First two spans of Crimean Bridge’s automobile road to be installed in January

©Sergei Malgavko/TASS

The first two spans of the left side of the Crimean Bridge’s automobile part leading from the peninsula will be installed in this year’s January, with two more to be installed in February, the Federal Road Agency (Rosavtodor) said in a message.

"The thrusting of the first two spans of the left side of the road part of the Crimean Bridge will be carried out in January. To do this, we will introduce temporary restrictions on vehicular traffic twice.

Next month we will replace two more damaged spans, after which the bridge workers will install a barrier fence and lighting fixtures, lay two layers of asphalt concrete pavement and put markings," the message said.

The Federal Road Agency also noted that the restoration work on the left side of the Crimean Bridge did not affect the movement of vehicles.

At the moment, the experts have finished restoration of the platforms on the piers of the Crimean Bridge, necessary for thrusting the first span of the left side of the road.

Bridge workers have already removed two of the four spans on the left side, affected by the explosion, and then restored the damaged bollards on the supports, gluing the additional reinforcement and installing wire mesh.

The installation of the support section is completed when the span is thrust, the assembly of the four spans is now being carried out on the slipways of the Federal Road Agency.

"The work on the Crimean Bridge is going on around the clock. Its road part will be fully restored in this year’s March", the Federal Road Agency concluded.

Situation with Crimean Bridge

A truck exploded on the Crimean Bridge on October 8, causing several fuel tanks of a train to catch fire. Two spans of the bridge’s roadway to the peninsula collapsed but a lane leading from Crimea to the Krasnodar Region reportedly remained intact.

A governmental commission headed by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin has been created in connection with the accident. Railway traffic on the Crimean Bridge has been restored, so was partial passenger car traffic.

“Specialists have completed the restoration of under-truss platforms on the pillars of the Crimean bridge… The sliding of the first two spans of the left side of the Crimean bridge will be carried out in turn in January. For this, temporary traffic restrictions will be introduced twice. Restoration work on the road part of the bridge does not affect traffic,” the statement said.

It is noted that there will be no traffic restrictions on the New Year holidays. In addition, specialists will replace two more spans in February, after which they will install a barrier fence and lighting poles, lay two layers of asphalt concrete and apply markings.

“Work on the Crimean bridge is being carried out around the clock. Its road part will be fully restored in March of this year,” the message adds.

Recall, on the morning of October 8, a truck was blown up on the Crimean bridge, as a result of which the tanks of a neighboring freight train caught fire. Two spans of the automobile part of the bridge, going towards the peninsula, collapsed.

Two days before, traffic was opened on the right side of the bridge, where two victims of the explosion of the span were restored. On the same day, December 5, the object was visited by Russian President Vladimir Putin. He personally got behind the wheel and drove along the restored lane.

It is planned to complete the restoration of the transport and engineering infrastructure of the bridge, including the damaged railway track, by December 1, 2023.

‘It is Immoral to Fund This’: Paul Gosar Blasts Ukraine’s Zelensky for Rejecting Christmas Truce

©AP Photo / Jacquelyn Martin

On Thursday, in response to an appeal by Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a ceasefire across the front in Ukraine starting at noon on Orthodox Christmas Eve and running through Christmas Day January 6-7.

Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar has slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for rejecting Russia’s truce offering, and reiterated his position that continued US assistance to Ukraine is “immoral.”

“Unsurprisingly, Zelensky has rejected peace. It is immoral to fund this war,” Gosar tweeted. Zelensky stated late Thursday that Ukrainian forces would not join their Russian counterparts in adhering to the 36-hour Orthodox Christmas ceasefire, and accused Moscow of seeking to use the truce as a “cover” to stop the Ukrainian military’s advance and to bring more troops and equipment to the Donbass.

Ukrainian presidential advisor Mikhail Podolyak dismissed Patriarch Kirill’s ceasefire request as a “cynical trap and a piece of propaganda,” and suggested the Russian Orthodox Church is “not an authority for global Orthodoxy.”

President Biden also dismissed the truce, accusing Russia’s Putin of “trying to find some oxygen” and charging him with war crimes.

The vast majority of Orthodox Christians, including Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians and their various denominations, celebrate Christmas on January 7, in accordance with the Julian calendar.

The United Nations said Thursday it would welcome an Orthodox Christmas truce, even if it would “not replace a just peace” in Ukraine.

Russian officials including President Putin have repeatedly floated peace talks with their Ukrainian counterparts going all the way back to late February and March of 2022, outlining a series of terms for peace including security for Donbass and Crimea, and Ukrainian neutrality in exchange for security guarantees.

Media reported in September that Russia and Ukraine appear to have agreed on a tentative peace deal in April, but the deal was scuttled after now ex-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson flew to Kiev to sabotage an agreement. Since then, Ukraine has rejected all Russian overtures toward peace talks, and has been pumped up with tens of billions of dollars of NATO weapons assistance.

Representative Gosar has become a consistent critic of US support for Ukraine, voting against new aid packages and calling on Washington to address America’s domestic problems, such as the national debt, homelessness, and the crisis at the border with Mexico.

The Arizona Republican is one of twenty House members of the GOP holding up the selection of a new House speaker, rejecting California Congressman Kevin McCarthy’s bid on charges that he would do the bidding of the “uniparty” establishment.

At the disposal of RIA Novosti were footage of the work of the Russian "Grad" in the special operation zone.

The reconnaissance of the 1st Slavic brigade noticed the enemy's company stronghold in one of the forest belts, and after the transfer of data, it was decided to use the Grad to destroy the maximum territory of the defensive position. The footage shows that most of the missiles fall exactly on target.

Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation: in accordance with the instruction of the President of Russia, a ceasefire was announced in the area of the special operation from 12:00 on January 6 to 24:00 on January 7 along the entire line of contact between the parties in Ukraine

Despite the observance of the ceasefire by the Russian group of troops on January 6 from 12.00 Moscow time, the Kyiv regime continued shelling settlements and positions of Russian troops, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Russian Defense Ministry says Kiev continues shelling Donbass despite Russian troops observing Christmas truce

Ribuan Pendekar Silat Bikin Rusuh Kediri, Tutup Jalan Lalu Rusak Rumah dan Bakar Motor Warga

Pendekar silat rusak rumah warga di Kediri (Foto: Beritajatim)

Semalam ribuan pendekar silat dari salah satu perguruan membuat rusuh di Kota Kediri. Mereka menyekat jalan, menyerang rumah warga, lalu membakar kendaraan warga tersebut.

Korban yang menjadi korban amuk pendekar silat ini merupakan warga Kecamatan Ngadiluwih. Para pendekar silat itu mengamuk setelah menggeruduk Polsek Ngadiluwih, hari Kamis malam, 05/01/2023.

Perusakan sendiri terjadi saat mereka dalam perjalanan pulang. Para pendekar silat ini datang ke Polsek Ngadiluwih untuk mengetahui penanganan hukum terkait kasus pembubaran latihan dan pencurian oleh perguruan silat lainnya di Kecamatan Ngadiluwih itu sehari sebelumnya.

Dalam aksi itu, ada sekitar 2.500 orang yang juga hadir dari Tulungagung, Blitar dan Nganjuk. Mereka kemudian kembali setelah ditemui oleh petugas.

Di saat perjalanan pulang ini lah rombongan dari sebagian Kediri Raya dan Nganjuk melakukan tindak pidana perusakan. Beberapa rumah, toko dan motor rusak, satu unit di antaranya dibakar.

Kapolres Kediri AKBP Agung Setyo Nugroho mengakui terjadinya peristiwa ini. Menurutnya, hal ini terjadi akibat gesekan saat konvoi kepulangan mereka. Namun hal ini sudah dilakukan proses penyelidikan sesuai hukum yang berlaku.

Malam ini, sekitar 600-700 personel gabungan dari TNI-Polri, Satpol PP dan Dinas Perhubungan setempat disiagakan untuk mengantisipasi aksi susulan. Mereka melakukan penyekatan di beberapa titik perbatasan.

"Malam ini kita bersama Kodim 0809 Kediri, Satpol PP dan Dishub melalukan kegiatan penyekatan adanya kejadian kemarin kita melakukan antisipasi, patroli untuk menjaga situasi kamtibmas di Kediri," Kapolres Kediri, dikutip dari beritajatim.com jejaring media suara.com, hari Kamis, 05/01/2023.

Jumlah ini akan ditambah dengan polsek jajaran yang juga melakukan antisipasi di wilayah mereka masing-masing.

"Yang jelas kami melakukan antisipasi ini agar masyarakat bisa melakukan kegiatan dengan aman dan nyaman," katanya menambahkan.

Pesilat Kediri Bubarkan Latihan Perguruan Silat Lain Lalu Rampas Uang-HP

Polisi mengamankan sejumlah pesilat yang membubarkan latihan perguruan silat lain. Dalam pembubaran itu, pelaku merampas uang, HP, dan juga seragam para korban. Kasat Reskrim Polres Kediri AKP Rizkika Atmadha mengatakan peristiwa pembubaran latihan silat itu terjadi di Kecamatan Ngadiluwih, Kabupaten Kediri pada hari Jumat malam, 30/12/2022. Saat itu sejumlah anggota salah satu perguruan silat tengah melakukan latihan di Kecamatan Ngadiluwih, Kabupaten Kediri.

'kejadiannya Jumat, 30/12/2022," ujar Rizkika kepada detikJatim, pada Rabu, 04/01/2023.

Rizkika melanjutkan belasan orang tak dikenal tiba-tiba datang dan membubarkan latihan. Tak hanya membubarkan, mereka juga merampas beberapa barang seperti, HP, baju seragam latihan serta sejumlah uang yang tertinggal. Setelah itu mereka langsung kabur meninggalkan TKP.

"Informasi yang kami terima, para pelaku ini berkumpul di suatu tempat sebelum melancarkan aksinya," kata Rizkika sekaligus membenarkan bahwa korban dan pelaku merupakan anggota dari dua perguruan silat yang berbeda.

Polisi Tangkap Pesilat di Kediri yang Bubarkan Latihan Perguruan Silat Lain

Polisi mengamankan sejumlah pendekar perguruan silat di Kediri. Para pesilat ini melakukan aksi tak terpuji yakni membubarkan latihan silat perguruan lain lalu mencuri uang, HP, seragam latihan, serta sabuk perguruan anggotanya.

Kapolres Kediri AKBP Agung Setyo Nugroho membenarkan perihal penangkapan tersebut. Penangkapan dilakukan secara gabungan yang melibatkan anggota Resmob Polres Kediri, Polres Kediri Kota, dan Polres Tulungagung

"Iya Alhamdulillah, tadi malam sejumlah orang dari perguruan silat di Kediri yang sebelumnya melakukan tindakan kriminal terhadap perguruan silat lain saat latihan berhasil diamankan. Lebih lengkapnya ke Kasat Reskrim langsung saja mas," jelas Agung kepada detikJatim, Rabu, 04/01/2023.

Kasat Reskrim Polres Kediri AKP Rizkika Atmadha yang memimpin langsung penangkapan mengaku upaya menangkap pelaku awalnya mengalami sedikit kendala. Karena pelaku telah melarikan diri dan bersembunyi di sejumlah tempat.

Namun berkat kejelian dan kerja keras anggotanya, sebagian besar pelaku yang punya peran penting dalam tindakan kriminal tersebut dapat ditangkap, meski mereka telah bersembunyi di tempat kos di Kota Kediri.

"Alhamdulillah, berkat kerja keras dan kejelian anggota Polres Kediri, Kediri Kota dan Polsek Ngadiluwih, kami berhasil mengamankan sejumlah orang terduga pelaku yang memiliki peran penting dalam aksi pembubaran latihan disertai, pencurian dan perusakan salah satu organisasi perguruan silat di Kabupaten Kediri," jelas Rizkika.

Saat ditanya apakah pelaku juga merupakan anggota perguruan silat lainnya, Rizkika membenarkan hal tersebut. Namun ia memilih untuk tidak menyebut nama perguruan silat yang melakukan tindakan kriminal tersebut.

Karena bagi polisi tak peduli apapun perguruan silatnya, selama ada oknum dari organisasi tersebut melakukan tindakan yang melanggar hukum, kriminal dan mengganggu kenyamanan serta keselamatan warga, maka polisi harus hadir dan bertindak tegas.

"Yang jelas adalah pelaku sebagian besar telah kami amankan dan dalam pengembangan lebih lanjut. Kami tegaskan tidak peduli apapun organisasinya, selama oknum dari organisasi tersebut melakukan tindakan yang melanggar hukum, krminal dan mengganggu kenyamanan, keselamatan warga masyarakat. Polisi harus hadir dan bertindak tegas," imbuh Rizkika.

"Kami masih mengembangkan kasusnya, sabar ya. Yang jelas kami dari Polres Kediri tidak akan menolerir aksi kriminal, premanisme yang menganggu kondusifitas Kabupaten Kediri," pungkas Rizkika.

Penangkapan ini menindaklanjuti kejadian saat sejumlah pesilat mendatangi lalu membubarkan latihan perguruan silat lain di Kecamatan Ngadiluwih pada hari Jumat, 30/12/2022. Tak hanya membubarkan, para pelaku juga mencuri uang, HP, dan seragam anggota silat.

Penangkapan ini menindaklanjuti kejadian saat sejumlah pesilat mendatangi lalu membubarkan latihan perguruan silat lain di Kecamatan Ngadiluwih pada Jumat (30/12/2022). Tak hanya membubarkan, para pelaku juga mencuri uang, HP, dan seragam anggota silat.

Medvedev says Kiev's refusal to cease fire on Christmas Day is ‘less trouble’ for Moscow

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev
©Yekaterina Shtukina/POOL/TASS

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev believes that Kiev has rejected ‘the hand of Christian mercy’ by refusing Moscow's proposed Christmas truce. However, according to him, this situation will pose ‘less trouble and slyness’ to the Russian armed forces.

"A hand of Christian mercy was extended to the Ukrainians on the great holiday (Christmas, which is celebrated in Russia on January 7 - TASS). Their (Kiev’s - TASS) leaders rejected it. I think most of our servicemen taking part in the special military operation exhaled when they heard the refusal... to cease fire on Christmas Day. Less problems and slyness," the politician wrote on Friday on his Telegram channel.

Medvedev noted that he felt sorry for the people who were deprived of the opportunity to go to church. "But pigs have no faith and no innate sense of gratitude. They understand only brute force," he noted.

On Thursday, the Kremlin press service reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed that a ceasefire regime be imposed along the entire line of contact in the zone of the special military operation from 12:00 on January 6 until 24:00 on January 7. Later, the Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoygu issued a corresponding order. In their turn, the Ukrainian authorities reacted negatively to the idea of a ceasefire for Christmas.

Russian Ambassador dismisses allegedly "defensive nature" of weapons transferred to Kiev

The "defensive nature" of weapons handed over to Kiev by Washington has not been at issue long since, Russian Ambassador in the US Anatoly Antonov said.

The decision of the US administration to transfer Bradley fighting vehicles to Ukraine is "a confirmation that our interlocutors in the United States have not even tried to listen to our numerous calls to take into account possible consequences of such a dangerous course by Washington," the Ambassador noted, cited by the press service of the Russian diplomatic mission.

"It is finally becoming clear to the whole international community that in 2014 the US unleashed a real proxy-war against Russia by supporting nazi criminals in Kiev. Any talk about a "defensive nature" of weapons supplied to Ukraine has long become absurd," the Russian diplomat said.

"Even more remarkably, the Administration revealed the abovementioned decision after a phone conversation between [US] President [Joe] Biden and German Chancellor [Olaf] Scholz," Antonov stressed.

"The international community must not ignore the fact that Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande confessed: the Minsk agreements served to give time to Kiev to enhance its military capabilities. In view of close ties between Washington and Berlin it becomes clear that the West under US leadership simply deceived our country and started to purposefully weaken Russia much earlier than February 24, 2022," he added.

All the latest actions of the United States, including the decision to allocate a new military aid package for Kiev comprising Bradley fighting vehicles, directly indicate that Washington has no desire for the political settlement in Ukraine, Antonov said.

"Nobody should still have doubts who bears responsibility for prolonging this conflict. All the actions by the Administration indicate a lack of any desire for a political settlement," the Ambassador said, cited by the diplomatic mission.

"Even the unilaterally declared ceasefire by the Russian Federation along the entire line of contact in Ukraine during Orthodox Christmas was labeled as an attempt to ‘find some oxygen’. All this means that Washington is committed to fighting with us ‘to the last Ukrainian,’ while the destiny of people of Ukraine means nothing to the US," Antonov added.

Ambassador Antonov: Washington Does Not Want Political Settlement of Ukraine Conflict

©AP Photo / Roman Koksarov

Russian Ambassador in the United States Anatoly Antonov said on Thursday, commenting on the White House's decision to deliver Bradley fighting vehicles to Kiev, that Washington does not want a political settlement of the Ukraine conflict.

Earlier in the day, the Defense Department said the Biden administration will announce another military assistance package for Ukraine on Friday that will include Bradley fighting vehicles. According to media reports, the package will include $3 billion worth of military equipment.

"This step [the delivery of Bradley fighting vehicles] comes as a confirmation that our interlocutors in the United States have not even tried to listen to our numerous calls to take into account possible consequences of such a dangerous course by Washington," Antonov told journalists.

"Nobody should still have doubts who bears responsibility for prolonging this conflict. All the actions by the administration indicate a lack of any desire for a political settlement."

The ambassador said that any talk about a "defensive nature" of weapons that Western countries supply to Kiev has long become "absurd," adding that "it is finally becoming clear to the whole international community that in 2014 the US unleashed a real proxy-war against Russia by supporting nazi criminals in Kiev."

"The actions of the administration spur Ukrainian radicals to proceed with their terrible deeds. With every consecutive transfer of arms their feeling of impunity grows stronger," Antonov said.

The ambassador noted the West started "to purposefully weaken Russia" under the US leadership long before the beginning of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, recalling statements made by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and ex-French President Francois Hollande.

In December, Merkel told the Zeit newspaper that the 2014 Minsk agreement "was an attempt to give Ukraine extra time." The former chancellor said she doubted NATO countries could have done as much then as they were doing now to help Ukraine.

Pentagon: US Exploring Variety of Locations for Training Ukrainian Forces on Patriot System

The Biden administration is still working out the details of the Patriot missile systems training for Ukrainian military personnel and exploring both locations inside the United States and overseas, Defense Department Press Secretary Pat Ryder said during a press briefing.

“The details on the training of the Patriot missile systems are still being worked out in coordination with our Ukrainian partners,” Ryder said on Thursday.

"I can tell you that we're exploring a variety of options to include potential training here, in the US, overseas, or a combination of both."

Ryder added that the United States continues to have discussions on the delivery of any additional Patriot systems to Ukraine.

Earlier reports indicated that the Defense Department was considering the possibility of training Ukrainian forces at military bases within the US, a notable development as the majority of training to date has taken place in European countries.

In December, the Biden administration announced a new $1.85 billion security package for Ukraine that includes one Patriot air defense system.

A senior US defense official said the training of Ukrainian troops on how to operate Patriot air defense systems is going to take several months while it usually takes up to a year in normal conditions.

Talk of additional Patriot deployments for Ukraine have more recently stirred after the Biden administration confirmed it would be announcing a new batch of Ukraine military aid. It is expected that Bradley vehicles will be included in this latest installment.

Live Updates: McCarthy Loses 7th Vote for Speaker

US Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy listens before the House of Representatives votes for a seventh time for a new speaker at the US Capitol in Washington, DC

House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy appeared to lose a seventh straight ballot for speaker on Thursday, despite offering fresh concessions to a group of Republican opponents to try to win their votes.

An official tally was still pending, but unofficial numbers showed McCarthy on track to lose.

LIVESeventh Speaker Vote Tally »

	Total	Dem.	Rep.
McCarthy	201	0	201	Needed to win
Donalds	19	0	19
Jeffries	212	212	0
Trump	1	0	1
Present	1	0	1

McCarthy

Needed to win

Donalds

Jeffries

Trump

Present

The GOP opponents have sunk his past six attempts to get enough votes to win the job. The efforts to forge a compromise could weaken the job, if he gets it, and shows that governing the Republican-led House is going to be challenging this year, with infighting consuming what's been a simple one-ballot vote for the past hundred years.

McCarthy made history on Tuesday when he became the first majority leader in a century to fail in the first round of voting. In 1923, it took nine rounds of voting to elect a Speaker.

Kevin McCarthy came up short once again on Thursday as he lost the seventh House vote to elect a new speaker. The outcome will only increase pressure on McCarthy to end the impasse over his imperiled speakership bid, but it is unclear whether he will be able to pull it off as the situation grows increasingly dire for his future political prospects.

Even after proposing major concessions to his hardline conservative opponents late Wednesday, the California Republican has still not yet been able to lock in the 218 votes he needs to win the gavel. The House on Thursday reconvened with some Republicans, including McCarthy, trying to downplay the significance ahead of the seventh vote.

The House narrowly voted to adjourn late on Wednesday after six rounds of voting failed to result in a victor. The once-in-a-century gridlock has exposed long-simmering tensions in the Republican party and raised questions about whether Congress will be able to function with such dysfunction and discord.

Twenty Republican rebels on Wednesday rejected McCarthy and rallied instead around Byron Donalds, a Republican congressman from Florida. Some of the rebels have personal grievances with McCarthy while others have demanded rule changes that would make it easier to oust the Speaker.

After months of negotiations, it appeared as though McCarthy had capitulated to those demands, agreeing to change the rules so that just one member of the House could call a vote of no confidence. But it remained unclear whether the changes would be enough to hand McCarthy the 218 votes required to win the support of a simple majority of the chamber.

"Well, I think what you'll see today is the same until we finish everything out," McCarthy said. "Whenever you negotiate different things, nothing's agreed to until everything's agreed to. I wouldn't read anything into votes today."

Republicans took back control of the House of Representatives in November’s midterm elections. But McCarthy finds himself in such a tough position because the “red wave” he predicted did not materialise and Republicans control the chamber by a razor-thin margin, leaving him beholden to a small number of rebels.

Late on Wednesday, the Club for Growth, the ultra-low-tax group, and the Congressional Leadership Fund, a McCarthy-aligned fundraising vehicle, said they had struck a deal whereby the latter would not spend money in open Republican primaries in safe seats. The agreement was seen as a win for rightwing Republicans who have taken issue with McCarthy’s efforts to support more centrist candidates in the past.

McCarthy has been meeting with his allies on Capitol Hill and his opponents met off campus Thursday morning as House Republicans continue to try to chart a path forward.

"I think things are moving in the right direction," Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota said as he left the McCarthy meeting. "Nothing's going to come together quickly, but I think we're clearly making progress."

The longer the fight drags out, the more dire it becomes for McCarthy's future, however, as it risks further defections and a loss of confidence in the GOP leader.

Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, who has supported McCarthy through six ballots, warned of the potential for additional defections on Thursday.

Asked by CNN if he would be with McCarthy on the seventh ballot, Buck said: "If there's a deal and you know, 10 of the 20 move, I think that people stay with him. If there's no deal and we have another vote of 20, I think people are going to start (defecting)." Buck added: "Including me."

"There is a point in time that Kevin is going to lose credibility because he can't make this deal," Buck said.