Tag: russia

Foreign states condemn Ukrainian attack on Putin’s residence

The United Arab Emirates and Nicaragua have strongly condemned the attempted Ukrainian kamikaze drone attack targeting the residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kiev launched 91 long-range strike drones at Putin’s state residence in Novgorod Region on the night of December 28-29, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. Russian officials said all the drones were intercepted, with no casualties or damage reported.

In a statement released on Monday evening, the UAE Foreign Ministry expressed solidarity with President Putin and the people of Russia, reaffirming Abu Dhabi’s “unwavering rejection of all forms of violence.”

“The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned the attempt to target the residence of His Excellency Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, and denounced this deplorable attack and the threat it poses to security and stability,” the ministry said.

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Russia expands biometric ID system (again)

The commercial enterprise that controls Russians’ biometric data has introduced new ways to use your face as a form of ID, resulting in unprecedented levels of safety and convenience in the Russian Federation.

Russians young and old are already reaping the benefits of their country’s “digital transformation”—including very, very young Russians.

The Russian government is working on amending federal legislation to allow schools across the country to monitor and identify students using biometrics, Kommersant reported on December 3. Plans for a standardized “biometric turnstile system” for Russian schools are already being tested in Tatarstan.

Authorities have stressed that schools will be able to choose whether or not to switch to biometric identification, adding that parents must first consent before their childrens’ faces are scanned and entered into Russia’s Unified Biometric System (UBS).

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Russia ‘Confidently Advancing’ In Ukraine, Over 30 Settlements Captured In December: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made clear to both his citizens and to the world that the ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine will continue on until all goals are achieved, and that his forces are advancing ‘confidently’.

He chaired a televised meeting with the country’s top military officials, focused on a status update regarding Ukraine, and crucially coming the day after Presidents Trump and Zelensky met in Florida in a failed effort to reach breakthrough on the proposed peace deal. Moscow is pressing ahead with its goal of fully capturing and pacifying the four Ukrainian regions it declared part of the Russian Federation in fall of 2022 via a ‘popular referendum’.

“The goal of liberating the Donbas, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions is being carried out in stages, in accordance with the plan of the special military operation,” Putin described before underscoring, “The troops are confidently advancing.“

At the meeting it was also announced that Russian troops have made more gains in the last 24 hours, especially the capture of Dibrova village in Donetsk region.

According to an update of the meeting via RT translation, battlefield gains of the past month are significant:

In December, Russian forces liberated over 700 square kilometers of territory, taking some 32 settlements under control, Gerasimov said at the meeting. This month, the military has shown the highest rate of progress in the entire outgoing year, he noted, adding that troops are advancing “along virtually the entire frontline.”

“The adversary is not undertaking any active offensive actions. They have concentrated their main efforts on strengthening their defenses and are attempting to slow the pace of our advance by conducting counterattacks in isolated areas and using drones en masse,” Gerasimov said.

The Kremlin has at the same time reiterated that it is not interested in a ‘Plan B or Plan C’ in terms of a peace deal, but that it only seeks lasting political settlement. This will of course include international recognition of its territories in the Donbass.

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Kremlin claims Ukraine ‘attacks Putin’s residence’ – shortly after Trump hailed progress in peace talks

The Kremlin has claimed that Ukraine attempted to attack Vladimir Putin‘s residence in a long-range drone attack hours after Donald Trump hailed progress in peace talks.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ​said on ​Monday ​that ⁠Kyiv had attempted ​to ‍attack President ​Putin’s remote retreat in ‍the ‍Novgorod region and so ⁠Moscow‘s negotiating position ⁠would change, Interfax reported.

‘Such reckless actions will not ⁠go unanswered,’ Lavrov was quoted as saying, adding that the attack involved 91 long-range drones. 

Zelensky has denied the claims, calling them ‘lies’. 

It was ⁠not immediately clear if Putin was in the residence at the time. ‍

The attempted attack comes as the warring countries edge closer to signing a peace deal after almost four years of conflict. 

Trump on Sunday celebrated the success of his highly anticipated peace talks with Zelensky, revealing they are ‘very close’ to striking an agreement on all but ‘one or two thorny issues’.

The President had earlier welcomed the Ukrainian leader to his Mar-a-Lago estate with open arms when he arrived in Florida to discuss a 20-point plan aimed at ending the war with Russia.

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Zelensky Wants 50-Year(!) Security Guarantee From Trump

There were no substantial breakthroughs in the latest Trump-Zelensky talks on Ukraine peace at Mar-a-Lago resort on Sunday, and fresh reporting on Monday reveals why.

A major point of disagreement remains security guarantees. Ukraine has been pushing maximalist demands for something akin to NATO Article 5 protections. It would be like getting all the benefits of being in NATO but without being a formal member of the Western military alliance.

The Ukrainian side has revealed that President Trump had offered security guarantees for 15 years following a peaceful settlement, but Zelensky considered this much too short to protect from future potential Russian aggression.

But in classic Zelensky fashion, he wants way more than this. Also, maximalist demands are something that European leaders have backed him on all along – and they may have even put him up to. According to The Wall Street Journal:

Kyiv had asked for security guarantees to last up to 50 years after the end of the conflict during weekend discussions. In the documents currently being discussed, the U.S. offered a 15-year guarantee with the possibility of extension, Zelensky said in audio messages to journalists on Monday.

That’s half a century! Would Congress and the American public sign off on this? Congressional hawks like Lindsey Graham surely would, but others might not want to be hitched to the Ukraine wagon for yet decades more to come.

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Trump at Zelenskyy Presser: ‘If the 2020 Election Weren’t RIGGED and STOLEN, You Wouldn’t Have Had This War’

President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday to discuss ongoing peace negotiations aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Flanked by American and Ukrainian flags, Trump delivered a no-holds-barred assessment of the conflict, tying its origins directly to the stolen 2020 election.

Trump didn’t mince words, stating, “I’ve said and nobody’s disputed it: If the election weren’t rigged and stolen in 2020, you wouldn’t have had this war. It didn’t happen for four years. Never was even thought to happen.”

The US president emphasized his good relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite what he called the “total hoax” of the Russia-Russia investigation, and noted that he had recently spoken with Putin about Ukraine.

“Russia WANTS to see Ukraine succeed! It sounds a little strange! But I was explaining to [Zelensky], Putin was very generous in his feeling toward Ukraine succeeding. Including supplying energy, electricity and other things at very low prices,” Trump said. “A lot of good things came out of that call.”

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Russia to build nuclear plant on Moon to power rovers, labs during 336-hour long nights

Russia has unveiled its plans to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon within the next 10 years to support its lunar program and a Russian-Chinese research station for future deep-space missions.

The proposal, confirmed by the country’s state space agency Roscosmos, would provide a sustained energy source for surface infrastructure, including rovers, scientific equipment, as well as a planned joint lunar research base with China.

The announcement followed as the US, India, Japan as well as several European nations increased efforts to establish a permanent presence on Earth’s only natural satellite. The renewed interest was prompted by the 2009 discovery of water ice on the lunar surface.

Power generation remains a great challenge for sustained lunar operations due to the two-week-long nights that restrict solar power. However, a nuclear power plant could offer continuous power regardless of lighting conditions, temperature extremes, or dust accumulation.

Nuclear energy for space

For the 2036 project, Roscosmos revealed that it has signed a contract with the Lavochkin Association, a Russian aerospace firm with decades of experience in planetary spacecraft development.

Even though the space agency did not explicitly describe the facility as a nuclear reactor, it confirmed the initiative involves Rosatom, the nation’s state nuclear corporation, as well as the Kurchatov Institute, Russia’s leading nuclear research center.

According to Roscosmos, the lunar power plant would support a broad range of activities tied to Russia’s lunar program. These include powering robotic rovers, an observatory and maintaining the infrastructure of the planned International Lunar Research Station.

“The project is an important step towards the creation of a permanently functioning scientific lunar station and the transition from one-time missions to a long-term lunar exploration programme,” Roscosmos said.

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Trump pours cold water on Zelensky’s ‘peace plan’

US President Donald Trump has expressed skepticism about Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s latest peace proposal to end the conflict with Moscow, arguing the discussions could move forward only with his blessing.

Trump’s remarks come as he is expected to hold talks with Zelensky in Florida on Sunday. Earlier this week, Zelensky presented a 20-point peace framework, which included a freeze of the frontline in Russia’s Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson regions, Moscow’s withdrawal from several Ukrainian regions, and an 800,000-strong Ukrainian army backed by NATO members. The plan also envisages “Article 5-like” security guarantees from the US, NATO, and European states to Kiev.

In an interview with Politico on Friday, Trump signaled he was in no rush to rally behind Zelensky’s demands. “He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump stressed. “So we’ll see what he’s got.”

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Moment Russian diplomat is ambushed by FSB agents and detained in van for ‘passing secrets to US intelligence’

 A Russian diplomat has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after he was caught selling secrets to US intelligence. 

The moment Arseniy Konovalov was ambushed by Federal Security Service (FSB) agents was captured on video. 

The clip, which was shared today across Russian news outlets, shows a shocked-looking Konovalov being detained while travelling in a van after he was told he was suspected of treason. 

A separate video shows the diplomat behind bars as he awaited his trial. 

A Moscow court on Friday found the former Russian diplomat guilty of treason and sentenced him to 12 years in a maximum-security penal colony.

He was also fined the equivalent of $1,200.  

‘It was established that A.S. Konovalov, an employee of the Russian Foreign Ministry, during a long-term foreign assignment in the United States, proactively transferred secret information to American intelligence for money,’ the FSB said in a statement.

Konovalov was first detained by the FSB, which leads Russian counter-intelligence, in March 2024. 

The FSB did not say what information Konovalov had passed to US intelligence, or which US agency he was accused of working with. There was no immediate comment from US spy agencies.

Russia’s Kommersant newspaper said Konovalov had served as second secretary of the Russian Consulate General in Houston. 

He worked in the United States from 2014 to 2017, Kommersant said.

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NATO Countries Scare Their Populations On Christmas With Hyped ‘Russian Nuclear Bombers’ Flight

On Western Christmas, December 25, Russian nuclear-capable bombers conducted a “scheduled” flight over waters in the Arctic region, specifically in neutral waters of the Norwegian and Barents Seas. This prompted “fighter jets of foreign countries” to escort them and mirror them from afar, Russia’s defense ministry has confirmed.

While the country origins of the Western aircraft which responded remain unclear, the Kremlin had notified NATO in advance of the somewhat routine flight path. The bodies of water in question lie north of Scandinavia and northwest of Russia, which is quite far from the UK, and yet British media did what they do best: exaggerate and hype Russian nuclear bombers being “sent” by Putin “to the UK”…and on Christmas!

And never mind the fact that for Russia and its Orthodox Church, it is not Christmas. Russian Orthodox Christmas falls on January 7, according the Julian calendar ecclesiastical dating system.

These bodies of water lie far away from Britain, and is a standard flight path for Russia’s military. “At certain stages of the route, long-range bombers were escorted by fighter jets of foreign countries,” the Russian defense ministry disclosed.

The ministry further said that such flights “regularly take place in many regions and are in accordance with international law.”

Highlighting that these bombers were not at all ‘sent’ to the UK, one political commentator says as follows:

British media outlets like the Mirror and The Sun have reported that Russian nuclear-capable bombers flew a long-range patrol over the Norwegian Sea on Christmas Day Dec 25, 2025. Which was described as a deliberate act close to the notional “Santa Claus flight path”. NATO warplanes were scrambled to monitor the aircraft.

This is how the media spinned it! When it was two Russian Tu-95MS long-range bombers known as “Bears” that conducted a scheduled routine, seven-hour flight over “neutral waters” in the Barents and Norwegian Seas. The media made it sound like they were threatening NATO. When NATO was informed by the Russians the path that was taken.

The distant, far northern body of water in question…

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