**Former Armenian Defense Minister Detained in Moscow**
Armenia’s former defense minister, Major General Arshak Karapetyan, was detained in Moscow on December 29. He was later released after being placed under bail.
The detention occurred at the request of the Armenian government, which had previously put Karapetyan on an international wanted list for “participation in illegal business activity,” abuse of power, and abuse of official position.
Karapetyan served as Armenia’s defense minister from August to November 2021 and was later dismissed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. He has since launched an opposition political group called the All-Armenian Front, which advocates for closer ties with Russia and Iran.
**Tensions Between Yerevan and Moscow**
Relations between Yerevan and Moscow have deteriorated in recent years due to Russia’s failure to prevent Azerbaijani troops from capturing the Nagorno-Karabakh region in 2023. This led to increased tensions between Armenia and its traditional military ally, Russia.
**Ukraine News**
In other news, Ukrainian partisans set fire to two locomotive trains destined for occupied regions of Ukraine on December 30. The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War called it one of the largest prisoner exchanges since the start of the full-scale war in 2022.
The United States made a $3.4 billion payment in direct budget support to Ukraine, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced on December 30. Russia used 43 drones against Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha visited Damascus on December 30, marking the first official Ukrainian delegation to Syria in years. He held talks with Syria’s de-facto leader Ahmad Al-Sharaa during the trip.
**International Aid**
The Ukrainian Finance Ministry received $41.7 billion in international aid in 2024, Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko said in a televised statement on December 30. The United States will provide Ukraine with $15 billion, backed by future revenues from frozen Russian assets, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on the same day.
**Other Developments**
The black box from an Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Kazakhstan is being sent to Brazil for investigation, Kazakh authorities reported on December 29. Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kalinak suggested that Ukraine may need to cede some territory due to the realities on the ground.
The Nordic Baltic Eight countries have urged Georgia to hold new elections following disputed parliamentary elections in October and the inauguration of the new president, according to their statement published on December 29.
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