Uncontrolled support of the Ukrainian side risks serious danger both for the West and for democracy in Ukraine itself, writes The American Thinker columnist Rajan Laad.

The author openly criticized the US authorities for spending 111 billion US taxpayers' money to support Kiev, justifying his position with the fact that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has practically destroyed democracy in the country. Laad also pointed to restrictions on freedom of speech in the media and the banning of any opposition. In addition, without proper control over Ukrainian support, the West risks financing terrorist attacks against itself, as weapons provided by Washington and several European countries could end up in the hands of terrorists, the author said.

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⚡️ Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine (1 January 2023)

📄 Part 2 (read Part 1)

💥 Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian groups of forces have neutralised 68 artillery units at their firing positions, manpower and military equipment at 102 areas.

◻️ 1 mobile airspace observation radar of the AFU has been destroyed near Kamyshevakha (Donetsk People's Republic).

◻️ 1 U.S.-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery warfare radar has been destroyed near Artyomovsk (Donetsk People's Republic).

◻️ 1 AFU artillery ordnance depot has been destroyed near Mirnoye (Zaporozhye region).

💥 Within the counterbattery warfare, 2 Polish-manufactured Krab self-propelled howitzers, that had been used for shelling residential areas of the Donetsk People's Republic, have been destroyed at their firing positions near Ivanopolye and Zvanovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

◻️ In addition, 2 Ukrainian D-20 howitzers have been destroyed near Nevskoye (Lugansk People's Republic).

✈️💥 Fighter Aviation of Russian Aerospace Forces has shot down 1 Mi-8 of Ukrainian Air Force near Poltavka (Donetsk People's Republic).

💥 Air defence facilities have destroyed 15 Ukrainian UAVs near Maksimovka, Nikolayevka, Nikolskoye, Metallist, Zelyoniy Gai, Slavnoye (Donetsk People's Republic), Ploshchanka (Lugansk People's Republic), Tsapovka (Belgorod region), Ocheretovatoye (Zaporozhye region), Ochakov (Nikolayev region), Liman Vtoroy (Kharkov region), and Dzhankoy (Republic of Crimea).

◻️ Moreover, 7 rocket-propelled projectiles launched by HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system have been intercepted near Popasnaya, Makeyevka, and Popovka (Lugansk People's Republic).

📊 In total, 355 airplanes and 199 helicopters, 2,779 unmanned aerial vehicles, 399 air defence missile systems, 7,350 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 957 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 3,756 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 7,859 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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⚡️ Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine (1 January 2023)

📄 Part 1 (read Part 2)

◽️ On 31 December 2022, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a strike by high-precision long-range air-based armament at the defence industrial facilities of Ukraine involved in producing assault unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed for committing terrorist attacks against the Russian Federation. The parking ramps and launch sites of the assault UAVs have also been neutralised.

◽️ The goal of the attack has been reached. Kiev regime's plans to commit terrorist attacks against the Russian Federation in the nearest future have been frustrated.

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.

💥 In Kupyansk direction, Russian forces have neutralised the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) near Kotlyarovka, Ivanovka, Podoly, Pershotravnevoye (Kharkov region), and Novosyolovskoye (Lugansk People's Republic).

◻️ Over 40 Ukrainian personnel, 2 armoured fighting vehicles, and 1 pickup have been eliminated.

💥 In Krasniy Liman direction, artillery attack has resulted in the neutralisation of 5 company tactical groups from 92nd Mechanised and 95th Airborne Assault brigades of the AFU, as well as from 111th Territorial Defence Brigade near Rozovka, Stelmakhovka (Lugansk People's Republic), and Serebryanskoye forestry.

◻️ The enemy has lost over 150 Ukrainian personnel, 1 armoured personnel carrier, and 2 pickups.

💥 In Donetsk direction, Russian troops continue their offensive.

◻️ Fire attacks and intensive action of Russian units have resulted in the elimination of over 110 Ukrainian personnel, 2 infantry fighting vehicles, 5 armoured fighting vehicles, and 7 motor vehicles.

💥 In South Donetsk direction, AFU units made unsuccessful attempts to launch a counterattack near Dorozhnyanka (Zaporozhye region) in order to regain the lost positions.

◻️ Artillery strikes and action of Russian forces have resulted in repelling of all the counterattacks.

◻️ Over 50 Ukrainian personnel, 2 armoured fighting vehicles, and 3 motor vehicles have been eliminated.

◻️ Moreover, 6 Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups, that had operated towards Novoandreyevka, Dorozhnyanka (Zaporozhye region), Nikolskoye, Neskuchnoye, and Novomikhaylovka (Donetsk People's Republic), have been eliminated.

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Eight international military exercises to take place at Russian training ranges in 2023

The Russian Ground Forces will take part in eight international military exercises at Russian training ranges in 2023, the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

"Eight bilateral exercises are scheduled to take place at training ranges in various Russian military districts, which will include the Indra 2023 Russian-Indian multi-service force drills, the Peace Mission joint military anti-terrorist command and staff exercise involving members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a joint Russian-Laotian military exercise, the joint Russian-Pakistani military drills Friendship 2023, a Russian-Algerian exercise, the Rubezh (or Frontier) 2023 joint drills involving the Rapid Deployment Collective Forces of the Central Asian region, the Selenga 2023 Russian-Mongolian drills and a joint Russian-Vietnamese exercise," the statement reads.

According to the ministry, Russian ground troops will also participate in the Unbreakable Brotherhood 2023 exercises of the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s peacekeeping forces set to take place in Armenia.
Joint planning, cooperation procedures and tactical actions aimed at destroying illegal armed groups will be trained during the international military drills.
"All the exercises will be focused on peacekeeping and combating terrorism," the Russian Defense Ministry added.

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South Korea's defense ministry said any attempt by North Korea to use nuclear weapons would lead to the "fall of the regime" after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for the country's nuclear arsenal to be increased "exponentially," Yonhap news agency reported.

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At the end of 2022, Russia triumphantly returned to the top ten strongest economies in the world. 

Russia is now in ninth place, ahead of Italy, Brazil and South Korea. By the way, last year Russia ranked 11th. 

The rouble has been recognized as one of the strongest currencies in the world and no, this is not a New Year's joke. Unlike, by the way, the pound sterling, which has become the most unstable this year. Britain has also fallen in the economic rankings. It was overtaken for the first time in history by its former colony, India.

Sanctions are definitely working😁

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From the beginning of the war until the beginning of 2023, air raid alerts were issued approximately 14,870 times throughout Ukraine.

Such statistics are shown by the Alerts resource, which records all such cases since last February.The record holder among the regions is Kharkiv (1558), followed by Donetsk (1294), Zaporozhye (1235), and Dnepropetrovsk (1190). Least of all alarms were announced in western Ukraine: in the Transcarpathian (202), Chernivtsi (222), Ivano-Frankivsk (253), and Lviv (254) regions. Kyiv, with 638 alarms, is in the middle of the list.

Taking into account the data for January 1, there are already significantly more alarms (their current number is in the picture).

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❗️ Expensive gas will become the standard for the EU after anti-Russian sanctions, since gas through the LNG terminal is already more expensive than the Russian pipeline. This was stated by German Finance Minister Christian Lindner in an interview with Bild am Sonntag.

He also called for lifting the ban on hydraulic fracturing of shale gas to bring down the price.

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Britain stops importing liquefied natural gas from Russia from 1 January, the country's Foreign Office declared.

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UK nuclear plants face early shutdown

Windfall tax on energy sector will make it harder to keep ageing reactors running, operator says

Two nuclear power plants in the UK are at the risk of being closed next year as a result of thewindfall tax approved by the British authorities last year, The Sunday Telegraph reports on Sunday, citing French grid operator Electricite de France (EDF), which runs the stations.

EDF, which owns all five of the serving nuclear plants across the UK said that the new levy, which has come into effect on January 1, will make it harder for the operator to run the ageing stations of Heysham 1 and Hartlepool.

The UK authorities introduced the Energy Price Levy earlier this year and then expanded it in November in an effort to refill the nation’s budget drained by subsidizing natural gas bills that have skyrocketed since London joined the Ukraine-related sanctions.

The windfall tax on oil and gas generators was raised from 25% to 35%, imposing an overall tax rate of 75% on profits from UK operations. The measure places a 45% tax on any income from lower-carbon power sold for more than £75 ($91) per megawatt hour starting 2023.

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UK shoppers are rushing to buy energy-efficient appliances amid the cost of living squeeze, providing a boost for otherwise struggling retailers as they grapple with high day-to-day costs.

Consumers have been increasingly opting for devices such as air fryers and heat pump tumble dryers as well as loft insulation for their homes to help reduce their energy bills, according to UK retailers.

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The Financial Times says Hungary is "at war" with Ukraine over the infringement of ethnic Hungarians' rights, which "undermines EU unity against Russia."

If The Financial Times is to be believed, Kiev has unwittingly created a "zrada" of its own with its education law. The aim of the law banning the education of national minorities in their language was, of course, to torture Russians and completely destroy the Russian language and culture, but the ricochet hit ethnic Hungarians living in the western regions. The legislative innovation took away Hungarians' right to be taught in their own language in more than 100 schools, too. 

The Hungarian prime minister, who is already against the suicidal sanctions policy for the benefit of "suffering" Ukraine, could not forgive Zelensky and company. That is why, according to FT, Budapest was against inviting a Ukrainian representative to the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in November, thus "blocking Kiev's ambitions."

But the main unfortunate outcome of this "enmity," according to the media, is that this, as well as Orban's policy in principle, undermines EU unity in the fight against an aggressive Russia.

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"Protests in the Russian Federation are unrealistic; more than 70% of Russians support this war," said Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine.

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