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Russian forces use gas pipeline to attack Ukrainian troops in Kursk

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FILE - A Ukrainian soldier walks past a building in Sudzha, Kursk region, Russia, on Aug. 16, 2024. © AP/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved

Russian forces crawled through a 1.4-metre-wide unused gas pipeline to attack Ukrainian troops in Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk region, Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed.

The audacious plan came as Moscow moved to recapture parts of its border province that Kyiv had seized in a shock offensive last August.

According to Telegram posts by a pro-Kremlin blogger, Russian soldiers walked about 15 kilometres inside the pipeline, which Moscow had until recently used to send gas to Europe.

Some Russian troops had spent several days in the pipe before striking Ukrainian units from the rear near the town of Sudzha, Podolyaka claimed.

The Russian town of some 5,000 residents houses major gas transfer and measuring stations along the pipeline and was once a major outlet for Russian natural gas exports through Ukrainian territory.

Another war blogger, who uses the alias “Two Majors,” said fierce fighting for Sudzha was under way, and that Russian forces managed to enter the town through a gas pipeline. Russian Telegram channels showed photos of what they said were special forces operatives, wearing gas masks and moving along what looked like the inside of a large pipe.

Euronews could not independently confirm these claims.

Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed on Saturday evening that Russian “sabotage and assault groups” used the pipeline in a bid to gain a foothold outside Sudzha. In a Telegram post, it said Russian troops were “detected in a timely manner” and that Ukraine responded with rockets and artillery.

“At present, Russian special forces are being detected, blocked and destroyed. The enemy’s losses in Sudzha are very high,” the General Staff reported.

Largest attack on Russia since WWII

Ukraine launched in August a daring cross-border incursion into Kursk, in what marked the largest attack on Russian territory since World War II. Within days, Ukrainian units had captured 1,000 square kilometres of territory, including the strategic border town of Sudzha, and taken hundreds of Russian prisoners of war.

According to analysts, the operation aimed to gain a bargaining chip in future peace talks and force Russia to divert troops away from its grinding offensive in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow has since used some 50,000 troops, including North Korean soldiers, to push back the Ukrainian forces, reports claim.

The Russian Defence Ministry on Sunday reported that its troops have taken the village of Lebedevka, some 12 kilometres northwest of Sudzha, and inflicted defeats on multiple Ukrainian units in and near the town. It did not specify when precisely these clashes took place. Kyiv did not immediately comment on the Russian ministry’s claims.

France announces new aid package for Ukraine

Meanwhile, French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Sunday that France will use profits from frozen Russian assets to finance an additional 195 million euros package in arms for Ukraine, the latest in a series of military aid deliveries funded through the mechanism.

In an interview with the La Tribune Dimanche newspaper, Lecornu said that Paris will send new 155 mm artillery shells and glide bombs for Mirage 2000 fighter jets it previously gave to Ukraine.

The move prompted an angry response from the speaker of Russia’s parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin. A statement by the State Duma’s press service Sunday cited Volodin as saying that Paris “will answer for its actions” and eventually have to return what Volodin called “stolen” funds.

Elsewhere, Russian officials and Telegram channels reported that Ukrainian drones targeted oil infrastructure in south and central Russia overnight into early Sunday.

One drone struck an oil depot in Cheboksary, a Russian city on the Volga River about 1,000 kilometres from the border, the local governor reported. According to Oleg Nikolaev, nobody was hurt, but the depot needed reconstruction.

Footage circulated on Russian Telegram channels showed what appeared to be a fire at or near one of Russia’s largest oil refineries in the southern city of Ryazan. Shot, a news channel on Telegram, cited local residents as saying they heard several nighttime blasts near the refinery.

Local Governor Pavel Malkov said Ukrainian drones had been shot down nearby. He claimed there had been no casualties or damage.

Ukraine did not immediately comment on either incident. Euronews could not independently verify these claims.

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Imo: Mortuary owner on the run as police declare him wanted over alleged organ harvesting

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One Mr. Stanley Morocco Oparaugo, a mortuary owner in Umuhu Autonomous Community in Ngor-okpala LGA, Imo State, is now on the run after the police declared him wanted over allegations of organ harvesting in the facility.

Oparaugo also runs a hotel in the community.

The Imo State Police Command carried out an operation at the mortuary which led to the discovery of disjointed and unkempt corpses in the facility.

The manner in which the dead bodies were tampered with, according to the police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, suggested that organ harvesting is going on in the mortuary.

In a statement made available to journalists, Okoye disclosed that the operation was personally led by the police commissioner, Aboki Danjuma, acting on credible intelligence concerning the activities of the morgue.

He added that the operation was assisted by a vigilante group from the LGA, in line with ongoing efforts to curb kidnapping and other violent crimes within the state, especially along the Owerri–Aba Expressway.

The statement disclosed that decomposed and mutilated corpses were discovered in unhygienic conditions in the morgue.

“Following these discoveries, both the hotel and mortuary were sealed on the directive of the state government. The suspect’s residence was also searched, and crucial exhibits were recovered,” the statement explained.

Okoye further hinted that a forensic report which was documented by the pathological department of the State Specialist Hospital will be used in the ongoing investigation.

He added that the Commissioner of Police assured the public that all accomplices would be identified and brought to justice.

“Stanley Morocco Oparaugo has been declared wanted. Anyone with useful information should contact the nearest police station or call 0803 477 3600.
Maximum security has also been deployed along the Owerri–Aba Expressway. The Command assures travelers during the holidays of its commitment to their safety,” the statement added.

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Royal Family Reacts After Popular Musician, KWAM 1 Shows Interest In Becoming Next Awujale Of Ijebuland

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The Fusengbuwa ruling house of Ijebu-Ode, next in line to produce the new Awujale of Ijebuland, Ogun State, has instructed Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as KWAM 1, to confirm his family’s royal lineage to validate his membership in the ruling house.

KWAM 1, in a letter dated December 3, 2025, addressed to the chairman of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House in Agunsebi Quarters, Ijebu-Ode, announced his interest in the stool, describing himself as a “bonafide son” of the ruling house.

KWAM 1 also stated that his candidacy aligns with Ijebu customary law and the Ogun State Chieftaincy Laws.

In an interview with Punch, the Chairman of the ruling house and former National President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Abdulateef Owoyemi, said only bonafide members of the family would be allowed to participate in the selection process.

Owoyemi explained that KWAM 1, Olori Omooba of Ijebu land and others interested in the stool have been directed to complete the Fusengbuwa ruling house royal lineage data form.

According to him, the form, which requires contenders to trace their genealogy back seven generations, ensures that only genuine princes from the family can participate, thereby blocking “strangers” from claiming the throne.

He said, “The first step for anyone interested in contesting for the Awujale throne is to declare their lineage by filling the standard Fusengbuwa ruling house royal lineage data form. Once confirmed as a legitimate member of the ruling house, they can then apply for the expression of interest form.

“We have told him, just like everyone else interested in the Awujale throne, that the first step is to declare his lineage. He will do this by completing the royal lineage data form, showing his full name, which parent and grandparent he descends from, and continuing up to seven generations.

“The completed form will be signed and submitted to the head of the ruling house unit of the Fusengbuwa ruling house, who will affirm that he is a genuine member. Only then will the process move forward.”

Owoyemi emphasised that although the application window for the throne officially closed on December 5, KWAM 1 had been given a five-day extension, which would lapse on December 10.

He noted, “We won’t shut anybody out of picking the next Awujale, but we must ensure that you are a legitimate member of Fusengbuwa. Every right comes with responsibilities. For a royal family, everyone must prove their legitimacy by completing the royal lineage data form.

“When we receive the form, we will review it meticulously. If clarification is needed, we will contact the applicant. We welcome men of influence who will use their influence to enhance the throne, not to claim it, ensuring that what truly belongs to our family is preserved.”

Owoyemi explained that the local government has given them 14 days to select candidates, and the ruling house hopes to have a new Awujale by the second or third week of January 2026.

He added, “The local government has given us 14 days to select candidates, which expires on December 18. After that, the kingmakers have seven days to deliberate and choose one candidate, whose name will be forwarded to the governor.

“Legally, the government then has 21 days to conduct background checks and security clearance, allowing for objections or protests. After this period, the State Executive Council will ratify the nominee, and the governor will announce the next Awujale, after which coronation rites will commence.

“So, combining the candidate selection, kingmakers’ deliberation, and legal objection period, we are looking at around 42 days. Therefore, we expect the next Awujale to emerge between the second and third week of January.”

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U.S. Surveillance Fighter Jet Flies Over Kwara, Ekiti As American Officials Arrive In Abuja

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By Peter Agba Kalu

 

Like I revealed to you earlier today several US Marine officers arrived Nigeria yesterday and some moved straight to several terrorism hot spots.

Today, another security expert and Sahel conflict reporter, Brant Phillip, confirmed my earlier story.

 

But, he went further to disclosed that earlier today U.S. reconnaissance flights were being conducted over parts of western Nigeria, reportedly originating from a U.S. military facility in Ghana as I equally revealed earlier this week

 

The unusual military activity in Nigeria’s airspace has raised fresh questions about the scope of a growing security partnership between Abuja and Washington, following reports that a United States surveillance fighter jet was sighted flying over Kwara and Ekiti States.

 

The operation, according to security analysts, marks a significant turn in U.S. intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) activity in the region, with potential implications for Nigeria’s counterterrorism strategy.

 

The development comes as the first batch of Senior U.S. officials reportedly arrived in Abuja on Wednesday night, fuelling speculation about imminent announcements on bilateral security arrangements.

 

While the Nigerian government has yet to issue an official statement, information emerging from defence experts suggests that the United States may be deepening its involvement in Nigeria’s fight against extremist groups.

 

It is believe that Nigerian officials are keeping quiet because even America has not made open the scope of their operations and how the level of their involvement be.

 

Keep a date with me for up-to-date insiders information of the Trump’s threat

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