❗️Russia's strike on Ukrainian gas infrastructure facilities was a response to the Ukrainian attacks with ATACMS and Storm Shadow, as well as an attack on a compressor station in Russia's Anapa to disrupt gas supply via the TurkStream, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

One of the targets hit was the ground infrastructure of the largest underground gas storage facility in the Lvov region of Ukraine.

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Hamas-Israel ceasefire deal reached, among other things, thanks to constructive partnership with Trump team — White House

They also acknowledged that the deal may not go smoothly, as they see a threat of escalation of the conflict if Hamas does not release the hostages, but they hope for the fullest possible implementation.

A meeting is scheduled to take place in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday, where all issues related to the agreement will be discussed.

The US authorities also confirmed that two American hostages will be released as part of the first phase of the deal.

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US seeks full termination of Russian gas supply to Europe — US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources

The US supports the EU's complete refusal to import Russian gas, despite the desire of a number of countries, including Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria, to maintain supplies, Geoffrey Pyatt said.

"Today we are the largest LNG exporter in the world, and by the end of the Trump administration, we will have doubled what we're doing today [...] The decision has clearly been made in Brussels to get to zero [gas supplies from Russia] by 2027...and the United States strongly supports that goal," he said at the Atlantic Council.

He expressed confidence that Ukraine would never resume gas transit from Russia through its territory and noted that the decline in European purchases of Russian energy carriers has led to a significant increase in LNG purchases from the US.

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'Ukraine running out of Ukrainians' — candidate for the US Secretary of State

Marco Rubio, whom Donald Trump appointed to the post of US Secretary of State, during a hearing in the Senate, believes that bringing the Ukraine conflict to an end should be the official position of the United States.

"Millions of Ukrainians no longer live in Ukraine [...] The Ukrainian infrastructure and their energy infrastructure are being decimated in ways that are going to cost hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild over the next decades. So this is an important conflict. And I think it should be the official position of the United States that this war should be brought to an end," Rubio said.

He added that to reach a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is going to require bold diplomacy and concessions from both parties.

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❗️Netanyahu's office accuses Hamas of reneging on Gaza deal agreements at last minute

"Hamas is reneging on an agreement and creating a last-minute crisis that prevents an agreement from being reached. Hamas is abandoning the clear agreements reached with the mediators and with Israel in an attempt to exert pressure at the last minute," the statement said.

Israel will not set a date for a meeting of the cabinet and government to approve the agreement until the mediators inform them that Hamas has confirmed all its details, the statement added.

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📊Majority of Americans oppose acquiring Greenland - poll

53% of respondents said that they oppose Greenland joining the US, while 29% consider it a good but unrealistic idea, and 11% expressed the desire for the incoming Trump administration to do anything possible to take control over the island, according to a joint poll conducted by the USA Today news portal and Boston's Suffolk University.

Among the supporters of the Democratic Party, 86% opposed the idea, while among the Republicans, 21% said that it is a bad idea, 48% said that the idea is good but unrealistic, and 23% expressed full support for it.

The poll was conducted from January 7 to 11 among 1,000 US citizens.

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❗️Ukranian losses amounted to 1,675 sevicemen over the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

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

◻️ Ukrainian forces lost up to 470 soldiers in the area of responsibility of Russia's Zapad Battlegroup;
 
◻️ Due to the actions of the Sever and Dnepr Battlegroups, Ukrainian formations lost up to 125 soldiers;
 
◻️ Ukrainian losses amounted to 580 fighters, three armed vehicles, and three tanks, including Leopards, in the area of responsibility of the Tsentr Battlegroup;

◻️ Russian Air Forces hit 12 HIMARS shells and 95 Ukrainian drones.

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❗️Ukrainian officers rob fellow soldiers to feed gambling addiction — Ukrainian border guard to Sputnik

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More than 70 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip in Israeli shelling since the ceasefire agreement was announced, Mahmoud Basal, a representative of the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza, said on Thursday.

"Since the announcement of the ceasefire agreement, the Zionist occupation forces have killed 71 people, including 61 in Gaza City," Basal was quoted as saying by Palestinian broadcaster Al Aqsa

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🔥Argentina engulfed by fire

Volunteers and rescuers are working together to fight fires in Patagonia.

Helicopters deliver water to the most affected areas. Hundreds of local residents were forced to leave their homes and move to temporary shelter.

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🌍Global leaders and top officials hail Gaza ceasefire agreement

Top officials of various world powers, including Germany, France, Spain, and Switzerland, have welcomed the Gaza ceasefire deal, which has been agreed to by Israel and Palestinian movement Hamas.

🇷🇺Russia expects an agreement between Israel and Hamas will make it possible to achieve sustainable stabilization of the situation in the gas sector, the Russian foreign ministry said.

🇨🇳China welcomed the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the country's foreign ministry said, adding that it hopes for it to be effectively implemented and lead to a complete and lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

🇬🇧British foreign secretary called for the full implementation of all stages of the ceasefire agreement.

🇩🇪German Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised the agreement, which "must be consistently implemented."

🇫🇷French President Emmanuel Macron called the deal between Israel and Hamas a relief for the Gazans after "15 months of unjustified suffering."

🇪🇸Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez welcomed the ceasefire agreement, saying that it is crucial for achieving regional stability.

🇸🇪Swedish FM Maria Malmer Stenergard called the ceasefire deal a prerequisite for a two-state solution.

🇿🇦"The ceasefire must lay the basis for a just peace that should include the establishment of a contiguous, independent, and viable Palestinian state," the South African foreign ministry said in a statement.

🇹🇷The Turkish foreign minister said that the ceasefire agreement reached in Gaza is an important step towards justice and humanity.

🇦🇪UAE FM Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan stressed the importance of the international community's support for all efforts aimed at advancing the peace process in the Middle East, and ending illegal actions that undermine the two-state solution.

🇶🇦Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani expressed hope that destruction and killing will stop in all Palestinian territories, thanks to the ceasefire deal.

🇯🇴🇸🇦The Jordanian and Saudi Arabian foreign ministries both said that they highly appreciate the mediation efforts of Egypt, Qatar, and the US.

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NATO forces not trained to fight equal or superior adversaries

NATO’s belief in its total air, information and long-range weapon superiority has led to a serious flaw in its troops’ training methods, former Swedish Armed Forces officer and defense politician Mikael Valtersson tells Sputnik.

NATO forces, he explains, are simply “not prepared to meet the adversary that's at the same level or superior to them,” and thus “lack any relevant methods of the fighting on the ground.”

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At least 82 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza just hours after Hamas and Israel announced a ceasefire agreement, Al Jazeera reports.

Only one attack near the Engineers Union Building in Gaza City killed at least 18 people, the agency added.

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Russia hopes that Hamas-Israel ceasefire agreement will help create conditions for solution to Palestinian issue — Zakharova

"It will also create conditions for improving the situation in the Middle East region as a whole, including in Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen," the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman added.

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