More and more officials in the United States are asking whether the astronomical sums of money to support Ukraine were effectively spent, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Earlier, White House Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said that the US aid to Kiev had stopped until Congress approves a request for new funds.

"We see that internal debates and internal processes continue in the United States, more and more representatives of the political establishment are interested in, well, probably such a fundamental question — where is their money, the money of American taxpayers, spent, and whether the astronomical sums that were spent for last year were allocated to the Kiev regime. Did these amounts help achieve any results?" Peskov told reporters.

Moscow officials repeatedly stressed that arms supplies to Ukraine will not affect the course of the special military operation, but will only fuel the conflict.

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📹 Russian drone operators destroy Ukrainian infantry near Soledar

During the fighting in the Soledar-Artemovsk [Bakhmut] region, units of the Airborne Guard are actively using grenade-dropping drones to destroy Ukrainian troops. Four nationalists were destroyed by a precise hit.

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Yemen's Strategic Importance

🌍 Geography:

▪️ Yemen is located at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering Saudi Arabia and Oman.

▪️ It oversees major maritime routes, including the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a critical chokepoint for global shipping, particularly oil and gas from the Middle East to Europe, Asia and the Americas.

▪️ Its proximity to the Horn of Africa places it at a strategic crossroads between the African continent and the Middle East.

💰 Economics and Resources:

▪️ While Yemen has oil and gas fields, its reserves are modest compared to its Gulf neighbors.

▪️ The Marib-Jawf area in the north and the Shabwa and Hadramaut regions in the southeast are known for their oil fields.

▪️ The country also has some natural gas reserves, notably the Balhaf facility on the Gulf of Aden, which exports liquefied natural gas (LNG).

♟ Strategic Implications:

▪️ Control of Yemen provides influence over major global shipping lanes, impacting global trade and energy supply routes.

▪️ Its location and resources have made it a focus of regional and Western power struggles.

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Red Sea Crisis: Is the US Navy headed for an embarassing debacle?

Shortly before the US and the UK attacked Yemen, the New Rules podcast interviewed military analyst Andrei Martyanov about the naval showdown in the Red Sea. Even though the conflict is escalating quickly, the main ideas still remain relevant:

🔺 The Biden Admin has mismanaged Operation Prosperity Guardian from the very beginning, failed to properly coordinate with US allies. Lloyd Austin scandal exposed that the deep level of dysfunction within the Pentagon.

🔺 US Navy is not ready for a war of attrition against the Houthis. For every $5,000 drone that the Houthis launch at the US carrier group in the Red Sea, the Americans have to expend a $2 million air defense missile. What happens when the missiles run out or the Houthis get lucky?

🔺 A bombing campaign against the Houthis is unlikely to make a big difference. The only other option at Biden’s disposal is attempting a costly and bloody land invasion against Yemen. Lose-lose situation for the US.

🔺 Although the US Navy was once the most powerful in the world, it has failed to adapt to military tech revolution of recent years. Now, the US Navy would seriously struggle in a fight against Russia, China, or Iran.

Worth watching interview with profound analytics! Always posted earlier on our official X page, join and enjoy exclusive content!

The Netherlands provided “non-operational military support” to the US and the UK in their attack on the Houthis in Yemen.

Why are the Dutch interested in Yemen?

Did you know that in January 2023, Zenith Energy Ltd. made a big move in Yemen's energy sector? Through Zenith Netherlands, they acquired assets from the Vienna-based OMV for a whopping $21.6 million, including the pivotal al-Uqlah oil field.

In September 2023, Zenith Energy and OMV called off their deal due to unmet conditions.

Boasting 3 billion barrels of oil and 17 trillion cubic feet of gas in reserves (according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration), Yemen's abundant energy resources play a major role on the global stage.

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❗️ For the first time, the Russian Ministry of Defense has reported the destruction of two American MALD guided missiles. During the week, Russian forces destroyed Ukrainian Su-27 and Su-25 aircraft, Mi-8 helicopter, 161 Ukrainian drones.

🇷🇺🪖 Other statements from the Russian MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️ In the Krasny Liman region, Ukrainian losses amounted to 995 soldiers;

▪️ In the Donetsk and South Donetsk regions, 13 Ukrainian attacks were repelled. Ukrainian losses amounted to over 2,635 soldiers and eight tanks;

▪️ In Zaporozhye, Russian forces repelled an attack by Ukrainian troops in the Rabotino area. Ukrainian losses amounted to roughly 230 soldiers and three tanks, in the Kherson area - roughly 275 soldiers and one tank.

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The joint US-UK attack chiefly struck airports in Yemen overnight. Some are located near residential areas.

According to the BBC, the coalition hit:

▪️The Al-Daylami airbase, north of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa;

▪️The vicinity of the airport of Hodeidah on the Red Sea;

▪️ The Taiz airport and other facilities in the Taiz province in southwest Yemen;

▪️An airfield in Abbs;

▪️The Kahlan military base in the Saada province.

Based on maps, numerous closely-situated buildings are located in the vicinity of the Kahlan and Al-Dailami airbases, even in the private sector.

The US and the UK carried out 73 strikes on Yemen, killing five soldiers and wounding six, according to the Houthis.

🗣 Yousef al-Hadry, head of the anti-corruption office at the Yemeni Ministry of Health, announced that the Ministry of Health has raised the level of the global state of emergency.

🗣 Al-Hadry told Sputnik that the US-British raids targeted the capital Sanaa and the provinces of Hodeidah, Taiz, Hajjah and Saada, resulting in the death and injury of 11 people and the destruction of some government offices and buildings.

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How did the international community react to the airstrikes carried out by the US and UK against the Yemeni Houthis?

◾️Who condemned the action:

• 🇷🇺 Russia. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova castigated the US strikes on Yemen as a perversion of the UN Security Council’s resolutions and a complete disregard for international law. The Kremlin also condemned the US attack on Yemen, Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov stated.

• 🇨🇳 China. Beijing is concerned about the Red Sea escalation and has called on the parties to show calm and restraint, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

• 🇴🇲 Oman. The Sultanate of Oman condemned the joint American-British bombing of Yemen, while Israel carries on with its brutal war in the Gaza Strip without accountability or punishment.

• 🇮🇷 Iran. Tehran condemned the attack on the Houthis in Yemen, warning that it will fuel "insecurity and instability" in the region, said Nasser Kannani, spokesperson at Iran's foreign ministry.

• 🇹🇷 Turkiye. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the overnight US and British airstrikes, describing the military assault as a disproportionate use of force.

• 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Foreign Ministry called for restraint and avoiding escalation after the strikes and said it was monitoring the situation with great concern.

• 🇸🇾 Syria. The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lashed out at this latest case of US-British aggression, branding it as "an attempt to divert attention from Israel’s war crimes".

• 🇮🇶 Iraq. Baghdad, has officially denounced the airstrikes, stressing that they could potentially lead to an escalation of the conflict and broaden its scope.

◾️Who’s neutral:

• 🇰🇼 Kuwait. The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry expressed its "great concern and attention", stressing the importance of maintaining security and stability in the Red Sea region.

◾️Who supports the action:

• 🇳🇱 The Netherlands. Prime Minister Mark Rutte noted the government provided military support for this operation.

• 🇦🇺 Australia. The Australian authorities provided personnel support to the US and the UK in their strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen, Defence Minister Richard Marles said.

• 🇨🇦 Canada. Ottawa provided support for the joint US-UK airstrikes.

• 🇧🇭 Bahrain. The one and only Arab country who provided support for the US-UK airstrikes.

• 🇩🇰 Denmark. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said that Copenhagen "fully supports" the strikes against the Yemeni Houthis.

• 🇨🇿 Czech Republic. President Petr Pavel backed the move, saying the "military action of our allies is a necessary step to prevent mounting tension in the region".

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Who controls Yemen? Let's take a look at the political map.

1. Red indicates the territory controlled by the Houthis. The majority of the Yemeni population lives here. The Houthis also control the country's capital, Sanaa.

2. Green indicates territory under the control of a central and internationally-recognized government. It is extremely dependent on the Saudi coalition, which was fighting against the Houthis, and de facto represents its interests. The formal capital is Marib.

3. Light blue is for the Southern Transitional Council (southern provinces seeking separation from Yemen who gravitate towards the UAE). The council controls Aden.

4. The island of Socotra is highlighted in deep blue - it is actually controlled by the UAE. The safest place in Yemen at the moment.

5. Areas under the control of ISIS and Al-Qaeda terrorists are marked in black.

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📹 Protests against US and British strikes on Yemen took place in Lebanon, Yemen, Jordan and the United States.

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US and UK attack on Yemen: Which weapons were used?

The United States and Britain sent missiles, warships and fighter jets to strike Yemen, ostensibly in retaliation for the earlier Houthi attacks against Israeli-linked cargo vessels in the Red Sea.
Based on information available from open sources, the military assets Washington and London employed in this attack included:

▪️US guided-missile destroyers

▪️US guided-missile nuclear submarines

▪️British Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft

▪️Tomahawk cruise missiles

▪️Paveway IV precision-guided bombs

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🗣 The US cannot win a war of attrition in the Red Sea:

"US destroyers might have a very good radar, but if you send towards them a bunch of drones, eventually it going to run out of missiles. What will be the most insulting in this case, so to speak, the rubbing salt in the wound, will be the fact the Houthis just probably will be sending $5-6,000 drone, at which you will have to expend your $1.5-2 million air defense missile, if not more, in terms of costs. And then, God forbid, for the United States if they have some destroyer, let alone aircraft carrier hit by some kind of the explosive device or drone. That will have not just technical problems, it will be a political issue in the United States," military analyst Andrei Martyanov told the New Rules podcast.

👉 Watch the full episode of our show on Rumble and on our X page

🎧 If you prefer to listen to our podcast, make sure to check the New Rules page on the website!

Tesla Berlin will stop most production for two weeks due to disruptions in the Red Sea, according to Reuters

The car manufacturer will suspend production of most vehicles at its plant near Berlin from January 29 to February 11, the company said late Thursday, citing component shortages caused by changes in transport routes due to attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

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Major General Abdullah al-Jafri told Sputnik that “Yemeni forces were fully prepared for attacks by the US and UK.”

“We were fully prepared for these attacks, we knew that the US and its agents would strike. By committing such aggression, Washington has opened a Pandora's box that it will never close. We will respond decisively to this aggression, a variety of scenarios are being considered, and the United States and Great Britain will have to come to terms with the extremely painful consequences of their actions," he said.

With this attack, Washington is reportedly trying to restore its prestige and protect Israeli ships in the Red Sea. After all, the White House realized that Israel had reached the stage of complete collapse as a result of the economic crisis caused precisely by the attacks in the Red and Arabian Seas, al-Jafri told Sputnik.

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US strikes Yemen as ‘feckless’ Blinken fails to resolve crisis in Middle East

The Biden administration’s decision to attack Yemen puts the US in a precarious situation, said former Pentagon senior security policy analyst Michael Maloof.

“[The] United States could slip into a war,” he said, noting that the US’ actions embolden Israel and prompt it to escalate the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.

“What could stop it is if the United States stops all of its exports of munitions to Israel at this point, because otherwise you're just feeding it, you're feeding the fire here,” Maloof remarked. “We're pouring more and more gasoline on the fire.”

He also observed that the recent visit to the Middle East by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was “useless,” seeing how the Houthis continued their attacks on the shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

“But beyond that, he's feckless, he's ineffective, and he's very timid and meek. He's not strong at all. And for that matter he's not doing anything that brings about or shows any ability to bring these sides together,” Maloof said. “All he's doing is spending, wasting money traveling around doing nothing and he's totally useless.”

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❗️ Zelensky critic Gonzalo Lira dies in Ukrainian prison

Since May 2023, the US State Department was aware that Lira, a US citizen, had been incarcerated in a Ukrainian prison.

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US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller doesn't answer directly whether or not DoS working to release a US citizen Gonzalo Lira, who criticized Zelensky and was detained in Ukraine, but says "we [DoS] ... support exercise of freedom of speech", during the Department Press Briefing of May 28, 2023.

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📹 Russia's artillery crews wipe out Ukrainian positions in Donetsk

Operator of the reconnaissance drone detected a cluster of Ukrainian personnel and transmitted the coordinates of the targets to the command post. A few minutes later, the crew of a Msta-B howitzer inflicted fire damage on the militants who were trying to gain a foothold in the forest belt.

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A State Department spokesperson confirmed that US citizen Gonzalo Lira died in a Ukrainian prison following his long detainment and offered condolences to his family.

“We can confirm the death of a U.S. citizen in Ukraine. We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss,” the spokesperson said in a statement on Friday when asked to confirm Lira’s death.

❗️ US and Britain have launched a new airstrike on the north of Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, a source in the administration of the city told Sputnik

"US and British aircraft again struck the Al-Dleimi air base in northern Sanaa," the source said.

The US launched a new strike in Yemen, it was directed against the Houthi radar installation, the Pentagon confirmed.

The strike was carried out from an American destroyer using a Tomahawk missile.

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