Putin’s Progress 2026
A contrast in achievements.
Putin’s Progress 2026
Christmas is Ukraine must have felt very satisfying in the Kremlin - for a short time. Russia launched more than 400 drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities. Although most were shot down, enough penetrated Ukraine’s air defences to strike civilian residential centres. The tragic deaths caused had no effect on Ukraine’s ability to conduct its defensive war and only served to make the Ukrainian people more determined to fight.
In response, Ukraine launched multiple drone and missile attacks at Russian energy and oil infrastructure. On new year’s eve the lights went out all over Moscow as temperatures fell far below zero. 600,000 Russian people lost power after electicity sub-stations were damaged by drone strikes.
Ukraine strikes continued. Russian air defences found it impossible to defend so many targets.
In Krasnodar, drones hit another oil refinery from a range of 380 km.
The Murmansk power plant was damaged once again.
Several Oil storage depots and electricity sub-stations were attacked with positive results.
On New Years’ Eve, Ukraine’s special operations forces hit oil and gas terminals near the port of Taman on the east side of Kerch Strait.
Ammo dumps and transport links were damaged delaying fuel and ammunition supplies to the front lines.
Ukraine now utilises a vast range of advanced foreign missiles
French AASM, Czech Narwhal, UK Storm Shadow, French and German Cruise missiles, Ukrainian Flamingo and US ATACMs. Each system extends Ukraine’s ability to strike deeper into Russia. Ukrainian Marine drones have defeated the Black Sea Fleet and forced them to remain in port, but even in harbour ships are proving vulnerable with a Russian submarine sunk and another damaged in port just before Christmas.
There are recent reports of an insane Russian cavalry charge near Rodyn’ske north of Pokrovsk. ‘Cavalry’ would be a loose description of infantry mounted on farm horses, but in the absence of armour, motor bikes, or fuel this was the next best thing the Russians could throw at Ukrainian defences. They were wiped out by drones but even in times of war Ukrainian operators avoided killing as many horse as possible by swooping down and spooking the animals causing them to throw their riders and then ‘eliminating’ the dismounted attackers.
The world’s 2nd most powerful army??
Near Lyman, new land robots or ‘droids’ carrying .50 browning machine guns have proved effective at defending the front lines without exposing large numbers of troops to the attacks of the weather as well as enemy troops. A single droid was responsible for holding a front-line position alone for fifty days.
Ukraine is training up to ten thousand new drone operators to operate the many new systems coming into play on land, sea, and air. Drone production is at an all time high with more than 100,000 drones manufactured every month in Ukraine. In response, Russia recruits 30,000 conscripts to feed into the battle.
Russian Soldiers surrender if they feel they are unseen, but a portion of Russian drones are now employed to execute anyone in their own ranks attempting to retreat or surrender. In Moscow and St Petersburg few people leave home without an absolute necessity. On the streets many young men are arrested on false charges for trivial offences and forced to join the military. Only the old women go to the markets.
In stark contrast to the Russians, Ukrainian morale remains high. The price they are forcing Russia to pay for small tranches of land is extreme. Although Ukrainian soldiers know they cannot look forward to an early end to the war, unlike their opponents, they are regularly rotated from the front lines, well supported with supplies and have good medical support. They also know about the continuing and increasing support they have and deserve from the western world.
The Trump/Putin alliance continues to weaken the war effort, but Trump is becoming increasingly isolated at home and abroad. The Trump/Putin peace plan is a farce. Once ‘negotiations’ get down to discussing security guarantees and territory, everything stops. Trump will promise anything tomorrow, to get what Putin wants today.
The coldest months are yet to come. Ukraine controls the air and the sea; it is only a matter of time before they control and recover their lands and defeat Russia once and for all.
Slava Ukraini 2026!
I write to fight.
Robin Horsfall
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