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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
It became known about the death of another high-ranking Russian official.
After yesterday's murder of the head of the Mars Design Bureau's department in charge of modernizing cruise missiles and drones, it was reported today that Oleg Churilov, the head of the Ministry of Education and Science's department, was "accidentally" hit by a car on December 12.
He is described as an official who "made a significant contribution to ensuring Russia's scientific and technological sovereignty and strengthening its innovative potential."
Reportedly, these are Russian cruise missiles flying very low over Ukrainian territory.
This way, it is much harder to use air defense systems against them.
Russia terrorizes Ukrainian civilians.
❗️ Russia launched 93 missiles and almost 200 drones at Ukraine, – President Zelenskyy.
Russia attacked Ukrainian cities with cruise and ballistic missiles, including Kalibr, Kinzhal, and Iskander missiles. There was at least one North Korean missile. Russia also used almost 200 drones in this attack, they were flying in the Ukrainian sky for more than 10 hours.
81 missiles were shot down, including 11 cruise missiles shot down by F-16s.
The equipment of the thermal power plant was seriously damaged.
▪️ It is the most massive attack on Prykarpattia since the full-scale invasion, the regional military administration said. Critical infrastructure was hit.
▪️ In Lviv region, energy facilities were attacked.
▪️ In Ternopil region, the enemy's missile attack resulted in "negative consequences," according to the regional military administration.
▪️ In Chernihiv region, cattle died in a drone attack on a farm. Buildings and an educational institution were damaged.
▪️ In Myrne, Kharkiv region, four people were injured. Civilian infrastructure was damaged. A drone also hit the roof of a five-story building.
It is one of the largest strikes on our energy sector.
📹: Fragments of a Kh-555 missile were founc in a yard in Ivano-Frankivsk region
Kyiv. The subway is used as a shelter.
Instead of good sleep and school, our kids hide from missiles.
📷: Yan Dobronosov/Telegraf
Massive Russian missile strike on Ukraine.
Energy infrastructure all over Ukraine is attacked by Russian terrorists.
This is how Russia conducts peace negotiations.
After meeting with Xi Jinping, Medvedev said that "Russia is ready to resume negotiations with Ukraine if Kyiv understands the realities of today and taking into consideration the suggestions made by Putin."
Does this mean that Putin refused Trump's offer to start negotiations?
Oh, and what's that on Medvedev's forehead? Was it always like that?
A video appeared on Russian Telegram channels where a Ukrainian Defender of Mariupol Oleksandr Maksymchuk shares that he has spent two and a half years in Russian captivity and was tortured there.
Oleksandr and his brothers-in-arms were sentenced by Russian courts to 20 years in prison for defending their land from Russian aggression.
Thousands of Ukrainians remain in Russian captivity and go through hell there.
"I'm gonna keep looting. I have to get the box before someone else steals it."
A Russian soldier hurries to take the box with the loot so that other "liberators" won't get it.
Russia's plans to build passenger airliners are on the verge of failure – BBC
After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia planned to build 108 passenger airplanes, but made only about 7 of them – SuperJet 100s built from pre-war modifications.
Also during the almost 3 years of war Russia was able to produce one research model each of Il-96-400M and Il-114, which are only used for testing. At the same time, many remote regions of Russia are completely dependent on aviation, so regional airplanes for local lines have become the most problematic part of Russian civil aviation.
Russia is trying to replace foreign engines in Superjets and MS-21s and put outdated Il-96-300 and Tu-214 airliners back into production.
Resources that could have been spent on building civil aviation are being spent, in particular, on the production and repair of combat aircraft.
Russian and Belarusian propaganda thrives online in the EU despite sanctions, - ScienceFeedback and Alliance4Europe report.
Nearly three years after the EU imposed sanctions on Russian and Belarusian state-controlled media and propagandists, many remain freely accessible across major social media platforms, undermining efforts to curb disinformation.
▪️Official channels for Russian state media like RIA Novosti, Sputnik, and Russia Today remain accessible on platforms such as Telegram, with some even generating ad revenue.
▪️Prominent propagandists like Vladimir Solovyov and Alexander Dugin maintain active pages on Facebook.
▪️Unofficial pages and accounts on Facebook, X, and YouTube continue to republish content from sanctioned outlets like RT in major European languages, reaching broad audiences.
▪️Coordinated Pravda network targets Europe through 61 websites that republish Russian propaganda tailored to each EU member state and beyond.
▪️Belarusian state media are unaddressed. They face little to no moderation, with their content widely available across platforms.
Despite explicit EU sanctions, 83% of flagged accounts remain online, and additional searches uncovered 370 more cases of sanctioned content or amplifiers, collectively amassing millions of followers. Alarmingly, some platforms provide monetization opportunities for these accounts.
Source: https://science.feedback.org/sanctioned-but-thriving-how-online-platforms-fail-to-address-the-widespread-presence-of-entities-under-eu-sanctions/
📷: Babel
Commenting on a recent drone attack on Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, Russia, Kadyrov declared:
"A reserve of 84,000 volunteers and fighters from units of the Chechen Republic is ready to move to the front line at the first order."
This is not the first time Kadyrov has promised to get his troops to the frontline. Here's a retrospective (and it's likely still incomplete):
◾️28.07.2022
"The Kyiv elite, sitting in the warm chairs of their golden offices, must know that soon warriors whose hearts are filled with fury will knock on their doors. At the first order, all these fighters are ready to storm any settlement."
◾️28.11.2023
"Three thousand Chechen fighters from the new units of the Ministry of Defense and the National Guard are ready to leave for the special operation zone in Ukraine".
◾️23.02.2024
"In the reserve are units that at any moment can move to the special operation zone at the first order."
◾️23.05.2024
"At the first order, several tens of thousands of trained and equipped fighters from the reserve are ready to go to the special operation zone."
◾️20.08.2024
"We have formed a reserve of several tens of thousands of trained and equipped fighters ready to leave for the special operation zone at the first order."
Kadyrov also promised to get his troops to stop Prigozhin's advance back in June 2023, which never happened either.
Chechnya enjoys special privileges in exchange for loyalty.
Information appeared online that top engineer behind the modernization of X-69 missiles and the development of new drones was allegedly killed in Moscow.
Russian Telegram channels report that Mikhail Shatskiy, deputy Designer General at Mars experimental design office was shot dead. While the information has not yet been confirmed, on December 10 there were reports of a shooting in the suburbs of Moscow that left one middle-aged man dead. Videos of an ambulance arriving on the scene were posted online.
The strike on Grozny Ministry of Internal Affairs special ops building allegedly injured 4 operatives, according to Ramzan Kadyrov. Local Telegram channels claim that at least 5 ambulances were needed at the scene, however.
Meanwhile, another attack targeted Kursk. A loud explosion was heard around midnight, local Telegram channels reported.
"My mommy!"
Alla, a drone operator from Khyzhak (Predator) Brigade, mom of five, came home on vacation. Her youngest daughter is three.
📹: Khyzhak Brigade
Russians in Telegram channels write about "the outcomes of the war" for Russia:
"Outcomes of the war:
1. Destroyed Donbas
2. Russian troops remain stuck on the Ukrainian border villages wiped off the face of the earth.
3. The Black Sea Fleet is destroyed
4. Part of the Kursk region is occupied.
5. The economy of the country is at the level of Zimbabwe
6. Russian troops are kicked out of Karabakh and Syria
7. The international reputation and image of the country and the Russian army are dragged in the mud
8. Losses of the army are counted in hundreds of thousands
9. Russia is filled with migrants from Asia
10. Sh*t is f*cked up in general."
11 cows were killed on a farm in a Russian attack on Nizhyn district in Chernihiv region, the National Police of Ukraine reported.
No living creature is safe from the Russian terrorists in Ukraine.
📸: National Police of Ukraine
Attention, Germany!
Russian propagandists say Russia can hit Berlin with "special means".
"We haven't seen a special munition used in combat yet. But if the peacekeepers do show up, which is quite possible, the collective West will see the combat use of special weapons in all its glory," they say.
Last night, Russian media reported a large fire in Novosibirsk, Russia. Its area was at least 5,000 square meters.
According to some sources, it was the warehouse of a company that ensured the activities of strategically important facilities and enterprises of Russia, in particular - energy infrastructure and companies that manufacture explosion-proof equipment.
If you say, "Putin, stop," Putin won't stop.
If you say, "Putin, we'll stop arming and helping Ukraine, and we'll forbid it to strike; Ukraine is now unarmed and not a threat to Russia," Putin won't stop.
Ukraine has never been a threat. My country is a peaceful country that is forced to defend the lives of our people, fight for freedom and life.
We have not to ask Putin to stop, but force him to stop.
Ukraine cannot be a shield and defense of Europe without people, cities and energy system. Fighting to the last Ukrainian is not our plan and not our desire.
The world's security architecture is broken. But it was not just Putin who broke it. It was also broken by those who did not stand up to defend it. Those who showed weakness, who chose not to oppose Putin, not to hinder him.
We need strong leaders and strong decisions. Otherwise everything will descend into chaos.
New EU Diplomacy Chief Kaja Kallas gave the first interview since assuming the position.
Ukraine was, of course, the major topic of discussion.
Here are the highlights:
▪️Kallas supports using €210bn in frozen Russian assets held in the EU to aid Ukraine, describing them as “a tool to pressure Russia.” Funds would compensate Ukraine for the damage caused by Russia’s invasion. She acknowledges legal challenges to seizing the funds but predicts progress toward this goal.
▪️Europe must increase financial aid to Ukraine if the US reduces its support, especially with Donald Trump returning to the White House. Financial support for Ukraine is an investment in European and global security, not charity. Aiding Ukraine means preventing future larger-scale wars and deterring other threats, like North Korea and China.
▪️Commenting on the recent discussions between Putin and European leaders, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Kallas said: "They [Orbán and Scholz] are doing this for domestic purposes; so I wouldn’t do it, but this is not for me to criticise". Kallas noted that the upcoming meeting of foreign ministers would assess whether such diplomacy has any real benefit, questioning what Orbán and Scholz hope to achieve through their engagements with Russia.
▪️Kaja Kallas drew a connection between the recent developments in Syria and the ongoing war in Ukraine, suggesting that Russia's failure to maintain its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could be a sign of vulnerability. "What we saw in Syria is they are not able to keep up that fight," Kallas said, referring to Russia’s struggle to sustain its ally in the region. "Russia was somewhat humiliated in Syria," Kallas observed, adding that Russia's attention was "elsewhere," which may have implications for its military strategy in Ukraine. She emphasized that the war for Ukraine remains winnable, drawing a parallel between Russia's setbacks in Syria and the potential for similar challenges in Ukraine.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/12/use-frozen-russian-assets-to-aid-ukraine-says-eus-top-diplomat
Ukraine will soon receive one of the power units from the Estonian Auvere power plant.
Thank you, Estonia! 🇪🇪🇺🇦
The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine noted that the power unit is capable of providing electricity to about 150,000 people. Two more power units are also being discussed for transfer to Ukraine in 2025.
The Estonian side reaffirmed the need to consolidate international efforts to ensure not only the restoration but also effective protection of Ukraine's energy facilities.
Source: https://mev.gov.ua/novyna/mizhnarodna-pidtrymka-dlya-vidnovlennya-i-bezpeky-enerhoobyektiv-zustrich-z-premyer
Putin's portraits in the offices of Russian officials.
The first photo is reportedly from the office of FSB director Bortnikov (and the enlarged portrait follows). The third one is in the office of Anton Vaino, Putin's chief of staff.
Some Christmas spirit!
Ukrainian language students and literature professor Marko Andryichyk sing "Dobryi Vechir Tobi" ("Good Evening To You"), one of the most famous Ukrainian carols, to celebrate the end of the fall 2024 semester at Columbia University.
📹: Yuri Shevchuk
Recently, Russia has directed its propaganda machine towards India.
One of the representatives of Russia's dangerous rhetoric is Dugin, who, pretending to be an intellectual, works against democracy for the Kremlin's money and spreads distorted meanings and facts.
India is a large democratic country. I'm deeply interested in history, and I know the long and hard path the Indian people have been through to their independence and democracy.
India's history commands a great deal of respect, and that is why now I am concerned about the economic and so-called "cultural" contacts between Russia and India. I see it as a threat to democracy.
India has always called for respect for the UN Charter, including territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries. India has always called for dialogue and diplomacy. Russia is doing just the opposite.
India can become the leader of the community of countries of the so-called "Global South" in building a future world order. Russia cannot be its leader as a terrorist country cannot build peace.
I am glad that many in India understand the danger of Russian propaganda and are standing up to it.
Kadyrov's special status in Russia is only growing.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the personal army of the Chechen warlord has increased by 100% - from 12 000 to 25 000 men, an investigation by Proect.Detali shows.
At the same time, these soldiers are not fighting in the "Special Military Operation". They are in Chechnya, ready to move "at the first order". Will this first order direct them towards Ukraine, or some internal rival? That remains to be seen.
During a meeting with Medvedev in Beijing, Xi Jinping said it was necessary to "promote the swift de-escalation of the situation in Ukraine."
He also urged not to "add fuel to the fire or provoke escalation."
As expected, Xi is not impressed with Oreshnik-rattling coming from Moscow lately.
The Austrian company OMV has terminated its long-term natural gas supply agreement with Russian Gazprom Export, the company said.
The subject contract originates from 2006 and stipulates a term until 2040. However, since November 16, 2024, Gazprom Export has halted gas deliveries to OMV.
Two days before the supply was suspended, the Austrian company announced that it had won an arbitration case against Gazprom Export and intended to recover €230 million in damages due to the suspension of Russian gas supplies in the fall of 2022.
"Russia wanted to use energy as a weapon against us – it didn't work. Gazprom did not honor the agreements, so OMV is immediately ending the contract. Our energy supply is secure because we are well prepared. Austria will not allow Russia to blackmail us," Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer wrote.
📷: Reuters
Source: https://www.omv.com/en/media/press-releases/2024/241211-omv-announces-termination-of-austrian-supply-contract-with-gazprom-export-with-immediate-effect
Russians are not only destroying Ukrainian cities and villages, but they are also looting and taking out the exhibits from museums. In Mariupol and other cities of Donbas, they have taken out the collection of the Oleksii Shovkunenko Kherson Regional Art Museum and the collection of the Nova Kakhovka Art Gallery.
A week ago, a "Novaya Kakhovka Forever" exhibition of the stolen collection of the gallery was opened in Moscow. They presented paintings by Ukrainian artist Albin Havdzynskyi, who, after graduating from Grekov Odesa Art School, painted the construction of the Kakhovka HPP. These paintings were taken to Russia.
Russia demolishes, destroys, steals, and appropriates objects of Ukraine's historical and cultural heritage. This is a form of humanitarian aggression aimed at erasing the cultural identity of the territory and the ethnic identity of the people living in these areas. Russia is trying to deprive Ukrainians of our culture and history.
Russian Telegram channels post this video. Reportedly, it shows a drone strike on a building of the second regiment of the ministry of internal affairs in Grozny.
Waiting for more information.
Russian propagandists:
"Russia isn't fighting for territories or Ukraine's resources. Russia is fighting for God, for God's sake, and for God's world, for the world as God intended it to be, where all people are different but equal, where everyone is original in their own way, where there is not this stupid satanic melting pot."