Russia

A senior U.S. official has called on Ukraine to lower the age of military conscription to 18, a proposal made in response to growing concerns over Ukraine's ability to replace its battlefield losses. The official highlighted the increasing progress made by Russian forces and argued that bolstering Ukraine's manpower could help reverse this trend.

The Russian Central Bank's decision to halt foreign currency purchases on the domestic market came into effect following a sharp decline in the ruble, which fell to an alarming exchange rate of 113 rubles per dollar on Wednesday. The move aims to stabilize the currency amid heightened market volatility.

Ukraine's power infrastructure was "under massive enemy attack" on Thursday, the energy minister said, after a countrywide air raid alert was declared due to incoming missiles.

"Once again, the energy sector is under massive enemy attack. Attacks on energy facilities are taking place across Ukraine," German Galushchenko said in a Facebook post.

Proto Thema has found itself at a secret location where special forces units made up of Russians – former members of Wagner – are practicing guerrilla city tactics.

Türkiye has achieved a significant 35 percent reduction in pesticide residue rates over the past years, according to Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı.

Addressing public concerns about food safety, Yumaklı confronted allegations that agricultural products rejected for export due to pesticide residues were being sold in the domestic market.

Donald Trump, the US President-elect, is considering appointing retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg as a special envoy to address the conflict in Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has condemned as “paranoid” the idea circulating in some circles that the West should supply nuclear weapons to Ukraine. According to the ministry, preventing such a scenario was one of the reasons behind Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today that it will expel a correspondent and a cameraman from German public television ARD in response to similar moves by the German government against the Russian television network Channel One.

Bulgaria has approved an updated draft of the Agreement on Security Cooperation with Ukraine, confirming its continued commitment to supporting Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. The decision to sign the updated agreement was made by the Council of Ministers, which had already agreed to the draft as a basis for negotiations back on October 4, 2024.

The Russian ruble has experienced a significant decline, reaching its lowest value against the U.S. dollar since the early days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As of this week, the ruble fell to 110 per dollar, marking its worst performance since March 2022.