The EU has approved the 12th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, the Head of Diplomacy Josep Borrell confirmed on X.

For the first time in recent history Germany will deploy an entire brigade abroad. It will be based in Lithuania, not far from Russia , said the Minister of Defense of Germany, Boris Pistorius.

It will be formed by 2025. It is expected that the composition will include 4,800 military personnel. The group will have 5 battalions, including tank and artillery. Full combat capability is planned to be achieved by the end of 2027.

Latvia could forcibly expel 1,000 Russians living in the country. This was stated by the director of the Office for Citizenship and Immigration (OCMA), Maira Rose, reports Baltijas balss.

The official stressed that around 15,500 Russian citizens have applied for permanent residence permits and almost 3,000 people have applied for temporary residence permits, "but around 2,200 people do not meet the necessary requirements to continue their stay in the country".

The US Defense Ministry may run out of money to replace weapons sent to Ukraine by December 30, said Pentagon Comptroller Michael McCord - Bloomberg.

In fact, the Pentagon has for the first time indicated an exact date when it will exhaust its aid funds for Ukraine if Congress does not approve new funding.

"The Ministry of Defense is spending the last 1.07 billion dollars on the purchase of new weapons and equipment that will replace those that were removed from stockpiles and sent to Ukraine" said Michael McCord.

Ukrainian General Tarnavskyi: there are ammunition shortages along "entire front line" - Reuters.

General Tarnavskyi told the Reuters news agency that the country lacked artillery shells, particularly for its Soviet-era weapons.

"The volumes we have are not sufficient, given our needs," he said. "So, we're redistributing it. We're re-planning tasks that we had set for ourselves and making them smaller because we need to provide for them".

He said that diminishing foreign military aid was already having an impact on the battlefield, and forcing a change in tactics.

As part of the bilateral defense cooperation agreement between the United States and Finland signed on Monday, the Pentagon gained access to four Finnish air bases, a naval base and a number of other military installations.

Massive Russian cyberattack on Italian civil service.

Russian hacker group Lockbit has claimed responsibility for a major ransomware attack that has hit public bodies in Italy using Westpole's services over the last 10 days, sources said on Monday.

The hackers encrypted databases and made them inaccessible and sent cryptocurrency ransom demands to the provider hosting the services of 1,300 Italian public-administration bodies, the sources said.

These include payroll and electronic invoicing systems.

https://www.ansa.it/english/news/general_news/2023/12/18/massive-russian-cyberattack-on-italian-civil-service_c56ee071-878b-4a8e-9b40-edc46459f98c.html

Bulgaria bans all Russian oil processing by 1 March 2024, three months ahead of schedule.

Bulgaria is ending the exemption from the EU ban on Russian oil imports that the European Commission granted to Sofia in 2022.

— 🇮🇷/🇾🇪 Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Muhammad Baqeri: 'We are providing advisory and intellectual assistance to the Yemeni Army (Ansarullah), and we will stand with the Yemeni people till the end'

@Middle_East_Spectator

🇹🇩🇸🇩 Chad declares four Sudanese diplomats persona non grata

The Chad government on Sunday said it had declared four Sudanese diplomats persona non grata and ordered them to leave within 72 hours following what it called "grave statements" by Sudanese officials accusing it of interfering in the conflict in Sudan.

The diplomats are the first counsellor of the embassy, the defence attache and two consuls.

The decision came after "grave statements that lack any basis," made by top Sudanese officer, General Yassir al-Atta, and repeated by Sudan's foreign minister on local television, the statement, signed by Chad's government spokesman, said.

"The recurrence of such statements by Sudanese authorities with regards to Chad and its government is simply not acceptable, hostile, and masks a hidden agenda," the statement said.

#Chad #Sudan

@africaintel

🇸🇩🇹🇩 Sudan orders three Chad diplomats to leave in "reciprocal" action

Sudan has ordered three diplomats from Chad to leave the country within 72 hours, saying the individuals were "persona non grata".

The move by Sudan follows Chad declaring four Sudanese diplomats at the Sudanese embassy in N'Djamena as unwelcome a day earlier, the agency added.

Chad said its decision was due to what it called "grave statements" by Sudanese officials accusing it of interfering in the conflict in Sudan.

#Sudan #Chad

@africaintel

🇮🇳🪖🇨🇳 Assam Rifles plans operation changes for deployment on LAC, if required 🤔

The latest plans of Assam Rifles signals India’s growing focus towards China and securing the LAC.

There are plans to ensure availability of more than 70% of Assam Rifles soldiers for deployment along the LAC in the next few months in case of an immediate requirement.

Assam Rifles has 46 battalions and a sanctioned strength of more than 65,000 troops. Of these, 20 battalions are involved in guarding the India-Myanmar border and 26 battalions are involved in counter-insurgency roles, including two in J&K

Indian Express report

INDOPACOM Leader: "Very Concerned" About Joint Military Operations Between Russia And China In Indo-Pacific Region. Russian President Vladimir Putin: "We see Western attempts to shift NATO's activities towards Asia, which goes beyond the organization's statutory goals".

Read Article Here: 🡻
https://www.ssj.news/p/indopacom-leader-very-concerned-about

Breaking News: 🡻
https://www.ssj.news

🇰🇷🇰🇵 Troops on South Korean side re-arm at border village amid tensions with North

International troops stationed on the South Korean side of the truce village of Panmunjom on the border with North Korea who had been unarmed can resume carrying guns, the United Nations Command (UNC) said on Tuesday.

The US-led UNC is a multinational military force and oversees affairs in the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas, which remain technically at war.

The decision this month to allow UNC troops to carry guns came after North Korean soldiers of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) had resumed "an armed security posture" in the area, said Colonel Isaac Taylor, the spokesperson for the UNC.

#SouthKorea #NorthKorea

@asianomics

🇰🇵 North Korea says Hwasong-18 ICBM test was response to US hostility

North Korea said on Tuesday it had tested the isolated state's newest ICBM on Monday to gauge the war readiness of its nuclear force against mounting U.S. hostility.

North Korean state media said leader Kim Jong Un watched Monday's launch of the Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile at a site east of the capital, Pyongyang.

Kim said the launch sends "a clear signal to the hostile forces, who have fanned up their reckless military confrontation hysteria" against the North, state news agency KCNA reported.

#NorthKorea

@asianomics

🇵🇭🇨🇳 Philippines president says diplomatic efforts with China heading 'in poor direction'

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said a "paradigm shift" was needed in how his country approaches the South China Sea issue, as diplomatic efforts with Beijing were headed "in a poor direction".

"It's time that the countries that feel that they have an involvement in this situation, we have to come up with a paradigm shift," Marcos said, while reiterating the Philippines wants to avoid violent conflict.

He added his government will continue talking to its partners and come up with a joint position stating their responsibilities as far as the West Philippines Sea is concerned.

#ThePhilippines #China

@asianomics

🇺🇸🇻🇳🇨🇳 US sees no impact on Vietnam ties from Hanoi-Beijing relations

The United States will continue to closely cooperate with Vietnam, a US official said after Hanoi announced last week strengthened ties with China, including on defense and security.

Vietnam's leaders upgraded relations with Beijing during China's President Xi Jinping's visit to Hanoi last week, three months after they had boosted ties with Washington.

"Our relationship with Vietnam is not about any third country. Our close cooperation with our Vietnamese partners across various sectors, including health, education, technology, and trade, will continue for the foreseeable future," said Cameron Thomas-Shah, spokesperson at the US embassy in Hanoi.

#USA #Vietnam #China

@asianomics

🇨🇳🇷🇺 Beijing ready to expand energy cooperation with Russia

Beijing intends to expand energy cooperation with Russia along all stages of production, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui told the Russian state RIA news agency in an interview.

The envoy also said both countries were in active discussions about Russia's planned Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline including about the project's technology, business and mode of cooperation.

Zhang said China hopes to establish a longer-term and more stable mode of cooperation with Russia for substantial progress in the project as soon as possible.

#China #Russia

@asianomics