Clash Report

NOW: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with the Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in Ankara.

Mali: JNIM claims it targeted a vehicle belonging to the Malian army and the Russian Africa Corps near Bougouni in the south this morning.

Former Afghan police chief Ikramuddin Saree was shot dead in central Tehran, Iran. He was ambushed by unknown gunmen. Two companions were with him: Mohammad Amin Almas (former Afghan army commander) was killed, and one other was wounded. Saree previously served as police chief in Takhar and Baghlan, fled Afghanistan in 2021, and was a vocal critic of the Taliban while in exile in Iran.

Advisor to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa: The options with the Syrian Democratic Forces have run out. The SDF must bear responsibility for not implementing what was agreed upon. Source: Al Arabiya

Ukraine says it struck the Novoshakhtinsk oil products refinery in Russia’s Rostov region using air-launched Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Multiple explosions were recorded; the target was hit. The refinery supplies diesel and aviation fuel to Russian forces and has storage capacity over 210,000 m³.

Sudan: The army reportedly carried out an airstrike on a weapons and ammunition depot belonging to UAE-backed RSF militias in the Nyala area of South Darfur.

Türkiye Foil ISIS Plot in Istanbul, Detain 115 Suspects Prosecutors said the suspects were planning attacks during Christmas and New Year celebrations. READ MORE

Syria, SDF Near U.S.-Backed Military Deal Washington and European states are pushing Damascus and the SDF to sign before Dec. 31. Key gaps include troop deployments, decision-making power, and ministry control. READ MORE

Kremlin: The peace plan delivered by Dmitriev after the meeting in Miami is being analyzed; further steps will depend on Putin’s decisions.

Five Killed in Suspected Mosque Bombing in Nigeria’s Borno A suspected suicide bombing at a mosque in Maiduguri, Nigeria’s Borno state, killed at least five people and wounded dozens during evening prayers. READ MORE

NEW: Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) says it carried out long-range drone strikes on two major Russian energy targets on Christmas Day. Targets hit: Orenburg Gas Processing Plant – the world’s largest gas chemical complex, run by Gazprom. Temryuk Seaport – two oil storage tanks burned, affecting ~2,000 m².

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi:

It appears that a new conspiracy is underway, and the enemy is seeking to push economic conditions to a point where, in their view, public dissatisfaction increases and the system and government face internal problems. They will take this wish to their graves as well—just as during the 12-day war, when, through the use of domestically produced missiles, the resistance of the armed forces, and the efforts of all the people and the government, we were able to get through that crisis.

Nigeria: Authorities deployed more than 1,000 police officers across Borno state on Thursday to protect places of worship after recent attacks and abductions.

Unknown Chinese containership carrying containerized rotating AESA radar, VLS cells, CIWS, and rocket/decoy launchers.

Syria Arrests Top ISIS Figure Syrian security forces announced the arrest of Taha al-Zoubi, ISIS’s alleged “wali” for Damascus, in Maadamiya near the capital. READ MORE

Israel to Close Army Radio Netanyahu government says an IDF-run news station undermines military neutrality. Galei Tzahal, founded in 1950, is set to close by March 1, 2026. READ MORE

Kim Jong-un Inspects Nuclear-Powered Missile Submarine North Korea says Kim inspected an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine. KCNA also referenced “new secret underwater weapon” R&D and missile-defense test. READ MORE

In a June 2001 meeting with President George W. Bush, Vladimir Putin raised the idea that Russia could eventually join North Atlantic Treaty Organization, according to a memorandum of conversation. Putin said Russia “feels left out” by NATO enlargement and noted that the Soviet Union had applied to join the alliance in 1954. He argued that the reasons for rejection no longer applied and suggested that “perhaps Russia could be an ally,” adding that Russia was “European and multi-ethnic, like the United States.”

Speaking during a private 2001 meeting with President George W. Bush, Vladimir Putin described the collapse of the Soviet Union as a voluntary process that left Russia weakened and exposed.

“What really happened?” Putin asked, saying that Soviet “good will changed the world” and that Russia “gave up thousands of square kilometers of territory, voluntarily — unheard of.” He pointed to Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus as lands relinquished by party leaders.

Vladimir Putin delivers a stark warning to George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice in a now declassified transcripts of a 2008 meeting: bringing Ukraine into NATO would guarantee long-term confrontation with Russia. Putin is explicit:

“Accession to NATO of a country like Ukraine will create… a field of conflict… long-term confrontation.”

He questions Ukraine’s statehood and cohesion:

“Ukraine is a very complex state… an artificial country created back in Soviet times.”

On internal division and public opinion:

“NATO is perceived by a large part of the Ukrainian population as a hostile organization.” “Seventy percent of the population is against NATO.”

On security risks for Russia:

“This creates the threat of military bases and new military systems being deployed in the proximity of Russia.”

And on legitimacy:

“We should wait until a majority of the population is in favor, then let them accede — not vice versa.”