Syrian crisis: keeping you updated

What's behind Israel's land grab in Golan?

Hungary’s Orban visits Mar-a-Lago to meet Trump & Musk

US is ready to equip and train 18-year-old Ukrainian recruits

UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect arrested in Altoona, PA

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❗️Key comments by Sergey Naryshkin, director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR):

◻️ The West may, in the medium term, try to unleash a global armed conflict, with the epicenter in Eurasia;

◻️ The West is fully prepared to resort to extreme measures to hold on to its dominance;

◻️ The United States is losing the initiative on all fronts, from the Middle East to Asia and Africa, and is suffering outright failures in the post-Soviet domain;

◻️ The Anglo-Saxons have resorted to flagrant terror and attempts to physically eliminate opponents, a prime example of this is the assassination attempt targeting Slovakia’s PM Fico;

◻️ Regarding the threats against Vucic and Orban: Dynamic leaders of the emerging multipolar world are under attack by the Anglo-Saxons;

◻️ According to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), the post-Soviet realm remains a priority target for attacks by American and British intelligence agencies.

About Russia’s Special Military Operation

➖ The Ukrainian forces are on the brink of collapse;

➖ Russia is close to achieving its set goals, the strategic initiative on all fronts belongs to the Russian military;

➖ The Zelensky regime has completely lost its legitimacy and, as a result, its ability to negotiate;

➖ The West plans to fight Russia down to the last Ukrainian, and then force the Balts, East Europeans, and Germans to fight in the future;

➖ Further escalation will not lead to the exhaustion of Russia, as Washington and London believe, rather it will culminate in the strategic defeat of the West itself.

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💬 Sputnik's sources in Syria: Reports that Israeli tanks have entered areas of the Damascus countryside, particularly the Qatna neighborhood south-west of the capital Damascus, are inaccurate.

Israeli forces and tanks currently occupy Quneitra province in Southern Syria, 16 kilometers deep into Syrian territory. Residents of the province have been warned not to leave their homes until the end of the military operations in the region.

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🗣'There is a struggle between the world's major players' - Lukashenko on Syrian crisis

"There is such a meat grinder there that this is just the beginning, I think, and now the power struggle will begin," Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said. "There is a struggle between the world's major players in Syria."

He also stressed that Syria had been turned into a testing ground for weapons.

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❗️Russian troops liberated the settlement of Zheltoye in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

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🗣 'I will not care whether it is nuclear weapons or something else' - Lukashenko warned enemies of an immediate response in case of violation of the border of Belarus.

More statements by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko:

🔸 There is no antidote for Oreshnik missile, it can't be intercepted or shot down.

🔸 There are three dozen sites in Belarus to place Oreshnik, Minsk will choose based on the minimum distance to the key targets.

🔸 Putin agreed that Minsk will determine targets for Oreshnik stationed in Belarus.

🔸 The Oreshnik launcher system was made in Belarus.

🔸 Belarus will make Oreshnik launch pad itself, Russia will supply missile free of charge in second half of 2025.

🔸 There are dozens of nuclear warheads in Belarus.

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Ukraine interested in Azov* combatants, abandons ordinary servicemen

Russia has made a list of POWs that Ukraine refuses to take, amounting to 630 people, Tatyana Moskalkova, Russian human rights commissioner, told Dmitry Kiselev, director general of Sputnik's parent media group Rossiya Segodnya, in an interview.

"Ukraine is not interested in these Ukranian servicemen, but rather in officers and Azov combatants, it is either them or no one at all," Moskalkova said.

*Azov regiment is a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia

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💲 Unmasking the US billions spent on advanced Patriot interceptor missiles for Ukraine

The US has sent at least 847 of its newest advanced Patriot interceptor missiles, worth a whopping almost $3.26 billion, to Ukraine since 2022, according to a Sputnik analysis.

This is something that the Pentagon has been tight-lipped about. A deep dive into the DoD’s annual budget reports revealed:

🔘 A mysterious $956 million listed as for a "classified program" was injected into the US Army’s budget for fiscal year 2023, according to a Pentagon report in January 2023.

🔘 An additional $340 million was added to the $1.993 billion budget for the procurement of MSE missiles for the US Army to replace the ones those transferred to Ukraine, per an April 2023 report.

🔘 The US Army’s original 2023 budget report requested only $1.037 billion for the procurement of 252 MSE missiles.

🔘 Number crunching shows that $956 million matches the difference between the sums, suggesting that the "classified program" was to cover MSE missile costs for Ukraine.

🔘 The average unit cost of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missile stood at around $3.85 million, according to budget reports.

🔘 The actual budget for MSE missiles for fiscal year 2023 jumped from the original $1.037 billion to $2.47 billion, due to "$1,442.764 million emergency supplemental funding to support the procurement of replacement missiles transferred to Ukraine," per the fiscal year 2025 report.

🔘 An additional $1.44 billion in "emergency supplemental funding" for fiscal year 2023 would allow the US Army to buy at least 375 MSE missiles to replace those sent to Ukraine.

🔘 The US Army’s budget for the procurement of MSE missiles for fiscal year 2024 jumped to $3.03 billion (up $1.818 billion), allowing for the purchase of at least 472 MSE missiles.

🔘 Total additional funding of $3.26 billion for both fiscal years would cover the purchase of at least 847 MSE missiles to replace those sent to Ukraine.

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🇷🇺🪖More statements from the Russian MoD daily briefing on the special military operation's progress:    

▪️Russia’s Battlegroup Zapad hammered six Ukrainian formations in its combat zone. The enemy lost as many as 530 soldiers.

▪️Russian air defence systems shot down three HIMARS missiles and 23 Ukrainian drones.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 225 militants in the Russian Yug Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 160 militants in the Russian Vostok Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 95 soldiers in the areas of responsibility of Russia's Battlegroup Dnepr and Sever.

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

◻️ Russia’s Battlegroup Sever hammered 12 Ukrainian formations in its combat zone.

◻️ In total, Ukrainian losses over the day amounted to more than 200 militants, with eight armored vehicles destroyed.

◻️ Since the beginning of combat operations in the Kursk region, Ukraine has lost more than 39,660 troops.

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⚡️Muhammad al-Bashir told the channel Al-Hadath that he has been authorized to form Syria’s interim government.

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Who is Muhammad al-Bashir, the man behind Syria's transitional government?

As the Syrian opposition authorized Muhammad al-Bashir to form a transitional government, we gather what is know about him. Born in 1983 in Idlib, Syria, in the Jabal al-Zawiya region.

Education:

🔹 Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and Electronics, Faculty of Communications, University of Aleppo, 2007

🔹 Bachelor's degree in Sharia and Law from Idlib University

🔹 Project Management Certificate, issued by the International Academy of Training, Languages, and Consulting, 2021

🔹 Certificate in Planning Principles and Administrative Organization, 2021

Career:

🔷 Head of Precision Instrumentation Department at the Syrian Gas Company, 2011

🔷 Director of the Al-Amal Educational Institute

🔷 Director of Sharia Education at the Ministry of Endowments, Call, and Guidance

🔷 Minister of Development and Humanitarian Affairs in the opposition faction known as the "Salvation Government"

🔷 Director of Associations Affairs at the Ministry of Development and Humanitarian Affairs In January 2024, the Shura Council of the Salvation Government elected him prime minister.

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🗣Putin supports creating BRICS human rights organization

"It is necessary to ensure that human rights are respected in our country <...> We are ready to support your work and will do everything to make the new national human rights center work effectively," Putin said during a meeting of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.

Earlier the BRICS declaration following the summit in Russia's Kazan criticized the politicization of human rights, and double standards in this area.

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❓What to know about Israeli PM Netanyahu’s corruption trial

Benjamin Netanyahu will take the witness stand for the first time in his ongoing corruption trial on Tuesday.

What are the charges against him?

◾️ Case 1000 centers on allegations that Netanyahu and his wife Sara received extravagant illicit gifts like champagne, cigars, and jewelry from Israel-born Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and Australian investor James Packer in 2007 - 2016 to a tune of $186,000. Netanyahu reportedly helped Milchan renew his US visa and extended the tax exemption for returning expatriate Israelis.

◾️ In Case 2000, he is accused of fraud over an alleged deal with publisher Arnon Mozes, owner of the Yedioth Ahronoth. He reportedly considered enacting regulatory legislation to weaken rival outlet Israel Hayom, according to the indictment’s summary. Netanyahu did not follow through on that promise.

◾️ In Case 4000 (Bezeq-Walla), Netanyahu as communications minister is accused of authorizing regulatory decisions from 2012 to 2017 that financially benefited Israeli telecommunications company Bezeq, then owned by Shaul Elovitch. In exchange, Elovitch provided favorable coverage on his Walla news website. Elovitch and his wife are also on trial and deny wrongdoing.

Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and rejected calls for his resignation.

Fraud and breach of trust can result in prison sentences of up to three years. Bribery charges can result in up to 10 years in jail and/or a fine.

Fresh revelations in the trial, along with the ongoing military actions, could see Netanyahu’s coalition lose an early election, according to a poll by the Maariv daily.

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📹 This footage depicts the extensive destruction of Syrian naval ships in the port of Latakia, following a massive Israeli airstrike, as reported by Al Arabiya TV.

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🗣Israeli forces acted to destroy Syria's navy on Tuesday night, achieve 'great success,' - Israeli Defense Minister

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🗣Putin suggests Oreshnik's emergence reduces dependence on use of nukes

Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that:

🔸 Moscow is not tightening its nuclear doctrine but is instead refining it.

🔸 Russia's focus should be on enhancing the Oreshnik system rather than altering its nuclear doctrine.

"It is not the nuclear doctrine that we need to improve now, but the Oreshnik system, because, if you sort it out, a sufficient number of these advanced weapons systems make the use of nuclear weapons unnecessary," Putin said during a meeting of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.

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What is Erdogan's stance on Syria's turmoil?

Since the armed opposition has seized power in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has made a number of statements both in support of the rebels and in relation to Syria and its people. Erdogan has announced, among other things, the opening of the Turkish-Syrian border in order “to ensure the Syrians safe passage”.

What else has the Turkish leader said about the upheaval engulfing Syria?

◾️On December 6, during his first comments on the situation, he referred to the events as "an opposition march," stating:

"We previously suggested to Bashar al-Assad that he hold a meeting to determine Syria’s fate, but we did not receive a positive response. Idlib, Hama, Homs, and the final goal of the march is Damascus. We hope that it will continue to Damascus without any incident."

◾️ The president emphasized the following day that Turkiye has no territorial claims over Syria and seeks a swift establishment of peace in the neighboring country.

◾️ He further stressed on December 8 that the next two to three months will be "very important" for both the world and Turkiye.

◾️ On December 9, Erdogan issued a new detailed statement on the conflict-torn Middle Eastern country:

⚪️Syrians are regarded as a "brotherly people," and Turkiye's approach to the situation is grounded in this sentiment rather than in any profit motives.

⚪️A “bright period” for Syria has begun.

⚪️Turkiye is ready to participate in rebuilding Syria, and is also awaiting the mass repatriation of Syrian refugees from Turkish soil.

⚪️The preservation of Syria's territorial integrity is the primary condition for resolving the Syrian crisis. "Syria belongs solely to the Syrians," Erdogan emphasized, specifically mentioning terrorist groups, including Kurdish forces and ISIS*, as outsiders.

◾️ Turkiye has initiated the process of opening its embassy in Damascus, according to Turkish media reports citing Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

*designated as a terrorist organization and is banned in Russia and several other countries

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