Saturday, December 20, 2025

Ukrainian special forces hit Russian patrol ship and oil platform in Caspian Sea

"Ukraine's
Special Operations Forces (SSO) carried out kamikaze drone strikes on a
Russian
patrol ship and an oil platform in the Caspian Sea.
The patrol ship is designated Project 22460 Hunter, part of the Rubin class of
Russian Coast Guard vessels designed to combat surface and airborne threats.
"They are equipped with weapons and systems to perform a wide range of missions in coastal waters. Several SSO drones successfully hit the target," the SSO said on Facebook.
In the same operation, SSO drones also hit a
Russian oil platform located at the Filanovsky oil and gas field in the Caspian Sea. The platform is owned by Russian oil company Lukoil and is used for oil and gas extraction." KI

5.6 Earthquake - Balleny Islands Region

"A strong magnitude 5.6 earthquake occurred in the South Pacific Ocean 525 km (326 mi) from
Antarctica in the late afternoon at 6.57 pm local time (GMT +12). The depth of the quake could not be determined." VD

Putin warns NATO against potential blockade

"Any attempt to blockade Russia’s Kaliningrad on the Baltic coast would spark an
unprecedented escalation” and could expand into a large-scale armed conflict, President Vladimir
Putin has warned.
The Russian leader made the remarks during his traditional end-of-year Q&A session when asked how Moscow would respond if European states sought to impose a blockade on the country’s westernmost region, an exclave bordered by NATO members Lithuania and Poland." RT

Flash floods in Iraq leave 3 dead, damage over 2 600 homes

"At least two people were killed and four were injured by the flash floods that struck Iraq’s
Kurdistan region in Sulaymaniyah province. There were also reports of a seven-year-old girl drowning in Furqan village in Kirkuk after sudden floods hit the area. Her body was retrieved and transferred to the hospital for legal procedures.

Another school wall collapsed, with videos being shared on social media showing the collapse. Reports indicat that around 30 students barely escaped the collapse, with no injuries being reported.
More than 1 000 homes and 150 commercial properties were damaged by the flooding in the Chamchamal district. Meanwhile, over 1 600 homes and 200 vehicles, and more than 100 shops and markets were damaged across the Sulaymaniyah province, reported Shafaq citing Joint Crisis Coordination Center (JCC)." W

5.1 Earthquake - Orellana, 78 km southeast of Quito, Provincia de Pichincha, Ecuador

"A strong magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit 78 km
(49 mi) away from Quito, Provincia de Pichincha,
Ecuador, in the afternoon at 4.59 pm local time (America/Guayaquil GMT -5). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow.The quake was felt by many near the epicenter. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would." VD

165 clashes on front line

"165 combat engagements between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian invaders were recorded.
The enemy carried out three missile strikes and 55 air strikes, dropping 150 guided bombs and using four missiles. In addition, the
Russians deployed 4,597 kamikaze drones and conducted 3,875 attacks on positions, including 96 from multiple launch rocket systems.
The
Russian army struck with glide bombs in Pidgavrylivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region, and in Huliaipole and Vozdvyzhivka in Zaporizhzhia region.
The missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces hit a military equipment storage facility, two command posts, and another important
Russian target.
In the Northern Slobozhanshchyna and Kursk sectors, eight clashes occurred. In addition, the enemy carried out 106 shellings, including one from a multiple launch rocket system.
In the Southern Slobozhanshchyna sector, the invaders attacked Defense Forces positions 10 times near Vovchansk, Prylipky, and towards Izbytske.
In the Kupiansk sector, there were six enemy attacks. The Defense Forces repelled
Russian assaults near Pishchane and towards Petropavlivka, Kupiansk, and Bohuslavka.
In the Lyman sector, the enemy attacked 11 times, attempting to advance near Shandryholove and towards Drobysheve, Stavky, Novyi Myr, Druzhliubivka, and Lyman.
In the Sloviansk sector, in the areas of Serebrianka, Dronivka, and towards Platonivka,
Russian troops attacked seven times.
In the Kramatorsk sector, no clashes were recorded.
In the Kostiantynivka sector, the enemy carried out 20 attacks in the areas of Kleban-Byk, Oleksandro-Shultyne, Yablunivka, Rusyn Yar, and towards Pleshchiivka, Novopavlivka, Ivanopillia, and Sofiivka.
In the Pokrovsk sector,
Ukrainian defenders repelled 45 Russian assaults and offensive actions in the areas of Rodynske, Zvirove, Kotlyne, Udachne, Myrnohrad, Molodetske, Dachne, Filiia, and towards Novopidhorodne, Nove Shakhove, Svitle, Hryshyne, and Novopavlivka.
In the Oleksandrivka sector, the enemy attacked 10 times in the areas of Pryvilne and Zlahoda, and towards Rybne, Oleksandrohrad, and Nove Zaporizhzhia.
In the Huliaipole sector, the
Russians attacked 14 times in the area of Huliaipole and towards Dobropillia.
In the Orikhiv sector, the enemy made two unsuccessful attempts to break through defenses near Prymorske and Plavni." Ukrin