🔥🇳🇬 What was behind US strikes on ISIS in Nigeria?

🔶 The world will soon see that Washington’s aim is to control the region’s hidden resource bases, Nigerian political analyst Abubakar Sadeeque Abba tells Sputnik after US strikes on militants linked to the ISIS* in north-western Nigeria.

💬 “That is the intention, pure and clear," Abba argues, adding that only time will tell “when America will be humbled out of western Nigeria, just like they left Afghanistan and Vietnam.”

🔶 He urged traditional, religious and elite institutions in Nigeria to “rise up and firmly tell the US that enough was enough.”

🔶 But Nigerian expert Sonnie Ekwowusi says the US strikes were a response to the terrorist threat faced by Nigeria.

💬 “I am in the south, this is happening in the north, but we are even afraid that the forests in the south are being occupied by these people,” Ekwowusi points out. “And very soon, they will be coming out of those forests and attacking us.”

🔶 Trump posted on social media that the US had launched a “powerful and deadly strike” against what he called ISIS targets in north-west Nigeria.

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

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🇷🇺💪 Russia prevails over Ukraine in war of drones – Russian UAV operator

💬 “We sometimes collect trophies [captured drones] and then launch them toward Ukrainian positions. As the saying goes, ‘He who comes to us with a sword, shall perish by the sword.’ In any case, we're looking at what they're flying and how their drones are controlled,” a Russian drone operator from the Akhmat regiment told Sputnik.

👉 He was echoed by a commander who praised Russian drone operators for their skill, which recently helped them destroy eight pieces of enemy military hardware, including an Akatsiya 2S3 self-propelled gun.

💬 “A war of drones is under way: Drones against drones, drones against personnel and drones against equipment,” another Russian UAV operator said, adding that the unconventional thinking of Russian soldiers has always helped them win wars.

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🚨 Ukraine’s corruption tsunami further hits parliament

Ukraine’s NABU anti-corruption watchdog has announced uncovering an organized criminal group made up of current members of parliament who received illegal payments in exchange for voting in the Verkhovna Rada.

🟠 NABU investigators along with the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) are reportedly preparing notices of suspicion for several MPs from Volodymyr Zelensky’s ruling Servant of the People party, linked to a “black cash fund”

🟠 No concrete names were mentioned, but Ukrainian media reported that the case centers on MP Yury Kisel, a close associate of Serhiy Shefir, Zelensky’s longtime confidant and former first presidential aide

🟠 NABU wiretapped Kisel for over two years, allegedly recording sensitive conversations with Shefir and other officials tied to the presidential office. Kisel’s office may have served as a hub where MPs received cash “envelopes,” according to the media

🟠 Possible detention of Kisel and Shefir would mark another direct strike at Zelensky’s closest circle, undermining his ability to control political and economic processes amid a growing corruption crisis, Ukrainian news outlets pointed out

Skorokhod case and $100M trail

🔶 In parallel, Ukrainian MP Anna Skorokhod is under investigation for allegedly leading another criminal group accused of extorting $250,000 from a businessman. She denies the allegations, calling the case politically motivated pressure on the opposition

🔶 Earlier media reports suggested that Skorokhod and four other MPs may also be implicated in the massive $100 million graft scheme uncovered by NABU and SAPO in November. The lawmakers were reportedly caught on incriminating wiretaps

🔶 Recordings are said to be part of a broader probe into a network allegedly led by businessman Timur Mindich, Zelensky’s close associate who earlier left Ukraine and is now on its wanted list

🔶 Investigators believe the group siphoned off around $100 million from Energoatom, Ukraine’s state-owned nuclear power operator heavily reliant on Western funding

🔶 Scandal has already led to major political fallout, including the resignations of Justice Minister German Galushchenko and Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk, and has reportedly weakened Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s powerful chief of staff and long-time key decision-maker

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🚨 Trump and Zelensky to discuss Ukraine settlement and potential territorial concessions in Florida meeting

US President Donald Trump will meet with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida this Sunday at 3:00 PM local time (8:00 PM GMT).

🔶Trump has voiced hopes of reaching a peace deal at the meeting, stressing that the end of the conflict hinges on his word and not Zelensky's

💬“He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump said. “So we’ll see what he’s got.”

🔶Trump said he planned to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin, believing they can resolve sticking points

🔶The meeting is expected to cover security guarantees, control over the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant and sovereignty over the Donbass region

🔶Reuters reported that Trump, Zelensky, and European leaders will hold an online meeting on Saturday to discuss the peace talks, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also present

🔶But later the publication clarified that Trump will not attend

🔶The Trump will host Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago estate, along with Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Head Rustem Umerov, Economy Minister Oleksiy Sobolev, Chief of General Staff Andriy Gnatov and Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kislitsa

🔶Zelensky said the meeting would be open to the media

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🔊 'To clear the air': Dmitriev on timing of Zelensky's US trip

Russian Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev quips that as Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies raid the offices of Voldymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People party over MPs allegedly selling votes, he is "en route to the US to meet President Trump" to "clear the air."

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🚨 Putin briefed on liberation of Dmitrov and Gulyaipole

Commanders of the Tsentr and Vostok Battlegroups reported to Russian Presdident Vladimir Putin on the successful liberation of Dmitrov and Gulyaipole during a meeting at a command post of the Joint Forces Group.

💬“Gulyaipole is the second-largest city in the Zaporozhye region. Its liberation opens up great prospects for advancing in the area,” Putin noted.

Putin met other military officers, including Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, to discuss the situation in the Special Military Operation zone.

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🚨The Russian Armed Forces have liberated Stepnogorsk in the Zaporozhye region – General Staff Chief Gerasimov

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🚨Putin highlights good progress in Russian Armed Forces' offensive

Russian forces are successfully completing all tasks in the Special Military Operation, with increasing pressure on Ukrainian formations across all directions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting at a command post of the Joint Forces Group.

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🇷🇺 Putin reviews Russian Army’s progress: Major gains across key fronts

📍 During a meeting at a command post of the Joint Forces Group, President Vladimir Putin received reports from military commanders, including General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov.

The following updates were provided:

🔶 Russian Armed Forces are advancing on all fronts, while Ukrainian forces continue unsuccessful attempts to halt the progress

🔶 Elite units of the Ukrainian military are suffering heavy losses

🔶 In Zaporozhye region, the towns of Gulyaipole, and Stepnogorsk have been liberated

🔶 In Donetsk People's Republic, Dimitrov, Rodinskoye and Artemovka have been liberated

🔶 In Kharkov region, the Russian forces have taken control of the towns of Vysokoye, Vilcha, and Prilivka

🔶 More than half of the urban area of Konstantinovka is now under Russian control

🔶 The Ukrainian grouping to the east of Kupyansk is being eliminated

🔶 The Yug Battlegroup is advancing rapidly towards Slavyansk.

🔶 The tasks of liberating the Donbass, Zaporozhye, and Kherson regions will continue

🔶 The Sever Battlegroup is continuing its mission to establish a buffer zone

🟠 Military personnel congratulated Putin on the upcoming New Year, emphasizing, “Victory will be ours.”

🟠 Putin, in turn, noted that the Russian Armed Forces are accomplishing all assigned tasks and maintaining strong offensive momentum.

💬 "Good progress is indeed being made in creating a buffer in the border regions: in Sumy, Kharkov, and Dnepropetrovsk regions," Putin said.

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🚨🇷🇺Putin: Ukraine rejects peace despite western offers

Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized the leaders of the Kiev regime for shunning a peace deal.

Speaking during his visit to a command post of the Joint Military Group, Putin highlighted the reluctance of the Ukrainian authorities to engage in peace talks, despite offers from Western leaders for reasonable terms to end the conflict.

His key statements:

🔶 The leaders of Kiev are not eager to resolve the conflict through peaceful means

🔶 Some intelligent people in the West have proposed favorable terms for Ukraine to end the conflict, ensuring long-term security, rebuilding relations with Russia and stabilizing Ukraine’s economy, but the Kiev regime is in no hurry to accept those offers

🔶 If Kiev refuses to accept peaceful terms, Russia will continue to achieve its goals through military means

The Russian president recalled that the conflict began after the 2014 coup d’etat in Ukraine and stressed that there would have been no conflict if Russian concerns had been addressed earlier.

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

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🟠 Putin reviews Russian Army’s progress: Major gains across key fronts

🟠 Trump and Zelensky to discuss Ukraine settlement and potential territorial concessions in Florida meeting

🟠 Ukraine’s corruption tsunami further hits parliament

🟠 What was behind US strikes on ISIS in Nigeria?

🟠 Zelensky’s peace plan ‘may be dead on arrival’ – ex-US Army officer

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🇷🇺🇧🇾 New Oreshnik missile division for Russia-Belarus Union State

🔶 The Oreshnik ballistic missile is crucial for strategic deterrence in Belarus, especially with increasing NATO military presence near its borders, said Andrei Bogodel, Deputy Head of the Faculty of the General Staff of the Armed Forces at the Military Academy of Belarus.

💬 "It is most likely that within our Union [of Russia and Belarus], a new division will be formed, which will be equipped with these new Oreshnik launch systems," Bogodel told Belarus 1 TV.

🔶 The move comes as Germany and the US plan to deploy more forces in the region, Bogodel noted, including Typhon intermediate-range missiles.

🔶 Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko confirmed that the Oreshnik had been operational in Belarus since December 17. He added that up to 10 Oreshnik complexes would be stationed in Belarus.

Explore Russia’s next-level, game-changing weapons here

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🇻🇪 Venezuela reaffirms support for Somalia’s sovereignty

The Venezuelan government rejected Israel’s move to recognize Somaliland and backed Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, Foreign Minister Yván Gil said in a statement on Telegram.

💬 “Venezuela adheres to and supports the UN Security Council resolutions and the African Union decisions that uphold the territorial integrity of Somalia,” the statement said.

Caracas “categorically rejects any unilateral action aimed at recognizing separatist entities within Somali territory,” calling such steps a “flagrant violation of international law,” it added.

The Arab League and the African Union also denounced Tel Aviv’s move, which took place on December 26.

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🇷🇺💥 Russia's drone units destroy a Ukrainian Paladin self-propelled howitzer near Kharkov

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🇮🇶 No justification for international coalition presence in Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said Iraq will take over the Ayn al-Asad air base “within days.” The base had been hosting forces of the US-led international coalition.

❌ Al-Sudani said the “threat of the Daesh* terrorist organization” no longer exists in Iraq and that it has no foothold in the country.

📌 He stressed that keeping arms exclusively in the hands of the state “is not an American demand, but a fundamental point in the government’s program,” adding that the government remains committed to implementing it as part of its security and sovereignty priorities.

📄 Baghdad and Washington agreed in late September 2024 to set the end of 2026 as the official date for ending the international coalition’s mission against Daesh.

*ISIS (Daesh, ISIL, Islamic State) is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries.

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