TYB
Putin wishes Trump merry Christmas – Kremlin
26 Dec, 2025 00:45
Russian President Vladimir Putin has wished merry Christmas to his US counterpart, Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has revealed.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Peskov said that Putin had already sent a telegram with greetings to Trump, adding that “there is no indication that a phone conversation between the two leaders is planned for today.”
Under the Trump administration, relations between Russia and the US have been notably warmer than during the tenure of former President Joe Biden.
Putin and Trump have been engaged in active talks over settling the Ukraine conflict and reinvigorating bilateral relations, holding a high-stakes summit in Alaska in August aimed at ending hostilities between Moscow and Kiev, though the talks failed to produce a breakthrough.
In June, Putin also called Trump on his 79th birthday, with the two discussing Iran and the Middle East during a 50-minute conversation. The leaders also held a phone call on October 16, during which Putin congratulated Trump on helping mediate the peace agreement in Gaza.
Last year, several weeks before Trump’s inauguration, Putin refrained from sending any Christmas greeting to most Western leaders as well as the US President, explaining that America has positioned as an “unfriendly” country towards Russia.
https://www.rt.com/russia/630031-putin-wishes-trump-merry-christmas/
Young Russian woman busted in Kiev-ordered bomb plot – FSB
26 Dec, 2025 08:50
An 18-year-old Russian woman has been caught planting an improvised explosive device on a car in the city of Stavropol on orders from Ukrainian special services, the Federal Security Service (FSB) reported Friday.
The agency said the woman was coerced through a phone scam that convinced her she was under criminal investigation and could receive leniency by performing what the Russian authorities consider an attempted terrorist attack.
The Ukrainian handler arranged the delivery of an IED with an explosive power equivalent to 400 grams of TNT, the FSB said. The suspect was instructed to place it under a vehicle at the parking lot of a military base in southern Russia. The woman is a resident of the neighboring Krasnodar Region.
The agency released footage of the arrest and an interview with the suspect, in which she expressed regret.
Earlier this week, the FSB reported thwarting two separate Ukrainian terrorist plots in Kaluga and Tyumen regions. In both cases, male suspects were killed in firefights during arrest attempts, according to the law enforcement service.
Moscow has accused Kiev of escalating terrorist activities on Russian soil as its frontline forces face setbacks. The Russian authorities say scams are routinely used by Ukrainian intelligence to pressure citizens into committing crimes.
https://www.rt.com/russia/630039-fsb-young-woman-terrorism/
https://www.rt.com/news/629936-news-west-wants-you-to-forget/
Gaza, Nord Stream and Kiev’s golden toilets: Top stories of 2025 the West wants you to forget
24 Dec, 2025 19:27
2025 has yielded some extraordinary own goals that have exposed the posturing of Western politicians and left the EU isolated, irrelevant, and alone, pursuing policies contrary to self-interest.
Unwelcome stories often cling to reality, like an alien to John Hurt’s face. And just as the notorious species did to humans, so too could these unwelcome stories eventually impregnate, and burst from the belly of the narrative beast.
Nord Stream and the Polish-German standoff over Ukrainians nobody wants to interrogate
New Europe bullhorn Poland is trying to shut down any investigation into the greatest destruction of national infrastructure on the European continent since WW2. Germany – a victim of the Nord Stream blasts celebrated by Polish Foreign Minister ‘Osama bin’ Sikorski – is seeking extraditions.
Warsaw has refused to investigate or extradite any of the alleged Ukrainian divers who supposedly rented a little yacht and went off to blow up giant undersea pipelines at 250 feet, and who have been fingered by Berlin.
Italy, on the other hand, has extradited a Ukrainian military officer to Germany. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (a former president of the European Council) has insisted, however, that “the case is closed.”
“Who blew up Nord Stream?” is a question nobody in the West wants answered.
NATO-Israeli arms corruption scandal
Who would have thought that there’s a cozy consulting gray-area where former NATO staff float into weapons sales jobs whose primary client is… NATO?
And amid the destruction of Gaza and an unprecedented militarization drive across the EU, where billions are suddenly up for grabs and everyone is seeing ‘drones’?
Thirteen contracts with Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit have been canceled, five arrests have been made, including a former Dutch Ministry of Defense staffer, and one suspect is on the run over revelations of a massive bribery scheme involving bloc officials.
NATO procurement boss Stacey Cummings – a former career member of the US Department of War’s Senior Executive Service – has ordered that nobody in the military bloc’s buying agency speak to the press.
The EU’s toxic reputation as a haven for military and political lobbyists happy to do business with Israel is about to get a major boost.
Where is the West on genocide and Gaza?
EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Kaja Kallas has never used the term “genocide” to refer to Isreal’s military destruction of the Palestinian people in Gaza, while professing to hold the highest moral and ethical standards.
The unfortunate Kallas is widely seen outside the Brussels bubble – and possibly inside – as a liability. Not a story the Western press sees as important, given the bloc’s slide to the far right and its turn to a war economy to save itself.
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Plane wrong
Kallas’ boss, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, has landed herself in trouble literally and metaphorically in 2025.
Claims that her rented private jet’s signal was jammed by Russia while she headed a press junket/defense review of her bloc’s ‘eastern flank’ have been laughed at and debunked.
A Bulgarian inquiry into the incident has been shelved, while no inquiry into the FT’s initial reporting of the story ever took off.
Von der Leyen has carried her disastrous form from the German Defense Ministry into Brussels and shown a strong penchant for losing private messages through which she struck a multibillion-euro deal for vaccines from Pfizer – resulting in censure by the European Court of Justice.
Pain in the assets
How and why von der Leyen and her compatriot and fellow German 1-percenter, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, managed to push a dangerous plot to steal Russia’s assets, give them to Ukraine, and let Belgium carry the can, to a midnight denouement only resolved by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will be a story you will not read anywhere in the Western press.
Nor the role played by Kaja Kallas and her functionaries in supporting the German push. That the €90 billion ($105 billion) they claimed they raised for Ukraine is money down the drain that will eventually be paid for by European taxpayers is also a story the West would rather not have to read.
Droning on
Von der Leyen and Kallas, as well as the Western media, were also happy to fan the drone hysteria that gripped northern Europe – a kind of religious mass-event for which there is a precedent in Belgium.
An investigation by Dutch magazine Trouw found that of 61 reported drone sightings in Belgium, Denmark, and elsewhere, only three were not debunked.
The CEO of Copenhagen airport has also since confirmed that any drones spotted near the facility were peaceful. You’re not going to read that anywhere in the Western press.
Corruption in Ukraine
The four-year-long refusal by the Western media to acknowledge the obvious about Ukraine’s endemic and rampant culture of corruption has almost come to an end.
An image of a gold toilet allegedly installed in the apartment of Vladimir Zelensky’s fugitive friend Timur Mindich – who fled to Israel before agents could arrest him – has galvanized public anger in Ukraine and beyond.
The revelations that Zelensky’s inner circle took part in a €100 million graft scheme connected to the energy sector were reasonably widely reported, but will be conveniently disconnected from the idea that EU taxpayers will effectively hand over €90 billion more to Zelensky’s cronies to keep Kiev’s frontline fighting, as well as lining pockets.
That the revelations of rampant corruption by Zelensky’s inner circle – authored by an anti-corruption unit he had tried and failed to take control of – weakened him and emboldened Washington to push more for peace is also not a story the Western media is very happy to report, however obvious it is.
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https://www.the-sun.com/news/15695258/zelensky-trump-summit-ukraine-putin-strikes/
https://georgiatoday.ge/russia-and-ukraine-exchange-heavy-drone-strikes/
other Russia and Ukraine
https://news.az/news/drone-strike-in-chernihiv-injures-10-including-children
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/barracuda-river-drone-strikes-russian-boat-and-base-on-the-dnipro-river/
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/12/26/ukrainian-drone-attack-kills-man-in-kursk-region-a91558
https://www.msn.com/en-xl/africa/top-stories/russian-drone-strike-hits-odesa-port-and-energy-infrastructure-again/ar-AA1T3VHH
https://english.nv.ua/nation/explosions-rock-volgograd-overnight-as-drones-aim-at-oil-facilities-video-50571369.html
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/66993
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/russia-launches-mass-missile-and-drone-attack-1766736891.html
https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/12/26/zelenskyy-belarus-helps-russian-drones-evade-ukrainian-air-defenses/
https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/12/26/ukraine-downs-one-of-russias-rarest-spy-drones-with-homegrown-interceptor/
https://eadaily.com/en/news/2025/12/26/the-drone-of-a-russian-serviceman-destroyed-the-equipment-of-the-armed-forces-of-ukraine-for-two-armies-of-the-federal
https://united24media.com/latest-news/meet-baba-yaga-the-ukrainian-drone-so-deadly-it-now-have-its-own-monument-14573
PEACE HOPE Zelensky poised to fly to Mar-a-Lago for crunch talks with Trump as Putin blitzes Ukraine with huge drone strike
Updated: 10:04, 26 Dec 2025
VOLODYMYR Zelensky is preparing to fly to Florida for high-stakes peace talks with President Trump as Vladimir Putin unleashed a massive new drone assault on Ukraine that forced Nato to scramble fighter jets.
The Ukrainian president is expected at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on Sunday for a crunch summit aimed at hammering out the details of a 20-point plan to end the war with Russia.
Zelensky confirmed the meeting is imminent, writing on X: “We are not losing a single day.
“We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level – with President Trump – in the near future. A lot can be decided before the New Year.
“This meeting is specifically for the purpose of finalising everything as much as we can.”
The talks will focus on unresolved flashpoints, including control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and how territory would be divided after any ceasefire.
Kyiv’s revised peace plan, unveiled earlier this week, softens some of Ukraine’s previous red lines on territory.
While more favourable to Kyiv than a controversial 28-point draft drawn up by US envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, it still contains major concessions.
Zelensky said the revised 20-point peace plan, made public on Wednesday after recent US-Ukraine talks in Miami, was “about 90% ready”, with territory and security guarantees set to dominate talks with Trump.
He said Kyiv “would like the Europeans to be involved”, but doubted it could happen at short notice.
The Kremlin confirmed it has received the updated proposals.
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Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “We are examining this material and, depending on the decisions made by the head of state, we will continue our communication with the Americans.”
Putin has also instructed his foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov to open direct contacts with Washington after Moscow received U.S. proposals on a possible Ukrainian peace deal, the Kremlin said on Friday.
“It was agreed with the U.S. to continue dialogue,” Peskov told reporters, indicating that back-channel talks are now running in parallel with preparations for the Trump–Zelensky summit.
But Vlad has privately cast doubt on the framework.
Speaking behind closed doors to senior businessmen, he reiterated Russia’s claim to the whole of the Donbas, according to Kommersant.
Kremlin correspondent Andrei Kolesnikov wrote that Putin was open only to limited swaps, adding: “In other words, that ‘Donbas is ours’.”
Putin also said Russia was discussing joint management of the Zaporizhzhia plant with the US, excluding Ukraine, despite Zelensky saying Washington had floated a three-way split.
The Russian tyrant reportedly claimed the US was interested in using the plant’s electricity for cryptocurrency mining.
Mr Kolesnikov added: “He also said that the Americans had stepped back from some of their own proposals as a result of talks with the Europeans. And that this was a weakness.”
Moscow is expected to push for tougher limits on Ukraine’s military, guarantees against Nato expansion and clarity on sanctions relief and frozen Russian assets.
The diplomatic push comes as Russia intensifies attacks on the ground.
Overnight, Russian drones struck port and energy infrastructure in Odesa and the Danube region, just yards from Nato member Romania.
Huge flames were seen at a power facility in Izmail, prompting Romania to scramble two F-16 fighter jets.
An official statement said: “The air surveillance system of the Ministry of National Defence identified groups of drones launched by the Russian Federation towards the Ukrainian ports on the Danube.”
The jets flew for more than two hours as residents in Tulcea County were placed on alert.
Romania said no airspace violations were recorded, despite drone debris landing on its territory 34 times since the war began.
Odesa military chief Serhii Lysak said: “Today the enemy attacked our city again. Damage to an infrastructure facility in Odesa was recorded. A fire broke out as a result of a UAV hit. Work is underway to eliminate the consequences.”
There were no fatalities, but Ukraine said Slovakia-, Palau- and Liberia-flagged vessels were damaged in Odesa and Mykolaiv ports. Slovakia is a Nato state.
At least three people were killed and 13 injured in Russian attacks over Christmas in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Donetsk.
Moscow said it had downed seven British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles over the past week, according to the Russian defence ministry.
Ukraine, meanwhile, said it had used Storm Shadow missiles to strike a major Russian oil refinery in the Rostov region on Thursday, part of a campaign to choke off Moscow’s export revenues.
Russian officials said a firefighter was wounded tackling the blaze.
On the ground, Russian forces were reported to have taken control of the settlement of Kosivstseve in the Zaporizhzhia region, as Moscow presses its advantage in parts of eastern Ukraine despite the parallel diplomatic track.
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In first, IAF helicopter gunship downs two arms smuggling drones from Egypt
25 December 2025, 11:04 pm
In a first, an Israeli Air Force helicopter gunship intercepted two drones during a smuggling attempt from Egypt into Israeli airspace on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces said, releasing footage of the incident.
According to the military, IDF surveillance units and the air force’s aerial control center identified two drones crossing “from the west” toward Israeli territory.
The aircraft was dispatched in coordination with the 80th “Edom” Division and shot down the drones as they entered Israeli airspace.
A senior air force official said the interception reflects a broader shift in Israel’s border-defense approach amid a surge in the use of drones to smuggle weapons across the border.
“As part of a deep change in our border-defense doctrine, the air force has established control centers operating under the regional divisions, significantly improving detection capabilities and the direction of forces against low-altitude aerial threats,” the official said.
The official added that the interception marks the first operation of its kind.
“We continue to enhance cooperation and operational capabilities to thwart infiltrations along the border,” the official said.
The IDF also said it was investigating a fatal shooting that occurred overnight Wednesday-Thursday during a suspected smuggling incident in the Nitzana area along the Egyptian border.
Haaretz reported that the man killed was a Bedouin civilian from the village of Bir Hadaj.
According to an initial IDF probe, a soldier and a civilian, who were traveling in a civilian vehicle, were involved in the shooting after completing a planned operation.
It is unclear if and to what extent the civilian was involved in IDF operations.
While outside the designated operational military area, the two identified several masked suspects allegedly engaged in smuggling.
The civilian then opened fire at the suspects’ vehicle tires using both his personal weapon and the soldier’s firearm, causing the vehicle to veer off course.
One of the suspects was wounded in the incident and later died after being evacuated to a hospital, the military said. Haaretz identified him as Ayoub Mohammed Tohi, a Bedouin man in his 20s.
Another man who was with him was arrested, and the Beersheba Magistrate’s Court has extended his detention until Sunday on suspicion of involvement in smuggling, according to court proceedings cited by Haaretz.
Lawyers for the detained suspect told the newspaper that their client denies any involvement in smuggling and claims he and the driver did not realize they were being ordered to stop, saying the vehicle from which shots were fired was civilian and that its occupants were dressed in civilian clothing.
Relatives of the deceased said family members were prevented from approaching the scene after the shooting and that the vehicle involved was towed away and not returned.
The IDF said the circumstances surrounding the conduct of the soldier and the civilian are under review. The incident is being investigated by a joint team from the Military Police and the Israel Police.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-first-iaf-helicopter-gunship-downs-two-arms-smuggling-drones-from-egypt/
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419942
other Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-strikes-elite-hezbollah-units-training-site-in-northeastern-lebanon/
https://www.jns.org/idf-kills-terrorist-who-violated-gaza-truce/
https://lapresse.us/world/2025/12/26/lebanon-idf-raid-on-hezbollah-training-camp/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-881446
https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/hamas-intelligence-idf-hostage-warning
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-arrests-suspect-after-ramming-attack-on-military-vehicle-in-the-west-bank/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-said-to-commence-operation-in-qabatiya-following-ramming-stabbing-attack-in-northern-israel/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-terrorist-in-deadly-attack-infiltrated-israel-illegally-troops-prepare-operation-on-assailants-home-village/
Nine Children Injured In Drone Strike On Madrassa In Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Updated on: 26 December 2025 4:45 pm
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Nine students injured, three critically, in drone strike on madrassa in North Waziristan.
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Pakistan Army denies involvement; locals blame Afghan Taliban drones in retaliation.
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Incident further strains Pakistan-Afghanistan relations amid ongoing cross-border militancy and accusations.
At least nine children were injured, three of them critically, when a drone strike targeted a madrassa (religious seminary) in Pakistan’s North Waziristan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on the night of December 25, 2025.
The attack occurred in the Mir Ali tehsil area, a long-standing hotspot of militancy and cross-border tensions.
According to local hospital officials and eyewitnesses, the drone fired at least two missiles into the seminary compound around 11:30 pm, causing a powerful explosion that partially collapsed a building where students were sleeping.
The injured children, aged between 8 and 14, were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Mir Ali and later referred to a larger facility in Bannu. Doctors described multiple shrapnel wounds, burns and fractures; three are on ventilators.
Pakistan military spokesperson Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry categorically denied any involvement by Pakistani forces, stating:
“No Pakistan Army or security forces drone operation was conducted in the area last night. We are investigating the incident and will respond appropriately.”
He suggested the strike could have originated from across the Afghan border.
Local tribal elders and residents, however, accused Afghan Taliban forces of launching the attack, claiming it was retaliation for recent Pakistani military operations against Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts near the Durand Line.
The TTP, which has been intensifying attacks inside Pakistan, issued a statement vowing “severe revenge” if the strike was confirmed to be Afghan-origin.
The incident has sharply escalated tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, already strained by frequent cross-border shelling, drone strikes and accusations of harbouring militants.
Pakistan has repeatedly claimed that TTP fighters operate from safe havens inside Afghanistan, while Kabul alleges Pakistan shelters anti-Taliban groups.
Civil society groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa condemned the attack on a religious school, calling it a violation of international humanitarian law.
Protests erupted in Mir Ali and Peshawar on December 26, with demonstrators burning effigies and demanding accountability
https://www.outlookindia.com/international/nine-children-injured-in-drone-strike-on-madrassa-in-pakistans-khyber-pakhtunkhwa
Drone bomb hits building in Kwara hours after US airstrikes on terrorists in Nigeria
December 26, 2025
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Drone bomb incident destroys a building in Offa, Kwara State, hours after US airstrikes on terrorists in Nigeria’s North West.
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Residents report explosion, video shows debris believed to be drone bomb remnants at the scene.
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FG confirms Nigeria–US security cooperation, but says Offa incident is yet to be officially verified.
A building was destroyed in Offa, Kwara State, after a reported drone bomb incident that occurred hours after the United States announced airstrikes on ISIS-linked terrorists in Nigeria’s North West.
A video shared widely on social media showed the damaged structure, with residents filming debris they claimed were remnants of a drone bomb. Eyewitnesses said a loud explosion was heard moments before the building was hit.
The development followed an announcement by US President Donald Trump that American forces had carried out airstrikes targeting ISIS terrorists in Sokoto State.
However, as of the time of filing this report, Nigerian authorities had not confirmed whether the Offa incident was a separate attack or linked to debris from the earlier strikes in the North West.
Earlier on Friday, the Federal Government confirmed ongoing security and intelligence cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.
In a statement signed by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the government said the partnership had led to “precision airstrikes on terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North West.”
The US military action followed weeks of warnings by President Trump, who had urged Nigeria to take stronger measures against terrorism, particularly attacks on Christian communities, or risk unilateral intervention. He also redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern.”
While the Federal Government has dismissed claims of an ongoing genocide against Christians, it confirmed that high-level security engagements have been held with US officials to address the issues raised.
https://dailyreport.ng/drone-bomb-hits-building-in-kwara-hours-after-us-airstrikes-on-terrorists-in-nigeria/
https://www.arise.tv/residents-confirm-drone-attacks-in-parts-of-sokoto/
Europe’s nuclear sites on high alert for drone threats in the year ahead
December 25, 2025
It was a taste of what could become one of the decisive threats next year, when the flight path between Dublin and Britain’s Sellafield nuclear reactor was disrupted by unidentified drones.
On the incoming jet was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife, minutes away from landing at Dublin Airport, slightly ahead of schedule.
After an Irish naval vessel reported that a number of drones were manoeuvring 36km north-east of the city – Sellafield is just 200km from the capital – Ireland’s Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said it was a “co-ordinated threat” to “put pressure” on Europe and Ukraine.
Just days later, the menace shifted. The French Navy opened fire on drones detected over a highly sensitive site housing the country’s fleet of nuclear submarines.
The drones at Ile Longue naval base were ultimately intercepted with jamming systems, but their presence over one of the continent’s most heavily protected sites sent a clear message:
Europe is waking up to significant vulnerabilities to its military and civilian nuclear sites, and Russia is widely suspected to be behind the activity.
Nuclear threat
France has 19 nuclear power stations, Britain has five − including Sellafield, in Cumbria, north-west England − and many more are spread across the continent.
Defence analysts have warned that a hostile state could target a vulnerable power station rather than resorting to the outright belligerence of launching a nuclear weapon.
Causing a nuclear incident with several drone strikes would be difficult, but even a limited attack could cause symbolic and economic damage.
Fallout could include enforced shutdowns, mass evacuations and financial market panic, all without a state crossing the nuclear threshold.
“What if Russia just blows up one of the nuclear power plants in the UK using drones that are flown from within the UK?” said Ed Arnold, a senior military analyst at the Royal United Services Institute think tank.
“That’s a different vector of threat, but it would achieve the same result from a Russian perspective.”
He added that the sites’ “vulnerabilities are really quite critical, because this is hard to defend against,” and that even just flying drones over sensitive sites “is cheap, deniable and has a high economic impact”.
Ukraine, on one level, is responsible for tactics that were previously the stuff of imagination. Its remarkably successful Operation Spider-Web in June demonstrated the changed boundaries of warfare.
The operation used more than 100 short-range kamikaze drones launched from lorries parked within 10km of several Russian airbases, destroying 11 Russian long-range bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
“Although it was a costly lesson, it likely opened Moscow’s eyes to the opportunities afforded by these capabilities,” wrote Dr Daniel Salisbury in an International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank paper on the growing threat.
“Even minimal capability can use emerging technologies to hold nuclear assets at risk,” he added.
A year ago, the idea of a head of state being targeted for assassination by drones seemed like a plot from a Tom Clancy novel. Not any more. Presidential security details now carry drone jammers that resemble oversized guns.
But it is not just the French and Irish incidents that are setting off a wave of concern over Europe. Last month, drones were spotted over Kleine-Brogel Air Base in Belgium on three consecutive nights.
New modes
In the Netherlands, guards fired at drones over Volkel Air Base, which hosts US nuclear weapons under Nato’s nuclear-sharing arrangements. Earlier this month, Dutch F-35 fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a drone.
Similar incidents have been reported around RAF Lakenheath in eastern England, which is likely to soon host US nuclear weapons after a two decade absence.
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What is troubling the authorities is that the flights are clustered around high-value nuclear and military sites, with drones larger and more capable than those usually used by hobbyists.
“These are not people flying toys,” said Belgium’s Defence Minister, Theo Francken, after the Kleine-Brogel incursion. “They came to spy, to see where the F-16s are, where the ammunition is and other highly strategic information.”
Furthermore, some of the UAVs flew higher and proved resistant to jamming.
This adds to a series of incidents since September in which drones flew over civilian airports across Eastern Europe, as well as Germany and Scandinavia.
The flights, likely conducted by criminal gangs and paid for in cryptocurrency by Moscow, could well be construed as “hostile reconnaissance” to look into sites or indeed test their anti-drone technology for a future conflict.
Drones can also gather real-time imagery that satellites cannot and if one could capture either a French nuclear-armed submarines leaving Ile Longue or a Royal Navy one departing Faslane in Scotland it would give enemies a significant tracking advantage.
Drones everywhere
Hostile states can also use the rapidly expanding civilian drone market to blend into the noise to hide their true intentions.
In Britain it is estimated that by 2030 there could be 76,000 commercial drones operating in its airspace, according to The Economist.
And across Europe, more than 3,800 close encounters between drones and aircraft were recorded last year − more than double the previous year.
Drones, Mr Arnold argued, are perfectly suited to “grey zone” operations, those activities that fall short of open warfare but inflict disruption and apprehension.
Annabelle Walker, an analyst at the intelligence company Sibylline, also suggested that Russia has a strong interest in probing Nato’s readiness.
“The use of drones has exposed a particular gap in European countries,” she said. “Testing response times, decision-making and co-ordination tells you a lot and it can all be done below the threshold of war.”
Shoot 'em down?
Shooting down drones risks collateral damage. Main defences include jamming or “spoofing”, in which drones are tricked into misidentifying their location.
Jamming is less effective against autonomous drones programmed to strike or that are using fibre-optic control − as seen widely in the Ukraine-Russia war.
Defenders can use physical countermeasures such as guns that shoot nets, and shotguns, which are broadly carried in Ukraine.
The National understands that Kyiv is set to unveil next year a state-of-the art interceptor drone. The counter-drone industry is now becoming a major market for defence companies.
To defend against a serious attack on a nuclear site, governments must identify vulnerable locations then use a layered defence of radar, electronic warfare and trained personnel dedicated to counter-drone operations, said Douglas Barrie of the IISS.
But air defence was an area where European states had underinvested for decades since the Cold War ended. “Western Europe and the UK really need to pay more attention as this is back on the agenda in a big way,” Mr Barrie told The National.
“Moscow is clearly in the frame, and they’re testing the boundaries of what they can get away with before the other side pushes back,” he added.
Mr Zelenskyy’s near-miss over Dublin was not necessarily an act of war but it was a warning − as were the other incidents − and Moscow may well consider further disruptive operations that avoid open conflict.
It is now a question of whether Europe can strengthen its defences against a threat that will only intensify.
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https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/europe/2025/12/26/europes-nuclear-facilities-put-on-a-2026-drone-alert/
Jesus and UFOs
Fri,12/26/25 9:48AM
Do you believe in Jesus and UFOs? If you do, I want to know how you reconcile the two.
My earliest memories in life are singing church hymns praising God, the Holy Spirit, and the Messiah.
My family attended a small Southern Baptist church in Louisiana, and at Christmas, we celebrated angels, prophets, disciples, miracles, and the virgin birth of our Savior.
The mysteries of the stories were fascinating, charming, and puzzling. I flatly accepted the teachings, just as I believed in Santa Claus, flying reindeer, and elves.
Still, I always had questions. I vividly remember badgering my mom about life’s origins, inconsistencies in the Bible, and statements I heard from an energetic pastor behind the pulpit.
Even then, I detected Mom agonizing between giving me pat answers or sincere responses of her own doubt. Somehow, she always found the right comforting words to ease my inquisitive and irritating self.
So, I plodded along in childhood, mostly accepting the “truths” from my mentors, until I saw the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The year was 1977, with me eleven years old when the movie released two weeks before Christmas.
While celebrating Advent, I walked into the Twin Cinemas in McComb to see the much talked about fictional alien movie. I walked out stunned, never having thought of aliens as compassionate, inquisitive, and peaceful.
But a Hollywood movie opened my eyes to the real possibility that we were not alone in the universe and that perhaps extraterrestrials were watching us, even interacting with people on our planet.
Hooked, I became interested in Ufology. I did not abandon my Christian faith. To the contrary, I am a committed believer and regularly worship with like-minded people.
My church, however, allows me room to question even the most fundamental concepts of what it means to be human, including our belief systems.
In that context, I often ponder whether we are alone in the innumerable galaxies, and I have concluded that we are not.
Which leads me to the recent release of a documentary called The Age of Disclosure. Dozens of credible witnesses verify sightings of UAPs, known as unidentified aerial phenomena.
These persons are reputable scientists, government officials, and academics. They all confirm that our government harbors non-human technology and biological specimens from UAP crashes.
The United States government now admits that secret programs exist which study UAPs, including one called The Legacy Program.
Long-classified documents reveal decades of clandestine work by researchers and engineers engaged in reverse engineering of the technology discovered.
Profit and power motivate these initiatives, often disguised behind disingenuous assertions that humanity is not ready to know the truth. Do I sound like an X-Files groupie? Sure. But the evidence leads me to this hypothesis.
Our Judeo-Christian culture is the bedrock of Western civilization. In the Bible Belt, Christians annually reflect on the Christ child and his second coming. Jews await the human Mashiach to gather Jews in Israel and rebuild the Temple.
Religions of all kinds worship and believe in deities who will save humanity. Meanwhile, observations, discoveries, and theories of alien activity suggest harmless, benevolent, and altruistic behaviors.
Theoretically, an advanced species could have destroyed the planet, yet there have been accounts of UAPs mitigating the environmental impact of human-caused disasters.
One might espouse that the religions of the world and discoveries of alien life are not mutually exclusive.
Until we gain more knowledge in this life or an afterlife, I plan to joyously sing Christmas carols in worship and simultaneously marvel at the mysteries of faith and the universe. The truth is out there.
https://www.hubcityspokes.com/jesus-and-ufos
Mysterious glowing object seen in skies sparks UFO speculation: Here's what it is
UPDATED: Dec 26, 2025 10:55 IST
A bizarre glowing object soaring across Chile's night sky has gone viral, sparking UFO speculation among locals and online sleuths.
Captured in a stunning timelapse from Cerro Pachon, an astronomical hub in the Chilean Andes, the "mystery" quickly unraveled as a routine rocket launch, reminding skywatchers that human spaceflight often mimics extraterrestrial drama.
The footage, shared by NOIRlab, shows a bright trail arcing overhead against a starry backdrop, perfectly timed with operations near the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
Cerro Pachón, at 2,700 meters in the Coquimbo Region, hosts world-class telescopes like Gemini South, offering pristine views but also frequent flyovers from nearby spaceports.
The timelapse depicts a rocket ascending vertically before curving into orbit, its exhaust plume illuminated by sunlight high above Earth's shadow.
Rubin Observatory, designed to survey the dynamic universe over a decade, routinely captures such "transient" events, satellites, meteors, and launches, as part of its sky-monitoring mission.
Everyday Space Traffic
Chile's clear skies make it a hotspot for astronomy, but proximity to launch sites like SpaceX's Starbase analogs or regional providers means rockets zip by regularly.
While Rubin hunts dark matter and asteroids, human-made streaks like this one highlight growing orbital congestion, over 10,000 satellites now crisscross the heavens, blurring natural wonders with tech trails.
Experts note these launches pose no threat but challenge observers: Rubin's vast camera will catalog such interference to refine cosmic data.
The video serves as a teachable moment — no aliens, just ambitious humanity reaching for the stars from one of Earth's best vantage points. Next time a light streaks by Cerro Pachón, check launch schedules first.
https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/mysterious-glowing-object-seen-in-skies-sparks-ufo-speculation-heres-what-it-is-2841964-2025-12-26
Skywatch Signal
@UAPWatchers
🚨UFO Sacramento, CA, US, approx 10pm, 12/24/25
Come tell me its spotlights, lightning, swamp gas…
4:08 PM · Dec 25, 2025
https://x.com/UAPWatchers/status/2004343399785419256
https://www.reddit.com/user/anotherexstnslcrisis/
Red Panda Koala
@RedPandaKoala
🚨😳 HOLY SHIT! Jay Anderson just nuked Counter Intel agent "UFO Whistleblower" Lue Elizondo on Joe Rogan
Jay explains Lue's pattern of grooming mentally unstable ufo fanatics to dox, harass, and threaten people and their families for going outside of the controlled government narrative
He also covers Elizondo's history of presenting easily debunked "UFO" photos at important moments like Congressional settings
Jay names the #ufohategroup and shouts out me and Tupa <3
Joe's response "He's also one of the guys calling for amnesty?"
Eric Burlison
@EricBurlison
These are thoughts that I’ve had as well. I think we need to be open to all possibilities on this topic and be extremely skeptical.
3:04 AM · Dec 25, 2025
https://x.com/RedPandaKoala/status/2003899009501368463
https://x.com/EricBurlison/status/2004146177819005335
https://x.com/TheProjectUnity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr0jaqT8eRs (Joe Rogan Experience #2430 - Jay Anderson)
Need that drone documentary part 2, btw
go baby go
Ashton Forbes
@AshtonForbes
The Government UFO people like Lue Elizondo are pushing a particular narrative that protects national security.
They don't want our adversaries to catch up to our secret fusion weapons.
7:31 AM · Dec 25, 2025
https://x.com/AshtonForbes/status/2004213307419615693
RAF LAKENHEATH UFO | POLICE FOOTAGE | OFFICIAL FOIA RELEASE (FULL RES) | NOVEMBER 2024
Dec 24, 2025
This video features official UK police helicopter footage released via Freedom of Information requests, showing unidentified aerial lights observed during a night patrol near RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall.
The footage was recorded by a National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter.
This video presents the footage as released, allowing viewers to examine the visuals and draw their own conclusions.
Link to the article related to this case with the FOIA request, data provided and stills of the UFO:https://uapf.substack.com/p/official-police-helicopter-footage
TIMESTAMPS
11:50 - Small object seen centre of screen moving right to left
12:57 - 2 X Orbs/sphere's-like objects seen in the same sequence
13:13 - Aircrew follow and zoom in on on Orb
14:00 - Orb followed and then appears to disappear
14:35 - Small orb-like object seen float across the screen right to left
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOsQkXzS2Ew
https://x.com/Truthpolex/status/2004604793797705949
Disclosure Party
@disclosureorg
Former NASA astronaut Gordon Cooper stated that a UFO incident he witnessed at Edwards Air Force Base was filmed, documented, and classified by the military.
Why did the @DoD_AARO's historical report contain little to none of the military’s historical UFO data? Members of Congress from both parties have said publicly that AARO's historical report did not match what they were briefed on privately.
The only reason this keeps happening is because Congress is letting them get away with it.
The American people are being lied to.
@RepLuna
@RepNancyMace
@RepTimBurchett
@RepBoebert
@RepEricBurlison
@RepEliCrane
@RepBrandonGill
@CongressMin
@RepRobertGarcia
@CongressmanRaja
@RepSummerLee
@RepJasmine
@jahimes
@RepMoskowitz
@SpeakerJohnson
Quote
Dr. Dan
@UAPDr
You probably know the Gordon Cooper story.
What you may not have seen is the first time Gordon Cooper spoke about it publicly.
In 1997 on British television, he described an Edwards AFB incident he said was filmed and reported up the chain.
6:51 PM · Dec 25, 2025
https://x.com/disclosureorg/status/2004384670541083101
https://x.com/UAPDr/status/2004324689649586399
Dan Farah | The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan
Dec 24, 2025
Billy Corgan talks with filmmaker Dan Farah about The Age of Disclosure and the explosive claims from 34 military and intelligence insiders who say UAP activity—including over Area 51—is real and long concealed.
They dig into the alleged 80-year cover-up, a hidden Legacy Program tied to crash retrievals and reverse engineering, the rebranding from UFO to UAP, and why disclosure is happening now—touching on nuclear sites, global tech races, and what it all means for humanity’s future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysoazbRVK5k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jWuTHZK850 (Rockstar Billy Corgan has a surprisingly DEEP CUT UFO conversation with Dan Farah - Psicoactivo #754)
https://x.com/Billy
https://x.com/Dan_Farah
Pyramid UFOs, Metallic Spheres, and Volcano Crafts | 2025 Compilation
Dec 25, 2025
Pyramid UFOs, Metallic Spheres, and Volcano Crafts | 2025 Compilation
Merry Christmas and welcome to this special Throwback Thursday UFO compilation, where we take a deep dive into some of the most bizarre, compelling, and unexplained UFO sightings of 2025 and beyond.
This episode brings together pyramid UFOs, metallic spheres, fast-moving orbs, diamond-shaped craft, and mysterious UFO activity around volcanoes, all captured on camera by witnesses from around the world.
In this video, you’ll see strange red and white orbs over Louisville, Kentucky, eerie moving lights and a flashing purple cube over Brooklyn, New York, and multiple UFOs interacting with active volcanoes in Chile and Mexico — including craft that appear to descend toward lava, hover at crater edges, or maneuver in ways that defy known aeronautics.
We also examine metallic sphere UFOs, a recurring and controversial UAP shape seen throughout history, including a nerve-racking sighting over Chile.
These spheres are often associated with low observability, one of the Pentagon’s officially recognized Five Observables, and this compilation highlights several examples where the object appears semi-transparent, distorted, or difficult to focus on.
Viewers will also witness:
Triangular and pyramid-shaped UFOs over Russia, Germany, and the United States
A diamond-shaped UFO over Temecula, California slowly ascending into the sky
Fast-moving UFOs over Australia and Albania, zipping across the sky in real time
A boomerang-like or bent cylindrical craft captured in Brazil
A classic flying saucer sighting from Colombia
Multiple December 2nd, 2025 UFO sightings from New Jersey, Romania, Chile, and beyond
One of the most controversial moments in this compilation is a massive triangular UFO allegedly captured on a NASA ISS live stream, after which the feed was abruptly cut.
Combined with recent debate surrounding 3I/ATLAS imagery and claims of non-gravitational acceleration, this raises serious questions about transparency, space surveillance, and what may really be moving through Earth’s atmosphere and near-Earth space.
Throughout the video, we break down sightings using logic, context, and the Five Observables of UAP, while also encouraging viewers to use flight tracking and sky-mapping apps to rule out conventional explanations when possible.
Some clips remain questionable, others are deeply unsettling — and many have no clear explanation at all.
If you’re interested in:
UFO sightings caught on camera
UAP disclosure and government transparency
Orbs, triangles, pyramids, and metallic spheres
UFOs near volcanoes and extreme environments
NASA live feed anomalies
Unexplained aerial phenomena from around the world
…this compilation is for you.
👇 Watch closely, think critically, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Do these objects represent advanced human technology, non-human intelligence, natural phenomena we don’t yet understand — or something else entirely?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ln5lCt3fK0
https://x.com/ChaosMoogle