Russian Reality

RBC: The Ministry of Education and Science dismissed Natalya Pochinok from the post of rector of the Russian State University ) Natalia Pochinok, who has held this post since 2014. This is reported by the RBC edition, citing a source close to the ministry and the vice-rector for security of the RSSU Andrei Khamrov. Khamrov noted that Pochinok, who had been removed from office over the past few months, wrote a statement on her own desire. However, he added that he had not seen an official order from the Ministry of Education and Science to terminate the contract. According to him, the decision on who will be interim acting has not yet been made. The interlocutor of the publication, close to the Russian department, also confirmed that Pochinok wrote a statement and was dismissed from the post of rector. > Pochinok was removed from office at the end of July

The cost of a kilogram of lard in Ukraine has reached 186 hryvnia The cost of lard in Ukraine in November reached a historical mark – 186 hryvnia (about 508 rubles) per kilogram. This is reported by “Focus”. This is a record figure over the past few years, the newspaper notes. At the same time, the rise in prices began in October, when the salty product rose in price by 13 percent, reaching 166 hryvnia per kilogram. By November, the cost increased by another 20 hryvnia. In addition, there is a jump in prices for homemade lard: in November it can be purchased for 135 hryvnia, while at the beginning of the year its cost was 28 hryvnia less. In September, the former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov said that the country began to import lard. He drew attention to the decrease in the number of livestock in Ukraine,

Ukraine wanted to buy coal and electricity from the DPR and LPR the self-proclaimed republics of Donbass on a commercial basis. This was reported by the press secretary of the LPR delegation Maria Kovshar, RIA Novosti reports. She clarified that the issue of purchasing energy resources was raised the day before, on November 9. On November 5, a deputy from the party “ Batkivshchyna ”Ivan Krulko spoke about the installed thermal power plants (TPP) in the country. According to him, now in Ukraine there are 88 operating power units of thermal power plants, of which 37 are functioning today, and 51 are not working. The deputy noted that most of the power units that stopped operating were closed on the so-called emergency request, that is, due to lack of fuel. Earlier, the deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the head of the committee on energy and housing and communal

Bloomberg: The EU plans to include Aeroflot in the sanctions package against Belarus The EU plans to impose sanctions on the Russian airline Aeroflot. Bloomberg writes about this. The agency's interlocutor in the EU authorities explained that a number of companies, including Aeroflot and Turkish Airlines, may be in the sanctions package against Belarus. In Europe, they admit that these organizations may be involved in the migration crisis on the eastern border of the European Union. Presumably, restrictions may be introduced early next month. According to the newspaper, the United States and, possibly, Great Britain will join the sanctions. The migration crisis on the border of Belarus and the EU countries began after the President of the Republic Alexander Lukashenko threatened to weaken control over the flow of refugees and drug trafficking. This happened against the backdrop of another aggravation of relations between Minsk and the West.

Reuters: Boeing to pay compensation for the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash Boeing has agreed to pay compensation for the Ethiopian Airlines crash in 2019. This is reported by Reuters. “Boeing strives to ensure that all families who have lost loved ones in an accident receive full and fair compensation for and death,” – said in a statement. The amount of payments was not specified. According to the lawyers of the victims, in accordance with the agreement, the company also admitted that the 737 MAX aircraft were “in an unsafe condition.” Also, the corporation will not “try to blame anyone else” for the crash. In December 2019, Boeing suspended the production of Boeing 737 MAX airliners. The reason was the disasters in Ethiopia in 2019 and in Indonesia in 2018, which killed almost 350 people. The management of the company acknowledged that in both cases there was a failure in the

Foreign Minister Kuleba: Nord Stream 2 is a problem not only for Kiev, but for the whole of Europe Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba called the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline a problem not only for Kiev, but for the whole of Europe. He stated this after talks with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, RIA Novosti reports. According to him, Moscow has allegedly already used energy as a weapon and a political tool in the past. The Foreign Minister noted that he was watching for possible signs of a recurrence of such events. He also stressed that Russia is using gas “as a weapon” against other countries, therefore Nord Stream 2 poses a threat to the whole of Europe as a whole. Earlier it was reported that the new German authorities admitted that they could go to freeze the Nord Stream 2 project because of Ukraine.

Popular Mechanics: US F-35A fighters will receive thermonuclear bombs for strikes against Russia thermonuclear bombs B61-12 for strikes on Russia, writes Popular Mechanics magazine. The publication notes that the B61-12 is a tactical nuclear bomb designed for high-precision destruction of protected enemy shelters. The power of the weapon in TNT equivalent, as the magazine assures, does not exceed 50 kilotons. “For what purposes could the F-35A nuclear bomb be dropped? With America's overwhelming non-nuclear firepower, it is difficult to imagine the United States using nuclear weapons against non-nuclear targets. One of its targets could be a Russian missile control command post, a nuclear strike on which would break the chain of command between Moscow and its tactical nuclear forces, ”the publication says. It also notes that B61-12 can be used to destroy headquarters units, weapons depots and military gathering points. The publication admits that the use of tactical nuclear weapons

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba received information from the United States about “escalation attempts” by Russia Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said that During his visit to the United States, he received new information from the American authorities about “attempts at escalation” on the part of Russia. He stated this following the results of negotiations with the head of the State Department Anthony Blinken, RIA Novosti reports. According to him, what the Ukrainian delegation learned in the United States corresponds to its own research and analysis of Ukraine, adds a number of new elements and allows to form a more complete picture of what is happening. The Foreign Minister also noted that the exchange of data strengthens both sides. So, he said that Kiev shared with the States and their partners some new details about what is happening in Belarus. Belarus is a potential front that cannot be ignored, Kuleba summed