Ukraine chooses non-bloc policy but NATO door still open — secretary-general

Air defenses are in operation, and at least six aerial targets have been shot down

Salome Zourabichvili also promised to announce her further plans on Monday

"Moscow has a legitimate right to defend its interests and the interests of the 15 million Russians who formerly lived in Ukraine and now reside in the four regions that have joined the Russian Federation," Milorad Dodik said

On Tuesday, the Russian leader is scheduled to meet with President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon

According to Russian Ambassador to Mali Igor Gromyko, Moscow considers the establishment of the Alliance of Sahel States as a major step toward consolidating efforts against Islamist groups in the Sahara-Sahel zone

The Russian leader also agreed with Sergey Mironov, head of the "A Just Russia - For Truth" faction in the Duma, who said that "the birth rate is insufficient, because the matter concerns extinction"

The chief of Russia’s radiation, chemical and biological protection force, Igor Kirillov, told a news briefing that one of the key figures was Robert Pope, the Director of the US Defense Department's Cooperative Threat Reduction Program at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency

The ministry clarified that Ukraine launched a missile strike against the Kamensky Integrated Plant in the Rostov Region using six US-made ATACMS missiles and four Storm Shadow cruise missiles

Bruno Retailleau also stayed on as interior minister

There are about 400 civilians in the medical facility, including newborn babies Al Jazeera reported

According to Vitaly Savelyev, the Iranian side has taken on commitments to provide a land buyout schedule

Earlier, the head of the US administration commuted the sentence for 37 out of 40 people to life imprisonment without the possibility of release

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, December 23rd

Denis Pushilin noted that shelling in Donetsk’s Kirovsky and Petrovsky districts is expected to diminish further once Kurakhovo is liberated

The Major General noted that among these individuals are: servicemen of the US Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, employees of regional branches of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, disease control and prevention centers in Africa, as well as members of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria

According to the report, the cargo ship left St. Petersburg about two weeks ago and headed for the port of Vladivostok, where it was scheduled to arrive on January 22

According to Denis Pushilin, Russian forces have been advancing almost along the entire line of engagement in the region

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin thus meant that the Oreshnik missile is a generation ahead of all existing weapons, while not being a nuclear weapon itself

According to Waldemar Skrzypczak, Russian troops' daily advances amount to 1-2 kilometers (0.6-1.2 miles)

Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on July 31, Israel has previously denied any involvement in his assassination

According to reports, fourteen crew members were rescued and two are missing

In turn, the governor’s press service reported that the incident occurred along the line of primers

According to Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov, what is special about the Russian presidency is that Moscow had to support the work of BRICS in a new, expanded format, "to make sure that the new members of the group harmoniously fit into the customary arrangements, customary ways of interaction"

According to Mike Waltz, Trump has made it clear that the war must end

"I will not comment on that in any further detail, it is our client’s prerogative," Kalashnikov CEO Alan Lushnikov said

First such flights could start in 2025, Pakistani Energy Minister Awais Leghari said

According to Vladimir Rogov, actions by the Russian Armed Forces will compel the garrison of the Ukrainian armed forces in Velikaya Novosyolka to face difficulties with supplies and reinforcements

"The ambition to impose a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia has fallen out of favor, even among hardline political figures, given the unfeasibility of such an outcome," Sergey Nechayev said

According to the Houthi spokesman, the strike on US vessels was delivered with the use of "eight cruise missiles and 17 drones"

According to the report, three UAVs were shot down over the territory of the Rostov region

"We have monitored the situation and responded accordingly," the Ministry of National Defense reported

"By the end of March, we are planning the first train - the first cargo train to leave Russia for Pakistan," Awais Leghari said

"You have heard the Ukrainian side’s statement and you know the position of the European countries that continue purchasing Russian gas and that consider it necessary for normal operation of their economy," Dmitry Peskov said

According to Major General Alexey Rtishchev, this system has been successfully tested in Ukraine and Georgia

According to the Turkish newspaper, the former Syrian president did it to ensure his own safety

Parliamentarians, members of the Constitutional Court, and foreign diplomats attended her inauguration

The Spanish Maritime Rescue Service is currently staying in the area of the accident in order to remove floating objects that can pose a danger to navigation and to check whether the marine environment might have been polluted

Indonesian authorities suspect that the detainee was involved in drug distribution and received payment in cryptocurrency

"Now we see the outcome: a Europe burdened with numerous problems and struggling to determine how to establish relations with the Trump administration," the president of the Republika Srpska said

"It's great when athletes, who devoted their lives to what they chose to do, get the chance once again of competing internationally, to win medals that they can bring home," he said

The Czech Republic is receiving Russian pipe gas indirectly via Slovakia and Hungary

According to Putin’s press secretary, the meeting is being held one-on-one

The military said that a conversation in a foreign language was intercepted by radio intelligence before visual control over the group was established

"According to a report by an international panel of experts involved in fighting the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, company personnel concealed the fact that Pentagon employees were involved in the work," Major General Alexey Rtischev said

"It is important for us to achieve all the goals that we face in ensuring the security of our country," Dmitry Peskov emphasized

According to the SVR, Maia Sandu recently convened a meeting on energy security issues with senior government officials

The Belarusian president pointed out that the coming year is expected to be difficult for a number of reasons

Dmitry Medvedev noted that Ukraine will never join NATO

Gustavo Petro emphasized Colombia's backing for Panama in defending its sovereignty

According to the Crisis Management Center, on-duty personnel at the center, as well as at the Russian Transport Ministry and overseas diplomatic missions, are monitoring the situation

Prior to the strike measures had been taken to mitigate risks for civilians, the IDF said

At the same time, Sergey Leshchenko clarified that "there will be no repeat of Minsk or Istanbul agreements," meaning there would be no agreements resembling the Minsk accords of 2015 or the Istanbul talks of spring 2022

Mute Egede stressed that Denmark should continue to be open to cooperation and trade with the whole world, especially with its neighbors

According to Yuri Ushakov, the confirmations of readiness to become a BRICS partner country have been received from Belarus, Bolivia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan

Roman Starovoyt noted that Russia is holding negotiations with many airlines from friendly countries

The MEP said that Fico stands for Slovak interests in Russia, "even in spite of the warmongers in Brussels"

At the same time, Oleg Bondarenko said, without affordable energy resources, the decline of the German economy will continue with no chance of stopping in the foreseeable future

Another issue discussed was cooperation in the oil sector amid illegal Western sanctions, the ministry said

According to Polish radio station RMF FM, the flight was carried out as part of a NATO mission

Yury Ushakov noted that uncontrolled expansion of the association would break its backbone

Major General Alexey Rtishchev said that relevant comments were posted in the European and American media, as well as on information portals in the Middle East region

Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik said that the enemy has fired nearly 82,700 various types of ammunition at Russian regions

"This concerns both the potential use of Taurus and plans for stationing US mid-range and short-range missiles on German soil," Sergey Nechayev stressed

Israel, according to Netanyahu, adheres to a "very simple principle" that "those seeking to do harm to Israel receives harm in response

According to Major General Alexey Rtishchev, Washington is using African countries' economic problems in the health sector to build up its military and biological research

According to Kakha Kaladze, the country faced unprecedented pressure because of this

"The work is going well, but it is not year ready enough for us to disclose it," Awais Leghari noted

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, December 24th

The exhibition attracted more than 260,000 visitors, while more than 1,800 bilateral meetings and negotiations were held on the sidelines

The purpose of such restrictions is to maintain the balance of energy consumption taking into account the needs of industry

According to Yuri Ushakov, the meeting was substantial

"Certainly, the negotiation process will begin next year, without any doubt, but in my opinion it will be very complex," Valentina Matviyenko stressed

According to Alexander Stepanov, strikes are systematic efforts to gradually wipe out the military capabilities of Ukraine

Russian border crossings near the Estonian border are functioning as usual, Maria Zakharova said

The design bureau added that the drone is also equipped with a universal payload attachment system

There are plans to start conducting manned flights to the new Russian Orbital Station about the same time when Russia exits the ISS program, chief executive of the Russian state space corporation Yury Borisov noted

The Hungarian prime minister recalled that America and Europe spent about 300 billion euros on the war in Ukraine

According to the report, battlegroup Center made Ukraine suffer roughly 610 casualties and lose two tanks in the Donetsk People’s Republic

Russians most often attribute their negative emotions regarding the past year to economic hardships and rising prices, while citing family events as positive highlights

Falling debris from one UAV damaged the roof of the central marketplace building

According to Rodion Miroshnik, the enemy fired some 1,500 projectiles at residential areas in Russia over the past week, including rockets, 152 mm and 155 mm artillery shells, mines and grenades

The US House of Representatives approved the project on December 11, the Senate - on December 18

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted roughly 380 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed six enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

Denali, standing at 6,168 meters, was once considered the highest point of the Russian Empire before the territory was sold to the United States

No reports of casualties and damage have come in yet

On April 15, 2013, two explosions, with 12 seconds in between, happened in Boston’s downtown, near the finish line of the traditional marathon

It is planned to launch it in general circulation in early 2025

Over 40 were killed, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Rodion Miroshnik said

If Democratic Party of Toburo supports the impeachment proposal later on Tuesday, the issue will be put to a vote at a plenary session on December 26

"It’s important to note that the primary development in this context is the markedly increased role of non-Arab states in the region, particularly two key players," Vitaly Naumkin said

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

All owners of vehicles subject to the recall will be informed of the need to bring the vehicle to the nearest dealership for repairs, Rosstandart said

According to transitional Interior Minister Mohamed Abdel Rahman, the government has set a deadline for the handover of weapons held by members of the former regime and the public

As Andrey Marochko noted, the enemy's indiscriminate attacks on Kremennaya's civilian targets are ruled out, since Ukraine is attacking the city with drones, and "drone operators see the target"

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, December 20th

Russian forces evacuated them from the Hmeimim base to Tehran

Major General Aleksey Rtishchev said that branches of the US National Naval Military Medical Center are stationed in Ghana and Djibouti where active work is carried out in natural disease foci, isolation and sequencing of pathogens

According to the latest data, two people were killed

UAV operators of the battle group North continue to be on round-the-clock duty in the sky over Kharkov Region and identify reconnaissance and strike drones of the Ukrainian militants