🇷🇺 Russian Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Defense troops train at range in special operation zone

In the course of the drills, servicemen from the 200th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Northern Fleet practiced the use of Shmel man-portable flamethrowers (0:31). Under cover of automatic weapons fire, the flamethrowers struck a mock enemy in open terrain, buildings, and other structures.

Radiological, Chemical, and Biological reconnaissance troops using an RHM-6 chemical reconnaissance vehicle monitored the presence of toxic substances in the air.

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🇩🇪 According to a media report on December 7, Germany's failure to finalize its 2024 budget has unexpectedly thrust Finance Minister Christian Lindner into a potentially powerful role within German politics.

The deadlock over the budget has resulted in Lindner's ministry gaining significant control over public funds. This has effectively made him the de facto power behind the throne, overshadowing Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

This development is a result of the ongoing discussions between Chancellor Scholz, Economics Minister Robert Habeck, and Lindner, which have not yet been resolved. As the year-end deadline looms, a temporary budget management system has been enacted. Under it, Lindner now holds significant authority in determining funding for ministry projects, including vital initiatives such as the basic allowance for children. However, it is important to note that state obligations, such as salaries, pensions, and benefits, remain unaffected.

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Seven psychological manipulations Biden used to pressure Congress to pass a new Ukraine aid package

Have you ever heard the manipulative "if we don’t protect Ukraine, we can be next" argument when Western leaders try to justify their poor policy? All such manipulations have been outdone by Joe Biden’s latest urgent message to Congress: the address literally consisted of propaganda techniques.

Nika, our AI anchor, is sure that all of these psychological tricks have long been known. Get ready to find out what are they, and how to counter these tactics.

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🇷🇺 Putin responding to a Russian serviceman's question about running in the election:

"I won't hide the fact that I've had thoughts at different times. But right now, you are right. These are times when decisions must be made. I will run for the office of president."

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📹 "On behalf of the residents of the reunited territories: DPR, LPR, Kherson, and Zaporozhye regions, all servicemen, we ask Putin to take part in the elections. He said he is with our people, and he will run for office," Artem Zhoga, the hero of the DPR, said.

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“The Ukraine conflict is the most serious military conflict and geopolitical conflict that Russia has faced since World War Two, because we are really in a new patriotic war. We are in the great power conflict against the West. We are in a conflict, which we have not seen yet in the recent Russian history because even during the Second World War, Russia was fighting against the Axis countries, but the United States and UK were on our side. Now we are struggling against the collective West all together. This is an unprecedented challenge, which has required and continues to require very serious mobilization.” Dmitry Suslov, Russian foreign policy strategist, told the New Rules podcast.

👉 What is the fundamental problem with Western “peace proposals,” and Russia plans for the BRICS chairmanship in 2024: You can find the full episode on Rumble

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🇷🇺🪖 Key points of the Russian MoD briefing on the weekly progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️The Russian Armed Forces improved their position along the front line in some areas and repelled 19 attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF);

▪️The Russian army launched 30 group strikes on the UAF airfield infrastructure and foreign mercenaries' accommodation points.

▪️Russian troops maintained an active defense in the Zaporozhye region, repelling five attacks by UAF assault groups.

▪️Ukrainian losses in the Kherson region amounted to up to 350 servicemen.

▪️The Russian Armed Forces repelled 10 attacks by the Ukrainian forces in the Krasny Liman region; the enemy losses amounted to more than 1,445 soldiers and 33 pieces of equipment.

▪️The UAF lost more than 845 servicemen and 3 tanks in the South Donetsk direction.

▪️The UAF lost up to 260 servicemen and six armored vehicles in the Zaporozhye direction.

▪️The UAF lost over 480 servicemen and 3 tanks in the Kupyansk direction.

▪️The Russian Armed Forces foiled attempts by UAF sabotage groups to cross the left bank of the Dnieper River.

▪️Russian air defense systems shot down five Ukrainian aircraft.

▪️The UAF lost more than 1,560 servicemen in the Donetsk region.

▪️Russian troops shot down 224 Ukrainian UAVs.

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🇷🇺 Russia calls on Venezuela and Guyana to refrain from any actions around the Essequibo area that could cause harm to the parties, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

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🇪🇺 The European Union is looking at reviving a World Trade Organization case against the USA

The trade spat stemming from the Trump administration's imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs, which led to reciprocal tariffs on goods exceeding $10 billion.

Brussels has expressed discontent with the current talks, accusing Washington of intransigence. Despite this, the EU is holding back on reintroducing reciprocal tariffs on American goods, which suggests a willingness to engage their counterpart across the Atlantic.

The EU's decision to restart the WTO case serves several purposes: it keeps the threat of future tariffs alive, maintains leverage over the US, and allows a prolonged negotiation period to avoid an imminent re-imposition of duties. It comes amid media reports that Brussels is wary of levying tariffs, since that step could unintentionally give a boost to Trump's political campaign in the 2024 American presidential election race.

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🚓 The head of a Ukrainian defense plant was detained by the Security Service of Ukraine in an attempt to steal nearly $110,000, allocated for the purchase of spare parts for the Su-27.

The aircraft equipment was purchased in a faulty condition, and the first part of the money was transferred to the supplier—almost $52,000. The participants of the criminal group planned to withdraw money through controlled companies, cash it out, and distribute it among themselves, the SBU said.

Now the former director of the defense plant, the head of the supplier company, and two more of their accomplices face up to 12 years in prison.

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🇷🇺💸 Russia has confounded the West's sanctions strategy to outstrip Europe in economic growth, pundits say

Speaking at the plenary session of VTB Bank's investment forum "Russia Calling!", Putin highlighted that Russia's gross domestic product (GDP) had grown by 3.2% in the first 10 months of this year and is expected to reach 3.5% by the end of the year.

"Despite Western sanctions against Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine, the Russian economy manages to stay afloat due to various factors, including the restrictive economic policy of the EU and strategic alliances Russia has formed around the world," Imelda Ibanez, a specialist in the history of Russian diplomacy and foreign policy at St. Petersburg State University, told Sputnik.

When the United States and its European allies decided to impose sanctions on Moscow, commodity prices rose significantly, resulting in an increased trade deficit for those countries.

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🇩🇪 German media has savaged Defense Minister Boris Pistorius’s plans to station a German Army brigade in Lithuania to “contain Russia,” suggesting that “basic arithmetic” shows such plans to be infeasible.

Pistorius announced plans to deploy a 4,000-strong brigade of troops in the Baltic nation in September, saying the move, designed to show “solidarity and responsibility in the east wing [of NATO]” should be created by the end of 2024.

“This is unprecedented for the German Bundeswehr. We’ve never done it like that, deploying an entire brigade overseas,” Pistorius said, noting that troops would be deployed to the east together with their families.

But Berlin may have bitten off than it can chew with the deployment, according to detractors.

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☣️ Biolabs at work? Resistance to antimicrobial medicines which prevent and treat infectious diseases has experienced an explosive rise in Ukraine

That’s according to a new report by the US Centers for Disease Control released Friday, which indicated that “in Ukraine, the confluence of high prewar rates of antimicrobial resistance, an increase in the prevalence of traumatic wounds, and the war-related strain on health care facilities is leading to increased detection of multidrug-resistant organisms with spread into Europe.”

The report, made possible through collaboration between the CDC, the Center for Public Health of Ukraine (UPHC), and other local health authorities and “international partners,” including the World Health Organization and the US State Department, used data collected in hospitals in the western and central Ukrainian regions of Ternopol, Khmelnitskiy, and Vinnitsa.

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🎙 Check out the latest AfroVerdict рodcast that uncovers the schemes Shell uses in order to avoid resрonsibly dealing with oil sрills.

🇮🇱🇵🇸 Latest updates on Palestinian-Israeli conflict:

▪️The death toll from the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip has increased to 17,487 people since October 7, with 46,480 having been injured, Palestinian Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf Qudra said.

▪️Saudi foreign minister says it doesn’t look like the UNSC resolution on the Gaza ceasefire will pass.

▪️Civil order is breaking down in the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s blockade and hostilities, with multiple incidents of aid convoys being looted and UN vehicles stoned, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East director in Gaza, Thomas White, said.

▪️China fully supports and joins in co-sponsoring the draft UN Security Council resolution proposed by the United Arab Emirates and considers it a universal call of the international community for peace in Gaza, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Zhang Jun said.

▪️Russia calls for an end to violence between Israel and Hamas and stands against attempts to forcibly move the residents of Gaza to the south, UN Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy said, adding that Russia deeply regrets that the UN Security Council has failed to take any binding resolution on Gaza due to pressure from the US.

▪️The government in Israel is planning to flood underground facilities in the Gaza Strip with seawater, Russian Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy said.

▪️The United Nations is committed to providing humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip, but the conditions on the ground make carrying out this mandate impossible, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

▪️The brutality carried out by Hamas in its attack on Israel can never justify Israel’s collective punishment of the Palestinians, Guterres said.

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