Georgia:

When you’re perfectly happy to be stuck in traffic — because it’s a pro-EU protest march.

Day 373 of uninterrupted protests in Georgia.

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 12:55 PM

“You were poisoned too!”

A group of Georgian protesters are marching through neighborhood streets, informing residents about the chemical agent used against civilians during last year’s crackdowns — as exposed by BBC’s investigation.

Day 373 of uninterrupted, nationwide protests. 🇬🇪 #theCamiteCasw

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 12:33 PM

#GeorgiaProtests Day 373

People keep greeting protesters in neighbourhoods.

📷 MOSE

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:08 PM

For 265 days straight, a group of Georgian protesters has maintained a 24/7 presence outside Parliament — and somewhere along the way, they gained a resident protest kitty. 🐈🇬🇪

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 12:26 PM

Regime prisoner families demand that the regime publicizes the chemical they poisoned people with in November-December 2024.

They join the December 6, 19:00 rally from the Tbilisi Concert Hall.

#TerrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 12:15 PM

1. Gas peaceful protesters until semi-consciousness;
2. Better yet, use a chemical weapon;
3. Impose an EUR 1,700 fine on wearing a medical mask;
4. Criminalize a mask altogether, for up to 1 year in prison;
5. Prosecute resistant organizations for having purchased masks, as evidence of a coup plot.

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 5:51 AM

Quick heads up, in the thread below there is no skeet #5 and two skeets #13. Apparently they went to the Adam L. Silverman School of thread numbering.

1/ “The regime is poisoning us with chemical weapons” – stencils with this inscription have appeared on the streets of Tbilisi.

#TerrorinGeorgia

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM

2/ The case concerns a BBC journalistic investigation published on December 1, according to which a toxic compound used during World War I, “Camite,” or bromobenzyl cyanide, was used to disperse demonstrators at the protests in Georgia in November–December 2024.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM

3/ Journalists, doctors, and civil organizations stated immediately after the start of the November–December 2024 protests that chemical substances had allegedly been mixed into the water cannon.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM

4/ Irakli Kobakhidze said that a compound was indeed mixed into the water jet when the 2024 protests were dispersed; however, he claimed it was not Camite. According to him, “the investigation will determine what was mixed in.”

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM

6/ “If necessary, it is possible that appropriate compounds, whether gas or something else, may be mixed into the water cannon,” Darakhvelidze said at the time. However, he insisted that everything was done legally.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM

7/ The fact that gas was mixed into the water cannon was also confirmed on October 24, 2024, by former Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM

8/ According to the BBC investigation, journalists obtained a confidential document – the 2019 inventory list of the Special Tasks Department. Whistleblowers from the department confirmed the authenticity of the document. The document lists two noteworthy substances:

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM

9/ 1. A chemical powder coded UN3439, which includes a broad group of industrial chemicals. However, according to the BBC, only Camite from this group has historically been used against demonstrators.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM

10/ 2. A chemical liquid coded UN1710. According to the report, it is trichloroethylene, which is used to dissolve chemicals in water.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM

11/ The document also includes instructions for mixing these substances. The BBC spoke with former senior officials of the Special Task Department.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM

12/ Lasha Shergelashvili, who headed the weapons division at the Special Task Dep, said that in 2009 he was asked to test a new substance with the same codes identified by the British publication.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM

13/ During the test, Shergelashvili discovered that the substance used was ten times stronger than usual. He also says a former colleague confirmed to him that the substance was used during the protests.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM

13/ Former senior STD officials confirmed with BBC that the substance mentioned by Shergelashvili is indeed listed in their protocol.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM

1. Gas peaceful protesters until semi-consciousness;
2. Better yet, use a chemical weapon;
3. Impose an EUR 1,700 fine on wearing a medical mask;
4. Criminalize a mask altogether, for up to 1 year in prison;
5. Prosecute resistant organizations for having purchased masks, as evidence of a coup plot.

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 5:51 AM

Five days after the BBC exposed Georgian Dream’s use of the chemical agent camite during last year’s crackdowns, the regime is still “investigating” which substance was sprayed on protesters — and has provided no documentation or clarity. 1/n

📷 Mo Se

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:55 AM

Kobakhidze now claims compounds under UN3439 “were likely used,” meaning toxic Class 6.1 nitriles, while insisting it wasn’t camite. The government has also confirmed purchasing trichloroethylene, a carcinogenic solvent used to dissolve and deploy such agents through water cannons. 2/n

— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:56 AM

A key fact: in 2021, the Ministry of Internal Affairs received an EU-funded GC/MS system — a gold-standard forensic tool capable of precisely identifying an unknown chemical and its concentration within hours. 3/n

— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:56 AM

So if the state needs five days and counting to determine what it sprayed on its own citizens — despite having world-class equipment and known procurement records — this already suggests, at best, severe negligence, and more likely, an active cover-up of using camite or something more dangerous. 4/n

— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:56 AM

Meanwhile, people continue reporting severe burns, respiratory collapse, long-term vision loss, neurological problems, and organ damage — while the State Security Service interrogates doctors, victims, and civil society featured in the BBC’s report instead of releasing the truth. 5/n

— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:57 AM

We demand international investigation into the very likely chemical attack against the peaceful Georgian protesters.

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 7:13 AM

“One year of Georgia’s unbreakable resistance, as told by its prisoners of conscience” – read what the regime prisoners in 🇬🇪 want to share about the milestone.

Thank you, @neweasterneurope.eu!

By my good friends, Anastasia Mgaloblishvili and Anri Gorgiladze

neweasterneurope.eu/2025/12/05/o…

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 7:32 AM

From New Eastern Europe:

On the evening of September 29th 2025, Gela Khasaia – a 29-year-old activist born and raised in occupied Abkhazia – was returning home from a daily rally on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue, when he was met by plainclothes police. Gela was arrested and faces a four to six-year prison sentence for his active participation in the ongoing protests in the Georgian capital.

A day after his arrest, Gela sent a letter from prison that read: “If they want to scare me, the only thing I am scared of is losing my country.”

In today’s Georgia, it is not just participation in ongoing protests that leads to arrest. So does wearing a medical face mask, posting something on social media that the regime deems “offensive”, or refusing to attend the Georgian Dream ruling party’s commissions aimed at “investigating” the start of Russia’s 2008 war on Georgia. Since the ruling party halted Georgia’s EU integration exactly a year ago, it has shifted from governing behind a democratic, pro-European façade to ruling through fear and repression. Georgia is now experiencing its fastest slide into authoritarianism since independence and holds more political prisoners per capita than Russia.

Yet Georgia’s political prisoners – its prisoners of conscience – reveal more than the scale of repression. Their sacrifice and resilience demonstrate Georgian citizens’ refusal to accept authoritarian rule, no matter the cost. For exactly a year today – despite the unprecedented scale of repression – citizens have taken to the streets of Rustaveli every single day.

Since no one better embodies the spirit and resilience of Georgia’s protests than the country’s prisoners of conscience, we have reached out to them across different prison cells in Georgia to let them tell the story of a year of Georgia’s relentless resistance, the sacrifices it has demanded, and what the West can do to stand with their fight for democracy.

What Georgia is fighting for

When asked why they continue this resistance, nearly all prisoners of conscience give the same answer: to free their country from Russian control.

Today, Russia does not appear only with tanks and soldiers. In Georgia, it is embodied in Georgian Dream and its unofficial leader, the oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. Under his influence, the ruling party has rigged elections, derailed Georgia’s EU path, and advanced the Kremlin’s interests from within. For most Georgians, EU integration is the only realistic path to freeing themselves from Russian influence and securing a democratic, economically stable, and safe future. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, EU accession – long a distant aspiration – suddenly felt within reach. That is why the government’s announcement last year that it was “halting” EU integration ignited the wave of protests that continues today.

“I experienced myself that living under Russian influence is the same as saying no to your own self and living in constant slavery under the regime. I do not want my country to be like this. On the contrary, I want to return my home (currently occupied) from Russia. I want this country to be independent, free, and economically strong – what heroes of our country have fought and sacrificed their lives for,” writes 29-year-old Gela Khasaia.

Gela had to leave Russian-occupied Abkhazia in 2015 and has been fighting for Georgia’s democracy in the pro-western Coalition for Change over the past few years. He had not missed a single rally before his arrest on September 29th and, even behind bars, says he both starts and ends his days by checking for updates on the ongoing rallies: “Only street protests can free both me and my country. I have faith that this country will not become Russian.”

For opposition leader Elene Khoshtaria, Russian rule is also painfully familiar. Her grandfather was executed by Stalin’s regime in 1938 at just 27 years old. Although initially arrested for scribbling “Russian Dream” on Georgian Dream’s election poster – in solidarity with 23-year-old Megi Diasamidze, who was arrested for the same act – the Prosecutor’s Office recently presented new charges against Elene, accusing her of state “sabotage” and “betrayal”, charges that carry up to seven years behind bars. These charges bear an uncanny resemblance to the accusations used against her grandfather before his execution.

“For Russia, my country is a territory to use for its imperialistic games and to strategically challenge European security,” Elene writes. “I am basically fighting for the existence of my country. As simple as that.”

Not all prisoners of conscience have experienced Russian rule firsthand. For 19-year-old Saba Jikia, his fight comes down to protecting the people he loves and the generations that will follow.

“I am fighting for my parents, who raised me. For my grandparents, who brightened my childhood. For my sisters, who taught me patience. For my friends, who taught me to be myself. For our society, which still stands on the streets fighting injustice. And for my future children – so they do not have to continue a battle that has lasted across generations.”

The high costs of European aspirations

Despite their courage, the costs are high. Prisoners of conscience include doctors, students, actors, activists – people who had their whole futures ahead of them. Now, they are spending those years in tiny cells.

Saba Jikia turned 19 in prison this June. Before being sentenced to four and a half years, he worked in a restaurant and was preparing to take Computer Science courses. While he says he has grown more accustomed to prison life, the feelings of “fear, confusion, and injustice” linger. Yet he says his new friends in his prison cell – also arrested for protesting – have helped him adjust.

Before his arrest in December 2024, 30-year-old Irakli Kerashvili worked as a plastic surgeon. During the rallies in Tbilisi, he provided medical support to injured demonstrators. Taken from his home on December 6th by men in civilian clothing, he was charged with “inciting group violence”. From his prison cell, Irakli writes that – alongside friends and family – he misses his “surgical table, white coat, and interaction with clients”. Yet his convictions keep him strong. He calls it an “honour” and a “privilege” to be arrested for protecting his homeland.

Our message to the West

As Georgians enter their second year of uninterrupted protest, their letters express both hope and frustration toward western partners. Ivanishvili’s power depends on a network of captured institutions whose officials and intermediaries often maintain ties with the West. Yet, despite the strongest statements to date – the EU halting high-level engagement and the US freezing certain funding – international actions have not yet pierced the repressive machinery sustaining the regime.

“Georgian people and political leaders are fighting at the expense of our health and freedom. It is in Europe’s own interest to support this struggle. We are not asking others to fight for us – we are asking you to support us,” says Elene Khoshtaria.

Stronger, targeted sanctions can help dismantle the structures on which Ivanishvili’s regime rests.

As Georgia enters its second year of democratic resistance – with nearly the entire opposition behind bars and Georgian Dream doubling down on repression – the country needs more robust support to keep democracy’s pulse beating.

“I am happy with the fact that finally Europe understood the evil that Georgian Dream represents. Their statements make me happy. However, words need to be followed by specific actions – such as financial sanctions. It is not right that Ivanishvili is still a citizen of an EU country and continues to get richer from European businesses while crusading against the West. Europe should not make the same mistake as in 2008. This time around, it should help a small country – which Russia wants to make disappear – with tangible steps,” says Gela Khasaia.

Belgium:

In his alleged crusade to ‘defend the rule of law,’ Belgian PM Bart De Wever fully slipped into pro-russia mode:

“It is not even desirable for [russia] to lose and for instability to take hold in a country w/ nuclear weapons.”

Full impunity for any state that has nukes!

FFS.

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— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 9:28 AM

The Russian threats & well documented wet work operations in Europe have their desired effects in establishing a competitive system of control.

The G7 and the EU:

G7 and EU discuss replacing Russia’s oil price cap with full maritime services ban, potentially ending Western shipping for a third of Russian oil exports mostly to India and China, Reuters reports citing six sources.

www.reuters.com/business/ene…

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 12:09 PM

From Reuters:

BRUSSELS/LONDON/OTTAWA, Dec 5 (Reuters) – The Group of Seven countries and the European Union are in talks to replace a price cap on Russian oil exports with a full maritime services ban in a bid to reduce the oil revenue that helps finance Russia’s war in Ukraine, six sources familiar with the matter said.

Russia exports over a third of its oil in Western tankers – mostly to India and China – with the use of Western shipping services. The ban would end that trade, which is mostly done through the fleets of EU maritime countries including Greece, Cyprus and Malta.

The other two thirds of exported Russian oil goes out in a fleet of hundreds of tankers operating outside Western scrutiny and maritime standards, known as the dark or shadow fleet. Russia would need to expand that fleet if the G7 and the EU impose the maritime services ban.

BAN COULD BE IN NEXT SANCTIONS PACKET

The ban could be part of the EU’s next package of sanctions against Russia, slated for early 2026, three out of the six sources told Reuters. The 27-nation EU would like to approve the ban together with a broader G7 agreement before proposing the ban in the package, two of the six sources said.

The sources declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

British and American officials are pushing forward the idea in technical G7 meetings, the sources said. Any final U.S. decision would depend on the pressure tactics President Donald Trump’s administration chooses amid ongoing peace talks it is brokering between Ukraine and Russia, four sources said.

While the G7 and EU have almost fully cut imports of Russian oil since 2022, the new measure would mark the closest they have ever come to a total ban on dealing with Russian crude and fuel not only at the level of imports but also transportation and maritime services.

The U.S. State Department, the White House, Cyprus’s shipping ministry, European Commission, Britain’s foreign office and Canada’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Greek government officials were not immediately available for comment.

The G7 imposed a price cap for Russian oil in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine to curb the Kremlin’s income while allowing third countries to buy Russian oil using Western services – but only if buyers paid Russia less than the price cap.

DODGING PRICE CAP

To avoid the cap, Russia re-routed much of its oil to Asia on its own ships, many of which have since been sanctioned by the West. These vessels are old, their ownership is opaque, and they sail without Western insurance cover.

The administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden argued that if Russia spent more money on tankers it would have less money for waging war in Ukraine.

The Trump administration has been more sceptical about the price cap and declined to support Britain, the EU and Canada when they agreed to lower the cap on crude from $60 per barrel to $47.6 per barrel in September 2025.

Russia exported 44% of its oil in sanctioned shadow-fleet tankers in October, according to analysis from the Finland-based independent Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

Some 18% of oil sailed in non-sanctioned shadow fleet tankers while tankers with links to G7 countries, the EU and Australia transported 38% of Russian oil.

The administration of former US President Joe Biden was wrong and ineffective. Which is how we wound up with the second Trump administration.

UEFA:

UEFA fined Ukraine €15,000 for “Russia is a terrorist state” banner, calling it provocative and political, with total penalties reaching €34,000 including pyrotechnics and pitch invasion fines.

editorial.uefa.com/resources/02…

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 10:46 AM

The US:

Ukraine received almost no US government aid in 2025 with all support coming from Europe and other countries, Kiel Institute tracker shows.

www.kielinstitut.de/topics/war-a…

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 8:38 AM

As I documented in real time throughout 2024 and up until the inauguration in January 2025, the Biden administration did the bare minimum for Ukraine in 2024. Even worse they left a lot of aid unshipped and then senior members of Biden’s natsec team stated that they believed Trump and his team would make good on the US’s commitments. This was so far off of reality that they should’ve been institutionalized for being heavily delusional.

The US lobbied several countries in the European Union to block EU plans to use frozen Russian central bank assets to back a loan to Ukraine, arguing the assets are needed to help secure a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.- Bloomberg
🤬🤬🤬

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 5:55 AM

The reality, which we know from other reporting, is that the assets are needed so that Putin can give Trump 1/3rd of them to ensure that Putin gets to dictate the terms that Trump will try to force upon Ukraine.

The Trump administration released its new National Security Strategy (NSS). This dropped last night right around when I finished the update and took the dog lanterns for their patrol of Sector 2814 (all is clear). I read it last night. My overall take is that it isn’t a strategy. It is a racist, fascistic, eugenicist, factually inaccurate, conceptually incoherent polemic, the writing of which was clearly dominated by Vance, Miller, and their staffs. Here’s a cleaned up version of the thread I did on it a Bluesky this afternoon. One point, I’ve done some conceptual simplification on what a strategy, especially one like the NSS is so that the thread didn’t get any longer than it needed to be. Just keep that in mind as you read it.

When Trump did his only natsec/foreign policy speech back in April 2016, I referred to it as national security narcissism & teased the Trump Doctrine out of it.

This document goes well beyond natsec narcissism right to full on racist, revanchist belligerency.

The purpose of a National Security Strategy is to describe how an administration understands the geo-strategic environment, delineate its natsec objectives, & describe the ways & means to achieve those objectives. They misdefine strategy at the start of the document on p. 2.

Ends (objectives), ways (what we do to achieve them), means (how we pay for it/resourcing) is the shorthand that we all know and some of us love for defining strategy as a concept. There’s a lot of literature debating whether it’s insufficient, regardless, they screwed it up from jump.

They then make things worse in the same sentence by saying a strategy is a concrete, realistic plan. No, the strategy is the description of the environment, one’s objectives, and broadly what one will do to achieve them and how to pay for them.

A plan is a specific build that explains how to achieve specific, usually theater strategic objectives, that nest within the objectives of the national strategic guidance (the NSS for instance). It is much more detailed right down to having sequels and branches for contingencies.

For context, earlier this year I had an assignment as the Senior Strategic Planner (senior strategist & senior planner). One of my biggest frustration was too many of the career civil servants would use strategic to mean tactical, strategy to mean plan and vice versa.

One GS14 section head even told me that when she does plans for her section, she just writes SOPs. The people who wrote this – and it’s clear that’s Vance, Miller, their staffs, & about one paragraph of Colby – seem to have the same mistaken understanding of strategies versus plans.

Oy vey.

The first and most immediate problem is that the authors of the 2025 NSS don’t understand what a strategy is or why it’s different from a plan even as they’re related.

The second is that it is not a strategy. While there is a sort of description of the geo-strategic environment, basically everyone on the planet is ripping the US off, anyone who isn’t white and Christian is bad, and everything is or should be transactional & zero-sum, that doesn’t get us very far.

The ways delineated are contradictory. The 2025 NSS makes clear that everyone, especially the US, should act on their own national interests and no one should be dominating the global system.

But, at the same time, here’s all the ways we expect everyone, but especially US allies and partners to cave to US interests according to Trump and allow the US as run by Trump to dominate them. Or else.

Which gets us to the Trump Doctrine as I delineated it back in 2016: “I, Donald Trump, will be treated fairly or else! And only I, Donald Trump, can guarantee that the US and its forgotten men and women can be treated fairly or else!” They actually delineated this on p. 10!

Apparently the authors are big fans of Balloon Juice. Who knew?

Moving quickly on, the contradictions pile up. As do the declarations that all relationships are purely transactional. But the US will ensure that it can win all transactions and dominate all relationships.

I’m sure the Europeans were happy to read they needed to get their defense industrial base cranking and then be lectured by the Deputy Secretary of State about needing to buy American not build their own defense materials.

The document is also factually inaccurate despite the claims that it is realistic without being realist. The entire section on India just completely ignores the reality of what India does in its regional and global relations, especially in regard to the US & Russia.

The sections on Russia in regard to Europe are just fantasy land ignorant of the actual reality of the past 18 years of Russian-European relations since Putin announced his world war at the 2007 Munich Security Conference.

It’s also just ignorant of actual US-Russian relations. The document describes what Trump thinks he wants it to be based on what Putin and Putin’s surrogates tell him it should be, but none of that has anything to do with the reality or history of the relationship since Putin came to power.

This bit on p. 27 is straight from the Kremlin translated into English: “Ending the perception, and preventing the reality, of NATO as a perpetually expanding alliance” 🤦

If I was Taiwan, I wouldn’t have the warm fuzzies ater reading the entire section regarding Taiwan and US relations with China. If you’re skimming it sounds good. If you read carefully, it makes it clear that Taiwan is only valuable in securing parts of the South China Sea for the US.

I’m going to finish with the racism, eugenics, fascistic nationalism, and the eugenics. Yes, the white/European birthrate schtick is in there. As is the need to stop all non-white, non-Christian migration to the US and Europe.

Which should not be surprising given the mid-November scoop & reporting from Asawin Subesang and Prem Thakkar about who was drafting the document and what that meant for its contents.

The sections about US soft power are just silly at this point. We don’t have any soft power left because Trump let Musk and his minions, Secretary Violent Drunk Zipper Malfunction, Lil Marco, Bessent, Lutnick, etc destroy it for giggles over the past 11 months.

The whole cultural dominance narrative that’s woven through several sections is just a more genteel way of expressing the racism, fascistic nationalism, and eugenics.

The whole Trump is a peacemaker section is more of what he drones on about every day, but now he has a medal. First, he did not make peace b/ween Israel and Iran by bombing Iran. Second, he did not make peace in Gaza. We know this because the fighting never stopped.

While it’ll be professionally interesting to see where they go with the National Defense Strategy, National Intelligence Strategy, and National Diplomatic Strategy, this is not a strong start. It should NOT engender any confidence that they can handle an actual crisis.

The NSS from Trump’s first term wasn’t great, but it at least was a National Security Strategy. This isn’t even close, it’s just a racist, fascistic, contradictory, incoherent polemical screed. I’m going to leave it there before I write something intemperate.

As an addendum: there’s plenty in here that is clearly being dictated by Musk through Miller. All the EU is restricting freedom of speech and its birthrates are plummeting is all Musk. I expect the fight over the National Defense Strategy’s drafting will be between whether it reflects Colby’s genteel isolationism or Vance and Miller’s racist, fascistic, eugenicist world view.

India:

As I was just saying:

India Today aired a cartoon featuring Putin and Indian PM Modi.

In the sketch, Putin and Modi ride a motorcycle past oil rigs while cheerfully singing an Indian friendship song. Trump shows up beside gas pumps, where he’s mocked by the duo.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 8:07 AM

Putin stated Russia seeks multifaceted partnership with India beyond energy, claiming 80% trade growth over three years while praising Modi’s independent policy and economic achievements.

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 6:08 AM

Russia-India trade reached $64-65 billion with 96% settled in national currencies, Putin claims 12% growth and aims for $100 billion annually.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 4:42 AM

Back to Ukraine.

Remember, remember
the fifth of December
and never surrender
your nukes.

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— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:39 AM

OTD in 1994 The Budapest Memorandum was signed. It remains the most spectacular waste of paper, ink, and geopolitical optimism in the history of humankind.

​The deal was simple: Ukraine disarms. Russia, the UK, and the USA promised, in return, to guarantee our security and territorial integrity.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:08 PM

Years later, Russia invaded Ukraine. Bombing us with the same aircrafts we gave them during disarmament and killing our people with the very missiles they acquired from us. A five-star betrayal. True villains. Top notch.

​The other guarantors spent the first eight years of the war arguing

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:08 PM

passionately about whether the invasion was a “civil war” or not. When Russia escalated in 2022, they finally seemed to realize their stupidity and shifted to arguing about escalation management.

​The only steady side of the Memorandum is the UK.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:08 PM

They had the decency not to blame us for being invaded and didn’t push us to surrender.

​Moral of the story: you need nukes and can believe absolutely no one, especially not Russia.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 3:08 PM

The last few days have been hectic, and another massive combined attack is expected tonight.

Tmrw morning, St. Nicholas will bring presents to Ukrainian children. If only he could also bring us real, lasting peace and justice.

Thank you to everyone who stands with Ukraine 💙💛

— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 1:50 PM

Ukraine’s 5th Assault Brigade struck a Russian assault group using multiple bomber drones simultaneously on an undisclosed front.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 11:46 AM

Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces hit a record 431 Russian soldiers on December 4 with 217 killed and 214 wounded, averaging 309 strikes daily over seven days with a 57 percent kill rate, Istrebin infographic showed.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 2:42 AM

Vasylkivska, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast:

The cost:

💔 A cat sleeps on the rubble of a destroyed home, where last night his little owner was killed in a Russian drone strike.

Russian terrorists struck the Vasylkivska community in Dnipropetrovsk region. A boy born in 2013 was killed. His parents were injured.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 12:44 PM

One private house was destroyed, another damaged.

Bastards… this is diabolically evil

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 12:44 PM

Kyiv:

Ukraine’s main Christmas tree is lit up in Kyiv 🌟🎄

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 12:39 PM

Russian occupied Crimea:

Latest hits from HUR’s Ghost unit:
• Su-24 fighter-bomber;
• radar antenna in radio-transparent dome;
• a 39N6 “Kasta-2E2” radar station;
• an “Orion” UAV;
• two 48Ya6-K1 “Podlyot” radar stations;
• a freight train and Russian army “Ural” truck.

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— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 4:12 AM

Odesa:

The lights aren’t fully on yet. We’re saving electricity. But you can already tell: they will be. The city will light up. Like it always has. Because light isn’t a luxury. It’s resistance. It’s a message to the future: we were here, we shone.
Odesa style! 🇺🇦🎄

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— Vitalis Viva (@vitalisviva.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 2:32 PM

🇺🇦 Maybe that’s what memory smells like. Maybe the city has remembered a thousand New Year’s Eves and is exhaling their scent — a mixture of mandarins, snow that never falls, and hope that always returns in December.
Odesa is preparing for the holidays 😍

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— Vitalis Viva (@vitalisviva.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 10:00 AM

Zaporzhzhia Oblast:

Russian tank and MT-LB can no longer continue their “special defecation operation” in Zaporizhzhia direction.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 1:22 PM

Alchevsk, Russian occupied Luhansk:

Local “correspondent” from Alchevsk reports strikes hitting the city.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 1:12 PM

Donetsk Oblast:

Ukrainian FPV drone intercepted and critically damaged a Russian Molniya-2 kamikaze drone mid-flight over Donetsk region before continuing to strike its original ground target, Ivan Franko Group reports.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 12:14 PM

Bilozerske, Donetsk Oblast:

Bilozerskе mine shut down as Russia systematically levels the mining town with bombs and artillery.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 6:18 AM

Siversk, Donetsk Oblast:

Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces hit a record 431 Russian soldiers on December 4 with 217 killed and 214 wounded, averaging 309 strikes daily over seven days with a 57 percent kill rate, Istrebin infographic showed.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 2:42 AM

The Chechen front:

Ramzan Kadyrov promised to soon send a “gift” in response to drone strike on high-rise building in Grozny.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 12:59 PM

Ryazan Oblast, Russia:

Ryazan oil refinery is going to take time off from refining after tonight😏

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 6:15 PM

Samara Oblast, Russia:

Russian Syzran oil refinery was still burning on the morning after the attack.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 12:06 PM

Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces also confirmed hitting Syzran oil refinery 1,000 km from the front, one of Rosneft’s largest facilities processing 8.5 million tons annually, sparking fires.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 7:05 AM

Krasnodar Krai, Russia:

Big fire on the territory of the Russian Temruk sea port during yesterday’s attack.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) December 5, 2025 at 11:52 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

A new Patron video!

@patron__dsns

Що робити, коли тебе переповнює радість? Як бути, коли страшно чи соромно? Куди подіти образу або нудьгу? Ці питання можуть виникати у кожної дитини і на них не завжди легко знайти відповідь. Саме для цього ми створили книжку «Коли ти…» — справжній путівник у світ емоцій, де головним провідником є пес Патрон. Після кожної історії ви знайдете гру-практику, вправи якої створені під супроводом психологині Світлани Ройз. Біжіть гортати сторінки! Ми стрибатимемо від радості аж до стелі, якщо ви прочитаєте усі історії🥰

♬ оригінальний звук – Patron_official

Here’s the machine translation of the caption:

What to do when you are overflowing with joy? What to do when it’s scary or embarrassing? Where to put resentment or boredom? These questions can arise for every child and it is not always easy to find an answer to them. This is why we created the book “When you…”- a real guide to the world of emotions, where the main guide is the dog Patron. After each story, you will find a practice game, the exercises of which were created under the accompaniment of psychologist Svitlana Roise. Run to flip the pages! We’ll jump for joy all the way to the ceiling if you read all the stories🥰

Open thread!

A Dignified Peace Is Only Possible if Ukraine’s Interests Are Taken Into Account – Address by the President

3 December 2025 – 20:56

I wish you good health, fellow Ukrainians!

Today, I received regular reports from our team on work with partners. In Brussels today are Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, and the Chief of the General Staff. We’re working at all levels to secure support – defensive, diplomatic, and support for our resilience. Andrii Sybiha‎ represented our state today in the Ukraine–NATO Council format. Rustem Umerov and Andrii Hnatov communicated with the national security teams of European leaders. The most important thing is Europe’s effective involvement in our defense, and also in guaranteeing security after this war. Activity is at its maximum to bring this war to an end. And from our side, from Ukraine’s state, there will be no obstacles or delays. We are fully constructive, very swift in working with partners, and everyone acknowledges this, including the American side. We’re preparing meetings in the United States – after the American team returns from Moscow and following the relevant consultations in Washington – Rustem Umerov, Andrii Hnatov, along with the rest of the negotiating team, will continue discussions with envoys of President Trump. We expect news in the coming days regarding such meetings, contacts, and talks – whether in person or by phone. All partners are in regular contact with each other and with Ukraine. Everything is now proceeding quite effectively – at meetings in Geneva and Florida, Ukraine was heard, and Ukraine was listened to. And that matters. We expect it will continue exactly this way. A dignified peace is only possible if Ukraine’s interests are taken into account. I will also continue, at my level, to engage with leaders practically every day, coordinating, exchanging ideas, agreeing on how to talk to other leaders and what can bring more security. Right now, the world clearly feels that there is a real opportunity to end the war, and current diplomatic activity in negotiations must be backed by pressure on Russia. Everything depends on this very combination – constructive diplomacy plus pressure on the aggressor. Both components work toward peace.

It’s also important that there’s constructive internal work in Ukraine. I thank the parliamentarians for voting on the state budget for next year. This guarantees that we will deliver on the financial work. The Government of Ukraine is working well with our partners to cover deficits. There’s an understanding of how this will be done. We are also continuing the full reorganization and cleansing policy of the energy and defense sectors. Today, I had a detailed conversation with Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko. I am grateful that all processes are moving quickly, including the reboot of supervisory boards in energy companies. The Minister of Defense, Denys Shmyhal, will promptly ensure the reboot of supervisory boards of defense enterprises. We also have consultations on parliamentary work – I had a detailed discussion today with the head of the majority faction and other representatives of the Verkhovna Rada about the budget law. Key points are being observed. Thank you. In particular, everything concerning the next year’s pay raises for teachers is secured. Necessary support programs for the people are also ensured, including the check-up program – medical examinations for everyone aged 40 and over. The state covers the cost of this check-up, providing a great opportunity to prevent many health problems. I ask the Government to clearly explain to people how to benefit from this check-up program. Today, the Prime Minister also reported to me on the winter support program – already nearly 15 million Ukrainians are enrolled, with almost 3 million applications for children. This clearly proves the program is timely and truly needed. People must be supported. Funding for this program and all other support programs will be provided in full. Payments continue for those who applied for winter support via Diia and via Ukrposhta.

A few more things.

Partners have made decisions on arms procurement in the United States under the PURL initiative. Today, Norway announced a new contribution to PURL – thank you. Also Luxembourg. Canada is increasing its contribution. We know about Poland’s contribution. And just recently, the Netherlands made a decision. The first contributions from countries outside NATO are also coming. I want to thank everyone personally. I am awaiting a report on the full results of the PURL initiative. This is a special task for Ukrainian diplomacy – to keep up the pace in defense programs and projects with America and other partners. Diplomatic momentum largely determines the strength of our defense against Russian occupiers and the potential of our active measures, our long-range capabilities, and our protection from Russian strikes. Living next to Russia is dangerous in any circumstances. But Ukraine’s strength lies in our unity with the world and our own capability to set the agenda. I thank everyone who works for our state and for our people; I thank every one of our warriors.

Glory to Ukraine!

President Zelenskyy also presented awards to Ukraine’s Deaflympians.

The President Awarded Ukraine’s Deaflympics Athletes

3 December 2025 – 20:46

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the athletes of Ukraine’s National Deaflympics Team, who won 100 medals – the highest medal count among all teams – at the 25th Summer Deaflympics in Tokyo, and presented them with state awards.

“You win every day. You overcome hardship, doubt, fear. And at the same time, you achieve success – real success in the sports arena. You prove to the world that Ukrainians are a nation that knows how to win and that does win. Your incredible results at the Deaflympics in Tokyo prove this,” the Head of State noted.

The President congratulated the athletes on their victory and, on behalf of all Ukrainians, thanked the Deaflympics athletes and their coaches.

“This is a moment of joy for the entire country in such a difficult time, when achievements like these are so needed, when victories like these are so needed. You show the world not only our willpower. You remind everyone of this war – of how Ukraine is living, how Ukraine is fighting. Fighting for life, fighting for a dignified peace,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed.

The Head of State presented the athletes with the Orders of Merit, I–III class, and the Orders of Princess Olga, I–III class.

In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded the coaches of the National Deaflympics Team with the Orders of Merit, I–III class, and the Orders of Princess Olga, II and III class, as well as bestowed the honorary title of “Merited Worker of Physical Culture and Sports of Ukraine.”

At the 25th Summer Deaflympics, Ukraine’s National Team, which included 174 athletes, won 32 gold, 39 silver, and 29 bronze medals. Based on the results, Ukraine secured first place in the overall team standings among 81 countries, both in the number of gold medals and in the total medal count. Nine Ukrainian athletes set eight world records and 12 Deaflympics records.

And here’s the video of yesterday’s joint presser with the Irish Prime Minister:

Georgia:

Day 371 of #GeorgiaProtests

📷 MOSE

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 2:09 PM

Day 371 of uninterrupted protests in Georgia.

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 12:49 PM

Georgia continues to protest.

Day 371

#GeorgiaProtests

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 1:12 PM

Protest underway in Tbilisi outside the new office of UAE developer Eagle Hills.
Civil and political groups are demanding full disclosure of the deal signed between Georgian Dream and the investors for two massive new developments in Tbilisi and Gonio.

📷 Publika

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 11:06 AM

Doctor Constantine Chakhunashvili, whose medical symptoms study helped identify chemicals, was asked the following questions at the State Security Service interrogation:

“What do you think was the BBC’s aim [producing this documentary]?”

“Were you paid for the interview?”

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 6:52 AM

Georgian Dream’s self-proclaimed Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze CONFIRMED today that a substance under code UN3439 “likely would have been used” during the 2024 protests — possibly essentially acknowledging the BBC’s core claim that camite was deployed. Here’s why: 1/4 🧵

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 9:58 AM

The BBC obtained an inventory from the Special Tasks Department listing “Chemical powder UN3439.” This is a generic UN transport code for a category of hazardous NITRILES — organic CYANIDES. UN3439 is also Class 6.1: a toxic substance. 2/4

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 9:58 AM

I hope experts will chime in, but from what I’ve read, most industrial nitriles are not designed to cause the immediate, intense irritation needed for riot control. That could narrow the realistic options to camite (bromobenzyl cyanide) or a similar compound. 3/4

— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 9:58 AM

BBC reports that of all chemicals detected, only camite has ever been used as a riot-control agent. Based on Dr. Chakhunashvili’s study, victim accounts, and Shergelashvili’s chemical tests, toxicology expert Prof. Holstege says the evidence points to camite. 4/4

— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 9:58 AM

“Tell us what you’ve poisoned us with.” A big rally has been scheduled on Saturday in Georgia, after the BBC revealed that Georgian Dream used a WWI-era chemical weapon on protesters last year.

📷 Publika

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 7:23 AM

Some Georgian Dream propagandists now say that the West alleges chemical weapons use before they invade a country.

Oh, yes, the CIA and the European Council have long had a plan of a military ousting of the Georgian Dream.

Tick tock.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 10:12 AM

NATO:

⚡️ NATO allies pledge over $1 billion for US arms for Ukraine.

NATO allies announced two joint PURL packages, each worth $500 million: one co-financed by Germany, Norway, and Poland, and another by Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) December 3, 2025 at 6:36 AM

From The Kyiv Independent:

Five NATO allies confirmed on Dec. 3 new purchases of U.S. defense materiel for Kyiv under the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL).

The PURL initiative, launched earlier this year, enables NATO members to buy advanced U.S. weaponry for Ukraine.

During a meeting of allied foreign ministers in Brussels, two joint upcoming PURL packages, each worth $500 million, were announced: one co-financed by Germany, Norway, and Poland, and another by Germany, Norway, and the Netherlands.

Russian President Vladimir Putin “has not yet shown any real willingness to negotiate,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in Berlin on Dec. 3, prior to his departure for Brussels.

“That is why we are maintaining pressure on Russia, and, as allies in NATO, intend to increase it further.”

Canada:

Ministers McGuinty, Anand announce more than $200 million in funding for Ukraine nationalnewswatch.com/2025/12/03/m…

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— National Newswatch (@nationalnewswatch.com) December 3, 2025 at 5:24 AM

From National Newswatch:

OTTAWA — The government is pledging another $235 million in funding for Ukraine, with National Defence Minister David McGuinty and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand announcing Canada’s latest commitments.

McGuinty says Canada will work with NATO allies to purchase a package of critical military capabilities sourced from the United States valued at around USD $500 million.

Canada’s contribution to the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List package will be CAD $200 million.

At a meeting of NATO ministers of foreign affairs in Brussels, Anand announced $35 million in funding for NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine.

A Global Affairs Canada news release says the funding will allow NATO to provide Ukraine with medical supplies, personal protective equipment, communications tools, training, logistics support and support measures to enhance Ukraine’s interoperability with NATO forces and rebuild critical defence infrastructure.

The Global Affairs Canada news release says Canada has committed nearly $22 billion in funding for Ukraine since 2022, including $6.5 billion in funding for military assistance to Ukraine through to 2029.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2025.

Norway:

Norway will provide an additional $500 million to Ukraine under the PURL program, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide announced.

🇳🇴🇺🇦

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 9:50 AM

Now we have to see if Trump’s natsec team will continue to allow these foreign military sales.

Italy:

Bloomberg writes that Italy is suspending its participation in the PURL program for supplying American weapons to Ukraine: while negotiations on ending the war continue, the country will focus on diplomacy.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article…

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 4:54 PM

France:

A journalist from a Ukrainian media outlet spotted Putin’s so-called daughter — Liza — in Paris. She did not admit to being Putin’s daughter, but visually, she looks exactly like him.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 4:34 PM

I’m going to be very, very clear: if a journalist can get this close, this young woman is either not Putin’s daughter or her father wants her unprotected as a feint and provocation.

The EU:

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled two options for financing Ukraine over the next two years, as Kyiv approaches an existential cash crunch.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) December 3, 2025 at 10:38 AM

From The Kyiv Independent:

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled two options for financing Ukraine over the next two years, as Kyiv approaches an existential cash crunch.

Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, von der Leyen said that under the first option, European countries would jointly borrow and lend the money to Ukraine. All 27 member states would have to be on board for the plan to go ahead.

The second option is the long-stalled “reparations loan” initiative, which would lend immobilized Russian central bank reserves to Ukraine. Ukraine would only pay back the money in the case that Russia pays Ukraine reparations.

That second option would only need a “qualified majority” vote — at least 15 countries representing 65% of the EU’s population.

President von der Leyen said that the money would give Ukraine “the means to lead peace negotiations from a position of strength.”

Ukraine will run out of cash by mid-2026 without additional financial support, and is reliant on Europe to foot the bill. Von der Leyen’s announcement comes as the reparations loan — first floated in September 2025 — faced mounting obstacles in recent weeks, including strong opposition from Belgium.

A 28-point peace plan drafted without European input in November caused surprise after it proposed channeling some of those assets into a joint Russia-U.S. investment vehicle, raising questions over the politics of pursuing such a scheme altogether.

Von der Leyen said that the EU would cover two-thirds of Ukraine’s needs over the next two years, which she said amounts to 90 billion euros, leaving the rest to international partners.

But Commissioner for Economy Vladis Dombrovskis said that there were up to 210 billion euros of immobilized assets in the EU, which “is the maximum loan amount which could be used” for a potential reparations loan.

The quantity foreseen under joint borrowing — the first option — is yet to be determined.

Ukraine needs approximately $63 billion in financial support over 2026-27, according to the International Monetary Fund. But when including combined military and financial estimates, the EU estimates that Ukraine needs roughly 135 billion euros ($157 billion).

Von der Leyen said that Ukraine would need to meet several conditions in order to receive the funds, which would be paid out progressively, including respect for democratic norms, the rule of law, and commitment to the fight against corruption.

The reparations loan plan — option two — has faced staunch opposition from Belgium, which cites legal and financial risks. Belgium’s arguments are contested by lawyers and financial scholars.

Von der Leyen said that the commission had “listened very carefully to Belgium, and has taken almost all of (their concerns) into account.”

But Maxime Prevot, Belgian foreign minister, said earlier on Dec. 3 on the sidelines of a NATO summit that “the text the commission will table today does not address our concerns in a satisfactory manner.”

European countries will now discuss the details over the next weeks before a crucial summit on Dec. 18–19, where leaders will gather at a summit and vote on an option.

I’m going to be very, very blunt: neither of these is going to happen. The EU, like NATO, keeps talking and talking and talking all while hiding behind the protection of Ukraine’s defense against Putin’s/Russia’s genocidal re-invasion. After three years and ten months it is time to finally put up or shut up.

As the debate about the EU Reparation Loan continues, my question remains the same: isn’t it fundamentally wrong that the money of an aggressor state receives better protection than the nation defending itself from genocidal aggression?

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— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 10:03 AM

Kasparov:
Naturally,the Baltic nations-when u look at Estonians,Latvians, Lithuanians,or Nordic countries like Finland-understand that they’ll be on the front line… they will have to fight.But the tragic reality is that if something happens in Lithuania,Ukraine is the only country they can count on

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— Anton Gerashchenko (@antongerashchenko.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 12:59 PM

Turkey:

Every day, Moscow’s war finances erode further.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 2:07 PM

Romania:

⚡️ Ukraine war latest: Romania reports taking out Ukrainian Sea Baby drone, Ukraine denies.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) December 3, 2025 at 1:58 PM

From The Kyiv Independent:

Romania claimed on Dec. 3 to have disabled a Ukrainian naval drone off its Black Sea coast, but Ukrainelater denied the report.

Romanian Navy divers allegedly neutralized the Sea Baby-type drone after it was deemed a threat to shipping, the Romanian Defense Ministry said.

The operation was carried out by specialists from the 39th Diving Center, supported by a Coast Guard maritime surveillance vessel. They surveyed an area approximately 67 kilometers (42 miles) east of the port of the city of Constanta, according to the report.

After inspecting the drifting object, the military confirmed it was a Sea Baby-type drone. The response team received authorization to neutralize it, and at around 1:00 p.m. local time, the drone was destroyed in a controlled explosion.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) dismissed Romania’s claim, saying all Sea Baby drones involved in the Black Sea operation remain active and on combat missions.

Ukrainian operations are confined to designated areas, targeting only legitimate Russian positions, and that no Sea Baby drones have entered Romanian territorial waters, SBU told Ukrainian media outlet Hromadske.

The DPRK:

⚡️Several Ukrainian children abducted by Russia forcibly sent to North Korea, expert tells US Senate.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) December 3, 2025 at 6:20 PM

The Kyiv Independent has the details:

There have been at least two instances of Ukrainian children abducted by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine having been forcibly transferred to a camp in North Korea, Kateryna Rashevska, a legal expert at Ukraine’s Regional Center for Human Rights, told a U.S. congressional subcommittee on Dec. 3.

“12-year-old Misha from the occupied Donetsk region and 16-year-old Liza from occupied Simferopol were sent to Songdowon camp in North Korea, 9,000 km from home,” Rashevska testified. “Children there were taught to ‘destroy Japanese militarists’ and met Korean veterans who, in 1968, attacked the U.S. Navy ship Pueblo, killing and wounding nine American soldiers.”

The testimony came at the start of the U.S. Senate Appropriation’s hearingon Russia’s mass abduction of Ukrainian children.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Pyongyang has strengthened its relationship with Moscow, supplying weapons and deploying North Korean troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine in 2024. In late 2024, Pyongyang sent roughly 11,000–12,000 troops to Russia in late 2024 to help repel Ukraine’s advance in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

According to Ukraine’s national “Children of War” database, at least 19,546 Ukrainian children have been abducted from Russian-occupied territories and taken to Russia or Russian-controlled areas since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

While it is estimated that thousands of children have been forcibly adopted by Russian families, others, including orphans whose families were killed by Russian forces, have been confined to Russian militarization and re-education camps.

“The Regional Center for Human Rights documented 165 re-education camps where Ukrainian children are militarized and Russified. These camps exist in occupied territories, Russia, Belarus, and North Korea,” Rashevska added in her testimony.

In a separate testimony provided by the Nathaniel Raymond, the Executive Director of the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab told congressional leaders that the organization now estimates that at least 35,000 remain in Russian custody, including those who have been sent to fight against their own country on the front line.

Ukrainian officials estimate the real figure of abducted children could be far higher. Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets puts the number at up to 150,000, while Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Daria Herasymchuk has given a range of 200,000–300,000.

An estimated 1.6 million Ukrainian children remain in territories occupied by Russia as of 2025, Kyiv Independent’s recent investigation highlights.

More at the link.

Back to Ukraine.

The cost:

In Kherson Russian terrorists murdered scientist Tetiana Asaulyuk.

On December 2, at about 20:30, Russian forces shelled the city with artillery. A 37‑year‑old woman was killed inside her own home. Her life extinguished not on the battlefield, but in the supposed safety of her walls.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 12:09 PM

Ground drone operators of the 92nd Brigade evacuate the wounded from the front lines under shelling and drone FPV attacks.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 12:27 PM

Russian occupied Ukraine:

Sabotage activity in Russian-occupied territories is picking up after a two-year lull, according to a new report by ACLED, an organization that tracks conflicts around the world.

Read more: kyivindependent.com/chart-of-the…

Chart: Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) December 3, 2025 at 9:22 AM

The Kyiv Independent has the details.

Sabotage activity in Russian-occupied territories is picking up after a two-year lull, according to a new report by ACLED, an organization that tracks conflicts around the world.

Pro-Ukrainian militias were particularly active in the occupied territories in 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion, the report found — although this declined as Russia consolidated control through suppressing protests, torture, and executions.

“In 2023 and 2024, the data shows that Russia’s crackdown worked,” Nichita Gurcov, senior analyst at ACLED and author of the report, told the Kyiv Independent.

“But in 2025, sabotage is picking up again.”

This year, ACLED recorded 37 episodes of sabotage as of Nov. 14 — more than in 2023 or 2024, and mostly driven by one armed partisan group: Atesh.

A pro-Ukrainian militia originally from Crimea, Atesh is responsible for over half of the incidents recorded within the occupied territories in 2025. The group progressively expanded operations in the occupied territories, and since 2024, has operated within Russia itself.

“Since Crimea has been occupied for over a decade, our impression is that they (members of Atesh) blend in, facing fewer hurdles in accessing occupied territories and mainland Russia,” says Gurcov.

“We assume that they are more mobile than Ukrainians from the newly occupied territories, who probably face higher scrutiny from Russian security forces,” he added.

ACLED identified almost 700 incidents of anti-Russian sabotage within Russia since the full-scale invasion. Aside from Atesh, those behind the attacks include the Ukrainian forces and Russian anti-war groups, and the Freedom of Russia Legion — a militia aligned with Ukrainian special forces.

Popular targets include railway and communications infrastructure, local authorities, and Russia’s banking infrastructure.

But many smaller acts of sabotage likely go unrecorded — earlier this year, the Kyiv Independent reported on an all–female partisan group Zla Mavka, who claim to have mixed laxatives into food and drink served to Russian soldiers.

Russian sabotage in Ukraine has also picked up. According to the report, there have been around 400 incidents of sabotage throughout non-occupied Ukraine, with two-thirds of those attributable to recruits of Russian special services.

“From the data, it looks like Russia learned from Ukrainians how to recruit local proxies,” says Gurcov, highlighting that often those people are young, unemployed, and motivated by cash.

“And it’s not happening only in Ukraine. It’s happening in Europe now, too. Anyone with a phone and access to encrypted messaging apps is a target.”

Two Ukrainians are suspected of sabotaging the Warsaw–Lublin railway line in Poland last month, a crucial line for delivering aid to Ukraine.

Slaviansk, Donetsk Oblast:

Russia carried out massive air strikes on residential areas of Slaviansk. Eight people were injured, including two children.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 4:15 PM

Ternivka, Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts:

Russia attacked Ternivka in Dnipropetrovsk region, killing two men, aged 43 and 50.

Three more wounded: a 65‑year‑old man and woman in serious condition, and an 18‑year‑old boy moderately injured.

A private house was partially destroyed, six more damaged.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 9:10 AM

Kostiantynkivka, Donetsk Oblast:

Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, the Holy Presentation Church after Russian bombing.

Self-proclaimed defenders of Christianity and traditional values on full display.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 8:55 AM

Kyiv:

The premature baby of Tetiana Sakian, who was killed in the russian missile attack on Kyiv, has been discharged from the perinatal hospital after spending several months there. Little Nazar underwent four brain surgeries, but a VP shunt will allow him to grow and develop normally.

Via Hromadske.

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— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 1:27 PM

Russian occupied Donetsk Oblast:

Ukrainian UAVs have visited occupied Donetsk.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 2:08 PM

Kryvyi Rih:

Russia attacked Kryvyi Rih with a ballistic missile. Reports say it hit an administrative building in the city, and many apartment blocks have also been damaged.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 1:32 PM

Vovchansk:

An air-dropped bomb struck the Russian UAV control point in the territory of Vovchansk.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 9:24 AM

Lyman:

The 3rd Army Corps officially denies the information about the so-called Russian “breakthrough” in the city of Lyman.

Context: the chief of the Russian General Staff reported to Putin about a breakthrough in Donetsk region, in the defensive sector of the 63rd and 60th brigades.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 8:09 AM

But reality is different: Russians keep trying to enter the city with repeated assaults and multiple small-group infiltration attempts over the past month.
One captured soldier offered his own version of how Ukrainians discovered their positions.

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 8:09 AM

Rostov and Voronezh Oblasts, Russia:

In russia, the Druzhba oil pipeline was blown up again💥

It happened on the first night of winter, along the Taganrog–Lipetsk section of the pipeline, reported several Ukrainian media citing sources in Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 9:19 AM

Tambov Oblast, Russia:

Oil depot in russian Tambov region looked warm last night 🔥

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 8:26 AM

The collective noun for a group of Russian refineries is a combustion.

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— Darth Putin (@darthputinkgb.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 3:50 AM

It’s funny because it’s true.

Stavropol Krai, Russia:

Stavropol Krai in russia is spectacularly on fire 🔥

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 8:10 PM

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

There are no new Patron skeets or videos today. Here is some adjacent material.

Army humor in action! 💙😻
What do combat cats in the Armed Forces of Ukraine eat from?
1. A creative pet dish.
2. A robot vacuum cleaner.
3. An anti-tank mine.

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— Vitalis Viva (@vitalisviva.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 9:44 AM

Open thread!

Statement by the President of Ukraine During the Joint Press Conference with the President of France

1 December 2025 – 18:58

Thank you, Emmanuel, for our truly friendly relationship, and thank you for France’s support for Ukraine!

I greatly appreciate our meetings, our cooperation, and your personal support. Thank you!

Dear Mr. President,

Dear journalists,

I want to thank all of you separately for your attention to Ukraine and for the strong, unwavering support that continues. Unfortunately, the war continues as well, and that is why we count on this support to continue.

We had a thorough conversation today with the President of France, with Emmanuel. I briefed him on the work of our delegation and on the reports from Florida. Emmanuel shared his assessment, and I value all of your advice, thank you very much. We spoke with European leaders, as the President has already mentioned: the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Italy, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Finland, the European Commission, the European Council, and the NATO Secretary General. And I am grateful for this assistance and for organizing today’s discussion – it was important, very important. We also thank President Trump for his assistance and for the work of his team with our delegation. Together with Emmanuel, we also spoke today with our delegations. We were in contact with Rustem Umerov, a Ukrainian representative, and Steve Witkoff, on the American side. Keir Starmer was also with us on that call. There will be more contacts and more meetings.

These are special days, when a great deal can truly change – and change every single day. Yesterday, the Ukrainian delegation held negotiations in the United States. Tomorrow, as we all already know, the Envoy of the President of the United States will be in Russia. We are making every effort to bring this war to an end – and it must be ended with dignity. And if everyone now works not only actively but also honestly for the sake of peace and guaranteed security, we may achieve exactly the result that is needed for Ukraine, for Europe, and also, I am certain, for America – for the long-term interests of the democratic world. Although at times it may seem that everybody is on their own – the United States, Europe – we all equally need security and normal economic development, believe me. And that is our shared interest. And therefore our shared interest is to live without war. Russia must end this war – the war it alone started and continues. It is solely Russia’s war, and it is Russia that must put an end to its aggression. Our joint actions contribute to this.

Ukraine’s priorities are clear. First and foremost – defense and security guarantees, guarantees of preserving Ukraine’s independence and our sovereignty. We will defend this. We are working to ensure that there will be no third Russian invasion and no disruption of agreements to end the war. Russia has broken its promises so many times, violated every agreement, and disrupting peace is very easy for Russia. That is why Ukraine needs reliable security guarantees, for all of us, for all Ukrainians. You can all see how the war has changed over these nearly four years of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Strike drones, missiles – far more powerful, far more massive. And you know that the Russians keep targeting Ukraine every day. Today, there was a brutal missile strike on our city, on Dnipro – unfortunately, people were killed. My condolences to the families and loved ones. This threat of strikes must be eliminated. And therefore, security oversight is also a critical issue – one that must be resolved.

I am grateful to France and to all our partners who, within the Coalition of the Willing, are preparing this – real security. We also must make sure that Russia itself does not feel that it is receiving anything that could be perceived as a reward for this war. War must not become a profitable venture, so that others do not want to repeat such actions. That is why we take principled stances on sanctions, on accountability for war crimes, on the legal status of our territories currently occupied by Russian forces, on Russian assets, and on the obligation of reconstruction – the aggressor must pay for its aggression. The stronger the international community’s shared positions on these points, the more reliable and lasting peace will be. And this depends not only on Ukraine – it depends on our unified position in Europe and on the position of the United States. It determines not only when this war will end, but also how long the next war will not pose a threat. Principled positions now, in preparing the relevant agreement, are what will ensure the long-term peace after this war. All partners must understand this equally – all the challenges and risks.

One more thing. Now, in December, in France – and Emmanuel mentioned this – the time of Ukraine begins in the cultural dimension: Ukraine’s cultural season is kicking off, and this highlights the importance of our relations and the significance of Ukraine for all of Europe. The First Ladies of Ukraine and France are working toward this. I am grateful to every university in France – twelve universities have joined Ukrainian studies. I thank all other French educational and cultural institutions for their support and assistance, for taking on Ukrainian educational and cultural projects. This is very important for us. Culture always strengthens politics, and we are working for the strongest possible relations with France – the strongest possible. That is exactly how it will be, I am certain.

Of course, the main topic we discussed today was ending the war and the support of our partners, including, unquestionably, the support of France. But we also raised issues of our bilateral relations. I am very grateful for the latest package – the defense package, as I said. It is very important for us. And the deliveries have begun. I am very grateful to you, Emmanuel, and to all the institutions that are accelerating this process. We discussed aircraft and air defense systems, and, of course, these issues are always on our agenda. We also spoke a bit about our economic relations and raised the topic of recognizing our driver’s licenses. There are many issues in progress.

I thank you for such strong support from your country for our people. Thank you once again.

Glory to Ukraine!

Thank you, Emmanuel!

First Lady Zelenska also had a very busy day in Paris. She participated in a meeting regarding repatriating Ukrainian children stolen by the Russians.

A Meeting on the Return of Ukrainian Children Abducted by Russia Took Place in Paris

1 December 2025 – 22:47

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, First Lady of France Brigitte Macron, and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot took part in a meeting held within the framework of the President of Ukraine’s initiative, Bring Kids Back UA.

Around 150 participants attended, including representatives of France’s political circles, the diplomatic corps, international organizations, businesses, the philanthropic community, mayors, regional leaders, and cultural figures.

The President’s wife emphasized that, as of today, Ukraine has been able to return 1,859 children home. To search for and return abducted young Ukrainians, our state, together with its partners, established the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. It now includes 42 countries, the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

“But support is needed even after rescue. After a child physically returns home, psychological and social return is still required. For this purpose, we are developing mental health support programs in Ukraine, and the government has introduced special assistance for every returned child,” Olena Zelenska said.

The First Lady urged all those who care to join efforts to help Ukrainian children.

“Returning children from captivity is not about politics. It is about our ability to empathize, to support the defenseless, to uphold justice, and to respond to flagrant violations of human rights and the rights of the child,” the President’s wife added.

The meeting also included a presentation of the key areas of activity within Bring Kids Back UA: the search for and identification of deported and forcibly displaced children, their return, psychological support for families, and models of reintegration and rehabilitation that Ukraine is implementing with international partners.

France will deepen its support for Ukraine and contribute to the development of reintegration programs. The French government, as well as municipal and regional authorities, have undertaken a series of commitments to further assist in rehabilitating children who faced deportation and occupation. Jean-Noël Barrot announced that, with the support of the French government, a rehabilitation center for children returned from Russia will be opened in Cherkasy. The city of Nantes signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Kherson, creating new opportunities to support Ukrainian children affected by Russian aggression. As part of this cooperation, 30 children, including orphans, have already been accepted into wellness and reintegration programs. A representative of the Île-de-France region announced a decision to provide 400 school buses to the Kyiv region, improving safe access to education and supporting the restoration of educational infrastructure.

She also met with heads of French academic institutions.

Twelve French Educational Institutions Have Joined the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies – Olena Zelenska

1 December 2025 – 20:07

During her visit to France, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, together with Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha and Director General of the Ukrainian Institute Volodymyr Sheiko, met at the Sorbonne with the country’s academic community and the heads of leading educational institutions.

The President’s wife thanked them for supporting Ukrainian students and scholars.

“I am also grateful to France for this new step. Twelve distinguished French educational institutions are joining the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies – a project devoted to the academic study of Ukraine,” she emphasized.

The following institutions have joined the initiative: Sorbonne Université, Université de Lorraine, Université Rennes 2, INALCO (Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales), Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Nantes Université, HEIP (Hautes Études Internationales et Politiques), CEDS (Centre d’Études Diplomatiques et Stratégiques), Université Paris Panthéon-Assas, Université de Rennes (letter of intent), and Sciences Po Rennes (letter of intent). In total, the coalition now includes 44 members from 15 countries.

“Social media and loud headlines have replaced real knowledge for many people today. We propose to counter this with in-depth, academic knowledge. We want to offer students of the program objective facts and their analysis, our entire history, cultural studies, and social sciences, so that everyone receives the fullest information and reaches their own conclusions,” the First Lady noted.

Olena Zelenska also presented the global campaign in support of education, “Every Generation Leaves Its Mark. Education Shapes Its Legacy,” launched following the 5th Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen. The campaign has already reached 32 countries, including France.

In addition, the Ukrainian delegation presented the installation Dual Desk at the Sorbonne. Its damaged half symbolizes the impact of the war, while its intact half represents the power of education.

“We all – every country – need humane, high-quality education as an antidote to prejudice, intolerance, and modern barbarism. This is not only about the present. This is about what Europe will look like in ten, twenty, fifty years,” Olena Zelenska concluded.

Finally, she made remarks at the opening on an exhibit regarding Ukraine.

Georgia:

Day 369 of the #GeorgiaProtests

Protesters showed up masks today—after BBC revealed that Georgian Dream used a WWI-era chemical agent last year.

Covering your face at a protest is now punishable by 15 days in jail, up to 2 years for repeat “offenses” (4 years for “organizers”).

📷 Mariam Nikuradze

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 12:39 PM

Some footage from today’s protest march. Georgian citizens are demanding that the parliamentary elections, allegedly rigged in 2024, be rerun and that all political prisoners be released.

#GeorgiaProtests
Day 369

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 1:36 PM

According to a BBC investigation, the Georgian Dream regime used a WWI-era chemical agent called “camite” during last year’s protests. This finally explains the symptoms many of us experienced both on the night of the crackdown and in the following months.
www.bbc.com/news/article…

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 1:32 AM

“Georgia’s authorities used a World War One-era chemical weapon to quell anti-government protesters last year, evidence gathered by the BBC suggests.”

1/3

www.bbc.com/news/article…

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 5:45 AM

“Camite was deployed by France against Germany during World War One. There is little documentation of its subsequent use, but it is believed to have been taken out of circulation at some point in the 1930s, because of concerns about its long-lasting effects.

2/3

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 5:45 AM

CS gas – often referred to as “tear gas” – was used as a replacement.”

“Demonstrators against the Georgian government’s suspension of its European Union accession bid have complained of other symptoms too – shortness of breath, coughing, and vomiting that lasted for weeks.”

3/3.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 5:45 AM

For the Russian regime that is the Georgian Dream, the people of Georgia is a hostile / enemy population to be crushed completely.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 6:06 AM

1/ Georgian Dream responded to a BBC investigation claiming that, during the November–December 2024 protests in Georgia, a toxic compound used in World War I was deployed to disperse demonstrators. The compound was reportedly mixed into water cannons.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 6:40 AM

2/ Georgian Dream says the media presented no evidence, and the respondents cited in the report are accused individuals.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 6:40 AM

3/ The party also claims that “BBC is carrying out a dirty agenda, spreading lies,” and that the journalistic investigation aims to “smear the Georgian government, the Georgian police, and, most importantly, the Georgian state.” GD adds that it will sue the media in international courts.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 6:40 AM

4/ According to a BBC investigation, in November–December 2024, a toxic compound previously used during World War I, named Camite, was deployed in Georgia to disperse protesters. It had been mixed into the water used by water cannons.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 6:40 AM

Here’s the full documentary:

By the way, Gela Khasaia, who features on the BBC documentary thumbnail and gave an important interview is now in jail on very obvious fabricated charges.

1/2

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 6:29 AM

And the 71-year-old doctor, George Chakhunashvili, who together with his son provided key scientific evidence to the BBC study on the GD’s use of WW1 toxins against the people was also jailed in October. Only thanks to serious public backlash was he released on bail.

2/2.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 6:29 AM

I wonder if it’s a coincidence.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 6:29 AM

The Rustaveli Avenue where the Georgian Dream regime used chemical weapons (bromobenzyl cyanide) against peaceful protesters in November-December 2024 is a tourist center with many hotels and a heavily populated residential area with a public school right next to the Parliament building.

1/3

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 7:08 AM

I have personally often seen tourists with their luggage stranded and confused amid crackdowns, including the November-December 2024 crackdowns.

Not to mention that the excessively used chemicals have casually penetrated residential buildings around.

2/3

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 7:08 AM

And soon after, pupils went to school right in the epicenter.

The use was so excessive that we sneezed in the area days after the last use of the chemicals, simply because the trees and walls around were still contaminating the air.

3/3.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 7:08 AM

The Georgian Dream party will also sue the BBC.

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 9:48 AM

The State Security Service of Georgia begins an investigation regarding police misuse of power and public health harm as well as “aiding a foreign organization in hostile activities,” tarnishing Georgia’s reputation and harming national interests.

2/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 9:14 AM

We can guess which part of the investigation is likely to be pursued, and which one will likely be discarded or fully acquitted.

“As of today, we can only consider as an established fact that, on the one hand, the disseminated material contains signs of a crime, which,

3/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 9:14 AM

if confirmed, is directed at the life and health of citizens, substantially violates their and society’s legitimate interests, and on the other hand, on the contrary, contains signs of a crime that grossly harms Georgia’s national interests,

4/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 9:14 AM

its int’l image, reputation, & is aimed at violating state interests.

Accordingly, we have initiated an investigation under Article 333 of the Criminal Code, which concerns abuse of official authority, & Article 319, which concerns assistance to a foreign organization in hostile activities.”

5/5

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 9:14 AM

NATO:

The Financial Times writes that NATO is considering a “more aggressive” approach and even a “pre-emptive strike” as a defense against Russia’s hybrid attacks.

Wow. And this comes after nearly four years of full-scale war in Ukraine.

www.ft.com/content/dbd9…

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 5:27 AM

The headline and blurbed summary are a wee bit misleading.

From The Financial Times:

Nato is considering being “more aggressive” in responding to Russia’s cyber attacks, sabotage and airspace violations, according to the alliance’s most senior military officer.

Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone told the Financial Times that the western military alliance was looking at stepping up its response to hybrid warfare from Moscow.

“We are studying everything . . . On cyber, we are kind of reactive. Being more aggressive or being proactive instead of reactive is something that we are thinking about,” said Dragone, who is chair of Nato’s military committee.

Europe has been hit by numerous hybrid war incidents — some attributed to Russia and others unclear — from the cutting of cables in the Baltic Sea to cyber attacks across the continent.

Some diplomats, especially from eastern European countries, have urged Nato to stop being merely reactive and hit back. Such a response would be easiest for cyber attacks where many countries have offensive capabilities but would be less easy for sabotage or drone intrusions.

Dragone said that a “pre-emptive strike” could be considered a “defensive action”, but added: “It is further away from our normal way of thinking and behaviour.”

He added: “Being more aggressive compared with the aggressivity of our counterpart could be an option. [The issues are] legal framework, jurisdictional framework, who is going to do this?”

Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Dragone’s comments to the FT were an ‘‘extremely irresponsible step’’ and indicated Nato’s ‘‘readiness to continue moving towards escalation’’.

“From the beginning of Baltic Sentry, nothing has happened. So this means that this deterrence is working,” Dragone added.

A Baltic diplomat said: “If all we do is continue being reactive, we just invite Russia to keep trying, keep hurting us. Especially when hybrid warfare is asymmetric — it costs them little, and us a lot. We need to try to be more inventive.”

Despite the success of Nato’s Baltic Sentry, there are still worries in the alliance after a Finnish court dismissed a case against the crew of the Eagle S, a shadow-fleet vessel that had cut several underwater electricity and data cables, because the ship was in international waters when the suspected sabotage took place.

Asked if that gave Russian vessels carte blanche in international waters, Finland’s foreign minister Elina Valtonen told the FT: “Yes, and that’s a problem.”

She added that being more assertive “is something which we are looking into. So far, I don’t think there has been a need for that. We also should take a step back and really analyse what the aggressor is after. Then probably, we shouldn’t be hysterical. We have our own playbook and we should trust it because it’s quite robust.”

Dragone conceded that one issue was that Nato and its members had “much more limits than our counterpart because of ethics, because of law, because of jurisdiction. It is an issue. I don’t want to say it’s a loser position, but it is a harder position than our counterpart’s.”

More at the link.

Back to Ukraine.

Russian drones can now fire missiles, media report.

Today, for the first time, russia used a drone equipped with an R-60 air-to-air missile — a new attempt to shoot down Ukrainian helicopters and aircraft that intercept Shaheds.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 9:02 AM

Footage of the destruction of the same Shahed that was carrying an R-60 air-to-air missile.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 10:13 AM

Otd in 1991, the Referendum on the Act of Declaration of Ukraine’s Independence was held. The turnout was 84%, w 90%+ of votes in favor. In numbers 28,8M Ukrainians said yes.

Here lies the answer to “trade your land & ppl for the pause in the war” offers that are coming.

Ukraine won’t surrender.

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— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 9:42 AM

#Ukrainian karateka from Chernivtsi Andrii Zaplitnyi won silver at the World Championships in the men’s kumite 75kg category.

In the semifinals, the 24-year-old karateka defeated the Russian representative (6:3), who competed under a neutral flag.

Nothing but pure emotions.

📹: ukf_official

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— Anton Gerashchenko (@antongerashchenko.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 4:26 PM

Interceptions of two jet powered Shahed kamikaze drones by the STING anti-Shahed drones developed by @wildhornets.bsky.social

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 3:50 AM

Dnipro:

The Russians struck civilian targets this morning.

At 10 a.m. on Monday, when Dnipro’s streets were full of people starting their day, russia fired an Iskander missile at the city.

As of now, three people are confirmed killed and eight injured.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 5:33 AM

Dnipro today ‼️

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 7:19 AM

Dnipro today: bodies and pools of blood on the streets after the Russian missile attack on the city‼️

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 7:30 AM

The number of injured in russian missile attack on Dnipro has risen to 40. Eleven of them are in critical condition.

Four people were killed.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 8:43 AM

In Dnipro as a result of a Russian missile strike on the city, 4 people were killed and another 27 were injured‼️

Bastards! Child murderers!

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 7:04 AM

Kramatorsk:

In Kramatorsk, residential building is on fire following a russian shelling!

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 3:30 PM

Kharkiv:

A push-button phone and two shirts—that’s all 77-year-old Kharkiv resident Volodymyr Kravtsov managed to save after a Russian attack drone destroyed his home. He survived the massive strike on Kharkiv on November 23, when a drone exploded just five meters from where he was sitting.

1/8

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 4:26 PM

That day, according to Kharkiv police, four people were killed and 13 injured in strikes on the city center. Among the dead, Volodymyr says, was his neighbor and friend.

“My friend Oleg lived in the corner house. When the first strike hit, a two-story building where his friends lived was

2/8

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 4:26 PM

demolished. He rushed out to help them—and then came the second strikes. Poor guy, he later died in intensive care. He was a very good man,” recalls Volodymyr Kravtsov.

Volodymyr himself escaped serious injury, but lost nearly everything he owned.

3/8

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 4:26 PM

“That was my bedroom, where I was sitting on the bed. My back was turned toward the blast. I had just sat down—and then came the third strike. Terrifying force. Just five meters from my wall. What saved me was that the beams were strong and reinforced with brick.

4/8

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 4:26 PM

Everything collapsed, everything went dark,” he says.

The drone strike left him with almost nothing. He managed to salvage only two shirts and his old phone; the rest of his home is now just charred walls. Today, he lives in a dormitory provided by the district administration.

5/8

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 4:26 PM

Firefighters helped rescue his passport and pension certificate from the flames, while local authorities and volunteers are assisting with other documents, clothing, and food. Kharkiv volunteer Nataliia Popova launched a fundraiser for him, and people have already donated more than 400k hryvnias.

6

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 4:26 PM

“My pension is three thousand. I have 900 hryvnias left. The administration is now handling the paperwork. For now, I can’t say anything—I don’t know what will happen next. I’ve lived in that house since birth. It was my grandmother’s, then my father inherited it,

7/8

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 4:26 PM

and then I inherited it from him,” says the pensioner.

Translated from @suspilne_news
Article in Ukrainian.

8/end

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 4:26 PM

Russian occupied Crimea:

Special Operation Forces targeting Russian Shahed launch site in Crimea using FP-2 guided kamikaze drones.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 11:03 AM

Vovchansk:

The Russians are trying to advance in Vovchansk, but there are some nuances.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 11:13 AM

Berdyansk, Russian occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast:

“Where did it blow up?” – The Main Intelligence Directorate and the Resistance Movement carried out a successful operation in occupied Berdyansk.

t.me/c/1606301574…

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 7:45 AM

On November 19, an explosion occurred at the city entrance near a gathering of Russian forces. As a result, 5 occupiers from the Russian National Guard were killed, 4 were wounded, and two pickups and a “Tiger” armored vehicle were damaged.

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 7:45 AM

The Kremlin:

Putin has signed the federal budget for 2026, in which nearly 40% of all expenditures are allocated to the military and security sector.
t.me/c/1663231580…

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 10:47 AM

The Center for Countering Disinformation reports that this is a record since Soviet times and a clear signal that peace is not part of the Kremlin’s plans for the coming year.

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 10:47 AM

Novosibirsk and Bryansk Oblasts, Russia:

It is reported that critical Russian railway infrastructure was sabotaged in the Novosibirsk and Bryansk regions. On November 20, in the settlement of Baryshovo, Novosibirsk region, an explosion on the railway track blocked freight trains and disrupted enemy logistics.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 8:46 AM

Another explosion occurred on November 28 at the Unecha junction station on the Bryansk–Gomel route, hitting a fuel and lubricants transport train. At least two fuel tanks were destroyed, and the railway track was damaged.

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 1, 2025 at 8:46 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

There are no new Patron skeets or videos today. Here is some adjacent material.

Guys, you should meet Cactus, a little jaguar cub from Kharkiv. He lives in the ecopark and he is soooo cute 😻🐾

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) November 28, 2025 at 2:59 PM

Open thread!

Georgia:

It’s day 368, and the protests are still ongoing in Georgia.

#GeorgiaProtests

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 1:19 PM

Day 367 of #GeorgiaProtests and Georgians are still out ✊🏻

📷 MOSE

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 12:37 PM

‪Apparently, it’s Day 368.‬

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 1:43 PM

This is why I don’t take a night off from the war updates. You wind up losing count.

A funny video went viral on Georgian FB:

• Day 17 — a protester says he can’t keep standing in the freezing cold anymore
• Day 216 — the same guy is laughing at how absurd it is that the protests are still going
• Day 365 — on the 1-year mark, he’s laughing again, admiring how big the crowd is.

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 4:43 PM

Unless you’ve lived through daily, uninterrupted protests for a full year, it’s hard to grasp the physical and mental toll. But what choice do we have? We can’t give up on the idea of a free Georgia.

🎥 Bridget Katarina Vepkhvadze Jones

— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 4:43 PM

The Prosecutor’s Office released a video claiming that the person shown is Alexander Elisashvili attempting to set the court chancellery on fire.

He is now charged under an article related to committing a terrorist act and faces 10 to 15 years in prison.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 10:24 AM

Aleko Elisashvili is now charged for terrorism.

Questions remain about what happened at all, despite “video footage” released by the authorities. Aleko’s face doesn’t feature anywhere, and the perpetrator seems to have changed his shoes quite fast.

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 12:26 PM

It should be noted that Elisashvili himself admits to doing all of this, and says the only thing he regrets is not actually managing to put the building [court chancellery] on fire.

I, however, preserve the right to think he’s being forced, because some things don’t add up.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 12:41 PM

The unyielding regime prisoner families in Georgia continue distributing “Voice of Freedom from Prison” newspaper.

They were in Dmanisi today.

#GeorgiaProtests #TerrorinGeorgia

📷 Protest 24

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 8:12 AM

Georgia’s illegitimate Speaker of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili suddenly denied years-long accusations that then-US Ambassador Kelly Degnan demanded Georgia join war with Russia and “open the second front.”

Instead, he said the Ambassador demanded Georgia join Russia sanctions.

1/

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 7:23 AM

Formula TV journalist who insisted on answers from Papuashvili wanted to make it make sense, since the Georgian Dream’s entire propaganda for the last 3 years has been built precisely on the narrative that the US and the West in general wanted to drag Georgia into the war.

2/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 7:23 AM

Papuashvili simply responded that, well, “we all know” what follows the imposition of sanctions.

So, it’s their wishful interpretation, not the fact of what happened, and suddenly they admit it for the first time.

Not that this would reverse the propaganda by now, but why admit it now?

3/3.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 7:23 AM

I’m just feeling nauseous.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 7:23 AM

Georgia’s State Security Service (SSS) denies reports claiming that Ukrainian intelligence identified Russian military secure-communication terminals on Georgian territory.

SSS says Ukraine’s statement a photo published with the report led to a “misinterpretation” involving Georgia.

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 5:57 AM

Senegal:

The oil tanker M/T Mersin is sinking off the coast of Senegal 👀

In August, it visited the Russian port of Taman before heading to Africa, where it later remained idle.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 8:24 AM

Poland:

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has canceled his planned meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, limiting his Wednesday trip to the Visegrad Group summit in Esztergom, presidential aide Marcin Przydacz announced.

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 4:18 AM

Back to Ukraine.

Jet powered Shahed in the camera of STING interceptor drone!

Several of these were intercepted tonight by STING anti-Shahed drones developed by @wildhornets.bsky.social

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 3:53 AM

Ukraine’s MFA addressed Kazakhstan’s selective concern over Novorossiysk strikes, saying actions target Russian military capacity while noting Astana’s silence on attacks against Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 2:31 PM

Vovchansk:

Ukraine’s 57th Brigade thwarted the third Russian attempt to raise their flag in Vovchansk this autumn, eliminating both soldiers with drone and small arms fire.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 2:50 PM

Myrnohrad:

Street fighting in Myrnohrad from a Ukrainian soldier’s perspective.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 6:00 AM

Russian occupied Donetsk Oblast:

Ukrainian drones struck Russian-occupied areas of Donetsk Oblast overnight.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 3:30 AM

The Bosphorus Strait:

The fire at russian tanker KAIROS has been extinguished, but it’s unlikely to sail anywhere soon by the looks of it.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 8:26 AM

Here’s more video of it burning.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 2:44 PM

The Republic of Tatarstan, Russia:

Drone attack threat declared in several Russian regions. One UAV spotted over Tatarstan.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 4:36 AM

Rostov Oblast, Russia:

So-called “SVO” is happening right now in Russia’s Taganrog. Drone and Neptune strikes are also reported on occupied Crimea.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 1:59 PM

Anapa, Krasnodar Krai, Russia:

Air raid alerts sounded in Russia’s Anapa overnight with air defenses reportedly active.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 30, 2025 at 3:30 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

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💙🥰 A small reconnaissance drone! And not a single orc will notice it!

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— Vitalis Viva (@vitalisviva.bsky.social) November 25, 2025 at 12:06 PM

I think Magyar is taking the whole birds thing a wee bit too literaly.

Open thread!