07:48 USA imposes sanctions against Iranians

The USA has placed three Iranians and one Indonesian on the sanctions list because they supplied "Western" parts and components for the manufacture of Iranian drones. This was announced by the US Treasury Department. The sanctions list also includes four Iranian companies, four organizations registered in Malaysia, one company from Hong Kong and one from Indonesia. According to the US Treasury Department, the sanctions are imposed on individuals and organizations associated with the supply of parts manufactured in the US and other countries for the production of drones in Iran. Since the start of the large-scale Russian invasion in 2022, Iranian Shahed drones have become one of the main weapons of Russian airstrikes.

07:08 Lithuania has "huge financial problem" because of German brigade
Contributing to the costs of permanently stationing a German combat brigade in Lithuania is apparently causing considerable problems for the Baltic state. This was reported by the German newspaper "Der Spiegel", which refers to confidential correspondence from the German embassy in Vilnius to the German government. According to the correspondence, infrastructure financing in the next two years alone represents "a huge financial problem" for Lithuania. The military attaché of the German embassy in Lithuania is quoted as saying: "Behind closed doors, Lithuanian government circles are expressing financial concerns in connection with the stationing of a German brigade in Lithuania." The Lithuanians are convinced that they will only have to pay for military infrastructure. They would only contribute "proportionally" to living quarters for Bundeswehr forces, as the facilities for the Germans were "significantly" above the standard for Lithuanian soldiers.

06:33 Czech president expects "new situation" in 2024
Czech President Petr Pavel is pessimistic about the war in Ukraine. He told the Czech portal Seznam Zpravy that he expects "a new situation" next year that could favor Moscow. The former military general cites the 2024 US presidential elections, in which former President Donald Trump could return to power, and the geopolitical deterioration in the Middle East, which could divert Western resources away from Ukraine, as reasons.

06:08 Ukrainian fighter pilots to start training in France soon
France plans to start training Ukrainian fighter jet pilots in early 2024. "The first pilots will arrive in early 2024. After their initial training in France, they will continue their training on fighter jets through training provided by our partners," reads a statement from the Ministry of Defense in Paris. The training program for the Ukrainian military will also be extended to other areas, such as the navy, it continues. The ministry adds that the number of Ukrainian soldiers trained in France will reach 8,000 by the end of 2023.

05:30 Intelligence: Russian troops near Kupjansk suffer from fever after rat bites
The Russian troops in the Kupjansk front area are increasingly suffering from fever caused by rat and mouse bites. This was reported by the Ukrainian secret service HUR on Telegram. Symptoms include severe headaches, high fever, skin rash, low blood pressure, bleeding eyes, nausea, vomiting and severe pain in the lower back. In the early stages, the disease resembles a common flu, they say. Later, the disease affects the kidneys. The command ignores the complaints of its own soldiers and regards them as an attempt to evade the war. As a result, the Russian units are now considerably weakened.

03:47 Heavy blow for Ukraine: US Congress postpones agreement on billions in aid until 2024
The US Congress will not approve any new military aid for Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia, this year. The leaders of the ruling Democrats and the opposition Republicans in the Senate, Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, concede this in a joint statement. According to Schumer and McConnell, the negotiators from Congress and the government will continue to work on outstanding issues in the coming days. The hope is that action can then be taken "swiftly" at the beginning of next year. The failure to reach an agreement on new aid for Ukraine before the end of the year comes as no surprise, but is a symbolic blow for Ukraine.

02:27 Russian airstrikes on Kiev
According to the military, the Ukrainian capital Kiev has been the target of Russian airstrikes for the fifth time this month. "According to preliminary information, there were no casualties and no destruction in the capital," said the head of the Kiev military administration, Serhiy Popko, via Telegram. The Ukrainian air defense destroyed all missiles.

01:25 Putin confiscates shares of Wintershall Dea and OMV
According to a presidential decree, the German company Wintershall Dea and the Austrian company OMV are to formally lose their shares in gas production projects in the Russian Arctic. All activities with Russian involvement, including Wintershall Dea's stake in the Nord Stream gas pipeline and the joint ventures with Gazprom, are to be legally separated by mid-2024, according to a decree signed by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

00:25 Kiev: plans to produce one million drones by 2024
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has announced the production of one million drones next year. "We will produce one million drones next year," said Zelenskyi at his end-of-year press conference in Kiev. In the war against Russia, his country is relying on modern weapons from its own production: "Our soldiers will receive Ukrainian-made drones in their units."

23:25 Selenskyj against a divided Ukraine joining NATO
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejects the idea of Ukraine joining NATO without the Russian-occupied territories. Ukraine would not agree to a divided accession, he said in Kiev. "We have not received such a proposal from any of our partners. I also find it difficult to imagine what that would look like." The strongest security guarantee for Ukraine would be its accession as a whole country. Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has suggested that Ukraine could be accepted into the Western military alliance, even if it does not control its entire territory. This would deter Russia from attacking Ukrainian territory in NATO.

22:03 Hyundai sells its only Russian plant for a symbolic price of 77.74 euros
The South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai Motor announces that it is selling its only Russian plant. The company will sell the plant in St. Petersburg for a symbolic sum of 7,000 rubles (77.74 euros), a Hyundai official told Reuters. The move adds the company to the list of major carmakers leaving Russia following the invasion of Ukraine and a wave of sanctions, including Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Toyota and others. "Hyundai Motor Company approved a plan to sell its entire stake in Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Rus (HMMR LLC) to Art-Finance LLC at a board meeting today," the company said in its statement.

You can read all previous developments here.

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Following the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Iranian Shahed drones have become a significant weapon in Russian airstrikes, raising concerns about potential cyberwar threats and military operations against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky has expressed worry about the situation, calling for international support to counter these threats.
The ongoing Ukraine conflict has sparked discussions about the role of NATO in the region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky has rejected the idea of Ukraine joining NATO without the Russian-occupied territories, citing the importance of unity and sovereignty for the country. However, former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen suggested that a divided accession could deter Russia from attacking Ukrainian territory within NATO.
Amid the ongoing conflict, the USA and its allies continue to impose sanctions against individuals and organizations involved in providing parts or components for the production of drones in Iran. This move is aimed at restricting Iran's ability to support Russian military operations in Ukraine, further escalating the cyberwarfare and potential military operations in the region.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted significant repercussions in global diplomacy, with countries and international organizations condemning the actions and imposing sanctions. For example, the South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai has sold its Russian plant for a symbolic price due to the invasion and subsequent sanctions imposed on Russia. This has further exacerbated tensions between Russia and the international community, with some analysts predicting an increase in cyberwarfare and potential military operations in the future.

Source: www.ntv.de