New Ukraine Air Defense Fires 1000 Bullets A Minute To Wipe Out Russian Drones

Good to see Germany stepping up as Putin-corrupted US Republicans delay aid. 

This is an effective system that should help counter Russian air attacks. JL 

Thibault Spirlet reports in Business Insider:

Ukraine has just received a new Western air-defense system designed to wipe out Russian drones by firing 1,000 bullets a minute. The system is designed to defend against aircraft, cruise missiles, and certain types of drones. It has an X-TAR3D target-acquisition radar, capable of identifying aerial threats within a 31-mile range. It can classify and identify air targets and provides "3D target-tracking data." Depending on the attack, up to four Mk3 revolver guns can be activated. The guns are equipped with tracking radars, TV and infrared cameras, and laser range finders, hitting targets up to about 2.5 miles away.

Google Is Finally Killing Off Tracking "Cookies." Advertisers Suffer, 'Net Users Rejoice

Internet users may start to see fewer ads which track their web usage history as Google - which controls 65% of internet traffic - starts to eliminate tracking cookies. 

Advertisers who have become dependent on cookies but have not planned for this, are suffering lost business. No one feels sorry for them. JL 

Miles Kruppa and Patience Haggin report in the Wall Street Journal:

Google will start a limited test that will restrict cookies that log the activity of internet users across websites so that advertisers can target them with relevant ads for 1% of the people who use its Chrome browser, which accounts for 65% of internet traffic worldwide,  three times as popular as Safari, the next most widely used browser. By year’s end, Google plans to eliminate cookies for all Chrome users. Google’s tools for replacing cookies are intended to help the industry meet business goals while respecting consumer privacy. This could eventually mean billions of internet users see fewer ads that appear to closely match their online-browsing habits.

At Current Loss Rate, Russia's Ukraine Casualties Will Top 500,000 By End of 2024

Russian casualties in Ukraine increased significantly in 2023. At the current loss rate, Russia is expected to suffer 500,000 dead and severely wounded by the end of 2024, in what would then be three years of war. 

By contrast, Russian losses in Afghanistan over nine years, totaled 70,000 and contributed to the end of the Soviet Union. JL

Ukraine Pravda reports:

UK Defence Intelligence has noted an increase in daily casualties in Russian forces in the war against Ukraine and predicted that at this rate, the total number will cross the 500,000 mark by 2025. In 2023, the average daily losses of Russians, both killed and wounded, increased to 300 per day, more than in 2022. If the current rate of losses continues through 2024, Russia's losses in killed and wounded will reach more than half a million. UK intelligence pointed out that during the nine years of their war in Afghanistan, the USSR lost approximately 70,000 people.

Russia Has Lost Two-Thirds Of Tanks Fighting In Ukraine, 12 In Past Day

Russia is reportedly running low on operational tanks as its losses grow, though it seems willing to replace them with older, less effective models. 

The larger issue is that it is also running out of trained tank crews, meaning that the loss ratio will continue to increase as inexperienced tankers attempt to survive on a deadly battlefield. JL 

Ellie Cook reports in Newsweek:

Moscow has lost 6,002 main battle tanks since February 2022. This includes 12 losses in the past 24 hours. Russia had 1,800 operational main battle tanks at the start of 2023. Around 10 months after the beginning of the all-out war, there were "significant losses to Russian military power, including some of its most modern equipment, particularly in its armored fighting vehicles." It lost half of its pre-war T-72 fleet and many of its later model T-80s. Moscow had to replenish these lost vehicles with older equipment

Ukraine's US Patriot Air Defense Is Besting Russian Missiles, Saving 1,000s of Lives

US- supplied Patriot air defense systems are helping Ukraine shoot down hundreds of Russian and North Korean missiles as well as helping other air defense teams destroy hundreds of Iranian drones. 

The result is that Russia has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the last few weeks to kill fewer than 100 people and do little damage to Ukrainian infrastructure. JL 

Marc Santora reports in the New York Times:

The Patriot’s radar has a range of over 93 miles and can track up to 100 targets at once. It also provides missile guidance data for multiple interceptor missiles and is resistant to electronic jamming. Ukraine has created “a unified system of interaction” that allows air-defense teams using different systems to use information collected by the Patriot crews and other sophisticated radar arrays. "The Patriot is one of few systems that can shoot down ballistic missiles (which) cause the most casualties. The number of lives saved during the war is in the thousands.”

The Reason Putin Is Desperate For A Ceasefire In Ukraine

He cannot contain his losses, the Ukrainians will never give up, he has no prospect of victory - and even if he were to conquer Ukraine at this point, it would be a ruined shell of a country with a population full of people who bitterly hate Russia and Russians, while both eager and capable of carrying on a devastating partisan campaign. And it would require massive investment for a decade or more to offer him any sort of return. 

In short, he has achieved all he is likely to do - and needs to cut his losses, probably by doing what Russia's erstwhile allies, the Egyptians and Syrians, did after their disastrous war with Israel in 1973: declare victory, have a big parade - and go home. JL 

Lawrence Freedman comments in Comment Is Freed:

Russia is still nowhere close to a satisfactory outcome. The human and material resources thrown into the Avdiivka offensive (reflect) the urgency it betrays. Russia has lost a staggering 87% of the active-duty ground troops it had prior to its invasion and two-thirds of its pre-invasion tanks. It suggests that Putin was not content with waiting and would prefer to get the whole business over and done with earlier rather than later. It would not be a surprise if Putin decided this was as good a moment as any to suggest the possibility of a cease-fire. Otherwise he would be stuck with many more months of war without tangible progress and a growing sense of futility.

Ukrainian Marines Continue To Thwart Concerted Russian Attacks

Despite brutal conditions, the Ukrainian Marines on the east bank of the Dnipro have defied all attempts to oust them. 

Which says a lot about them - and about the larger Russian forces trying to defeat them. JL  

Lizzie Johnson and Serhii Korolchuk report in the Washington Post:

Fighting toward Krynky, Ukrainian forces have established a toehold in the ruins of homes, with Russian soldiers nearby ready to seize back the land. The marines still crossing continue to face severe danger. “When everything explodes from all sides, you begin to live one minute at a time, and you don’t think about anything at all.”

Definition of Insanity: Russians Trying Same Failed Tank Attack 7 Times

There are repeated reports that the Russians have learned from their earlier mistakes. 

But given this behavior, it is not apparent what, exactly, they may have learned. JL 

David Axe reports in Forbes:

When your mechanized assault across a minefield and through a drone and artillery kill-zone toward a dug-in enemy force fails with heavy losses, what do you do next? If you’re the 25th and 138th Mechanized Brigades of Russian army, you just repeat the failed assault ... several more times into a mined kill-zone near Synkivka. The Ukrainian 14th and 30th Mechanized Brigades destroyed each column in turn, apparently reseeding the mines and resetting their defenses between attacks. The outcomes almost always are the same: Russians attack, get wrecked by the combination of mines, drones, artillery and close cannon fire, then retreat. A few days later, they try again

Ukraine Special Forces Launch Cross-Border Raid On Russia's Belgorod

Ukrainian forces are increasingly taking the fight to internal Russian targets. 

The purpose is both to degrade Russian capabilities and to deliver the message that as long as Russian aggression continues, no one in Russia is safe. JL 

Iryna Voichuk reports in Euromaidan Press:

Ukrainian Intelligence forces conducted a cross-border raid in the Belgorod Oblast of Russia, causing losses among Russian troops. This operation was part of a mission to counteract Russian sabotage and protect Ukrainian civilians near the state border who suffer from daily attacks. The raid was planned (to coincide with) a scheduled inspection by senior Russian military officials in the Grayvoron district. During the mission, the intelligence officers mined the only road used by the Russian troops in the area.

Major Retailer Drops Pepsi, Lays Products To Protest "Unacceptable Price Increases"

Shrinkflation - the reduction in quality or quantity while increasing retail prices - is being challenged as inflation is reduced but packaged goods companies refuse to give up the excess profits. 

The growing resistance signals an end to many companies excess pandemic era profits - and a significant socio-economic signal. JL  

Mauro Orru and Jennifer Maloney report in the Wall Street Journal:

One of the world’s biggest supermarket chains said it would drop PepsiCodecrease; red down pointiproducts to protest unacceptable price increases, after two years of rising prices. Carrefour, decrease;which operates thousands of stores across more than 30 countries, said it would stop selling Pepsi, Doritos and other products in four countries. Supermarket operators  have signaled concerns about rising prices as the overall rate of inflation has slowed.Carrefour’s decision on PepsiCo comes months after the retailer began attaching labels to products it claims are (representative of) shrinkflation, when the quantity of a product diminishes in its packaging but the retail price is unchanged.

The Reason Russia Is Curtailing Its Attacks Around Avdiivka

Even for Russia, there are only so many troops and armored vehicles to lose for no gain before someone starts asking questions like, "what are we accomplishing?" JL 

Ellie Cook reports in Newsweek:

Russian forces have scaled back their infantry attacks around Avdiivka. Infantry attacks have been a key part of Russia's strategy to encircle the town since it launched its offensive on Avdiivka on October 10. But it has come at a high cost, with tens of thousands killed or injured around the industrial town. "Thousands of killed Russian soldiers, nobody even took them away."

Ukraine's US Patriots Chalk Perfect Score vs Russian Hypersonic Missiles

Not only has the US-designed NATO weapon bested the supposedly invulnerable Russian missile, in doing so it improving the Patriot system's future performance against such threats by recording the ways in which it can be fired, tracked and destroyed. JL

The Kyiv Post reports:

Using the US-made Patriot air defense system, Ukraine downed 10 out of 10 of Russia’s “Kinzhal” Kh-47M2 hypersonic aeroballistic missiles that were fired at Ukrainian cities Tuesday. No country has ever repelled such an attack:Russia has used almost 300 missiles and more than 200 drones against Ukraine since Dec. 29.On that day alone Russia used 122 missiles and dozens of drones in an 18-hour bombardment that cost it at least $1.273 billion. The Tuesday attack on Ukraine likely cost Russia about $620 million.

Why In 2024 AI Has To Show It Can Make A Profit

With AI, Big Tech is once again at peak hype while staring into the trough of disillusionment. The issue is that potential corporate customers are still trying to figure out how best to use it, delaying revenue growth for providers. Concentrated domination which limits options and the threat of lawsuits like the recent New York Times legal action against Microsoft and OpenAI is also making corporations wary. 

In short, AI may still become the next big thing, but it may take longer than expected. JL

Dan Gallagher reports in the Wall Street Journal: 

One thing about 2024: AI is going to need to start showing the money. Whether it can is a whole other question. Last year’s big, speculative run added risk to the tech sector. Few companies aside from Nvidia are earning serious money on AI. Last year also saw many tech companies undergo layoffs and other restructuring as business slowed. AI will need to produce a lot of new growth to move the needle. And many corporate customers are still figuring out how they want to use the technology, which could mean limited investment activity in the near term. “We are at peak AI hype with a likely slide into the trough of disillusionment, as  GenAI revenue take longer to materialize yielding low single digit upside to CY24 revenue estimates.”

Poland: "Respond To Latest Onslaught In Language Putin Understands"

Fighting words from Poland's Foreign Minister reflect growing global frustration with Russia's barbaric targeting of civilians. 

An increasing number of European countries are now calling for providing Ukraine with more long range missiles. JL

Martin Fornusek reports in the Kyiv Independent:

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called on Jan. 3 for the provision of long-range missiles to Ukraine and tighter sanctions against Russia in response to a recent mass strike against Ukrainian cities. "We should respond to the latest onslaught on Ukraine in language that (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin understands." The "best way to ensure Moscow's aggression does not continue into another year is to provide Ukraine with the means needed to defend itself."

How Ukrainian Marines Are Destroying Russian Airborne Division At Krynky

A few hundred Ukrainian Marines backed by drones and artillery have imposed 'exceptionally heavy losses' on a new Russian airborne division rushed to the front to try to stop them.

They have done it by annihilating Russian attempts to attack with men and vehicles. And the Ukrainians have shot down so many Russian planes and helicopters the Russian air force is now resisting orders to provide support. JL 

RO 37 reports in Daily Kos:

The threat of Ukrainian strategic gains appears to have forced Russia to mortgage its future combat power to stabilize its situation in the short term. The 35th Marines sent to Krynky draw Russian troops into Ukrainian artillery and drone kill zones. The 104th Guards Airborne Division, after less than two months of trainings, suffered “exceptionally heavy losses” in its attacks, which comports with verified Russian equipment losses in the area of valuable modern APCs , T-72 and T-80 tanks, and self-propelled mortars. The operational goal (is) to efficiently destroy the enemy with as few losses of valuable assets as practicable.

US Under Increasing Pressure To Give Ukraine Decommissioned ATACM Missiles

 

Thousands of the US' supply of ATACMS long distance missiles are scheduled to be replaced by a newer model. The US would ordinarily decommission and destroy them - and is considering doing so - but is under growing pressure to give them to Ukraine, which desperately needs them, especially in light of recent Russian attacks on civilian targets across its countries. 

The decommissioning of such ordnance is expensive so gifting the missiles would be less costly to US taxpayers - and it would help Ukraine in its war with Russia. JL 

Ellie Cook reports in Newsweek:

Questions are emerging over the future of U.S. stockpiles of expired ATACMS. There are "tens of thousands" of outdated rockets of various types waiting to be destroyed that Ukraine could fire from HIMARS. The U.S. has sent 20 ATACMS so far which  were used "immediately and with great effect" by Ukraine. From where the front lines are currently located, Ukraine's M39 ATACMS can reach the Sea of Azov and target key assets in Russian-occupied territory. "These missiles add a range, accuracy and lethality that Ukraine does not have without this donation." The U.S. is looking towards its new Precision Strike Missile to take the ATACMS' place.

Russian Officers At Krynky Ordered "Zhukov Maneuver, " Code For Suicide Attacks

A Zhukov Maneuver is ordering soldiers to walk across an enemy minefield to explode the mines so that follow up troops can attack. 

It was made infamous by WWII Russian General Georgi Zhukov. Apparently it worked better against the Germans than it has against the Ukrainian defenders of the cross-Dnipro bridgehead, which the Russians have continually failed to dislodge despite sacrificing thousands of troops. JL 

David Axe reports in Forbes:

Russians are dying by the hundred in doomed assaults across minefields around the muddy fishing hamlet and adjacent forest plantations. Outnumbered Ukrainians managed to achieve superiority in artillery and drones by grounding Russia’s drones with radio-jamming, then launching their drones to hunt Russian howitzers and rocket-launchers. “An order was received to destroy the enemy with a Zhukov maneuver, just like 80 years ago.” Russian General Georgy Zhukov became notorious for clearing German minefields by ordering his soldiers to ... walk across them. The 104th Air Assault Division “lost unique specialists, but the situation on the battlefield did not change” as Ukraine remined at night.

Ukrainian HIMARS Destroy Russia's Newest Mobile Radar System

A sophisticated, high value target designed to identify enemy artillery is destroyed by Ukrainian drones and special operators guiding HIMARS strikes, revealing Ukraine's growing technological effectiveness - as well as Russian weapons' continued vulnerability. JL

Oleksandr Shumilin reports in Ukraine Pravda:

Ukraine Special Operations, together with the 140th Separate Mechanised Brigade used HIMARS to attack the most advanced Russian radar system, which is able to track the trajectory of enemy projectiles and calculate the exact coordinates of the positions of its artillery. "On one of the southern fronts, a UAV crew discovered the 1K148 Yastreb-AV artillery reconnaissance system. Special operators and the 140th Brigade carried out an attack with HIMARS. As a result of the fire damage, the system was destroyed." Ukrainian soldiers posted a video of the strike on social media.

Venture Capital 2024: AI, Down Rounds, Europe, China, Secondary Transactions

The good news is that 2024 is not expected to be as bad as 2022 and 2023. The Fed has tamed inflation without sparking a recession and interest rate decreases are possible. 

As for opportunity, AI - and especially generative AI - is still dominated by a few major companies - which is unlikely to change. Tech valuations remain high. China is going to be a tough market, particularly in an election year, but Europe offers possibilities. It is, in sum, not the worst of times, but probably not yet a return to the golden days of yore. JL 

Theresa Hajer and colleagues report in Cambridge Associates:

The VC market will be a mixed bag in 2024. Among existing investments, valuations will decrease. AI will continue to serve as a major catalyst, supporting new investments, (but) deep-pocketed incumbents largely control generative AI. High-quality European turnaround and value should serve investors well. For China VC, US political rhetoric could deter some US and European investors from committing. In 2024, dry powder in the global secondaries market is projected to be $220 billion. The market will be driven by the substantial amount of dry powder, narrowing of the bid-ask spread and the continuing need for liquidity among LPs.

Ukraine Attacks Russian 'Elites'' New Year's Party At Occupied Donetsk Hotel

Suspending disbelief at the notion there is an elite, five star hotel in occupied Donetsk, reports reveal that Ukraine attacked said hotel with missiles, on News Year's Day as it hosted a party attended by Russian officers, local 'elites,' visitors from Moscow - and professional escorts. 

One Russian commander was killed and several guests, including Russian journalists, were wounded. JL

Jon Jackson reports in Newsweek:

Ukraine's military attacked an exclusive hotel in downtown Donetsk shortly after midnight on New Year's Day, and important Russians were gathered at the establishment. Members of the Russian "elite" based in occupied Donetsk were attending a New Year's dinner with guests from Moscow at the time of the attack (including) "Russian officers, journalists, other VIPs and some professional escorts. A military commander was killed, and there are wounded journalists. Pro-Russian regime channels have been quite upset."

Russia Spent $620 Million On Kyiv Missile Attack With No Military Consequences

Russia has spent billions over the last few days, launching terror attacks on civilian targets which have virtually no impact on Ukraine's ability to make war - and with only limited, reparable damage to civilian infrastructure. 

The amount spent on today's attacks alone on Kyiv and Kharkiv totalled approximately $620 million. JL

Yahoo News reports:

A missile attack on Ukraine on 2 January cost Russia US$620 million. Russia attacked with Shahed-136/131 UAVs – all 35 destroyed. Tu-95MS bombers launched 70 Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles. Russia also launched 10 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles from MiG-31K fighters, 3 Kalibr cruise missiles; 12 Iskander-M/S-300/S-400 missiles; 4 Kh-31P anti-radar missiles. Ukraine destroyed all 10 KH-47M2 Kinzhal missiles, 59 out of 70 Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 missiles and all 3 Kalibr missiles. The cost of one Kh-101 missile – US$13 million, Kalibr – US$6.5 million, Iskander – US$3 million, Onix – US$1.25 million, Kh-22 – US$1 million, Tochka system – US$0.3 million, Kh-55 – US$2 million, Kh-555 – US$4 million, Kh-47 Kinzhal – US$15 million, Shahed – US$50,000.

How Generative AI Is Becoming Central To Cyberattacks In 2024

This is not unexpected, but major tech platforms and providers are warning the process is accelerating because generative AI allows cybercriminals to find new ways to exploit weaknesses faster. JL

Venture Beat reports:

Attackers will strengthen their arsenals with generative AI in 2024. Attackers know where the most vulnerable gaps are across threat surfaces, and they’re using gen AI to find new ways to exploit them. IBM implies that attack strategies will take a more multidimensional approach, with more sophisticated social engineering tactics created using gen AI leading the way. Cybercriminals have had limited success monetizing the data they’ve exfiltrated from companies. Gen AI is already changing that by allowing for the data to be filtered, correlated and categorized in minutes. Thus, attackers’ strategies will look more like a customer acquisition process

Pressure Grows To Give Ukraine $300 Billion Russian Assets As Missiles Hit Civilians

Russia's blatant attacks on civilian Ukrainian targets are spiking growing outrage - and calls to give Ukraine frozen Russian assets. JL 

The Washington Post editorializes:

A wave of missiles and drones marked the largest one-day aerial attack on Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion. The barrage ripped into 45 multistory schools, churches, hospitals, maternity wards, shopping centers and warehouses. It killed 40 people in all. Absent congressional action, pressure will grow for the United States and Europe to seize $300 billion in frozen Russian assets and turn them over to Ukraine. The Congressional appropriation is a small fraction of U.S. economy but a sizable investment in deterring wider cross-border aggression by Russia and others.

Ukraine Downs 72 of 99 Missiles Russia Fired At Civilian Targets In Cities

Ukrainian air defenses have proven resilient and effective as the country endures Russia's expected new year's terror assault on its civilian infrastructure. 

The Kremlin is hoping to force Ukraine to expend as much of its air defense ammunition as possible while the US Congress is in recess - and before it is shamed into resuming military support. Ukraine has been aware of this plan for some time and has taken appropriate steps. It is also being reinforced by individual European nations increasing their supply of new weaponry. JL

The Kyiv Post reports:

Russia on Tuesday, Jan. 2, again rained missiles on the Ukrainian capital and other cities, killing at least five people and injuring dozens, hitting high-rise buildings and sparking fires. Russia fired at least 99 missiles, but Ukraine downed 72 of them. 250,000 went without power in the Kyiv region after Russian strikes. Two people died and 49 people were injured in a multi-storey residential building in the Solomyanskiy district, where a fire occurred as a result of a rocket attack.

How Russia's Increasingly Pyrrhic "Victories" Reveal It Is Losing

A few more 'victories' like the assault on Marinka, as well as the attacks on Avdiivka, Kupiansk, Krynky and other fortified Ukrainians bastions and the Russians may be incapable of further battle. 

Putin is pushing his army and air force to attack Ukraine with everything they have right now as the Republican politicians on his payroll in the US Congress withhold further military aid. But the problem is that he is scraping the bottom of his already empty barrel. Russian public opinion polls show that support for his war is fading. Mothers and wives of soldiers are becoming increasingly bold in their complaints - and his troops keep losing even as they are being slaughtered. This is not a long term strategy, it is a last throw of the dice. JL

Erin Snodgrass reports in Business Insider:

Russia has failed to pull off any offensive operation that led to forward movement since the spring. "The story of Marinka is the cost at which it was captured, not the  utility of its capture. A flattened town is hardly the  strongpoint from which one wants to be projecting power. A small, completely destroyed settlement does not offer Russian forces a secure operational foothold from which to launch further offensive operations. Brutal, drawn-out, attritional fighting to advance barely a kilometer is a staggering cost for which the Russians will continue to pay. The assault on Marinka has left Russian forces with "severely degraded" capabilities. The Ukrainians have pulled back but are still right in the vicinity."

Ukraine's Most Important Battles of 2023

Ukrainian forces' 2023 was characterized by stubborn defense, innovative weapons, tactical surprises - and a determined will to resist despite Russia's superior manpower and access to equipment.   

The biggest lesson learned is that a determined army, equipped with superior weapons, creative strategy and capable leaders can defeat a larger enemy. JL

Igor Kossov reports in the Kyiv Independent, image Kostya Liberov, Libkos-Getty:

The year 2023 was one battle of attrition after another, with destruction and loss of life on a shocking scale. From Bakhmut to Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Kupiansk, air defense, the Black Sea, the cross-Dnipro/Krynky and Avdiivka, the Kremlin sacrificed hundreds of thousands of men and their equipment. The trinity of dismounted infantry, drones and artillery have been the defining models of combat in the past 12 months.

Ukraine 'Sea Baby' Drones Attack Russian Ships With Flamethrowers

A naval ship's worst threat is fire, so Ukraine has designed a new naval drone - equipped with a flamethrower. JL 

Brendan Cole reports in Newsweek:

Ukraine showed "unique footage of combat between Ukrainian drones and Russian coastal ships—the first of such kind in history." Ukrainian forces used drones armed with flamethrowers against Russian ships. The Sea Baby carries a pay load of 1,900 pounds, is equipped with a $300,000 communication system and has a flamethrower system. The Sea Baby devices are being developed by engineers, IT specialists and naval personnel. "No private companies are involved in this." Another drone Kyiv is using is the Mamai, a kamikaze drone that can deliver a payload of 990 pounds of explosives.

Russia's Failure At Avdiivka Exposes Weakness of Putin's Strategy

Russia cannot sustain the losses superior western weapons are inflicting on its men and armor around Avdiivka.

That exposes the bankruptcy of Putin's ostensible strategy to outlast the Ukrainians and explains why his forces are so desperate to win now - and why they are failing to do so. JL 

David Axe reports in Forbes:

The battle for Avdiivka has been a disaster for Russia. It’s the kind of fight the Kremlin can’t afford if its goal is to grind away Ukraine’s military. It’s the Russians who are getting ground down. Two Russian field armies attacked the Ukrainian garrison at Avdiivka. It was the main attack of Russia’s third annual winter offensive in its 22-month wider war on Ukraine. And it failed. The Ukrainian 47th Brigade, with its US-made M-2 Bradley fighting vehicles and German-made Leopard 2 tanks, is killing Russians by the truckload. Russian losses compared to Ukrainian losses greatly favors Ukraine. Around Avdiivka, it might be 10 to one as M-2 crews go about their work.

How Ukraine's Blowing Up Russian Ship Was More Effective Than Russia's Missile Attack On Civilians

Ukraine targeted and destroyed an irreplacable Russian military asset, killing almost its entire crew, blowing up the ammunition it was carrying, embarrassing Putin and causing him to order that any surviving officers 'be sent to the front.' All for a minimal cost.

Russia launched an attack on civilian targets which cost hundreds of millions of dollars, had no measurable impact on Ukraine's ability to wage war, did no significant damage to infrastructure or power generation, hardened Ukrainian resolve and caused such outrage globally that arms shipments to Ukraine are increasing. JL

Phillips O'Brien reports in his substack: 

In blowing up the Novocherkassk, the Ukrainians destroyed a high value, irreplaceable target, which had the secondary benefit of destroying the cargo on the target, and they did it at the cost of a very small number of missiles. The cost the Ukrainians paid is many times smaller than the costs they incurred on the Russians. The achievements for the Russians massive missile and drone attack seem very small by comparison.158 missiles/drones were used against Ukraine, and the Ukrainians shot down 114; almost all the cruise missiles (87) and Shaheds (27). It was extremely expensive for the Russians to launch, had no measurable result on Ukraine’s ability to wage war, caused no significant damage to Ukrainian infrastructure.

Russia Admits Belgorod Civilian Deaths Caused By Own Misfired Missiles

After falsely claiming Ukraine purposely hit civilian targets in Belgorod - and calling a UN Security Council meeting, where they were roundly condemned for their hypocrisy following the massive Russian attacks on, among other targets - a maternity hospital and a mall - the Russian defense ministry was forced to admit that the Belgorod casualties were caused by errant Russian air defense missiles. JL 

Euromaidan Press reports:

Russian sources reported the Ukrainians purposefully hit civilians as an act of retribution for Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities. (But) the Russian Ministry of Defense subsequently admitted the destruction was caused by air defense misfire. Explosions were reported in the middle of Belgorod City. Ukrainian special force representatives reported that they did not have any targets inside the city and that the destruction was caused by the ineptitude of the Russian air defense operators (who have) proved they pose a greater threat to their own aviation rather than Ukrainian because, over the last month, the Russian air defense destroyed 2 Russian fighter jets, killing all pilots.

Why Wall Street Is So Optimistic About the Economy In 2024

The Fed and President Biden's economic policies appear to have eliminated the chance of a recession and interest rates are now expected to start declining, leading to improved corporate, stock and bond market performance. Most companies have figured out the work from home/return to the office situation and hiring remains well balanced.

Plus, of special significance this election year, the markets have risen in 73% of election years since 1929. JL 

Charley Grant reports in the Wall Street Journal:

Behind the dramatic turn in attitude is a growing belief among investors that the Federal Reserve’s campaign to fight inflation is winding down, ending the interest-rate hikes that buffeted markets in recent years. The year culminated with an “everything rally” that pushed prices higher in nearly every asset class, including stocks, bonds, gold and even cryptocurrencies. The S&P 500 returned 24%. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield settled at 3.860%. Wall Street’s fear gauge, the Cboe Volatility Index, closed at 12.52, near several-year lows. Wall Street is expecting a return to brisk growth in corporate profits. (And) the S&P 500 has risen in 73.9% of presidential election years since 1929

Ukrainian Drone Strikes Get Through Defenses, Hit Multiple Targets In Russia

Ukraine launched 70 drones. Russia claims it shot down 32. Do the math. JL\

Ukraine Pravda reports:

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed that Ukrainian drones launched over the past day likely hit many of their intended targets in Russia, as evidenced by a difference in numbers: the Ukrainians announced more than 70 drones launched, the Russians said 32 had been intercepted. Ukrainian forces launched drones at Russian military infrastructure and defence and industrial facilities near Moscow, Belgorod, Tula, Tver and Bryansk, including the Kremniy EL plant in Bryansk, which is Russia's second-largest microelectronics producer.

Hype Alert: Every New Product and Service In 2024 Will Claim To Be AI-Driven

Some of those claims might even be true. Some might actually provide worthwhile performance enhancements. But this is tech. Gird yourself for the AI hype that doesn't deliver - and isn't even relevant. JL

Boone Ashworth reports in Wired:

And this year, many of the products debuting are going to be garnished with heaping globs of AI. Expect to see AI everywhere: in cars, scooters, headphones, cameras, speakers, and televisions. In some cases, these products will simply include another way to access a ChatGPT-style question-and-response service to handle spoken commands. “AI is like the internet; it’s a huge ingredient. “We didn’t get the full CES fire hose of AI announcements last year like we’re going to have. If you thought it was a wave last year, it's going to be a tsunami this year.”

More Russian Soldiers' Wives, Mothers Demand Putin Bring Troops Home

The wives and mothers of Russian soldiers deployed to Ukraine are becoming increasingly aggressive in their attempts to get their loved ones home, despite threats from Russian authorities. 

Cowed at first, they now feel they have nothing to lose as the Kremlin has made it clear they will be ignored or persecuted. The tape on the jacket of a woman at a demonstration reads, 'bring my husband home, I'm tired of it.' 

Robyn Dixon and Natalia Abbumakova report in the Washington Post:

The loved ones of the drafted Russian soldiers forced to fight in Ukraine indefinitely have emerged as the wild card in Putin’s highly stage-managed election campaign that will allow him to rule until at least 2030. There is no easy answer to women furious that their sons and husbands are being forced to fight on until the end of the war. An increasingly strident Telegram group, “The Way Home,” is leading the campaign to bring men home. Military officers have threatened to send soldiers to front-line assaults, unless they silence their wives. Nothing can stop the women because they have nothing to lose. Their men are facing such conditions that women are not afraid of anything.”

Russia's Ukraine Casualties Up 300 Per Day Due To Lower Quality Army Personnel

Russian casualties in Ukraine have increased by 300 soldiers per day, on average, due to the lower quality of the troops being sent to the front, as well as their inadequate training. The change has been noticeable since the partial mobilization effort in the fall of 2022 as 90% of the troops who were originally sent to invade are now either dead or have been invalided out of the military. 

Analysts estimate Russia is on track to reach 500,000 casualties from the start of the invasion to next year. JL

James Bickerton reports in Newsweek:

Russian personnel losses in Ukraine have increased by "almost 300 per day," compared to those in 2022, due to Moscow's growing reliant on a "lower quality, high quantity mass army." "The increase in daily averages reflects the degradation of Russia's forces and its transition to a lower quality, high quantity mass army since the 'partial mobilisation' of reservists in September 2022. It will take Russia five to ten years to rebuild a cohort of  trained and experienced military units." The analysis said that Russia is on track to suffer 500,000 killed and wounded by the beginning of 2025, a figure dwarfing Russian losses in any other conflict since World War II.

Ukraine's Agents Inside Russia Are Causing Significant Damage To Rail Logistics

There are only two rail lines that travel the length of Russia to carry military aid from North Korea and China. Ukrainian agents have seriously damaged both. 

The Ukrainians have also targeted rail lines leading to Belarus, from Crimea to the southern Ukrainian front, computer control networks and ports. The Ukrainian attacks have been audacious, clever - and designed to do long-term damage. This war is far from stalemated. JL 

Marc Santora reports in the New York Times:

Saboteurs placed explosives on a Russian freight train carrying diesel and jet fuel, 3,000 miles from the Ukrainian border. They blew it up as the 50 rail cars were traveling through a nine-mile-long tunnel, the longest in Russia. A second explosion on an alternate train route followed within 48 hours. The Ukrainians compromised a vital conduit for weapons being shipped to Russia from North Korea. There are only two rail lines that cover the expanse of Russia and that link it to China. Ukrainian partisans also blew up a freight train on Dec. 15 transporting ammunition and fuel from Russian-occupied Crimea to Melitopol. It also destroyed sensitive equipment that performs train monitoring and signaling.