"I can't afford it": Nikolaev's Vanek explained why he chose not to publish the report on the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On Thursday, November 28, the author of the well-known monitoring Telegram channel "Mykolaiv Vanyk" declined to publish the already traditional report on the downing of enemy targets in the skies over Ukraine. Exclusively today, the channel, which boasts an audience of over 2.6 million subscribers, will not provide "numerical" information regarding the interception of Russian missiles and drones, the blogger warned.
"Mykolaiv Vanyk" noted that he cannot afford to publish the lies of certain commanders about downed targets in their area of responsibility when the results, as he emphasized, are quite evident.
At the same time, the channel's author emphasized that he has never engaged in discrediting the Air Forces and does not intend to do so.
What the Armed Forces of Ukraine Say
The Air Forces reported that overall, the enemy launched 188 attack means against Ukraine, of which 111 targets were intercepted, including 76 out of 85 cruise missiles, 3 guided aerial missiles, and 35 out of 97 "Shaheds." Additionally, it was noted that another 62 drones were locally lost.
Later, the communications office of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that the enemy attacked electrical substations in various regions of Ukraine, recording 12 hits, primarily targeting facilities in the fuel and energy sector.
During the air attacks, the enemy began using a large number of missiles and drones, and in certain directions, their numbers often exceed the available defensive resources, the Armed Forces noted.
"Furthermore, the enemy employs modern means of aerial assault, continually improving them. This includes the use of thermal and radar traps, as well as electronic warfare (EW) protective measures installed directly on the missiles," the statement said, also noting that all these factors significantly complicate the operation of Soviet-made air defense systems that are in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
To securely protect hundreds of critical infrastructure sites, Ukraine lacks more effective Western systems, the Armed Forces emphasized, adding that dense fog and cloud cover observed in many regions at the time of the attack hindered the effective execution of tasks by fighter pilots and mobile fire group calculations.
The Ministry of Energy reported that Russia has already carried out its 11th large-scale attack on civilian energy infrastructure in 2024.
Due to damage to energy facilities during the massive missile and drone attack, "Ukrenergo" implemented three rounds of power outages for residential consumers simultaneously.
Additionally, in the morning, Russians also attacked "Naftogaz" facilities. It was reported that staff and involved services are working to eliminate the consequences of the hits, but the attack will not affect the provision of services to consumers.
Who is "Mykolaiv Vanyk"
The "Mykolaiv Vanyk" channel was created on April 17, 2022, becoming a vital source of information for Ukrainians, providing insider and operational updates on missile attacks, the movement of enemy forces, and other relevant news. Its author remains unknown, but there are speculations that the channel is managed by the head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, Vitaliy Kim, or even General Dmytro Marchenko.
As a reminder, Russians attacked infrastructure facilities in Lviv Oblast, as well as in Rivne and Volyn.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the specifics of the missiles with which the Russian Federation struck Ukraine on November 28.