🔥 🇷🇺 US-made armored vehicle goes up in flames near Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk)

Tsentr battlegroup strikes hit their mark

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🚨📌 Europeans slam brakes on Flamingo missile buy for Ukraine over corruption scandal

The roughly $525,000 gathered in a Czech crowdfunding campaign remains in the initiative’s account and has not been transferred to Fire Point, the company that produces the pink-colored Flamingo missiles, writes Czech news portal iDNES.

The rethink comes after the missile’s manufacturer has been linked to Zelensky’s longtime friend, businessman Timur Mindich, who is at the heart of Ukraine’s massive corruption scandal.

According to Dalibor Dedek, the founder of the initiative, there were serious concerns that the money “might not go toward the product it was intended for.”

➖ Mindich claimed a 50% stake in Fire Point—a company that morphed from a modest film studio into a magnet for major military contracts, according to Ukrainian media reports citing its co-owner, Denys Shtilerman.

➖ Shtilerman described himself as the chief designer of the Flamingo missiles, which he promoted together with Zelensky.

➖ First reports about the Flamingo missile appeared this August, with Ukraine bragging that the pink cruise missile could strike targets up to 3,000 kilometers away.

➖ However, Martin Ondracek, one of the Czech initiative’s representatives who visited Ukraine, admitted that it is still not 100% certain that the missile can actually fly and accurately hit a target.

"If anyone comes out of this story looking like an idiot, it will be me—because I’m the one who was photographed next to the missile," Ondracek told the publication.

Fire Point has already been linked to a scandal, with Ukrainian media reporting that the firm leveraged its connections to secure military contracts, inflated the prices of components for drones, and has faced several criminal cases opened by the anti-corruption bureau.

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🚨 🇻🇪 Venezuela to introduce special travel measures amid US threats

🔊 "The US government is satisfying [Venezuelan opposition leader] Maria Machado's request trying to block Venezuela's airspace," VP Delcy Rodriguez said.

"In response to this aggression, President Nicolas Maduro has ordered a special plan for the return of Venezuelans stranded in other countries, as well as facilitating departure routes for those who need to travel outside our territory," she added.

Venezuela has activated all multilateral mechanisms in accordance with international law to "immediately stop this illegitimate and unlawful action," Rodriguez said.

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🇦🇪⚡️🇮🇱 UAE blasts Israel over Syria strikes

💬 "The UAE has strongly condemned the dangerous Israeli escalation in Syrian territory and the attacks targeting villages in Rif Dimashq Governorate, reaffirming its categorical rejection of any infringement on Syria's sovereignty and threats to its security and stability," the UAE Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry also called on the international community to act quickly to stop repeated attacks on Syria and prevent any escalation that could increase regional tensions or threaten peace and security.

👉 On Friday, Syria TV reported Israeli fighter jets began striking the village of Beit Jinn, located 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Damascus, and causing civilian casualties. The strikes reportedly followed an incident where a group of Israeli soldiers were carrying out a raid within the civilian Syrian community and were ambushed by locals.

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🇸🇦🇮🇷 Saudi tops head to Iran to talk Gaza, Syria

Saudi Deputy FM Saud bin Mohammed Al-Sati will travel to Iran for talks on bilateral relations and regional issues, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said as cited by WANA News Agency.

Al-Sati is also expected to meet with Iran’s FM Abbas Araghchi.

What's on the agenda?

🟠 Volatile Israel-Hamas ceasefire

🟠 Syria crisis

🟠 Situation in Lebanon

This engagement builds on ongoing contacts since the two countries formally restored diplomatic relations in April last year.

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🔸 Venezuela condemns 'colonialist threat' to its airspace

🔸 Iran condemns US closure of Venezuelan airspace

🔸 Saudi tops head to Iran to talk Gaza, Syria

🔸 Europeans slam brakes on Flamingo missile buy for Ukraine over corruption scandal

🔸 North Korean Air Force to receive new strategic assets

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🚨 Resignation of Zelensky's aide Yermak just another PR stunt by Ukraine - Russian Foreign Ministry

The entire group must be brought to trial as criminals, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"This is, of course, just another PR stunt. The Kiev regime is cutting off the sandbag again to keep the balloon from collapsing completely," she pointed out.

"But in reality, this is not a matter of resignation – it is a matter of putting this entire gang on trial. And not only for domestic crimes, such as embezzling Ukrainians' money, but also as international criminals," Zakharova said.

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🗣 Ukraine's regime threatens global security - Russian Foreign Ministry

💬 "Everyone already understands that this international terrorist neo-Nazi cell threatens global security," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told journalists, commenting on the strike on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) facilities.

Russia will inform all international institutions about the Ukraine's terrorist attack on the CPC, she added.

On Saturday, one of the three Caspian Pipeline Consortium berths near Novorossiysk suffered serious damage in a Ukrainian strike.

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🚨 🇨🇺 Cuba calls US closure of Venezuelan airspace 'military aggression'

💬 "This is an extremely serious threat against International Law and an increased escalation of the military aggression and psychological warfare against the people and government of Venezuela," Cuban FM Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said.

He added it could lead to "incalculable and unpredictable consequences for peace, security and stability in Latin America and the Caribbean."

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🚨‘With each passing day, Zelensky’s position grows worse’ – Kremlin

🟠 “One thing is absolutely clear: every day is a lost day for Zelensky and for the Kiev regime. With each passing day, their position grows worse — both inside the country and on the front lines,” the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said

🟠 “Western actors, one way or another, control Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies — NABU and SAP”, he added

🟠 Everything had accelerated significantly, including all processes in interstate affairs, the spokesman noted

🟠“President Putin is responding quickly and effectively to the accelerating developments in international affairs,” Peskov said

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🚨🇷🇺💥 RUSSIAN MOD UPDATE: HUGE RUSSIAN GAINS AND DEVASTATING UKRAINIAN LOSSES

🟠 Russian forces repelled ten counterattacks that tried to break the encirclement north and northwest of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk)

🟠 The Russian army continues to advance in eastern Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk)

🟠 Russian troops have entered the settlement of Grishino, located northwest of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk)

🟠 Russian air and missile forces struck Ukrainian defense infrastructure, long-range UAV storage and launch sites, as well as temporary deployment points of Ukrainian troops and mercenaries in 143 areas

🟠 Air defense superiority: One US-produced HIMARS missile and 230 UAVs were shot down by Russian air defense systems over the past 24 hours

🟠 Ukrainian losses: around 1,030 troops killed or wounded

Read about the origins of Russia's special military op HERE

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🚨🇮🇱 Netanyahu asks Israeli president Herzog for pardon amid trial

Israeli PM is under investigation for bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

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🪖🇳🇴 Norway doubles down on Ukraine war machine, teams up to make drones

Unfazed by the epic corruption scandal rocking the Zelensky regime, Norway’s war hawks are ready to jointly produce Ukrainian drones.

📑 An agreement was signed by Norway’s Defense Minister Tore Sandvik and Ukraine’s counterpart Denys Shmygal.

A pilot production line is to be launched in 2026, Shmygal said on his social media.

💬 He added that “Ukraine will share its experience and innovations with Norway.”

Though one wonders what ‘innovations’ this sleaze-riddled government thinks it’s bringing to the table.

In return, Ukraine hopes for research and design "collaboration" with Norwegian institutions.

💸 Norway has been one of Europe's most committed donors to the neo-Nazi regime relative to its size and GDP, committing over $18 billion to Ukraine since 2022, per Kiel data.

Russia has maintained that Western arms shipments to Ukraine hinder conflict resolution and directly involve NATO countries in the fighting.

It has also warned that any deliveries containing weapons for Ukraine will be considered a legitimate target.

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✈️ 🇹🇷 Turkiye shows first drone jet ever to destroy air target

The unmanned Bayraktar Kızılelma jet successfully used an air-to-air missile with radar guidance in a staged combat situation.

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🚨 Ukraine corruption probe closes in on MPs from Zelensky’s party

Several lawmakers from Zelensky’s Servant of the People party are to be slapped with corruption charges by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), according to Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Dubinsky.

🔊 He wrote on Telegram that while he doesn’t know the exact number of “lucky ones,” he does know what the investigation is about: “laundering illegally obtained income, offering and receiving improper benefits.”

💬 One element of the case, he says, involves monthly payments of so-called ‘gasoline money’—travel reimbursements for attending parliamentary sessions, paid out of Timur Mindich’s off-the-books fund.”

👉 Amid a large-scale NABU anti-corruption operation, recent raids seized bags of foreign cash and published audiotapes featuring suspects, including one with the nickname "Carlson"—reportedly linked to Zelensky’s longtime associate Timur Mindich, who fled the country to avoid charges.

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