Clash Report

The commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, Denis “WhiteRex” Kapustin, who fought for Ukraine, has been killed. Preliminary reports say he died on the Zaporizhzhia front after an FPV drone strike.

Mali: JNIM claims it has taken control of a Dozo militia headquarters in the Mopti region.

Trump: Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really? Source: New York Post

NEW: Trump said he’s not ready to recognize Somaliland’s independence, despite Netanyahu doing so. Trump told the New York Post he would “study it” and dismissed Somaliland’s offers to join the Abraham Accords or host a U.S. naval base, saying, “Big deal.”

Russia launched new attacks on Ukraine using drones and missiles, targeting multiple regions overnight.

BREAKING: Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an immediate ceasefire, halting weeks of deadly border fighting. The deal takes effect at noon local time, freezes troop positions, bans all hostilities and provocations, and sets up monitoring.

Marco Rubio: The United States is concerned by recent events in southeastern Yemen. We urge restraint and continued diplomacy, with a view to reaching a lasting solution. We are grateful for the diplomatic leadership of our partners, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and remain supportive of all efforts to advance our shared security interests.

The African Union has declared its rejection of “any recognition of Somaliland” in response to Israel’s announcement.

ICE data show that the Trump administration deported nearly 327,000 people between January 2025 and 14 December 2025. Source: The Guardian

Saudi Arabia Foreign Ministry:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's reaffirmation of its full support for the sovereignty of the sister Federal Republic of Somalia and the unity and territorial integrity thereof, and expresses its rejection of the announcement of mutual recognition between the Israeli occupation authorities and the region of Somaliland, considering it to entrench unilateral separatist measures that violate international law.

Russia is likely deploying Oreshik hypersonic ballistic missiles at a former airbase in eastern Belarus, which could enhance Russia’s ability to strike targets across Europe. Source: Reuters

NEW: Somalia says Israel's move to recognize Somaliland is illegal, void, and a direct attack on its sovereignty.

Somalia’s government immediately rejected it as a deliberate attack on Somalia’s sovereignty, an unlawful action, null and void under international law. Mogadishu said Somaliland is an integral, inseparable, and inalienable part of Somalia. Somalia also reaffirmed support for Palestinian statehood and rejected foreign military bases or proxy conflicts.

American economist Jeffrey Sachs on Türkiye breaking NATO’s old weapons hierarchy:

NATO was built on a tech hierarchy. The US and big Europeans made the weapons, everyone else bought them, and power followed technology. Türkiye’s defense industrial rise disrupts that hierarchy. They’re no longer dependent on technology transfers from other NATO members. In some areas, particularly drones, they’re ahead of most NATO allies. When Türkiye launched military operations in Syria… they used domestically-produced equipment.. When European countries restricted arms sales, Türkiye wasn’t constrained. This technological independence enables foreign policy independence. And that makes some NATO allies deeply uncomfortable.

Trump to POLITICO: I think it’s going to go good with Zelensky. I think it’s going to go good with Putin.

Trump to POLITICO: I have Zelensky and I have Bibi coming. They’re all coming. They all come.

Trump on the Russian economy: Their economy is in tough shape, very tough shape. Source: POLITICO

Trump on U.S. airstrikes in Nigeria: They were going to do it earlier. And I said, “nope, let’s give a Christmas present.” They didn’t think that was coming, but we hit them hard. Every camp got decimated. Source: POLITICO

Trump said he expects to speak with Putin “soon, as much as I want.” Source: POLITICO

Trump to POLITICO: Zelensky doesn’t have anything until I approve it. So we’ll see what he’s got.

Russian media published the text of a prayer for Zelensky that was read in Saint Petersburg:

Archangel Michael, Apostles of Christ, and all the saints, protect Volodymyr Zelensky, his team, and all the defenders of Ukraine. I place your home under protection: Kharkiv and its region, Pokrovsk and its district, Sumy and its region, Kyiv and its region, Dnipro and its region, Zaporizhzhia and its region, Kherson and its region, Odesa and its region, the Kursk direction. Your country, Ukraine, I enclose in the circle of my prayers, preserving it from fiery devastation, thievish attacks, and all evil and fear. Amen.