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Historical Intelligence

Situation Report

Archived operational intelligence briefing

Report Time
2026-01-04 07:28:47Z
1 month ago
Previous (2026-01-04 06:58:44Z)

Situation Update (0728Z)

Key updates since last sitrep

  • Ballistic Missile Threat (0722Z, UA Air Force, HIGH): UAF Air Force has issued an active warning for the use of ballistic weaponry in oblasts currently under air raid alerts. This corroborates previous intelligence regarding a high-volume missile strike outloading from the 2652nd GRAU Arsenal.
  • Zaporizhzhia Front Aviation Strike (0700Z, Voin DV, MEDIUM): Russian 11th Guards Air Army aviation conducted FAB (glide bomb) strikes on Ukrainian positions in Zaliznychne.
  • Occupied Kherson Mass Casualty Claim (0711Z, TASS/RU Investigative Committee, LOW): Russian state media reports the death toll from a purported UAF strike on Khorly has risen to 29. (UNCONFIRMED - Possible IO fabrication or inflation to counter recent UAF deep-strike success).
  • RF Personnel Depletion (0709Z, STERNENKO, MEDIUM): Footage indicates personnel from Kaliningrad airfields are being mobilized/re-deployed to Ukraine to "replenish losses," suggesting critical infantry shortages in active combat zones.
  • Latvian Logistical Support (0726Z, RBC-UA, HIGH): Latvia has authorized a new transfer of confiscated civilian vehicles to the UAF, supporting "last-mile" logistics.
  • Information Operations - Venezuela Diversion (0700Z-0721Z, Multiple RU Sources, HIGH): Russian information channels (Starshe Eddy, Basurin, Colonelcassad) have intensified the narrative linkage between the Venezuela crisis and "World War III," aiming to project Western instability.

Operational picture (by sector)

  • Southern Axis (Zaporizhzhia/Kherson): The sector is experiencing high kinetic intensity. The strike on Zaliznychne (0700Z) and continued artillery fire from the RU "Dnepr" Group (49th Combined Arms Army) against the right bank (0713Z) indicate an effort to suppress UAF bridgeheads and staging areas. The ballistic threat (0722Z) is likely directed at logistics hubs in Zaporizhzhia or Dnipro.
  • RF Rear / Kaliningrad: The movement of airfield security or technical personnel from Kaliningrad (0709Z) to the Ukrainian front suggests the RF is cannibalizing specialist units to maintain frontline mass, potentially degrading local AD/airfield security in the Baltic enclave.
  • Northern Sector: Yellow alert levels were cleared in Lipetsk (0701Z), suggesting a temporary pause in UAF drone incursions in that specific vector after the high-volume overnight wave.

Enemy activity / threat assessment

  • Ballistic Escalation: The 0722Z alert is the most critical tactical indicator. Given the SAR data from the previous 24h (Score 22.01 at GRAU Arsenal), this likely represents the commencement of a synchronized ballistic/aero-ballistic strike.
  • Tactical Aviation: RU aviation continues to utilize FABs in the Zaporizhzhia sector (Zaliznychne). This indicates that despite UAF deep strikes on airfields, RU tactical sorties remain operational in the southern theater.
  • Internal Security/Fraud: RU МВД (MVD) reports virus distribution via mobile networks (0719Z), suggesting either a domestic cyber-crime surge or a localized electronic disruption campaign targeting Russian civilian communications.

Friendly activity (UAF)

  • Strike Operations: UAF continues to pressure occupied nodes in Kherson (Khorly), though the specific results of the strike are obscured by RU propaganda.
  • Morale/Commemoration: National "Minute of Silence" at 0900L (0659Z-0700Z) was synchronized across all military and civilian administrations, maintaining domestic cohesion despite the heightened ballistic threat.
  • Logistical Inflow: Integration of Latvian vehicle transfers (0726Z) continues to bolster the mobility of decentralized units.

Information environment / disinformation

  • "Regime Change" Narrative: RU sources (Operaia Z) are amplifying a Washington Post narrative regarding internal friction between Budanov and Yermak (0709Z). This is a classic reflexive control tactic designed to trigger mistrust within the UAF command structure during a period of high operational stress.
  • Venezuela Narrative Saliency: RU state media is saturating the environment with claims of 40 civilian deaths in Venezuela due to US strikes (0707Z, Kotenok). This serves to mirror and dilute reports of RU atrocities in Ukraine.

Outlook (next 6-12h)

  • MLCOA: A multi-vector ballistic strike targeting energy and command infrastructure in Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and potentially Kyiv within the 0800Z-1400Z window.
  • MDCOA: RF utilizes the distraction of the ballistic strike to attempt a localized armored breakthrough in the Stepnohirsk sector (Zaporizhzhia), supported by the aviation assets confirmed active at 0700Z.

Intelligence gaps & collection requirements

  1. Khorly Strike BDA: Independent verification (IMINT/HUMINT) of the strike on Khorly to determine if the target was a military concentration point or an administrative building.
  2. Kaliningrad Drawdown: Monitor SIGINT for changes in the 11th Army Corps' readiness levels in Kaliningrad to assess the scale of personnel transfers to the Ukrainian theater.
  3. Ballistic Launch Origins: Triangulate launch sites for any incoming ballistic missiles (Iskander-M vs. KN-23) to confirm if the 2652nd GRAU Arsenal was the primary source.

IPB Framework Analysis

1. SITUATION OVERVIEW The theater is currently transitioning from a period of high-volume UAF drone activity to a retaliatory RF ballistic phase. The "tactical pause" in northern RU regions (Lipetsk) likely indicates an RF re-orientation toward offensive missile operations.

2. ENEMY ANALYSIS The RF is demonstrating a "substitution" of quality for quantity. Drawing personnel from Kaliningrad airfields to serve as frontline infantry (0709Z) indicates high attrition, yet they retain the capability for high-end technical strikes (Ballistic/FABs). The use of the "Dnepr" Group's artillery on the Kherson right bank (0713Z) suggests a persistent intent to deny UAF operational maneuver in the south.

3. FRIENDLY FORCES UAF air defense units are at maximum readiness following the 0722Z alert. Logistics remain a priority, with "last-mile" gaps being filled by international civilian vehicle transfers. Message discipline remains high, as evidenced by the synchronized national memorial acts.

4. COGNITIVE DOMAIN Russia is attempting to globalize the conflict's stakes by hyper-focusing on Venezuela. This is a strategic distraction meant to exhaust Western analytical capacity and frame Russia as part of a "Global South" resistance against US "imperialism."

5. PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS The next 6 hours are critical for AD systems. The ballistic threat (0722Z) combined with the confirmed FAB strikes in Zaliznychne (0700Z) suggests a coordinated "Air-Ballistic" pulse intended to overwhelm the Zaporizhzhia-Dnipro corridor.

//ANALYSIS ENDS//

Previous (2026-01-04 06:58:44Z)

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