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Middle East conflict

Hezbollah must become normal political party after disarmament — Lebanese PM

Nawaf Salam said that the Lebanese authorities support US President Donald Trump's plan to settle the conflict in the Gaza Strip because it provides for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave without requiring the displacement of local residents

PARIS, October 22. /TASS/. The Shia group Hezbollah should become a normal political party after disarming its military wing and renouncing armed struggle, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said.

"The ultimate goal [of disarmament] is clear: to restore the state's monopoly on the use of military force. <...> This means that, over time, Hezbollah, like any other similar group, will have to become a regular political party without combat units," the prime minister said in an interview with France’s Paris Match magazine.

Salam also said that the Lebanese authorities support US President Donald Trump's plan to settle the conflict in the Gaza Strip because it provides for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave without requiring the displacement of local residents. The plan also does not involve the annexation of the West Bank of the Jordan River, and it "at least in spirit allows for the possibility of implementing a two-state solution." At the same time, Salam expressed concern about the situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border, since, in his opinion, "[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] perceives war as riding a bicycle: if you stop, you fall."

On October 20, US envoy Tom Barrack demanded that the Lebanese government accelerate the process of disarming Hezbollah forces. He warned that inaction on the part of the Lebanese authorities could prompt Israel to take unilateral measures, threatening a new confrontation.

Trump-Zelensky meeting unlikely to achieve breakthrough in Kiev's favor — German expert

Neumann believes that the meeting could be deemed successful if Zelensky manages to communicate to Trump the extent to which Ukraine is willing to make concessions

Russia plans to widely use AI technologies in weapons systems

One of the principles underlying the new state program is the synchronization of design and development works, purchases of weapons and special equipment, and creating infrastructure and development of the testing-range base

Russian senator says Hunter Biden's NYP interview proves Dems tied to Ukraine corruption

When Hunter Biden says that Ukraine is a viper’s den of corruption, he is describing a system to which he was a party through his father’s position, Alexander Voloshin noted

Gazprom reports record gas withdrawals from European storage facilities during holidays

In particular, gas storage levels in Germany have fallen below 60%

Russia can receive unlimited number of Indian specialists — first deputy PM

Denis Manturov confirmed that the labor mobility agreement was signed during the Russian-Indian summit in New Delhi

Russian detained in Donetsk for inciting murder of military personnel, strikes on Moscow

It has been established that she proactively established contact with representatives of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry on Telegram and, on their assignment, carried out photography of Russian military equipment

US drafts $112-billion Gaza reconstruction plan — WSJ

According to the newspaper, Project Sunrise was designed "to turn Gaza’s rubble into a futuristic coastal destination"

Trump threatens Democrats with 'last Christmas' in light of Epstein case

The US leader also noted that Democrats will "have a lot of explaining to do" when their involvement in US financier scandal becomes known

Russia plans to upgrade nuclear triad through 2036 — Kremlin

The state arms program is a long-term planning document that stipulates developing, producing and maintaining the combat readiness of armaments, military and special equipment

Trump-Zelensky meeting unlikely to achieve breakthrough in Kiev's favor — German expert

Neumann believes that the meeting could be deemed successful if Zelensky manages to communicate to Trump the extent to which Ukraine is willing to make concessions

Russia deprived of unique product due to transfer of OCSiAl assets abroad — Rusnano

The OCSiAl company was established by scientists from Novosibirsk and has gradually grown into the world's largest manufacturer of single-walled carbon nanotubes since the mid-2010s

Somaliland says ready to boost ties with Israel after recognition of independence

"Somaliland welcomes and appreciates Israel’s historic and principled decision to recognize its sovereignty and independence," the self-proclaimed republic said in a statement

Russia terminates agreement on cross-border cooperation with Finland — decree

The Russian Foreign Ministry has been instructed to notify the other party of the decision

Russia rescued Ukrainians abandoned by Kiev in Sumy Region — human rights commissioner

Russian troops brought them to a safe place in Belgorod

Kiev troops bombard Donetsk People’s Republic 19 times over past day

A civilian infrastructure facility and a motor vehicle were damaged as a result of the attacks

Russia’s destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov returns to base after long-distance voyage

The fleet specified that Rear Admiral Oleg Gladky, Chief of Staff of the Kola Flotilla of the Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command, received a report on the successful accomplishment by the warship crew of the assigned mission

Eight Tu-214 aircraft may be produced in 2026, 12 in 2027, industry minister says

Anton Alikhanov emphasized that current efforts and ongoing work provide confidence in meeting the 20-aircraft annual production goal by the end of 2027

African Union condemns Israel’s recognition of Somaliland

"The Chairperson of the Commission reiterates the African Union’s unwavering commitment to the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia," Chairperson of the African Union Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said

Europe clings to Ukraine, unwilling to acknowledge loss of global dominance — Swiss MP

Guy Mettan argues that Europeans have failed to recognize that they have lost their soft power worldwide

Ukrainian army pulls forces toward key cities in Donbass — DPR official

Igor Kimakovsky noted that the Ukrainian military was building fortifications and preparing a line of defense in these areas

Trump says he expects to speak with Putin soon

The US leader also said he expects to hold a meeting with Vladimir Zelensky this weekend

EU goods imports into Russia exceed exports — Eurostat

Exports of Russian goods to the EU amounted to 21.7 bln euro, while imports of goods from the EU into Russia totaled 22.2 bln euro

Belarus designates combat patrol areas for Oreshnik missiles — senior military official

According to Pavel Muraveiko, work to coordinate combat crews’ actions is currently underway

Over 200,000 personnel desert from Ukrainian army in 2025

Kiev currently characterizes the strength of its armed forces at about 800,000

Russia’s public catering turnover up 8.7% YOY in 11M 2025 — statistics

The turnover had an uptick by 8.2% in annual terms to 377.2 bln rubles ($4.8 bln) this November, Russian Federal State Statistics Service reported

Ruble becomes strongest-performing currency in 2025 — Bloomberg

As Bloomberg noted, the ruble’s rise has been influenced by reduced demand for foreign currency in Russia.

Voting begins in parliamentary elections in Cote d'Ivoire

The ruling The Rally of Houphou·tists for Democracy and Peace party, aiming to maintain its 139-seat majority, has fielded candidates in all districts

Press review: Kiev's Western support weakens as experts weigh in on Putin’s Q&A statements

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, December 22nd

Russia develops Yunost-82 unmanned sub able to circumnavigate the globe

According to expert Dmitry Kuzyakin, the boat’s speed is equal to the speed of the ocean currents

Liberation of Gulyaipole opens good prospects for offensive — Putin

Vladimir Putin also noted the effective actions of the Battlegroup Center in eliminating Ukrainian forces near Krasnoarmeysk in the Dimitrov agglomeration

Russian troops liberate Svyato-Pokrovskoye community in Donetsk region over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted more than 215 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and six armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

European leaders, Zelensky, Trump to hold phone call on December 27 — Reuters

According to his information, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will also take part in the discussion

Moscow calls detention of Russia’s Adler vessel by Sweden 'farce majeure'

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Sweden should apologize for the incident

DPRK leader sends New Year greetings to Russian president — KCNA

"On behalf of the government of the DPRK and the Korean people, I extend the warmest and sincerest greeting of best wishes to you and, through you, to the government of the Russian Federation and the fraternal Russian people on the occasion of the New Year 2026," Kim Jong Un said

Liberation of Gulyaipole and Dimitrov: Putin's statements at meeting with Gerasimov

The Russian leader also pointed out that the establishment of a buffer zone on the Russian-Ukrainian border is proceeding well

Air defense forces shoot down 83 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions in two hours

48 of them were destroyed over the Bryansk Region

All car plants left by foreigners to be launched by summer 2026 — First Deputy PM

Authorities expect that the volume of the Russian car market will grow to 2.5 mln by 2030, Denis Manturov added

Politico awards anti-prizes to Sarkozy, Trump, von der Leyen for 2025

In addition to them, the Titanic award "for grand ideas that fail" went to the Italian bridge project intended to connect Sicily to the mainland

Russia open to contacts, but Europe is not interested in that — senior Russian diplomat

According to Sergey Ryabkov, political contacts between the sides are maintained but this in not done publicly

Russia says supports de-escalation around Venezuela, pins hopes on Trump's pragmatism

Maria Zakharova reiterated Moscow's support for "the efforts of the government of Nicolas Maduro aimed at protecting sovereignty and national interests and maintaining the stable and secure development of his country"

Russian Army firmly holds strategic initiative on frontline — Lavrov

Meanwhile, almost all European countries with few exceptions have been pumping the Kiev regime full of money and weapons, Sergey Lavrov said

Russian forces destroy company of Ukrainian soldiers by FAB bomb in Dnepropetrovsk area

The Ukrainian military is trying to evacuate the wounded and dead personnel from the site of the strike and work is underway to clear the debris

KVN drones destroy Ukrainian equipment worth two German armies — Ushkuynik

According to CEO Alexey Chadayev, after the invasion of the Kursk Region, the Ukrainian armed forces "were unable to carry out a single successful attack with the mass use of mechanized military equipment"

Russian troops liberate eight communities in Ukraine operation over week — top brass

Russia’s Battlegroup Center forces kept destroying the surrounded Ukrainian combat group in Dimitrov and mopping up the settlements of Rodinskoye and Grishino in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past week

Russia creates powdered Ebola vaccine for convenient transportation

The clinical testing has been conducted in the Guinean Republic for three months

German customs involved in legal arbitrariness against Russians — Foreign Ministry

According to Maria Zakharova, Germany has de facto been turned into a territory of lawlessness for people of a certain nationality, in this case, citizens of Russia

Zelensky to call referendum for Trump’s plan if he is not satisfied — Axios

Vladimir Zelensky plans to agree on a framework agreement with the US leader to end the conflict

West's policy on Ukraine rules out peaceful coexistence with Russia — German expert

Werner Patzelt emphasized that regardless of the outcome of the conflict in Ukraine, Russia "will not cease to be part of European geography and geopolitics"

South Korea asks UN chief to visit North Korea — agency

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac met with the UN chief in New York on December 18 to discuss cooperation between South Korea and the United Nations, as well as regional problems

Due to raids in Ukrainian parliament, less than 30 deputies present during session

NABU earlier reported exposing deputies who systematically received unlawful benefits for voting

Oreshnik system in Belarus is just first stage of its deployment on EU border — expert

According to Alexander Stepanov, the next stage could be the deployment of strategic instruments, including the Oreshnik missile system, in the Kaliningrad Region

Press review: Zelensky peace plan is no-go for Russia and Trump puts on peacemaker hat

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, December 25th

CSU leader in Bundestag says it is premature to discuss sending German military to Ukraine

"We should not put the cart before the horse," Alexander Hoffmann noted

Defense industry operating steadily, supplying everything necessary to army — Putin

At the same time, weapons are being supplied "both to the units involved in the special military operation and to the armed forces as a whole," the Russian president added

Tu-214 to be produced step by step after all modifications are completed by 2026

Earlier on Saturday, the updated Tu-214 received approval for a major redesign of its standard configuration

US currently has no plans to recognize Somaliland — Trump

The move includes establishing full-fledged diplomatic relations, sending ambassadors and opening embassies

Zelensky works for MI6, Russian official believes

According to Andrey Klimov, in the first months of the special military operation, there was a real chance to end the conflict through political and diplomatic means

IN BRIEF: Russia’s key foreign policy results of 2025 summarized in statements from MFA

Unfriendly nations had to acknowledge that it is impossible to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia

Mobilization in Ukraine, NATO near Kaliningrad: Foreign Ministry statements

TASS has compiled the key statements by the official representative of the Foreign Ministry

West has been using fakes for centuries to justify attacks on Russia — Swiss MP

Guy Mettan explained that the earliest fabricated document accusing Russia of seeking to conquer the West and establish European hegemony was the so-called last will and testament of Peter the Great

Trump says Zelensky’s peace plan means nothing without his approval — Politico

"So we’ll see what he’s got," the US leader said

Last of world-famous Dionne quintuplets dies at age 91 — New York Times

According to its information, Dion passed away on December 26 in a hospital

Putin notes multiple growth in production of weapons in demand in special operation zone

"The production of armored vehicles has increased by 2.2 times, of light armored vehicles (infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers) by 3.7 times, and military aircraft by 4.6 times," the Russian president said

Russia recognizes Karabakh as Azerbaijani territory — MFA spokeswoman

Vladimir Medinsky "commented exclusively on the tragedy around the armed conflict," Maria Zakharova emphasized as she cautioned against "pulling out non-existent messages or recombining words"

Zelensky says US has proposed 15-year settlement agreements

In his words, there are some "technical things" that need to be further discussed

Talks with US on Ukraine result-oriented, Moscow not backing down from its position — MFA

According to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the understanding that has developed in Anchorage is being implemented through contacts

Trump receives box of red caviar from Russia's Far East

The caviar reportedly made such a "strong impression" on Steve Witkoff that he was given an entire box to deliver to President Trump

Russia will achieve all military operation goals by force if Kiev rejects peace — Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting at one of the command posts of the special military operation

West uses sanctions to cling to fading dominance — Russian diplomat

Maria Zakharova emphasized that unilateral coercive measures represent a serious obstacle to establishing a just and equitable multipolar world order

Russia-US agree to maintain dialogue on Ukraine after Dmitriev’s trip to Miami — Kremlin

Negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement took place in Miami on December 20 and 21

Trump sees good chance for resolving Ukrainian conflict

According to the New York Post, the US leader is optimistic about the possibility of reaching a peace agreement during his upcoming meeting with Vladimir Zelensky on Sunday

Ukrainian government may declassify data on uranium reserves

"At this point, only the information on uranium and uranium ore reserves remains classified," the head of Ukraine’s National Extractive Industries Association of Ukraine, Ksenia Orinchak, said

Russia’s ‘soldier of future’ combat gear proves its worth in Syria

None of the elements of the combat gear’s protection was ever pierced, the system's developer said

Those who expect to defeat Russia in open conflict deeply mistaken — senior diplomat

According to Sergey Ryabkov, politicians who make such statements are either forgetting or deliberately pretending not to notice that it is nothing but an attempt to defeat a nuclear power

France looks to reinforce Kiev’s army with four PMCs — Russian administration in Kharkov

Recruitment offices for the four PMCs will be established in nine French cities

Zelensky’s regime not ready to engage in constructive talks — Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister emphasized that Kiev's regime terrorizes civilians by targeting civilian infrastructure

Trump administration recalls heads of nearly 30 foreign diplomatic missions — news agency

According to its information, the heads of US missions abroad have been notified that their terms in their current positions will expire in January

Japanese MP, who visits Moscow, notes Russia’s might

"A year and four months have passed since I last visit Moscow, but, looking at the [New Year] illumination all over the city it’s hard to believe that there is war nearby," Muneo Suzuki said

Group of mercenaries from Ukrainian National Guard wiped out Kharkov Region

The battalion of Colombian mercenaries within the brigade was formed with the appointment of Cuban-born Daniel Vincentovich Kitone, as brigade commander, Russian security sources said

Almost all Ukrainian brigade deserts — Russia’s security forces

The source said there are quite a lot of units in the Ukrainian army that did not meet expectations of the command

Russia supplies another batch of Su-30SM2 fighters to Belarus — Defense Ministry

Deputy Commander of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense Forces, Chief of Aviation Colonel Alexander Belyaev said these aircraft will soon undergo technical inspection at the air base

Unemployment in Russia falls to 2.1% in November, statistics service says

In November, 1.6 million people aged 15 and older were classified as unemployed

Air defenses destroy 111 Ukrainian UAVs over Russian regions in 3 hours

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that during this period, 73 drones were destroyed over the Bryansk Region

Silver price hits record high

By 1:14 a.m. GMT, the value of silver accelerated its growth to $75.235 per troy ounce

Russia’s naval nuclear forces fully modernized, says Navy Chief

Admiral Alexander Moiseyev emphasized that the condition and combat readiness of Russia's modernized naval strategic nuclear forces are at an exceptional level

Putin expects next decade to bring unprecedented breakthrough in technology

The Russian leader drew attention of regional and federal officials, and businessmen across all industries to the fact that actually the time of breakthrough was "already here for us"

Kupyansk under control of Battlegroup West — Russian defense ministry

TASS has compiled the main information about the situation in the special military operation zone over the past 24 hours

Rutte pushes back against idea that EU can only rely on itself for defense

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recalled decisions made at the NATO summit in The Hague this summer, where alliance members agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035

Wildberries launches sales in Germany

In the near future, Wildberries plans to enter the markets of France, Italy and Spain

Cambodia, China, Thailand to discuss settlement of Thai-Cambodian conflict — Thai MFA

On December 27, Thailand and Cambodia have signed an agreement to establish a ceasefire in the border conflict zone, reaffirming their determination to return to dialogue through previously reached agreements with the aim of resolving the border conflict

Submerged car retrieved from river in Russia’s Yakutia, child’s body found inside

According to the Yakutia Health Ministry, five victims were hospitalized with frostbite following the incident

Poll reveals Soviet Union’s most outstanding achievement according to Russians

The poll covered 1.6 thousand Russians over the age of 18

Zvezda correspondent Nikita Goldin seriously wounded, he was with deceased journalists

Six people were killed as a result of the shelling by Ukrainian forces, including Izvestia correspondent Alexander Fedorchak, Zvezda cameraman and driver Andrey Pano and Alexander Sirkeli

Gazprom highlights challenges with gas supplies in the Baltics

The company noted that at the start of the withdrawal season, the Incukalns UGS was filled to just 61%

Special op experience, work of defense industry sector: Putin's statements

The president noted that the Russian defense-industrial complex is operating steadily, providing the armed forces with the necessary equipment

Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies announce exposure of criminal group in parliament

The agencies promised to disclose details later

Spaniards detained near Baikonur spaceport released — source

"On April 1, at night, on the territory of the Baikonur spaceport, staff at the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation at the Baikonur complex detained four foreign citizens who tried to enter without authorization the protected area where space infrastructure facilities are located," the statement said

Russia will be able to offer domestically developed aircraft systems to the global market

"We have elevated these complex avionics to a competitive, global standard, enabling us to offer them to international customers," Alikhanov explained

Artemiev beats Carlsen, leads World Rapid Championship

Playing with the white pieces, Artemiev’s impressive performance has propelled him to the top of the standings, with a total of 6.5 points after seven rounds

Risk of nuclear conflict not eliminated, Russia ready to negotiate — senior diplomat

Sergey Ryabkov said that contacts with the US now intensified, "there is a businesslike, substantive conversation, but great efforts are needed to move further away from this edge"

Putin goes to St. Petersburg for informal CIS summit

The head of state will also have bilateral meetings with leaders of certain countries