Russian Foreign Intelligence on US role in Ukrainian parliamentary elections:

◾️Washington is considering holding presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine in 2025 amid ongoing hostilities with Russia

◾️As one legitimate method of getting rid of the “overly arrogant” Volodymyr Zelensky, Washington is considering holding presidential and parliamentary elections in 2025 amid continuing hostilities with Russia

◾️The US plans to launch an initiative for elections in 2025 through controlled structures in Ukraine, and the nomination of candidates will be coordinated by the State Department

◾️At the suggestion of the US, the creation of a party is being discussed among Ukrainian "activists" designed to occupy a pro-American niche during the election campaign

◾️According to the State Department, such a political force should become part of the Verkhovna Rada and play an important role in the system of checks of any Ukrainian leader

◾️The US is preparing a new election campaign in Ukraine, and the fate of the country and its puppet authorities will continue to be decided in Washington

◾️During the first stage, it is supposed to stimulate the Ukrainian civil society structures under their control to come up with an appropriate initiative through American "democratizing" foundations and "think tanks"

◾️"The nomination of candidates will be carried out in coordination with the State Department. American NGOs will select local public organizations to monitor elections"

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🎉Putin congratulates Sputnik on its 10th anniversary

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Sputnik on its 10th anniversary, wishing the staff creative success, a statement published on the Kremlin's website says.

He specified that Sputnik's team has been carrying out its professional duties "efficiently, promptly and responsibly, keeping abreast of the most important events, sharing reliable news and in-depth analytics with the audience, always relying on proven, objective facts."

Sputnik provides "a platform for people with different points of view on the main political, economic, and social trends in Russia and the world," President Vladimir Putin said.

"I wish you creative success and all the best," Putin stated.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

📹Russian paratroopers have evacuated a US-made Bradley armored vehicle from the border area of Russia’s Kursk region, the Russian Defense Ministry announced

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

The Houthis say they launched a strike using a Palestine-2 hypersonic ballistic missile at an Israeli military base in southeastern Tel Aviv.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

❗️Putin-Trump held no conversation, reports about it false - Kremlin

Earlier in the day, the Washington Post claimed, citing sources, that Trump allegedly had a phone conversation with Putin on November 7.

"This is the most obvious example of the quality of the information that is now being published, sometimes even in fairly reputable outlets. This is completely untrue. This is pure fiction. This is just false information," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, answering a relevant question.

There are no concrete plans for any talks between Putin and Trump as of yet, the spokesman clarified.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

❗️Russian troops have liberated the settlement of Kolesnikovka in the Kharkov region, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Taiwan and Philippines poised to obtain advanced US weapons under Trump as China fumes

Taiwan plans to purchase a massive package of US weapons to show the new Trump administration that Taipei is “serious” about protecting the island from China, the Financial Times cited unnamed sources as saying.

The package could include an Aegis destroyer, the Lockheed Martin vessels, advanced Hawkeye airborne radar systems and a number of fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets, according to the sources.

At the end of the day, Taiwan may receive 60 F-35 fighters, four advanced Hawkeyes, 400 Patriot missiles, plus 10 retired warships, like Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Perry-class frigates. The package would reportedly be worth more than $15 billion. Neither Taipei nor Washington has commented on the matter yet.

The information comes after the Chinese Foreign Ministry vowed last month to retaliate against the US’ move to approve almost $2 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, which included the national advanced surface-to-air missile system (NASAMS) and radars. Beijing says its sovereignty over Taiwan is indisputable and slams any US attempt to supply weaponry to the island.

In a separate development, the Philippines is likewise mulling buying an intermediate-range missile launcher, known as Typhon, which the US brought to the country in April for bilateral military drills, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told the FT.

He added that the launcher would “increase deterrence” by complementing the BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missiles that the Philippines earlier procured from India. China denounced Typhon’s initial deployment and subsequent extension as “provocative” and “destabilizing.” The territorial affiliation of a number of islands and reefs in the South China Sea has been the subject of disputes between Beijing, Manila and several other countries.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺🪖 Key statements from the Russian Defense Ministry's daily briefing on the special military operation's progress:

◻️Ukrainian forces suffered losses of 490 militants and two arms depots in Battlegroup Zapad’s zone of responsibility.

◻️Ukrainian forces lost up to 540 soldiers in Battlegroup Yug’s area of responsibility.

◻️ Ukraine suffered losses of 505 servicemen in Battlegroup Tsentr’s zone of responsibility.

◻️ Ukrainian forces lost as many as 145 militants in Battlegroup Vostok’s zone of responsibility.

◻️ Russia downed four HIMARS projectiles and 39 Ukrainian drones.

◻️ Battlegroup Sever trounced 95 Ukrainian militants during the day.

◻️ Ukrainian losses amounted to 65 servicemen in the zone of Russia's Battlegroup Dnepr.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Russophobia at its highest: Sweden suspects Orthodox church of spying for Russia

A recently built Orthodox church in the Swedish city of Vasteras has become the target of criticism and suspicion of spying, media reports.

The far-fetched reason for the accusations is that the church was built near an airport, water treatment plants, and energy companies. However, the Swedish authorities had no objections when the location for the church was determined in 2017.

“The church offers a potential foothold that can be used for information-gathering, both directed at Vasteras Airport and at industrial interests in the form of large companies involved in the energy sector,” said Markus Goransson, a researcher focusing on Russia at the Swedish Defense University.

Earlier, the Swedish Agency for Support to Faith Communities stopped financial assistance to the Russian Orthodox Church, claiming that the Orthodox community was "not meeting the democratic criterion of the law."

Is it democracy to persecute Orthodox believers in Europe?🤔

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🤖Future is here: Take a look at China's armed robotic dogs

A new video showing China's robotic dogs with assault rifles deploying from a vehicle has gone viral on social media.

These artificial animals were first seen in May during the Golden Dragon 2024 military exercise between China and Cambodia.

The robots can transmit images in real time to command posts, autonomously plan routes avoiding obstacles and approach targets. The batteries and power system are located in the "abdominal cavity", which allows them to move back and forth, lie down and jump.

The dogs can be used not only for reconnaissance, but also to act as a means of destruction, media reported.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺🪖Key statements from the Russian Defense Ministry's daily briefing on the situation in Russia’s Kursk region:

🔸Ukrainian losses amounted to more than 300 militants and one tank.

🔸Ukrainian forces conducted six counterattacks in the Kursk region, all of which were repelled by Russian servicemen.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Trump may fight Pentagon’s ‘woke’ generals after taking office

Pentagon is bracing itself for a scenario of its ranks being purged when Donald Trump enters the White House, unnamed current and former officials told Reuters.

They claimed that Trump’s second term will see him prioritize loyalty and fire the Pentagon’s high-ranking military officers and career civil servants he regards as disloyal. In particular, the President-elect could target the current and former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Charles Q. Brown and Mark Milley, respectively, perceived by Trump as “woke” generals.

As for the Pentagon’s career civil servants, who are among the almost 950,000 non-uniformed employees working within the US military, they could be subjected to loyalty tests and replaced with Trump’s conservative allies, the officials argued.

During his election campaign, Trump pledged to fire “woke generals” if elected, as he said the US “can't have woke military." He vowed to create a task force to monitor such generals and eliminate diversity training in the US Armed Forces.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇧🇾 Belarus has become a BRICS partner, the press service of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

The status of a partner country provides for permanent participation in special sessions of BRICS Summits and meetings of foreign ministers. It is also possible to invite partners to other ministerial-level events, in particular, on trade, meetings of representatives on national security and the forum of parliamentarians.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺🛥🇮🇩Russian and Indonesian Navies conduct first joint naval exercise Orruda-2024 in Java Sea

Crews of a joint ship detachment trained maneuvers and communication, employing various signal assets. Then servicemen then trained inspecting suspicious vessels, as well as blocking and mopping up a ship captured by mock terrorists.

On the second day of the drills, Russian and Indonesian navies conducted training on countering unmanned boats with fire from automatic artillery installations and small arms. Deck helicopters were deployed to train joint tasks.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

📹 The crews of the Russian "Vityazi" aerobatic team arrived in China to participate in the international Airshow China.

The Ministry of Defense showed footage of their training.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

❗️Key points from Russian presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev's interview to Russian media:

▪️Russian Navy solving tasks of nuclear deterrence, this is especially significant in context of revision of Russia's nuclear doctrine

▪️Donald Trump relied on forces to which he has obligations, will be obliged to fulfill them as a responsible person

▪️Russia taking additional measures to protect itself after Sweden and Finland joined NATO and against the backdrop of the Nord stream blasts

▪️The UK has lost its sea power, signs of such decay are now observed in the USA

▪️The US, with the help of its navy in the Persian Gulf area, wants to increase tension, create conditions for the re-division of the energy market

▪️USA has decided to sow chaos in the energy market, including by destabilizing maritime transportation

▪️The US and its allies in Europe have tapped a course towards the militarization of the Baltic, this is a traditional policy for the West's strategy

▪️The Russian Black Sea Fleet is combat-capable, ready to counter threats from the sea directions, there is no defeat for Russia in the Black Sea

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Australia to get first anti-slavery commissioner

Former Labor Minister Chris Evans will serve as Australia's commissioner for the prevention of modern slavery, as the country struggles with providing decent working conditions for migrant employees from Pacific island states.

The appointment was announced by Attorney General Mark Dreyfus, with Evans starting his five-year tenure in December.

“Modern slavery deprives victims of their dignity, fundamental rights and freedoms,” Dreyfus said, adding: “It encompasses a range of exploitative practices, including human trafficking and slavery-like practices such as forced marriage, forced labor, deceptive recruiting and debt bondage.”

As The Walk Free Foundation's Global Slavery Index suggests, there are approximately 41,000 individuals living in conditions of modern slavery in Australia, which translates to a rate of 1.6 per thousand.

The state of New South Wales hosts a significant part of temporary migrant workers employed by the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (Palm) scheme. In Australia, they face risks of debt bondage, deceptive recruiting, forced labor and, in extreme cases, servitude, sexual servitude or even human trafficking, according to Be Our Guests report.

The New South Wales parliament has initiated an investigation into the potential risks of modern slavery and revision of the Palm program.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that Tom Homan, the former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director, will be in charge of border security in his incoming administration.

"I am pleased to announce that the former ICE director, and stalwart on border control, Tom Homan, will be joining the Trump administration, in charge of our nation’s borders ('The Border Czar')," Trump wrote on his Truth Social media platform.

Trump said Homan will oversee the southern and northern borders as well as maritime and aviation security. He will also be in charge of "all deportation of illegal aliens back to their country of origin."

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺🇨🇳 Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu arrived in China on a working visit, during which he will hold meetings with the country's top political leadership

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt