What are the ‘decision-making centers’ that may soon get a call from Mr. Oreshnik?

Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned today that the new Oreshnik intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile could be used against enemy "decision-making centers," including those located in Kiev.

What potential targets was Putin likely referring to?

The phrase “decision-making centers,” depending on the context, is often used to describe headquarters, as well as a country’s political and/or military leadership – simply put, those who make decisions, as opposed to those who act on those decisions.

In case of Ukraine, for example, that might mean high-ranking military and civilian officials who, at least nominally, lead the Kiev regime: the government, the presidential administration, or the Defense Ministry.

The phrase in question can also serve as a reference to places where the aforementioned people make decisions: military headquarters, government buildings, command centers, underground command and control bunkers.

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🇬🇪🇪🇺 Georgia has suspended negotiations to join the EU until 2028

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that the country's government will not put the issue of opening negotiations on joining the EU on the agenda until 2028. Georgia is also refusing budget grants from the union until that date.

The EU has damaged Georgia's reputation by using the topic of admission negotiations as a tool for manipulation, and the decision made will help avoid it, Kobakhidze emphasized.

According to Kobakhidze, Georgia is capable of enriching the EU with its culture and potential, just as the European Union is enriching it also. To do this, the country must show European bureaucrats that they should talk to it "not with blackmail and insults, but with dignity."

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Pursuit of medium-range ballistic missile technology by world players

After Russia's Oreshnik missile launch, France is considering developing a middle-range ballistic missile with a range over 1,000 km and terminal phase maneuverability to evade interception.

This development follows the US withdrawal from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019. The treaty had limited the development of ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 km.

What are ballistic missiles?

Those are rocket-powered missiles that follow an arching flight path to their target.

They are categorized based on range:
▪️Short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs): 300-1,000 km
▪️Medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs): 1,000-3,000 km
▪️Intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs): 3,000-5,500 km
▪️Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs): beyond 5,500 km

What are major players’ current MRBM and IRBM capabilities?

🇷🇺 Russia

▪️Oreshnik: Hypersonic MRBM with a range of approximately 1,000–5,000 km

🇨🇳 China

▪️Dongfeng-17 (DF-17): MRBM equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV),
1,800–2,500 km
▪️Dongfeng-21 (DF-21): MRBM, 2,150 km
▪️Dongfeng-26 (DF-26): IRBM, 4,000 km

🇮🇷 Iran

▪️Fatah-1: Hypersonic MRBM, 1,448 km
▪️Qadr-110: MRBM, 2,000 km
▪️Khorramshahr: MRBM, 2,000–3,000 km
▪️Shahab-3: MRBM, 2,000 km
▪️Sejjil (Ashoura): MRBM, 2,000–2,500 km
▪️Shahab-5: IRBM, allegedly 3,500–4,300 km

🇮🇱 Israel

▪️Jericho 2: MRBM, 1,500–3,500 km
▪️Jericho 3: IRBM, 4,800–6,500 km

🇮🇳 India

▪️Agni-Prime: MRBM with a range of 1,000–2,000 km
▪️Agni-II: MRBM with a range over 2,000 km
▪️Agni-III: IRBM with a range of 3,000–3,500 km
▪️Agni-IV: IRBM with a range of 4,000 km

🇰🇵 North Korea

▪️Hwasong-7 (NoDong-A): MRBM, 900–1,300 km
▪️Hwasong-9: MRBM, 1,000 km
▪️Pukguksong-1: Submarine-launched MRBM, 1,200 km
▪️Pukguksong-3: Submarine-launched MRBM, 1,900 km
▪️Pukguksong-2: MRBM/IRBM, approximately 2,000 km
▪️Hwasong-8: IRBM with a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), 3,200–6,000 km
▪️Musudan (Hwasong-10): IRBM, 2,500-4,000 km
▪️Hwasong-12: IRBM, approximately 4,000 km

NATO countries and medium-range ballistic missiles

Presently, major NATO countries do not maintain MRBM or IRBM capabilities, focusing instead on intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as part of their nuclear deterrence strategy.

🇫🇷 France

▪️Under Consideration: Development of MRBMs is being considered by the French Armed Forces and the Directorate General of Armament.
▪️Existing Capability: M51 submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile (SLBM) with a range of 11,000 km.

🇬🇧 The United Kingdom

▪️Existing Capability: Lockheed Martin Trident II D5 SLBM with a range of 7,408 km, deployed by the Royal Navy.

🇺🇸 The United States

▪️Existing Capabilities:
▪️Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman III: ICBM with a range of 13,000 km.
▪️Lockheed Martin Trident II D5: SLBM with a range of 7,408 km.
▪️In Development: LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM, intended to replace the Minuteman III.

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'Narcodrones: Made in Ukraine'

Spanish police have destroyed an organization that used Ukrainian drones to deliver drugs from Africa to Europe.

"They were produced in Ukraine and then delivered to Spain. In one "flight" they transported 10 kg of drugs for 50 km," Spanish law enforcement officials said.

The Ukrainian Army is reporting a shortage of such drones at the front.

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▪️President Vladimir Putin revealed at CSTO Summit new details about the operation of Russia's Oreshnik missile

▪️Oreshnik’s 4,000°C warhead: Can anything survive its devastating burn?

▪️US Minuteman III nuclear silos cannot hide from Russia's Oreshnik

▪️Pursuit of medium-range ballistic missile technology by world players

▪️From CSTO to Peninsula Shield: Meet some global military blocs

▪️How the US wants Ukraine to sacrifice its youth

▪️America dotted with more graves of US mercenaries killed in Ukraine conflict zone

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Trump-Zuckerberg's Mar-a-Lago chatter suggests imminent changes in Meta* - Facebook whistleblower

"Zuckerberg is attempting to curry favor with the incoming Trump administration in order to avoid criminal prosecution," Ryan Hartwig, a Facebook* whistleblower and co-author of “Behind the Mask of Facebook: A Whistleblower’s Shocking Story of Big Tech Bias and Censorship”, tells Sputnik.

President-elect Donald Trump met with Meta* CEO Mark Zuckerberg face-to-face in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, on November 27, the New York Times reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

Trump has long been critical of Zuckerberg over reportedly restraining him and other conservatives on social media, withholding the Hunter Biden "laptop from hell" story, and orchestrating a “plot” against him in the 2020 election. Nonetheless, the two exchanged pleasantries during the recent encounter, according to the NYT.

"I think there may be some closed-door negotiations, however, given that Meta is a valuable tool for national security and surveillance of foreign countries, we may see a slight decrease in Trump’s rhetoric," the pundit continues. "Hopefully there are penalties for Meta and Zuckerberg beyond just monetary fines. Influencing other countries’ elections is one thing, but domestic election interference is a very serious matter."

Hartwig expects Trump to proceed with social media regulations under section 230 during his second term in order to "remove Meta’s ability to remove or censor political content."

He also suggests possible changes in Meta's executive leadership and even relocation of the company's headquarters to Texas or another state "that isn’t an echo chamber for certain viewpoints."

"These policy changes would include not removing any political speech and gutting most of its community standards," the pundit highlights.

And "more importantly, taking a stricter stance against minors on the platform and enforcing strict age verification," Hartwig adds in an apparent reference to X owner Elon Musk lambasting Meta for "a massive child exploitation problem."

*banned for extremism in Russia

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❗️ Netanyahu orders IDF to prepare for 'intense war'

In an interview with Channel 14, the Israeli Prime Minister said he ordered the IDF to be prepared for an "intense war" in case of a ceasefire violation with Hezbollah.

"What will we do in a ceasefire? First of all, we will arm ourselves. We will gather strength and arm ourselves with a strong self-production. At the same time, we will also receive weapons from the US, some of which have been stopped," Netanyahu said.

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2024 Election Cycle: Who was Silicon Valley's presidential favorite?

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January, US tech giants are flocking to Mar-a-Lago. Meta* CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who banned Trump from his platform and suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story, recently met with the newly elected president. During the 2024 election cycle, Silicon Valley largely supported Kamala Harris over Trump.

The following data from OpenSecrets highlights the contributions from major tech companies:

Major Tech Companies and Their Contributions
Alphabet Inc. (Google's parent company):
Kamala Harris: $4,623,420

Microsoft:
Kamala Harris: $2,622,243
Donald Trump: $129,647

Amazon:
Kamala Harris: $2,318,611
Donald Trump: $171,560

Apple Inc.:
Kamala Harris: $2,119,985
Donald Trump: $75,726

Meta (Facebook's parent company):
Kamala Harris: $1,825,438

IBM Corp:
Kamala Harris: $1,016,181
Donald Trump: $106,548

Individual Contributions
Elon Musk (owner of X, formerly Twitter):
Donald Trump: $118,000,000

*Banned for extremism in Russia

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🇸🇾🛡 Syria, Russia destroys militants attacking Aleppo and Idlib provinces

Militants affiliated with the Jabhat al-Nusra* have been attacking Syrian-controlled territory in Aleppo and Idlib provinces since November 27.

At least 400 militants have been killed, said the deputy head of the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria, Captain 1st Rank Oleg Ignasyuk.

*Terrorist organization banned in Russia

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⚡️Syrian army begins counteroffensive in Aleppo and Idlib

The Syrian army has secured key areas and launched a counteroffensive in the Aleppo and Idlib countryside, targeting sites seized by terrorists in the last two days, reports a Sputnik correspondent.

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📹 Russian president's second day in Kazakhstan — highlights

The Kremlin's official Telegram channel published a video highlight of the second day of Vladimir Putin's state visit to Kazakhstan.

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⚡️ Chad terminates defense cooperation agreement with France - Foreign Ministry

Cancellation of defense and security agreements with France comes to confirm national sovereignty, reads the official statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chad.

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US plans to spend $138Bln by 2049 to upgrade its nuclear arsenal — reports

The US plans to spend about $138 billion on modernizing its nuclear arsenal by 2049, which "in fact" signals the beginning of an arms race, according to a report by the Roscongress Foundation.

In 2023, the Pentagon received more than 200 upgraded nuclear warheads, the largest annual delivery since the end of the Cold War. The United States plans to spend about $138 billion on nuclear warhead modernization through the Department of Energy between fiscal years 2024 and 2049," the report said.

Roscongress also added that the number of people employed by the nuclear modernization program has increased by more than 70 percent over the past decade.

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US Democratic lawmakers face Thanksgiving bomb threats

The homes of several Connecticut Democratic lawmakers, including Reps. Joe Courtney, Jahana Hayes, Jim Himes and John Larson, received bombs threats on Thanksgiving Day, according to ABC News.

"At this time the investigation is ongoing. I thank law enforcement for their swift attention to this matter, their actions demonstrate there is no place in our country for political violence," Rep. Jahana Hayes said.

Earlier this week, there were reports of "violent" threats against Trump administration appointees, including Rep. Elise Stefanik and Pete Hegseth, Trump's pick for secretary of defense.

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🐬🐊 Risky game!

Eyewitnesses film dolphins playing with alligator tail in Brazil's Itapará River.

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