This refinery was already burning after a strike six months ago.
https://x.com/Tendar/status/1869611017778684297
0:26 video at the link above.
Posted on 02/24/2024 5:59:01 AM PST by SpeedyInTexas
This list only includes destroyed vehicles and equipment of which photo or videographic evidence is available. Therefore, the amount of equipment destroyed is significantly higher than recorded here. Loitering munitions, drones used as unmanned bait, civilian vehicles and derelict equipment are not included in this list. All possible effort has gone into avoiding duplicate entries and discerning the status of equipment between captured or abandoned. Many of the entries listed as 'abandoned' will likely end up captured or destroyed. Similarly, some of the captured equipment might be destroyed if it can't be recovered. When a vehicle is captured and then lost in service with its new owners, it is only added as a loss of the original operator to avoid double listings. When the origin of a piece of equipment can't be established, it's not included in the list. The Soviet flag is used when the equipment in question was produced prior to 1991. This list is constantly updated as additional footage becomes available.
(Excerpt) Read more at oryxspioenkop.com ...
Kremlin snuff box, 12/19/24
https://t.me/s/kremlin_secrets
Three important results of Vladimir Putin’s direct speech. Should we wait for the end of the SVO?
Well, friends, Vladimir Putin accomplished a feat of sorts - his direct line this year lasted almost 4.5 hours. [ Note that according to an anonymous poll on this channel, 52% did not watch the speech ]. Of course, we will not mention all the important statements; our colleagues from other channels have already dealt with this. We have highlighted 3 points for you that are worth paying attention to.
Firstly, the President promised to liberate the Kursk region. We previously wrote that the military was tasked with doing this before February 1, 2025 [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/5038 ]. Vladimir Vladimirovich wisely decided not to announce this date. According to our data, also because some generals promised to liberate the entire Kursk region before Trump’s inauguration. Optimistic, but hardly possible, alas.
Secondly, the President made it clear ( primarily to the Americans ) that there is no great interest in an instant ceasefire and the end of the SVO. We will consider the political aspect of the negotiations below; what is more important here is that no statements about demobilization were made.
And this only confirms our insides - Valery Gerasimov managed to persuade the President not to let some people leave the front. Demobilization will definitely not be announced on December 31, but another date is being considered - February 1, 2025 [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/5046 ].
We know for sure that questions about the demobilization of the military were sent to Putin from all over the country. Unfortunately, there was no honest answer. We will talk about the format of demobilization in a separate post later.
Thirdly, several strong signals were made to the West. The President really liked “Oreshnik”. He even saw this missile with his own eyes, after one of the samples hit the Yuzhmash plant in Dnepropetrovsk. The Oreshnik missile is a mechanism for putting pressure on Western elites.
What is significant is non-nuclear pressure, although Oreshnik is capable of carrying a nuclear charge. We wrote earlier that the West was not very afraid of the new Russian missile, but the head of the SVR, Naryshkin, reported to Putin that the West was afraid of Oreshnik, especially the Americans.
The proposal to strike Kyiv with Oreshnik is a direct threat to Ukraine. We will not evaluate this statement, but why not strike first to show the full power of Russian weapons? This is much clearer.
It is also important to note the successes of our troops at the front - we are moving, and this is good. If this trend continues, then negotiations with Trump on Ukraine will simply not be necessary, the Kremlin believes.
But the Ministry of Defense has a different opinion. They indicate a high level of losses in armored vehicles. These figures have not been reported to the President for a long time, as this greatly upsets Vladimir Vladimirovich.
However, the President expects direct negotiations with Trump in the first quarter of 2025. And not only about Ukraine. Assad’s flight greatly affected the negotiating positions on Syria [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/5005 ].
The Kremlin directly accuses Erdogan of treason [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/5011 ], but, of course, it’s not worth talking about this publicly. Türkiye now plays an important role in the region; it is better to build at least some kind of partnership than to destroy everything to the ground.
Kremlin snuff box. 12/19/24
https://t.me/s/kremlin_secrets
A decision has been made about banning the dollar in Russia. It will be reviewed in two months
Vladimir Putin will not ban the dollar and euro in Russia for now. According to a source in the Central Bank, the President made this decision after a recent meeting with representatives of big business.
“The issue of banning the dollar was indeed considered ( as we wrote - ed. [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/4959 ]). But Vladimir Vladimirovich made the right decision. There will be no ban. And this means that there won’t even be a dollar at 400 rubles [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/4958 ].
The Central Bank is confident that this is exactly what the exchange rate of the American currency would be if it were banned. At the same time, it would still not be possible to ban the dollar and the euro. They would be sold on the black market, they would influence prices in the country,” our interlocutor noted.
In his opinion, next year the dollar in Russia will cost 120, maximum 130 rubles. “And then there are many factors that influence us - from how long the SVO will last to whether there will be new sanctions,” the source added.
Philosopher Alexander Dugin, one of the initiators of the ban on the dollar and euro [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/4988 ], confirmed to us that Putin refused to make the corresponding decision.
“But this is temporary. I know for sure that in 2 months the issue will be reconsidered. And the satanic American currency, I am sure, will be prohibited,” noted Alexander Gelevich.
Bashar al-Assad look alike
Sanctions work, says Putin.
“International sanctions are affecting growing prices in Russia, but there are also shortcomings by Russian authorities, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his annual press conference and a call-in program on Dec. 19, state news agency TASS reported.
...there are mounting warning signs regarding Russia’s economy ahead of 2025.
“The sanctions are having an effect,” Putin said when talking about the surging inflation and prices in Russia. The country’s annual inflation rate rose 9.2-9.3% while the ruble oscillates around 100 to the U.S. dollar. (less than a penny ruble)
...The combined effect of sanctions and inflation is beginning to threaten the Russian economy in various sectors, including automotive, aviation, and retail. (property developers, banks, mining and of course oil, and especially natural gas).
This refinery was already burning after a strike six months ago.
https://x.com/Tendar/status/1869611017778684297
0:26 video at the link above.
“The fire also affected the refinery’s ELOU-AVT-2.5 catalytic cracking unit, according to the General Staff.”
That is a/the essential component in the chain - the separation tower, or Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit.
From Wikipedia:
“There are several different proprietary designs that have been developed for modern FCC units. Each design is available under a license that must be purchased from the design developer by any petroleum refining company desiring to construct and operate an FCC of a given design.”
They may have a parts problem to restore, due to sanctions.
Russian Central Bank meets tomorrow (20 Dec) to review interest rates.
2 full points (200 basis points) increase expected, to 23%.
That will hobble an economy...
Will Europe step up to defend against Putin? (EU Summit this week)
Kyiv Post reports:
“Poland is to use its upcoming European Union presidency to accelerate discussions on Ukraine’s integration into both NATO and the EU, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Lviv.
Tusk added that Ukraine’s future—and, by extension, the future of Poland and Europe—depends on decisive, collective action in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression...
...The press conference, held in advance of a major EU summit in Brussels later this week, was a clear message to European leaders that Ukraine’s integration into Europe’s political and security structures is not just an ambition, but an urgent necessity.”
“Nuclear” option against Russia being discussed. Trump’s hammer?
Kyiv Indepent reports (from Bloomberg):
“The G7 countries are considering tightening the price cap on Russian oil, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 19, citing its sources.
The move comes as Russia’s fossil fuel industry remains a primary source of funding for its war against Ukraine.
Discussions reportedly include lowering the current $60-per-barrel cap to approximately $40 or even implementing a complete ban on Russian oil supplies. While talks are ongoing, no consensus has been reached, according to Bloomberg’s sources.”
Kremlin snuff box, 12/20/24
https://t.me/s/kremlin_secrets
More than 300 North Korean soldiers died at the front. They wanted to transfer the Koreans to the DPR and Zaporozhye region, but so far they have changed their minds
Speculation and outright fakes about the participation of the North Korean military in the battles in the Kursk region continue to multiply. In this regard, we simply must provide a few verified facts regarding this topic.
Firstly, at the moment, a total of 304 military personnel from the DPRK have died in the Kursk region ( including 29 soldiers who became victims of saboteurs in Kursk, we wrote about this [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/5039 ]). These are fresh figures confirmed by several sources in the Ministry of Defense.
Secondly, fighting the North Koreans are still “so-so” [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/5031 ]. “Some are progressing, but overall there are problems. Some of the fighters from the DPRK wanted to be transferred to the zone of the North Military District - to the DPR and Zaporozhye region. But for now they have changed their minds. They will not strengthen our troops now in those sectors of the front,” noted the channel’s interlocutor among the military.
Thirdly, there remains a serious problem - the language barrier. “Officers do not have time to use the dictionaries that were made for them [ https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/4808 ]. We will organize Russian language courses for Koreans. If we can’t train them, we will teach our military Korean what to do,” a source close to Andrei Belousov told us.
Russian Central Bank left interest rates unchanged at its rate meeting (21%), surprising analysts, who expected a large 2 point rise.
I guess it wasn’t worth dying over.
Was this the experiment that Putin talked about in his recent annual Q&A? Or possibly an experiment, to see how an Oreshnik experiment might fare?
Kyiv independent reports:
“Russia launched a series of missile attacks against Kyiv on the morning of Dec. 20, reportedly killing one person, injuring 12, and causing damage across the city.
Multiple explosions were reported in Kyiv around 7 a.m. local time, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that air defenses were operating over the city.
Russia attacked the capital with five ballistic missiles of the Iskander-M or the North Korean KN-23 model (a somewhat larger North Korean equivalent of the Iskander), the Air Force said.”
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 19, 2024
Putin is apparently embarrassed to admit his need for North Korean forces to push Ukrainian forces out of Russian territory, despite his openness about the Russia-North Korea relationship. Putin notably did not mention North Korea during the entire four and a half hours of his Direct Line press conference and instead highlighted the Russian 155th Naval Infantry Brigade (Pacific Fleet, Eastern Military District [EMD]) for its participation in combat operations in Kursk Oblast.[21] Russian milbloggers have recently attributed the seizure of Plekhovo, Kursk Oblast in part to elements of the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade and North Korean forces, and one milblogger claimed that elements of two unspecified Russian brigades have claimed responsibility for the seizure even though North Korean forces had seized the settlement with no assistance from Russian forces.[22] North Korean forces reportedly trained at Russian military facilities in Primorsky Krai, including in Vladivostok where the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade is based.[23] Putin’s decision not to recognize North Korean forces’ contributions to combat operations is likely placing limits on the extent of the aid that Russia can get from North Korea as Putin tries to minimize evidence of their help. The Kremlin would very likely struggle to conceal larger numbers of North Korean forces fighting within Kursk Oblast or in Ukraine itself, for example.
Putin continues to falsely posture the Russian economy as strong and stable while deflecting blame for economic issues onto the Russian Central Bank. Putin characterized the Russian economy as “stable and reliable” but acknowledged that inflation rates have reached 9.2 to 9.3 percent and ordered the Central Bank to “bring these rates down to earth.”[30] Putin claimed that Russia is a strong state that is only becoming stronger and more independent in the last two or three years of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Putin claimed that Russia is able to “stand confidently on its own two feet” in terms of its economy and noted that Russia remains one of the world’s main food exporters, neglecting to mention Russia’s continued illegal export of stolen grain from occupied Ukraine. Putin insinuated that the Russian Central Bank and its head, Elvira Nabiullina, mishandled rising Russian interest rates and noted that the Russian government’s economic policies had “some shortcomings,” likely in an attempt to deflect blame for rising interest rates and inflation on another Russian official. In reality, Putin’s personal desire to insulate the Russian people from the economic and other impacts of the war in Ukraine is likely hindering the Central Bank’s ability to respond to the economic pressures of Western sanctions and rising labor shortages.
The Ukrainian government, in contrast, appears to be addressing the economic impacts of the war more effectively than Russia, despite also suffering devastating economic consequences from the same war. The Economist reported on December 19 that Ukraine’s currency conversion rates are currently stable and that the Ukrainian Central Bank forecasts that Ukraine’s GDP will grow by four percent in 2024 and 4.3 percent in 2025.[31] The Russian Central Bank, in comparison, recently announced that it expects Russia’s GDP to grow by 0.5 to 1.5 percent in 2025.[32] Ukraine’s interest rate is currently at a 30-month low at 13.5 percent compared to Russia’s current high interest rate of 21 percent, which some Russian sources have speculated will rise to 23 percent following a Russian Central Bank meeting on December 20.[33]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-19-2024
The previous record was 2,030 29NOV https://freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/4219673/posts?page=8864#8864
JUST IN: Russian military strikes control room of Ukraine's Secret Service (SBU). pic.twitter.com/kYV6AEZ5nO— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) December 20, 2024
It wasn't very secret and as a puppet of the West, I wonder how many Americans, British, and French were in that Bldg?
Earlier today:
Today Russian central bank meets to discuss interest rates in 5th floor basement with large windows with excellent views all the way to Siberia. Tea will be served.
https://x.com/DarthPutinKGB/status/1870024660013994445
No increase:
The Central Bank, contrary to forecasts, kept the key rate at 21%
https://echofm.online/news/czentrobank-vopreki-prognozam-sohranil-klyuchevuyu-stavku-na-urovne-v-21
🚨Update: Kiev was hit by a Russian Oreshnik hypersonic missile! US and NATO air defenses are useless against them!
Putin proves hit point about the Duel between Russia missiles vs NATO air defenses. pic.twitter.com/ulmHocPJjW— US Civil Defense News (@CaptCoronado) December 20, 2024
Tanked Putin: I think we will be able to keep our military bases in Syria. The locals seem to love us 💕
https://x.com/TankedPutin/status/1870099050378224121
video
JUST IN: Russian President Putin says Ukraine is led by "godless people." pic.twitter.com/rciUvfa8hU— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) December 20, 2024
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