Putin said that the situation in the new regions of Russia remains extremely difficultMOSCOW, Dec 20 - RIA Novosti.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the situation in the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions is extremely difficult, security units in the new regions of Russia should do everything to ensure maximum security, respect for the rights and freedoms of citizens.
In addition, the President of Russia at a separate meeting with the acting head of the Luhansk People's Republic Leonid Pasechnik also stressed that the situation in the LPR remains very difficult, the key issue, according to him, remains ensuring the safety of people living there.
The course of the special operation
According to the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued offensive actions in the Donetsk direction, destroying more than 100 Ukrainian military and 6 pieces of equipment during the day. In the Kupyansk and Krasnolimansk directions, Kiev lost 80 people in a day, and in the Krasnolimansk direction, fire damage was inflicted on clusters of enemy manpower and military equipment in the Nevsky LNR area. Three sabotage and reconnaissance groups were destroyed near Chervona Dibrovka and Stelmakhovka LNR. "The enemy's losses in this direction during the day amounted to up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, two armored combat vehicles and three pickups," the ministry said.
In addition, during the day, Russian troops destroyed two radar stations of S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems transferred from the central regions of Ukraine in the area of Ukrainka in the DPR, and a US-made counter-battery warfare station was also destroyed in the area of Konstantinovka. During the day, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation also destroyed the temporary deployment points of units of two Ukrainian mechanized brigades, as well as one sabotage and reconnaissance group (DRG) in the DPR. The Russian military department clarified that during the day the enemy's losses in the South Donetsk direction amounted to up to 70 Ukrainian soldiers killed and wounded, as well as three armored fighting vehicles and two pickups.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, Russian troops have destroyed 347 aircraft, 186 helicopters, 2,689 unmanned aerial vehicles, 398 anti-aircraft missile systems, 7,168 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 931 multiple rocket launchers, 3,693 field artillery and mortar guns, as well as 7674 units of special military vehicles.
Around the special operation
Putin will hold an expanded meeting of the Board of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on December 21, the Kremlin's press service reported. "At the meeting at the National Defense Management Center, the results of the activities of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in 2022 will be summed up, as well as tasks for the next year will be set," the message says. Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, in turn, will make a keynote speech at an expanded meeting of the Board of the Ministry of Defense, will report on the progress of a special military operation. It is noted that the expanded meeting will be attended by the commanders of military districts, types and branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, heads of central military administration bodies and representatives of federal executive authorities. In addition, according to the video, about 15 thousand officials of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will take part in the event.
In an interview with RIA Novosti, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said that the European Union is trying to cover up its involvement in war crimes in Ukraine by initiating the creation of a special tribunal. He noted that Moscow is not surprised by the talks of anti-Russian delegations to the UN, including from among the EU member states, about the creation of an "international tribunal" over Russia. According to Vershinin, such an "absurd plan" will not have any legal force, but will become "legal nonsense". "The creation of such a "tribunal", or rather, a pseudo–tribunal, without the participation of our country and its consent is legal nonsense, we will never recognize its "verdicts" if it does come to them," the diplomat stressed. The Deputy Foreign Minister also added that the anti-Russian resolution of the European Parliament on the recognition of the Russian Federation as a "state sponsor of terrorism" has no legal force, it demonstrates an unprecedented level of hostility of MEPs to Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the state awards ceremony in the Kremlin that Russia admires the steadfastness and bravery of people who stood up for the Motherland and perform military duty during the special operation. He called everyone who is now in the special operation zone a hero, and admitted that he thinks about them every day. Putin also stressed that these people will never be forgotten, and also noted the merits of civilians who helped other people, including the military. According to him, "Russia always overcomes difficulties on its way - there will be no development without it, but today the difficulties are especially difficult, and at the forefront of their solution are Russian soldiers who are in the zone of a special military operation."
The losses of foreign IT companies that left the Russian market after the start of a special military operation amounted to 650 to 700 billion rubles, said the head of the Ministry of Finance Maksut Shadaev during the government hour. After Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24, the domestic IT industry faced a number of challenges. Most of the major Western vendors have left the Russian market. IT giants such as Cisco, SAP, Oracle, IBM, Nokia and Ericsson are among the manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and software that have left the Russian market. Major equipment manufacturers Samsung and Apple also suspended deliveries of their products to Russia in March.
Draft US defense budget for fiscal year 2023
The draft budget for the fiscal year 2023 for $ 1.7 trillion has been submitted to the US Congress for consideration, it assumes the allocation of $ 45 billion to Ukraine, it follows from the text of the document. The project also provides for the allocation of $13.37 billion in economic and budgetary support for the Ukrainian authorities, as well as $2.4 billion for resettlement, support and English lessons for Ukrainian refugees. Nine billion dollars from the project will be allocated for training, equipment, weapons and logistics and intelligence assistance to the Ukrainian military. In addition, the draft budget provides for the allocation of $126.3 million to prepare for a response to possible nuclear and radiation incidents in Ukraine.
At the same time, the US defense budget provides for the allocation of about $ 798 billion for defense spending. Thus, the volume of US defense spending will grow by $ 69 billion compared to 2022, that is, by almost 10%. And the US defense budget also assumes the allocation of $ 11.88 billion to replenish American stocks of equipment transferred to Ukraine, and the allocation of almost $ 7 billion for operations of the European command, assistance in intelligence.
At the same time, the draft US budget for 2023 prohibits the allocation of funds for the Ukrainian nationalist Azov battalion*. In the law on additional allocations to Ukraine for 2022, there was no wording prohibiting the use of allocated funds to support Azov*.
* A terrorist organization banned in Russia
