South Africa responds to US claims of weapons deliveries to Russia

"Reuben Brigety, the US ambassador to South Africa, told the media he is convinced that

Pretoria supplied Moscow with arms and ammunition, which he said were loaded onto a cargo ship in Simon’s Town, South Africa’s main naval base, between December 6 and 8, 2022.

Brigety was apparently referring to the Russian-flagged ship called Lady R. The vessel was docked at the naval base during this period where it delivered and loaded unidentified cargo, triggering speculation and questions from South African politicians. The ship itself was sanctioned by the US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control last May over alleged weapon shipments.

In a statement Ramaphosa hit back, saying Brigety’s allegations “undermine the spirit of cooperation and partnership” between the two countries." RT

Russia's key ally reports attack on troops in border area

"A truck driver targeted Belarusian troops with an explosive device the Defense Ministry in
Minsk has said. The alleged incident took place on the M-5 highway, which connects the capital, Minsk, with the country's border with Ukraine, the ministry said." RT

Trump Gives Perfect Answer When CNN Host Asks If He Wants Ukraine Or Russia To Win War

"During CNN primetime town hall event in New Hampshire, moderator Kaitlan Collins asked
Former President Trump if he wanted Russia or Ukraine to “win” the conflict in Ukraine. Trump responded by saying that he wants peace and for the killing to end immediately.

“I want everybody to stop dying, they’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians,” Trump firmly stated, drawing applause from the crowd." TP

Israeli Killed Outside Tel Aviv As IDF Says Over 800 Rockets Fired From Gaza

"As of mid-evening local time the IDF has recorded 803 rockets and mortars launched over the past 2 days from the Gaza Strip. At least 28 Palestinians have been killed, many of them civilians. The first Israeli citizen has been killed: One person has been killed when a rocket fired from Gaza struck a city near Tel Aviv.." ZH

Ukraine uses chemical weapons

"Ukrainian forces have used chemical weapons, which caused loss of consciousness after
inhalation, during an attack in the Orekhov sector.....The use of substances banned by international conventions appear to be part of the much-anticipated Ukrainian offensive....Western-supplied tanks have been spotted outside of Kharkov, while Ukrainian troops have launched attacks on Russian positions north and south of Artyomovsk, which they call Bakhmut." RT

Drone Attack on Military Object Repelled in Russia's Voronezh Region

"Ukranian unmanned aerial vehicles tried to attack a military facility in Russia's Voronezh
region, following response measures, one deviated from the course and fell and the second one was destroyed." Sputnik

Ukraine to Allies: Please Give us One Per Cent of Your GDP to Fight Russia

"One per cent of Western Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a worthy sacrifice to defeat
Russia says a Ukraine spokesman.

Ukraine very much appreciates the near-$37 billion the United States is already giving in military aid but more — much more, in fact — is needed, a Ukrainian diplomat now working as a full-time procurer of military equipment has said.

Andrij Melnyk, who is becoming well known beyond the borders of Ukraine for his persistent campaigning to push the envelope on military donations to Ukraine and being one of the loudest voices demanding larger numbers of tanks, Western jets, and even warships, made the comments on a German television political show this week, where he said Western nations had to cross their own “red lines” to send more equipment. 

To fight Russia, Ukaine’s allies should “pledge one per cent of their [GDP] to the attacked country”, Germany’s Die Welt reports Melnyk as having suggested." Breitbart

Italy's Meloni To Pull Trigger On Belt & Road Exit In Major Blow To China

"The government of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is readying plans to pull the trigger on a formal exit from China's controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), estimated at having funded $900 billion in infrastructure projects globally. The past weeks have seen increasing reports that Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party has been spearheading a move away from the BRI." ZH

Polish Freight Carriers Block Ukrainian Border Crossing Over Unfair Trade

"In the latest backlash to preferential trade for Ukraine, Polish freight carriers have been
blocking one of the Poland-Ukraine border crossings over the past week. The protesters, who have rejected an offer from the Ukrainian infrastructure ministry to allow Polish drivers to bring EU goods to Ukraine without permits, have demanded the reinstatement of the mutual entry permit program which was suspended when the war in Ukraine broke out. According to the report, several dozen Polish protesters are only allowing five lorries per hour to enter Poland from Ukraine at the crossing in Dorohusk - leaving truck drivers waiting for between six and ten days. Rafał Mekler, regional leader of the far-right Confederation party and the owner of a trucking company protesting in Dorohusk, noted that Kyiv’s decision to suspend the permits shows that “the Ukrainian side interprets as it wishes what it has agreed to”." ZH

Ukraine’s Air Force launches 16 strikes on enemy positions

"Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched 16 strikes on enemy personnel and
military equipment clusters....The enemy continues to concentrate its main efforts on Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka directions. Heavy battles are fought for the cities of Bakhmut and Maryinka." Ukrin

Angry mob surrounds Russian ambassador in Warsaw

"An angry crowd has prevented the Russian ambassador to Poland, Sergey Andreev, from
laying a wreath at a military cemetery in Warsaw on Victory Day." RT

Kremlin responds to Ukraine’s threat to kill Russians around the world

"Threats voiced by Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kirill Budanov have directly
confirmed that Kiev is involved in plotting terrorist attacks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Peskov was responding to a comment by Budanov, who told Yahoo News last week that “we’ve been killing Russians and we will keep killing Russians anywhere on the face of this world until the complete victory of Ukraine.” The intelligence chief made the remarks after being asked if the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) had anything to do with last year’s murder of Darya Dugina, a journalist and daughter of prominent Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin. What Russia calls “terrorism, we call liberation,” he added." RT

Massive drone, missile strikes reported in Ukraine

"According to local authorities and media, blasts were heard overnight in Kiev as well as the
Odessa, Chernigov and Dnepropetrovsk Regions." RT

Ukrainian missiles intercepted over Crimea

"At least two Ukrainian tactical ballistic missiles have been shot down over Russia’s Crimean Peninsula." RT

Prominent Russian Novelist Wounded In Car Bomb Assassination Attempt

"One of Russia's best-known novelists has been targeted in an apparent attempted
assassination near the city of Nizhny Novgorod on Saturday. RIA Novosti is reporting that a native of Ukraine is in custody related to the attack.

Zakhar Prilepin was wounded by a car bomb, which killed his driver. Immediately after the blast he was seriously injured but reportedly conscious, after which a suspect was quickly detained." ZH