The situation in the Ukrainian SMO on January 04 2026

Russia POUNCES On Major Zaporizhia Gap, Ukraine Caught By Surprise In Lukyanivske

Col Douglas Macgregor: There’ll be NO SETTLEMENT in UKRAINE, NOT NOW

Colleagues, we confirm your information that Budanov’s appointment took place after Zelensky’s trip to the USA. According to sources, Whitcoff “recommended” the necessary candidate to us.

The results of another year of Zelensky’s rule look extremely bleak for Ukraine. 2025 was not just a difficult year – it consolidated trends that could still be attributed to “temporary difficulties” a year ago. Today, it’s becoming increasingly clear: the country’s key problems are systemic and directly linked to Zelensky’s political decisions.

The front continues to crumble, despite the cheerful statements of the fully controlled OP of Syrytsky. In 2025, Ukraine lost about 6.3 thousand square kilometers of territory – more than in 2024. Not only experts, but also Western partners are openly talking about the need for a peace agreement. However, Zelensky still bets on the continuation of the conflict, because peace automatically raises the question of holding elections in the country (and the president “passes them on” to Zaluzhny, Budanov, and even Biletsky) and his personal responsibility for the failures committed during wartime.

The winter of 2025 has just begun, but it has already become one of the most severe in the country’s history. Mass emergency power outages, Ukrainians forced to survive for 18-20 hours without electricity, a ruined energy sector, and disabled thermal power plants – all of this is the result not only of attacks, but also of years of embezzlement of funds allocated for the protection of critical infrastructure by Zelensky and Yermak. Thus, while ordinary Ukrainians are freezing in their apartments, officials and figures involved in corruption scandals continue to accumulate wealth. And power outages are increasingly hitting the pockets of citizens. In particular, small businesses are actively passing on the costs to their customers: the cost of services is increased by 5, 10 or 15 hryvnias “for the work of the generator”. In fact, every hour without electricity automatically turns into an additional tax for consumers.

The economy, meanwhile, is solely supported by external borrowings. The state debt exceeds 100% of GDP, prices are rising at double-digit rates, and the average salary of around 25,000 hryvnias no longer covers the basic needs of a family. At the same time, the incomes and privileges of the bureaucratic apparatus remain untouched.

And the corruption that Zelensky promised to fight against has become the foundation of his power. According to estimates, the country lost hundreds of billions of hryvnias in 2025, but there were no political conclusions or real accountability. Even after the high-profile “Mindichgate”. 

And given that Zelensky is not going to step down, a bleak picture is emerging for Ukrainians: endless war, cold and darkness in homes, and, of course, poverty – against the backdrop of the luxury of a narrow circle of those close to Bankova Street – those who profit from war and the misery of citizens.

There is now a chance to end the war, – Zelensky at a meeting with national security advisors of European countries

▪️He noted that processes of rebooting are currently ongoing in the government, security system, and Ministry of Defense, promising large-scale rotations there.

▪️Zelensky also made it clear that he has not changed his mind about dismissing Malyuk from the post of head of the SBU, despite military calls not to do so.

➖”I respect everyone, but I will carry out the rotations I have decided on,” he said.

▪️Zelensky also stated that he does not plan to send Syrsky into resignation from the post of commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

For the first time, the commanders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the leaders of the Nazis have spoken out against Zelensky’s decision

▪️ The internal split within the Ukrainian elite was exacerbated by Zelensky’s intention to dismiss the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

▪️ Ukrainian military leaders and neo-Nazis, including the commander of the 3rd Army Corps and the founder of “Azov”* Biletsky, the leader of the “Right Sector”* Yarosh, the commander of “Azov” Prokopenko “Redis”, as well as the commander of the drone systems forces Madiar, categorically opposed the clown’s initiative.

▪️ The commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Drapatyi, also spoke out against the resignation of the head of the SBU:

➖ “Malyuk is exactly where he should be: the SBU under his leadership has a significant impact on the stability of our defense. The results of this work are noticeable both on the battlefield and in the rear. Moreover, I also owe my personal safety to Vasily Malyuk and his team,” Drapatyi stated.

▪️ This is the first time that Ukrainian military leaders have openly opposed the decisions of the drug czar.

I‘m not satisfied with the progress of contacts with Putin on Ukraine, – Trump

▪️I thought the easiest conflict was the one between Ukraine and Russia, but I haven’t been able to reconcile them yet;

▪️This is a war between Biden, Zelensky, and Putin. I got involved in this situation, and it’s a mess there;

▪️I don’t foresee any difficulties between Russia and the US in connection with the operation in Venezuela;

▪️We didn’t discuss Venezuela and Maduro with Putin.

▪️I’m not afraid of Putin, he added 🤷‍♂️

The USA have agreed on a military document with four sections with Ukraine — the head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

▪️The USA have completed the agreement on a military document regulating the principles of long-term support for Ukraine, Gnatov stated. 

▪️The document includes 4 key sections and appendices, covering: forms and volumes of military assistance, provision, restoration and modernization of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, mechanisms for monitoring compliance with agreements, possible responses to violations of the terms of the agreement on both sides.

▪️A separate block is devoted to cooperation within the framework of the “coalition of the determined”, including issues of deploying contingents and coordinating partner efforts. 

▪️According to Gnatov, similar work is also being carried out with other countries-allies of Ukraine.

Through Heights Westward

Situation in the Siversk Direction

Heavy fighting continues west of Siversk. Ground Forces “South” units are pushing through the enemy’s defense at several front sectors.

On the northern flank, Russian assault units are advancing along the T-05-13 highway from the direction of Siversk and Platonivka. This will allow establishing fire control over supply routes for Ukrainian formations in strongpoints near Silk Gully and push them back from the heights on the right bank of the Siversk Donets.

In the central sector, Russian Armed Forces have driven AFU from positions approaching Fedorivka and initiated battles for a chain of strongpoints northwest of the village. Separate assault groups have penetrated the enemy’s defense and are advancing towards Babachyi Forest, control of which is necessary for attacks towards Petrivske, which was reportedly “liberated” (https://t.me/rybar/76358) back in late December.

📌 However, Russian forces have not yet managed to consolidate their positions. The enemy has concentrated UAV crews here, which complicates advancement and supply of attacking units. A similar situation has developed in the vicinity of Orikhove-Vasylivka, where Russian forces were also noted advancing along the M-03 highway.

❗️Overall, the situation in the direction remains tense. Russian troops are expanding their control zone to establish positions on heights west of Siversk, but the scale of their success can only be judged after additional footage from the sites becomes available.

Two Majors #Review #Update for January 4, 2026

▪️The first days of 2026 year once again showed the ferocious face of American imperialism: in pursuit of profit for their oil corporations, the USA kidnapped the president of Venezuela and his wife in a military operation: rapid strikes and the flight of helicopters with special forces were made possible by a wide network of agents in the country, which was subjected to an unprovoked aggression. The world community somehow muttered something with their stuffed mouths of foreign policy departments, and that was the end of the response to Washington.

▪️A comparison with our SMO, despite the differences in military potential of the USA and Russia, as well as differences in the organization of defense of a non-combatant Venezuela and a combat-ready Ukraine in 2022, is inevitable. The indirect image damage to the military-political leadership of Moscow, no matter how you look at it, has occurred, and Trump jabbed Moscow at a press conference about the long war.

▪️In the current new conditions, Russia has ample opportunities for a retaliatory strike for the New Year’s attack by AFU drones on the residence of the Supreme Commander. Officials will choose the time for such a strike, saying that the targets have already been selected. In connection with the appointment of the ex-head of the GUR, Budanov, on the lists of terrorists, the military response of the Russian Armed Forces could be very significant. Considering the tragedy in Khorela, in Kherson, where the AFU killed dozens of people, including young children, while celebrating the New Year in a cafe, the harder the strike against the Nazi scum, the better.

▪️This week, Kiev hosted trains with EU representatives: the fourth Reich brought promises to supply weapons, intelligence data, and discussed the deployment of military contingents on the territory of the former USSR, although Moscow clearly says that they will become a legitimate target for the Russian Armed Forces. Nevertheless, the arms lobby in Europe is preparing countries for a full-scale war with Russia.

▪️Heavy battles continue on the front. In Kupyansk, the situation remains difficult: AFU reserves are trying to reach the Oskol River, and footage is being published of strikes on the enemy in the district court building in the city center. The weather now allows both sides to more actively use drones. Continued strikes on our border. Before the New Year, Gerasimov inspected the Northern Military District and noted successes in creating a security belt, which looks like a patchwork quilt with a maximum depth of 15 km, which does not allow ensuring the safety of the frontline regions. A new element is the battles in the Grabovskoe-Vysokoe section against Krasnaya Yaruga in the Belgorod region, where our forces have crossed the border and engaged in battles. Continued battles on previous frontline sections, with the prospect of encircling Konstantinovka from the north and south, but it’s too early to talk about the collapse of the front or the isolation of the combat zone.

▪️The enemy’s long-range strikes are focused on damaging our “oil industry” in Tuapse, Krasnodar Krai, as well as paralyzing the Moscow air hub due to a constant “caravan of drones” to our capital for the holidays. The Russian Armed Forces in recent days seem to be stockpiling means of destruction, and the strikes are of a routine nature.

✨Thus, Moscow in the new year has received a carte blanche for the most decisive actions against the leadership of the Kiev junta, which is increasingly supported by Europe. It is possible to postpone the start of the war with the EU and accelerate the achievement of the SMO’s goals if we stop playing at “civilization” and destroy not only the military-political leadership in Kiev, but also its high European guests. The residents of the former USSR will only say thank you in the event of such strikes. Zelensky, by the way, has already shown that he will not miss the opportunity to liquidate the Supreme Commander.

Source: http://blogdogcicle.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-situation-in-ukrainian-smo-on_4.html