⚡️ Statement by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin

💬 Vladimir Putin: I would like to inform the military personnel of the Russian Federation Armed Forces, citizens of our country, our friends across the globe, and those who persist in the illusion that a strategic defeat can be inflicted upon Russia, about the events taking place today in the zone of the special military operation, specifically following the attacks by Western long-range weapons against our territory.

The escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, instigated by the West, continues with the United States and its NATO allies previously announcing that they authorise the use of their long-range high-precision weapons for strikes inside the Russian Federation. <...>

On November 19, six ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles produced by the United States, and on November 21, during a combined missile assault involving British Storm Shadow systems and HIMARS systems produced by the US, attacked military facilities inside the Russian Federation in the Bryansk and Kursk regions. From that point onward, as we have repeatedly emphasised in prior communications, the regional conflict in Ukraine provoked by the West has assumed elements of a global nature. <...>

I wish to underscore once again that the use by the enemy of such weapons cannot affect the course of combat operations in the special military operation zone. <...>

❗️ In response to the deployment of American and British long-range weapons, on November 21, the Russian Armed Forces delivered a combined strike on a facility within Ukraine’s defence industrial complex. In field conditions, we also carried out tests of one of Russia’s latest medium-range missile systems – in this case, carrying a non-nuclear hypersonic ballistic missile that our engineers named #Oreshnik.

The tests were successful, achieving the intended objective of the launch.

In the city of Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, one of the largest and most famous industrial complexes from the Soviet Union era, which continues to produce missiles and other armaments, was hit. <...>

As a reminder, Russia has voluntarily and unilaterally committed not to deploy intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles until US weapons of this kind appear in any region of the world.

⚠️ To reiterate, we are conducting combat tests of the Oreshnik missile system in response to NATO’s aggressive actions against Russia.

Our decision on further deployment of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles will depend on the actions of the United States and its satellites.

We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against military facilities of those countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities, and in case of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond decisively and in mirror-like manner.

I recommend that the ruling elites of the countries that are hatching plans to use their military contingents against Russia seriously consider this.

It goes without saying that when choosing, if necessary and as a retaliatory measure, targets to be hit by systems such as Oreshnik on Ukrainian territory, we will in advance suggest that civilians and citizens of friendly countries residing in those areas leave danger zones.

We will do so for humanitarian reasons, openly and publicly, without fear of counter-moves coming from the enemy, who will also be receiving this information. <...>

Air defence systems currently available in the world and missile defence systems being created by the Americans in Europe cannot intercept such missiles. It is impossible.

☝️ I would like to emphasise once again that it was not Russia, but the United States that destroyed the international security system and, by continuing to fight, cling to its hegemony, they are pushing the whole world into a global conflict.

We have always preferred and are ready now to resolve all disputes by peaceful means. But we are also ready for any turn of events.

If anyone still doubts this, make no mistake: there will always be a response.

On this day, 83 years ago, the ‘Road of Life’ opened, saving under siege Leningrad

German troops closed the blockade ring around the second largest city in the Soviet Union on September 8, 1941. The only way to connect Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) with the “mainland” was via Lake Ladoga.

Already in November, the question of winter arose – what would happen after navigation ceased?

On November 17, a group of soldiers from the 88th separate bridge-building battalion came out onto the thin ice. They had to walk 30 km and mark the route with signposts (poles).

The Chief of Logistics of the Leningrad Front, Lieutenant General of Technical Troops Zakhar Kondratyev recalled:

“The snow dust blinded the eyes, the storm wind burned the face, knocked people off their feet… The ice cracked menacingly… The soldiers tied themselves with ropes… Each one carefully watched his comrade, ready to immediately rush to the rescue in case of trouble.”

The group was noticed – German artillery opened fire on them. Nevertheless, the next day, the exhausted scouts reached the opposite bank.

On November 22, 1941, the first transport with food went to the city along ‘Military Road No. 101’, known as the ‘Road of Life’.

The road was used until the blockade was broken in early 1943. During this time, more than a million goods were delivered to the city and about 1.5 million residents were evacuated to the “mainland”.

Credit: Archive photo

Russia Beyond

🎙Permanent Delegate of Russia to #UNESCO R.Alyautdinov at #IPDC Intergovernmental Council:

📍Russia utterly rejects UNESCO Director-General’s report on Safety of Journalists that completely ignores killings of Russian journalists in 2022-2023.

📍In these 2 years alone, journalists D.Dugina, V.Tatarsky, O.Klokov, R.Zhuravlev, B.Maksudov were killed by Kiev regime. Information about their killings was transmitted to Secretariat via diplomatic channels.

📍Director-General’s report does not reflect real state of affairs about safety of journalists. It is based on distorted data, thus becoming a source of disinformation.

📍Director-General's selective approach in responding to journalists' killing is a violation of General Conference & Executive Board decisions to "condemn killing of journalists without distinction."

📍We call on #IPDC Member States to take decisive action aimed at countering Secretariat's voluntary actions discriminating some Member States what runs counter to ideals & principles of #UNESCO.