Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made a working trip to the Southern Military District and inspected the grouping of troops in the area of ​​the special military operation. 

“The head of the Russian military department flew around the areas of deployment of troops and checked the advanced positions of Russian units in the zone of a special military operation,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.

In addition, Shoigu talked to the military on the front line and thanked the personnel for the exemplary performance of combat missions.

In addition, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry heard reports from the commanders on the current situation and the actions of Russian troops in the operational areas.

“During the hearing of the commanders, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation paid special attention to the organization of comprehensive support for the troops, the conditions for deploying personnel in the field, as well as the work of medical and rear units,” the ministry noted.

In early December, Shoigu, at a thematic conference call with the leadership of the Russian Armed Forces, said that in November the Russian military had destroyed more than 8 thousand military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In addition, the minister stressed that massive strikes with precision-guided weapons, which are inflicted on military command and control systems and enterprises of the military-industrial complex, crush the military potential of Ukraine.

So, in the report of the Ministry of Defense of December 17, it was said that as a result of a massive strike, the transfer of foreign weapons was disrupted, the advancement of reserves to the areas of hostilities was blocked, and Ukrainian defense enterprises for the production and repair of weapons and military equipment were stopped.

Putin visited the headquarters of the NWO

On December 16, Vladimir Putin visited the joint headquarters of the armed forces involved in the special military operation.

According to the Kremlin press service, on December 16, the president got acquainted with the work of the headquarters, heard a report on the progress of the military defense, and also held a meeting and separate meetings with the commanders. 

Earlier in December, during a conversation with reporters, Putin answered several questions in detail regarding the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine.

During a press conference following a working visit to Kyrgyzstan, the president said that the special operation was "running its course" and the Russian side did not experience any problems in this area.

Commenting on the reports of the Ministry of Defense on the situation in the NVO zone, Putin noted that the ministry "is fairly transparent" in providing this information.

As the president clarified, "everything that happens in the realities" on earth "is reflected in daily reports."

Speaking about the prospects for a settlement in Ukraine, the Russian leader noted that this process would not be easy.

At the same time, as Putin stressed, all participants in this process "will have to agree with the realities that are taking shape" on the ground.

Russian Ambassador to Washington on the Ukrainian crisis

Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said that the Ukrainian crisis is becoming, without exaggeration, a turning point in the history of international relations.

This is stated in an interview with the diplomat to Newsweek magazine, excerpts from which were published by the diplomatic mission.

In the publication, Antonov wondered why it was so important for Washington to create a hotbed of instability near our borders.

“One gets the impression that Washington needs to constantly assert itself through rivalry with Russia.

As if the ghost of the USSR still lives in the corridors of power in the American capital, and the Cold War has not ended at all, ”said the ambassador.

According to him, according to the logic of Washington, "you can always blame your own problems and miscalculations on Russia, justify unprecedented military spending."

In addition, Antonov noted, under the pretext of events in Ukraine, Washington is violating mutually beneficial ties between Russia and Europe, which is becoming totally dependent on the United States.

“It becomes obvious that we are at the beginning of a complex and long journey of building a multipolar world,” the diplomat states.