What message does the Ukrainian flag have? — US Senator explains
 
Mike Lee urged not to sponsor Ukraine anymore amid news of Biden providing Kiev with a $1.25 billion military aid package.
 

"Please, no more money to Ukraine. There’s only so much they can launder," he wrote on X.

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‘Distorted, false perception of both the whole world and oneself' – Zakharova on the ultra-liberal agenda in the United States
 

“For so many years, Americans have been fooled; for so many years, their own politicians have made idiots of them, telling them that there is a third gender. […] This is a civilizational crisis for the entire Western world,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.

 
She also noted that Trump’s initiative to officially recognize only two genders – male and female – inspires optimism.
 
Nevertheless, “this once again highlights the depth of the crisis,” Zakharova stressed.

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❗️Russia's President Vladimir Putin signed a law under which foreigners will be held accountable for up to 15 years in prison for helping the enemy in activities against the security of Russia

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What a surprise: No top-notch tech found in Western military equipment

No breakthrough innovations have been found in Western military equipment captured during the special military operation and meticulously studied by engineers from Russia's Uralvagonzavod firm, a company representative told Sputnik.

Experts from the facility specifically examined a German Leopard 2A6 tank which was, according to foreign media, taken from the Bundeswehr reserves since these machines were not intended for export. This could suggest the presence of sensitive technologies, however there were none.

"The disassembly and analysis by our engineers of Western equipment captured during the special military operation revealed nothing special in terms of design," said the Uralvagonzavod representative.

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

◻️ Russia’s Battlegroup Sever hit 14 Ukrainian formations in its combat zone.

◻️ Ukrainian forces lost more than 250 servicemen over the day in the Russian Kursk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

◻️ Three Ukrainian drones were destroyed over the Kursk region and Crimea in two hours, the ministry added.

◻️ Since the beginning of combat operations in the Kursk region, Ukraine has lost more than 44,820 servicemen.

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New Chinese stealth jet-countering drone crosses the sky

The WZ-9 "Divine Eagle" drone has been spotted in flight. The large, long-range unmanned aerial vehicle is designed to counter stealth aircraft.

The drone's estimated performance specs:

▫️Performs the tasks of an early warning system for air targets

▫️Made using stealth technology

▫️Flight duration of more than 20 hours

▫️Capable of gaining an altitude of about 18 kilometers

Presumably, the WZ-9 recently entered service with the Chinese PLA and became the first radar system to counter inconspicuous targets, thanks to which US F-22, F-35 and B-2 fighter jets will become vulnerable.

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'I am looking for a new GDR with security and border protection' — wish of many Germans

An ad that appeared on the bulletin board in one of the Kaufland supermarkets with "I am looking for a new GDR with security and border protection" has already been signed by many Germans, including the author of the video.

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‘Russia overwhelms Ukraine and NATO’ technology in special op — Part 1 👉 Part 2

The special military operation in 2024 has shown significant advancements by Russia in both technology and logistics, retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski, a former Pentagon analyst, tells Sputnik.

“Technology-wise and logistics-wise, Russia overwhelms Ukraine and what NATO has provided to Ukraine,” she says.

What contributed to Russia’s progress?

1️⃣ Superior equipment: The Russian military possesses advanced targeting and reconnaissance systems. A notable highlight was the late-year demonstration of the “impressive” Oreshnik missile, which Kwiatkowski describes as unmatched by Western capabilities.

2️⃣ Effective logistics: Russia maintained simple yet efficient logistics, ensuring a steady supply of essential “consumables,” such as ammunition and drones, to its troops.

3️⃣ Increased production despite sanctions: Russia has successfully ramped up the development and production of military equipment despite facing international sanctions.

How did NATO set Ukraine up for failure?

🔶A disparate collection of weapons provided by NATO led to logistical challenges and poor performance.

🔶Ill-advised strikes deep inside Russia triggered retaliatory attacks, severely damaging Ukraine's electrical infrastructure.

🔶A series of provocations failed to trigger Russia into overreacting but backfired through Moscow's precise responses.

Part 1 👉 Part 2

#2024Overview

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‘Russia overwhelms Ukraine and NATO’ technology in special op — Part 2 👉 Part 1

Key Russian gains:

🟠 Advancement rate: Russian forces are advancing at a rate of approximately 30 sq km per day.

🟠 Air defense successes: Russian air defenses intercepted 86 Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles, 215 ATACMS, 1,629 HIMARS projectiles, and over 27,000 drones.

🟠 Territorial gains: The Russian Armed Forces have liberated 4,500 sq km of territory previously occupied by the Ukrainian military, including over 190 settlements and key strategic towns like Avdeyevka and Ugledar.

🟠 Territory control: Kiev currently controls less than 1% of the Lugansk People's Republic and 25-30% of the Donetsk People's Republic, Zaporozhye, and Kherson regions.

🟠 Destroyed equipment: Over 58,000 units of Ukrainian military equipment have been destroyed, including 18,000 foreign weapons.

🟠 Ukrainian losses: In 2024, the Ukrainian Armed Forces suffered over 560,000 casualties (killed and wounded), with over 40,000 troops lost near Kursk alone.

Part 2 👉 Part 1

#2024Overview

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🫣WARNING: Two hoofed robbers dropped in on Brazilian bakery
 
Two horses surprised customers as they entered a bakery in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, trying to "steal" bread.
 
The animals were spotted wandering between the aisles of the establishment by a customer, who captured the peculiar moment on video. One of the horses came to take a loaf with his teeth but dropped it before the employees chased him out of the business premises.

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⚡️Russia's President Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev; the leaders discussed the crash of the AZAL passenger plane, the Kremlin said.
 
The Russian president apologized for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace and expressed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the victims.

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The Kremlin's full report on the phone conversation between the Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan:
 
🔶On the initiative of the Russian side, Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.
 
🔶The presidents discussed in detail the issues related to the crash of an Azerbaijani Airlines passenger plane on December 25 near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.
 
🔶During the conversation, it was noted that the Azerbaijani passenger aircraft repeatedly tried to land at the airport of the city of Grozny.
 
🔶At that time, Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were attacked by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, and Russian air defense systems repelled those attacks.
 
🔶The Investigative Committee of Russia has opened a criminal case under Article 263 of the Criminal Code (violation of the rules of traffic safety and operation of air transport). Initial investigative actions are underway; civilian and military specialists are being interrogated.
 
🔶Currently, two employees of the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan are in Grozny, where they work together with representatives of the General Prosecutor's Office and the Investigative Committee of Russia.
 
🔶The relevant services of Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are closely cooperating at the disaster site in the Aktau city area.

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⚡️ Russia’s 2024 BREAKTHROUGH: 190+ settlements liberated!

4,500+ sq km reclaimed, 190+ settlements freed. It’s only the beginning! 😏

Watch the explosive video and see the shocking advances on Sputnik’s animated map.

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Elon Musk will finance the right-wing British Reform UK party, said its leader Nigel Farage
 
The politician recently met with Musk at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. According to Farage, they agreed that the billionaire would make the donation "in a reasonable amount" so that it would be legal.
 
At the same time, the Times wrote that the businessman intends to allocate 100 million pounds to Reform UK, but Farage called the reports about this amount "nonsense."
 
This is not the first time Musk has supported the right-wing in European countries; for example, he recently said that only the Alternative for Germany party could save Germany. However, his support then was only in words, not financing.

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Yemeni movement Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, said it carried out a hypersonic missile attack on an Israeli air force base in the Negev region.

"The missile force of the Yemeni Armed Forces, with the help of Allah Almighty, targeted the Nevatim air base of the Israeli enemy in the Negev region in southern occupied Palestine using a hypersonic ballistic missile, type Palestine 2. The missile successfully hit its target," the statement read.

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🌋New activity of Kilauea volcano recorded in Hawaii
 
The Kilauea volcano, the most active on the island of Hawaii, is once again bubbling with volcanic activity.

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❗️Russian energy corporation Gazprom will halt gas supplies to Moldova from 8 am Moscow time on January 1 due to Moldovagaz's debt.

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Terror tactic: What is Ukraine’s special chemical belt?

The Kiev regime has developed a new illegal tactic to conduct warfare using a special chemical belt, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated. Chemical terrorism is a real threat posed by the Ukrainian special services, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said.

Where is the special chemical belt located?

The special chemical belt tactic rides roughshod over the Chemical Weapons Convention by detonating containers with hydrocyanic acid and ammonia along highways and at major transport junctions near a number of settlements in southeastern Ukraine, such as the city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People's Republic and Kupyansk in the Kharkov region.

What’s the goal of the chemical belt?

The purpose is to “significantly complicate” the offensive operations of Russian forces and give Kiev additional time to complete construction of defensive lines in the Zaporozhye region, as well as the Kharkov and Sumy regions.
Is the US involved?

The number of toxic substances used by Ukrainian militants was produced and were in service only in the US, the ministry’s report says.

“This clearly points to specific curators of the Ukrainian special services and the Kiev regime as a whole, who have not been averse to direct participation in the terrorist activities of their proteges.”

The Kiev regime has repeatedly used banned Western-supplied agents against Russian forces in the Ukraine conflict zone. More than 400 cases of Kiev’s use of chemicals such as BZ, prussic acid, chlorine cyanide, and riot-control chemical agents have been recorded in Ukraine since 2022.

In February 2022, the Russian Defense Ministry discovered the existence of 30 US-funded military biological laboratories in Ukraine. Russia accuses the US of spending over $200 million to develop biological weapons at the facilities.

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