Ukrainian soldier says Russians trying to sever 'road of life' supply route to Avdiivka

"Today the Russians are attempting to storm the town from the flanks in order to separate the

logistics corridor, the so-called ‘road of life’," he said. The Defense Forces receive everything they need through the "road of life". MS

U.S. releases Maduro ally in exchange for 10 Americans imprisoned in Venezuela

"The U.S. on Wednesday released a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in

exchange for Caracas releasing 31 people from prison, including 10 Americans, according to a senior U.S. administration official.
Driving the news: As part of the deal, a former U.S. Navy contractor who organized one of the largest bribery scandals in U.S. military history was arrested and returned to the U.S.
Leonard Francis, also known as "Fat Leonard," pleaded guilty in 2015 to doling out more than $500,000 in bribes in exchange for the ability to overcharge the Navy by at least $35 million for his services.
He escaped house arrest in San Diego in 2022 after cutting his ankle monitoring bracelet.
Details: In exchange for the prisoner releases and Leonard's extradition, the U.S. let go of Colombian businessman Alex Saab, who was accused of stealing $350 million as part of a bribe scheme against the Venezuelan government.
The U.S. has also accused him of being a financial fixer for Maduro.
Saab was arrested on money laundering charges in Cape Verde in 2020 while he was on his way to negotiate an oil deal with Iran as a representative of Maduro's government.
In response to Saab's extradition to the U.S. in 2021, Venezuela's government called off political negotiations with opposition officials and placed six U.S. oil executives under house arrest." MS

U.S. troops to be based in Denmark

"Denmark has reached a defense agreement with the United States that will allow American troops to be based in the European country, reports Reuters.

The agreement between the countries is reportedly for 10 years. Earlier this month, the United States signed similar agreements with Finland and Sweden." MS

Ukrainian attacks reportedly target Russian military base, space center in occupied Crimea

"The Center for Long-Range Space Communications of the Russian Aerospace Forces and a

military unit in the occupied Crimea were attacked overnight on Dec. 19-20, the Russian news outlet Astra reported, citing sources.
The local Telegram channel Crimean Wind, citing its subscribers, reported nighttime explosions in several areas of the peninsula. In particular, near Yevpatoria and Krasnoperekopsk.
There were two attacks on military units around this time, including in the village of Soniachnohirske near Alushta, Astra writes. An FSB border guard was reportedly injured and a satellite communications antenna was damaged." Pravada

U.S. suspected in drone attack on Russian plane in Libya, possible ties to Wagner Group

"Satellite images have confirmed the destruction of a Russian Il-76 transport plane stationed at the Al-Jufra base in Libya. This vast aircraft succumbed to an attack likely initiated by American forces using drones or missiles, with the intention of eliminating members of the Wagner Group. The Pentagon currently refrains from commenting on these reports." MS

6.2-magnitude midnight earthquake hit China's Gansu

"A 6.2-magnitude earthquake jolted China's Gansu-Qinghai border in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. The earthquake claimed the lives of at least 111 people and left more than 230 people injured. Hours after the Gansu-Qinghai border was struck by this midnight horror, videos of the moment when the earthquake hit Gansu as well as those showing people running to save their lives went viral on X formerly known as Twitter." BusinessToday

Sudan army chief al-Burhan faces calls to go after RSF gains

"The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has captured Sudan’s second-largest city, just a

day after the army and its supporters prematurely celebrated repelling an attack.
As army soldiers retreated from Wad Madani – once a hub for hundreds of thousands of displaced people – they left civilians behind. The army has released a rare statement acknowledging that its troops withdrew too quickly and promising an investigation, yet their supporters are calling for accountability.
Countless civilians like Arbab are calling for army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to step down in the hope that a new leader can thwart the RSF’s advances.
Al-Burhan’s subordinates are also furious with the way he is fighting the war, according to sources close to security forces. But experts warn that a change of guard could lead to a power struggle – or vacuum – fracturing the Sudanese army." MS