Anti-graft agencies have said that they have uncovered an illegal lobbying scheme in parliament following an undercover operation
Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities say they have uncovered a criminal vote-rigging and bribery scheme involving serving members of the country’s parliament, following an undercover operation.
The development comes ahead of a meeting between Vladimir Zelensky and US President Donald Trump in Florida.
Kiev is still reeling from a major corruption scandal in state nuclear operator Energoatom, involving Zelensky’s longtime associate, Timur Mindich. Two ministers and the Ukrainian leader’s influential chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, were ousted in the wake of the revelations.
Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) exposed an organized criminal enterprise involving serving MPs, the agencies reported on Saturday.
“According to the investigation, the group’s members systematically received illicit benefits in exchange for voting in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine,” NABU said in a statement on Telegram.
Members of Ukraine’s State Security Administration, a law enforcement agency subordinate to the Ukrainian presidency and the Rada, were “illegally” interfering with NABU agents during the ongoing investigation, the anti-graft agency noted.
On Saturday, NABU reportedly conducted searches in the Rada’s Transport Committee, which is led by Yuri Kisel, a member of Zelensky’s ruling party.
Earlier in December, Ukrainian outlet ZN.ua reported that anti-graft agencies discovered an illegal lobbying “cash window” after wire-tapping the MP over the course of two years.
NABU and SAPO began their broader crackdown earlier this year, with their revelations on a $100 million kickback scheme in Energoatom.
While the investigation implicated the Ukrainian leader’s close aides and former associates, Zelensky has distanced himself from the scandal.
However, nearly 40% of Ukrainians believe the Ukrainian leader is implicated in corruption, according to a recent Socis poll.
The country’s leadership has long devolved into a “criminal gang that holds power for personal enrichment,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week. It’s clear that the corrupt and out-of-touch officials in Kiev no longer care about “the fate of common people in Ukraine or the fate of ordinary soldiers,” he stressed.
The country has enjoyed achievements in areas ranging from medical research and Arctic trade routes to new jets and energy megadeals
In a year marked by global transformation and geopolitical tensions, Russia has quietly forged ahead with some significant achievements and plans for the future, showcasing its resilience and innovation.
From unveiling test batches of a pioneering cancer vaccine to advancing its digital sovereignty and playing host to international cultural events, the nation has made strides in numerous sectors.
Boosted by its “no limits” ties with China – exemplified by a transformative gas deal – Russia continued to strengthen its partnerships to the east in 2025. RT also played a part with the launch of its dedicated India channel in December – inaugurated in person by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his state visit to the country.
Elsewhere, Moscow has revealed plans for major infrastructure projects such as Europe’s largest high-speed rail system, while the successful test flight of an entirely Russian-made airliner has underscored the nation’s commitment to domestic production.
Here, we take a look at these and other Russian success stories that have stood out in 2025.
Northern Sea Route: Chinese container ship makes first voyage
In a first-of-its-kind voyage in October, a Chinese container ship transited the Arctic Northern Sea Route (NSR), supported by a Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet, and docked in the UK in a milestone journey that signals the route’s growing viability as a faster Europe-Asia shipping corridor.
The trip nearly halved typical transit times versus traditional pathways through the Suez or Panama canals, underscoring Russia’s push to scale the NSR into a strategic, year-round trade artery. Russia’s target is to increase annual cargo volume on the route to 200 million tons by 2030, with plans to upgrade northern seaports and expand its Arctic fleet.
Power of Siberia 2: Russia-China deal to upend global gas market
In early September, Russia and China finalized plans for the massive Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline – reportedly the largest gas project on Earth, and a deal which is set to dramatically alter the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) market by displacing more expensive seaborne fuel with Russian pipeline gas.
During his visit to China, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that the agreement to construct the mega-pipeline across Mongolia would sharply boost existing gas supplies to its Asian neighbor, with operations expected by 2030.
Analysts estimate the pipeline could supply the equivalent of nearly half of China’s current LNG imports. The inflow of cheaper pipeline gas could challenge future US LNG projects and signal Beijing’s reduced reliance on American energy for its long-term growth.
The pipeline deal also signals Moscow’s shift from the European market it once dominated as it continues to redirect its gas exports to Asian markets following sweeping Western sanctions. The EU pledged to wean itself off Russian energy after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, replacing much of its cheap Russian gas with more expensive US fuel and deepening its reliance on American supplies.
Domestic jet production: Fully Russian-made airliners make successful test flights
Russia is accelerating domestic jet production to counter Western sanctions, with two key passenger aircraft hitting testing milestones. The new SJ-100 Superjet prototype, powered by Russian PD-8 engines, completed its first test flight in April, a crucial step in replacing over 40 imported systems. Separately, the latest MC-21 airliner prototype, built entirely with Russian components including the new PD-14 engine, also began flight tests, underscoring Moscow’s drive for aviation self-sufficiency.
Who needs Eurovision? Moscow hosts the Intervision Song Contest
The Intervision Song Contest drew global attention as Russia hosted performers from more than 20 nations, including China, India, and Brazil.
The revived Soviet-era contest, which Moscow has cast as a rival to Eurovision, took place in September and promoted an alternative based on what President Putin called “universal values.” Putting it in slightly blunter terms, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov touted Intervision as being free from “censorship” and “perversion.”
Russia was excluded from Eurovision in 2022 following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict.
RT India channel launches with ‘Let’s go’ from Putin
RT launched its dedicated Indian channel in December, marked by an inauguration ceremony led by President Putin during his state visit to New Delhi. Indian media outlets and influencers discussed the arrival of RT India, with Putin’s “Let’s go” remark being widely shared.
The Russian president hailed the launch as an “important milestone” to help millions of Indians understand “Russia’s realities today.” RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan detailed an extensive promotional campaign, including a branded metro train in New Delhi themed on bilateral cooperation in space, energy, and defense.
RT, one of the largest news channels in the world, celebrated its 20th anniversary at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow in October, attended by over a thousand guests from around the world.
President Putin praised the channel’s transformation from an idea into a global brand over two decades. The event featured a stunning projection mapping show on the theater’s facade, showcasing RT’s evolution from a single English-language channel to a global multilingual network.
RT has faced over 110 Western sanctions, including asset freezes, staff surveillance, and operational bans. Berlin blocked its German channel in 2021, while France and the UK shut down local services in 2022. In 2023, the US sanctioned it for allegedly acting on behalf of Russian intelligence.
Editor-in-Chief Simonyan said in November that RT will continue its work despite attempts by the West to silence it, declaring: “We have written, we are writing, and we will write.”
RT editor-in-chief makes FT’s global influence list after years of ‘propaganda’ criticism
RT Editor-in-Chief Simonyan made headlines in December by being included in the Financial Times’ annual list of the world’s most influential people. Recognized among the “leaders” in the publication’s “Influence List,” Simonyan’s inclusion was perhaps begrudging acknowledgement after years of facing allegations of “propaganda” from the British outlet.
Simonyan expressed surprise at her recognition, highlighting the complexities of her role in global media amidst ongoing tensions.
Russia launched a state-backed messaging platform, MAX, in March as a secure alternative to foreign apps, part of a drive to bolster digital sovereignty and reduce online fraud. The app, which integrates video calls, file sharing, and access to state services, has seen far fewer fraud cases than platforms such as Telegram or WhatsApp, according to the Federal Security Service (FSB).
Foreign apps have been criticized for facilitating Western intelligence operations and were reportedly used by Ukrainian intelligence to pressure Russian citizens into sabotage activities, according to the FSB.
President Putin touted Russia’s “digital sovereignty” in his traditional end-of-year press conference in December, saying Russia was on a par with the US and China in this regard.
In November, Russia announced plans for a significant upgrade of the cargo port in Mariupol, a city in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), as part of a broader effort to transform the area into a major transportation hub. Mariupol suffered extensive damage during intense fighting in spring 2022.
The project aims to boost the port’s capacity and unlock the region’s economic potential, focusing on exports of crops, coal, and iron ore. The port provides access to vital markets in Türkiye, North Africa, and the Middle East.
The DPR, along with the neighboring Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), declared independence from Ukraine after the 2014 Western-backed coup. The two territories, alongside Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, officially joined Russia following referendums in September 2022.
The outgoing year has also seen Russia announce plans for an extensive high-speed rail network that would span over 4,500km, connecting major cities across the country and into Belarus. Approved in September by President Putin, the network will utilize domestically built trains capable of speeds up to 400kph.
The initiative – the largest of its kind in Europe – aims to significantly reduce travel times, such as cutting the Moscow-St. Petersburg trip from four hours to just over two. The full details are set to be finalized within six months, highlighting a national effort to enhance inter-city connectivity with safe and efficient travel options.
Russia has signed visa-free travel agreements with Saudi Arabia and China in 2025, marking a significant diplomatic push to strengthen ties with key global partners outside the West.
The pact with Saudi Arabia, signed in Riyadh in December, allows citizens of both nations visa-free stays of up to 90 days. Separately, a decree signed by President Putin grants Chinese citizens visa-free entry to Russia for up to 30 days, mirroring a reciprocal measure recently introduced by Beijing.
The agreements aim to boost tourism, business exchanges, and people-to-people contacts amid Russia’s broader pivot towards alternative economic and political partnerships.
Cancer vaccine test batches and plans for HIV shot
Scientists at Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute produced the first test batches of a new AI-assisted, mRNA-based cancer vaccine in December. The shot delivers genetic instructions that enable the body’s cells to trigger an immune response against malignant tumors. Officials said the breakthrough vaccine showed promising results in preclinical studies, shrinking tumors by up to 80% in some cases.
Earlier in 2025, the institute also announced progress toward an mRNA-based HIV vaccine, which its lead epidemiologist said could be ready within about two years. Both developments reflect Russia’s push to establish leadership in advanced biomedical technologies, particularly using mRNA platforms previously pioneered by Western pharmaceutical firms during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Alexander Dyukov says an IOC youth ruling could lead to most Western sanctions on Russian athletes being lifted
Russia expects decisions to be made in 2026 that will allow its athletes and teams to return to official international sports competitions, the head of the Russian Football Union (RFS), Alexander Dyukov, has said.
Since the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022, Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from most international competitions, including the Olympics. The IOC later allowed some to compete individually under neutral flags, including at the 2024 Paris Games and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, but national teams remain barred.
In early December, however, the IOC cleared youth athletes from both countries to compete under their national flags and anthems.
Dyukov said the ruling could prompt most sports bodies to gradually lift restrictions on all Russian competitors.
“At year’s end, we saw significant progress toward returning all Russian sports to official international competitions,” Dyukov said in an interview with Sport Express on Friday, noting that positive evaluations by FIFA and UEFA of the IOC’s clearance give reason to expect further easing next year. “Following the IOC’s lead, international football regulators are expected to make decisions allowing our teams to compete. These decisions ensure movement in one direction – toward lifting restrictions and bans for all Russian sports.”
Dyukov noted that no decisions have yet been made on admitting Russian teams by FIFA or UEFA but blamed it on their busy schedules and the late IOC announcement, which left little time for “substantive” discussions before the holidays. He said the RFS plans to attend FIFA and UEFA congresses in 2026 “to discuss our return.”
Moscow has accused Western nations of pressuring federations to bar its athletes for political reasons and has repeatedly criticized international sports bodies, particularly the IOC, for “politicizing” sports. Earlier this year, President Vladimir Putin said athletes should have equal access based on merit, emphasizing that “politics has no place in sport.”
Despite ongoing restrictions, Russian athletes have continued to excel under neutral status. Last month, they claimed nine gold medals on the opening day of the 2025 World Sambo Championships. Figure skaters Adeliia Petrosian and Petr Gumennik also qualified for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy after strong performances in qualifiers.
Arseny Konovalov has been sentenced to 12 years in a high-security penal colony
A Russian court has convicted former Foreign Ministry employee Arseny Konovalov of treason for passing secrets to US intelligence, the Federal Security Service (FSB) has announced.
In a statement on Friday, the agency said Moscow City Court had sentenced Konovalov to 12 years in a high-security penal colony and a fine of 100,000 rubles ($1,260).
Konovalov reportedly served as Second Secretary at the Russian Consulate General in Houston from 2014 to 2017. In the video of the 38-year-old’s arrest in March 2024, on suspicion of collaborating with foreign intelligence services, an officer can be heard asking, “Do you know what happened?” To which Konovalov answers, “yes.”
According to the FSB, Konovalov “voluntarily” transferred classified information obtained in the course of his duties as a Foreign Ministry employee in the US to the host-country’s spies, for which he was paid.
The FSB said the criminal case was investigated under Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code (high treason) but did not release details on the information Konovalov is accused of sharing with US intelligence.
Russian courts have recently handed down treason convictions in other cases, largely, linked to Ukrainian intelligence. Earlier this week, a 38-year-old Kaluga resident was sentenced to 13 years for passing information about the deployment of Russian air defense units in the region to Kiev.
In early December, Artem Khoroshilov, a former employee of the General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, was sentenced to 21 years in a maximum-security penal colony for treason. He was accused of funding Ukrainian entities, including the Ministry of Digital Development, hacking critical computer systems, and plotting sabotage on a railway section in Russia.
Kiev must use all means to ensure turnout in a potential election would be high, David Arakhamia has said
Ukraine should look into the possibility of holding a presidential election in both in-person and online formats, David Arakhamia, who heads Vladimir Zelensky’s parliamentary bloc, has said. This way, Kiev can ensure that those who fled abroad during the conflict with Russia, as well as internally displaced citizens, can participate, the MP explained.
Zelensky, whose presidential term expired in May of 2024, has long refused to hold a new election, citing martial law. Moscow has declared that he is “illegitimate,” insisting that legal power now lies with Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada.
However, following intense pressure from US President Donald Trump, Zelensky said a few weeks ago that he is open to holding an election, but demanded that Kiev’s Western backers guarantee security. Earlier this week, the Ukrainian parliament set up a working group to study the issue of organizing an election amid the conflict.
During the group’s meeting on Friday, Arakhamia suggested that its members should “seriously consider if it is really possible to implement hybrid voting, both online and offline.”
He explained that millions of Ukrainians abroad might have problems taking part in the election, as opening additional polling stations in foreign countries could be complicated due to lack of financing and legal hurdles.
The participation of internally displaced people in the vote is also an issue, the MP said. “Many of them don’t register because they are trying to avoid being detected due to the mobilization,” he added.
Arakhamia insisted that Kiev must use all possible means to make sure that people vote because low turnout would allow Russia and other critics of Ukraine to say that the results are “illegitimate or are of limited legitimacy only. And that would be a huge problem.”
A poll published by Delovaya Stolitsa outlet on Tuesday indicated that 44% of Ukrainians oppose the prospect of voting via the internet due to fears the authorities could falsify the results.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his end-of-year Q&A session last week that Moscow would consider pausing deep strikes in Ukraine on the day it holds an election, provided that the millions of Ukrainians living in Russia are allowed to vote.
The outlet has honored three pieces covering the Ukraine conflict, the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, and attacks on journalists in the enclave
RT has announced the winners of the 2025 Khaled Alkhateb International Memorial Awards, honoring three reporters who covered high-risk operations during the Ukraine conflict and hostilities in Gaza.
This year, the jury reviewed almost 100 works by Russian and Arab media outlets, as well as independent journalists. Their reporting covered the Ukraine conflict as well as fighting in the Middle East.
The first prize was awarded to Channel One correspondent Amir Yusupov for exclusive footage of Operation Potok in Russia’s Kursk Region – a covert manoeuvre by Russian troops through the Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhgorod gas pipeline behind Ukrainian positions.
The operation, conducted in early March, involved over 800 soldiers crawling through 15 kilometers of pipeline over several days before emerging to attack Ukrainian forces, becoming decisive in Kiev’s defeat in the area.
“At the time of filming, we weren’t thinking about journalistic scoops – we were only concerned about the success of the operation,” Yusupov said. “We thought… more about the fate of our soldiers, about the fate of people who were in the enemy-occupied city at that moment.”
Second prize went to Ahmad Ghanim of Al Mayadeen for his report from Gaza, which showed the humanitarian crisis that engulfed the enclave amid the Israeli blockade.
The third prize was awarded to Fouad Jarada, a war correspondent with the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation, for his report on the fate of journalists in Gaza. Israel has killed at least 220 journalists during the war in the enclave, ten from Al Jazeera alone.
Jarada’s report focused on a correspondent and a cameraman who were killed during the conflict and includes footage and photos capturing the horrors of war.
RT’s International Memorial Awards were established in 2018 to mark the anniversary of the death of war correspondent Khaled Alkhateb, who was killed in Syria while covering the fighting in the war-torn country.
This year, the jury was chaired by Margarita Simonyan, Editor-in-Chief of RT, and included RT Arabic war correspondent Maxim Toury, war reporter and founder of the WarGonzo project Semyon Pegov, and RT senior war correspondent in Gaza Saed Swerki.
While progress has been achieved, Kiev and its EU backers are determined to torpedo the deal, Ryabkov has warned
Major progress has been made to reach a peace settlement in the Ukraine conflict, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said. While Moscow is “fully ready” to resolve the conflict, Kiev and its European backers have “doubled their efforts to torpedo” a potential peace deal, he told the 60 Minutes TV show on Friday.
According to Ryabkov, December 25 marked a major milestone in the peace process. It was the moment “when we got close, really close to a solution,” the senior diplomat said.
While he did not elaborate on what that major milestone might be, diplomatic activity between Russia and the US intensified this week.
Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian presidential envoy involved in talks with the US, met with the White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Miami last week. The draft peace plan discussed during the meeting was then presented to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, according to the Kremlin.
Earlier this week, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky revealed his new 20-point peace proposal, which he claimed has been discussed with US officials as part of Trump’s efforts to resolve the conflict. According to Ryabkov, Kiev’s plan “is radically different… from the 27-point [proposal] we were working on with the US side… over the past weeks.”
According to the Russian diplomat, Moscow is ready to move forward but the success also depends “on the political will on the other side.” Reaching a deal would be impossible “without a proper solution” to the problems at the root of the conflict.
His words came as Zelensky told Axios on Friday that he expected to agree on a peace framework during his meeting with Trump on Sunday. The plan would reportedly require Russia to agree to a ceasefire prior to any permanent settlement.
Moscow has repeatedly rejected the idea of a temporary ceasefire which would allow the Ukrainian military to rearm and regroup. Russia has instead insisted on a permanent peace if Kiev recognizes new territorial realities and commits to neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification.
From stalled urban battles to collapsing strongholds, developments in December highlight Russia’s growing operational advantage
By late December, the gap between political statements and battlefield realities has grown harder to ignore. Despite localized fighting and temporary slowdowns, the Russian Army continues to press forward along key sectors of the front, gradually eroding Ukrainian defenses and dictating the pace of operations.
During a press conference on December 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin succinctly outlined the situation at the front: since March, when Kursk Region was cleared of enemy forces, the full strategic initiative on the battlefield has been in the hands of the Russian Army. This means that Russian forces are advancing along the entire front line.
A counter-question was immediately posed: what about Kupyansk? The Ukrainian military claims to have recaptured the city, and Vladimir Zelensky has reportedly even visited it. So, let’s start our overview there.
Kupyansk
The Russian Army faces challenges in Kupyansk because the ‘West’ group of forces has failed to encircle the city from three sides before engaging in battles. Kupyansk is divided from north to south by the Oskol River; to encircle the city, the Russian Army needs to establish reliable and well-protected crossings north and south of the city, and also advance from the east.
Russian forces were able to establish, fortify, and expand a foothold north of Kupyansk, in the Kondrashovka area; however, they didn’t establish a foothold south of the city, along the Senkovo-Krugliakovka line (1 on map). However, this summer, the Ukrainian defenses in Kupyansk weakened significantly, prompting the Russian command to decide to enter the city from the north.
Until mid-October, battles for Kupyansk progressed fairly well. To reach the city, it was said that troops would have to navigate through a heating pipeline at the bottom of the river (2) and then continue on foot or crawl their way forward. Logistics were complicated and relied on personal delivery or drones. But the risk was worth taking.
By mid-October, the central part of Kupyansk, located on the right bank of the river, was fully under Russian control. Due to logistical challenges, it was not possible to deploy large troop formations in Kupyansk; estimates suggest that no more than 150-200 Russian soldiers were present there at a time.
However, the left-bank portion of the city, where a major railway hub is located, remains under Ukrainian control (3); up to 3,500 soldiers are operationally encircled there.
Ukrainian forces recognized the weak points of the Russian positions on the right bank and launched a local counteroffensive. In late October, Ukrainian forces reinforced their troops and attempted to cut off Russian supply lines between Kupyansk and Kondrashovka (4). As a result, the area north of the city has become a gray zone. Supplies are mainly delivered by drones, despite the fact that the supply routes haven’t been physically cut off.
However, the pace of combat in the city has noticeably slowed, forcing the command of the ‘West’ group of forces to revert to a more conservative approach, shifting the focus to the left bank. The goal is to liberate the area, capture the Kupyansk-Uzlovoy railway station, and establish a physical link with the right bank within the city itself.
Could this local failure of the Russian Army have a noticeable impact on the future course of the conflict? Not really. Kupyansk will only gain strategic importance if the front shifts back by 25-30km, beyond the reach of FPV drones. Only then can the railway be utilized for supplying the army, which would ease logistics in this remote corner of the front.
Liman
In addition to Kupyansk, the ‘West’ group of forces is advancing towards Liman, the second major city north of the Seversky Donets River. Russian forces abandoned Liman during Ukraine’s counteroffensive in 2022. Liman needs to be recaptured by Russian troops not just because it is located in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic, but also in order to secure the northern flank for potential future battles over Slavyansk.
In the past month, the eastern flank of the city has been fully isolated, and a 7km stretch of the road between Liman and Seversk has been severed. The partial encirclement on the western flank has expanded, and intense fighting continues within the city itself.
All of this signifies that the Ukrainian garrison in Liman has entered a phase of exhaustion. If it weren’t for orders to hold the city at all costs, Ukrainian forces would likely have retreated long ago, as supplying the city across the river is quite challenging.
Seversk
On December 11, Seversk was officially liberated. The city was captured in less than a month, which is remarkably quick by the standards of the current conflict. Once the Russian army took control of both main routes leading into the city at the end of November, its fate was sealed.
The Ukrainian garrison here could have held out longer, as for example, in Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk). However, unlike in other ‘strongholds’, the Ukrainian forces chose not to launch suicidal counterattacks here and wisely left the area in a timely manner.
The capture of Seversk paves the way to Ukrainian forces’ major stronghold: the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk urban agglomeration. If Russian forces manage to cross the river west of Seversk (1 on map) and establish a foothold on higher ground, Ukraine would have to abandon another defensive line and retreat towards Slavyansk.
Such a maneuver is quite possible. For example, it was the crossing of the Seversky Donets River near the railway bridge in the area of Dronovka that allowed the Russians to cut off one of the routes to Seversk, leading to success in battles for the city.
Pokrovsk – Mirnograd
The Pokrovsk-Mirnograd urban agglomeration was the second most populous area remaining under Ukrainian control in Donbass. Moreover, open steppes stretch for nearly 100km west of Pokrovsk, so beyond the city there are no major settlements where Ukrainian forces can establish durable defense.
Fighting in this area has continued since spring; we’ve covered it in detail before.
In the past month, two key events have occurred. Firstly, the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed. The Ukrainian attempt to break through the encirclement of Mirnograd from the north via Rodninskoye hasn’t produced any result, and Rodninskoye has partially come back under Russian control.
Secondly, by the end of November, the Russian Army completely liberated Pokrovsk. A tight physical encirclement was formed (for the first time since battles for Mariupol), leaving the garrison in Mirnograd trapped. Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers surrendered, a few dozen managed to escape through the fields; the fate of the rest is clear.
According to reports, as of December 25, 90-95% of the urban area of Mirnograd had been cleared. Due to our conservative reporting standards, the map shows a smaller area of control – it is based on video evidence, which usually lags behind compared to the situation on the ground.
The fates of Pokrovsk and Mirnograd have been sealed. It’s likely that official announcements of their liberation will come before the end of the year.
Gulaipole
In the past several months, the greatest advance of the Russian Army has been noted between Gulaipole in Zaporozhye Region and Pokrovskoye in Dnepropetrovsk Region. This front is crucial for two reasons: first, it runs along one of Ukraine’s major defensive lines, rendering it largely ineffective.
Second, Russian forces are advancing across open steppes and favorable terrain toward Zaporozhye, and as we can see, the Ukrainian military is currently unable to stop them, as it struggles to establish a stable front there.
Over the past month, Russian forces have taken full control over the eastern bank of the Gaichur river without fighting; troops advanced up to 15km along a 30km front.
Russian troops also established a foothold across the river on the northern flank of the offensive, and captured Peschanoye and Gerasimovka without major resistance.
Ukrainian forces managed to establish a certain defense only in the city of Gulaipole. The Russian Army couldn’t capture it right away; only the part of the city on the eastern bank of the Gaichur river was liberated without battles.
However, Russian troops managed to cross the river and battles are now underway in the central districts of the city. Ukrainian reinforcements sent in to defend the city found themselves operationally encircled, as a 30km stretch of the only road leading into the city is under intense fire control
The US-led military bloc is building up its forces in Eastern Europe, Viktor Khrenin has said
The leaders of European NATO countries are making no secret of the fact that they are preparing for war against Russia and Belarus, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin has said.
The situation on Belarus’ western border is “tense, prone to radicalization and difficult,” the defense minister, who also holds the rank of lieutenant general, said in a televised interview on Friday, according to Belta news agency.
“The actions of the leaders of neighboring countries also indicate – and they don’t hide it – that preparations for war are underway,” Khrenin said. “They claim they are threatened by Russia and, of course, by Belarus. We have a Union State, and they will fight us.”
Poland, Germany, France and the Baltic states are all vying to militarize and create powerful armies, he added.
The European NATO nations’ recent commitment to allocate 5% of their GDP to their militaries “already suggests that this is a pre-war budget,” Khrenin said.
The US-led military bloc has been upgrading ports and airfields near Belarus and ramping up drills and training, as well as creating new units and boosting the forward presence of its troops near the Russian and Belarusian borders, he asserted.
The deployment of nuclear-capable, medium-range Russian Oreshnik missiles in Belarus is a strategic deterrent against this, Khrenin said.
“This is our reaction to their aggression, aggressive actions, to their statement that they are going to war with us,” he said. “We say: there is no need, we don’t want to fight. Let’s negotiate.”
On Thursday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was briefed on the deployment of the Oreshnik system in his country.
The missile system, armed with hypersonic IRBMs, will enter combat duty before the new year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week.
Moscow “has been seeking diplomatic resolutions to contradictions and conflicts as long as there is the slimmest hope of success,” Putin noted. Any lost chances are the responsibility of those who mistakenly “believe that they can use the language of force with us,” he stressed.
The 18-year-old suspect was coerced into an attempted terrorist attack against the military, the security agency has said
An 18-year-old Russian woman has been caught planting an improvised explosive device on a car in the city of Stavropol on orders from Ukrainian special services, the Federal Security Service (FSB) reported Friday.
The agency said the woman was coerced through a phone scam that convinced her she was under criminal investigation and could receive leniency by performing what the Russian authorities consider an attempted terrorist attack.
The Ukrainian handler arranged the delivery of an IED with an explosive power equivalent to 400 grams of TNT, the FSB said. The suspect was instructed to place it under a vehicle at the parking lot of a military base in southern Russia. The woman is a resident of the neighboring Krasnodar Region.
The agency released footage of the arrest and an interview with the suspect, in which she expressed regret.
Earlier this week, the FSB reported thwarting two separate Ukrainian terrorist plots in Kaluga and Tyumen regions. In both cases, male suspects were killed in firefights during arrest attempts, according to the law enforcement service.
Moscow has accused Kiev of escalating terrorist activities on Russian soil as its frontline forces face setbacks. The Russian authorities say scams are routinely used by Ukrainian intelligence to pressure citizens into committing crimes.
