In Ingushetia, the bill "On the ban on perpetuating Stalin's memory" was secretly withdrawn from consideration. The local parliament passed it in its first reading in 2017, on the eve of the 73rd anniversary of the deportation of the Ingush and Chechens. Deputies proposed banning the installation of monuments to Stalin, naming cities, villages, and streets after him, and displaying his portraits in a favorable context. Read more in our video.

Ismail Hasanov was sentenced by a court in the Azerbaijani city of Ganja to 3.5 years in prison for participating in military operations in Ukraine as part of the Russian private military company Wagner. He was charged under Article 279.1 of the Criminal Code (regarding participation in the activities of armed groups outside the country), the publication Oxu reported.

The US Helsinki Commission expressed grave concern over a BBC investigation into the use of chemical weapons by Georgia's ruling party to suppress peaceful protests last year. This was stated in a statement released by the organization's chairman and Senator Roger Wicker, co-chair Joe Wilson, and commission members Sheldon Whitehouse and Steve Cohen.

A military court in Rostov-on-Don found Dagestani blogger Arslan Mirzayev (Ali Charinsky) guilty of disseminating false information about the Russian army and calling for terrorism. He was sentenced in absentia to eight years in a general regime penal colony and a fine of 1 million rubles.

On the night of December 4, air defense alert forces intercepted 14 fixed-wing drones over Stavropol Krai, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported.

Scientists have hypothesized a link between the seal deaths in Dagestan and the spread of avian influenza. They believe the mass deaths, regularly observed over the past three years, may be caused by the autumn-winter migration of birds, which carry the virus.

The Southern District Military Court found Albert Elakayev, a resident of Stavropol, guilty of armed rebellion and attempted murder of military personnel for his participation in the Second Russian-Chechen War. He was sentenced to nine years in a maximum-security penal colony.

Georgia does not intend to restore diplomatic relations with Russia until Abkhazia and South Ossetia are deoccupied. This was stated by Nikoloz Samkharadze, head of the Georgian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, who emphasized that a return to normal relations is only possible after the withdrawal of Russian troops from these territories and Russia's recognition of Georgia's territorial integrity.

Turkey is considering opening its land border with Armenia within the next six months, which could be a significant step toward normalizing relations in the region.

A massive number of dead Caspian seals—484 individuals—have been discovered on the Caspian Sea coast in Dagestan. According to the regional Ministry of Natural Resources, the animals' bodies were found on the beaches of Makhachkala and in coastal areas.