Ukraine’s armed forces are developing a new long-range missile and intend to continue launching long-range strikes on Russian territory; the European Union is considering adopting 16th, 17th, and 18th packages of sanctions against Russia in the near future. Additionally, the Russian government has announced a ban on cryptocurrency mining in ten regions, citing acute power shortages. These stories topped Wednesday’s newspaper headlines across Russia, according to TASS news agency.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Ukraine prioritizes missile development over peace talks

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are expected to escalate activities in the conflict zone while continuing to launch new long-range strikes on Russian territory. At the same time, Kiev plans to mass-produce modern weapons starting in 2025, including missiles capable of reaching Moscow, according to a report by The Economist. Western media previously reported on the development of long-range missiles in Ukraine, and their reports can hardly be considered propaganda, since Ukraine possesses the intellectual and technological potential to create such weapons, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes.

The Economist reported that Kiev is allegedly developing a cost-effective long-range missile called Trembita, designed to reach Moscow with a warhead weighing 20-30 kg. This missile is said to be undergoing field tests. According to the publication, Ukraine is also making progress on other long-range missiles, some of which have already seen combat use.

"Kiev’s reluctance to negotiate with Moscow and its focus on continuing military operations, including sabotage and guerrilla tactics, is confirmed by information that in several areas within the conflict zone, the Ukrainian armed forces are building up their reserves for a potential counter-offensive against Russian positions," military expert and retired Colonel Nikolay Shulgin told Nezavisimaya Gazeta. He also noted that Western countries, notably the UK, France, and Germany, continue to support the Ukrainian armed forces.

The UK Prime Minister’s Office reports that Keir Starmer and Vladimir Zelensky agreed on the importance of finalizing the UK’s proposal to train the Ukrainian armed forces during a recent telephone conversation. Reports indicate that the UK may soon send troops to western Ukraine to train soldiers. France has repeatedly announced its commitment to assisting in training Ukrainian military personnel. Meanwhile, Germany has stated it is not yet prepared to deploy military specialists to Ukraine, but Berlin has announced a new package of military aid for Kiev.

The media also reported that the first volunteers of the so-called Ukrainian Legion, based in Poland, have departed for Ukraine. This information was confirmed by the Ukrainian ambassador to Poland, Vasily Bodnar. In early November, it was reported that 600 Ukrainians had applied to join the legion. According to experts, this figure is relatively small - only about two battalions, which will have limited impact on bolstering the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Izvestia: EU may adopt 16th, 17th, 18th packages of sanctions against Russia - European Parliament Member

Kiev’s victory in the conflict with Russia is deemed unrealistic, and the most logical outcome would be for territories with Russian-speaking populations to be transferred to Russia, with Ukraine agreeing to refrain from joining NATO for an extended period, Member of the European Parliament from Bulgaria Petar Volgin said in an interview with Izvestia. Despite the perceived ineffectiveness of sanctions against Russia, EU countries are still contemplating new packages of restrictions, he emphasized.

"The conflict in Ukraine can only end through peace talks. A victory for Kiev, which some of the most fervent Russophobes continue to advocate, is impossible," Volgin told the newspaper. He believes that "The most logical outcome of the conflict would be the cession of territories inhabited by Russian-speaking populations to Russia, alongside Ukraine’s prolonged exclusion from NATO membership."

Addressing the potential adoption of new anti-Russian sanctions by the EU, he said, "I have no doubt that the 16th, 17th, and 18th sanctions packages will be introduced in the coming months. The issue is that no one within the European Union is willing to conduct even a minimal evaluation of these restrictions’ effects, and this omission is deliberate. If such an evaluation were conducted, it would reveal that the EU member states have borne the brunt of the impact."

"The Russian economy has not collapsed, and Moscow’s government shows no signs of instability. Meanwhile, European prime ministers are resigning prematurely, and the economic situation across these countries continues to worsen," Volgin added.

"Anti-Russian resolutions are adopted in the European Parliament on a nearly monthly basis. This is absurd. All these resolutions are essentially ineffective," he stated. "The collective West continues to provide Zelensky with financial and military support, while Russia persists in achieving victories on the battlefield," Volgin concluded.

At the same time, the lawmaker expressed optimism about the possibility of normalizing relations between Russia and Bulgaria. "The normalization of relations between Bulgaria and Russia can only occur if Sofia’s government prioritizes Bulgarian interests over American ones," he stated.

Izvestia: Putin hails Tajikistan as Russia’s reliable ally

Russia cooperates with Tajikistan as a close ally in matters of international security, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on December 24 during a meeting with Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon. Both countries expressed satisfaction with their current bilateral ties: trade turnover has increased by almost 20%, and humanitarian relations continue to thrive, Izvestia writes.

"Our relations are very constructive and progressing at a steady pace. Tajikistan remains our reliable ally and a strong economic partner. Russia ranks first among Tajikistan’s trade and economic partners, and second in terms of investment. There was growth last year, and this year will see further, albeit modest, improvement," Vladimir Putin stated.

Between January and September 2024, mutual trade volume rose by 10.1% compared to the same period in 2023, reaching $1.08 bln. For the entire year of 2023, the figure stood at $1.39 bln.

Rahmon emphasized his readiness to discuss international and regional issues, particularly security matters, with Putin. Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president, mentioned that the two leaders planned to exchange views on urgent regional concerns, especially the situation along the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border.

"The fact is that until recently, Afghanistan posed a major threat to Tajikistan’s security. Even now, Dushanbe remains skeptical that this threat has subsided significantly. For its part, Russia is working to ease restrictions on the Taliban group (currently banned in Russia and under UN sanctions for terrorist activities), which is currently governing Afghanistan," explained Stanislav Tkachenko, a doctor of economics and professor at St. Petersburg State University, in his comments to Izvestia.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta: How the war for energy resources in Moldova could end

Maia Sandu officially assumed her second term as president of the Republic of Moldova on Tuesday. She assured citizens that they would endure this winter but provided no details about the looming energy crisis set to begin on January 1, when Ukraine plans to stop the transit of Russian gas, including through Moldova. Residents of Chisinau have been warned about potential power outages, while Tiraspol has announced gas and hot water cutoffs starting at 7 a.m. on January 1, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports.

Moldova has increased its reliance on electricity purchases from the Romanian exchange, following disruptions caused by bombings of Ukrainian energy infrastructure, which have impacted operations at the Cuciurgan power plant—the country’s primary energy supplier, said State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy Constantin Borosan. He urged citizens to conserve electricity, particularly during peak hours, to ease the burden on the energy system.

Anatol ·aranu, a former Moldovan ambassador to Russia and head of the Politicon Center for Strategic Studies and Political Analysis, told Nezavisimaya Gazeta that Romanian electricity is more expensive than power sourced from Transnistria—costing 61 euros per MWh—but remains cheaper than alternatives on the exchange.

According to ·aranu, Moldova has effectively been operating without Russian gas for two years, redirecting volumes received from Gazprom to Transnistria. However, the country has continued to purchase affordable electricity produced by the Moldavskaya GRES (owned by INTER RAO) using gas.

From January 1, the situation will change - Kiev plans to halt the transit of Russian gas through its territory, and Gazprom has not secured reservations for volumes that could be sent to Transnistria via Moldova, bypassing Ukraine.

President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola stated that the EU is prepared to subsidize Moldova’s energy expenses. She emphasized that the challenges facing the pro-Russian region "will harm Moscow’s image" if the Kremlin fails to act.

Meanwhile, Igor Shornikov, Director of the Tiraspol Institute for Social and Political Research, speculated that President Maia Sandu’s plans might include "removing the Russian military presence in Transnistria and taking control of the Moldovan State District Power Plant."

"Moldova has security agreements in place with Romania, meaning that any conflict between Moldova and Russia could potentially draw Romania—a NATO and EU member—into the confrontation. However, as we understand it, Romania is unlikely to support Sandu in such a risky endeavor," Shornikov concluded.

Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Russia bans cryptocurrency mining in ten regions until 2031

The Russian government has approved a list of regions where cryptocurrency mining will be prohibited starting January 1, 2025. The affected areas include Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, North Ossetia, Chechnya, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. The ban will remain in effect year-round until March 15, 2031.

The list also covers certain areas of the Irkutsk Region, Buryatia, and the Zabaykalsky Territory, where mining will be prohibited during peak energy consumption periods. Specifically, these restrictions will apply during the winter months and the first half of March in 2025, and from November 15 to March 15 in subsequent years. All ten regions frequently face severe power shortages, and the mining ban is expected to help alleviate these issues, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reports.

The list is not set in stone and could be adjusted based on decisions made by the Government Commission on the Development of the Electric Power Industry, the newspaper adds.

Dagestan leads the North Caucasus in the number of detected illegal crypto-mining operations, according to Rosseti Northern Caucasus. The company projects that the total number of identified crypto-farms and the volume of electricity stolen by miners in Dagestan could nearly double by 2024.

Energy companies have also noted the difficulty in identifying underground mining operations, as they are often disguised as utility facilities or even cattle farms.

According to Sergey Rozhenko, Director of Power Analytics at Kept, Russia’s average electricity demand has risen by 11% over the past decade. In contrast, consumption in the Unified Energy System of the South and Far East has surged by 29% and 37%, respectively, and by 1.5 to 2 times in the Krasnodar region and Dagestan.

This demand growth is not solely attributed to mining but also to the rapid economic expansion in southern and eastern regions. Rozhenko predicts that future demand will continue to rise due to the development of large-scale data processing center infrastructure.

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