The era of the unipolar world, when the United States dictated conditions to other countries and even "broke" their political systems, is coming to an end, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told TASS in an interview.
"The geopolitical realities in which we exist today have a serious impact on the entire system of global and regional processes, including integration ones. The era of a unipolar world, when the United States and its European satellites used intimidation tactics that they had polished to perfection over the years to dictate conditions to other countries and determine their course of development in accordance with their selfish interests and even break their state systems, is coming to an end," Galuzin said.
He is certain that tectonic shifts are taking place around the world towards multipolarity and mutually beneficial cooperation based on the principles of equality, respect for the interests of and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states. However, this process has turned out to be a painful one, primarily due to Washington’s resistance.
"Unilateral illegitimate restrictive measures, unprecedented in their scale, that are introduced indiscriminately, sometimes to the detriment of its own partners, have become an integral part of its (Washington's) foreign policy," Galuzin said. "In response to pressure on us and on our allies in these conditions we are working to strengthen multilateral cooperation within the framework of regional integration. Russia remains an honest and reliable ally both in political, trading and economic terms. The relations of trust that remain among the CIS, CSTO and EAEU countries contribute to the fulfillment of obligations and the achievement of new goals."
"Today, the focus is on ensuring the stable functioning of our economies and the formation of financial mechanisms that are resistant to external factors," Galuzin concluded.
Ukrainian troops suffering massive losses in Artyomovsk — LPR militia
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are suffering huge losses in the city of Artyomovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Andrey Marochko, an officer with the Lugansk People’s Republic’s (LPR) People’s Militia, told the Soloviev Live TV channel on Monday.
"The situation along the line of contact does not favor Ukrainian troops, so to say, they are suffering catastrophic losses in various areas, primarily, in the city of Artyomovsk," he specified.
According to Marochko, Ukrainian forces are currently losing up to a battalion a day in the Artyomovsk area and the situation is similar near Soledar and Svatovo "because our troops are beginning to deliberately eliminate the enemy’s manpower and equipment."
Mission to JCCC reveals number of DPR casualties due to Ukrainian shelling since Feb 17
More than 4,000 civilians have been killed in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) since February 17, when tensions escalated, as a result of Ukrainian shelling, the DPR mission to the Joint Control and Coordination Center on issues related to Ukraine’s war crimes (JCCC) reported on Monday.
"According to official information provided by the DPR mission to the JCCC, since the beginning of the escalation of conflict (since February 17 - TASS) as of 11:30 Moscow time on December 26, over 312 days of escalation, 4,400 civilians have been killed, including 132 children," the mission said in a message on its Telegram channel.
It specified that the Ukrainian armed forces fired 149 rockets from HIMARS multiple rocket launchers on the territory of the DPR during this period. "During 312 days of escalation, the DPR mission to the JCCC recorded 13,927 facts of shelling. In total, the enemy fired 91,249 munitions of various calibers, including 149 HIMARS rockets, 32 missiles from Tochka-U MLRS, 255 BM-27 Uragan rockets and 12,281 Grad rockets (122 mm), as well as 16,444 shells of 155 mm caliber," the report specified.
According to the mission, 3,956 people, including 249 children, were injured during this period. The PFM-1 Lepestok mines exploded 87 times. Some 9,336 residential buildings and 2,242 civilian infrastructure facilities were damaged.
Russian MoD: Three Russian Soldiers Killed as Ukrainian Drone Downed Over Military Airfield
The incident comes as Russia continues its special military operation in Ukraine, which was launched on February 24.
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has stated that air defense systems downed a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over Russia's Engels Air Base on Monday
The MoD said that “on December 26, at about 1:35 Moscow time (22:35 GMT on December 25) the air defenses of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Ukrainian UAV as it was approaching the Engels military airfield in the Saratov region at low altitude.”
According to the MoD, three Russian servicemen, who were at the airfield, had been fatally injured as a result of falling wreckage from the Ukrainian drone.
The aviation equipment, inluding Russian strategic bombers, was not damaged in the incident, the MoD added.
He stressed that the goal is "the protection of people who had been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian armed forces are tasked with liberating eastern Ukraine’s Donbass region and guaranteeing Russia's security.
US troops walk past a Turkish military vehicle during a joint patrol with Turkish troops in the Syrian village of al-Hashisha on the outskirts of Tal Abyad town along the border with Turkish troops. (AFP file photo)
A planned Turkish cross-border offensive into northern Syria is pushing Ankara into talks with Moscow over the use of airspace in the disputed area.
Experts say Turkiye is likely seeking Russian permission to conduct the operation and avoid damaging bilateral ties that have long been hostage to regional crises.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced on Saturday that the long-speculated air and ground operation will target the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, and that Ankara held talks with Moscow about the details of the operation, including the opening of airspace.
Turkiye considers the YPG militia a Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which it lists — together with the US and EU — as a terror group.
Ankara, which hinted at a full-scale ground operation against Syrian Kurds, accused the PKK and YPG of a Nov. 13 Istanbul bombing that killed six people and injured more than 80, although the PKK and the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces, spearheaded by the YPG, denied any involvement.
In late November, rockets fired from northern Syria hit the Turkish border town of Karkamis and killed three civilians, accelerating Ankara’s plans to strike back.
Aydin Sezer, an expert on Turkiye-Russia relations, said that Russia opening Syrian airspace will require the consent of the Bashar Assad regime.
Ankara is looking to mend ties with the Syrian government, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently telling reporters that Turkiye might be “back on track” with Syria.
However Sezer noted that Turkish F-16 jets can strike YPG targets from a considerable distance.
“What Ankara negotiated is to ensure the withdrawal of the Syrian Kurdish forces up to 30 km into Syria. In official statements, the Kremlin always underlined that they convinced Turkiye against a ground operation,” he told Arab News.
In a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, Erdogan suggested a trilateral mechanism between Turkish, Russian and Syrian leaders to discuss joint counter-terrorism strategy.
In late November, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia understood Turkiye’s security concerns but warned against further escalation, hinting at Moscow’s disapproval of a Turkish ground operation.
Turkiye has already carried out three large-scale military operations into Syria — Euphrates Shield in 2016-17, Olive Branch in 2018 and Peace Spring in 2019.
Since late November, Ankara’s Operation Claw-Sword has targeted the Syrian Kurdish militia with long-range strikes and drones, sparking US criticism after the strikes landed near coalition bases where American soldiers are deployed.
Levent Kemal, an expert on the Middle Eastern defense policies, said that Turkiye does not require the opening of Syrian airspace to launch an effective operation.
“From Turkish airspace, our aircraft can hit the predetermined targets without entering Syrian soil,” he told Arab News.
“But the Kremlin could bring some preconditions like the opening of airspace for an operation in the eastern Euphrates or convincing Erdogan to have a public appearance with Assad at an earlier stage,” Kemal said.
He noted that Turkiye prioritizes establishing a security corridor along its southern border with Syria and is targeting the cities of Tal Rifaat and Manbij. Therefore, Russian mediation between Ankara and Damascus is expected to focus on striking the cities in Aleppo province during the upcoming offensive.
On Dec. 3, Erdogan said during a meeting near the Syrian border that “attacks will not dampen our resolve” and that the security corridor will “certainly” be completed.
During a recent phone call with Putin on Dec.11, Erdogan reiterated the importance of creating the security corridor in accordance with a 2019 agreement between the two countries.
Oytun Orhan, coordinator of Syria studies at the ORSAM think tank in Ankara, said that Turkey delayed its operation in Syria for months in order to give Russia time to coordinate.
Oytun Orhan, coordinator of Syria studies at the ORSAM think tank in Ankara, said that Turkey delayed its operation in Syria for months in order to give Russia time to coordinate.
“Since about a month, the Russian side was negotiating with Syrian Kurds to find a middle ground and convince them to withdraw from Turkish border,” he told Arab News.
The Russian efforts failed, however, with Syrian Kurdish officials insisting on keeping local forces near the border.
As a result, Ankara is moving forward with the military option, Orhan said.
He added that access to Syrian airspace might be necessary in certain locations.
“For instance, in Tal Rifaat, the Turkish military would need aerial depth,” he said.
“Therefore, agreeing with Russia is necessary in order to conduct this operation as part of a bilateral agreement.
“Otherwise, it could undermine Turkiye-Russia ties on several other fronts and complicate some other deals, including military ones.
“The only precondition of Moscow for giving a green light for the airspace use would be to ask for some guarantees from Turkiye to normalize ties with the Assad regime, and to propose an exit plan after the operation,” he added.
At Least 17 People Reported Dead, 110 Injured in Heavy Snowfall in Japan
Residents shovel snow off a sidewalk in Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture, central Japan, on Dec. 24, 2022. (Kyodo News via AP)
Heavy snow in large swaths of Japan has killed 17 and injured more than 110 people and left hundreds of homes without power, disaster management officials said Monday.
Severe snowfall has been hitting northern and western Japan since December 17. Many people have died or got injured after falling from the roof, while removing snow, or getting buried underneath snow sliding off rooftops.
Winter storm has continued through Monday, with snow piling up higher than 160 centimeters (5.2 feet) in some areas.
Heavy snow has led to power outages across the country, leaving around 1,000 households in the prefecture of Niigata alone without power for over a week.
Powerful winter fronts have dumped heavy snow in northern regions since last week, stranding hundreds of vehicles on highways, delaying delivery services and causing 11 deaths by Saturday. More snowfall over the Christmas weekend brought the number of dead to 17 and injured to 110 by Monday morning, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Many of them had fallen while removing snow from the roofs or were buried underneath thick piles of snow sliding off rooftops.
Municipal offices in the snow-hit regions urged residents to use caution during snow removal activity and not to work alone.
The disaster management agency said a woman in her 70s was found dead buried underneath a thick pile of rooftop snow that suddenly fell on her in Yamagata prefecture’s Nagai City, about 300 kilometers (180 miles) north of Tokyo, where snow piled up higher than 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) Saturday.
In Niigata, known for rice growing, some makers of mochi, or sticky rice cakes that are staple for New Year’s celebration meals, said there have been delivery delays and their mochi may not reach their customers in time.
Many parts of northeastern Japan reported three times their average snowfall for the season.
Heavy snow knocked down an electric power transmission tower in Japan’s northernmost main island, leaving about 20,000 homes without power on Christmas morning, though electricity was restored in most areas later that day, according to the economy and industry ministry.
Dozens of trains and flights were also suspended in northern Japan through Sunday, but services have since mostly resumed, according to the transportation ministry.
A strong winter pressure pattern around Japan has brought heavy snow to areas from Hokkaido through Kyushu. Caution is advised against traffic disruption as well as icy roads.
Heavy snow fell from Thursday through Saturday, mainly in mountainous regions. Some flatland areas, such as the cities of Nagoya and Kochi, have also seen snow accumulation.
Periods of snowy weather since December 17 have caused snow to accumulate more than three times the level of an average year in some areas, especially in the mountainous regions along the Sea of Japan.
Parts of Japan, mainly along the Sea of Japan coast, have been hit by heavy snow due to a winter pressure pattern. People removing snow from rooftops should exercise caution.
Meteorological Agency officials say snow in some areas since December 17 has accumulated at levels far above average.
As of 8 a.m. on Monday, 1.72 meters of snow had accumulated in Yamagata Prefecture's Ohkura Village, 1.55 meters in Hokkaido's Otoineppu Village and 1.28 meters in Niigata Prefecture's Uonuma City.
Officials say the period of heavy snowfall has peaked, but the winter pressure pattern remains. It is expected to bring intermittent snow to mountainous areas in northern and eastern Japan.
Drivers are advised to be on the alert for traffic disruptions and icy roads.
Officials have also warned about the possibility of avalanches in areas with high snow accumulation.
A series of fatal accidents related to snow removal has been reported in Japan.
People are advised to exercise caution when clearing snow from rooftops. They should wear safety harnesses and not work alone.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi posing for a photo prior to their talks on the sideline of the 12th East Asia Summit foreign ministers' meeting in Cambodia on August 5 this year –AP file photo
Speaking by video to a conference in the Chinese capital, Wang on Sunday also blamed the United States for the deterioration in relations between the world’s two largest economies, saying that Beijing has “firmly rejected” Washington’s “erroneous China policy”.
China has pushed back against Western pressure on trade, technology, human rights and its claims to a broad swath of the western Pacific, accusing the U.S. of bullying. Its refusal to condemn the invasion of Ukraine and join others in imposing sanctions on Russia has further frayed ties and fueled an emerging divide with much of Europe.
“With regard to the Ukraine crisis, we have consistently upheld the fundamental principles of objectivity and impartiality, without favouring one side or the other, or adding fuel to the fire, still less seeking selfish gains from the situation,” Wang said, according to an official text of his remarks.
He added China would “deepen strategic mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation” with Russia. Warships from the two countries held joint naval drills in the East China Sea last week.
Wang said bilateral trade between the two countries is approaching the $200bn target “at a faster pace”, adding that major investment projects are well under way.
Even as China has found common ground with Russia as both come under Western pressure, its economic future remains tied to American and European markets and technology. Leader Xi Jinping is pushing Chinese industry to become more self-sufficient, but Wang acknowledged that experience has shown “that China and the United States cannot decouple or sever supply chains.”
Wang and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken talked by phone late last week. The State Department said that Blinken discussed the need to manage the U.S.-China relationship responsibly and raised concerns about Russia’s war against Ukraine and the threats it poses to global security and economic stability.
Wang accused the U.S. of “unilateral bullying” and said that China would continue to play a constructive role in resolving the Ukraine crisis in its own way, a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said.
He said that China would strive to bring relations with the U.S. back on course, saying they had plunged because “the United States has stubbornly continued to see China as its primary competitor and engage in blatant blockade, suppression and provocation against China.”
‘Shared future’
Citing the recent trip by President Xi Jinping to Saudi Arabia, where he attended the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Summit, Wang said China and Arab countries “have reached consensus on building a closer China-Arab community with a shared future”.
During the visit, Xi signed several strategic and economic partnership deals and said China would continue to import large quantities of oil from Gulf countries and expand imports of liquefied natural gas
Xi is pushing Chinese industry to become more self-sufficient, but Wang acknowledged in his speech that experience has shown “that China and the United States cannot decouple or sever supply chains”
He said China would strive to bring relations with the US back on course, saying they had plunged because “the United States has stubbornly continued to see China as its primary competitor and engage in blatant blockade, suppression and provocation against China”.
Fruitful results
Following the first China-Arab States Summit on Friday, the leaders of China and the member states of the Arab League issued the Riyadh Declaration, agreeing to strengthen cooperation and enhance the China-Arab strategic partnership. China and Arab states are committed to deepening China-Arab cooperation in various fields through the mechanisms under the framework of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. The declaration stressed that the Arab states firmly adhere to the one-China principle, support China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and reaffirm that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory.
Years of progressing ties between oil-wealthy Saudi Arabia and China, an economic giant in the east, this week culminated in a multiple-day state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Riyadh, where a number of agreements and summits heralded a “new era” of Chinese-Arab partnership
In this image taken from footage by Saudi State TV, Chinese President Xi Jinping, listens to the Chinese national anthem next to Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 8, 2022
China and states of the GCC also agreed on Friday to strengthen their strategic partnership, issuing a joint statement to stress the importance of taking their strategic partnership into a new era in such fields as politics, economy and culture.
China and Saudi Arabia released a joint statement on the same day affirming to continue making the China-Saudi relationship a priority in their respective foreign relations, and build a model of solidarity and cooperation for mutual benefits among developing countries. The two countries also agreed to enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership to include a biannual meeting between the two heads of state, and upgrade regular high-level talks led by premier level.
"We will continue to work very closely with each other to not just serve the interests of our country, but to serve the interests of world peace and global cooperation," Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, said responding to a question raised by Global Times reporter during a press conference in Riyadh on Friday evening.
China as Saudi Arabia's main key partner is one of the Kingdom's priorities in the country's foreign policy and Saudi Arabia is very satisfied that it has a strong working relationship with China, the minister said.
China does not engage in advocating for geopolitical small clique and does not make calculation for geopolitical interests, and it treats Arab countries with sincerity, which is widely welcomed by countries in the region, Wang noted. Many leaders of the regional countries said that there is no upper limit for the friendly cooperation with China, he said.
"In my opinion, this visit is a milestone in the history of China-Arab relations, marking the continuous development of China-Arab friendship and ushering in a new era of cooperation and coordination," Firas Fadel Hassan, editor of the Emirates News Agency, told the Global Times.
It has provided an opportunity for leap-forward development of China-Arab relations. The summits emphasized the importance and necessity of strengthening and deepening strategic exchanges and coordination among friendly countries, and are committed to promoting world peace and global development, and safeguard the interests of the Gulf and Arab countries, Hassan said.
China's propositions during the summits will help promote the development of both sides, improve the economic situation, improve the living standards of both Chinese and Arab people, the editor continued. They will promote international trade, enhance China's international image, enhance China's international competitiveness, while promote the development of Arab countries.
Besides the energy sector in which China and the Gulf countries have been deepening cooperation, the two sides agreed to explore cooperation in many new areas especially in cutting-edge technologies such as 5G and 6G, digital economy and space, echoing the trend of the cooperation between China and Arab countries in the future.
"Those milestone summits largely elevate the cooperation mechanisms between China and Arab countries, making the future high-level interactions between the two sides more frequent and more significant," Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Sunday.
The meetings were also unprecedented, attracting nearly all the Arab countries and covering as many areas as possible ranging from trade and economy to culture as well as people-to-people exchange, Liu noted. "They also included strategic coordination including China-proposed Global Security Initiative and Global Development Initiative, helping China and Arab countries to jointly cope with increasing uncertainties in global governance," he said.
Role of China
The West has been closely watching this unprecedented interaction between China and the Middle East region in the past few days as there is inevitable comparison between Xi's visit and the visit of US President Joe Biden in July when he told Arab leaders that the US won't walk away from the Middle East.
Following Xi's visit, Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua would be visiting the United Arab Emirates and Iran in a four-day trip starting on Saturday, according to Xinhua News Agency.
Some Chinese experts believe that besides continuing pushing forward Middle East's development, China will also continue serving as a guardian of peace in the region, especially after the Chinese top leader elaborated on regional security issues ranging from Palestine to Yemen to Libya in the latest joint statements with Arab countries and GCC.
For instance, in the joint statement between China and Saudi Arabia, the two sides agreed on the need to strengthen joint cooperation to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program. The two sides also called on Iran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, maintain the non- proliferation regime, and emphasize respect for the principles of good- neighborliness and non-interference in internal affairs of states.
In the joint statement between China and GCC, when it comes to the issue of the three islands -- the Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa - the leaders emphasized their support for all peace efforts, including the initiative and efforts of the UAE for negotiations in line with the norms of the international law.
"In line with China-proposed Global Security Initiative, China is looking to play a constructive role on the security issues in the Middle East, emphasizing on the importance of the solidarity and pushing forward a joint and sustainable security perspective," Liu said.
With the US engaging in a strategic contraction in the Middle East and intensifying competition with China and Russia, the overall ability and willingness of the US to invest in the Middle East also decline but it hopes Middle Eastern countries will cooperate on its strategy in controlling energy prices and imposing sanctions against Russia, some experts said.
"More Middle Eastern countries are avoiding choosing sides, and are adopting a balanced stance among major powers. The latest summits and Saudi Arabia's high-level reception all show that the importance and rising influence of China in the region are indisputable," Liu said.
Russia should not stick to "traditional courtesy" and shoul use all available means of defense, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev believes.
"Boundaries of traditional courtesy must not limit us in our choice of methods of defense in any way after the imposition of illegitimate, totally boorish sanctions against our country. This includes any use of rights and property of economy subjects from unfriendly states," Medvedev said in his article for Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
"We are entitled to do whatever we consider appropriate based on our law with their assets," he believes.
"It is obvious that states, which have been subjected to illegal sanctions or restrictions by Washington and other Western states to some degree, will seek to circumvent all these restrictions. By acting quietly or, on the contrary, by acting boldly, disregarding international rules, without taking any interests of developed nations into account, including rejection of protection of their intellectual property," the official said. "We’ve got yet to learn all that."
The Russian Central Bank (Bank of Russia) on Friday imposed restrictions on the movement of funds to countries that introduced economic sanctions against Russia in connection with its military operation in Ukraine.
“In response to the partial freezing of Russian reserves, Russia also introduced restrictions on the movement of funds that could be transferred to unfriendly countries, for a comparable amount,” a statement on the website of the Bank of Russia reads.
The regulator explained that it is essentially applying a “mirror measure,” banning the movement of capital, the sale of securities by foreign investors, and their withdrawal of funds from the Russian financial system.
In addition, payments on the corporate debt of Russian companies and government debt to holders from countries that support sanctions against Russia can now only take place with the permission of a government commission.
Political settlement in Ukraine possible, but not on Kiev’s terms — Foreign Ministry
Russia does not reject the option of political settlement in Ukraine, but it will not talk under Kiev’s preconditions, says Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin.
"The total inadequacy of decisions and actions of the current Kiev regime, whose politicians are notorious for their carelessness, inability to negotiate and blatant Russophobia, is obvious. And, although Russia does not reject the option for negotiations and a political resolution of the conflict, we are not going to talk under preconditions, put forth by the Kiev authorities. Everything now depends exclusively on the readiness of Kiev and its Western puppeteers for a true political and diplomatic resolution of the crisis," the senior diplomat told TASS.
Galuzin also called the "so-called peace initiatives" of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, "that, if implemented, he allegedly is ready for a truce with Russia under" totally unacceptable.
"The Ukrainian leader’s proposal to make a ‘gesture of good will’ and withdraw Russian forces from Ukrainian territory for Christmas is also absurd. It is also unclear how all these slogans and calls correspond with Zelensky’s decree, signed on September 30, about the ‘impossibility’ of negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin," the Deputy Foreign Minister added.
Banjir rob melanda sejumlah wilayah di kawasan Sunda Kelapa, Jakarta Utara, pada hari Minggu, 25/12/2022. Kondisi ini terjadi sejak pukul 10.00 WIB.
Kapolsek Sunda Kelapa Polres Pelabuhan Tanjung Priok, Kompol Riza Sativa mengatakan, ketinggian air di sana mencapai hingga 50 sentimeter.
Pihaknya kini masih memantau banjir rob yang melanda kawasan Sunda Kelapa. Selain di RW 22, banjir rob juga terjadi di beberapa titik di Muara Angke, Pos Polisi (Pospol), dermaga dan Restoran Apung.
Berdasarkan keterangan Kapolsek Kawasan Sunda Kelapa Kompol Riza Sativa, ada beberapa titik yang terdampak banjir rob selain RW 22, yakni pos polisi dan pengedokan.
Meski wilayah itu sempat terendam, kendaraan masih bisa masuk walaupun air cukup tinggi.
Resto Apung Muara Angke juga ikut terendam. Riza mengatakan bahwa rumah makan ini memiliki tanggul. Namun, dalam keadaan rusak.
“Dia kan ada tanggul rusak. Tanggul pakai karung isi pasir. Itu tadi kena ombak hancur,” kata dia.
Riza mengatakan, sudah ada peringatan dari Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika (BMKG) terkait cuaca ekstrem yang akan terjadi hingga 28 Desember 2022.
Meski demikian, banjir rob yang terjadi pagi ini menurut Riza cukup cepat lantaran air mendadak naik.
“Biasanya pelan-pelan Ini cukup cepat naiknya kalau berdasarkan komunikasi dengan warga,” ucap dia.
Riza mengaku, ketinggian air mulai berangsur surut. Sejumlah kendaraan masih bisa melintas, walau debit airnya masih tinggi.
Ia memastikan, belum ada warganya yang mengungsi akibat banjir rob ini. Namun, jajaran Polsek Sunda Kelapa bersama Polairud Polda Metro Jaya, dan BPBD DKI masih bersiaga di lokasi.
"Memang sudah ada peringatan dari BMKG bahwa sampai dengan tanggal 28 desember itu akan terjadi cuaca ekstrem. Cuman memang tadi pagi cukup cepat. Karena tiba tiba naik. Biasanya pelan-pelan. Ini cukup cepat naiknya kalau berdasarkan komunikasi dengan warga," tuturnya.
