Ukraine’s Air Force strikes 11 enemy clusters

"Ukraine’s Air Force has launched strikes on 11 Russian personnel, ammunition and military equipment clusters in the past 24 hours." Ukrin

"Witnessing Final Chapter Of This Town": Icelandic Volcano Erupts Outside Grindavík

"The latest volcanic eruption to hit southwestern Iceland occurred around 0800 local time on the Reykjanes peninsula after quake swarms shook the region for several days. Lava is pouring out of a fissure, threatening the nearby fishing town of Grindavik.

Icelandic President Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson posted on social media platform X that a new volcanic eruption began in the early morning north of Grindavík.
"The town had already been successfully evacuated overnight and no lives are in danger, although infrastructure may be under threat. No interruptions to flights," the president said." ZH

Taiwan: Ruling party's Lai Ching-te wins presidential elections, tensions with China likely to rise

"China repeatedly denounced Lai as a dangerous separatist and rebuffed his repeated calls for talks. Like former President Tsai Ing-wen, Lai asserted that Taiwan is already independent and needs to make no declaration of independence that could spark a military attack from China." IndiaTV

China military tells US it will 'never compromise' on issue of Taiwan

"Chinese military officials told US counterparts at talks this week that Beijing will "never compromise" on the issue of Taiwan and urged them to stop "provocative actions" in the South China Sea, the defense ministry said." MS

Musk reacts to death of US journalist in Ukrainian prison

"Elon Musk has condemned a lack of action on the part of US officials in the case of an American journalist, Gonzalo Lira, who had been jailed by Kiev and who ultimately died in Ukrainian custody. Authorities there allegedly ignored Lira’s serious health problems for a long time, while he remained behind bars on accusations of justifying Moscow’s military operation against Kiev.

Lira moved to Ukraine and married a local woman in 2010. When long-simmering tensions between Moscow and Kiev turned to military engagement in February 2022, the journalist started actively covering the fighting on social media. He also blamed the development on Kiev and its Western backers, asserting that Ukraine had no chance of winning against Russia.
Lira, who was 55 when he died, had also been criticizing efforts by Western media to portray Ukraine as a “democracy,” pointing to rampant corruption and publishing a list of Zelensky’s opponents who, he claimed, had been “disappeared” by various authorities.
The US State Department confirmed Lira’s death to Russia’s TASS news agency on Friday. He had been in pre-trial detention in Ukraine’s city of Kharkov since May 2023. News website The Grayzone has reported that, since last October, he had severe health problems from pneumonia and a collapsed lung. The Ukrainian authorities only acknowledged the issue on December 22, according to Lira’s own note, cited by the news outlet.
“This is super messed up!” Musk wrote on X (formerly, Twitter) on Saturday, commenting on another post by an entrepreneur and investor, David Sacks, who also slammed US President Joe Biden’s inaction in Lira’s case." RT

Turkey launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, destroying bunkers, shelters and oil facilities

"Turkey carried out a series of airstrikes in neighboring Iraq and Syria on Saturday, according to its defense ministry.

According to the Turkish Defense Ministry, aircraft struck Kurdish militant targets in Metina, Hakurk, Gara and Qandil in northern Iraq. The strikes were in response to an attack on a Turkish military base in Iraq that left nine Turkish soldiers dead. The defense ministry said fighter jets destroyed caves, bunkers, shelters and oil facilities "to eliminate terrorist attacks against our people and security forces ... and to ensure our border security." The targets were affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a banned Kurdish separatist group that maintains bases in northern Iraq." MS

Russians launch missile attack in the morning: air raid lasts almost 3 hours

""There is a threat of missile attack in oblasts where an air-raid warning has been issued! Launches of cruise missiles from Tu-95MS aircraft were detected. (from the Caspian Sea). Proceed to a shelter!" The time for entering Ukrainian airspace is about 06:00-07:00.
At 06:02, the missile threat was extended to Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts.

At 06:21, the air-raid warning was issued in Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad and Khmelnytskyi oblasts. At 06:31, a missile was reportedly moving towards Kryvyi Rih.
At 06:33, the missile threat spread throughout the country. At 06:43, a MiG-31K fighter jet of the Russian Aerospace Forces was spotted taking off from the Savasleyka airfield in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.
At 06:55, the Air Force reported the launch of Kinzhal missiles. They were flying in the direction of Dnipro.
At 06:58, it was reported that cruise missiles were moving across Zhashkiv towards Kyiv.
At 07:00, the military announced the launch of another Kinzhal missile.
At 07:11, the Air Force recorded the movement of Kinzhal missiles towards Kyiv.
At 07:16, missiles were flying towards Kalynivka, Vinnytsia Oblast. At 07:17, a group of cruise missiles were flying towards Rivne! All-clear was given in regard to Kinzhal missiles flying towards the capital.
At 07:18, two more MіG-31K aircraft were recorded taking off from the Savasleyka airfield in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.
At 07:19, the military reported the movement of missiles through Khmelnytskyi Oblast towards Rivne Oblast.
At 07:20, they called for the residents of Myrhorod to take shelter.
At 07:22, a missile was flying through Vinnytsia Oblast to Starokostiantyniv.
At 07:23, residents of Rivne were called to proceed to shelters.
At 07:28, Kinzhal missiles were launched towards Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih.
At 07:29, the Air Force reported launches of Kinzhal missiles towards Kyiv. At 07:35, two missiles in Volyn Oblast changed course towards the north-east.
Residents of Myrhorod were asked to go into shelter.
Cruise missiles were in Volyn, Ternopil and Rivne oblasts.
More Kinzhal missiles were flying from the north.
At 07:40, it was reported that there were high-speed missiles coursing through Chernihiv and Zhytomyr oblasts. In addition, Kinzhal missiles were flying from the north. There was also a missile flying in the direction of Lviv Oblast.
At 8:13, the all-clear was given throughout all of Ukraine, except for the western regions and Donetsk Oblast." Pravada

68 combat engagements

"A total of 68 combat engagements have occurred on the front over the past day. The operational situation is remaining challenging in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Air Force has launched strikes on 21 Russian personnel, ammunition and military equipment clusters, and four surface-to-air missile systems.

Ukrainian missile units hit six enemy personnel, ammunition and military equipment clusters, one command post, one artillery system, two air defense systems, one ammunition depot, and one radar station.
Meanwhile,Russian troops launched two missile strikes and 43 air strikes and opened fire with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) 25 times on Ukrainian positions and settlements.
Following Russian terrorist attacks, casualties among civilians were reported, as well as the damage caused to residential houses and other civil infrastructure.
In the Volyn and Polissia directions, the operational situation remained rather unchanged. No enemy offensive groupings were detected. Certain Belarusian units continue completing tasks within the areas bordering with Ukraine.
In the Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions, Russian invaders are maintaining military presence within the border areas, conducting sabotage activities and shelling border settlements from Russia’s territory. Over 30 settlements were affected by Russian artillery and mortar strikes in the Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions." Ukrin

Putin won't stop at Ukraine, Zelensky says on Baltics tour amid wavering on aid

"Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed for badly needed air-defense systems at the start of a tour of Baltic states Wednesday, warning that Western hesitation on aid for Ukraine was emboldening Russia." France24

Yemen's Houthis Threaten 'High Price' for US, UK Massive Strikes

"The US and Britain have already launched 23 strikes on targets in four Yemeni provinces.

President Biden confirmed US and allied military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, called them a response to a threat to freedom of navigation.
The United States and the United Kingdom will pay a "high price" for their airstrikes, Hussein al-Ezzi, the deputy foreign minister of the movement, said." Sp

Fifty-six combat engagements have occurred on the front in the past 24 hours.

"Fifty-six combat engagements have occurred on the front in the past 24 hours.In the Volyn and Polissia directions, the operational situation remained rather unchanged. No enemy

offensive groupings were detected. Certain Belarusian units continue completing tasks within the areas bordering with Ukraine.
In the Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions, Russian invaders are maintaining military presence within the border areas, conducting sabotage activities and shelling border settlements from Russia’s territory. Over 20 settlements were affected by Russian artillery and mortar strikes in the Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
In the Kupiansk direction, Ukrainian forces repelled two enemy attacks near the Kharkiv region’s Synkivka. About 10 settlements were affected by Russian artillery and mortar strikes.
In the Lyman direction, Ukrainian warriors repelled six enemy attacks near the Luhansk region’s Makiivka and the Donetsk region’s Terny. Over 15 settlements were affected by Russian artillery and mortar strikes.
In the Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian forces repelled one enemy attack near the Donetsk region’s Klishchiivka. Over 10 settlements were affected by Russian artillery and mortar strikes.
In the Avdiivka direction, Ukrainian warriors repelled nine enemy attacks near the Donetsk region’s Stepove, Novobakhmutivka and Avdiivka, and 16 more attacks near Nevelske and Pervomaiske. About 15 settlements were affected by Russian artillery and mortar strikes.
In the Marinka direction, Ukraine’s Defense Forces are holding the enemy back near the Donetsk region’s Heorhiivka, Marinka and Novomykhailivka. Russian artillery and mortar strikes affected Krasnohorivka, Maksymilianivka, Marinka, Novomykhailivka, Kostiantynivka and Heorhiivka.
In the Shakhtarske direction, Russian troops did not conduct offensive (assault) actions. Over 10 settlements were affected by enemy artillery and mortar strikes.
In the Zaporizhzhia direction, Ukrainian forces repelled two enemy attacks to the west of the Zaporizhzhia region’s Verbove. About 20 settlements were affected by Russian artillery and mortar strikes.
In the Kherson direction, Russian occupiers launched artillery strikes on the Kherson region’s Beryslav, Stanislav, and the city of Kherson, and the Mykolaiv region’s Solonchaky. Russians also launched MLRS attacks on the Kherson region’s Tiahynka, Ivanivka, Krynky and Veletenske.
On the left bank of the Dnipro River, Russian occupiers continue attempts to push Ukrainian defenders out of their bridgeheads. The enemy launched three unsuccessful assaults, but Ukrainian warriors continue firmly holding defense and inflicting significant losses on the invaders." Ukrin

Russian S-300 missiles struck a hotel in Kharkiv

"Two Russian S-300 missiles struck a hotel in the centre of northeastern Kharkiv injuring 11 people, including journalists, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov. Several other buildings, including two apartment blocks, were also damaged." AJ

Ecuador violence: 178 prison guards, staff held hostage by gangs

"As the stalemate between security forces and organized crime reached a fever pitch, officials in Ecuador said that the gangsters had seized at least 178 prison guards and personnel.

The SNAI prison administration said that there were riots in numerous lockups, with inmates shooting at personnel of the Ecuadorian military forces. The number was 39 more than the previous day.
The small South American country has descended into crisis after years of extending control by global cartels that utilize its ports to ship cocaine to the United States and Europe." WION

Iran Hijacks Oil Tanker In Gulf Of Oman

"Iranian naval forces, acting under a court order, seized Marshall Islands-flagged tanker "St Nikolas," Bloomberg reports, citing Iran's semi-official Tasnim agency reports. The report said St Nikolas is a "US oil tanker."Turkish Petroleum Refineries Corp. chartered the tanker, which was transporting 140,00 tons of Iraqi SOMO crude. The vessel was en route to Aliaga in western Turkey." ZH

Palestinian Authority Refrains from Displaying U.S. Flag in Blinken Meeting: ‘Zero Respect for America’

"During a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority refrained from displaying an American flag behind the U.S. official in a move that was seen as “humiliating” for the United States." Breitbart