https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinholdenplatt/2025/12/31/space-startup-aims-to-genetically-enhance-astronauts-for-mars-odysseys/

Space Startup Aims To Genetically Enhance Astronauts For Mars Odysseys

Updated Jan 01, 2026, 09:43am EST

Even as a rocket revolution sets the stage for astronauts to begin exploring Mars, radical advancements in bioengineering could help them survive the cosmic bullets that pelt interplanetary spacecraft and the Martian dunes, says a top American scholar on genomics and space biology.

Professor Christopher Mason told me in an interview the space biomedicine outfit that he co-heads, BioAstra, aims to test potential countermeasures to the DNA-threatening cosmic rays shot out by exploding supernovas that can bombard crew capsules that fly beyond the Earth’s life-protecting magnetic shield.

A professor of genomics and computational biomedicine at prestigious Weill Cornell Medicine, Mason says BioAstra intends to map out these defensive measures during a three-part series of space missions - to low Earth orbit, around the Moon, and then while circling Mars.

A revolution in perfecting reusable rockets - spearheaded by SpaceX and now Blue Origin - is giving rise to a “Second Space Age” that will see waves of independent aeronauts lift off to commercial space stations being designed to ring the planet, and to the cratered topography of the Moon, says Mason, who is chairman of BioAstra.

The take-off of rockets that can serially launch promises to democratize spaceflight and open the way to interplanetary treks by spacefarers across and beyond the astronaut corps of NASA and the other national space agencies.

The invention of recoverable boosters, he says, is setting the stage for a Big Bang-like expansion in space expeditions ahead.

This spacecraft revolution “has created a new biomedical imperative” to protect astronauts as they fly through bombardments of radiation and beyond the force of gravity generated by the Earth.

In a captivating study that he headed on the new-millennium race into space, Professor Mason states:

“The recent acceleration of commercial, private, and multinational spaceflight has created an unprecedented level of activity in low Earth orbit (LEO), concomitant with the highest-ever number of crewed missions entering space and preparations for exploration-class (>1 year) missions.”

“Such rapid advancement into space from many new companies, countries, and space-related entities has enabled a Second Space Age.”

“This new era is also poised to leverage, for the first time, modern tools and methods of molecular biology and precision medicine,” Professor Mason adds, “thus enabling precision aerospace medicine for the crews.”

Scholars across the U.S., Japan, Sweden, Greece, Austria, Poland and Chile all teamed up to conduct the Second Space Age study, which reflects a worldwide interest in leveraging, "for the first time, modern tools and methods of molecular biology and precision medicine, thus enabling precision aerospace medicine for the crew” on deep-space flights.

This global ring of scholars, he told me, “had members across multiple space agencies,” including NASA, the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, signaling the skyrocketing importance of harnessing advances in biotechnology to safeguard future astronauts around the world.

“I think there is an extraordinary burst of industry, academic, NGO, and government interest that will accelerate spaceflight and space research to a new era.”

“Precision medicine is the standard already for terrestrial medicine (pharmacogenomics),” Professor Mason says, and “it will soon be the same for spaceflight.”

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>>24056937

Savi Glowe, BioAstra’s visionary founder and CEO, told me in an interview that the outfit’s bioscientists are all “very big fans of SpaceX,” and that BioAstra’s first planned mission, in orbit around the globe, is likely to be aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.

To precisely chart the genetic changes triggered during its three pathbreaking, experiment-rich flights, she says, BioAstra will fly precise DNA doppelgängers on each mission - one half of a pair of identical human twins - while the “control” sibling remains ensconced on Earth, beyond the reach of hazardous cosmic and solar radiation.

BioAstra has likewise opened talks with Lockheed Martin, inventor of the only deep-space capsule approved to transport humans to the environs of the Moon, on the potential to launch a joint mission to swing past the ancient silver satellite, Glowe says.

Tony Byers, Director of Orion Commercial Services at Lockheed, said in an interview that BioAstra’s charting of genetic changes in astronauts during their lunar sojourns could prove to be a goldmine of data for spacecraft operators planning human flights to Mars, especially to those - read SpaceX - who are blueprinting the creation of the first hyper-tech cosmopolis on the Martian dunes, or those - read Blue Origin - aiming to construct free-flying cities in space.

“I do think SpaceX will send the first interplanetary astronauts to Mars,” says Savi Glowe. “I hope our programs will help these missions.”

“We would love to be part of an interplanetary mission to send humans to Mars,” she adds, as soon as the first flotillas of SpaceX Starships begin launching.

Professor Chris Mason, meanwhile, says BioAstra has already teamed up on studies of spaceflight-induced genetic changes with independent space pilot Jared Isaacman, who commanded two sensational orbital flights aimed at testing out SpaceX’s experimental spacesuits and enhancing its leading-edge astronaut training program.

The widely popular Isaacman is a remarkable philanthropist who personally donated $125 million to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which treats children with life-threatening ailments regardless of their ability to pay.

Isaacman was confirmed in the run-up to Christmas as NASA’s new administrator by a supermajority of U.S. senators, and he has vowed to open a new golden age of space expeditions that enhances NASA’s role as the globe’s supreme space agency.

“Jared has led the way in so many aspects of flight, and he’s the perfect fit to lead NASA at this critical time,” Professor Mason says.

Isaacman is likely to push forward not only NASA, but also the NewSpace sector, where he is already an icon of independent space exploration and experimentation.

He is also an incredible space philanthropist, and has offered to finance and lead a SpaceX Dragon flight to boost the Hubble Space Telescope - in a mission that would cost more than $100 million - to prevent the stargazing observatory, whose orbit is already decaying, from falling back through the atmosphere.

“He’s been exemplary on the science, always making sure that every mission generates as much biomedical and scientific knowledge as possible,” Mason says.

“As a scientist,” Mason says, “it’s a dream to have him at the helm.”

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>>24056938

Professor Mason is not only a cutting-edge scholar on emerging biotech solutions to spaceflight-related medical hazards, but also an extraordinary space futurist.

In his book The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds, he predicts that developing genetic adaptations for astronauts to survive a barrage of solar storms and cosmic particles on Mars will lay the foundation for humans to ultimately launch flotillas of super-arks to reach twins of the Earth orbiting other stars.

These interstellar odysseys, he predicts, might take tens of thousands of years, with generations of spacefarers living out their entire lives on board immense starships, all for their future progeny to create a new foundation for human civilization on another globe, initially in this sector of the galaxy.

Technologies perfected to safeguard waves of human explorers on the Moon and on Mars will set the stage for later voyages to other solar systems, he predicts.

Anti-radiation measures will likely include “shielding around the ship, preemptive medications (actively being studied by NASA) … [and] genetic engineering of astronauts.”

“The best defense against radiation, especially in a long-term mission outside of our solar system,” he adds, “would likely be through a combination of these efforts.”

Could an alliance of the Western space powers begin launching these inter-generational starships sometime this century?

”The alliance of space powers today could work faster if they pool resources, which is starting to happen, and I expect more to come.”

“We have new methods for protecting cells like advanced CRISPR tools, which are already curing human diseases.”

Yet Professor Mason predicts: “The generation-ship concept is likely still a few hundred years away I think.”

But that future could arrive sooner if inventive scientists the world over join forces in a global push to develop these stellar-class arks.

“We’re actually further ahead than I expected when I wrote the book.”

Although the concept of spacecraft and spacefarers that can whiz between star systems seems almost to border on science fiction, Professor Mason is seeking to turn that quest into reality.

At the Mason Lab that he heads, his skunkworks coalition of scientists is actively formulating “The Next 500 Years Plan.”

“Inevitably,” he explains, “life on Earth will come to an end, whether by disaster, cataclysmic war, or the death of the sun in a few billion years.”

To ensure the longevity of the human race into the far future, Mason says, “we will need to find a new home planet, and eventually a new solar system.”

“The same capacity for ingenuity that has enabled us to build rockets and land on other planets can be applied to redesigning biology so that we can sustainably inhabit those planets.”

“Our lab,” Professor Mason says, “is working on a ten-phase, 500-year plan for reengineering biological systems for life on other worlds.”

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>>24056912

The Push to Make Semiconductors in Space Just Took a Serious Leap Forward

December 31, 2025

Space Forge is on a mission to manufacture semiconductors in space—no humans required.

And on Wednesday the U.K.-based aerospace startup announced that it had taken a major step toward that goal by creating plasma, or superheated gas, aboard a commercial satellite for the first time.

Semiconductors require extremely precise conditions to make, and both NASA and industry groups have argued that the microgravity environment of space is better for their manufacturing than that of Earth.

The reasons why are varied, but part of it has to do with how silicon behaves in such an environment—it’s just easier to get the material to adhere to the structure needed to make a semiconductor.

Indeed, Space Forge’s feat builds off previous work done on the International Space Station, says Clayton Swope, deputy director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank.

“The key difference here is that this was done uncrewed, without any people, on an entirely commercial spacecraft,” he says. “This demonstration shows that semiconductor crystal manufacturing can happen in space just using machines.”

“Keeping people alive in space is expensive,” Swope adds. “If machines can do that work instead, it brings down the cost of doing manufacturing in space.”

Space Forge CEO Joshua Western said in a press release that the company’s work proves that the right environment for semiconductor manufacturing “can be achieved on a dedicated, commercial satellite—opening the door to a completely new manufacturing frontier.”

Space Forge launched its satellite, ForgeStar-1, in June. Its microwave-sized factory includes a furnace that the company showed reached temperatures of around 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit (1,000 degrees Celsius).

Other companies and research teams are getting in on the budding space manufacturing industry.

In 2024 another startup, Varda Space Industries, demonstrated that it was possible to grow crystals of ritonavir, an antiviral drug, on an uncrewed commercial spacecraft and return them to Earth.

And researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich recently 3D-printed human tissues in microgravity.

In-space manufacturing is in its “early days,” Libby Jackson, head of space at the Science Museum in England, told the BBC.

But testing and proving technology like Space Forge’s “really opens the door for an economically viable product, where things can be made in space and return to Earth and have use and benefit to everybody on Earth.”

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-push-to-make-semiconductors-in-space-just-took-a-serious-leap-forward/

An Engineer Says He’s Found a Way to Overcome Earth’s Gravity

Jan 01, 2026 9:58 AM EST

Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:

Discovering a machine that could somehow produce thrust without releasing propellant would be a game-changer for human space travel. There’s just one problem—such a device would defy the laws of physics.

This limitation has not stopped people from investigating the possibility, and the latest addition to the propellant-less club is an electrostatic design developed by a former NASA engineer.

While the company behind the drive, Exodus Propulsion Technologies, says that the drive can achieve a thrust to counteract Earth’s gravity, such a claim still needs independent verification and a healthy dose of skepticism.

In 2001, British Electrical Engineer Roger Shawyer first introduced the “impossible drive,” known as the EmDrive.

It was called “impossible” because its creator purported that the drive was reactionless, meaning no propellant required—in other words, it defied the known laws of physics (specifically, the conservation of momentum).

As with anything that appears to thumb its nose at Newton and Einstein, scientists raised more than a few eyebrows, and two decades of testing eventually boiled down to an inevitable (and somewhat predictable) conclusion in 2021: the EmDrive was bunk.

But that’s the nature of the scientific method—take a seemingly impossible idea, put it through rigorous testing, and hopefully get to an unassailable conclusion (or new discoveries that lead in other directions).

The not-based-in-physics dream of a propellant-less machine, however, didn’t die with the EmDrive. Instead, a new challenger approaches, and this one has a former NASA scientist backing it up.

While at NASA, Charles Buhler helped establish the Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center in Florida—a very important lab that basically ensures rockets don’t explode.

Now, as co-founder of the space company Exodus Propulsion Technologies, Buhler told the website The Debrief that they’ve created a drive powered by a “New Force” outside our current known laws of physics, giving the propellant-less drive enough boost to overcome gravity.

“The most important message to convey to the public is that a major discovery occurred,” Buhler told The Debrief.

“This discovery of a New Force is fundamental in that electric fields alone can generate a sustainable force onto an object and allow center-of-mass translation of said object without expelling mass.”

Buhler stressed that this work is unaffiliated with NASA, and that he recently presented his findings at the Alternative Propulsion Energy Conference (APEC), which is a club of engineers and enthusiasts eager to find ways to overcome the limitations of gravity and physics—and not always with the most scientifically sound methods.

In an interview with APEC’s co-founder Tim Ventura, Buhler explained how his background in electrostatics led to the discovery.

He says his team—made up of people from NASA, Blue Origin, and the Air Force—investigated propellant-less drives for decades before arriving at electrostatics.

For years, their devices produced negligible thrust, but saw increases with each new iteration. This culminated in 2023, when this “New Force”-powered drive generated enough thrust to overcome Earth’s gravity.

“Essentially, what we’ve discovered is that systems that contain an asymmetry in either electrostatic pressure or some kind of electrostatic divergent field can give a system of a center of mass a non-zero force component,” Buhler told The Debrief.

“So, what that basically means is that there’s some underlying physics that can essentially place force on an object should those two constraints be met.”

Obviously Buhler’s claims are pretty “woah, if true,” but the history of propellant-less drives is filled with seemingly positive results that are eventually dashed upon the rocks of scientific reality.

For the EmDrive, hopes for the device skyrocketed after NASA’s Eagleworks team, which is dedicated to investigating new forms of propulsion (i.e. warp drives), claimed to measure thrust from the “impossible” drive in 2016.

However, subsequent studies—including an exhaustive (no pun intended) one at the Dresden University of Technology—found zero thrust.

Before any alternative propulsion enthusiasts should start popping corks, rigorous, third-party research will have to verify the results again and again.

While it’s not impossible that Buhler et. al stumbled across some unknown quirk of physics, it’s an extremely unlikely outcome.

For now, let’s call it an “improbable engine.”

https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a69897524/engineer-can-overcome-earths-gravity/

>>24056963

January 7th is Orthodox Christmas

https://www.meforum.org/mef-online/starving-but-surveying-the-dangerous-implications-of-egypts-chinese-backed-space-program

Starving but Surveying: The Dangerous Implications of Egypt’s Chinese-Backed Space Program

January 1, 2026

Earlier this month, a Chinese Lijian-1 rocket roared into the sky, carrying with it more than just a payload of sensors; it carried the latest ambition of Egypt’s military regime.

The satellite, known as SPNEX, was officially celebrated in Cairo state media as a triumph of “indigenous engineering” designed for benign “ionospheric research.”

But make no mistake: this was not a scientific mission. It was a declaration of independence from Western intelligence dominance and a dangerous step toward militarizing the skies over the Nile.

For decades, the geopolitical order in the Middle East has relied on a simple premise: the United States holds the keys to the ultimate high ground-space.

If a regional power wanted high-resolution imagery of a neighbor’s tank movements or accurate weather data for military operations, they often had to rely on commercial Western providers, which are subject to U.S. regulations and “shutter control.” Egypt’s launch of SPNEX, facilitated by Chinese infrastructure, is a calculated move to break that dependency and establish “Digital Sovereignty.”

The “Splinternet” in Orbit

The SPNEX launch is the latest salvo in the “Satellite Wars,” a quiet but intense struggle where mid-sized powers are building parallel data ecosystems-a “Splinternet” in space-to bypass American oversight.

By operating its own sensors, Egypt gains the ability to verify events on the ground without Washington’s filter.

The strategic utility is immediate. Egypt is locked in an existential dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Relying on U.S. or European imagery to monitor the filling of the dam has always left Cairo vulnerable to diplomatic pressure.

With SPNEX, Egypt’s military planners can now monitor the flow of the Nile and critical infrastructure projects in the Horn of Africa on their own terms.

Furthermore, independent sensors allow the Egyptian military to keep a watchful eye on the Negev and monitor IDF movements without relying on intelligence sharing that might be withheld during a crisis.

The Dual-Use Deception

While the Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA) insists SPNEX is for monitoring climate change and “space weather,” the technical specifications tell a different story.

The satellite is equipped with plasma diagnostic tools to study the ionosphere. In military terms, understanding the ionosphere is the prerequisite for operating Over-the-Horizon (OTH) radar systems-technology essential for long-range missile detection and secure, beyond-line-of-sight communications.

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Additionally, the satellite carries optical sensors.

While described as research tools, even moderate-resolution cameras (such as the 10-meter resolution payload reported on similar platforms) provide sufficient fidelity to track large-scale troop mobilizations in the Libyan desert or construction progress on the GERD.

This is classic dual-use technology: scientific cover for a military capability.

The China Trap

Perhaps most alarming for the U.S. is the launch vehicle itself.

By choosing a Chinese rocket and utilizing Chinese assembly facilities for earlier phases of its program, Egypt is cementing a “technological lock-in” with Beijing.

Space cooperation is sticky; it requires compatible software, ground stations, and data protocols.

By pivoting to China for its space ambitions, Cairo is effectively integrating its defense architecture with Chinese standards.

This raises the distinct possibility that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could have backdoor access to Egyptian data streams, turning Cairo’s “sovereign” satellite into a node in Beijing’s global surveillance network.

The Economic Paradox

The most bitter irony of the SPNEX launch, however, is not strategic but economic.

Egypt is currently navigating one of the worst economic crises in its modern history, characterized by soaring inflation, currency devaluation, and a reliance on IMF bailouts to import basic wheat.

For a nation where millions struggle to afford bread, spending precious foreign currency reserves on a space program seems fiscally reckless.

Yet, for the military regime, this is a rational calculation. In the calculus of autocracy, regime security and prestige always trump economic fundamentals.

The ability to survey borders, monitor dissent, and project power is viewed as an existential necessity, not a luxury.

The launch of SPNEX should serve as a wake-up call. The era of Western intelligence monopoly in the Middle East is ending.

Egypt is building a surveillance state in orbit, funded indirectly by Western aid but powered by Chinese technology.

Washington can no longer assume that its regional partners see the world through American eyes-especially when they are busy launching their own.

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Space Force shows off snowy new Alaska radar post

JAnuary 1, 2026

Early in December, the U.S. Space Force's Combat Forces Command (CFC) formally accepted operational responsibility for the Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) after the successful completion of a series of tests.

This advanced radar system now moves from extended testing into real-world, day-to-day use to support U.S. missile defense.

What is it?

Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) is a cutting-edge ground-based radar system designed to detect, track and discriminate long-range ballistic missile threats with high precision.

With its higher precision, the system can better tell the difference between something dangerous (like an intercontinental ballistic missile) and things that aren't dangerous (like debris). That sorting task is what the "discrimination" in its acronym refers to.

LRDR has been in the works for years. In late 2021, the Missile Defense Agency marked the radar's initial tests in Alaska, kicking off the long process of testing, training and integration into the larger missile defense network.

Where is it?

The LRDR is located at Clear Space Force Station in Alaska.

Why is it amazing?

Missile defense isn't just about seeing something, it's also about knowing what you're seeing in time to respond.

LRDR is designed to provide more precise tracking and discrimination data which the Space Force says can improve interceptor precision and shorten reaction times.

Now controlling LRDR, the Space Force emphasizes that the system will be continuously monitoring our skies and atmosphere, making the system a key sentinel in the U.S. missile defense strategy.

https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/space-force-shows-off-snowy-new-alaska-radar-post-space-photo-of-the-day-for-jan-1-2026

United States Space Force

@USSpaceForce

Space is contested. Our mission is clear: secure it.

Our 2025 Year in Review shows how we practice Competitive Endurance… being ready to deter conflict and protect our nation's interests from the ultimate high ground.

See our Guardians in action. #SpaceForce #SemperSupra

7:57 AM · Jan 1, 2026

https://x.com/USSpaceForce/status/2006756767615664399

U.S. Space Command

@US_SpaceCom

Happy New Year! 2025 was a successful year for #USSPACECOM, and we’re ready to grow further in 2026, the "Year of Integration."

Space is a key warfighting domain, and we’re focused on building a unified, team-driven approach to space warfare.

7:01 AM · Jan 1, 2026

https://x.com/US_SpaceCom/status/2006742459162718435

https://www.spacecom.mil/Newsroom/News/Article-Display/Article/4368644/usspacecom-hosts-first-ai-enabled-summit/

USSPACECOM hosts first AI-enabled summit

Dec. 30, 2025

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – U.S. Space Command’s Joint Operations Division (J3) hosted the first-ever USSPACECOM artificial intelligence-enabled summit Nov. 18-21, 2025, at the command’s Bayfield facility and the MITRE facility–operated by MITRE Corporation, a not-for-profit organization established to advance national security.

In a decisive move to accelerate its warfighting readiness, USSPACECOM recently convened the landmark Augmented Planning and Execution (APEX) Summit.

This pivotal event brought together more than 70 key leaders, including seven division chiefs from USSPACECOM and leaders from its components, to forge a path toward a more integrated and agile future.

By harnessing the power of AI, the APEX Summit streamlined complex planning processes across the entire command and its components.

The summit delivered critical, actionable inputs for the 2026 Coordinated Campaign Order, marking a significant step forward in ensuring USSPACECOM is battle-ready for the challenges of a rapidly evolving and contested space domain.

“The summit addressed two critical goals: refining our approach to human–machine teaming for the USSPACECOM J35 integrated campaign order and establishing a governance model for the responsible incorporation of artificial intelligence into operational planning,” said Genna Ibsen, supervisory program analyst, USSPACECOM J3.

During the summit, each USSPACECOM joint directorate and component command received five campaign objectives and command guidance to align efforts and produce strategic contributions for the campaign order.

They carefully selected and refined inputs, including procedural documents, doctrine, references, and manuals, to ensure the AI systems processed the most relevant and accurate information.

The AI-generated output was then verified by staff members, a process Ibsen described as “AI generated, human curated.”

Participants were arranged into four teams during the summit and used three different AI tools to evaluate processes.

“By design, teams used one AI tool on the first day and then transitioned to a different tool on the second.

This deliberate rotation exposed participants to contrasting prompting methods—structured campaign‑order prompts, self‑directed exploration, and engineer‑guided collaboration—while also leveraging a large language model to synthesize insights.

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The two‑day approach deepened the AI experience, allowing participants to compare outcomes, refine directives, and unlock richer operational futures aligned with the command’s strategy,” Ibsen said.

“The process ensured that outputs emerging from the summit were not only innovative but also operationally relevant.”

These tailored AI capabilities helped participants unlock strategic insights and combine human expertise with machine intelligence.

This approach enabled them to explore operational futures, test assumptions, and develop mission-ready directives, ensuring alignment with the command’s AI strategy.

Each team was given distinct strategic lenses: USSPACECOM as a supporting command; USSPACECOM as a supported command; Multinational Force Operation OLYMPIC DEFENDER collaboration; Nexus: Space, Cyber, and Special Operations collaboration.

“We specifically created four lenses with which to examine our Campaign requirements and generate a high number of options with different perspectives.

APEX required the teams to produce a tentative concept of operations and scheme of maneuver that captured required campaigning activities to achieve success through the specific lens,” said Col. John Gibson, USSPACECOM J35 Future Operations.

He added, the group focused on the lens USSPACECOM as a supported command generated the most options for how the Joint Force could support the command’s mission.

“Getting the components, staff members, and AI tools to work in the same room provided us with an interesting perspective and built new relationships.

Everyone walked away with a better appreciation for our operational challenges, while learning more about how to re-imagine collaboration within the command,” Gibson said.

In March this year, USSPACECOM signed its first AI/Machine Learning and Data Analytics Strategy and is operationalizing it across prioritized mission areas including integrated space fires; command and control; modernized, agile electronic warfare architecture; enhanced battlespace awareness; space systems cyber defense; and sustainment and logistics.

Gen. Stephen Whiting, USSPACECOM commander, wrote, “This AI strategy is necessary for our Combatant Command to quickly and effectively adapt to what is emerging as an era-defining technology that demonstrates significant and growing relevance to national security …

We must lead the way in ensuring a safe and secure space domain for our nation, our Allies and Partners, and the rest of the world.”

This summit demonstrated one way the command leveraged AI to enable rapid senior-level decision-making. The 2026 Coordinated Campaign Order will integrate the best inputs produced during the summit.

As the command synchronizes multidomain global operations with the joint force, allies, and partners, it will refine and integrate AI into its processes to enhance decision-making, operational efficiency, and mission success.

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Evidence of foiled Kiev attack on Putin residence to be shared with US – MOD

1 Jan, 2026 15:44

Russia’s Defense Ministry has said it will provide the US with evidence proving that a swarm of Ukrainian drones earlier this week was heading for President Vladimir Putin’s Valdai home.

According to officials in Moscow, a total of 91 UAVs were involved in the failed attack on the night of December 28-29, all of which were shot down by Russian air defenses en route to or over Novgorod Region.

The Defense Ministry previously claimed to have obtained “irrefutable evidence of a terrorist attack planned by the Kiev regime on the Russian President’s residence.”

In a statement on Thursday, the Defense Ministry said that “Russian special services managed to retrieve a file containing the flight mission from the navigation unit of one of the Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles destroyed on the night of December 29, 2025 over Novgorod Region.”

According to the press release, after studying the routing data, Russian experts concluded that the “ultimate target of the Ukrainian UAV attack on December 29, 2025 was one of the objects at the Russian president’s residence in Novgorod Region.”

“These materials will be handed over to the US via the established channels,” the ministry added.

On Wednesday, it released a video clip purportedly showing one of the downed Ukrainian long-range drones, which had been struck in the tail-end by Russian air defenses. This allowed the UAV to survive the interception mostly intact.

Russian military officials also insisted that local eyewitness accounts of those who observed air defenses at work over Novgorod Region early on Monday “refute all attempts by Western and anti-Russian media outlets” to argue that there was “no evidence of a terrorist attack by the Kiev regime.”

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has denied the drone raid ever took place.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said he was “very angry” after learning of the incident in a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart on Monday, according to Putin’s foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov.

The Kremlin stated earlier this week that the attack was directed not only at Putin, but also “against President Trump’s efforts to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict.”

China and India, as well as the UAE, Pakistan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan have all expressed concern over the drone attack aimed at the Russian president’s residence.

https://www.rt.com/russia/630318-russian-mod-evidence-us-ukrainian-uavs-putin-residence/

https://www.rt.com/russia/630314-ukraine-drone-putin-residence/

https://www.rt.com/russia/630278-russian-mod-releases-video-of/

https://www.rt.com/russia/630307-lukashenko-warned-putin-assassination-attempt/

Two dozen killed in Ukrainian strike on Russian New Year’s celebration – governor

1 Jan, 2026 05:53

At least 24 people were killed and more than 50 injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on a café and a hotel during New Year’s Eve celebrations in the Black Sea coastal village of Khorly, the governor of Russia’s Kherson Region has said.

The attack took place shortly before midnight after a reconnaissance drone surveyed the area, Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo said in a post on Telegram on Thursday.

Three unmanned aerial vehicles then hit the crowded venue, triggering a massive fire that burned through the premises. One of the drones reportedly carried an incendiary mixture.

A child was among those killed, Saldo said. The medics are currently fighting for the lives of the wounded, he added. The governor said that the attack can only be compared to the May 2014 Odessa massacre.

At the time, Ukrainian ultra-nationalists who had supported the then-recent Western-backed coup in Kiev chased 42 anti-government protesters into the city’s Trade Unions House before setting the building on fire and burning all of them alive.

“This is what the ‘peace’ that Zelensky claims to strive for looks like,” he wrote.

Kherson Region, together with Zaporozhye Region and the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, joined Russia in the fall of 2022 as a result of local referendums.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said earlier that at least nine Ukrainian drones targeting the Russian capital had been shot down overnight.

The mayor reported the first interception at 11:55pm local time just as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s traditional New Year’s address began.

The latest drone raids follow a failed drone attack by Kiev on Putin’s residence in Novgorod Region on December 28-29, which Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has condemned as an act of “state terrorism.”

The Kremlin noted that the raid was aimed not only against the Russian leader, but also “against [US] President [Donald] Trump’s efforts to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/630304-ukrainian-drone-strike-on-cafe-in-russia-kills-dozens/

https://www.rt.com/russia/630300-moscow-drones-new-year/

https://www.rt.com/russia/630310-ukraine-drone-strike-kherson/

RT recaps Kiev’s deadliest attacks on Russian civilians

1 Jan, 2026 12:45

At least 24 people were killed and more than 50 injured when Ukrainian drones struck a cafe and hotel during New Year’s Eve celebrations in the Black Sea village of Khorly, according to the governor of Russia’s Kherson Region.

He said that three UAVs hit the crowded venue, sparking a large fire.

Communities in Russian border regions, including Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk, have frequently come under Ukrainian missile and drone strikes since the conflict escalated in 2022.

Moscow has repeatedly accused Kiev’s forces of deliberately targeting civilians using NATO-supplied artillery systems, drones, and cluster munitions.

RT recaps the deadliest Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilians in populated areas.

December 30, 2023

Ukrainian forces bombarded the city of Belgorod located about 40km from the border, using multiple-launch rocket systems, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The strike claimed the lives of 14 people, including two children, and left 108 people, among them 15 children, injured.

The shelling targeted the central city district, which hosts regional government buildings, as well as the ‘Mayak’ city mall – a popular gathering place for locals that traditionally holds festive events on New Year’s Eve.

Two months later, in February 2024, authorities in Belgorod said another Ukrainian missile strike killed at least seven people, including a one-year-old baby, and injured 19 others, among them four children.

The attack damaged 128 apartments, 15 houses, an industrial facility, four shops, and more than 30 cars, the Belgorod governor said.

August 6, 2024

Ukraine launched an incursion into neighboring Kursk Region in early August 2024, marking the largest attack on internationally recognized Russian territory since the conflict escalated in February 2022.

The advance, involving up to 35,000 troops according to Moscow’s estimates, was halted by Russian forces, although Ukrainian units held onto several border settlements before being fully pushed out in April.

Investigative Committee head Aleksandr Bastrykin said in August 2025 that 331 civilians were killed and 553 injured by Ukraine’s actions in Kursk Region.

Speaking to the media on the eve of the anniversary of the incursion he added that foreign nationals from more than 10 countries took part, including citizens of Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, Georgia, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Sweden and the UK.

July 8, 2025

Three people were killed and seven injured when a Ukrainian drone struck a public beach in the city of Kursk in western Russia, regional governor Aleksandr Khinshtein said.

The injured victims, including two women and a five-year-old boy, were hospitalized with burns and shrapnel wounds, he added.

Ukrainian troops deliberately targeted civilians in a “barbaric” attack as people gathered on the beach to mark the Day of Family, Love, and Fidelity, a holiday celebrated on July 8, the governor said.

May, 2025

Russian authorities said Ukrainian forces killed 15 civilians and injured 142 others over the course of a week, including eight minors, while launching at least 1,974 munitions at civilian targets on Russian territory.

The strikes affected multiple regions, including the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, and Belgorod, Bryansk and Krasnodar.

December, 2025

At least 20 civilians were killed and 73 injured, including three children, in Ukrainian attacks in one week of December, according to Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik.

Most casualties were reported in the Kherson, Belgorod, and Zaporozhye regions, with the majority attributed to drone strikes, the Foreign Ministry official said in a weekly update.

The youngest victim was a five-month-old infant injured in Belgorod, while the oldest was a 91-year-old woman wounded in Zaporozhye.

https://www.rt.com/russia/630311-russian-civilians-kiev-deadliest-attacks/

Zelensky claims to be discussing US deployment to Ukraine with Trump

31 Dec, 2025 11:13

Vladimir Zelensky has claimed that he is in discussions with US President Donald Trump about American troops being deployed to Ukraine, in line with the security guarantees Washington has offered Kiev, according to The Telegraph.

The statement came despite Trump repeatedly ruling out such a scenario and Russia’s repeated warnings that it considered the presence of any foreign troops on Ukrainian soil during or after the conflict unacceptable.

When asked about the possibility of Washington sending its peacekeepers to Ukraine by RBC-Ukraine journalists on Tuesday, Zelensky replied, “those are American troops, and therefore it is America that makes those decisions.”

“Of course, we are discussing this with President Trump and with representatives of the ‘coalition of the willing.’ We would like this,” he said.

The Telegraph pointed out that it is not clear if the possibility of US boots on the ground in Ukraine was addressed during the meeting between Zelensky and Trump in Mar-a-Lago, Florida on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed that the main result of the Mar-a-Lago talks was “the readiness of the US to participate in security guarantees for Ukraine after peace is achieved, including through the presence of American troops.”

Trump, however, has not yet responded to comments by Zelensky or Tusk. In August, the US president told Fox & Friends that there would be no American boots on the ground in Ukraine after the fighting stops.

“You have my assurance, and I’m president. I’m just trying to stop people from being killed,” Trump said.

Russia officials have pointed out that the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022 was partly triggered by Kiev’s NATO aspirations, and warned that a deployment of Western troops to the country could lead to a third world war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in September that “if any [NATO] troops appear there, especially now, during military operations, we proceed from the fact that these will be legitimate targets for their destruction.”

https://www.rt.com/news/630273-zelensky-trump-us-boots/

CIA Refutes Moscow's Claims: U.S. Denies Ukrainian Drone Attack on Putin

Thursday, January 1, 2026

U.S. security agencies, with insights from the CIA, have determined that Ukraine did not attempt a drone attack on a residence of Vladimir Putin in Russia's Novgorod region, contradicting Moscow's accusations.

This information, initially reported by The Wall Street Journal and covered by Reuters, noted that the White House did not comment, and a CIA spokesperson was not immediately available.

Russian Allegations Versus U.S. Intelligence

Moscow's Allegations: According to Russian claims, Ukraine allegedly launched 91 long-range drones targeting a presidential residence in Novgorod. The Kremlin suggested this action might influence their stance in negotiations promoted by Washington.

U.S. Response: Security officials in the United States, as reported by Reuters and The Wall Street Journal, have dismissed any attempt to target Putin or his assets. This conclusion is based on intelligence assessments conducted by the CIA.

Political Ramifications and Reactions

Reuters highlighted that President Donald Trump initially expressed concern but later supported a critical editorial of Moscow after receiving a briefing from CIA Director John Ratcliffe regarding the Kremlin's accusations.

Kremlin's Continued Claims

Hours after the American reports, Russia's Ministry of Defense posted on its official X account (formerly Twitter) about data extracted from a Ukrainian drone allegedly downed on December 29 over the Novgorod region.

The message claimed the data indicated a presidential residence was the target, and this information would be shared with the United States through established channels.

However, the message lacked verifiable evidence and was met with skepticism by Western analysts, who view it as yet another attempt by the Kremlin to sustain its narrative of supposed Ukrainian aggression.

Neither Washington nor Kyiv has officially commented on the publication.

Ukraine's Rebuke of Russian Narrative

Ukraine dismissed Moscow's claims as "ridiculous," asserting that no such attack occurred. They accused the Kremlin of fabricating the incident to divert attention from its military stalemate and hinder diplomatic efforts led by the West.

Reuters, however, has been unable to independently verify the authenticity of the video or the existence of the alleged Chaklun-V drone remnants showcased by Russia.

What did the CIA conclude about the alleged drone attack?

The CIA, along with U.S. security agencies, concluded that Ukraine did not attempt to carry out a drone attack on a residence of Vladimir Putin in Novgorod, contradicting Russia's claims.

How has Ukraine responded to Moscow's accusations?

Ukraine has labeled Moscow's accusations as "ridiculous," denying any attack occurred and accusing the Kremlin of creating a diversion to shift focus from its military struggles.

What was the Kremlin's response following U.S. reports?

The Kremlin responded by releasing a message on its official X account, claiming to have data from a downed Ukrainian drone, which allegedly targeted a presidential residence. This claim, however, lacked evidence and was met with skepticism.

https://www.cubaheadlines.com/articles/317664

>>24057188

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15426181/US-Ukraine-Putin-home-attack.html

>>24057197

Massive New Year drone attack leaves 100,000 without power in Volyn Oblast

01/01/2026

Russian forces launched 205 strike drones against Ukraine during the night of December 31 to January 1, according to the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ukrainian air defense units intercepted 176 drones, while 24 reached their targets across 15 locations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the strikes targeted energy facilities across seven Oblasts, including Volyn, Rivne, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv.

"Russia deliberately brings war into the new year," Zelenskyy stated, emphasizing that there can be no "pauses in the protection of life" and calling for the timely delivery of air defense equipment promised by allies.

Over 103,000 customers without electricity in Volyn Oblast

Volyn Oblast in northwestern Ukraine was a primary target of the overnight assault. Ivan Rudnytskyi, Head of the Volyn Regional Military Administration, stated that several dozen drones targeted critical infrastructure facilities throughout the night.

The strikes resulted in fires in the regional center, Lutsk, and the Kovel district. According to "Volynoblenergo," the damage to infrastructure led to power outages for 103,341 customers.

Local officials confirmed that while fires were being extinguished, repair crews began work to restore electricity. No casualties were reported in the region.

Russia opened 2025 by cutting power to over 103,000 customers in Volyn Oblast.

Dozens of drones struck infrastructure overnight, sparking fires in Lutsk and hitting a locomotive depot in Kovel - a strategic rail hub in Ukraine's northwest.

Rail depots and freight cars hit in Kovel and Konotop

Vice Prime Minister for Restoration Oleksiy Kuleba reported that the attack hit several railway assets. In Kovel, a strategic rail hub in Volyn Oblast, approximately seven drones struck a locomotive depot.

To the east, in Konotop, Sumy Oblast, a railway station was hit, resulting in damage to freight wagons. National rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia reported that despite the infrastructure damage, passenger train schedules were not affected.

Port equipment and berths damaged in Odesa and Izmail

In Odesa Oblast, drones and debris damaged port infrastructure in both Odesa and Izmail. In Izmail, a key Danube river port, the attack damaged berths and technical equipment.

In the Odesa port, infrastructure and transport vehicles were damaged by debris and pressure waves. Kuleba stated that despite the damage, the ports continue to function and fulfill export obligations.

He noted that the threat of further attacks in the region has slowed some of the recovery and restoration efforts.

Residential buildings struck across the country

Residential areas sustained damage from direct hits and falling debris across southern and eastern Ukraine:

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast: Shelling and drone attacks in the Nikopol district damaged four private houses, gas pipelines, and 12 solar panels.

Odesa Oblast: In Odesa city, a drone hit the 17th floor of a high-rise residential building but did not detonate. A separate two-story residential house was also damaged.

Zaporizhzhia Oblast: Regional authorities reported 612 strikes on 24 settlements over the 24-hour period of December 31, resulting in nine injuries.

Kharkiv Oblast: In the Kupiansk and Chuhuiv districts, private houses and outbuildings caught fire following drone strikes on residential properties.

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/01/01/massive-new-year-drone-attack/

https://x.com/EuromaidanPress/status/2006729206219059612

other Russia and Ukraine (Mostly Ukraine)

https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/ukraine-russia-energy-grid-drone-attack-b2893137.html

https://united24media.com/latest-news/ukraines-special-forces-ring-in-new-year-by-wiping-out-russian-command-post-fuel-depot-and-shahed-drone-hub-14700

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4075619-air-defense-forces-destroy-176-of-the-205-drones-used-by-russians-to-attack-ukraine.html

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4075602-russians-attack-odesa-with-drones-fires-break-out.html

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4075452-ukrainian-forces-capture-russian-soldier-with-drone-in-kharkiv-region.html

>>24057188

>>24057191

>Cuba on CIA aspect of things - CIA Refutes Moscow's Claims: U.S. Denies Ukrainian Drone Attack on Putin

There's articles from quite a few outlets about it today, for whatever reason I chose to post the one that was Cuban

>>24057266

>>24057255