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Ukrainian military intelligence has revealed a covert operation in which Russian authorities were manipulated into paying a $500,000 assassination bounty to their own enemies, after being deceived into believing a wanted anti-Kremlin figure had been killed.

According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, the operation was designed both to protect Denis Kapustin, commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, and to uncover a hostile intelligence network tasked with eliminating him. Officials described the effort as a “complex, multi-stage” mission coordinated with a pro-Ukrainian Russian group.

The ruse hinged on convincing Russian operatives that Kapustin had been successfully assassinated. Ukrainian intelligence officers staged drone footage to simulate his supposed death, creating visual evidence intended to satisfy Moscow’s handlers.

Two strike drones were central to the deception. One drone appeared to strike a vehicle allegedly carrying Kapustin, while a second drone documented the aftermath, showing a burning car that served as “proof” of the purported hit.

Ukrainian officials said the fabricated material was convincing enough that Russian intelligence proceeded to release the promised bounty. The $500,000 payment, intended as a reward for Kapustin’s assassination, was transferred to Ukrainian operatives.

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence said the funds are now being redirected to strengthen its special forces, effectively turning a Russian assassination contract into financial support for Ukraine’s war effort.

The Telegraph reported that Kapustin was falsely declared dead on Dec. 27, with Russia’s own volunteer force initially echoing the claim in a Telegram post that vowed revenge and stated, “Your legacy lives on.”

That report noted that Moscow had pursued Kapustin for years and was prepared to pay a substantial sum for his elimination, underscoring how damaging his group’s activities have been for the Kremlin.

The deception unraveled publicly on New Year’s Day, when Kapustin appeared alive in a video released by Ukraine’s military intelligence. He was shown standing beside Gen. Kyrylo Budanov.

In the video, Budanov congratulated those involved in the operation and openly mocked Russia’s security services for unwittingly financing Ukraine’s military campaign. He said he was pleased that the funds meant for Kapustin’s “liquidation” were instead used to support Ukraine’s fight.

The Guardian reported that Ukrainian intelligence portrayed the operation as both a defensive maneuver and a counterintelligence success, preserving Kapustin’s life while identifying those behind the plot, including alleged planners within Russia’s special services and operatives recruited to carry out the attack.

According to the report, the “Timur Special Unit,” which is linked to Kapustin, also received funds allocated for the assassination.

The episode adds to a growing list of intelligence successes by Ukraine against Moscow’s security apparatus, including the Federal Security Service and the GRU, long considered among the world’s most formidable intelligence agencies.

It also highlights how deception, drone technology, and covert operations are playing an increasingly central role in a conflict that is evolving into a high-tech shadow war fought far beyond traditional battlefields.

{Matzav.com}

Diplomatic contacts between Israel and Syria are set to resume this week, with senior representatives from both countries scheduled to convene in Paris on Monday to reopen discussions toward a new security framework, Axios reported, citing an Israeli official and another individual familiar with the matter.

The planned meetings are expected to span two days and will bring together Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and a newly assembled Israeli negotiating team. According to the report, the talks are intended to focus on a potential security arrangement that would address demilitarization in southern Syria, alongside an Israeli pullback from territories entered following the collapse of the Assad regime.

The renewed effort comes after President Trump personally urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to restart the negotiations during their recent meeting in Mar-a-Lago, Axios reported. Netanyahu agreed to move forward with additional talks while underscoring that any agreement must safeguard Israel’s security interests.

This upcoming round will be the first in nearly two months and represents the fifth session overall. Previous negotiations were put on hold amid wide disagreements between the parties and following the resignation of Israel’s earlier lead negotiator, former Minister Ron Dermer.

The initiative is being actively supported by the Trump administration, which has prioritized stabilizing the security situation along the Israel-Syria border. President Trump’s Syria envoy, Tom Barrack, is expected to play a mediating role during the discussions.

In preparation for the Paris meetings, Netanyahu appointed a new Israeli delegation led by Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter. Other members named by Axios include Netanyahu’s military adviser, Gen. Roman Gofman, and acting National Security Adviser Gill Reich.

{Matzav.com}

UPDATE: ZAKA reports that the body of the missing Israeli citizen at the ski resort town of Crans-Montana, Switzerland, has now also been identified. ZAKA teams continue to operate at the scene, in coordination with Swiss police and rescue authorities, the Israeli Ambassador to Switzerland, Tibor Shalev Schlosser, the local Chabad shliach Rabbi Yitzchak Levi […]

Police in Winnipeg Canada have opened a hate-crime investigation after antisemitic graffiti were spray-painted on the exterior of the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue overnight. Jewish organizations strongly condemned the vandalism, warning that repeated targeting of Jewish institutions poses a serious threat to the community.

The Jewish community in Lausanne issued a statement mourning the loss of two young girls after the deadly blaze, saying, “it is with great sorrow that we announce the deaths of Alicia and Diana, who were tragically killed in a fire. The community partakes in the family’s mourning and will stand beside it as needed.” Alicia and Diana Gunst were sisters, ages 14 and 15, whose bodies were confirmed earlier in the day.

ZAKA’s International Unit later reported that another missing victim from the same incident has now been identified. The organization said that the remains of Charlotte Needham, a 15-year-old Israeli citizen, were located and formally identified following the inferno at the ski resort in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, where she had been unaccounted for.

In the aftermath of the disaster, ZAKA personnel remain active on the ground, working in coordination with Swiss authorities. Their teams are continuing to assist local police, emergency responders, and security forces as recovery and investigative efforts proceed at the site.

The fire at the popular Alpine resort has sent shockwaves through Jewish communities in Switzerland and abroad, as confirmations of the victims’ identities bring a painful close to days of uncertainty surrounding those who had been missing.

{Matzav.com}

A press conference held by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was momentarily interrupted when a Chabad truck drove past the event blasting the song “Hinei Ma Tov,” bringing the proceedings to a brief standstill.

The incident occurred as Mamdani was in the midst of announcing members of his new cabinet and outlining a series of administrative changes. As the music echoed through the area, aides and reporters paused, and the mayor stopped speaking until the truck passed and the sound faded.

“It’s a good song,” Mamdani said.

WATCH:

While announcing new members of his administration, Mayor Zohran Mamdani stopped to listen to a passing Chabad truck that was playing “Hinei Ma Tov.”

“It’s a good song,” Mamdani said. pic.twitter.com/OVnbcKMcHp

— Anash Reporter (@AnashReporter) January 3, 2026

Trump: We need Greenland for national security. “If you take a look at Greenland, you have Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.”

James Comer: You’re gonna see the Trump administration continue to freeze funds until Democrat governors do like what the Republican governors are doing, they’re complying with the federal government, with the Trump administration.

A new MTA fare of $3 takes effect on Sunday across New York City.

TEHILLIM: Please daven for HaRav Dovid Magid shlit”a, a Lakewood resident and former Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedolah of Bayonne, who suffered a serious medical incident on Motzei Shabbos and needs Rachamei Shomayim. His name for Tehillim is Elchonon Dovid Aryeh Leib ben Ita Faiga.

After serving tens of thousands of Israeli travelers for two decades, the Chabad House in Kathmandu, Nepal, was suddenly ordered to vacate its building. Chabad shliach Chezki Lifshitz and his wife say the landlord recently demanded all Hebrew signs be removed, sharply raised the rent, and then ordered an immediate eviction, which he believe stemmed […]

Schumer: Rubio I just heard in your interview said they’re doing what’s good for the American people. If they want to do what’s good for the American people, it should not be some escapade in Venezuela.

Minister Says Hezbollah Sought Inside Control of Kiryat Shmona Through Property Buys Israel’s Negev and Galilee Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf told a Cabinet meeting that Hezbollah allegedly encouraged Arab citizens of Israel to purchase apartments in Kiryat Shmona during the war in an effort to “take over the city from within.” Security officials say the Shin […]

A federal appeals panel ruled that California’s ban on openly carrying firearms in densely populated counties is unconstitutional, saying it violates the Second Amendment. The case began after a Siskiyou County resident sued to restore open carry.

Syrians started swapping old banknotes for new ones under a plan to replace Assad-era money and strengthen the currency’s value.

Mike Waltz: “Maduro was a state-backer of narcoterrorism. These operatives are some of the most vicious in the world… Enough was enough. Enough with our homeland security being threatened.”

Sec. Rubio: The “experts” are clowns. Venezuela looks nothing like Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, or the Middle East — other than the Iranian agents running through there plotting against America. These are Western countries. People need to stop ascribing apples to oranges.

Shas is threatening to oppose the 2026 state budget unless the coalition first passes its draft law regulating Charedi conscription and exemptions. The budget must be approved by March 31 or the government will fall and early elections will be triggered. Shas spokesman Asher Medina said the law is essential to protect full-time Torah study. […]

Sec. Rubio: “In the Biden Administration, they had a $25 million reward for [Maduro’s] capture — so we have a reward for his capture but we’re not going to enforce it? That’s the difference between President Trump and everybody else… President Trump did something about it.”

Critics are sharply attacking the choice of schools chancellor made by Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani, arguing that his appointee represents an aggressive ideological agenda focused on race and opposition to merit-based education, according to comments made to The New York Post.

At the center of the criticism is Kamar Samuels, a veteran educator who previously led school districts covering parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan and is known for dismantling Gifted & Talented programs. Mamdani selected Samuels to run the nation’s largest public school system after his tenure as a district superintendent.

Samuels previously oversaw District 13 in downtown Brooklyn and later District 3 on the Upper West Side. During that time, he promoted a series of policies framed around “equity” and “antiracism,” while regularly hosting town halls dedicated to those themes.

“I don’t like him, I’ve never liked him; he came in as an ideologue,” a Department of Education official told The Post, adding that he believes Samuels is an “idiot.”

Samuels, now 48, ran District 13 before being appointed in 2022 to lead District 3 by then-Mayor Eric Adams. In both districts, he organized and promoted repeated “Anti-Racist Town Hall” events that critics say pushed a woke agenda under the banner of equity. One such event in February 2022 featured far-left Brooklyn Councilwoman Crystal Hudson as a guest speaker.

“You are invited to join D3 town hall: A courageous conversation about equity,” Samuels wrote in a 2023 post.

“District 13 continues our conversation on serving all students in an Anti-Racist District tonight at 7pm when we hear from students at MS 266 and PS 133! Tuesday, June 7 @ 7:00 pm Anti-Racist Town Hall,” Samuels posted in June 2022.

Critics also point to Samuels’ social media activity as evidence of what they describe as an obsessive focus on race. Following the altercation between comedian Chris Rock and actor Will Smith at the 2022 Academy Awards, Samuels weighed in publicly.

“Just wondering … If Chris Rock were white, would Will Smith had slapped him?” Samuels wrote on X after what became known as “the slap heard round the world.”

In June 2023, Samuels hosted an “equity” town hall alongside Kaliris Salas-Ramirez, an outspoken opponent of standardized testing who has claimed such exams originated in the eugenics movement and has faced accusations of antisemitism.

“Israel is a terrorist state,” she wrote in an Oct. 1 post on X.

During Samuels’ leadership of District 13, he eliminated Gifted & Talented programs and replaced them with International Baccalaureate offerings, a move that drew significant backlash.

“What a pleasant surprise! Removing G&T gives us an opportunity to recreate and reimagine,” Samuels said in October 2021.

“He has a progressive vision that is evil, asking individuals to solve all of society’s problems is not something that’s generally worked,” the DOE official told The Post.

Despite the criticism, Samuels aligns closely with Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s education platform. Ending the long-standing Gifted & Talented program for kindergarten students was a central pledge of Mamdani’s campaign.

The program itself has been politically contentious in recent years. Bill de Blasio began phasing it out in 2021, before his successor, Eric Adams, moved to revive it during his administration.

{Matzav.com}