🚨 NATO, think twice: Military expert lists option for Russia to protect Kaliningrad

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that blockade of the Kaliningrad exclave would spark escalation, stressing that all threats would be neutralized.

💬 "This implies using the full range of available tools," Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) tells Sputnik.

💬 "In this case, Russia will face no restrictions in employing its entire set of deterrent measures," he says.

The expert suggests that the response would include:

🟠 Baltic Fleet forces, in particular long-range precision and hypersonic weapons such as Zircon missiles

🟠 The Iskander missiles deployed in the Kaliningrad region could target NATO staging grounds for an attack on Kaliningrad

🟠 Russia's newest Oreshnik system could be deployed in the Kaliningrad region and along its western border to deter NATO military adventurism

🟠 Russian Aerospace Forces could hit NATO targets in the Baltic Sea

💬 "In the event that the adversary initiates a conflict along the NATO-Russia track, NATO targets would become fully legitimate for [Russian] high-precision weapons systems," Stepanov says.

🔶 He specified that Russian strategic deterrence tools, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, could be employed in the event of a direct threat to the national security and sovereignty of Russia under its renewed nuclear doctrine.

🔶 In July, General Christopher Donahue, head of the US Army Europe and Africa and NATO Allied Land Command, said the alliance could occupy Kaliningrad if needed and already has a plan in place.

🔶 Putin aide Nikolai Patrushev had previously warned against NATO drills for offensive operations near Russian borders, including a possible seizure of Kaliningrad.

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🚨📑 US Justice Department publishes Epstein document library

The US Justice Department has launched an Epstein Library, publishing materials released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act as well as related court records, FOIA disclosures, and congressional documents.

The DOJ notes that the archive contains redacted materials to protect victims and private individuals, but warns that due to the volume of records, some documents may still include sensitive or non-public information, including denoscriptions of sexual assault.

According to the department, the library will be updated if additional documents are identified for release.

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🚨 'Using frozen Russian assets? That idea is dead, done & dusted' — Orban

💬 “It’s good that it did not materialize. Because in my view it would have dragged us [the EU] into the Ukraine conflict immediately, the Hungarian PM stressed.

📍 He insisted that Ukraine “will never be able to repay” the EU’s just-approved 90 billion euro ($105 billion) loan, which is why Orban said the bloc “would be handing out aid disguised as a loan.”

💬 “Then we chose a solution where we asked that if they want to get on this train and we don’t want to buy a ticket for it, then we should not be forced to get on this train,” the PM said, referring to a decision by Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic to stay out of the EU’s move on the Ukraine loan.

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🚨 US launches strikes against ISIS targets in Syria - Hegseth

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said US forces launched “Operation Hawkeye Strike” in Syria earlier today, targeting ISIS* fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites.

According to Hegseth, the operation was carried out in response to an attack on US forces in Palmyra on December 13. He described the strikes as a limited action, stating that it was “not the beginning of a war,” but a response aimed at those responsible for the attack.

*A terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

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🚨 Trump announces retaliation against ISIS in Syria

US President Donald Trump said the United States is carrying out strong retaliatory strikes against ISIS* positions in Syria, citing the recent killing of US personnel.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned that any further attacks on US targets would be met with a strong response.

*A terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

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🚨 CENTCOM releases footage of strikes on ISIS targets in Syria

US Central Command (CENTCOM) posted video footage showing US forces conducting airstrikes against ISIS* targets in Syria.

According to CENTCOM, the operation involved fighter jets, attack helicopters, and other assets, targeting ISIS infrastructure and weapons sites. The command said the strikes followed the Dec. 13 attack on US and partner forces in Syria.

*A terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

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🇺🇸🇻🇪 US Treasury imposes new sanctions on Venezuelan officials’ relatives

The US Department of the Treasury announced new sanctions on family members and alleged “associates” tied to figures close to the Venezuelan government, according to a statement published on the Treasury’s website.

According to the statement, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated several relatives of Carlos Erik Malpica Flores, a nephew of Venezuela’s First Lady Cilia Flores, as well as family members of Panamanian businessman Ramon Carretero Napolitano.

🗣 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the measures target what Washington calls “the narco-corruption structure” tied to Venezuela’s government.

The statement says the designations block any US-based assets of those listed and generally bar US persons from transactions with them without OFAC authorization.

⚠️ Venezuela has previously rejected similar US measures as politically motivated and illegitimate, maintaining that unilateral sanctions violate international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty.

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🚨 CENTCOM posts video of joint US–Jordan strikes in Syria

US Central Command posted video footage that it says shows US and Jordanian forces striking "70+ ISIS* targets in Syria with 100+ precision munitions."

The strikes were earlier announced by US President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who described the operation as “Operation Hawkeye Strike.”

*A terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

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