⚔️ NATO’s threats to be ‘more aggressive’ betray alliance’s ‘belligerent’ nature - expert

🗣 NATO allies’ “own leaders” created the “Russian threat” narrative “by their own escalation toward Russia, both in words and deeds,” and few “sincerely believe that Russia has any actual plans to invade Europe,” Mikael Valtersson told Sputnik, commenting on NATO military committee chairman Giuseppe Cavo Dragone’s comments about needing to be “more aggressive” against 'Russian hybrid threats'.

🔶 NATO and European leaders would do well to “tone down their belligerent language,” or even better, “stopped trying to steal Russian assets and started working on a peace plan for Ukraine and a long-term security solution for Europe that…take into account Russia’s legitimate security concerns,” the former Swedish Armed Forces’ officer-turned independent military analyst emphasized.

🔶 NATO’s problem is that it lost its purpose after the Cold War, turning to so-called “humanitarian interventions” to “repaint Western expansionism as something inherently good,” and expanding eastward in a manner “that was very hostile to Russia,” Valtersson said.

💬 “Many in the West probably saw this as a way to eternally push Russia back and make large traditionally Russian territories part of the West. Ukraine might also have been a stepping stone for a potential attempt of regime change in Russia…This growing tension exploded in Ukraine, and made many within NATO very happy, since NATO once again had an alleged threat to unite against,” Valtersson explained.

🟠 However, “the majority of the world sees Western hypocrisy for what it is, namely a Manichean worldview that sees everything the West does as good and everything that others do is evil.”

🟠 Creating conflict situations and defending military action by NATO while painting similar actions by others as “evil and against the rules-based international order” is “a flagrant example of hypocrisy,” Valtersson summed up.

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🇫🇷 Macron’s ears must be ringing — French politician on Russia having no aggressive plans

💬 "Perhaps the leaders who want their people to believe this [that Russia has aggressive plans towards Europe] are crazy, or perhaps they are trying to boost their popularity in the face of the lamentable state of their economy?" French Patriots party leader Florian Philippot quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin on X.

During his visit to Kyrgyzstan, Putin stressed Russia has no desire to attack European nations.

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🚨 Prior to his resignation, Yermak tried to boot SBU head

The ex-chief of Zelensky's office waged a week-long crusade to ouster security chief Vasily Malyuk, whom Yermak blamed for lack of protection during the now-known corruption scandal, just days before Yermak's own downfall, media reports say.

🟠 Andriy Yermak resigned on November 28, following an investigation and search of his house by Ukraine’s National Anti-corruption Bureau (NABU).

🟠 The campaign lasted for a whole week before Yermak announced his resignation, added the reports.

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🇪🇬 Egypt opens EDEX 2025 weapons exhibition

📍 The event is held in Cairo on December 1-4, with more than 86 countries and 450 companies taking part in it.

The participants will see the following Russian arms:

🔶 S-350E Vityaz air defense system

🔶 Rubezh-ME coastal missile system

🔶 T-90MS tank

🔶 BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle

🔶 Kornet-EM anti-tank missile system with remote control console

🔶 Lancet-E and other loitering munitions

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🇷🇺 The Russian pavilion at EDEX-2025 drew significant attention in its first hours, despite a smaller crowd drawn away by the opening ceremony and the presence of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

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🇷🇺 Russia’s brand new UTS-800 training aircraft makes Egyptian defense expo debut

📍 Developed by Ural Works of Civil Aviation, designed for basic flight training and pilot selection and showed off at Egypt's EDEX 2025 defense expo, the UTS-800 is a twin seater turboprop designed with simplicity, predictability and safety in mind.

Making its maiden flight in 2023, the aircraft features:

🔶 one or two pilot flight without need to install additional balance weight

🔶 superior maneuverability and G tolerance for complex aerobatics

🔶 low maintenance costs, ability to take off from unpaved runways

🔶 460 km/h max speed and 1,200 km flight range at altitudes up to 6k meters

🔶 operation in temperatures from -30°C to +45°C

🔶 highly customizable glass cockpit and upgradable avionics

🔶 safety and comfort features including ejection seats, oxygen system, durable anti-bird strike cockpit protection, air conditioner and anti-icing feature

🔶 shared components and ergonomics with real post-training combat aircraft like the MiG-29

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🔥 Forged in fire: Russia’s Forpost-RE airplane-style heavy drone makes EDEX-2025 debut

📍 Originating as a licensed version of Israel’s Searcher Mk II, the Forpost-RE has been fully localized using Russian components, and received a slew of upgrades.

Key features:

🔶 long-range flight and payload capability

🔶 Swappable payloads, from missiles and glide bombs to kamikaze drones and intel gathering equipment

🔶 multichannel optoelectronic system for long-range, day-or-night detection, monitoring and target designation

🔶 ability to detect and target enemy aerial and naval drone systems at standoff ranges, and coordinate and direct other weapons systems

Made by Ural Works of Civil Aviation, the Forpost-RE has received a number of upgrades based on combat experience in Ukraine, including more powerful engine, jam-resistant electronics, larger payload, its own onboard radar, redesigned wing and tail assembly and composite torsion box

Besides warfare, the UAV is a perfect solution for border control, and is simpler and is cheaper than pricy US heavy drone alternatives

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🇷🇺 November surge: Russia’s ruble shines as US dollar weakens

📈 The ruble strengthened against the dollar more noticeably than any other G20 currency in the last month of autumn, Sputnik’s analysis of trading data shows.

👉 Globally, the ruble ranked third in this regard, gaining 2.9% against the dollar over the last month of autumn.

🇧🇼 The biggest monthly gain against the US currency came from the Botswana pula, which surged 4.4%

🇨🇴 The Colombian peso followed in second place, rising 3.1%

🇰🇿 Not far behind was the Kazakhstani tenge, which appreciated 2.8% against the dollar

🇭🇺 Hungary’s forint rounded out the top five with a 2% gain

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🔸 Putin to meet US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Dec 2, Kremlin confirms

🔸 NATO’s threats to be ‘more aggressive’ betray alliance’s ‘belligerent’ nature - expert

🔸 Zelensky’s Umerov-Yermak swap: Same corruption rap sheet

🔸 Russia has upper hand, could end Ukraine conflict ‘on its terms’ - Ex-Pentagon advisor

🔸 Egypt opens EDEX 2025 weapons exhibition

🔸 November surge: Russia’s ruble shines as US dollar weakens

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🚨⚡️ Vladimir Putin visited one of the command posts of the Joint Forces Group on the evening of November 30, where he received reports on the liberation of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) and Volchansk, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

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🎤 Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) was ‘anchor’ of Ukraine’s Donbass fortification belt, its loss is a disaster: Scott Ritter

“The collapse of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) has created a situation where Ukraine has lost some of its best brigades, some of its best men,” the former US Marine Corps intelligence officer and military analyst said.

These battle-hardened, NATO-trained units, which include the 25th Airborne Brigade and 38th Marine Brigade, are “irreplaceable,” according to Ritter.

“This will result in a significant gap in the Ukrainian lines, which will have to be filled by troops that will be taken from other locations, further thinning and decreasing Ukraine’s capabilities there,” he noted.

Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) was also “the anchor of Ukraine’s fortified belt in Donetsk, in the Donbass. And now that that anchor has fallen…there’s really no significant fortified defensive positions between where the Russian Army will find itself and the Dnepr River,” the observer stressed.

The strategic location’s loss and the decimation of Ukraine’s elite units will put Kiev under strain across a broad area stretching from Zaporozhye and Kherson to Kharkov, Ritter believes.

“This will have a snowballing effect in terms of how the Ukrainian Army is able to stand up and fight against the Russians. I think it is the beginning of a collapse. And this time NATO doesn’t have a solution,” he summed up.

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🚨🗣 Initiative entirely in hands of Russian forces — Putin

President Vladimir Putin visited a command post of the Joint Forces Group, where he received reports on the liberation of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) and Volchansk, as well as ongoing offensive operations in the Zaporozhye and Dnepropetrovsk regions.

"The Russian troops are advancing in almost all directions," Putin noted.

The Russian president thanked commanders and set tasks for winter combat support, confirming Russian troops must continue to carry out their tasks "in strict accordance with the plan of the SMO."

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