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Anton Gerashchenko is an official advisor and a former deputy minister at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, ex-member of the Ukrainian parliament. Cooperation - @Tatiana_Pravda
Russian Sberbank has raised the rates on basic mortgages by 3.5% from November 15. Now the minimum rate on loans for housing under construction will be 28.4%, for ready housing – 28.1%, Russian media reported.
The reasons given are the setting of the Central Bank key rate at 21% and the rise in the cost of federal loan bonds.
In Russian-occupied unrecognized Abkhazia, there are protests against the ratification of the investment agreement with Russia.
Protesters gathered under the building, demanding an immediate vote against the document.
The protesters knocked down the fence outside the parliament building with a truck and are trying to break inside. Law enforcers are using tear gas. Sticks, bottles and stones are being thrown at them in response. According to local media, about 2,500 people are taking part in the rally. Abkhazian channels claim that part of law enforcement officers have moved to the side of the protesters.
◾️Context:
In late October, Abkhazia and Russia signed a document under which Russian companies can implement their investment projects on the territory of the unrecognized republic. According to the agreement, large Russian business will receive unprecedented benefits, as well as ownership of land and property. But it can only come into force if it is ratified by parliament. Demanding approval of the agreement, Moscow has stopped funding the Abkhazian budget.
◾️Wider context:
Abkhazia declared independence after the war with Georgia in 1993. But it was not recognized by any state in the world.
After the 2008 Russian-Georgian war, Abkhazia's independence was recognized by Russia, Venezuela, Nauru, Nicaragua and Syria.
Georgia considers Abkhazia, as well as South Ossetia, to be Russian-occupied territories.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urged to increase support for Ukraine for the sake of strengthening its position.
"Ukraine is in urgent need of our help. Putin will use winter as a weapon. He will try to destroy Ukraine’s power system," Rutte said.
He emphasized that on the issue of possible negotiations with Russia, Kyiv should be in a position of strength to be able to decide for itself when and how to start diplomatic efforts to end the war. He noted that Ukraine needs constant defense support from NATO and its partners for this very purpose.
Ukrainian Defenders Ruslan and Ivan serve in the Consolidated Rifle Brigade of the Air Force. They shoot down Russian missiles and Shahed drones that attack Ukrainians every day.
Ruslan recalls how he managed to shoot down a Kalibr missile with an Igla MANPADS during one of the most massive Russian attacks on Ukraine on August 26, 2024: "I knew that I had a few seconds to shoot it down and had no room for error. I aimed - launch - flash in the air... There is only a split second from detection to launch. Before I realized it, Ivan was already shouting: "Rusik! You shot it down! Well done! Keep going!"
Ivan and Ruslan are just over 30. Both of them had nothing to do with military service until 2022 and learned everything from scratch. Both Ruslan and Ivan now have seven-month-old daughters. But they have something else in common: their hatred of Russians.
Ruslan's paternal relatives are Chechens. "FREE CHECHENS," the warrior emphasizes. Most of them died at the hands of Russians or were forced to survive in a strange land after being deported. So, from childhood, the man was brought up with an understanding of who the enemy is and the danger posed by Russia.
Ivan's relatives experienced the Russian occupation much later, in 2022. His father and grandmother were in Vorzel, near Bucha when the full-scale invasion began. He says that after seeing "life" under the Russian flag, he will never say he is tired of war.
"There is no food, no water. It's scary to go to the well because you can run into Russians, and they don't care if you are a military or a civilian..." Ivan recalls.
Ruslan and Ivan joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
"When a friend asked me if I wanted to become an anti-aircraft gunner, as an anti-aircraft missile battery of the protection battalion was being formed, I answered sincerely: 'I have always dreamed of shooting down Russian aircraft...'" Ruslan says.
Glory to Ukrainian Heroes!
✒️&📷: Consolidated Rifle Brigade of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Zaporizhzhia rescue wokers received Nikken's newest mechanized demining machine. They have already successfully tested it in real life conditions.
This was made possible by the government of Japan, Japan International Cooperation Agency and Nikken.
Thankful to the people of Japan for unwaveringly standing with Ukraine!
This 16-ton machine is equipped with 31 "teeth" capable of destroying mines at a depth of up to 30 cm. Excavator type allows demining up to 800 square meters. m per hour, and the armored cabin protects the sappers during work.
Russian commanders of the Kursk counter-offensive do not seem to learn from past mistakes, and their forces continue to take heavy casualties, with minimal gains, - Forbes
Russians follow the same tactics: they send in 4-6 armoured vehicles, Ukrainian drones, tanks and artillery destroy them; the Russians send more along the same road. One Ukrainian drone operator counted 88 destroyed vehicles in just one settlement.
Source: https://t.co/E5gmrFK2xz
📹: 47th Mechanized Brigade
Russia may have received 170mm artillery systems from DPRK, OSINT projects claim.
Photos have emerged allegedly showing the movement of train convoys in Krasnoyarsk with 170-mm M-1989 Koksan self-propelled artillery systems manufactured by North Korea.
Last year, it was already reported that Russia received North Korean KN-09 MLRS.
Waiting for more information.
"It is, and it will be very difficult and hard for me without you."
Maksym Kulyk says last goodbye to his wife and three children, who were killed in Kryvyi Rih in a Russian attack on November 11.
On the morning of November 11, Russian forces launched a missile at the city and damaged a 5-story residential building. The bodies of a 32-year-old woman, children aged 2 and 10, and a two-month-old baby were recovered from the rubble. Only the 33-year-old father survived, who was in another room at the time of the Russian strike and fell to the lower floor.
Eternal memory. Deepest condolences to Maksym.
📹: Radio Liberty
Russian sanctions update:
◾️In recent months the processing times for Russian money transfers through Kazakh banks have increased by 24%; it takes a month on average to make a payment. This relates even to direct sales to Kazakhstan from Russia, not only transit of goods and funds. Banks are afraid of reputational risks brought by associating with Russian companies, as well as becoming targets of international sanctions themselves.
Russian companies have relied on the banking systems of neighboring countries, like Kazakhstan, to make and receive overseas payments since the beginning of the war.
◾️The European Union is preparing a new sanctions package that would target Russia’s “shadow fleet”. The European Parliament will vote on a resolution that would hinder the ability of Russian oil tankers to move through “European” waters. If passed, the resolution would mandate regular sanction inspections and satellite monitoring of the ships’ routes, and allow European authorities to arrest or confiscate the tankers and their contents. This could have devastating consequences for Russian oil exports by sea, which mostly take place through the waters of the adjacent European waters of the Baltic and Black seas, as well as the Arctic Ocean. Russia’s Pacific terminals will not be sufficient to compensate for the losses in transit through the European ports.
◾️About thirty Russian airlines, accounting for 26% of domestic passenger traffic, may go bankrupt in 2025 due to Western sanctions, Russian Izvestia newspaper reported.
A number of them stopped making lease payments in, including Airbus A320s, which may cost up to $150,000 a month to lease.
Russian authorities have allowed companies to write off debts in 2025, but a 25% tax will be imposed on those amounts, which could worsen the airlines' financial situation and lead to their closure.
From now on, my posts will also be in this place:
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The whole world watched the U.S. elections tensely. Now, everyone is analyzing key appointments and trying to predict what comes next.
From the outside, it feels like established systems are breaking down. It’s as if a dam has burst—an unpredictable surge where no one knows what events might sweep over the world in the coming months, what will last, and what will be left behind.
It’s already clear we’re at the start of significant, global change, and soon we’ll see shifts in concepts and structures that recently felt foundational—values, alliances, and spheres of influence.
Much will change, much will disappear, and much will be born anew.
In the face of this turbulent flow of history, can we do anything? I choose to act: to do what we can. Strength to us all.
"If Ukraine goes down, then we face an even bigger threat on our borders, the borders of the European continent wherever the democracies butt up against Russia. So, it’ll be the Baltic states. It’ll be in Georgia. You’ll see the impact of a Ukrainian defeat in the Pacific theatre. You’ll see it in the South China Sea. What I’m saying is for people watching, thinking 'why are we supporting the Ukrainians?' It’s because otherwise our collective security will be really degraded by a resurgent Russia threatening all sorts of parts of Europe, and we will then have to pay to send British troops to help defend Ukraine." - Boris Johnson in an interview to GBNews.
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"I will live for revenge for the sake of the memory of my mother, daughter, and grandson."
27-year-old Sofia, her son, Adam, who was just one year old, and his grandmother, Tetiana, were killed by the massive Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia on November 7.
After the outbreak of the full-scale war, Sofia went to the UK, where she worked as a translator at a military base. But she soon returned home because she missed her family. Sofia dreamed of being a psychologist, helping people, just like Tetiana.
The only thing left of their apartment is a scratched photo found in the ruins of the house destroyed by Russia.
📹: TSN
Attention, Germany!
"The existence of the German state as such after World War II is personally to Stalin's credit. And Gorbachev's personal foolish action - the unification of the two Germanies." - Russian propagandist Solovyev.
"We have a riot here. F*cking great!"
Russian media report that in the Novosibirsk region of Russia, 12 soldiers trashed a military unit and escaped.
The European Union has approved funding for joint defense procurement by its member states for the first time in its history.
❗️Very important in the context of possible changes after the new US President takes office. Europe is treating its defense seriously.
Implemented under the European Defence Industry Reinforcement through Common Procurement instrument (EDIRPA), each of the 5 selected projects will receive €60 million, representing a total amount of €300 million funding.
◾️Brussels will purchase more than €11 billion worth of defense products for the armed forces of the bloc.
◾️Two projects will bolster joint air and missile defence capabilities. Nine allies (France, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Spain, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, and Denmark) will purchase Mistral very short-range air defense systems.
◾️Another six member states (Germany, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Austria, Estonia, Latvia) will jointly purchase IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defense systems.
◾️EDIRPA also supports the purchase of armored vehicles by Finland, Latvia, Sweden, and Germany. Two other projects will purchase 155-mm artillery ammunition of various types. One of the initiatives will involve the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Denmark, Croatia, and the other – Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Estonia.
"Most selected projects also include procurement of defence products intended for Ukraine, including air and missile defence systems and ammunition, bolstering the country’s defence capabilities in the context of the ongoing Russian aggression," the EC press release said.
Source: https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-boosts-defence-readiness-first-ever-financial-support-common-defence-procurement-2024-11-14_en?fbclid=IwY2xjawGjArJleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHT7OGAysfyFh-pAxNsxj-zM79TERBad3r_-B0OrQkJpY5AO3m7oV-4-Sxw_aem_HrJLfg93UxQLGgwBF2YVaw
Russian foreign ministry rudely reprimanded the International Atomic Agency.
Basically, they are saying that the presence of IAEA at the ZNPP is totally at the mercy of Russia and permission to be there can be removed if the agency says something Russia disagrees with.
According to them, IAEA Director-General said that the agency's representatives would remain at the Zaporizhzhia NPP "until the war is frozen".
Lavrov's institution reacted in the following obnoxious manner:
" It is also outrageous that in the Director General's submission, the Secretariat determines at its own discretion the procedure and conditions for the stay of its experts at the ZNPP. This is absolutely not the case.
We remind that the experts of the Secretariat are at the ZNPP at the request of the Director General himself exclusively with the consent of the Government of the Russian Federation and strictly as long as our country considers their stay there justified."
This is a gross violation of nuclear safety and yet another indicator that Russia's occupation of a nuclear power plant is a grave and global danger.
Attention, United States!
Attention, Germany!
Russian propagandist Solovyev continues to speak about "Stalin's strait" in the location of the US.
He also warns Germany to not speak too much because "they should realize that Kinzhal's flight time is 6 minutes."
Russian strike on Odesa.
One person dead, eight injured, a 9-year-old boy among them.
A residential building destroyed, major central heating pipeline damaged. Other buildings and infrastructure damaged - local administration.
Just a regular night in Ukraine these days.
The Guardian has announced they are leaving X in the wake of the US election results, saying it has become a “toxic media platform” that its owner uses to shape political debate. So has the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia. Both cite the spread of disinformation and conspiracy theories on the platform as the reasons for abandoning their accounts.
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has also left the social network because of the update of Terms of Service, which specifies that all disputes with X should be handled by a court in Texas; he thinks this way, the company will shield itself from litigation and silence critics.
What is your opinion on this? Do you think there will be a mass “media exodus” from X?
Attention, Baltic States!
Russian propagandist Solovyev:
"Destroying the worthless statehood of the Baltic states is not a malicious plan. It is simply the liberation of lands that have nothing to do with these Nazi regimes and the restoration of the rights of Russian-speaking people. There is nothing malicious here."
"Russia must pay" - British Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Harris.
During the "Ukraine 2050: Dialogues About the Future" event, Martin Harris said that next year, the G7 will provide Ukraine with $50 billion, paid for by profits from frozen Russian assets.
UK is now working on a $3 billion loan for Ukraine to be used for purchasing weapon systems for the AFU. The loan will also be paid for through the profits on the frozen Russian assets.
Thank you, UK! 🇬🇧🇺🇦
This photo explains things, doesn't it?
Left: Russian PM Mishustin.
Right: UN Secretary-General Guterres.
The next three months will be critical for Ukraine. Many world leaders are watching the US in anticipation of what President-elect Trump will do once in office. Amid the uncertainty and hesitation, we need to hold on and stay strong.
According to Bloomberg's sources, now that Donald Trump has been elected President, President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol has adopted a waiting stance regarding the provision of lethal aid to Ukraine. The South Korean government is hesitant to back Ukraine with weapons because of fears of escalation from the DPRK in response, as well as uncertainty regarding the future of the war and continued US support.
Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-14/trump-s-win-gives-seoul-second-thoughts-about-arms-for-ukraine
A farewell ceremony for Olena Kulyk and her three children was held in Kryvyi Rih. They were killed by a Russian missile.
Deepest condolences to the family.
📹: Ukrainian Defender couldn't hold back his tears while saying goodbye to Olena and her children /Svoikr/Instagram
Lavrov complained that due to Western sanctions, the special flight squadron "Russia" plane he travels on has faced refueling issues in other countries, such as South Africa and Brazil.
Warmonger, liar and war criminal Lavrov called this situation "annoying".
Russian propagandist Solovyev:
"There will be no Ukraine. There is no such country, there is nothing to talk about. This obscure Nazi entity on the territory of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic must be destroyed once and for all. The Ukrainian people must be liberated from the Nazi oppression."
Show that to anyone who still believes that Russia can be appeased and a ceasefire would stop the war. Only effective security guarantees can deter Russia.
Instead of a thousand words.
A little Ukrainian girl makes trench candles for our Defenders.
God bless her.
📹: vadimbazyuk/TikTok
Russian spokeswoman Maria Zakharova says the talks of peace will become real when the West stops weapon supplies to Ukraine.
In essence, by peace she means Ukrainian capitulation.
"Everything related to the ranting about peace that we hear from the mouths of Western officials is a lie. It will become true when they give up aggressive rhetoric and illegal aggressive steps. In particular, the arms supply to the Kyiv regime."
This is acceptable to Ukraine (obviously). Ukraine needs real security guarantees.
"I am absolutely sure if the Russians did not have nuclear weapons, we would have been in Ukraine, kicking them out. But they have nuclear weapons, so it's not the same as in Afghanistan."- Chair of the NATO Military Committee Rob Bauer.
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