🇷🇺🪖 Key points of Russian MoD briefing on progress of special military op in Ukraine:
▪️ In the Kupyansk region, Russian forces repelled six Ukrainian attacks. Ukrainian losses amounted to 55 soldiers;
▪️ In the Krasny Liman area, three attacks were repelled. Ukrainian losses amounted to up to 210 servicemen, one tank and four armored personnel carriers;
▪️ In the Donetsk region, the total losses of Ukrainian forces during the day amounted to up to 345 soldiers and three tanks;
▪️ In Zaporozhye, Ukrainian losses amounted to up to 140 servicemen, one tank and three armored combat vehicles;
▪️ Three Ukrainian Su-25s were shot down during the day, seven HIMARS shells were intercepted.
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▪️ In the Kupyansk region, Russian forces repelled six Ukrainian attacks. Ukrainian losses amounted to 55 soldiers;
▪️ In the Krasny Liman area, three attacks were repelled. Ukrainian losses amounted to up to 210 servicemen, one tank and four armored personnel carriers;
▪️ In the Donetsk region, the total losses of Ukrainian forces during the day amounted to up to 345 soldiers and three tanks;
▪️ In Zaporozhye, Ukrainian losses amounted to up to 140 servicemen, one tank and three armored combat vehicles;
▪️ Three Ukrainian Su-25s were shot down during the day, seven HIMARS shells were intercepted.
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Sputnik International
Sergey Lavrov in an interview with Dmitry Kiselev, Director General of Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent media group, on the use of the dollar. Subscribe to @SputnikInt
💸 Dollar used to exert "maximum pressure" on states that oppose US geopolitical goals - experts
There is enough evidence that the US authorities "in a certain way tried to influence internal events in various countries through their American monetary policy," Mateusz Piskorski, a political observer and columnist for the Myśl Polska (Polish Thought) newspaper, told Sputnik.
He was echoed by Paolo Raffone, a strategic analyst and director of the Brussels-based CIPI Foundation, who said that "there is no doubt that the dollar has been weaponized to exert maximum pressure on those governments that do not align with US strategic and geopolitical priorities."
The comments came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Sputnik and the Rossiya 24 channel that "everyone is tired of the US dollar," which he said is turning into a means of regime change and interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
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There is enough evidence that the US authorities "in a certain way tried to influence internal events in various countries through their American monetary policy," Mateusz Piskorski, a political observer and columnist for the Myśl Polska (Polish Thought) newspaper, told Sputnik.
He was echoed by Paolo Raffone, a strategic analyst and director of the Brussels-based CIPI Foundation, who said that "there is no doubt that the dollar has been weaponized to exert maximum pressure on those governments that do not align with US strategic and geopolitical priorities."
The comments came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Sputnik and the Rossiya 24 channel that "everyone is tired of the US dollar," which he said is turning into a means of regime change and interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
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Sputnik International
❗️Lavrov slams Zelensky’s peace plan as a 'figment of a sick imagination' - Lavrov to Sputnik Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🗣‘Zelensky formula’ unfit to be ‘starting point’ for potential Russia-Ukraine talks – analysts
The so-called “Zelensky formula” is no more than a “political fantasy”, which cannot be used as “a constructive starting point” for possible peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Mateusz Piskorski, a columnist for Myśl Polska, tells Sputnik.
Strategic analyst Paolo Raffone views Western support for the formula as hypocritical, aimed more at appeasing domestic audiences “that would revolt [upon] learning that two years of support for the [NATO proxy] war [with Russia] would end in defeat.”
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was interviewed by Sputnik and Rossiya 24 in which he criticized the formula as a "figment of a sick imagination." Lavrov suggested the West is pushing the formula on other countries, referencing a recent secret meeting between Western emissaries.
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The so-called “Zelensky formula” is no more than a “political fantasy”, which cannot be used as “a constructive starting point” for possible peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Mateusz Piskorski, a columnist for Myśl Polska, tells Sputnik.
Strategic analyst Paolo Raffone views Western support for the formula as hypocritical, aimed more at appeasing domestic audiences “that would revolt [upon] learning that two years of support for the [NATO proxy] war [with Russia] would end in defeat.”
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was interviewed by Sputnik and Rossiya 24 in which he criticized the formula as a "figment of a sick imagination." Lavrov suggested the West is pushing the formula on other countries, referencing a recent secret meeting between Western emissaries.
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🇳🇱 Dutch army chief urges citizens to stock up on food in case something goes wrong
💬 "The Netherlands must learn again that the entire society must be ready when things go wrong," Martin Wijnen, the commander of the Royal Netherlands Army, says in a newspaper. "For citizens, this means having food and drinking water in stock so that they can get ahead in the event of an emergency. The Netherlands should not think that safety is guaranteed with us because we are 1,500 kilometers away."
He emphasized that "Russia is getting stronger," therefore "we must work on our operational readiness and ensure that we have enough deterrence” against any adversary.
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💬 "The Netherlands must learn again that the entire society must be ready when things go wrong," Martin Wijnen, the commander of the Royal Netherlands Army, says in a newspaper. "For citizens, this means having food and drinking water in stock so that they can get ahead in the event of an emergency. The Netherlands should not think that safety is guaranteed with us because we are 1,500 kilometers away."
He emphasized that "Russia is getting stronger," therefore "we must work on our operational readiness and ensure that we have enough deterrence” against any adversary.
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❗️ Trump to be included as a candidate in the Colorado 2024 ballot till the Supreme Court decides on appeal by the state's Republican party.
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🇮🇱🇵🇸 Latest updates on Palestinian-Israeli conflict:
▪️The death toll from Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip has risen to 21,320, with the number of injured reaching 55,603 people, the Hamas-controlled enclave's health ministry said.
▪️Judith Weinstein, 70, an American hostage who was believed to be held by Hamas, was killed during the October 7 attack on Israel, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said.
▪️The Israeli ambassador will not return to Ankara while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains in power in the country, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said.
▪️The French authorities have banned a rally in support of Palestine scheduled to be held in the city of Nice on December 30, French media reported.
▪️The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported another shelling near the Al-Amal hospital in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, which left 10 people dead and 12 injured.
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▪️The death toll from Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip has risen to 21,320, with the number of injured reaching 55,603 people, the Hamas-controlled enclave's health ministry said.
▪️Judith Weinstein, 70, an American hostage who was believed to be held by Hamas, was killed during the October 7 attack on Israel, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said.
▪️The Israeli ambassador will not return to Ankara while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains in power in the country, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said.
▪️The French authorities have banned a rally in support of Palestine scheduled to be held in the city of Nice on December 30, French media reported.
▪️The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported another shelling near the Al-Amal hospital in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, which left 10 people dead and 12 injured.
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🇻🇪🇬🇧 President Nicolas Maduro ordered on Thursday the armed forces to launch "the activation of a joint defensive action" in response to the deployment of a British warship off the coast of Guyana.
Earlier this month, the British media reported, citing a British defense ministry spokesman, that the United Kingdom would deploy a patrol ship off Guyana's coast as a sign of support for the state in the territorial dispute over Essequibo. The head of Venezuela's defense ministry, Vladimir Padrino Lopez, called it a provocation.
👉 Follow the link for more details
"I have ordered the activation of a joint defensive action of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces" off the coast of Essequibo, he said in a state televised broadcast, but did not provide more information.
Earlier this month, the British media reported, citing a British defense ministry spokesman, that the United Kingdom would deploy a patrol ship off Guyana's coast as a sign of support for the state in the territorial dispute over Essequibo. The head of Venezuela's defense ministry, Vladimir Padrino Lopez, called it a provocation.
👉 Follow the link for more details
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Sputnik International
❗️ Trump to be included as a candidate in the Colorado 2024 ballot till the Supreme Court decides on appeal by the state's Republican party. Subscribe to @SputnikInt
Former US President Donald Trump will appear on the Republican Party primary election ballot in the state of Colorado unless a higher court takes action otherwise, following an appeal by the state’s Republican Party branch, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s office stated on Thursday.
👉 Follow the link for more details
"The Colorado Republican Party has appealed the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision in Anderson v. Griswold to the US Supreme Court. With the appeal filed, Donald Trump will be included as a candidate on Colorado’s 2024 Presidential Primary Ballot when certification occurs on January 5, 2024, unless the US Supreme Court declines to take the case or otherwise affirms the Colorado Supreme Court ruling," Griswold’s office said.
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❗️ The Syrian air defense system is repelling an attack near Damascus, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported on Thursday.
Explosions are also heard near Syria's capital, according to the broadcaster.
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Explosions are also heard near Syria's capital, according to the broadcaster.
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🇸🇾🇮🇱 The Syrian Defense Ministry said late Thursday that Israel has struck several positions in southern Syria, but the country's air defenses intercepted most of the missiles launched.
The attack has resulted in material damage, the ministry added.
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"Today [on Thursday], around 11:05 p.m. [local time, 20:05 GMT], the Israeli enemy has carried out an air aggression from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, having struck some positions in the southern region [of Syria]. Our air defense systems have responded to the aggressor's missiles and shot down most of them," the defense ministry said in a statement.
The attack has resulted in material damage, the ministry added.
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The Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) was shelled by Ukrainian troops 69 times over the past day, the DPR representative office in the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) of issues related to Ukraine's war crimes said in a statement.
According to the statement, three civilians were wounded. The DPR stated that the Kiev regime fired 235 rounds of various ammunition.
In the previous day, Ukrainian troops launched 54 strikes .
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"Over the past 24 hours, the office reported 69 cases of fire by Ukrainian armed forces," the office wrote on Telegram.
According to the statement, three civilians were wounded. The DPR stated that the Kiev regime fired 235 rounds of various ammunition.
In the previous day, Ukrainian troops launched 54 strikes .
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Sputnik International
Lavrov exposes the hypocrisy of the West by comparing the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🇮🇱 Israel actually ‘conducting ethnic cleansing’ in Gaza – analysts
The West’s condemnation of Russia demilitarizing Ukraine while supporting Israel’s ongoing Gaza incursion is a glaring example of double standards Mateusz Piskorski, a Myśl Polska columnist, told Sputnik. According to him, it is now apparent that the Israeli authorities are engaged in ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip, in contrast, that is not being done in the zone of the Russian special military operation.
Comparatively, Paolo Raffone, a Brussels-based strategist, noted that Russia's military operation is more limited than Israel's Gaza offensive.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an interview with Sputnik highlighted that Israel's final goal of eliminating Hamas looks like the Russian special operation’s aim of demilitarizing Ukraine, expressing surprise at Israel's negative reaction to Moscow's actions.
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The West’s condemnation of Russia demilitarizing Ukraine while supporting Israel’s ongoing Gaza incursion is a glaring example of double standards Mateusz Piskorski, a Myśl Polska columnist, told Sputnik. According to him, it is now apparent that the Israeli authorities are engaged in ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip, in contrast, that is not being done in the zone of the Russian special military operation.
Comparatively, Paolo Raffone, a Brussels-based strategist, noted that Russia's military operation is more limited than Israel's Gaza offensive.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an interview with Sputnik highlighted that Israel's final goal of eliminating Hamas looks like the Russian special operation’s aim of demilitarizing Ukraine, expressing surprise at Israel's negative reaction to Moscow's actions.
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🗣️“Some were stripped naked, blindfolded and restrained for long hours with handcuffs and with their legs tied, while Israeli soldiers stepped on their heads and backs, were spat at, slammed against walls, threatened, insulted, humiliated and in some cases subjected to sexual and gender-based violence.”
A Thursday report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights slammed Israel’s brutal treatment of detainees in the occupied Palestinian West Bank.
Thousands have been arrested there amidst the documented use of military tactics by Israel that have led to hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries.
Although Israel's conduct in the Gaza Strip - where at least 21,320 people have been killed, has seen greater attention, the UN also stresses “unlawful killings” and a “rapidly deteriorating human rights situation” in the West Bank.
Israel’s foreign minister recently announced the country would deny visas to UN staff in retaliation for their criticism.
👉 Click the link to get all the details
A Thursday report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights slammed Israel’s brutal treatment of detainees in the occupied Palestinian West Bank.
Thousands have been arrested there amidst the documented use of military tactics by Israel that have led to hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries.
Although Israel's conduct in the Gaza Strip - where at least 21,320 people have been killed, has seen greater attention, the UN also stresses “unlawful killings” and a “rapidly deteriorating human rights situation” in the West Bank.
Israel’s foreign minister recently announced the country would deny visas to UN staff in retaliation for their criticism.
👉 Click the link to get all the details
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🇮🇷🇷🇺 Iran and Russia will sign a deal to trade in their national currencies instead of the US dollar in the first quarter of 2024, Iranian Central Bank governor Mohammad Reza Farzin stated on Thursday.
Earlier this week, Farzin visited Moscow, where he held a meeting with Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina. The bank heads agreed to open a credit line worth 6.5 billion rubles ($73.45 million), so that Iran could import necessary Russian goods.
On Wednesday, the Tasnim news agency reported, citing the Central Bank of Iran, that the country's Bank Sepah opened the first foreign letter of credit for importing Russian goods after the US Justice Department had reinstated the sanction regime against the republic.
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"Our exports to Russia are lower than imports... Our effective measures [to change the situation] include the signing of a currency agreement between Iran and Russia in the first quarter of the next year," Farzin was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency.
Earlier this week, Farzin visited Moscow, where he held a meeting with Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina. The bank heads agreed to open a credit line worth 6.5 billion rubles ($73.45 million), so that Iran could import necessary Russian goods.
On Wednesday, the Tasnim news agency reported, citing the Central Bank of Iran, that the country's Bank Sepah opened the first foreign letter of credit for importing Russian goods after the US Justice Department had reinstated the sanction regime against the republic.
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🇵🇸🇮🇱 Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Palestinian movement Hamas, said on Thursday that its fighters had destroyed over 825 units of Israeli military equipment since the start of the latter's ground operation in the Gaza Strip.
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"The number of equipment units hit by our fighters since the beginning of the ground aggression exceeded 825. Those include armored personnel carriers, tanks, bulldozers, military vehicles and trucks," Al Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obaida stated in a video message broadcast by Al Jazeera.
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🔍 As long as Team Biden rules the US no honest audit of Ukraine spending will occur
"I have seen no reports of significance from past audit teams or these most recent efforts," retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski told Sputnik. "The effective, more honest, audit will only occur after the Biden administration is displaced, whether at the end of 2024 or some later date if Biden gains re-election."
Having approved $75.4 billion in funding for the Kiev regime, Washington has been able to trace only $1.5 billion, blaming the lack of transparency on military conditions and endemic corruption, as per an RT analysis of newly declassified US government materials. Per RT's estimates, 98% of US funding to Ukraine remains untraceable.
Presently, "'audits and audit teams in Ukraine are simply window dressing, designed to make Congress feel better about pouring more badly needed cash into the black hole of the Zelensky regime," Kwiatkowski stressed.
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"I have seen no reports of significance from past audit teams or these most recent efforts," retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski told Sputnik. "The effective, more honest, audit will only occur after the Biden administration is displaced, whether at the end of 2024 or some later date if Biden gains re-election."
Having approved $75.4 billion in funding for the Kiev regime, Washington has been able to trace only $1.5 billion, blaming the lack of transparency on military conditions and endemic corruption, as per an RT analysis of newly declassified US government materials. Per RT's estimates, 98% of US funding to Ukraine remains untraceable.
Presently, "'audits and audit teams in Ukraine are simply window dressing, designed to make Congress feel better about pouring more badly needed cash into the black hole of the Zelensky regime," Kwiatkowski stressed.
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Cause du Jour to Yesterday's News: Western Media’s Evolving Coverage of Ukraine
2023 was the year that Americans’ dissent over the arming of Ukraine went from a minority position to a growing bipartisan consensus.
After the broad failure of Kiev’s vaunted counteroffensive, opposition to the continued sending of billions in military aid became impossible to ignore.
Now the conflict in Gaza threatens to sideline discussion of Ukraine entirely as consent is manufactured for another proxy war.
👉 Follow the link for a deep dive into how media reporting on the Ukraine conflict serves as a case study of mainstream journalism’s propaganda function on behalf of Western militarism.
2023 was the year that Americans’ dissent over the arming of Ukraine went from a minority position to a growing bipartisan consensus.
After the broad failure of Kiev’s vaunted counteroffensive, opposition to the continued sending of billions in military aid became impossible to ignore.
Now the conflict in Gaza threatens to sideline discussion of Ukraine entirely as consent is manufactured for another proxy war.
👉 Follow the link for a deep dive into how media reporting on the Ukraine conflict serves as a case study of mainstream journalism’s propaganda function on behalf of Western militarism.
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Sputnik International
🇸🇾🇮🇱 The Syrian Defense Ministry said late Thursday that Israel has struck several positions in southern Syria, but the country's air defenses intercepted most of the missiles launched. "Today [on Thursday], around 11:05 p.m. [local time, 20:05 GMT], the…
🇸🇾🇮🇱 On Friday, the Syrian air defense systems repelled another Israeli attack on Damascus outskirts, according to the Syrian Defense Ministry.
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"Today [on Friday], around 1:20 a.m. [local time, 22:20 GMT], the Israeli enemy has carried out an air aggression from the direction of Lebanon, having struck some positions in the vicinity of Damascus. Our air defense systems have responded to the aggressor's missiles and shot down several missiles," the ministry stated, adding that the attack resulted in material damage.
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⚡️Maine Secretary of State says Trump's candidate form invalid, he won’t be in March 2024 ballot.
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Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows disqualified former President Donald Trump from the state's Republican primary ballot because of his role in the January 6 riot at the Capitol in 2021.
However, Bellows added that the effect of the decision will be suspended until the Superior Court rules on any forthcoming appeal from the Trump defense team.
The appeal will be filed immediately, a Trump campaign spokesman said in a press release.
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"They [challengers] have provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate the falsity of Mr. Trump's declaration that he meets the qualifications of the office of the presidency," Bellows wrote in a document on Thursday. "Therefore, as required by [law], I find that the primary petition of Mr. Trump is invalid."
However, Bellows added that the effect of the decision will be suspended until the Superior Court rules on any forthcoming appeal from the Trump defense team.
The appeal will be filed immediately, a Trump campaign spokesman said in a press release.
"We will quickly file a legal objection in state court to prevent this atrocious decision in Maine from taking effect, and President Trump will never stop fighting to Make America Great Again," the spokesman said on Thursday.
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“Decade after decade of bad policy is finally catching up with the US,” journalist Daniel Lazare told Sputnik in a discussion about immigration and drug policy.
The conversation comes amidst a surge of migrants at the US’ southern border, with President Joe Biden seeking a solution in time for his expected reelection campaign.
The crisis prompted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to visit Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in Mexico City recently. López Obrador is a harsh critic of US foreign policy and interference in Latin America.
The US backed political subversion, coups, and death squads in the region for decades throughout the Cold War, leading to violence and poverty that’s exacerbated by the West’s imposition of neoliberal economic policy on the region.
👉 Hit the link to read the full analysis of the crisis
The conversation comes amidst a surge of migrants at the US’ southern border, with President Joe Biden seeking a solution in time for his expected reelection campaign.
The crisis prompted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to visit Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in Mexico City recently. López Obrador is a harsh critic of US foreign policy and interference in Latin America.
The US backed political subversion, coups, and death squads in the region for decades throughout the Cold War, leading to violence and poverty that’s exacerbated by the West’s imposition of neoliberal economic policy on the region.
👉 Hit the link to read the full analysis of the crisis
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