A Russian tanker carrying fuel oil, believed to be part of the "shadow fleet," has sunk in the Kerch Strait. The tanker FIRN, commissioned by the Russian company Sovcomflot, had previously been spotted transporting oil under sanctions from Venezuela and Russia. The incident has devastated Russia's Black Sea coast, the country's main resort area, with fuel oil from these shadow fleet tankers flooding the waters.

Experts say these vessels were intended to shield Moscow from declining oil …

Syria's Finance Ministry has banned the import of goods originating from Russia, Iran, and Israel, a development reported by outlet Al Arabiya.

The mandate includes a strict policy of confiscating any products found to originate from these countries.

The government aims to bolster the economy by allowing dollar transactions and implementing a new set of unified customs duties with reductions ranging from 50% to 60%, according to Al Arabiya.

Following this decision, Syria has opened its doors …

The latest round of U.S. sanctions could effectively halve Russian oil exports, as key buyers India and China seek alternative suppliers.

Russia's oil industry finds itself in dire straits following the introduction of new U.S. sanctions that have intensified restrictions on the transport and sale of Russian oil. As Bloomberg reports, tankers initially destined for Russian cargo are now turning back at sea, with major customers like China and India beginning to source from other suppliers in …

Ukraine has issued a stark warning on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration, cautioning that premature talks with Russia could have catastrophic consequences.

Kyiv insists that Moscow should engage in negotiations out of necessity rather than choice. Ukrainian officials are cautioning that forcing Kyiv into talks with Russia before Ukraine gains a battlefield advantage would be a catastrophic mistake, as Donald Trump prepares to take office as the next U.S. president.

Fearing a potential …

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has made headlines with his threat to veto further European Union financial aid to Ukraine. The announcement came in response to Ukraine's decision to halt the transit of Russian gas. Fico expressed this bold stance in a Facebook video statement, emphasizing his role as Slovakia's prime minister and not, as he put it, a "Ukrainian servant."

The gas transit, critical to European energy supply, came to a standstill on January 1, 2025, at 7:00 a.m. Kyiv time. …

A significant portion of Toretsk in the Donetsk region remains under the control of Russian forces, yet much of the city is under the fire influence of Ukraine's Armed Forces, said Dmytro Zaporozhets, spokesperson for the "Luhansk" operational-tactical group, during a national news broadcast.

Zaporozhets emphasized the tactical adjustments being made: "The enemy's tactic now involves small assault groups and mining territories, with movement and relocation of enemy personnel with anti- …

According to Estonian intelligence head Ants Kiviselg, Russian forces are encountering increasingly critical issues with artillery, their primary weapon on the battlefield. The appearance of North Korean artillery systems among Russian units on the front line indicates such problems, said the intelligence chief.

Col. Kiviselg noted that the Russian military is becoming more reliant on foreign weaponry.

Describing the current situation on the front lines, Kiviselg pointed out that while …

In a series of overnight operations on January 18, Ukrainian Forces delivered significant blows to Russian military assets. Among their notable achievements was the successful attack on the "March 8" oil depot of Rosrezerv in the Tula region, as reported by the Ukrainian General Staff on their official Telegram channel.

The strike on the Russian oil depot was executed using drones. The operation was carried out by the Ukrainian military intelligence along with other units of the Defense Forces. …