Category: World

Deputy General Designer of the Mars Design Bureau Mykhailo Shatsky was liquidated in Moscow. He was in charge of modernizing the X-59 cruise missiles to the X-69 level and introducing new UAVs.

Moscow has eliminated Mikhail Shatsky, deputy general designer and head of the software department of the Mars design bureau, who was involved in the modernization of X-59 cruise missiles to the X-69 level and the introduction of new UAVs.

This is reported by UNN with reference to Russian journalist Alexander Nevzorov and its own sources.

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Budanov has long arms. It seems that none of those responsible for the genocide of Ukrainians will die a natural death. Today, the GUR in Moscow eliminated a particularly harmful criminal – Mikhail Shatsky, Deputy General Designer, Head of the Software Department of the Mars Design Bureau. He was engaged in the modernization of X-59 cruise missiles to the X-69 level, introduced new UAVs and is guilty of the deaths of thousands of innocent Ukrainians

– Nevzorov wrote.

The accuracy of Nevzorov's information in this regard was confirmed by UNN sources in the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

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According to the Russian media, Shtsky was involved in the modernization of X-59 cruise missiles to the X-69 level and participated in the development of new models of drones. The X-69 cruise missile, presented at the Army-2022 forum, is a new generation of high-precision weapons capable of hitting a wide range of enemy targets.

Its technology was developed as part of the Tactical Missile Arms Corporation. The Mars Design Bureau, where Shatsky worked, specializes in the development of onboard automatic control and navigation systems for aircraft and spacecraft.

Since December 2017, the bureau has been part of the Rosatom State Corporation. Under Shatsky's leadership, control systems for 11 spacecraft were developed.

Recall

According to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Colonel Kolomeytsev, head of the unmanned aerial vehicle center, was killed in Kolomna . He was involved in the training of “shahed” operators and war crimes against Ukraine.

The Marshal of the Sejm (the speaker of the lower house of the Polish parliament) and presidential candidate from the Poland 2050 party, Szymon Holownia, has said there is a possibility that Polish troops will take part in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine – but only under the auspices of NATO and within its framework.

Source: Rzeczpospolita, as reported by European Pravda

Details: According to Rzeczpospolita, a Polish newspaper, in a comment about French President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative to deploy a peacekeeping mission to Ukraine, Holownia said that Polish troops might take part in such a mission.

Holownia said that "a plan [regarding a mission in Ukraine] is starting to materialise on the horizon" but warned that it was far from being agreed.

"From the Polish perspective, our participation in various military activities in Ukraine could only take place under the auspices of NATO and within the Alliance’s structures," he explained.

Earlier, Rzeczpospolita reported that French President Emmanuel Macron is reportedly considering a potential European peacekeeping mission in Ukraine as a safeguard against renewed Russian aggression. He plans to consult with Poland, which he views as a key ally for such an initiative.

According to the report, discussions on this potential mission will be a central topic during Macron's visit to Warsaw on 12 December.

It is also likely that Macron broached the idea with US President-elect Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their meeting last Saturday in Paris.

It is possible that the peacekeeping mission was also discussed during Macron’s meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on 12 November and, later in the month, during a meeting of representatives of Northern European countries, Baltic States, and Poland.

Other Polish media outlets have also reported on Macron’s upcoming visit to Poland, noting that it was linked to talks with Zelenskyy and Trump last weekend.

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More than 1,500 firefighters are battling the Malibu Canyons Fire, which has covered 6 square miles of territory. More than 10,000 people have been evacuated and 7,500 buildings are under threat.

In California, more than 1,500 firefighters are fighting a fire that has forced more than 10,000 people to evacuate, UNN reports citing The Guardian.

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Firefighters tried to contain a wind-driven fire that forced more than 10,000 people to evacuate the canyons of Malibu, California, despite forecasters' predictions of improving weather conditions.

The fire had covered more than 6 square miles by Wednesday morning. More than 1,500 firefighters were dispatched to extinguish the fire, many of them climbing steep canyons near the flame lines, while others extinguished collapsed stable roofs and charred homes. Officials said seven buildings were destroyed and nine others damaged.

Deep and rugged terrain, as well as strong winds and low humidity, continue to pose challenges for firefighters

– the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement about the incident.

The National Weather Service reported that the strongest Santa Ana winds, dry gusts that sweep from inland areas to the coast, have passed. Forecasters said that all red flag warnings, which indicate high fire danger and Santa Ana wind conditions, have been canceled.

We are much better this morning than we have been in the last 30+ hours

– said Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart at a press conference on Wednesday.

At least 7,500 buildings, mostly houses, were threatened and at least 1,266 people were ordered to evacuate.

Recall

An uncontrolled wildfire burns at least 8,290 hectares near Los Angeles, destroying 132 homes. Due to strong winds, 400 homes are evacuated, and the fire is only 5% contained.

An annual report by the Reporters Without Borders organisation on press freedom says that 54 journalists have been killed worldwide in 2024.

Source: Reporters Without Borders; DW, German international broadcaster and media outlet

Quote: "Around the world, the number of journalists killed for covering conflict zones – in Iraq, Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine and the region affected by the war in Gaza – has reached a five-year high (57.4%)."

Details: The Gaza Strip has been named the most dangerous region, where nearly 30% of the 54 journalists were killed while conducting their duties. Over 145 media workers were killed in total after the 7 October 2023 attack by the radical Islamist group Hamas on Israel, including at least 35 whose deaths were directly linked to their journalistic activities.

According to Reporters Without Borders, at least 13 journalists have been killed in Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Almost half of all imprisoned journalists worldwide are in the prisons of just four countries: China, including Hong Kong (124), Myanmar (61), Israel (41) and Belarus (40). Eight journalists were arrested in 2024 in Russia. Israel has been systematically reporting detentions since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip in 2023: 17 reporters were detained last year.

"Media workers are killed, imprisoned and kidnapped, and too often these brutal crimes go unpunished. We must protect those who inform us. Their courageous work reveals the suffering of people from wars, corruption and abuse of power," Anja Osterhaus, a member of the board of the German branch of Reporters Without Borders, emphasised.

Background: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that the Russians had killed 50 priests and destroyed about 700 churches in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion.

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The U.S. House of Representatives passes the 2025 defense budget without extending the Ukraine lend-lease. The document contains other important provisions regarding Ukraine, including a ban on recognizing the occupied territories.

The National Defense Authorization Act for 2025 (NDAA) approved by the US House of Representatives does not contain a provision to extend the term of the Ukraine Democracy Protection Act, Ukraine's Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova said on Facebook on Monday, UNN reports.

Details

Markarova noted that the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for 2025 (NDAA). The decision was supported by 281 congressmen, while 140 lawmakers (16 Republicans and 124 Democrats) voted against it. The next step is the approval of the NDAA by the US Senate, which is expected next week.

US House of Representatives passes defense funding billDec 12 2024, 01:20 AM • 11648 views

According to the ambassador, the document contains the following main provisions regarding Ukraine:

– Article 1303 extends the ban on the use of any funds for actions that could lead to the recognition of Russia's sovereignty over the occupied regions of Ukraine;

– Article 1534 instructs the Secretary of Defense to explore the possibility of establishing a center of excellence to support the development and improvement of artificial intelligence-based weapon systems. Among the functions of such a center is to facilitate the Pentagon's cooperation with foreign partners, including Ukraine, to identify best practices, guidelines, standards, and benchmarks;

– Section 6411 instructs the Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of the Treasury to submit a report to the Senate and House Committees on Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, Judiciary, Finance, and Appropriations on the financing of acts of international terrorism by the Russian Federation. This report is unclassified, but may contain classified annexes.

"It is worth noting that funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) for fiscal year 2025 was provided in last year's NDAA in the amount of $300 million," the ambassador emphasized.

"It should also be noted that this year's NDAA bill approved by the Senate contained a provision to extend the term of the Ukraine Democracy Assistance Act, and the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States actively advocated for it, but the bill approved by the House of Representatives did not contain such a provision. The consolidated text of the bill does not include this provision. The Embassy continues to work actively to preserve this mechanism, which is, in particular, provided for in the bipartisan and bicameral "Stand with Ukraine Act", Markarova said.

The US says it will provide Ukraine with $20 billion using frozen assets of the Russian FederationDec 10 2024, 06:31 PM • 33586 views

Russia lost another 1,390 soldiers killed and wounded, 28 armoured fighting vehicles, six tanks, and five artillery systems over the past day.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February 2022 and 12 December 2024 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses – ed.]:

• approximately 758,730 (+1,390) military personnel;
• 9,532 (+6) tanks;
• 19,644 (+28) armoured combat vehicles;
• 21,072 (+5) artillery systems;
• 1,253 (+0) multiple-launch rocket systems;
• 1,023 (+0) air defence systems;
• 369 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft;
• 329 (+0) helicopters;
• 20,111 (+0) tactical and strategic UAVs;
• 2,861 (+2) cruise missiles;
• 28 (+0) ships/boats;
• 1 (+0) submarine;
• 31,127 (+54) vehicles and fuel tankers;
• 3,642 (+1) special vehicles and other equipment.

The information is being confirmed.

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Yun Seok-yol said he would not resign voluntarily and was ready to face impeachment proceedings. The president accused the opposition of obstructing the government's work and called the parliament a “monster.

In his address to the country, South Korean President Yun Sook-yol actually refused to resign voluntarily and said he was ready to undergo impeachment or investigation against him. This was reported by the South Korean agency Yonhap, according to UNN.

Details

It is noted that in a televised public address, Yun said that sending troops to the National Assembly during martial law cannot be tantamount to rebellion, while ignoring calls for his resignation.

Yoon said he used his presidential powers to declare martial law “to protect the nation and normalize state affairs” against the opposition that had paralyzed the government, calling it “a sound political judgment.

Regardless of whether I am impeached or investigated, I will honestly oppose it

– said Yoon Seok-yeol.

Yoon accused the opposition of obstructing the government's work by attempting to impeach it and cutting necessary budgets planned for next year, saying it was “performing a crazy sword dance.

The National Assembly, which is dominated by a major opposition party, has turned into a monster that destroys the constitutional order of a free democracy

– said the President of South Korea.

“I will fight with you until the very last moment,” Yoon said, apologizing once again for the inconvenience caused by the short-term imposition of martial law.

Recall

South Korean President Yun Seok-yeol has canceled the martial law imposed on December 3. The decision was made after a request from the National Assembly and a vote by the Cabinet of Ministers.

The organizers of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris made a profit of €26.8 million. Revenues amounted to €4.48 billion with expenses of €4.45 billion, of which 60% of the profit will be used to develop sports in France.

The organizers of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris reported that the Games were held with a surplus of 26.8 million euros, part of which will be spent on the development of sports in France. This was reported by France info, according to UNN.

I am extremely pleased to present these figures as they are positive,

– Tony Estange, President of the Organizing Committee, said at the press presentation of the general budget of the Games.

Details

According to the organizers, the Olympics earned more than €4.480 billion, while spending €4.453 billion on it.

Fabrice Lacroix, the financial director of the organizing committee, said that there is a surplus of 26.8 million euros. It is planned that the French Olympic Committee will receive 20% of this amount, the IOC will receive 20%, and 60% will be spent on the promotion and development of sports in France, leaving €9 million for the National Paralympic Committee.

According to the organizers, the popularity of the Games ensured good financial results. In particular, the success of the opening ceremony on July 26 accelerated ticket sales for both the Olympics and Paralympics.

Revenues from ticket sales reached €1.489 billion. Over 9.5 million tickets were sold for the Olympic Games and over 2.5 million for the Paralympic Games.

Recall

Ukraine finished in 22nd place in the medal standings of the 2024 Olympics, its best result in 12 years. The United States won the medal standings, outpacing China in terms of silver medals.

On 11 December, the Russians hit Sumy Oblast 20 times, with strikes registered in 8 hromadas. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories – ed.]

Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration on Telegram

Quote: "During the day, the Russians attacked Sumy Oblast’s border territories and settlements 20 times. There were 114 strikes recorded. The Khotyn, Myropillia, Bilopillia, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Putivl, Esman and Svesa hromadas were targeted."

Details: In the Velyka Pysarivka hromada, FPV drones damaged non-residential premises.

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