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Middle East conflict

Israel Foreign Press Association goes to court to ensure media access to Gaza

The association expects the Israeli government and military "to stand true to their stated commitments to allow freedom of reporting for journalists," as "freedom of the press is a basic civil right in a democratic society"

TEL AVIV, December 20. /TASS/. Israel's Foreign Press Association (FPA) has filed a petition with the country's Supreme Court demanding that access to the Gaza Strip be ensured for representatives of international media, the association's press service reported.

"The Foreign Press Association (FPA) in Jerusalem filed a petition on Monday with the Israeli Supreme Court seeking immediate access to the Gaza Strip for the international media. This step comes after multiple official requests to the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO), the Israeli military and Defense Ministry received no substantive response," the statement said. "Israel has blocked foreign press access to Gaza during some previous wars, but never before so long," the FPA continued, expressing hope that "this petition will encourage the government to grant access" to the Gaza Strip to foreign media.

The association expects the Israeli government and military "to stand true to their stated commitments to allow freedom of reporting for journalists," as "freedom of the press is a basic civil right in a democratic society." "We also believe it is in the public interest to get a fuller picture of conditions inside Gaza after 10 weeks of extremely limited and highly controlled access. The Israeli military has allowed some reporters to embed with troops in Gaza, but this does not allow access to areas where soldiers are not present," the association continued.

The FPA noted that it is "aware of the unique security challenges posed by the current war, and any members entering Gaza would have to take these risks into account. But the Israeli government’s recent agreement to allow aid to enter Gaza directly from Israel shows that such obstacles can be overcome.".

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Palestine Israel

Over 2,500 people cross into Syria from Lebanon in past day — Russian military

Apart from that, a Syrian soldier was wounded after an explosive device was dropped from a drone launched by terrorists from the Tekad area at the positions of government forces near the settlement of Basratun

Anglo-Saxon special services involved in Nord Stream blasts, SVR chief says

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Russia’s launch of new missile illustrated assured retaliation capability, lawmaker says

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Turkey to investigate causes of Russian Superjet emergency at Antalya airport

The Turkish side will also provide information on the progress of the investigation

NATO pledges to continue supporting Ukraine following Russia’s launch of Oreshnik missile

NATO said in the statement that Russia’s deployment of the missile called the Oreshnik will not change the course of the conflict

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"When we have more to provide, we will," Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said

NATO spies study damage from Oreshnik at Yuzhmash — expert

Alexander Stepanov emphasized that both Kiev and its Western allies are closely scrutinizing the consequences of the strike on the plant

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US gives Ukrainian servicemen guidance on selecting targets for ATACMS — White House

The Ukrainian servicemen "are able to use ATACMS to defend themselves on an immediate need basis," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said

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Sergey Ryabkov stressed that "any escalation scenarios, if they start to materialize, will be a direct consequence of the reckless" and "inhumane policy that is pursued by Washington and leading European countries"

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Press review: Israel approves US ceasefire agreement and Georgia's new parliament convenes

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It is specified that the Ukrainian army’s losses in the area of responsibility of Russia’s Battlegroup North in the Kharkov Region over the past 24 hours amounted to 30 personnel, two armored combat vehicles and four motor vehicles

Russia rejects Korean scenario for freezing Ukraine conflict — foreign intel chief

Sergey Naryshkin recalled that the only way to ensure peace is to eliminate the root causes that triggered the Ukrainian conflict

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"Our forces continue their coordinated efforts to liberate the Kharkov Region from the enemy," Vitaly Ganchev said

Kremlin spokesman advises those fearing nuclear escalation to review Russia’s doctrine

"You should listen to President Putin’s statements attentively and carefully assess the actions by the authorities of this or that country of the collective West that is directly involved in these conflicts," Dmitry Peskov stressed

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When asked if the 1998 Russian-US memorandum of understanding on notifications of missile launches remained in effect, Sergey Ryabkov answered in the affirmative

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Kremlin confident Putin’s warning about strikes inside Russia was well heard in West

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Russian forces entrap Ukrainian troops near Svatovo in LPR — military expert

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Shooting of Selidovo residents by Ukrainian troops meant to repeat Bucha provocation

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US continues to plunder Afghanistan with impunity, says Shoigu

"In my opinion, the United States should invest in the reconstruction of Afghanistan after everything it has done and abandoned there," the top security official emphasized

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British mercenary claims he was sent to Russia’s Kursk Region against his will

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North Korea dismantles power lines in Kaesong on border with South Korea

The South Korean servicemen speculate that the transmission line supports, which have been out of service since June 2020 when the power supply was cut after the bombing of the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, will also be dismantled soon

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Dmitry Peskov noted that this is an absolutely irresponsible line of reasoning from those with a poor grasp of reality

France, UK may deploy troops to Ukraine following ceasefire — expert

According to Elie Tenenbaum, European countries may send troops to east Ukraine to ensure the observation of a ceasefire regime and guarantee Kiev’s security

Rome plans to arrange Ukraine conference with Russia's participation

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga is set to attend the G7 foreign ministers' meeting on November 26, marking the end of Italy’s presidency of the informal group

Lithuania open to sending European troops to Ukraine — foreign minister

"It may become necessary for European soldiers to be deployed on Ukrainian soil, and Lithuania is always ready to consider such options," Gabrielius Landsbergis stated

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Vyacheslav Negoda noted that a power shortage will remain in the region for a long time

Russia’s Medvedev warns Europe could face 'catastrophic damage' from Oreshnik missile

The Russian Security Council deputy chairman also commented on Vladimir Zelensky’s "resilience plan"

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The prime minister emphasized that increasing the energy and resource efficiency of the Russian economy is of paramount importance for the further sustainable development of the country

Public tribunal releases more testimonies exposing Kiev forces' atrocities in Selidovo

According to the report, Ukrainian forces are known to have killed at least a hundred civilians

UK delivered dozens of Storm Shadow missiles to Kiev weeks ago — news agency

Bloomberg pointed out that the missiles were sent before the US and UK authorization to use long-range precision-guided weapons to launch strikes from Ukrainian territory deep into Russia

Europe resumes talks of troop deployment to Ukraine — newspaper

According to the sources, this is driven by the fact that Washington may scale back support for Ukraine after Donald Trump returns to office as US president on January 20, 2025

Ukrainian officer says 90% of fellow servicemen have no desire to fight

According to Vyacheslav Khomenko, soldiers in his platoon don’t have required combat experience

Ukrainian commander-in-chief reports threats to troops in Zaporozhye Region

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West wants to use Kalinousky Regiment to destabilize Belarus — Russian intelligence chief

Sergey Naryshkin pointed out that now this nationalist group was fighting together with the Ukrainian army along with the Russian Volunteer Corps (recognized in Russia as a terrorist organization) and the Georgian Legion (the paramilitary group Georgian National Legion is blacklisted as terrorist and banned in Russia)

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NATO disregards all etiquette in discussing possible preemptive strikes on Russia — Lavrov

NATO Military Committee Chairman Rob Bauer earlier called for producing more weapons for precision strikes inside Russia in case a conflict broke out

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A spokesperson for the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to Ukrainian War Crimes (JCCC), in turn, told TASS that the last day when no shelling attacks were reported in the region was in 2023

Press review: Russia to mass-produce Oreshnik missiles and EU gas prices reach record high

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, November 25th

Majority of Americans oppose further military support for Ukraine, poll shows

The poll, conducted on November 19-22, involved over 2,200 Americans

Russia fails to get seat at OPCW Executive Council — vote outcome

Russian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Permanent Representative to the OPCW Vladimir Tarabrin noted that the current situation regarding the participation in the Executive council "is clear evidence of the crisis that the Organization has fallen into"

France, UK will have to pay for their helping Ukraine strike inside Russia — diplomat

Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based international organizations Mikhail Ulyanov said that what has been done by the White House is very dangerous

Ukraine is a failed state, Russian foreign intelligence chief says

Sergey Naryshkin stressed that Moldova is "following in its footsteps"

Ukrainian forces indiscriminately shoot Selidovo passers-by — Russian envoy

According to Rodion Miroshnik, Ukrainian security forces came to places where there were generators, where people came to get water, and could shoot a person

Russia designs Titan rifle for commandos

The rifle is reliable with precise and dense fire

Defense contractor delivers new batch of Su-34 bombers to Russia’s Aerospace Forces

The new fighter-bombers have undergone necessary testing and have been sent to the places of their operation, Vadim Badekha noted

Kabul counts on Moscow to help neutralize Western pressure

"We can assure you that the Islamic Emirate is a reliable economic partner," Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said

'Western vector' leaves Ukraine poorest country in Europe — politician

Ukrainians have never seen the promised freedom, Viktor Medvedchuk noted

Donbass was in danger of genocide from Ukraine, Serbian expert says

Dr. Predrag Ceranic pointed out that in Republika Srpska, everyone understands very well that Russia was compelled "to make this move in order to protect its people in Donbass"

Russian diplomat doesn’t rule out missile deployment in Asia as response to US’ actions

Sergey Ryabkov warned Russia’s adversaries against settling into a "false sense of security"

Launch of Oreshnik caused no negative reaction from Central Asia — Russian MFA

Alexander Sternik noted that Moscow was closely watching how relations among NATO, the European Union and the states directly adjacent to Russian territory were developing

Europe's 'hotheads' for sending troops to Ukraine, but there is no unity — Kremlin

"Earlier, of course, such ideas were heard from different European capitals, but various counterarguments were also voiced not in favor of this idea," Dmitry Peskov noted

Zelensky shook up by Russia’s response to permission to attack it — Lavrov

According to the Russian foreign minister, the West is directly involved in the use of long-range weapons against Russia, as not a single missile could be launched without its involvement

EU Commissioner for Justice calls on members states to step up assistance to Ukraine

Didier Reynders stressed that EU countries provided Ukraine with 45.5 billion euros for military needs and supplied "a wide variety of arms" from their stockpiles, including F-16 aircraft

Austria ready to host Ukraine talks — chancellor

According to reports, US president-elect Donald Trump mentioned Nehammer's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which took place shortly after the start of the special military operation in Ukraine

Europe bracing for influx of Ukrainian troops after conflict is over — agency

According to the agency, the European intelligence community is preparing for potential threats, namely the possibility of Ukrainian troops flooding the continent and arms trafficking

Iran challenges US, UK, France military capabilities, IRGC general says

"The entire military potential of the US, UK, and France was mobilized to prevent Iran's operation, but the IRGC completed its mission," Ali Fadavi said

Ukrainian forces attempt to assassinate Novaya Kakhovka head, his deputy with drones

Ukraine tracked two service cars and dropped munitions on them after the vehicles approached the administration building

Russian national Nikita Zhuravel sentenced to 14 years in prison for high treason

Nikita Zhuravel was detained in May 2023 in Volgograd for setting fire to the Quran in front of a mosque, and during questioning, he confessed that he did it for money, under instructions from Ukrainian intelligence

Zelensky begs ‘for his country to be flattened’ — US journalist

"Ukraine should be forever grateful that President Putin is calm, rational and kind - because Zelensky is practically begging for his country to be flattened," American political commentator Jackson Hinkle said

Intel chief calls on West to embrace Putin's vision for resolving Ukraine conflict

"The sooner Western capitals realize [the need to accept] the Russian president’s conditions for a peace agreement and talks, the better it will be for Ukraine, Europe and Russia, too," Sergey Naryshkin noted

Talk of halting Ukraine conflict related to Russia’s initiative on battlefield — SVR

Sergey Naryshkin added that the Western capitals "stopped thinking about strategically defeating Russia and shifted to thinking about how to avoid such a defeat themselves"

Moscow strips UK diplomat of accreditation over false data in documents — Russian agency

"Based on the aforementioned grounds, the Russian Foreign Ministry, in cooperation with the concerned agencies, made a decision to strip Wilkes Edward Pryor of accreditation, and he is ordered to leave Russia within two weeks," the statement reads

Oreshnik becomes serious problem for Ukraine — Polish general

According to Waldemar Skrzypczak, satellite reconnaissance failed to detect the launch and flight of this missile

Emergence of new weapons changed canons of war, Medvedev says

According to Russian security council deputy chairman, this primarily concerns drones

Moscow concerned with outgoing US President Biden’s escalation strategy — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov’s statement comes in the wake of US National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby who said earlier that the American administration had provided the Ukrainian armed forces with instructions on selecting targets for strikes using American ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles

London intensifies anti-Russian campaign in face of impending ‘Ukrainian project’ failure

The realization of the impending failure of the ‘Ukrainian project’ London has been staking on in hopes of capitalizing on plans to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ on our country by proxy is now as clear as ever," the embassy said

NATO expanding presence in Arctic, Baltic, Black Sea, Caspian regions — FSB chief

According to Alexander Bortnikov, a US lab network is reportedly working to implement a program to create biological weapons of selective action, while citing the need to combat some "biological threats" as an excuse

Citizens of Poland, Germany, Italy apply for residence permit in Lugansk Republic

The decisions will be made in response to these applications in the near future

Any escalation scenario possible in Ukraine conflict — Medvedev

According to the politician, Western nations need to understand that they are fighting on Ukraine’s side

FACTBOX: Overview of Ukraine's ATACMS strikes on Kursk Region

The Ukrainian armed forces have delivered two strikes using Western-made long-range missiles on sites in the Kursk Region over the past three days

Kremlin explains why Oreshnik missile came as surprise

"I am sure that neither of us is even aware right now of any new future developments," Dmitry Peskov said

Current rules to prevent Europe from winning 'future arms battle,' French admiral warns

According to the media outlet, the French admiral expects next year’s NATO summit in The Hague to send a message to the European Union: "If you want to stay in the arms race, change your rules"

British military instructor captured, Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

In total, the enemy has lost more than 35,510 troops since the fighting began in the region

Top Indian defense official to visit Moscow, Kaliningrad on December 8-10 — source

Rajnath Singh will participate in the flag-raising ceremony of the Project 11356 frigate and its transfer to the Indian Navy," the source said

Moscow to respond promptly if London inflates British diplomat’s expulsion issue

British Ambassador to Moscow Nigel Casey was summoned earlier in the day by the Russian Foreign Ministry, where he was handed a note of protest

Ukrainian front collapsing due to lack of willing soldiers, Russian offensive — magazine

Additionally, Ukraine "does not have enough weapons, munitions or hardware," the news outlet said

Trump promises to impose 25% tariff on all goods from Mexico, Canada

Mexico and Canada have every right and opportunity to easily resolve this long-standing problem, US president-elect said

West seeks to destabilize global order, Russia’s intelligence chief says

"Euro-Atlantic elites are trying to convince the rest of the world that the only alternative to Western power is chaos, and for this purpose, they deliberately seek destabilization in key regions of the planet," Sergey Naryshkin said