Clash Report

Ukraine: Happy Soviet Union Collapse Day!

There is just no escape: Ukrainian FPV drones strike Russian troops near Lyman forests.

Zelensky: We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level—with President Trump in the near future. A lot could be decided before the New Year.

Japan Approves Record Defense Budget to Deter China Japan has approved a record defense budget exceeding $58 billion, accelerating missile, drone, and counterstrike capabilities as it moves to deter China and reshape its postwar security posture. READ MORE

North Korea’s Kim Orders Missile Factory Expansion New factories and capacity increases were ordered. Imagery showed about 100 Hwasong-11 missiles in storage. READ MORE

Niger: Two people were killed in an armed attack on a church near Dan Kassari.

Mali: JNIM attacked fuel tanker trucks on the Bamako–Bougouni road, setting several vehicles ablaze.

Trump:

Merry Christmas to all, including the many Sleazebags who loved Jeffrey Epstein, gave him bundles of money, went to his Island, attended his parties, and thought he was the greatest guy on earth, only to “drop him like a dog” when things got too HOT, falsely claimed they had nothing to do with him, didn’t know him, said he was a disgusting person, and then blame, of course, President Donald J. Trump, who was actually the only one who did drop Epstein, and long before it became fashionable to do so.

Nigeria: The government said that cooperation with the United States carried out precision airstrikes against terrorist targets in northwestern Nigeria.

Sudan: Footage shows hundreds of mercenaries from South Sudan fighting alongside UAE-backed RSF and Abdulaziz al-Hilu forces in the Um Adara area of West Kordofan.

U.S. airstrikes hit ISIS-linked militants in northwest Nigeria on Christmas night. Trump announced the strikes, citing attacks on Christians. Over a dozen Tomahawk missiles reportedly struck two camps; militants were killed.

Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro released a handwritten letter confirming he is backing his eldest son, Flavio Bolsonaro, for the 2026 presidential race.

Zelensky's Adviser Mykhailo Podolyak says the UK, France, Germany, and Türkiye are open to sending troops to Ukraine after the war.

NEW: Niger announced a total, indefinite ban on U.S. citizens entering the country after the U.S. added Niger to a full travel ban.

India is massively upgrading roads, tunnels, airstrips, and bases along its Himalayan border after a deadly 2020 clash revealed it couldn’t move troops or supplies fast enough compared with China. The goal isn’t to match China’s infrastructure, but to fix long-standing weaknesses, maintain year-round access to remote posts, and raise the cost of any Chinese incursion. Source: WSJ

Jabaliya, Gaza. Completely destroyed by Israel.

Saudi Arabia has warned that Israel’s actions in Syria are pushing normalization further away. Riyadh told the United States that Israeli intervention undermines Syria’s stability and signals that Israel does not want a unified country. Without a security arrangement that calms Syria, prospects for normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel are expected to recede even further. Source: Kan News

NEW: Senior Israeli officials say Israel may be forced to reconsider its opposition to a Turkish presence in Gaza, as the proposed international force is struggling to attract enough participating countries. According to officials familiar with the discussions, Türkiye is currently the only country clearly willing to take on a significant role, creating a strategic dilemma for Israel, which has long viewed Turkish involvement in Gaza as a red line. Source: Kan News

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi:

In the first days of the war, they sent messages and intermediaries, asking us to negotiate. They were tweeting "unconditional surrender." Under the guidance and wisdom of the Supreme Leader, we chose resistance. We chose martyrdom. By the twelfth day, the Americans sent a message saying the Zionist regime would stop from 4 a.m., and asked us to stop as well. In just ten days, "unconditional surrender" became an "unconditional ceasefire." Why? Because of resistance. Because of standing firm.

Retired Turkish Ambassasdor Uluç Özülker: Netanyahu speaks loudly to show himself as a brave captain, but in reality, he knows he cannot fight against Türkiye. It is all a bluff because there is no equality between the two sides; the Israeli Navy cannot match the Turkish one, and they cannot decide on suicide. If there is a war, this may evolve into a Third World War. Source: gdh