Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⚡️ Russia's Foreign Ministry statement regarding the forcible seizure of the oil tanker Marinera
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The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses grave concern over the illegal use of force by the United States Armed Forces against the oil tanker Marinera on January 7.
The Marinera, which was temporarily authorised to fly the Russian flag on December 24 in accordance with international and Russian law, was transiting peacefully through international waters of the North Atlantic en route to a Russian port.
US authorities, including through official communications with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were repeatedly provided with reliable information confirming the vessel’s Russian registration and its civilian, non-military status.
There could have been no doubt regarding this fact, nor any basis for alleging that the tanker was sailing “without a flag” or “under a false flag.”
International maritime law explicitly grants the flag state exclusive jurisdiction over its vessels on the high seas. Stopping and inspecting a vessel in international waters is permitted only under narrowly defined circumstances, such as suspected piracy or slave trading – neither of which apply to the Marinera.
In all other cases, such actions require the consent of the flag state, which in this instance is Russia.
❗️ Not only did Russia refuse to provide such consent, it formally protested to US authorities in recent weeks over the continued pursuit of the Marinera by a US Coast Guard vessel, demanding an immediate end to the pursuit and the withdrawal of unlawful demands made to the Russian ship’s captain.
Under these circumstances, the boarding and de facto seizure of a civilian vessel on the high seas by US military personnel, along with the detention of its crew, can only be viewed as a gross violation of fundamental principles and norms of international maritime law and the freedom of navigation.
This constitutes a serious infringement upon the legitimate rights and interests of the shipowner. The lives and health of the Marinera’s crew, which includes citizens of several countries, are now at risk.
We consider the threats of legal action against them on absurd grounds by US authorities to be utterly unacceptable.
<...>
❌ References by the United States to its domestic “sanctions legislation” are without legal foundation. The unilateral restrictive measures imposed by the US and other Western countries are illegitimate and cannot justify attempts to assert jurisdiction, let alone the seizure of vessels, on the high seas.
Suggestions from certain US officials that the seizure of the Marinera is part of a broader strategy to establish Washington’s unlimited control over Venezuela’s natural resources are profoundly cynical.
We categorically reject such neo-colonial ambitions.
Alongside the US administration’s disregard for the accepted norms of international maritime navigation, Washington’s readiness to provoke acute international crises, including in Russian-American relations, which are already severely strained, is both regrettable and alarming.
The Marinera incident can only lead to a further escalation of military-political tensions in the Euro-Atlantic region and a dangerous lowering of the threshold for using force against civilian shipping.
<...>
☝️ We call on Washington to return to the established norms and principles of international maritime law and to immediately cease its unlawful actions against the Marinera and other vessels engaged in lawful activities on the high seas.
We reiterate our demand that the United States ensure appropriate and humane treatment of the Russian citizens on board, fully respect their rights, and facilitate their swift return home.
Read in full
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses grave concern over the illegal use of force by the United States Armed Forces against the oil tanker Marinera on January 7.
The Marinera, which was temporarily authorised to fly the Russian flag on December 24 in accordance with international and Russian law, was transiting peacefully through international waters of the North Atlantic en route to a Russian port.
US authorities, including through official communications with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were repeatedly provided with reliable information confirming the vessel’s Russian registration and its civilian, non-military status.
There could have been no doubt regarding this fact, nor any basis for alleging that the tanker was sailing “without a flag” or “under a false flag.”
International maritime law explicitly grants the flag state exclusive jurisdiction over its vessels on the high seas. Stopping and inspecting a vessel in international waters is permitted only under narrowly defined circumstances, such as suspected piracy or slave trading – neither of which apply to the Marinera.
In all other cases, such actions require the consent of the flag state, which in this instance is Russia.
❗️ Not only did Russia refuse to provide such consent, it formally protested to US authorities in recent weeks over the continued pursuit of the Marinera by a US Coast Guard vessel, demanding an immediate end to the pursuit and the withdrawal of unlawful demands made to the Russian ship’s captain.
Under these circumstances, the boarding and de facto seizure of a civilian vessel on the high seas by US military personnel, along with the detention of its crew, can only be viewed as a gross violation of fundamental principles and norms of international maritime law and the freedom of navigation.
This constitutes a serious infringement upon the legitimate rights and interests of the shipowner. The lives and health of the Marinera’s crew, which includes citizens of several countries, are now at risk.
We consider the threats of legal action against them on absurd grounds by US authorities to be utterly unacceptable.
<...>
❌ References by the United States to its domestic “sanctions legislation” are without legal foundation. The unilateral restrictive measures imposed by the US and other Western countries are illegitimate and cannot justify attempts to assert jurisdiction, let alone the seizure of vessels, on the high seas.
Suggestions from certain US officials that the seizure of the Marinera is part of a broader strategy to establish Washington’s unlimited control over Venezuela’s natural resources are profoundly cynical.
We categorically reject such neo-colonial ambitions.
Alongside the US administration’s disregard for the accepted norms of international maritime navigation, Washington’s readiness to provoke acute international crises, including in Russian-American relations, which are already severely strained, is both regrettable and alarming.
The Marinera incident can only lead to a further escalation of military-political tensions in the Euro-Atlantic region and a dangerous lowering of the threshold for using force against civilian shipping.
<...>
☝️ We call on Washington to return to the established norms and principles of international maritime law and to immediately cease its unlawful actions against the Marinera and other vessels engaged in lawful activities on the high seas.
We reiterate our demand that the United States ensure appropriate and humane treatment of the Russian citizens on board, fully respect their rights, and facilitate their swift return home.
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⚡️ Comment by Foreign Ministry Official Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on developments regarding Russian nationals on board oil tanker Marinera (January 9, 2026)
💬 In response to our appeal, US President Donald Trump has made a decision to release two Russian nationals from the crew of the oil tanker Marinera, which was previously detained during the operation in the North Atlantic.
We welcome this decision and express our gratitude to the US leadership.
We are beginning immediate action on all issues related to ensuring the prompt return of our fellow citizens to their homeland.
🔊 Audio by Maria Zakharova (in Russian)
💬 In response to our appeal, US President Donald Trump has made a decision to release two Russian nationals from the crew of the oil tanker Marinera, which was previously detained during the operation in the North Atlantic.
We welcome this decision and express our gratitude to the US leadership.
We are beginning immediate action on all issues related to ensuring the prompt return of our fellow citizens to their homeland.
🔊 Audio by Maria Zakharova (in Russian)
Forwarded from MoD Russia
⚡️Last night, in response to the terrorist attack by the Kiev regime on the residence of the President of the Russian Federation in Novgorod region, launched on the night of 29 December 2025, the Russian Armed Forces launched a massive strike with high-precision long-range ground- and sea-based weapons including the Oreshnik mobile ground-based medium-range missile system as well as attack unmanned aerial vehicles at critically important facilities on the territory of Ukraine.
✅ All the assigned targets have been hit. Production facilities of unmanned aerial vehicles that were used during the terrorist attack as well as power infrastructure enterprises that supported the defence industry of Ukraine have been damaged.
❗️ Any terrorist actions by the criminal Ukrainian regime will not remain unanswered in the future.
🔹 Russian Defence Ministry
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⚡️ On false allegations against the Russian side regarding damage to Embassy of Qatar in Kiev
Ukrainian sources are circulating reports alleging that the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Kiev sustained damage during the Russian strike on January 9.
Diplomatic missions have never been targeted by the Russian Armed Forces.
There were no military or other designated targets located in the immediate vicinity of the Qatari diplomatic mission. This strongly suggests that the damage to the embassy building was caused by a malfunction of the Ukrainian air defence system.
Russia regards the State of Qatar as a friendly state and a priority partner.
Read in full
Ukrainian sources are circulating reports alleging that the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Kiev sustained damage during the Russian strike on January 9.
Diplomatic missions have never been targeted by the Russian Armed Forces.
There were no military or other designated targets located in the immediate vicinity of the Qatari diplomatic mission. This strongly suggests that the damage to the embassy building was caused by a malfunction of the Ukrainian air defence system.
Russia regards the State of Qatar as a friendly state and a priority partner.
Read in full
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
#Outcomes2025
🎙 On January 20, 2026, a news conference by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be held at the Foreign Ministry Press Centre. The event will present an overview of the results of Russian diplomacy in 2025. The conference will begin at 11 am MSK.
Russian and foreign journalists are invited to attend. Accreditation is open until 12 pm on January 15 (details).
🔴 The press conference will be broadcast online on the Russian Foreign Ministry website in the Video section in Russian with English, French and Spanish translation, as well as on the Ministry’s social network accounts.
🎙 On January 20, 2026, a news conference by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be held at the Foreign Ministry Press Centre. The event will present an overview of the results of Russian diplomacy in 2025. The conference will begin at 11 am MSK.
Russian and foreign journalists are invited to attend. Accreditation is open until 12 pm on January 15 (details).
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Comment by Russia's Foreign Ministry Official Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the Kiev regime’s terrorist attack on civilians in Russian regions (January 11, 2026)
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The Kiev regime has once again demonstrated its inhumane Nazi nature with another brutal crime.
On January 10, the Voronezh, Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions were subjected to a mass attack using fixed-wing drones. According to the Russia's Ministry of Defence, a total of 33 hostile drones were launched.
The principal target was the residential areas of Voronezh. One young woman has been confirmed dead, having succumbed to her injuries in intensive care overnight. At least three further civilians were wounded.
The Foreign Ministry strongly condemns these acts of terrorism. They are characterised by the extremely cynical targeting of a wide range of civilian infrastructure. This includes over ten blocks of flats and an equal number of private homes. A secondary school and several administrative buildings were also struck and damaged.
Such deliberate killings of civilians attest to the desperation of the Kiev regime, which – in the face of its obvious failures on the battlefield – now seeks to vent its frustration on innocent populations of Russia’s regions. All masterminds and perpetrators of this and other crimes will be inevitably held to account.
It is our hope that the relevant international bodies will provide an impartial assessment of these criminal acts committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis. Continued silence in the face of the Kiev regime’s unbridled barbarity renders those bodies complicit in its heinous consequences.
Read in full
The Kiev regime has once again demonstrated its inhumane Nazi nature with another brutal crime.
On January 10, the Voronezh, Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions were subjected to a mass attack using fixed-wing drones. According to the Russia's Ministry of Defence, a total of 33 hostile drones were launched.
The principal target was the residential areas of Voronezh. One young woman has been confirmed dead, having succumbed to her injuries in intensive care overnight. At least three further civilians were wounded.
The Foreign Ministry strongly condemns these acts of terrorism. They are characterised by the extremely cynical targeting of a wide range of civilian infrastructure. This includes over ten blocks of flats and an equal number of private homes. A secondary school and several administrative buildings were also struck and damaged.
Such deliberate killings of civilians attest to the desperation of the Kiev regime, which – in the face of its obvious failures on the battlefield – now seeks to vent its frustration on innocent populations of Russia’s regions. All masterminds and perpetrators of this and other crimes will be inevitably held to account.
It is our hope that the relevant international bodies will provide an impartial assessment of these criminal acts committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis. Continued silence in the face of the Kiev regime’s unbridled barbarity renders those bodies complicit in its heinous consequences.
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Comment by Russia's Foreign Ministry Official Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the Kiev regime’s terrorist attack on civilians in Russian regions (January 11, 2026)
Read in full
The Kiev regime has once again demonstrated its inhumane Nazi nature with another brutal crime.
On January 10, the Voronezh, Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions were subjected to a mass attack using fixed-wing drones. According to the Russia's Ministry of Defence, a total of 33 hostile drones were launched.
The principal target was the residential areas of Voronezh. One young woman has been confirmed dead, having succumbed to her injuries in intensive care overnight. At least three further civilians were wounded.
The Foreign Ministry strongly condemns these acts of terrorism. They are characterised by the extremely cynical targeting of a wide range of civilian infrastructure. This includes over ten blocks of flats and an equal number of private homes. A secondary school and several administrative buildings were also struck and damaged.
Such deliberate killings of civilians attest to the desperation of the Kiev regime, which – in the face of its obvious failures on the battlefield – now seeks to vent its frustration on innocent populations of Russia’s regions. All masterminds and perpetrators of this and other crimes will be inevitably held to account.
It is our hope that the relevant international bodies will provide an impartial assessment of these criminal acts committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis. Continued silence in the face of the Kiev regime’s unbridled barbarity renders those bodies complicit in its heinous consequences.
Read in full
The Kiev regime has once again demonstrated its inhumane Nazi nature with another brutal crime.
On January 10, the Voronezh, Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions were subjected to a mass attack using fixed-wing drones. According to the Russia's Ministry of Defence, a total of 33 hostile drones were launched.
The principal target was the residential areas of Voronezh. One young woman has been confirmed dead, having succumbed to her injuries in intensive care overnight. At least three further civilians were wounded.
The Foreign Ministry strongly condemns these acts of terrorism. They are characterised by the extremely cynical targeting of a wide range of civilian infrastructure. This includes over ten blocks of flats and an equal number of private homes. A secondary school and several administrative buildings were also struck and damaged.
Such deliberate killings of civilians attest to the desperation of the Kiev regime, which – in the face of its obvious failures on the battlefield – now seeks to vent its frustration on innocent populations of Russia’s regions. All masterminds and perpetrators of this and other crimes will be inevitably held to account.
It is our hope that the relevant international bodies will provide an impartial assessment of these criminal acts committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis. Continued silence in the face of the Kiev regime’s unbridled barbarity renders those bodies complicit in its heinous consequences.
Forwarded from Embassy of Russia in the Netherlands
🇷🇺Comment by the Russian Embassy in the Netherlands regarding the De Telegraaf article about Dutch mercenaries in neo-Nazi units in Ukraine
🔹The truth is beginning to seep into the pages of the ‘enlightened’ Dutch press — albeit a truth that is frightening and therefore jarring to local readers. De Telegraaf published the revelations of a Dutch mercenary who experienced all the ‘delights’ of Ukraine's so-called ‘European choice’.
🔹These are not reports from a parallel reality, but the reality of today, the existence of which is also made possible by The Hague's support for Ukraine:
— Every morning in the units begins with a Nazi salute;
— Headquarters are hung with swastikas, Nazi flags and portraits of Hitler's accomplice S.Bandera;
— The ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine include members of Colombian drug cartels who boast about photos of severed heads and the torture of prisoners.
🔹What is striking is not even the extreme sadism itself — we have been talking about this for years. What is striking is Hendrik's ‘surprise’. What did he expect when he went to the ‘reformed’ Azov? That the neo-Nazis had retrained as pacifists? No. They remained true to their essence, but now they do it with Dutch money and Dutch weapons at the expense of Dutch taxpayers.
🔹The Dutch people, whose country remembers the horrors of Nazism, should not just feel awkward — they should be deeply ashamed of their compatriots who today stand shoulder to shoulder with the ideological heirs of those who occupied the Kingdom during the Second World War.
🔹Where is the angry condemnation from the official Hague? We see only a deathly silence, which means only one thing: the Dutch authorities are consciously and purposefully arming outright thugs with swastika tattoos.
🔹The world behind the mirror: The Hague, which calls itself the ‘world capital of justice,’ has in fact become one of the leading sponsors and logistical hubs of neo-Nazi revanchism.
❗️History is a strict lady. She does not forgive such short memories. Sooner or later, this betrayal of the ideals of Nuremberg will have to be paid for with moral — and not only moral — debt.
🔹The truth is beginning to seep into the pages of the ‘enlightened’ Dutch press — albeit a truth that is frightening and therefore jarring to local readers. De Telegraaf published the revelations of a Dutch mercenary who experienced all the ‘delights’ of Ukraine's so-called ‘European choice’.
🔹These are not reports from a parallel reality, but the reality of today, the existence of which is also made possible by The Hague's support for Ukraine:
— Every morning in the units begins with a Nazi salute;
— Headquarters are hung with swastikas, Nazi flags and portraits of Hitler's accomplice S.Bandera;
— The ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine include members of Colombian drug cartels who boast about photos of severed heads and the torture of prisoners.
🔹What is striking is not even the extreme sadism itself — we have been talking about this for years. What is striking is Hendrik's ‘surprise’. What did he expect when he went to the ‘reformed’ Azov? That the neo-Nazis had retrained as pacifists? No. They remained true to their essence, but now they do it with Dutch money and Dutch weapons at the expense of Dutch taxpayers.
🔹The Dutch people, whose country remembers the horrors of Nazism, should not just feel awkward — they should be deeply ashamed of their compatriots who today stand shoulder to shoulder with the ideological heirs of those who occupied the Kingdom during the Second World War.
🔹Where is the angry condemnation from the official Hague? We see only a deathly silence, which means only one thing: the Dutch authorities are consciously and purposefully arming outright thugs with swastika tattoos.
🔹The world behind the mirror: The Hague, which calls itself the ‘world capital of justice,’ has in fact become one of the leading sponsors and logistical hubs of neo-Nazi revanchism.
❗️History is a strict lady. She does not forgive such short memories. Sooner or later, this betrayal of the ideals of Nuremberg will have to be paid for with moral — and not only moral — debt.
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
#KievRegimeCrimes
⚡️ Ambassador at Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Rodion Miroshnik:
PHOTO EVIDENCE of crimes committed by Ukrainian armed forces over the week of January 5-11, 2026:
▪️ January 5 – a kamikaze drone attacked civilian transport in Shebekino, Belgorod Region.
▪️ January 6 – a strike drone attacked the Centre for Talented Children on the Arabatskaya Spit, Kherson Region.
▪️ January 6 – three fixed-wing UAVs (FP-1) attacked a metal-plastic window manufacturing facility in Donetsk, DPR.
▪️ January 6 – a fixed-wing UAV (FP-1) struck the territory of a private residence in Donetsk, DPR.
▪️ January 7 – a strike drone attacked a residential area in Sukhodolsk, LPR.
▪️ January 7 – as a result of an FPV-drone strike, a civilian was killed in the vicinity of Rodinskoye, DPR.
▪️ January 9 – a kamikaze drone attacked a civilian cargo vehicle in Shebekino, Belgorod Region.
▪️ January 10 – a UAV struck an apartment building in Berdyansk, Zaporozhye Region.
▪️ January 10 – a fixed-wing UAV (FP-1) attacked a vehicle service station building in Makeevka, DPR.
▪️ January 10 – a fixed-wing UAV (Chaklun-V) struck an apartment building in Voronezh. One woman was killed, three civilians were injured.
⚡️ Ambassador at Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Rodion Miroshnik:
PHOTO EVIDENCE of crimes committed by Ukrainian armed forces over the week of January 5-11, 2026:
▪️ January 5 – a kamikaze drone attacked civilian transport in Shebekino, Belgorod Region.
▪️ January 6 – a strike drone attacked the Centre for Talented Children on the Arabatskaya Spit, Kherson Region.
▪️ January 6 – three fixed-wing UAVs (FP-1) attacked a metal-plastic window manufacturing facility in Donetsk, DPR.
▪️ January 6 – a fixed-wing UAV (FP-1) struck the territory of a private residence in Donetsk, DPR.
▪️ January 7 – a strike drone attacked a residential area in Sukhodolsk, LPR.
▪️ January 7 – as a result of an FPV-drone strike, a civilian was killed in the vicinity of Rodinskoye, DPR.
▪️ January 9 – a kamikaze drone attacked a civilian cargo vehicle in Shebekino, Belgorod Region.
▪️ January 10 – a UAV struck an apartment building in Berdyansk, Zaporozhye Region.
▪️ January 10 – a fixed-wing UAV (FP-1) attacked a vehicle service station building in Makeevka, DPR.
▪️ January 10 – a fixed-wing UAV (Chaklun-V) struck an apartment building in Voronezh. One woman was killed, three civilians were injured.
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
#Victory81
🌟 On January 12, 1945, the Red Army launched one of its decisive and most important operations at the final stage of #WW2 — the Vistula–Oder offensive, eventually followed by the Battle of Berlin.
The Soviet forces rapidly advanced from the Vistula to the Oder river in just 23 days, having penetrated into the depth of up to 500 kilometres of the Nazi defence. During that operation, our soldiers heroically drove the German occupants from most of Poland’s territory, expelled the enemy from Warsaw, saved Kraków from destruction by the Nazis and liberated the POWs and the survived victims of most terrible German “death factory” — #AuschwitzBirkenau (Oświęcim).
The advance to the Oder let the Red Army gain a strategically important bridgehead: the forces of the 1st Byelorussian and the 1st Ukrainian fronts took hold of the positions in less than 90 kilometres away from Berlin. The final defeat of the Hitler’s Germany was just a matter of time.
***
By the start of 1945, the Soviet forces in the east and the anti-Hitler allies' armies, marching from the Western front, were coming closer to Nazi Germany for delivering the final attack on the enemy. As before, the Red Army faced the enemy’s major force: 185 divisions, including 33 armor and motorised divisions, and 21 brigades.
#WeWereAllies: The Soviet offensive was scheduled for January 20. However, on January 6, Stalin received an urgent message from Churchill, in which the UK Premier asked the Soviet leadership to launch the offensive toward Germany as soon as possible because of the difficult situation of the US-British units on the Western Front after their allies’ major defeat in the Ardennes👇
The breakthrough of Nazi 'panzer-army' and the infantry in Belgium forced the US-British forces to retreat to almost 100 kilomentres. Commander of the Allied troops Dwight D. Eisenhower reported to Washington: if the Soviet forces do not start another major offensive in the East, then US-British armies in the West will find themselves in a gravest situation. The Allied command had to turn to Moscow for help.
In January-February of 1945, as a result of the coordinated and successful operations of the 1st Ukrainian and 1st Byelorussian fronts, 35 enemy divisions were defeated, and another 25 lost from 50 to 70% of their strength, weapons and military equipment. The forces of the two Red Army's fronts took prisoner 147'400 soldiers and officers, captured about 14'000 guns and mortars, tied down up to 1'400 tanks.
📕 From the memoirs of Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Chuikov "The End of the Third Reich":
The Nazi’s defeat on the Vistula-Oder bridgehead allowed the Red Army to breach the last major defence line of the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front. The German troops began to retreat, sustaining huge losses.
🖋 From the memoirs of Marshal of the Armor Mikhail Katukov "At the Forefront of the Main Attack":
By early February of 1945, the forces of the 1st Byelorussian Front led by Marshal Georgy Zhukov reached the Oder river and began fighting for bridgeheads on its western bank. There were just about 60 kilometres away from Berlin.
#OurVictory #WeRemember
The Soviet forces rapidly advanced from the Vistula to the Oder river in just 23 days, having penetrated into the depth of up to 500 kilometres of the Nazi defence. During that operation, our soldiers heroically drove the German occupants from most of Poland’s territory, expelled the enemy from Warsaw, saved Kraków from destruction by the Nazis and liberated the POWs and the survived victims of most terrible German “death factory” — #AuschwitzBirkenau (Oświęcim).
The advance to the Oder let the Red Army gain a strategically important bridgehead: the forces of the 1st Byelorussian and the 1st Ukrainian fronts took hold of the positions in less than 90 kilometres away from Berlin. The final defeat of the Hitler’s Germany was just a matter of time.
***
By the start of 1945, the Soviet forces in the east and the anti-Hitler allies' armies, marching from the Western front, were coming closer to Nazi Germany for delivering the final attack on the enemy. As before, the Red Army faced the enemy’s major force: 185 divisions, including 33 armor and motorised divisions, and 21 brigades.
#WeWereAllies: The Soviet offensive was scheduled for January 20. However, on January 6, Stalin received an urgent message from Churchill, in which the UK Premier asked the Soviet leadership to launch the offensive toward Germany as soon as possible because of the difficult situation of the US-British units on the Western Front after their allies’ major defeat in the Ardennes👇
The breakthrough of Nazi 'panzer-army' and the infantry in Belgium forced the US-British forces to retreat to almost 100 kilomentres. Commander of the Allied troops Dwight D. Eisenhower reported to Washington: if the Soviet forces do not start another major offensive in the East, then US-British armies in the West will find themselves in a gravest situation. The Allied command had to turn to Moscow for help.
In January-February of 1945, as a result of the coordinated and successful operations of the 1st Ukrainian and 1st Byelorussian fronts, 35 enemy divisions were defeated, and another 25 lost from 50 to 70% of their strength, weapons and military equipment. The forces of the two Red Army's fronts took prisoner 147'400 soldiers and officers, captured about 14'000 guns and mortars, tied down up to 1'400 tanks.
📕 From the memoirs of Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Chuikov "The End of the Third Reich":
Our forces covered over 500 kiliometres from the Vistula to the Oder river in a single march. <...> Our advance, started from the Magnuszew bridgehead on the Vistula, did not stop even for a minute.
The Nazi’s defeat on the Vistula-Oder bridgehead allowed the Red Army to breach the last major defence line of the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front. The German troops began to retreat, sustaining huge losses.
🖋 From the memoirs of Marshal of the Armor Mikhail Katukov "At the Forefront of the Main Attack":
<...> As a result of the rapid advance of the Soviet forces, a breach appeared in the strategic front of Nazi Germany in the east. Our forces gained several important bridgeheads on the western bank of the Oder river.
It seemed that the way to Berlin was open. One more strike and the eradication of Nazism will be completed, with the countries of Europe finally gaining the long-awaited peace <...>
By early February of 1945, the forces of the 1st Byelorussian Front led by Marshal Georgy Zhukov reached the Oder river and began fighting for bridgeheads on its western bank. There were just about 60 kilometres away from Berlin.
#OurVictory #WeRemember
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🏅 On January 12, 1943, the Red Army launched Operation "Iskra" (Operation "Spark"), which resulted in the breakthrough of the Siege of Leningrad. During the offensive, formations of the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts crushed the enemy’s defences and restored a land connection between the city and the mainland.
The Nazi blockade closed around Leningrad on September 8, 1941. More than 2.8 million people, including 400,000 children, were trapped in the besieged city. Its people endured the most severe conditions – a harsh winter, starvation, and constant air raids.
The Soviet High Command made several attempts to break the blockade: in autumn 1941, during the general counter-offensive in January 1942, and again in the summer and autumn of 1942. Favourable conditions for success emerged only in January 1943, when the main Wehrmacht forces had been redeployed to Stalingrad.
⚔️ On January 18, 1943, after fierce fighting, Red Army units finally broke through the encirclement. A narrow 11-km corridor was formed along the southern shore of Lake Ladoga, enabling the supply of the city and the evacuation of civilians. By the end of January, the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts had pushed the enemy up to 12 km away from the Ladoga shoreline.
More than 300,000 troops took part in the offensive, supported by around 4,900 artillery pieces and mortars, over 600 tanks, and more than 800 aircraft.
🎖 For courage, resilience, and heroism, around 19,000 soldiers and officers of the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts, as well as sailors of the Baltic Fleet, were awarded orders and medals.
Although the complete lifting of the blockade and the full liberation of Leningrad occurred only on January 27, 1944, the significance of the January 1943 breakthrough cannot be overstated.
Soviet forces succeeded in partially lifting the siege and significantly improving conditions for the city’s residents. Just three weeks later, a railway line was built, allowing trains carrying food and ammunition to reach Leningrad – until then, the city had been connected to the mainland only by the legendary Road of Life.
The risk of German and Finnish forces linking up was neutralized, and the Red Army secured the strategic initiative on the Leningrad front.
#Victory81
The Nazi blockade closed around Leningrad on September 8, 1941. More than 2.8 million people, including 400,000 children, were trapped in the besieged city. Its people endured the most severe conditions – a harsh winter, starvation, and constant air raids.
The Soviet High Command made several attempts to break the blockade: in autumn 1941, during the general counter-offensive in January 1942, and again in the summer and autumn of 1942. Favourable conditions for success emerged only in January 1943, when the main Wehrmacht forces had been redeployed to Stalingrad.
⚔️ On January 18, 1943, after fierce fighting, Red Army units finally broke through the encirclement. A narrow 11-km corridor was formed along the southern shore of Lake Ladoga, enabling the supply of the city and the evacuation of civilians. By the end of January, the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts had pushed the enemy up to 12 km away from the Ladoga shoreline.
More than 300,000 troops took part in the offensive, supported by around 4,900 artillery pieces and mortars, over 600 tanks, and more than 800 aircraft.
🎖 For courage, resilience, and heroism, around 19,000 soldiers and officers of the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts, as well as sailors of the Baltic Fleet, were awarded orders and medals.
Although the complete lifting of the blockade and the full liberation of Leningrad occurred only on January 27, 1944, the significance of the January 1943 breakthrough cannot be overstated.
Soviet forces succeeded in partially lifting the siege and significantly improving conditions for the city’s residents. Just three weeks later, a railway line was built, allowing trains carrying food and ammunition to reach Leningrad – until then, the city had been connected to the mainland only by the legendary Road of Life.
The risk of German and Finnish forces linking up was neutralized, and the Red Army secured the strategic initiative on the Leningrad front.
#Victory81
Forwarded from MoD Russia
⚡️According to information confirmed by several independent sources, a strike launched by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the night of 9 January using the Oreshnik mobile ground-based missile system disabled the Lvov State Aviation Repair Plant.
▫️ At the plant, aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including F-16 and MiG-29 aircraft supplied by the Western countries, were repaired and maintained. The plant also produced long-range and medium-range attack UAVs used to hit Russian civilian facilities in the depth of Russian territory.
▫️ The Oreshnik system engaged production workshops, warehouses with products (UAVs), as well as the infrastructure of the factory airfield.
▫️ In addition, as part of this massive attack with the use of the Iskander missile system and the Kalibr sea-based cruise missiles, the production facilities of two enterprises in Kiev involved in assembling strike UAVs for attacks against the territory of Russia, as well as energy infrastructure facilities that support the work of the Ukrainian defence industry, were hit.
🔹 Russian Defence Ministry
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