RT News - December 17th 2022 Late

Ten explosions set buildings and a car on fire in the Russian city of Donetsk, leaving one family wounded, after Ukrainian forces shell residential areas with 'Grad' rockets.

RT sources say American-made drones were used by Ukraine to bomb targets inside Russia, despite Washington claiming it has not supplied any weapons for direct use against the country.

Pres. Putin visited the HQ of forces involved in the operation in Ukraine.

Africa: Ethopia as five million people face starvation remarks coming from Josep Borrell (EU) angers citizens and they accuse the EU for being part of the cause of the deadly conflicts and cause divisions deliberately. Please search back on this channel for more history and background or on RT website.

In Poland, a "gift" was given to the police chief by Ukraine. It "exploded" and left two people with injuries. It came into Poland without any checks.

Many important documents pertaining to the JFK assassination are being withheld from the public, despite the release of 13,000. Pres. Biden says the release of documents would harm defence, intelligence and law enforcement agencies and foreign relations !

China/Japan relations: China calls on Japan to stop hyping up the "Chinese threat" amid new military plans

The latest EU sanctions target RT's parent company by freezing its European assets in the latest attack on media freedom.

Britain's Rishi Sunak may order an audit on aid sent to Ukraine (QS the £2 billion estimate given is way out. We have evidence of at least three times that much and that's without the gifting of money for warships late last year)

In Germany, opposition parties are calling for cessation of sending weapons to Ukraine.

World Cup: Pres Zelensky won't be allowed to make his speech

Germany: everyone seems to have Ukraine fatigue (and everywhere else too, 10 months of fatigue for me)
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Below: 3) Zaporozhye nuclear power plant
1) Russian troops get fresh batch of ‘Penicillin’ – RIA
2) France battling to contain virus on eve of World Cup final
4) Time for Ukraine talks ‘not right now’ – White House
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via RT website 17 Dec, 2022 15:37

1) Russian troops get fresh batch of ‘Penicillin’ – RIA

Named after the antibiotic, the acoustic and infrared hardware can effectively detect Ukrainian artillery, a source told RIA Novosti

Russian troops have received a fresh batch of ‘Penicillin’ advanced reconnaissance systems, RIA Novosti news agency reported on Saturday, citing a source. The hardware is expected to be deployed in Ukraine.

According to RIA, the Russian Defense Ministry “received another batch of the advanced 1B76 Penicillin acoustic and infrared reconnaissance systems,” adding that the device “effectively detects the positions of the Ukrainian artillery and transmits coordinates for their prompt destruction.”

Another source earlier told the agency that Penicillin artillery trackers had proved their worth in the Ukraine conflict, as they are able to target, among other things, NATO-grade artillery.

The reconnaissance system can also detect rocket and air defense systems, and register acoustic and infrared waves. This provides the operator with precise coordinates to pinpoint the adversary’s firing positions. The time needed to locate a single target does not exceed five seconds.

Another major advantage of ‘Penicillin’ is that it does not rely on radio waves, making it immune to electromagnetic warfare and impossible to detect by radio-technical means. The hardware was developed and produced by the R&D enterprise ‘Vektor,’ which is part of the Russian state-owned holding company Ruseletronics.

The new delivery comes as Moscow boosts its efforts to supply its military with all necessary equipment for the Ukraine conflict. On Friday, Andrey Vetluzhskykh, the head of the Trade Union Federation in the Sverdlovsk Region of Russia’s Urals, said defense enterprises had switched to a six-day working week.

Last week, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who now serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, claimed that Russia was “increasing the production of the most powerful weapons and munitions,” including those based on “new principles,” to deter countries which are supporting Ukraine in its fight with Russia.
https://www.rt.com/russia/568427-russia-reconnaissance-penicillin-artillery/
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via RT website 17 Dec, 2022 16:35

2) France battling to contain virus on eve of World Cup final

Several members of the French squad have fallen ill in recent days

France boss Didier Deschamps says his team are taking “as many precautions as possible” to ensure that a virus spreading through the squad doesn’t impact their preparations ahead of Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final against Argentina.

Several players from within the French ranks have come down with the mystery illness, with defensive duo Raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konate unable to take part in training on Friday, along with Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele.

This followed Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano both missing Wednesday’s semifinal win against Morocco due to the illness – with the former confined to his hotel room as a precaution.

France, who are attempting to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup, have reported that players are suffering from a range of symptoms which include fever, stomach issues and headaches.

Players from Brazil had reported similar complaints earlier in the tournament, with Deschamps previously claiming that air conditioning within the various stadiums are providing an ideal environment for a virus to thrive.

“We are trying to take as many precautions as possible, to adapt as necessary and get on with it,” Deschamps said at a press conference on Saturday.

“Obviously it would be better if this wasn’t happening but we are handling it as well as possible with our medical staff.

“We... remain calm and focused. I’ll get some more information later today and think about that tonight and maybe tomorrow. And of course we’re looking forward to being ready for this important game.”

However, recent reports have been positive for France with the entire squad well enough to train on Saturday afternoon ahead of the final – news which will be a boost to Les Bleus given their reduced ranks, with Aurelien Tchouameni and Theo Hernandez having also missed Friday’s session.

France were already ravaged by injuries in advance of the tournament, with the likes of Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Karim Benzema and Christopher Nkunku ruled out before a ball was kicked in Qatar.

Ahead of their bid to lift the famous trophy for a second World Cup in succession, France skipper Hugo Lloris said there was no way to safeguard against sickness hitting the camp and that it is his and his teammates’ job to dismiss issues outside of their control.

“We are never really prepared for this type of thing but we are trying to prepare in the best way possible,” the Tottenham man said.

“We remain focused and of course we’re very excited about playing in a World Cup final.”
https://www.rt.com/sport/568429-football-france-world-cup-illness/

QS - can't find anything out about this virus anywhere
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via RT website 17 Dec, 2022 11:37

Russia building protective dome at world’s largest nuclear plant – senior official

The structure will shield stores of spent radioactive fuel from Ukrainian attacks

Russia is constructing a protective dome over spent radioactive fuel stores at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant as Ukrainian forces continue to target the facility, senior regional official Vladimir Rogov has said.

He took to Telegram on Saturday to post a short video of the work that’s taking place. It showed technicians setting up shields over the tanks that hold spent nuclear fuel.

The dome is designed to protect the storage facilities from shrapnel and improvised explosive devices carried by drones, the official explained, adding that it would be reinforced further at a later period.

Russia’s nuclear energy corporation Rosatom had earlier warned that damage to the spent-fuel containers risks a release of radioactive material into the atmosphere, with unpredictable consequences.

The construction of the dome comes amid continued attacks on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and the nearby town of Energodar, which Moscow blames on Kiev. Russia has repeatedly said that such strikes could result in a nuclear disaster that would eclipse the 1986 Chernobyl incident and affect many countries in Europe.

Ukraine initially claimed that the Russian military had been hitting the plant itself as part of “false-flag” operations to make Kiev look bad. However, Ukrainian general staff eventually admitted to striking the area around the nuclear facility.

The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, which is the largest on the continent, has been under Russian control since February 28. All of the reactors at the facility are currently shut down due to the security situation.

Zaporozhye Region, together with three other former Ukrainian territories – Kherson Region and the People’s Republic of Donetsk and Lugnask – joined Russia in autumn after holding referendums.
https://www.rt.com/russia/568415-zaporozhye-nuclear-dome-ukraine/
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via RT website 16 Dec, 2022 17:52

4) Time for Ukraine talks ‘not right now’ – White House

Washington’s job is to continue supplying Kiev, says National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan

It is not yet time for Ukraine to negotiate with Russia, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan argued in an interview on Friday. His comment came after Henry Kissinger – who held the same post in the early 1970s – said talks should happen sooner rather than later.

“We don’t know where this is going to end up,” Sullivan said of the conflict, speaking at the Carnegie Endowment think tank in Washington. “What we do know is that it’s our job to continue to sustain our military support to Ukraine, so they are in the best possible position on the battlefield, so that if and when the diplomacy is ripe, they will be in the best possible position at the negotiating table.”

“That moment is not right now,” he added.

According to Sullivan, Ukraine has won a series of battles, “repelled the Russian invaders from most of the country,” and is now “fighting to reclaim the remaining land.”

He called it “a remarkable thing” and said the Biden administration is asking Congress for “a substantial amount of further resources” to ensure “Ukraine has the means to fight this war.”

Meanwhile, Americans training Ukrainian troops on the ground have spoken of mounting casualties and Ukraine’s chief of general staff, Valery Zaluzhny, is asking for more tanks, armored vehicles and artillery than most NATO members have in their arsenal, much less to spare.

The US and its allies have supplied Ukraine with tube and rocket artillery, air defense systems, small arms, vehicles and ammunition, allowing Kiev to fight long after its domestic capabilities had been degraded. Russia has condemned the shipments as needlessly prolonging the conflict and increasing casualties, repeatedly warning the West that it risks becoming an open party to the conflict.

Earlier in the day, Sullivan applauded Japan’s new national security strategy, which will see Tokyo embark on massive military expansion citing the “strategic challenge posed by China.” The Japanese constitution – drafted mainly by the US occupation authorities after the Second World War – had renounced war and limited the country to a “self-defense” force.

There was no indication that 46-year-old Sullivan was aware of his predecessor’s essay in The Spectator, in which the 99-year-old Kissinger called for an armistice in Ukraine before the conflict spins out of control. He pointed to the missed US opportunity to negotiate an end to the First World War in 1916, which led to millions more deaths and a far less stable post-war world that eventually collapsed into another global conflict.
https://www.rt.com/news/568398-sullivan-ukraine-talks-russia/
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