War Reports - 2025-01-18 - Main Report

❗️🌍🎞 The escalation of the situation in the Middle East: highlights of the week January 10-16, 2024

▪️Yemeni Houthis launched several UAVs at various targets inside Israel. The claimed targets were in Tel Aviv and the vicinity of Eilat. During one of the attacks on several settlements southwest of Jerusalem, large parts of a rocket fell after being intercepted by air defense, injuring 15 people.

▪️The Ansarallah reported several missile and UAV strikes on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier during the week. As usual, there is no evidence of the attack being successful. The US and British air forces retaliated with a series of strikes on Yemeni territory, with the Israeli Air Force also taking part in the attack.

▪️Militants of the new Syrian authorities continue to search for alleged collaborators of the “former regime”. A search team was ambushed in the Jableh area and several fighters were detained by the Syrian resistance.

▪️However, this did not end well. Several local representatives, including in Qardaha, condemned the resistance's actions. Later, one of the resistance leaders, Bassam Nasser al-Din, blew himself up with a grenade during an attempted arrest by HTS militants.

▪️The SNA militants, with little support from Turkey so far, have not abandoned their attempts to advance in the Euphrates region. However, no serious actions have been reported so far, with the Turkish Air Force providing more or less performative support.

▪️Turkish aviation operates locally, striking SDF facilities in Ain al-Arab and at the Tishrin Dam. In one such strike, civilians who had semi-voluntarily traveled to the dam to hold rallies were injured.

▪️In southern Syria, Israeli troops are carrying out their traditional search operations. The Israelis detained French journalist Sylvain Mercadier and Syrian lawyer Muhammad Fayyad in Quneitra.

▪️The activity of IS insurgents is increasing in the desert regions of the country. Most attacks continue to be reported in the Kurdish-controlled zone. Six people were killed in a militant attack at the Kurdish checkpoint at Al-Kasra in Deir ez-Zor province.

#video #map #Yemen #Syria #Iraq

@rybar

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Fwd from @dva_majors

Morning Summary on January 17, 2025

▪️ In Kursk Region, the enemy has redeployed several detachments of former prisoners from the 225th Separate Battalion to this direction, committing them to battle. This did not lead to success, the enemy's manpower was destroyed by drone strikes and artillery. Battles are ongoing near Makhnovka, Pohrebky, Cherkaska Porechna, as well as in the forest belts of Sudzha District.

▪️ In the Volchansk direction of Kharkiv Region, according to the "North" grouping of forces, the enemy stubbornly redeploys assault groups, formed including from former air defense and aviation technicians, which they immediately try to transfer to the northern bank of the Volchya River. Over the past day, the enemy made three such counterattacks, which were thwarted by UAV operators. In general, the implementation of the plan to create a "buffer zone" near the Belgorod Region has not succeeded, which is associated with the unsuccessful choice of entry points into the Kharkiv Region by the grouping's command at the beginning of the operation. For months of fighting, there has been almost no progress in this section of the front, heavy battles are ongoing.

▪️ In Belgorod Region, the Plotvianka farmstead in Volokonovsky District was attacked by two drones. In the village of Arkhangelskoye in Shebekino District, a warehouse of an agricultural enterprise caught fire as a result of a UAV attack. Novaya Tavolzhanka was shelled. In Krasnoyaruzhsky District, the village of Repyakhovka was attacked by an FPV drone. In the village of Belovskoye in Belgorod District, a car ran over an explosive device, injuring a man as a result of the explosion. During the day, our air defense system was activated over Belgorod and Belgorod District - air targets were shot down, one civilian was injured.

▪️ In the Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) direction, southwest of the city, the Russian Armed Forces managed to consolidate in the area of Udachnoye and Kotlino. Heavy battles are ongoing near Zverevo in order to advance towards Pokrovsk.

▪️ South of Kurakhovo, our troops are advancing west in the "pocket" along the Sukhie Yaly River. Northeast of Konstantinopolskoye, there is also an advance of Russian units from the settlement of Shevchenko. In the area of Konstantinopolskoye, strikes with FAB bombs were delivered on the bridge. (https://t.me/dva_majors/62591)

▪️ Near Velyka (Bolshaya) Novoselka, our assault units entered the southern outskirts of Vremivka. These two settlements remain the last ones that the AFU are holding in this direction.

▪️ In the Orikhiv direction of the Zaporizhia front, an intensification of strikes by the Russian Armed Forces is recorded in the area of Mala Tokmachka and Novodanylivka, where the enemy had previously concentrated its reserves.

▪️ In Horlivka (DPR), as a result of the drop of a UAV from the AFU on a passenger car, a woman born in 1964 and men born in 1958 and 1952 were injured.

Summary compiled by: Two Majors (https://t.me/dva_majors/) Original msg (https://t.me/dva_majors/62598)

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🇺🇸 The Senate confirmation hearings for various positions in the Donald Trump administration are revealing new intriguing details about the real political course of the United States towards Russia for the next 4 years.

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Yesterday, for example, Scott Bessent, the nominee for US Treasury Secretary, testified. When asked if he was ready to support increased sanctions against Russian oil companies, he answered positively. Moreover, Bessent demonstrated a willingness to review and refine the existing restrictive measures, which he believes are insufficient.

▪️At the same time, Bessent hinted that sanctions would become a tool of blackmail if Moscow refuses to hold peace talks with Ukraine or if Washington's diplomatic efforts are thwarted by the Russian side.

▪️He stressed that resolving the conflict in Ukraine is a priority for the Trump administration, adding that the US Treasury Department is ready to use all available tools to achieve this goal.

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Thus, the contours of Trump's "peace through strength" strategy are beginning to emerge. And if earlier the politician had threatened to simply "flood Ukraine with weapons" in case Russia refused to negotiate, now it is clear that the complex of anti-Russian measures will be comprehensive, including economic actions as well.

#USA

@rybar together with @usaperiodical

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Statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian after signing a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement

🔻Key statements by Putin:

▪️The new Russia-Iran agreement sets ambitious goals, it is a breakthrough document.

▪️Russia and Iran's relations are built on the principles of equality, respect and mutual assistance. Russia and Iran's positions on most foreign policy issues coincide.

▪️The most important area of Russian-Iranian cooperation is energy. At the moment, the flagship joint project on construction of two new units of the Bushehr NPP in Iran by Rosatom is progressing.

▪️The gas pipeline project from Russia to Iran is in the works: for now, the Russian side is considering a small volume of supplies - up to 2 billion cubic meters per year, but in the future, supplies could increase to 55 billion.

▪️Russia remains committed to a comprehensive settlement in Syria and is ready to continue supporting the Syrian people. But Syrians themselves should determine Syria's future.

▪️Russia calls for not weakening efforts for a full settlement in Palestine, which involves the creation of an independent state.

▪️In 2024, the share of transactions in Russian rubles and Iranian rials exceeded 95% of all bilateral trade operations.

🔻Key statements by Pezeshkian:

▪️The agreement signed with Russia will open a new major chapter in bilateral relations. And its implementation will make a significant contribution to strengthening Iran's energy security.

▪️Iran stands for resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

▪️Russia and Iran agreed that it is necessary to refrain from actions similar to Israeli air strikes on Lebanon and Syria.

#Iran #Russia

@rybar (https://t.me/rybar)

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