1. A curious Ukrainian drone that crashed in September, 2024 was widely reported in russian media. Although various folks claimed this wreckage showed the remains of a jet engine, things did not look right. pic.twitter.com/9zJeHNzhcJ
[Meduza] Ukrainian troops occupying part of Russia’s Kursk region have been ordered “to hold the maximum territory until Trump’s inauguration and the start of negotiations,” soldiers in the field told BBC News. “In order to exchange it for something later. No one knows what,” one soldier told the British news outlet.
Soldiers told the BBC that Western allies’ recent decision to allow Kyiv to fire Western-supplied longer-range missiles at targets inside Russia “doesn’t seem to have done much to lift spirits.” The BBC’s sources in Kursk also said they’ve yet to encounter any North Korean soldiers, despite Kyiv’s claims that as many as 10,000 North Korean troops have been sent to reinforce Russia’s counteroffensive in Kursk.
Volodymyr Zelensky said last month that Vladimir Putin hopes to drive out Ukrainian occupation forces by January 20 “to demonstrate that he has the situation under control.” Ukraine launched its surprise incursion into Kursk in August 2024, capturing nearly 1,400 square kilometers (540 square miles) at the offensive’s peak. Russia has since retaken an estimated 40 percent of this territory.
The link point out that this article was sourced from the BBC and has a link to it. It’s always good to know where the information comes from.
Posted by: mossomo ||
12/05/2024 14:47 ||
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Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:14 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky heard reports from Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky and Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Kirill Budanov on the situation at the front and the enemy's immediate intentions. He spoke about this in a video address.
"The report of Commander-in-Chief Syrsky - the front, our steps to strengthen the directions, the delivery of the brigade, the Kursk operation. There was a report from the head of the GUR. Budanov reported on Russia's intentions for the near future and the situation in Syria - how a change in the balance of power in Syria can change global circumstances," the president noted.
21:46 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that he met with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset in Kyiv. They discussed the need to create a special tribunal for the crime of Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
20:27 Russians continue to use the practice of powerful cyberattacks on the Ukrainian energy sector before massive shelling of the energy system. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Energy Roman Andarak, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
18:20 Occupiers attacked the Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk region with drones. An elderly woman was killed, another civilian was wounded. This was reported by the head of the Dnipropetrovsk OVA Serhiy Lysak. According to him, an 88-year-old woman was killed in the shelling. In the Myrivska community, which the enemy also attacked with a drone, a man was wounded. It is noted that the 64-year-old victim received a shrapnel wound and a bruise. He received medical assistance on the spot.
15:50 A unit of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense used drones to destroy camouflaged weapons, shelters, and communications equipment of the Russian occupiers. The corresponding footage was released by the press service of the Main Intelligence Directorate. In the video, the Krylya unit destroys enemy targets using domestically produced Sych strike and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles.
15:28 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured NATO and Kyiv of their readiness to fully utilize all funding for Ukraine, which the US Congress has authorized. He added that during the remaining term of the current administration, the latter intends to further increase security support for Ukraine.
13:45 Russian strikes on substations identified by the IAEA as important for nuclear safety pose a global threat. Ukraine calls an extraordinary meeting of the organization.
"Ukraine is convening an extraordinary meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors on December 12 in response to Russia's attacks on our critical energy infrastructure," said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga.
12:59 In the Kharkiv region, the Russian army hit a civilian with a drone with ammunition. As a result of the enemy hit, a 65-year-old man was injured.
12:39 Russian troops launched another attack on the city of Druzhkovka and the village of Novoiverskoye in the Kramatorsk district. Local enterprises came under fire, resulting in fires in administrative and business buildings.
11:45 Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine General Oleksandr Syrsky held a meeting dedicated to the results of the activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in November 2024. He heard officials in the areas of activity.
The Commander-in-Chief defined specific tasks to stabilize the situation in threatening areas, build up the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in particular, continue to create appropriate reserves.
11:00 Ukraine's request for the delivery of a significant number of air defense systems has been positively received by NATO partners, said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
"As you know, there is no surplus of air defense systems in the world. But (at the meeting on December 3 - ed.) there was a clear agreement at the table that partners will support Ukraine. All those systems that can be provided to Ukraine will be provided," he emphasized.
Rutte did not specify how many new systems and what types can be provided. "We are doing everything possible to ensure that all air defense systems that can be transferred are transferred to Ukraine," the NATO Secretary General said.
10:13 The Security Service detained a female agent of the Russian military intelligence (GRU) in Chernigov. The 16-year-old local resident helped the Russian Federation prepare a new air strike on the region.
In order to "bypass" the Ukrainian air defense, the agent had to identify and transmit to the Russians the coordinates of the anti-aircraft missile systems and radar stations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces defending the border region. To conceal the reconnaissance sorties, the girl ordered a taxi in which she drove around the area and secretly recorded the necessary objects.
9:30 On the night of December 4, the Ukrainian Air Defense Forces destroyed 29 of 50 drones launched by Russia. Enemy drones were shot down in the Kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Chernihiv, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Mykolaiv and Donetsk regions.
8:55 The Ministry of Defense is considering the possibility of introducing a summons tracking function in the Reserve+ application, which will allow tracking all stages of sending paper summonses. This was reported by Deputy Defense Minister Kateryna Chernogorenko.
According to her, the idea to introduce such a service arose due to numerous requests from citizens and companies. Ukrainians want to track the status of their summonses in order to avoid fines or misunderstandings related to their receipt.
8:35 The Russian Navy has deployed four Kalibr carrier ships to combat duty in the Black and Mediterranean Seas with a combined salvo of up to 24 and 41 missiles.
8:20 Over the past 24 hours, 192 combat clashes occurred on the front. 88 attacks by Russian troops were repelled by defenders in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhovsk directions.
In the Kurakhovsk direction, Russian invaders tried to break through Ukrainian defense lines 44 times.
7:45 As of December 4, the total combat losses of Russian troops on Ukrainian territory amounted to approximately 747,370 people (1,670 per day).
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The enemy continues to try to break through the defense of Ukrainian troops.
In total, since the beginning of the day, 119 combat clashes have occurred on the front between Ukrainian defenders and Russian invaders.
The situation at the front remains complicated and tense. The enemy, despite significant losses inflicted on it by our defenders, continues to try to break through the defense of the Ukrainian troops. This was noted in the report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Wednesday, December 4.
In total, 119 military clashes have occurred since the beginning of the day.
The areas of the settlements of Aleksandrovka, Novovasilovka, Mayskoye and Kamen suffered from enemy artillery shelling of Sumy and Chernihiv regions from Russian territory.
In the Kharkov direction today, Russian occupiers stormed the area of Volchansk and Glubokoe five times, our defenders repelled four attacks by the Russians, and another battle continues.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy actively attacked the positions of our units in the areas of Kucherovka, Sinkovka, Petrovpavlovka, Pervomaysky, Zeleny Gai and Lozovaya 12 times.
Today, in the Liman direction, the invading army carried out nine attacks on Ukrainian positions near Grekovka, Druzhelyubovka, Makeyevka, Terny and Zarechnoye.
In the Toretsk direction, the Russians tried to displace our units from their positions in the Toretsk area, where the Defense Forces are repelling four attacks.
Since the beginning of the day, the enemy has already made 29 attempts to push our defenders from their positions in the areas of Mirolyubovka, Promyan, Dachensky, Zhelty, Shevchenko, Pushkin and Novopustynka in the Pokrovsk direction . The defense forces are holding back the onslaught and have repelled 25 enemy attacks so far. The enemy's losses are being clarified. The enemy launched an airstrike on Mirnograd.
Fighting continues near Solntsevka, Berestki, Zarya, Novodmitrovka, Kurakhovoye, Dalniy, Dachny, Romanovka, Elizavetovka and Uspenovka in the Kurakhovo direction.
Four attacks by the invaders are continuing in the Vremivsk direction ; today alone, the enemy has made 10 attempts to advance near Zelenoye Pole, Novodarovka, Konstantinopolskoye and Sukhi Yal.
In the Dnieper direction, the enemy tried three times to drive Ukrainian soldiers from their positions, but without success.
In Kursk region, Ukrainian defenders repelled twelve attacks by invaders, eight clashes are ongoing.
In the Seversky, Kramatorsk, Gulyai-Polye, Orekhov and Pridneprovsky directions, the occupiers continue to fire on the positions of our troops and civilian infrastructure, using the means they have.
Let us recall that from February 24, 2022 to December 4, 2024, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine amounted to approximately 747,370 people.
Let us add that the Russian army tried to break into the city of Kupyansk today , but their assault was repelled.
Linked article is available only through a VPN
[EngMilRu] In Kharkov direction, the Sever Group of Forces hit formations of the 5th Border Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine near Alisovka (Kharkov region).
Russian units repelled two counterattacks of the 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 30 troops, a motor vehicle, a 152mm D-20 gun, and a 122mm D-30 howitzer.
The Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the 63rd, 67th Mechanised brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and 3rd Border Service Detachment near Petropavlovka, Glushkovka, Novoosinovo (Kharkov region), Yampolovka (Donetsk People's Republic) and Novolyubovka (Lugansk People's Republic).
Ten counter-attacks of the 3rd, 14th, 30th, 116th Mechanised brigades of the AFU, 1st National Guard Brigade, and 117th Territorial Defence Brigade were repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 500 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, and a UK-made 155mm FH-70 howitzer. A Zakhist-AF electronic warfare station and two ammunition depots were destroyed.
The Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and hit the 23rd, 28th, 33rd, 37th, 54th, and 157th Mechanised brigades, 10th Mountain Assault Brigade, 81st Airmobile Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Ulakly, Dachnoye, Zvanovka, Pereyezdnoye, Seversk, and Konstantinovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The losses of the enemy amounted to up to 350 troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, a pickup truck, and two U.S.-made 105mm M-119 guns. One ammunition depot was wiped out.
The Tsentr Group of Forces improved the situation along the front line and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the 117th Heavy Mechanised Brigade, 152nd Infantry Brigade of the AFU, 38th Naval Infantry Brigade, 109th, 241st Territorial Defence brigades, 12th Special Operations Brigade, 14th and 15th National Guard brigades close to Shevchenko, Dzerzhinsk, Kalinovo, Shcherbinovka, Mirolyubovka, Pravdovka, Novotroitskoye and Krasnoarmeysk (Donetsk People's Republic).
Nine counter-attacks of the 100th, 151st Mechanised brigades, 59th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 49th, 425th Separate Assault battalions of the AFU, 35th Naval Infantry Brigade, and the Lyut Assault Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine were repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 530 troops, an armoured personnel carrier, four Kozak armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, two 152mm Msta-B howitzers, a 152mm D-20 gun, and two 122mm D-30 howitzers.
The Vostok Group of Forces advanced further into the depth of the enemy's defences and hit formations of the 32nd Mechanised Brigade of the AFU, 113th, 120th, and 125th Territorial Defence brigades close to Konstantinopol, Novoselka, Volnoye Pole, and Dneproenergiya (Donetsk People's Republic).
Two counterattacks of the 23rd and 151st Mechanised brigades were repelled.
The AFU losses amounted to up to 150 troops, a tank, an armoured personnel carrier, two motor vehicles, a 155mm Bogdana self-propelled artillery system, a 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and a 122mm D-30 howitzer. Two electronic warfare stations were destroyed.
The Dnepr Group of Forces engaged personnel and hardware of the 141st Infantry Brigade, 110th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU, and 124th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Novoandreyevka, Kamenskoye (Zaporozhye region), Sadovoye, and Priozernoye (Kherson region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 55 troops, 12 motor vehicles, and an electronic warfare station. Two ammunition and one materiel depots were eliminated.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces struck infrastructure of military airfields, ammunition depots, as well as engaged clusters of enemy manpower and military hardware in 133 areas.
Air defence units shot down 61 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 649 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 37,183 unmanned aerial vehicles, 586 anti-aircraft missile systems, 19,611 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,497 MLRS combat vehicles, 18,960 field artillery guns and mortars, and 28,981 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise an enemy group, which broke into the territory of Kursk region.
The Sever Group of Forces engaged formations of four mechanised brigades, a heavy mechanised brigade, a tank brigade, three air assault brigades as well as two territorial defence brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Viktorovka, Lebedevka, Leonidovo, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Nikolayevo-Daryino, Nikolsky, Novoivanovka, Plyokhovo, Pravda, and Sverdlikovo.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the enemy near Kurilovka, Nizhny Klin, Novaya Sorochina, Sudzha, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye as well as Basovka, Belovody, Veselovka, Vodolagi, Zhuravka, and Miropolye in Sumy region.
Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses amounted to more than 280 troops, Russian units destroyed a tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, an electronic warfare station, and two mortars.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses amounted to more than 37,935 troops, 229 tanks, 165 infantry fighting vehicles, 123 armoured personnel carriers, 1,225 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,082 motor vehicles, 308 artillery guns, 40 MLRS launchers, including 11 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 13 anti-aircraft missile launchers, seven transport-loading vehicles, 71 EW stations, 13 counter-battery warfare radars, four air defence radars, 27 units of engineering and other materiel, including 13 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, six armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 19:47 Drone-drivers-jewelers: a competent drop directly into an open hatch.
Operators of attack UAVs in a forest belt in the Vremeevka direction destroyed an armored personnel carrier of the Ukrainian Armed Forces along with its crew and troops, –video.
18:35 The crew of the Su-34 carried out a strike on a concentration of personnel, armored and automobile military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the border area of the Kursk region, –video.
17:49 You can’t hide from our “birds”.
As a result of a direct hit from an FPV drone of the operators of the North group of forces, an armored personnel carrier BTR-4 of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was destroyed in the Khar'kov region, –video.
16:44 Ukrainian equipment continues to disappear in the Kursk direction.
Objective footage of an FPV drone strike on a Ukrainian Armed Forces tank, –video.
14:54 Airborne artillerymen are destroying enemy on the right bank of the Dnieper.
The 152mm Msta-B artillery crews of the Airborne Forces Guards unit destroyed a self-propelled gun of the Ukrainian Armed Forces along with its crew on the right bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region.
11:30 Footage of FPV drone operators' successful hunt for Ukrainian Armed Forces weapons.
UAV crew of the Northern Fleet naval infantry discovered and destroyed the 122mm 2S1 self-propelled artillery gun "Acacia" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the right bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region.
10:32 The Mi-28NM crew launched an air strike with air-launched missiles against personnel and a stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the border area of the Kursk region, –video.
9:17 Telegram channel "WarGonzo":
Frontline summary as of the morning of 04.12.2024:
- Zaporizhzhya Front. No significant changes in LBS. The battles in the direction are mainly positional in nature. Long-range weapons are actively operating. There are reports of increased activity and range of enemy drones.
- Donetsk Front. Russian troops continue to expand the zone of control in the area of Novy Komar, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying to counterattack and are putting up fierce resistance.
In the area of Sukhi Yal, the Russian Armed Forces have also improved their positions on the approaches to the settlement. It is reported that Russian troops have reached the outskirts of Konstantinopolskoye. There are also tactical successes in the area of the settlement of Starye Terny.
- Chasov Yar direction. Urban fighting continues in Chasov Yar. Also, the Russian Armed Forces continue to try to improve their positions on the flanks, but no serious advances are known at this time.
- Kursk region. No significant changes. Heavy fighting continues in several areas. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are conducting counterattacks, continuing to transfer reserves to this direction.
8:08 We worked quickly and accurately on the revealed targets, –video.
Crews of the 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer of the Zapad group of forces, during the execution of a combat mission, destroyed a camouflaged platoon stronghold with personnel and armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the special operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Kamran Gasanov
[REGNUM] These days, Georgia is going through one of the decisive stages in its modern history. Will the opposition return to power, will Tbilisi again become a satellite of the West and a new anti-Russian front? The answer to these questions is given not only in high offices, but also in the squares, avenues and streets of the Georgian capital. Let's look for it too.
The parliamentary elections became the reason for the destabilization. Even before they were held, the country was periodically shaken by protests against the law on foreign agents and the ban on LGBT propaganda*, but this could not change the government's course. The opposition and its Western curators have placed their bets on winning the elections to the legislative body of the parliamentary republic. Then the laws can be repealed by a simple majority of votes, because the provisions of the new acts are not enshrined in the constitution. It already contains points on orientation towards membership in the EU and NATO, which, by the way, were enshrined by the ruling party "Georgian Dream", so everything is fine with this.
But the plan failed. The Georgian Dream, founded by oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, won the elections. The leaders of the opposition, which consisted of parties united in four blocs, first demanded a recount of the votes, a repeat vote, and then the deputies from the opposition coalition For Changes refused their mandates.
The opposition once again brought people out onto the streets and once again failed. And then the President of Georgia (who is also a resident of France) Salome Zurabishvili, who unites them into a single fist, suggested taking a break. The authorities demanded that Zurabishvili herself, who does not want to give up her post, explain her unsubstantiated accusations and appear in court, but in vain.
A CONVENIENT EXCUSE FOR UNREST
While the opposition sat and thought, the answer came from an unexpected source. Its political enemies, in the person of the re-elected Prime Minister Kobakhidze, themselves gave it the most powerful tool. Angry at the European Parliament, the European Commission and the EU ambassador for constant criticism, the head of the Georgian Cabinet said what is a "red line" in a Westernized country: Georgia refuses to aspire to the European Union until 2028, until Europeans begin to treat official Tbilisi with respect.
At that moment, on November 28, the demonstrators, who were obviously tired of senseless protests and seemed to have resigned themselves to their defeat, got a second wind. Fuel was added to the fire by the statement of the speaker of parliament Shalva Papuashvili that joining the EU would destroy the national economy.
The topic of European integration is a real taboo.
Even despite the increasing spats between the Dream government and the EU in the last year, Brussels’ threats not to grant candidate status, not to start membership talks, or to impose sanctions, Kobakhidze and his predecessor in office, Irakli Garibashvili, repeated the mantra that Georgia is still moving towards the EU, wants to “fix” relations with it, and that Brussels just needs to better study the law on foreign agents and try to understand the logic of the Georgian authorities.
In a word, Tbilisi took the position of eternally justifying itself.
And here Kobakhidze, although he did not renounce the path to the EU, said that such European integration is not needed until his party and government are treated as a government, not a colony. The Prime Minister explained his decision by blackmail from the EU through accession negotiations, demands to cancel a number of laws and Brussels' intention to impose sanctions against the Georgian authorities.
The opposition interpreted the statement in the way it needed, turned everything inside out and mobilized even more people for new mass protests. Moreover, unlike the protests immediately after the elections, the new ones have become anything but peaceful. Protesters throw stones at police officers, shoot fireworks, set fire to the parliament, damage infrastructure, and attack law enforcement officers. More than a hundred police officers were injured and suffered injuries of varying severity.
These are no longer just protests, or even a peaceful revolution, but a full-blown attempt at a coup d'état - as the State Security Service of Georgia has already dubbed them.
A DECISIVE PRIME MINISTER
Despite the terrifying footage of protests in Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi (according to various estimates, up to 200,000 people came out), the "Dream" remains cool, determined and confident. The "dreamers" are not making any concessions, except for the routine statement that Georgia has not abandoned the EU and will continue the process of joining in the future.
Kobakhidze says that by 2028 Georgia will have fulfilled 90% of its obligations under the EU Association Agreement and Free Trade Agreement, and by 2030 it will be ready to join. Comparing the events with the Ukrainian scenario, he recalled that the country has already experienced three attempts at a "Maidan" in four years, and will not allow a fourth either.
The prime minister is partly right.
After all, every protest, every attempt at revolution and every act of sabotage (in the summer, the SGB uncovered an attempt to assassinate Ivanishvili) is an experience. The authorities have trained themselves on previous mass protests.
The current head of the cabinet is showing determination, and the authorities will not make any concessions. There will be no dialogue with the opposition, they will not be allowed on TV channels, and there will be no repeat elections, he said. Kobakhidze also made it clear that he will not allow Zurabishvili to pardon former President Mikheil Saakashvili. Moreover, she will have to leave her residence on December 29, the day of the new president's inauguration, whether she wants it or not.
And on December 2, the police arrested one of the leaders of the "Maidan", Zurab Japaridze. And by releasing him later, the authorities in fact showed flexibility rather than weakness, while simultaneously showing that in the event of provocations, those who call for any kind of unrest will not be exempted from arrest. On December 4, a series of searches and arrests of the leaders and instigators of the unrest also took place.
Along with this, the Dream wants to outlaw the opposition.
Plans have been announced to ban Saakashvili's United National Movement (UNM) party, the For Change and Strong Georgia coalitions, and former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia's party Gakharia for Georgia. These parties have overcome the five percent barrier and, together with Zurabishvili, are the driving force behind the Georgian "Maidan".
The authorities have not revealed any secrets about the UNM: its liquidation was one of the points of the Dream program for the November elections. Kobakhidze said in August that he would do this after receiving a constitutional majority. Now the Dream does not have enough votes for such a decision, but the attempted coup provides additional grounds to ban not only the UNM, but also three other political forces.
FACES OF THE "MAIDAN"
"For Change" is the same UNM, only in profile. The link between the two parties is Nikanor Melia, a native of Saakashvili's party and at one time its leader. In 2019, during the visit of the Russian delegation led by MP Sergei Gavrilov, Melia led rallies against the government and was accused of storming the parliament. For this act, he was stripped of his parliamentary mandate two years later and sent to prison. But the "beacon of democracy" came to the rescue - the European Union posted bail for Melia and he was released after more than two months.
The leaders of Strong Georgia are businessmen Mamuka Khazaradze, head of the largest bank TBC Bank, and his business partner Badri Japaridze, who once built the deep-water port of Anaklia. Even without their participation in the attempted coup, there are enough articles against them: since 2022, they have been accused of fraud. Like Saakashvili, they built their election campaign on anti-Russian slogans, for example, they proposed banning the sale of land to Russian citizens, the entry of cars with Russian license plates, and opposed the restoration of air traffic between the countries.
Another leader of Strong Georgia, the head of the NGO Center for Multiparty Democracy, proposed at the end of November to create an “alternative parliament,” essentially a parallel government. Something similar could be seen in Venezuela in 2019, where Juan Guaido proclaimed himself president of the country. Zurabishvili, who refuses to resign, is already a parallel government.
The alliance of former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia looked slightly more harmless against the background of the three aforementioned blocs. The party "Gakharia - for Georgia" positioned itself as an independent force and even after the elections was in no hurry to participate in the "Maidan". But in its ideology, it was not far from the Russophobic parties: Gakharia also promised to fight the "Russian occupation".
The former prime minister is another hero of the 2019 anti-government rallies sparked by the visit of the Russian delegation, although he was then engaged in dispersing the protesters as the head of the Interior Ministry. For two years after that, he acted as a crisis manager as prime minister, but at some point he resigned, and for the Georgian Dream he is a traitor, so there are even more incentives to ban his party than for others.
DANGEROUS "SOCIAL ACTIVISTS"
Foreign NGOs are participating in the escalation of the revolutionary scenario in conjunction with the opposition – the very same foreign agents against whom the law adopted by the “Dream” is aimed. MP Irakli Kadagishvili pointed out one of the main offices at the summer rallies against this law – the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), linked to the American Democratic Party and founded by the “National Endowment for Democracy” (NED, financed by Congress and aimed at “promoting democracy in developing countries”).
NDI, according to Kadagishvili, advised the opposition on how to conduct an election campaign and allocated money to inform citizens through opposition politicians about the harm of the law on foreign agents.
Other American organizations, such as the McCain Institute and the Marshall Fund, churned out negative reports on the election, positing that the Dream's victory was direct evidence of voter fraud. The reports were signed by former NDI Georgia office chair Laura Thornton.
The fact that 30% of those detained on the streets of Tbilisi are citizens of other countries also indicates active interference from abroad.
Kobakhidze said that it was NGOs that were supplying demonstrators with pyrotechnics and thus provoking violence. NGO leaders “hiding in their offices” would not escape punishment, he threatened.
The protesters' methods are the same as in 2013-2014 in Ukraine. Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, speaking about "Ukrainization", drew attention to the "trained groups" that attacked the police.
KAYA WAGS HER FINGER
The West, as before, is driving a tailwind into the opposition's sails. The EU understands that it is the topic of relations with it that is fueling discontent, and it feels its strength. Two days after the Georgian presidential elections, the foreign ministers of 27 countries will discuss their intervention in the events.
Politico writes that the EU may impose sanctions against the top of the Georgian Dream. EU Ambassador Pavel Gerchinsky is rocking the Maidan from within: before the elections, he called on Georgians to vote for the opposition, and then supported the rallies.
The new head of European diplomacy and Russophobe Kaja Kallas went to Kiev on her first day on the job, supported the rallies in Georgia, calling them "the aspirations of the Georgian people to the EU", and threatened "consequences" for Tbilisi's decision to suspend European integration, although it had previously been frozen by Brussels itself. Kallas is behaving much more brazenly and clumsily than her predecessor Josep Borrell. While the former Estonian prime minister was wagging her finger at the "Dream", the first punitive measures followed from her homeland. Estonia, along with Lithuania and Latvia, banned entry to 13 Georgian officials.
Zurabishvili’s homeland did not disappoint either: the French Foreign Ministry warned against betraying Georgia’s “European aspirations” and demanded respect for “peaceful demonstrations.”
Zurabishvili herself is literally on a direct telephone line with the EU. She recently discussed the situation in the country with Callas, the new head of the European Council Antonio Costa, and the presidents of Poland and Estonia. Zurabishvili is the "Maidan's" channel of communication with the West. Before negotiations with EU leaders, she consulted with opposition parties.
The still-functioning Biden administration is also not shy about interfering in events - the US has stopped its strategic partnership with Georgia.
THE RESOURCES HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED
For now, the authorities and security forces are dealing with the unrest.
The special forces managed to clear the square in front of the parliament, prevent the seizure of state institutions and the blocking of communication lines. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the "revolutionaries" aimed at blocking strategic facilities, train stations and central highways.
The monolithic nature of power also remains.
The Georgian Orthodox Church, which enjoys more popularity in the country than any politician, is on the side of the authorities. The Patriarchate condemned Zurabishvili's call for schoolchildren to take part in rallies.
The Constitutional Court is also not giving in to pressure. Despite Zurabishvili's call to attack the Constitutional Court building in Batumi, her lawsuit demanding that the elections be declared unconstitutional is rejected.
The Prime Minister believes that compared to the three previous attempts at revolution (summer 2022, spring 2023, spring 2024), the current one is already weaker. "It is now clear that many resources have been exhausted over these four years. Accordingly, the fourth wave of the revolution was much weaker than it could have been," Kobakhidze noted.
The security forces, special services and the army, which, thank God, has not yet been involved, remain loyal to the authorities. True, ambassadors and diplomats in the USA, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Georgia, Italy and the Czech Republic have resigned, but this happened under pressure from the "host" countries, and little depends on them.
The biggest threat now is not the mass protests, which have already shown their limits, but escalation.
Back in the summer, the Georgian State Security Service was catching militants from the Georgian Legion (a terrorist organization banned in Russia) who were fighting in Ukraine and preparing an assassination attempt on Ivanishvili. Some of them have already recorded a video threatening to come to the aid of the opposition. If fireworks and stones are replaced with bullets and grenades, and instead of the wounded, they start counting the dead, Georgia may repeat the fate of Ukraine.
RUSSIA BELIEVES IN THE "DREAM"
Russia is closely monitoring the situation and, according to the head of the SVR, Sergei Naryshkin, hopes that a new "color revolution" will fail. The country's president, Vladimir Putin, is surprised by the courage of the "Georgian Dream", but makes it clear that Russia does not interfere in the country's internal affairs.
If for Georgia the current events are a decisive battle for sovereignty, then for Russia they are just another stage in a series of attempts at velvet revolutions along the border perimeter.
Despite the enormous pressure from inside and outside, Kobakhidze is not shy about saying that he is going to maintain pragmatic relations with Russia and restore the country's integrity peacefully, engaging in dialogue with the Abkhazians and Ossetians. If the Georgian Dream survives, one could say that the backbone of the Maidan, at least in Georgia, will be finally broken. And in the post-Soviet space, its impulses will be reduced to a minimum.
Time is now on the side of the current authorities. The less successful the protests are, the more disillusioned the protesters become. The next reasons for a surge in activity will be December 14 and 29 — the dates of the presidential elections and inauguration.
For this position, "Dream" nominated former football player Mikhail Kavelashvili. Zurabishvili and the opposition can easily create a scandal, forcing the police to remove her from her residence by force. If these stages are passed, the "Maidan" will die out.
Donald Trump may also help Georgian Dream. Kobakhidze hopes that relations with the EU, which are directly linked to relations with the United States, will “change significantly” after the inauguration of the new US president.
#2
You can always have a look for yourself. Live feed every day all day of the protest that go all night with the thousands int the streets, until they shut it down, unless a filter blocks it. Take a shot for every foreigner you see, you won't need much.
https://www.youtube.com/@FormulaNews
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Residents of Yakutia witnessed a unique celestial phenomenon on the night of December 4 — asteroid C0WEPC5 fell to Earth. Yakutians are posting videos of its bright arrival en masse on social networks.
The footage shows a luminous point with a fiery tail flying hissingly through the sky, flashing somewhere above the forest, illuminating the space, and instantly disappearing.
All this lasted no more than 5 seconds.
The asteroid flew over Olyokminsk at 01:17 local time (19:17 Moscow time).
As reported by the Regnum news agency, the recording by scientists of the trajectory of the asteroid that fell in Yakutia is a unique case, said professor and member of the Russian Academy of Sciences meteorite committee Viktor Grokhovsky.
The scientist added that the small asteroid did not pose a danger to the planet. But due to the small size of the cosmic body, the chance of finding its remains is very small, explained Viktor Grokhovsky.
The asteroid was spotted by specialists from the American Kitt Peak Observatory on the morning of December 3. At that moment, it was in the constellation Taurus.
The recording by scientists of the trajectory of an asteroid that fell in Yakutia is a unique case. This was stated by professor, member of the RAS meteorite committee Viktor Grokhovsky.
Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences Grokhovsky spoke about the uniqueness of the asteroid that fell in Yakutia
The specialist considers it a great stroke of luck that the asteroid was caught by telescopes, since they observe a very small part of the sky.
"The trajectory and time of the fall were calculated by astronomers later. This is, in general, a success, an achievement," Grokhovsky expressed his opinion to Izvestia.
The scientist added that the small asteroid did not pose a danger to the planet. But due to the small size of the cosmic body, the chance of finding its remains is very small, explained Viktor Grokhovsky.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on December 3, residents of Yakutia saw asteroid C0WEPC5 entering the Earth's atmosphere. Roscosmos claimed that its size varied from 0.5 to 2 m. According to scientists, the object was supposed to fly from east to west, glowing in the sky. Eyewitnesses were advised to use wide-angle lenses to photograph the rare event.
The asteroid was spotted by specialists from the American Kitt Peak Observatory on the morning of December 3. At that moment, it was in the constellation Taurus.
The asteroid passed over the atmosphere. At night, the comet-like tail and flashes were observed by residents of the Olekminsky and Lensky districts.
In January 2024, the fall of an asteroid was observed by residents of Germany. A small celestial body exploded in the sky above Berlin. The meteor's flight could also be seen in Leipzig and Prague.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The nuclear-powered missile submarine Knyaz Pozharsky will be transferred to the Russian Navy in 2025. This was reported by TASS with reference to the head of the All-Russian Movement to Support the Fleet Vladimir Maltsev.
The Russian Navy will receive a Project 955A nuclear missile carrier at a ceremonial handover in June next year, Maltsev said.
This strategic class ship "Borey-A" was built at the largest shipbuilding complex in Russia "Sevmash", which is located in Severodvinsk on the coast of the White Sea.
As previously reported by the Regnum news agency, the nuclear-powered strategic submarine cruiser passed factory sea trials on August 12. This was reported by the general director of the shipbuilding complex, Mikhail Budnichenko.
Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Alexander Moiseyev also stated that the Borey- class nuclear-powered strategic missile submarines will remain in service for another 40 years. He noted that the specified period is a requirement for such weapons.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
