 2024 news, updates, and recaps

Posted by ChingShih (edited )
Tags: ukraine, russia, north korea, war, military, megathread, 2022 russian invasion of ukraine

There have been a few interesting bits of news here and there over the holiday period as well as notable developments, along with the usual political squabbling, that people might be interesting in skimming or catching up on. These posts are grouped by topic and in reverse chronological order (except the pledges of support section that reads better chronologically) as best as possible (mods feel free to edit the post itself if needed).

Also, just today there is news that Finland seizes Russia-linked tanker suspected of cutting vital undersea cables (please take discussion to the Tildes thread) and now Sweden's Social Democrats want to activate NATO's Article 4 after the cable sabotage in the Baltic Sea.

(Thank you to @KapteinB, @cffabro, @skybrian, and the other people who have helped post many of these links and alternative sources!)

December 2024:

Russia and Ukraine swap at least 300 prisoners in exchange deal

Russia suffered 421,000 casualties in 2024, 'highest price' since start of invasion, Syrskyi says and allegedly ~785,000 Russian troops since the beginning of the invasion in February of 2022.

Injured North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine has died, says South Korea

‘I thought it was fake news’: secrecy around North Koreans fighting in Kursk

“We were told in the morning to prepare for a special type of patient,” said one of the medical staff at the hospital who treated North Koreans.

“We’d heard rumours that North Koreans were fighting there, but I didn’t believe it. No one had actually seen them before,” the medic said.

More than 1,000 North Korean military casualties in Ukraine war, says South Korea

Ukraine faces difficult decisions over acute shortage of frontline troops - "Depleted army is increasingly made up of older men, but Zelenskyy is reluctant to lower mobilisation age from 25"

Kyiv reveals total Ukraine casualties in Putin’s war for first time - "Zelenskyy said 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 370,000 wounded. That compares with 600,000 dead and wounded reported for Russia."

In December, Perun released a video which quotes material about Ukraine's intelligence support of Syrian opposition forces that I hadn't heard before. At the 49:00 mark he says that Ukraine provided essential information (and basics) to Syrian rebel forces on drone usage, 3D printer schematics, and release mechanisms. Here's an imgur link to the report's summary that was posted to X/Twitter.

Pledges of support:

In June it was announced that the Annual allied military aid, [to that point, would be] $60 billion for next four years

In July 39 tanks, HIMARS and ammunition: Germany covertly hands over huge shipment of weapons to Ukraine

In late December the Biden administration pledges additional military aid to Ukraine amid Russia war - "... extensive support including a planned delivery of hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds, thousands of rockets and hundreds of armored vehicles by mid-January."

Interesting articles and information from 2024:

‘The forest will survive’: the volunteers saving Kharkiv's war-charred woodland

In September, Ukraine strikes two Russian munition depots, says military. This comes after numerous drone strikes on Russian oil facilities in August, July, and January.

‘I can do the same job as a man’: Ukraine’s first frontline female commander on war, grief – and her hope for the future - If you only read one article on this page it should be this one. This is a great interview and the person who took that portrait photo knew exactly what they were doing. I want her portrait to be painted and hung in the Louvre!

Revealed: Russia anticipated [August] Kursk incursion months in advance, seized papers show - As well, Ukraine's Kursk Offensive, launched in August and still holding their ground, has an entire wiki page.

A night with the drone squad targeting Russian forces in micro battles

Kyiv's drone suppliers are ramping up production of computer-guided drones that are cheap and can't be electronically jammed

Frontline report: Ukraine ignites Russian strategic bases, flames span from Crimea to Urals

New Yorker magazine interview: The Ukrainian President on how to end the war with Russia, the empty rhetoric of Vladimir Putin, and what the U.S. election could mean for the fate of his country

Interview with Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi: ‘I know we will win – and how’: Ukraine’s top general on turning the tables against Russia

Reuters interview excerpts: Ukraine President Zelenskiy speaks to Reuters in exclusive interview

Oleh Sentsov, Ukrainian director turns accidental footage into a film

In his home near Ukraine's front line with Russia, Yurii makes a stand

Putin's Unsustainable Spending Spree: How the War in Ukraine Will Overheat the Russian Economy

Valerii Zaluzhnyi: top Ukraine general who rivals president for popularity: Volodymyr Zelenskiy seems ready to risk firing his armed forces chief in a deepening rift that has shone a light on Kyiv’s frailties

Previous megathreads:

I'll update this more in a little while.

Mid-year 2024 updates and news megathread that covered developments such as announcements of North Korea providing materiel and manpower, changes in NATO leadership, the sacking of several Russian defense ministers, Eastern European security pacts, and changes to Ukrainian defense leadership.

February 2024 megathread that covers Ukraine's withdrawal from Avdiivka, the shooting down of more than one Russian A-50 AWACS, trade sanctions, and some articles about drone swarming tech.

To find more posts about these topics, use the 2022 russian invasion of ukraine tag.

32 comments

  2. ChingShih
    Link
    Ukraine’s capture of [two] North Koreans offers rare insight into Russian alliance, says Zelenskyy

    Ukraine’s capture of [two] North Koreans offers rare insight into Russian alliance, says Zelenskyy

    The two soldiers were taken prisoner in Kursk oblast, the scene of intense fighting since Ukraine launched a cross-border raid five months ago. Video showed special forces soldiers carrying one of the wounded North Koreans across a snowy forest.

    ...

    Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency is questioning the soldiers, who were given fake Russian names and military documents. The pair speak no foreign languages. South Korea’s NIS intelligence service has been assisting, the SBU said.

    ...

    The soldiers had reportedly told the SBU they were experienced fighters. One said he had been sent to Russia for training, not to fight. One had no identity documents, while the other was in possession of a Russian military ID card said to have been “issued in the name of another person”, a 26-year-old from Russia’s Tuva region, which borders Mongolia.

    According to the SBU he was a rifleman who was born in 2005 and had been in the North Korean army since 2021. The other wrote his answers due to his injured jaw, stating that he was born in 1999, had joined the army in 2016 and was a scout sniper.

    South Korea’s intelligence agency, NIS, confirmed Ukraine’s account, adding that one of the soldiers had said North Korean forces had suffered “significant losses during battle”. One of the men said he had gone without food or water for up to five days before his capture.

    7 votes
  4. ChingShih
    Link
    Zelenskyy gave a New Year's Eve address to Ukraine, there are some excerpts here. The ISW has a year-end report that's referenced in that article. It has a lot more detail about events, but here...

    Zelenskyy gave a New Year's Eve address to Ukraine, there are some excerpts here.

    The ISW has a year-end report that's referenced in that article. It has a lot more detail about events, but here are just a few excerpts that are easy to parse.

    Russian forces gained 4,168 square kilometers [1,609 square miles], largely comprised of fields and small settlements in Ukraine and Kursk Oblast, at a reported cost of over 420,000 casualties in 2024.
    ...
    Russian forces made 56.5 percent of their 2024 territorial gains during the September through November 2024 period.
    ...
    Russian advances have slowed in December 2024, however. ISW has observed geolocated evidence to assess that Russian forces gained 593 square kilometers or 18.1 square kilometers per day in December 2024 ...

    6 votes
  5. ChingShih
    Link
    In December, Perun released a video which quotes material about Ukraine's intelligence support of Syrian opposition forces that I hadn't heard before. At the 49:00 mark he says that Ukraine...

    In December, Perun released a video which quotes material about Ukraine's intelligence support of Syrian opposition forces that I hadn't heard before. At the 49:00 mark he says that Ukraine provided essential information (and basics) to Syrian rebel forces on drone usage, 3D printer schematics, and release mechanisms. Here's an imgur link to the report's summary that was posted to X/Twitter.

    6 votes
  7. CptBluebear
    Link
    Ohh I've got some reading to do! Additionally, The Telegraph's Ukraine: the Latest podcast remains a valuable hub for the latest information. I find it to be accessible making it easy to just put...

    Ohh I've got some reading to do!

    Additionally, The Telegraph's Ukraine: the Latest podcast remains a valuable hub for the latest information. I find it to be accessible making it easy to just put on for a few minutes and get a few quick updates.

    Thanks for compiling!

    5 votes
  10. [2]
    ChingShih
    Link
    Today: Sweden Donates $1.2 Billion Aid Package to Ukraine Also, the other day it was revealed that U.S. sending dozens of Patriot missiles from Israel to Ukraine: Another source with some other...

    Today: Sweden Donates $1.2 Billion Aid Package to Ukraine

    Also, the other day it was revealed that U.S. sending dozens of Patriot missiles from Israel to Ukraine:

    Behind the scenes: The sources tell Axios that after the IDF announced the decommissioning, Ukrainian officials approached the U.S. and Israel with an idea: Israel would give those missiles back to the U.S. to be refurbished and sent on to Ukraine

    • For several months, Israel dragged its feet out of concern Russia would retaliate, perhaps by supplying sophisticated weapons to Iran.
    • A Ukrainian official tells Axios Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to take his calls on that issue for weeks.
    • But in late September, Netanyahu finally approved the idea, an Israeli official says.

    ...

    The flights carried around 90 interceptors, which Ukraine can use with its current batteries. Additional equipment, like radars and other gear, will first be transferred to the U.S. to be refurbished.

    Another source with some other details and background on Patriot missile systems.

    5 votes
    1. KapteinB
      Link Parent
      More details about the Swedish package on government.se

      More details about the Swedish package on government.se

      The package, worth SEK 13.5 billion in total, contains the following components:

      Procurement for donations worth approximately SEK 5.9 billion.

      • This means that the Defence Materiel Administration, tasked by the Government, procures equipment from the Swedish and foreign defence industries to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
        Financial donations worth approximately SEK 2.8 billion.
      • This means that Sweden is supporting Ukraine through donations to various funds for procurement of military equipment and ammunition, e.g. through capability coalitions. Another example is procurement cooperation between Sweden and Denmark. Sweden aims to donate 1 billion SEK towards Ukrainian production of long-range missiles and long-distance drones.
        Donations of materiel from the Swedish Armed Forces, with corresponding replacement purchases, valued at approximately SEK 3.3 billion. This includes:
      • 146 trucks;
      • 16 Combat Boat 90s; (A doubling from the previous 16 donated CB 90s)
      • 23 weapon stations for marine use;
      • 1 million units of 12.7 mm ammunition;
      • 1 500 TOW anti-tank missiles;
      • 200 anti-tank weapons, including training materiel;
      • infantry equipment for individual soldiers and unit equipment; and
      • chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) personal protective equipment.
        Services via the Swedish Defence Research Agency and Swedish Defence University, valued at approximately SEK 180 million.
      • The Defence Research Agency will continue its efforts to develop a corresponding agency in Ukraine.
      • The Defence University is tasked with implementing an education programme for Ukrainian pupils in Ukraine.
        Training valued at SEK 650 million.
      • Funding to the Swedish Armed Forces’ support to a number of training initiatives throughout 2025, such as Interflex, which conducts basic training for Ukrainian soldiers.
        Supply solutions valued at SEK 400 million.
      • This includes various types of maintenance measures for the Swedish materiel that has been donated.
      4 votes
  11. [6]
    KapteinB
    Link
    Russia ‘getting what it deserves,’ Ukraine says, after launching counterattack in border region (CNN)

    Russia ‘getting what it deserves,’ Ukraine says, after launching counterattack in border region (CNN)

    Ukraine has launched a counterattack in the southern Russian border region of Kursk, warning that Russia is “getting what it deserves.”

    Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, an official body, said Ukrainian forces had launched surprise attacks against Russian forces in several locations across Kursk, months after launching its incursion in the region.

    4 votes
    1. [5]
      Raspcoffee
      Link Parent
      I'm surprised they're having a counterattack over there, considering its risks. Then again, it is by far the best bargaining chip Ukraine has. I do hope that the war will end sooner rather than...

      I'm surprised they're having a counterattack over there, considering its risks. Then again, it is by far the best bargaining chip Ukraine has.

      I do hope that the war will end sooner rather than later but who knows what will happen afterwards...

      2 votes
      1. [4]
        PuddleOfKittens
        Link Parent
        Bargaining chip for what? For Ukrainian land is what, and invading Russian land comes at the opportunity cost of retaking Ukrainian land. The Kursk offensive had two motives: propaganda (it looks...

        Bargaining chip for what? For Ukrainian land is what, and invading Russian land comes at the opportunity cost of retaking Ukrainian land.

        The Kursk offensive had two motives: propaganda (it looks less like a stalemate if Ukraine takes Russian land, which is vital for ongoing western support), and bypassing Russia's escalation threats against western aid (Ukraine put NATO tanks driving on on Russian soil, which makes using NATO artillery shooting at Russian soil look relatively modest by comparison). Both serve the overarching Ukrainian strategy of the war: securing western aid at as high capacity as possible (because materiel is more useful early in the war than late in the war), and for long enough that Russia collapses before Ukraine's support collapses.

        5 votes
        1. [2]
          Adys
          Link Parent
          There’s more to it than that. It’s not a coincidence that this offensive is happening days before the new presidential inauguration. The talk around the office right now is that Trump is likely to...

          There’s more to it than that. It’s not a coincidence that this offensive is happening days before the new presidential inauguration.

          The talk around the office right now is that Trump is likely to pressure both sides to freeze current frontlines as a DMZ. This is not something Ukraine wants, but Russia wanted it … until it got invaded, which is why it invested massively into retaking it before the inauguration after the reelection.
          Now Ukraine is doing the same in return, in order to hold a stronger chip when Trump will force everyone at the table.

          15 votes
          1. d32
            Link Parent
            Looks like he didn't end the war in 24 hours, what a babbler.

            Looks like he didn't end the war in 24 hours, what a babbler.

            2 votes
        2. Raspcoffee
          Link Parent
          Oh yeah absolutely. It's clear that war support is decreasing slow but steady. And millions of Ukrainians are effectively hold hostage. Then there is the resources on said land... I wish we...

          Oh yeah absolutely. It's clear that war support is decreasing slow but steady. And millions of Ukrainians are effectively hold hostage. Then there is the resources on said land...

          I wish we weren't so short sighted further west. :/ If Russia learns it can get away with this, god help us.

          4 votes
  12. KapteinB
    Link
    Ukrainian F-16 pilot sets historical record by shooting down six cruise missiles in one sortie (Interfax Ukraine)

    Ukrainian F-16 pilot sets historical record by shooting down six cruise missiles in one sortie (Interfax Ukraine)

    During a massive attack by Russian troops in December 2024, a Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilot destroyed six enemy cruise missiles in one combat sortie, which was recorded for the first time in the history of the use of the American Fighting Falcon fighter, said Colonel Yuriy Ihnat, head of the public relations service of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, citing a conversation with the pilot himself.

    4 votes
  13. KapteinB
    Link
    Russia's ‘shadow fleet’ tankers barred from major Chinese ports (The New Voice of Ukraine)

    Russia's ‘shadow fleet’ tankers barred from major Chinese ports (The New Voice of Ukraine)

    Shandong Port Group has banned tankers under U.S. sanctions from entering its ports in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong, Reuters reported on Jan. 7, citing sources.

    4 votes
  14. KapteinB
    Link
    Ukraine strikes Russian oil depot supplying fuel to Engels-2 airbase, military confirms (The Kyiv Independent)

    Ukraine strikes Russian oil depot supplying fuel to Engels-2 airbase, military confirms (The Kyiv Independent)

    Ukrainian forces attacked a Russian oil depot in Engels, Saratov Oblast, overnight on Jan. 8, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said after reports of drone attacks.

    The operation, carried out jointly by Ukraine's military intelligence, the Unmanned Systems Forces, and other units, targeted the Kristal Plant used to supply fuel to the nearby Engels-2 airbase, the military said.

    4 votes
  15. [3]
    KapteinB
    Link
    Ukraine says it has hit one of Russia’s largest oil refineries in a drone strike (CNN)

    Ukraine says it has hit one of Russia’s largest oil refineries in a drone strike (CNN)

    Ukraine claimed Saturday to have struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries in a drone attack, starting a fire at the facility more than 700 miles into Russian territory.

    The attack on the Taneco refinery in the city of Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan – one of the largest and most modern refineries in Russia – was the second time the facility had been struck by Ukrainian forces within the space of a year, according to Lieutenant Andrii Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation.

    4 votes
    1. [2]
      ChingShih
      Link Parent
      Good that they're starting to hit some of these huge refineries again. The Russian excuse for the incident as practicing for an evacuation is comical. When all of this is over it'll be really...

      Good that they're starting to hit some of these huge refineries again. The Russian excuse for the incident as practicing for an evacuation is comical.

      When all of this is over it'll be really interesting to read the reports on the efficacy of long-range drone attacks like this and on what impacts it had on infrastructure and logistics.

      4 votes
      1. CptBluebear
        Link Parent
        Their excuses make me snort because it rarely reflects better on them than it would have if it were Ukraine. There's at least a dozen ammo dumps and refineries that went up because supposedly...

        Their excuses make me snort because it rarely reflects better on them than it would have if it were Ukraine.

        There's at least a dozen ammo dumps and refineries that went up because supposedly someone lit a cigarette. How is gross incompetence a better excuse than a literal bomb designed to destroy? It's mindblowing how this may actually work in domestic news.

        8 votes
  17. [2]
    KapteinB
    Link
    Ukraine hits key Russian oil refinery in massive drone attack (Politico)

    Ukraine hits key Russian oil refinery in massive drone attack (Politico)

    Russia’s defense ministry claimed it shot down 121 Ukrainian drones in 11 regions, including one over Moscow.

    4 votes
    1. ChingShih
      Link Parent
      Incredible. I wonder if Russia will be producing enough essential fluids for aircraft by the end of 2025 to be able to sell anything internationally. That video is scary. Surely people should not...

      Incredible. I wonder if Russia will be producing enough essential fluids for aircraft by the end of 2025 to be able to sell anything internationally.

      That video is scary. Surely people should not stand so close to an active chemical/fuel fire?

      Interesting to hear that Russian artillery munition consumption/use is down by about half.

      1 vote
  19. KapteinB
    Link
    Landmine kills Russia’s highest-ranking official in Ukraine war (Euromaidan Press) Bad headline. What they mean is that this is the highest-ranking Russian official killed in the war so far. Sadly...

    Landmine kills Russia’s highest-ranking official in Ukraine war (Euromaidan Press)

    Sergey Efremov, deputy governor of Russia’s Primorsky Krai, was killed while returning to Russian lines in Kursk Oblast.

    Bad headline. What they mean is that this is the highest-ranking Russian official killed in the war so far. Sadly it wasn't actually Russia's highest-ranking official (Putin) who died.

    3 votes
  21. KapteinB
    Link
    Pro-Russian paramilitary leader dies in hospital after Moscow explosion (Kyiv Independent)

    Pro-Russian paramilitary leader dies in hospital after Moscow explosion (Kyiv Independent)

    Armen Sarkisyan, a pro-Russian collaborator from Donetsk Oblast wanted by Ukraine, died in the hospital after being injured in an explosion in an elite residential complex in Moscow on Feb. 3, the state news agency TASS reported, citing healthcare officials.

    3 votes
  23. KapteinB
    Link
    HIMARS Strike 'Eliminated' Entire Russian Command Post in Ukraine: Video (Newsweek)

    HIMARS Strike 'Eliminated' Entire Russian Command Post in Ukraine: Video (Newsweek)

    A Russian military headquarters in the Donetsk region was targeted by Ukrainian forces in a strike which killed a large number of commanders, it has been reported.

    Undated and unverified drone footage showed the purported strike on a building in the Russian-occupied city of Selydove which hosted the 35th separate guards motorized rifle brigade, from the 41st Combined Arms Army of Russia's Central Military District.

    2 votes