❗️Russian troops liberated the settlement of Novoyegorovka in the Lugansk People's Republic and the settlement of Shevchenko in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

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

▪️Ukraine lost up to 400 servicemen and a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, manufactured in the USA, in the Russian Zapad Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Russian air defence systems shot down a Hammer guided bomb, eight HIMARS missiles and 86 Ukrainian drones.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 545 troops in the Russian Tsentr Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 220 servicemen and four warehouses in the Russia's Battlegroup Yug area of responsibility.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 85 soldiers in the areas of responsibility of Russia's Battlegroup Dnepr and Sever.

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📹 Palestinian journalists congratulate each other on the beginning of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The total number of Palestinian journalists stands at 206, according to the Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip.

Footage by social media

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Scores of senior diplomats given marching orders as Trump purges Biden’s State Dept

A host of senior career diplomats are quitting the State Department as Donald Trump makes a clean break with the Joe Biden administration, The Washington Post reported.

The resignations, effective at noon on Monday, just before the inauguration, were on instructions from Trump’s aides, claimed unnamed US officials.

Trump has authorized over 20 “senior bureau officials” to take over vacated posts, with some of the newcomers having formerly serving in key roles during his first term, insiders added.

Among those departing are:

🔸 John Bass, the under secretary for management and acting undersecretary for political affairs,

🔸Geoff Pyatt, the assistant secretary for energy resources,

🔸Dan Kritenbrink, top diplomat for East Asia.

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❗️Ukraine lost over 460 militants in the Kursk region over the past day, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) said

Russian forces destroyed four tanks and four armored combat vehicles in the Kursk region, the Ministry added.

In total, the enemy has lost more than 53,000 militants in the Kursk region since the start of hostilities.

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Turkish Consulate reopens in Syria

The Turkish Consulate-General in Aleppo, Syria, has resumed work after a 13-year hiatus.

The Turkish flag has been hoisted above the building of the diplomatic mission. The consulate will soon have a visa and passport department.

The Embassy of Turkiye in Damascus opened on December 14, 2024.

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🇷🇺🇨🇳 Russian LNG supplies to China surged to 8.3 million tons in 2024

The volume of Russian liquefied natural gas supplies to China in 2024 increased by 3.3% compared to 2023, according to China's Customs data.

🔹 Total volume reached 8.3 million tons, statistics show.

🔹 Imports in value decreased by 3.5%, to $4.99 billion. Russia is in third place among LNG suppliers to China.

🔹 Overall, Russia became China's top crude supplier in 2024, according to Chinese customs.

🔹 In the first 10 months of 2024, China imported 2.17 million b/d of Russian crude, up 2.2% year on year.

By 2030, total gas supplies from Russia to China, both pipeline and tanker-shipped, are projected to reach 85 billion cubic meters per year.

Сhina gets most of its Russian gas supplies via the Power of Siberia pipeline, set to reach its designed transportation capacity of 38 billion cubic meters in 2025.

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Footage captured at the school site targeted by Ukrainian forces in the village of Bekhtera, located in the Kherson region, shows the aftermath of the attack.

Two individuals were killed, and 23 others were injured, according to the latest information.

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🤝THROWBACK: The last meeting of Trump and Putin

This photo was taken at the G20 Summit in Osaka in June 2019.

A new face-to-face meeting might take place very soon.

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