Month: January 2025

US police are investigating whether the Tesla Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas is connected to the terror attack in New Orleans. Both incidents occurred just hours after the start of the new year, CNN reports.

“We are absolutely investigating any connectivity to what happened in New Orleans as well as other attacks that have been occurring around the world,” said Las Vegas Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill.

He also noted that law enforcement is working to determine whether the explosion near the Trump Las Vegas hotel is linked to ISIS. However, according to the sheriff, there is “any indication of that here in Las Vegas.”

The FBI believes the Cybertruck explosion was a separate incident.

The vehicles involved in both incidents were rented through Turo, a platform that allows owners to rent out their cars.

Tesla Cybertruck explosion

On Wednesday, January 1, a Cybertruck exploded near the Trump Las Vegas hotel entrance. The vehicle was developed by Tesla, a company owned by billionaire Elon Musk.

Initially, both the police and Elon Musk stated that they were not ruling out the possibility of a terrorist attack. It is known that the explosion resulted in one fatality and several injuries.

The incident is also linked to the terror attack that occurred in New Orleans on January 1. There, a vehicle drove into a crowd, followed by a shooting. Reports indicate 15 fatalities and dozens of injuries.

A flag of the ISIS terrorist group was found in the possession of the driver involved in the New Orleans attack. According to US President Joe Biden, the FBI is investigating the incident as a terrorist act.

A mass shooting occurred outside the Amazura nightclub in New York, USA, leaving at least ten people injured, the Daily Mail reports.

The shots were fired near the Amazura event hall at approximately 11:20 p.m. (6:20 a.m. Kyiv time).

At least three people with injuries sought help at a local hospital. According to law enforcement, several other victims were hospitalized, but none of the individuals admitted to the hospital are currently in critical condition.

#BREAKING

The number of shot is 13 now at Amazura nightclub in Queens, NYC. 3 people are critically injured.

Police are searching for an Grey Infiniti with NJ plates

This is not the first shooting at the club.. it’s been closed temporarily before due to violence in the club. pic.twitter.com/lILxqjl0Ih

— Brian’s Breaking News and Intel (@intelFromBrian) January 2, 2025

“The NYPD spokesperson confirmed that police are investigating a grey sedan in connection to the shooting, but no suspects have been identified yet,” the Daily Mail stated.

#BREAKINGNEWS Mass shooting in Queens New York Night Club. 11 people have been shot. Standby as this is breaking and information is still being released. pic.twitter.com/KHsDm0kWBT

— Ford News (@FordJohnathan5) January 2, 2025

As RBC-Ukraine previously reported, in New Orleans, USA, a vehicle drove into a large crowd during New Year’s celebrations, resulting in ten killed and numerous injured victims.

Meanwhile, a cybertruck exploded near the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. Billionaire Elon Musk suggested that the incident might have been a terrorist attack.

Russian troops continue to actively storm the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in Chasiv Yar and Toretsk. Over the past day, Russian occupiers managed to destroy some positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to Khortytskyi Viter.

Thus, at the Kramatorsk and Toretsk directions, Russia stormed the fortifications of the Ukrainian military in Chasiv Yar and Toretsk and conducted offensive actions in the direction of Stupochky and Leonidivka.

“As a result of Russia’s fire, some positions were destroyed, and measures are being taken to prevent the deterioration of the tactical situation,” the military said.

Situation in Toretsk and Kramatorsk sectors

There were 140 combat engagements in the frontline over the last day. In particular, 14 combat engagements were registered in the Kramatorsk sector near Chasiv Yar, Stupochky, and Predtechyne.

In the Toretsk sector, Russian occupants, with the support of aviation, carried out 7 attacks near Toretsk, Dyliivka, and in the direction of Shcherbynivka.

For the second day in a row, Russians have been destroying the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in these areas. Just yesterday, Russian troops attacked the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in Chasiv Yar and Toretsk in the Donetsk region. As a result of the fighting, some positions were destroyed.

On the night of January 2, Russia launched 72 UAVs of the Shahed type and other drones against Ukraine. Air defense forces managed to shoot down 47 of them, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.

The enemy launched drones from the directions of Russia’s Bryansk, Oryol, Kursk, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk regions.

The following were involved in repelling the attack:

• aviation;
• anti-aircraft missile troops;
• electronic warfare units;
• mobile fire groups of Ukraine’s Air Force and Defense Forces.

As of 08:30 a.m., 47 drones were confirmed downed in the Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, and several other regions. Another 24 drones were lost locally without causing any adverse effects.

One of the drones that were launched remains in Ukrainian airspace.

Russian attacks on Ukraine

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russian terrorists have regularly struck Ukrainian territory, posing a severe threat to civilians. The enemy uses guided aerial bombs, missiles, drones, and artillery for these attacks. Over the past months, Russia has almost daily conducted nighttime shellings.

For instance, Russia launched 111 drones from four directions on New Year’s Eve. While repelling the air attack, Ukrainian defenders destroyed 63 drones, and another 46 were lost locally.

Russians massively attacked Stepnohirsk in the Zaporizhzhia region, and killed a man, according to the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration Ivan Fedorov.

According to Fedorov, Russia struck Stepnohirsk, Vasylivka district, with multiple rocket launchers 11 times.

As a result of a Russian attack, a five-story building was destroyed, and a man was killed. Rescuers removed his body from the rubble of the destroyed building.

The search and rescue operation at the site of the attack lasted more than five hours.

Photo: Russians massively attacked Stepnohirsk with multiple rocket launchers (t.me/ivan_fedorov_zp)

Russian shelling of Ukraine on January 2

On the night of January 2, Russians again attacked Ukraine with drones. Russia launched 72 drones. Ukrainian air defense forces destroyed 47 Russian drones, and another 24 Russian imitator drones were lost in the area.

Ukrainian air defense system was operating in the Kyiv region, as well as in Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions.

On New Year’s Eve, the Russians launched 111 drones at Ukraine. Debris fell in Kyiv, killing 2 people. Read more about the aftermath of the attack in RBC-Ukraine’s report.

During the first day of the new year, Russia lost 1,370 soldiers at the front. In addition, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) deprived the occupiers of four tanks and 20 artillery systems, reports the General Staff of the AFU.

The total combat Russian losses from February 24, 2022, to January 2, 2024, are estimated to be:

• personnel – about 792,170 (+1,370) Russian troops were eliminated;
• tanks – 9,676 (+4);
• armored personnel vehicle – 20,056 (+13);
• artillery systems – 21,552 (+20);
• MLRS – 1,256;
• anti-aircraft warfare systems – 1,032;
• airplanes – 369;
• helicopters – 330;
• UAV operational-tactical level – 21,200 (+69);
• cruise missiles – 3,003;
• warships/boats – 28;
• submarines – 1;
• vehicles and fuel tanks – 32,729 (+54);
• special equipment – 3,675 (+3).

Situation on frontline

As of the evening of January 1, 125 combat clashes took place on the front. The hottest situation remains in the Pokrovsk direction, where 35 enemy attacks were recorded. In particular, the Ukrainian military showed how they are destroying the enemy in Pokrovsk, the Donetsk region. Fighting is taking place in the city’s private sector.

In addition, Russian troops attacked the positions of Ukraine’s Defense Forces in Chasiv Yar and Toretsk, the Donetsk region. As a result of the fighting, some positions were destroyed.

Furthermore, almost 200 enemy attacks took place on the front on New Year’s Day, and in the Pokrovsk direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine stopped 57 Russian assaults toward 16 settlements.

Chinese government hackers have hacked into the highly secretive Treasury Department office that imposes economic sanctions on countries and groups. This is one of the most powerful tools at the disposal of the United States to achieve national security goals, The Washington Post reports.

Citing unnamed US officials, the Washington Post reported that hackers had breached the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Financial Research Administration, and attacked the office of US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

According to the agency, the attack reflects Beijing’s determination to obtain intelligence on its most significant rival in the global struggle for power and influence.

Officials said that the main area of interest of the Chinese government is Chinese organizations against which the US government may consider imposing financial sanctions.

Earlier this week, the Treasury Department reported in a letter to Congress that hackers had stolen unclassified documents in a major incident. It did not specify which users or departments were affected.

A letter from the US Treasury Department stated that the hackers had breached a third-party cybersecurity provider, BeyondTrust.

Chinese firms, individuals, and organizations are often targeted by US sanctions, which Washington uses as a key tool in its foreign policy toward Beijing.

The United States considers China to be its biggest foreign policy challenge, and last month Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that Washington is not ruling out sanctions against Chinese banks as it seeks to cut Russia’s oil revenues and limit access to foreign supplies to fuel its war against Ukraine.

Meanwhile, relations between the United States and China remain tense as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, threatening Beijing with even harsher tariffs than those he imposed in his first term. During his campaign last year, he proposed to impose tariffs of 60% or more on all imports from China, which could trigger a global trade war.