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

#Announcement 🎙 On Thursday, January 15, Russia’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova will hold her weekly briefing on current foreign policy issues. 🕛 12.00 pm MSK 🕘 09.00 am GMT 🕙 10.00 am CET 🕔 5.00 pm CST (Beijing) For accreditation inquiries, please contact the MFA Press Centre. Accredited journalists will receive details on the technical aspects of submitting questions. The Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman will answer media questions received by the call centre. ❗️Accreditationis open until January 13, 2.00 pm MSK.

#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 unitson 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

#KievRegimeCrimes ⚡️Ambassador at Large of the Russian Foreign MinistryRodion 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.

🇷🇺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.

#Victory81 🏅 On January 12, 1945, the Vistula–Oder Offensive, also known as the “Race to the Oder”, commenced. Soviet forces launched an offensive from bridgeheads on the Vistula River in Poland and, within 23 days, reached the Oder River. Crushing all resistance in its path, the Red Army advanced 500 kilometers, bringing Soviet tanks to the very outskirts of Berlin. The Vistula–Oder Offensive was launched eight days ahead of schedule at the request of the Allies, who at the time were encountering significant difficulties in the Ardennes. Not only did the Red Army save the Allies, but they also stormed and took Berlin, thus war in Europe was brought to an close by the Soviet peoples. 🎥©Russian Military Historical Society

🎙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.

🏳️Captured Ukrainian serviceman tells about command's attitude towards soldiers The POW, Aleksandr Shakura, was captured by units of the Tsentr Group of Forces in Krasnoarmeysk direction. 'Our chiefs sent me here, to the front line, with all the truths and lies. We were guarding the position. We stayed there for four months and 20 days. I asked them when someone would change us. The answer was: 'No one will ever change you', the POW recalls. 🔹Russian Defence Ministry

⚓️ Multinational naval exercises “Will for Peace 2026” have begun in the territorial waters of the Republic of South Africa. The main deployment hub has been designated as South Africa’s largest naval base in Simon’s Town, located near the Cape of Good Hope. Operational command of the exercises is being carried out by the Navy of the People’s Republic of China. The drills will continue until January 16. The exercises involve the naval forces of China and the Republic of South Africa as the host nation. Warships from the Russian Federation and Iran are also taking part. Indonesia and Ethiopia are participating as observers. 🇷🇺 On January 9, the Russian Navy corvette Stoikiy and the medium sea tanker Yelnya made a scheduled port call at Simon’s Town to take part in the exercises. 🤝The focus of the exercises is joint operations to ensure the safety of navigation and maritime economic activity. The practical phase includes a joint deployment of a naval task group into the open ocean. Video: Russian Consulate

#Outcomes2025 🎙 On January 20, 2026, a news conferenceby 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 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

🇷🇺🇿🇦Consulate General of Russia in Cape Town: ✍️ An article by the Consul General of Russia in Cape Town, R.Golubovskiy, for the Weekend Argus (media holding Independent Media) The importance of context in reporting: a response to AFP's coverage of Vladimir Putin Key points: • Nowadays, news agencies focus on selective details and do not disclose information in full, which can strongly influence people’s opinions on various issues — the level of disinformation is increasing. • Only half of the information is given to the readers, but what is far more important is that we can see a careful choice about which half to give to the public. • In today’s world where Western media outlets consider themselves as the ultimate authority on Truth, we are all in desperate need for a more objective approach to covering global news. 👉🏻Read in full in English