"Azerbaijan wants Moscow to admit to an "attack" on a national airliner on Christmas day that left 38 dead after it crashed in Kazakhstan. "The Azerbaijani government demands official recognition, a formal apology, and accountability for those responsible for the attack..."There were 17 survivors, including 14 passengers and three crewmembers. Video taken of the crash indicates that the pilots were relying entirely on the engines to maneuver the aircraft.
Various reports indicate that Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 lost hydraulic controls following an explosion near the rear of the aircraft, indicative of a small surface-to-air missile like those fired by Russia's Pantsir-S air defense system. Survivors heard an explosion and reported shrapnel flying through the Embraer 190AR.
The flight originated in Baku, Azerbaijan, on its way to Grozny in the Russian Federation's Chechnya Republic but was re-routed to Makhachkala, also in Russia, due to fog. However, the plane diverted again just before reaching Makhachkala and headed east across the Caspian Sea toward Kazakhstan in Central Asia.
Before getting to why J2-8243 turned east instead of landing, let me remind you that it's not the war crime; it's the cover-up. Russian air defenses were on heightened alert due to a Ukrainian drone attack, and some Russian air defense soldier with an itchy trigger finger seemed to have made a gruesome mistake." PJMedia
"Three senior officers of the Russian Southern Troop Grouping and five enemy vehicles were eliminated in a precision strike by the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) strike in Zaporizhzhya Oblast." NV
"Ukrainian forces have likely captured a North Korean prisoner of war in what could be the first instance of its kind, a Ukrainian news report has said, as North Korean troops were fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine.
Ukraine's special operations troops reportedly took the soldier during operations in Russia's western frontline region of Kursk." MS
"171 combat clashes between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian invaders.
In the Kharkiv sector, two Russian attacks occurred near Vovchansk and Starytsia.
In the Kupiansk sector, nine attacks by the Russian forces were recorded, with the Ukrainian defenders repelling assaults in the areas of Zapadne, Lozova, Kruhliakivka, Bohuslavka, and Nova Kruhliakivka.With air support, the Russian forces launched 25 attacks in the Lyman sector, attempting to advance near Kopanky, Cherneshchyna, Novoserhiivka, Platonivka, Zelenyi Hai, Druzheliubivka, Makiivka, Terniv, Zarichne, and Torske.
On the Siversk sector, the Russian invaders unsuccessfully tried four times to displace the Ukrainian defenders from their positions near Bilohorivka and Hryhorivka.
In the Kramatorsk sector, four assaults were made in the areas of Chasiv Yar, Stupochky, Bila Hora, and Oleksandro-Shultyne.
The enemy conducted 13 attacks in the Toretsk sector, targeting Dyliivka and Toretsk.
In the Pokrovsk sector, the Ukrainian defenders repelled 42 Russian assaults aimed at the settlements of Vozdvyzhenka, Myroliubivka, Promin, Lysivka, Zelene, Dachenske, Novyi Trud, Pishchane, Pokrovsk, Novoolenivka, Vovkove, Shevchenko, and Novotroitske.
In the Kurakhove sector, 23 Russian assaults were repelled, with the Russian forces focusing their efforts in the areas of Petropavlivka, Slovianka, Andriivka, and Kurakhove.
In the Vremivka sector, the enemy conducted 24 assaults near Yantarne, Vremivka, Kostiantynopil, Novyi Komar, and Kostiantynopilske.
In the Huliaipole sector, the Russian forces did not engage in active actions.
In the Orikhiv sector, the invaders made a failed attempt to push the Ukrainian forces from their positions near Novoandriivka.
In the Prydniprovsk sector, the Russian forces attacked three times but suffered losses and retreated.
In the Kursk sector, the Ukrainian forces repelled 20 Russian attacks, with the enemy launching 424 artillery strikes, including 30 from multiple rocket launchers, and carrying out 24 airstrikes, dropping 34 guided aerial bombs.
No signs of Russian offensive group formations were detected in the Volyn and Polissia sectors.
Along the border with Chernihiv and Sumy regions, Russians have been actively using artillery and aviation against Ukrainian settlements." Ukrin
"Azerbaijani government sources told Euronews on Thursday that a Russian surface-to-air missile hit Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J28243, ultimately causing the plane to crash during an emergency landing attempt in the Kazakhstani city of Aktau shortly thereafter. A Russian SAM was fired at the Embraer ERJ-190 during a drone swarm above Grozny, the capital city of Chechnya, Russia. The SAM detonated near the commercial jet and unleashed a spray formation of shrapnel that damaged the plane's rear fuselage and flight controls." ZH
"As a result of Ukraine's shelling of the town Lgov in Russia's Kursk Region four people have been killed and five have been injured. The operational headquarters of the government of the Kursk Region has been deployed in Lgov after the shelling." Sputnik
"China is creating a group of commercial remote sensing satellites, which will include more than 100 devices, Chinese newspaper China Daily reported.Chinese satellite Internet company PIESAT told the publication that the system, which currently includes 12 satellites, had started operating on Monday, December 23. The system was named Nuwa in honor of the goddess from ancient Chinese mythology.
It is expected that the Nuwa constellation would comprise at least 20 satellites by 2025, with plans to increase their number to 114 in the future.
According to the newspaper, the satellite constellation provides global coverage of the planet, including in the polar and equatorial regions, and can "see" through clouds and rain, thereby providing all-weather continuous Earth sensing with an imaging resolution of up to 1 meter." Sputnik
"Over the past night, air defense systems destroyed 59 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles: 26 drones were shot down over the Belgorod Region, 23 over the Voronezh Region, three drones each over the Kursk, Bryansk and Tambov Regions, and one over the Sea of Azov." Sputnik
"President-elect Donald Trump has yet again ignited the chatter around America buying Greenland, the world's largest island between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans.It is 80 percent covered by an ice sheet and is home to a large US military base. It gained home rule from Denmark in 1979 and has a population of approximately 56,000.
In a recent statement, Trump expressed his desire to see Greenland as part of the US by the end of his second term. He has appointed PayPal co-founder Ken Howery as the US ambassador to Denmark to help advance this initiative.
"For purposes of national security and freedom throughout the world, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity," Trump said. Earlier, in 2019, Trump canceled a visit to Denmark after Copenhagen rejected his offer to buy Greenland.
Following Trump's remarks, Denmark has announced a substantial investment to strengthen Greenland's defenses, including the addition of two elite sled dog teams.
Danish defense minister Troels Lund Poulsen told Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten that Copenhagen plans to spend $1.5 billion on the new defense package." IndiaTimes
"In 1815, Indonesia's Mount Tambora volcano erupted, creating unprecedented hell. The Mount Tambora eruption has since been recorded as the most powerful volcanic eruption ever recorded.The eruption of this Indonesian volcano in the early 1800s had major consequences. A huge plume of tiny solar-reflecting particles was blown high into the atmosphere, cooling the planet. And what followed is known in world history as 'the year without a summer'.
And now a good 200 years later, scientists are warning that such a gigantic eruption might happen again.
This time, however, such an outburst would happen in a vastly changed world, a world that is not only more densely populated. Scientists fear complete climate chaos, marked by successive extreme weather phenomena, and even problems for aviation due to the volcanic eruption spewing sulfur dioxide through the troposphere." MS
"Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SOF) revealed that a notebook belonging to a deceasedNorth Korean soldier, Private Gyeong Hong Jong, contained tactics for shooting down drones and avoiding Ukrainian artillery fire.
The notes described a method using "live bait" to lure drones: one soldier stands still to attract the drone, while others position themselves to shoot it down. The notebook also detailed strategies for avoiding artillery, including dispersing into small groups or hiding in areas already struck." MS
"Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully destroyed 20 drones, while the remaining 11 lost radar contact and failed to hit their targets." NV
"A Russian strike hit the central market in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, injuring eight people." NV
"In a desperate attempt to survive, illegal miners in Stilfontein claim they have resorted toeating human flesh of those who died underground.
The details were contained in a recent letter which was hoisted to the surface on Christmas Eve.
The letter written in broken isiZulu and a mix of isiXosha, claimed that some of the miners have disappeared after they tried to exit using shaft 10 and some are weak and sick.
After the letter, Stilfontein Solidarity Committee working together with the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA), took food supplies including water to the illegal miners." RT
"217 combat engagements have been recorded on the Ukrainian battlefield, with the situation remaining tense in the Pokrovsk, Vremivka, and Kurakhove directions.
Kharkiv axis: the enemy attacked Ukraine’s positions three times in the Vovchansk area.
Kupiansk axis: seven Russian attacks were reported. The Defense Forces repelled the assaults near Dvorichna, Pishchane, Kolisnykivka, and Lozova. The enemy is trying to make use of their numerical superiority.Lyman axis: the enemy attacked 26 times, trying to wedge into Ukraine’s defenses near Novoiehorivka, Kopanky, Zelenyi Hai, Makiivka, Terny, Yampolivka, Serebrianka Forest, and toward Druzheliubivka.
Siversk axis: the enemy ran two offensive missions in the area of Bilohorivka.
Kramatorsk axis: the invaders attacked 11 times in the areas of Stupochky, Chasiv Yar, and Bila Hora.
Toretsk axis: the enemy launched 13 attacks near Toretsk, Diliyivka, and Shcherbynivka.
Pokrovsk axis: Ukrainian defenders held back 57 assaults toward Zelene Pole, Vozdvyzhenka, Myroliubivka, Promin, Lysivka, Dachenske, Pokrovsk, Novyi Trud, Zelene, and Novotroitske. The enemy continues amassing forces for further attacks.
Kurakhove axis: the Defense Forces repelled 31 attacks. Individual positions of Ukraine’s Defense Forces were destroyed as a result of assaults and fire pressure. The occupiers most actively tried to advance in the areas of Petropavlivka, Slovianka, Yasenove, Kurakhivka, Andriivka, and Dachne.
Vremivka axis: the enemy launched 35 assaults on Ukrainian positions in the areas of Kostiantynopolske, Yantarne, Kostiantynopil, Rozlyv, Velyka Novosilka, Novosilka, Blahodatne, and Vremivka.
Huliaipole axis: in the area Bilohiria, the enemy once tried to break through the Ukrainian defense lines.
Orikhiv axis: the occupation troops twice stormed the positions of Ukraine’s Defense Forces in the area of Novodanylivka.
Prydniprovia axis: the Defense Forces are trying to prevent the enemy from advancing deep into Ukrainian territory, having successfully repelled three offensive attempts.
Volyn and Polissia axes: no signs of enemy offensive groupings being formed have been spotted.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces continue their raid in Russia’s Kursk region. Over the past 24 hours, the Russians have launched 440 strikes in the direction. Ukrainian defenders have repelled 26 assaults while another battle is in progress." Ukrin
