🤡 Zelensky’s unhinged Christmas rant stoked by Ukraine’s looming concessions – Finnish expert

Zelensky’s violent Christmas rant will fail to “blow up” the ongoing efforts to achieve a Ukraine peace process, Henri Vanhanen, a security policy expert who previously worked at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, speculated in an interview with Iltalehti.

👉 Bitterness over the painful compromises in Russia’s favor that Ukraine should prepare for may have spilled into Zelensky’s speech, he noted.

On Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelensky released a Christmas video where he expressed a wish that may be interpreted as wanting an unnamed someone to “disappear” (or “drop dead”), saying that this would be the wish of all Ukrainians at Christmas.

🗣 Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Zelensky’s Christmas address uncivilized and hardly resembling that of a sane person.

Peskov added that after the address by the leader of the Ukraine regime, one can’t help but wonder whether he is capable of making sound decisions on resolving the crisis through political and diplomatic means.

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🔥 On guard: Tor-M2 & Osa-AKM systems thwart Ukrainian drone attacks

Russian air defense crews within the "Tsentr" Group of Forces remain on constant alert, using sophisticated systems to shield ground units from Ukrainian aerial threats.

🔸 00:00 A Tor-M2 air defense missile system crew maintains combat duty, providing continuous cover for units in the special military operation zone.

🔸 01:10 An Osa-AKМ missile system crew successfully intercepted and destroyed attack drones of the Ukrainian forces in the Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) region.

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⚔️ From arms to armies: EU politician demands German troops for direct involvement in Ukraine

The Bundeswehr must actively participate in "securing peace" in Ukraine as part of a European force, the European People’s Party head Manfred Weber stated, reports European media.

💬 "I want soldiers donning the European flag on their uniforms to secure peace together with our Ukrainian friends," he said, adding in such a case Germany "cannot stay aside".

Despite a shrinking German economy — marked by key industries shutting down nationwide — and strong public disapproval (with two-thirds of Germans opposed to a government that advocates for aid to Ukraine and mulls connoscription), European politicians persist in beating the war drums.

Russia has repeatedly stated that any foreign armed forces in Ukraine would be viewed as legitimate targets, and their deployment would elicit an appropriate response.

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🔥 Russian security forces thwart car bombing attempt in Stavropol

Ukrainian intelligence operatives, posing as scammers, contacted an 18-year-old Russian woman and convinced her to attempt to plant an explosive device under the car of a Russian serviceman.

The woman was apprehended by security forces at the scene, after she had already obtained the explosives but before she could attach them to the targeted vehicle.

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

⚡️ KOSOVTSEVO IN ZAPOROZHYE REGION LIBERATED

📍 The liberation of Kosovtsevo expands the zone of control of Russian troops on the western bank of the Gaichur towards Gulyaypole, the next major bastion on the offensive route

▫️ Russia's army liberated 8 settlements in a week

▫️ Russian forces continued to destroy the encircled Ukrainian Armed Forces group in Dimitrov, as well as clear the settlements of Rodinskoye and Grishino in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR)

▫️ Air defense superiority: 7 Storm Shadow missiles, 21 guided bombs and 1,350 drones were shot down

▫️ Ukrainian losses: 6,910 troops killed or wounded

Read about origins of Russia's special military op HERE

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📈 Gold and silver hit record highs

Gold prices surged to a new all-time high during Friday’s trading, reaching $4,561.40 per ounce.

February gold futures gained 0.86%, climbing to $4,541.

Meanwhile, silver saw a 4.83% jump, setting a new record of $75.145 per ounce.

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🚨🇷🇺🇺🇸Russia and US agree to continue dialogue on Ukraine settlement - Kremlin

❗️The Kremlin has analyzed the information received from Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev following his trip to the US.

👉Russia and the US have agreed to continue their dialogue following a meeting between Russian and US representatives, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed.

📍The contact, held under Putin's instructions, involved Kremlin Aide Yuri Ushakov and several White House officials.

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🤝 Hands Russian President Putin shook in 2025

This year saw truly historic meetings between Putin and global leaders, including:

🇺🇸 Donald Trump

🇨🇳 Xi Jinping

🇰🇵 Kim Jong-un

🇮🇳 Narendra Modi

🇮🇷 Masoud Pezeshkian

...and many more. Watch to find out!

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🇷🇺 Boots and bots: Russia to deploy new generation of combat ground drones

👉 Russia’s motorized riffle units have begun training to use battleground drones, Russia's Defense Ministry told media, adding that the exercises include firing arms mounted on remotely-controlled robotic platforms and targeting and field repairs, which will allow them to "increase the intensity of fire impact on the enemy" in both offensive and defensive operations.

Key combat roles:

◻️ The ground drones are armed with heavy machine guns and automatic grenade launchers to destroy enemy personnel, vehicles, and fortifications

◻️ Unarmed transport platforms will deliver ammunition, supplies, and evacuate the wounded from forward positions

◻️ Such automated systems will be able to fight in the most dangerous areas, reducing the risk for human soldiers, experts note

Ground drones are already used in the special military op zone for:

◻️ Logistics, like ammo supply: the robotic systems are mounted on a tracked chassis, which provide high cross-country ability, so bad weather or off-road conditions are not a hindrance to them

◻️ Mine clearance in the liberated areas full of explosive devices

◻️ Kamikaze strikes — robotic ground vehicles with explosives are used to suppress and destroy fortified positions or sheltered fire points

📍 The Russian army’s robotic systems are key participants in modern combat, and are being constantly improved with the latest military experience in mind.

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🚨 Ukraine’s ‘elite’ brigades implode amid mass AWOLS & crumbling morale

The myth of Ukraine’s much-hyped “elite” brigades - always more PR than actual battle power — has been completely shattered.

The 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces has deserted almost in full, a top Russian security source tells Sputnik.

Mass collapse of morale

The unit named “Anne of Kiev” after an 11th Century princess showed cracks soon after it was cobbled together in 2024 and spiraled into a ≈ $1.06 billion disaster.

🟠 The brigade was formed when Ukraine had burned through its volunteer pool and resorted to press-ganging

🟠 France agreed to cover the costs of training 2,300 soldiers for the unit

🟠 Over 900 deserted before deployment to France

🟠 During training, “there were 55 incidents of desertion," French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed

🟠 Ukrainian POWs later called NATO’s training methods subpar and outdated

🟠 Once deployed to the conflict zone, nearly a thousand troops reportedly went AWOL

🟠 When the unit arrived near Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk), it was combat-ineffective and reduced to tattered shreds, per Russian security sources

Ukraine’s ‘cursed’ 150s brigades have been struggling with the AWOL malaise:

🔶 The 157th Mechanized Brigade became dysfunctional shortly after deployment near Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk)

🔶 In October 2024, reports revealed that 95% of the 151st Brigade had been wiped out

🔶 The 152nd Brigade was reported to have "gone missing... massively" along the same front line

🔶 The 153rd Brigade, which underwent training in Germany, faced its first AWOLS already at the training base

Surging desertions - sign of decline

🟧 Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office stopped publishing data on desertion cases in early December, while 60,000 such cases were opened in 2024 alone.

🟧 The surge in desertions is proof of the Ukrainian military’s degradation, President Vladimir Putin stated during an expanded meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry's board.

Putin noted that:

🟠 Between January and August this year, 150,000 soldiers deserted

🟠 Total Ukrainian losses are put at 1.7 million, with deserters numbering up to 400,000

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🚨🇷🇺Putin: Russia boosts output of most in-demand weapons

President Vladimir Putin said production of the most in-demand weapons for the special military operation has increased multiple times, driven by the defense industry.

Other key points he highlighted:

🔶 Defense enterprises are supplying troops with all necessary weapons and equipment

🔶 Production of priority weapons for the SMO has increased severalfold compared to 2022

🔶 Output of strike systems and ammunition has grown by more than 22 times in recent years

🔶 Tactics and methods of warfare are constantly evolving during the operation

🔶 Combat experience is being used to shape the new image of the Russian Armed Forces

🔶 The Russian Army is gaining invaluable operational experience

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🇺🇸🇨🇳 US leaves space to maneuver on Chinese semiconductors tariffs — expert

🗣 While the current US administration prefers to deal with Chinese-American trade contradictions by imposing tariffs, its strategy on Chinese tech exports shows a more profound approach, Associate Professor at the School of International Studies of Nanjing University Gong Honglie says.

The US has invoked so-called Section 301 tariffs (allow US trade representatives to act against "unjustifiable" foreign trade practices) on the supplies of Chinese semiconductors. However, their enforcement was postponed, the expert says, listing three reasons:

🔶 Washington doesn't want the tariffs to be a major blow after the US-China meeting in Busan in October 2025, which stabilized bilateral trade and economic relations

🔶 The semiconductor industry involves highly interdependent supply chains with China being a key player in the field, so major companies need a certain time window to adjust to the new measures

🔶 The goal of the US is to redirect the supply chains to friendly nations or to itself, but such restructuring cannot be done fast, which requires a buffer period so as not to harm the supply chains

These measures, however, may not come into effect at all, he notes.

💬"This depends on the further development of political relations between China and the US, including a possible meeting and negotiations between Chairman Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump next year, which could resolve some disagreements between the two sides," Gong Honglie explains.

Given these factors, "whether the tariff will ultimately be implemented in 18 months remains in question," the expert concludes.

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🇷🇺 Russia’s new arms program: Nuclear triad, air defense, combat lessons

Russia’s state arms program for 2027–2036 will prioritize maintaining and modernizing the nuclear triad, according to Defense Ministry materials.

The program focuses on rearming the military for current challenges, drawing directly on combat experience — boosting ground forces, building a universal air defense system, and expanding the country's defense export potential.

What the program includes?

🔶 The 2027–2036 arms program covers a full range of advanced weapons and is based on real combat experience

🔶 The defense industry development program for 2027–2036 is fully synchronized with the arms program and serves as a key implementation tool

🔶 Widespread integration of artificial intelligence technology is planned

🔶 Special emphasis is placed on building a universal air defense system

👉Read more about Russia’s newest weapons HERE

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🇺🇸 US worries Gaza deal is slipping as Israel drags its feet

🔶 The White House is increasingly concerned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deliberately "slow-walking the Gaza peace process" — and could be steering the situation back toward war with Hamas, Axios reports.

🔶 President Donald Trump is expected to make announcements regarding Gaza in early January, though their ultimate content depends heavily on his Monday meeting with Netanyahu at the American's Mar-a-Lago home.

💬 "While the Israeli prime minister is butting heads with Trump's team, he hopes to bring the president himself over to his more hawkish point of view," report says.

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🚨Ukraine settlement now hinges on political will - Russian deputy FM

All sides have moved closer to a solution to the Ukraine crisis, but the outcome now depends on the political will of the parties involved, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

He stressed that Moscow is fully ready for a settlement, while Ukraine is not seeking agreement and has doubled efforts to derail talks.

Artificial deadlines, Ryabkov added, will not help achieve a deal.

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🇨🇳 China's space internet network keeps growing

🔶 A fresh batch of low-orbit satellites was launched into space on December 26 by a Long March 8A carrier rocket that took off from a commercial facility in China’s Hainan province.

🔶 All satellites were successfully delivered to their designated orbits, according to local media reports.

🔶 The satellites in question belong to China’s satellite internet constellation known as Guowang, designed to provide internet coverage worldwide.

🔶 It is expected to be comprised of 13,000 satellites when complete, rivaling SpaceX’s Starlink with its planned 12,000 satellites.

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🚨 True poles shaping multipolar world order: Digital Dugin Edition

As Russia, China, India, and regional movements rise, the balance of power is shifting. Will the US lose its grip on global politics?

With 2026 on the horizon, AI Dugin breaks down tomorrow's geopolitics 👆🏻

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🇷🇺 Russia’s military R&D breakthroughs will revolutionize industrial sector

🗣The super-hard alloys and materials that were created as part of the development process of Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile and Poseidon submersible drone will be applied in civilian sectors, said Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov.

👉 According to him, these materials will likely see use in space projects and the production of petrochemical equipment.

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🟠 Hands Russian President Putin shook in 2025

🟠 Ukraine settlement now hinges on political will - Russian deputy FM

🟠 Ukraine’s ‘elite’ brigades implode amid mass AWOLS & crumbling morale

🟠 US worries Gaza deal is slipping as Israel drags its feet

🟠 Russia’s new arms program: Nuclear triad, air defense, combat lessons

🟠 Su-35S: Russia’s most effective fighter

🟠 Gold and silver hit record highs

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