Let the Abrams hunt begin: how Russian forces prepare for latest 'wonder weapon'

Having finally received the 'promised gifts' from the White House in late September, the Kiev regime is counting on yet another 'wonder weapon' from the West. But will it help the Ukrainian army, given that there is simply no air cover for M1 Abrams tanks, while F-16s are not expected until spring 2024 at the earliest?

US Abrams tanks have made their way to Ukraine, nearly four months into Ukraine's "grand counteroffensive," with media sources confirming the delivery of 31 tanks. The exact timeline for their deployment to the front lines remains uncertain.

Sputnik examines the role these tanks will play in combat and the views of Russian soldiers.

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🇺🇸Another One Bites the Dust: Tom Emmer Drops From House Speaker Race Hours After Nomination

US House Majority Whip Tom Emmer dropped out of the House speaker race on Tuesday after failing to secure enough support among Republicans.

Emmer's withdrawal came just hours after the House Republican Conference nominated him as speaker-designate, and was prompted by opposition to his bid by more than 20 members.

The Tuesday development marks the third speaker-designee that House Republicans have lost in less than three weeks since the historic ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy from the speakership.

🇿🇦 What is Known So Far About 'Hostage' Situation in South African Mine?

At least 543 miners have been trapped underground since Sunday night at the GoldOne-East Modderfontein in the Gauteng province of South Africa.

🪧 The National Union of Mineworkers has categorically denied earlier reports that its members were staging a sit-in. Instead, they point the finger at the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), accusing it of holding the miners hostage.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that AMCU members have welded shut entry and exit points. This measure leaves only one point of access to the GoldOne property. Mine management has confirmed the incident, but details remain unclear.

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❗IDF attacks military infrastructure, mortar launchers of Syrian Armed Forces

📹 Drone operators from the Novorossiysk Airborne Troops eliminate Ukrainian manpower and hardware in the area of Zaporozhye

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🇺🇸 Approximately 24 US troops have been injured in attacks on American bases across Iraq and Syria since the start of the Palestine-Israel conflict, a US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson told Sputnik in a statement

Earlier in the day, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters there have been 13 attacks against US forces in the Middle East over the past week, 10 in Iraq and three in Syria.

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🇲🇽Mexico Bracing for ‘Catastrophic’ Category 5 Hurricane Otis

Mexico’s Pacific Coast is bracing for a severe Category 5 hurricane that officials have warned will bring with it “catastrophic damage” once the cyclone makes landfall early Wednesday.

An advisory released by the US National Hurricane Center indicated the system reached maximum sustained windspeed of 260 km/h and was moving toward Mexico’s Acapulco at a pace of 15 km/h.

An earlier alert issued by the agency described the hurricane’s arrival as a “nightmare scenario” that was continuing to gain strength before landfall.

📹 Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspects Russia's forward command post in South Donetsk direction, the Russian MoD has reported

At the command post, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry received reports from the Group Commander and HQ officers on the current situation, the nature of the enemy's actions, and the fulfilment by the Russian troops of combat tasks in the main tactical areas.

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The Republican majority has nominated Congressman Mike Johnson as its next - and fourth - candidate for Speaker of the House

▪️ Johnson, 51, is serving his fourth term in Congress and represents the state of Louisiana. He is a conservative and is considered a Trump supporter. Before entering politics, he worked in constitutional law for nearly 20 years.

▪️ Mike Johnson, who was nominated by the Republican majority as their next candidate for the post, said he had secured the necessary support from his colleagues at an internal party meeting. That virtually guarantees his victory in the general vote, which is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

▪️ To win, a candidate must receive at least 217 votes.

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Israel is looking into flooding Hamas’ tunnel system before starting its ground operation in the Gaza Strip, US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh said, citing sources

Hersh said Israel is in the process of turning Gaza City into rubble, via constant bombing, and is also planning to begin the ground invasion soon.

Flooding the tunnels could mean that Israel was ready to "write off the hostages still in jeopardy," Hersh said.

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💬 'Whatever the truth, the Israeli public is rattled as never before with questions about the ability of the Israeli government to protect its citizenry. In return, they are subjected to braying and bellicosity by their prime minister who, unlike his senior generals and the head of Shin Bet, the Israeli internal security agency, has refused so far to publicly take responsibility for the military and intelligence failures on October 7. A recent public opinion poll in Israel showed that Netanyahu has the support of 29 percent of his country,' Seymour Hersh added

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🗣 The words of the UN Secretary-General, that the Hamas attack on Israel did not occur in a vacuum but after a 56-year occupation of the Palestinian people, sparked discussions in the media:

▪️ According to the Financial Times, this is Guterres's harshest statement about the war in the Gaza Strip, and it caused a furious reaction from Israel.

▪️ The Times of Israel quotes Foreign Minister Eli Cohen as saying that the organization faces "its darkest times" under the leadership of Guterres.

▪️ The Guardian notes that the UN Secretary-General made a speech after Israeli airstrikes killed more than 700 people in one day, and hospitals in Gaza began to close due to fuel shortages.

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💬 'They were shot to pieces'

American and Israeli Special Forces have recently been seriously injured while conducting reconnaissance in Gaza, said former senior Pentagon adviser Colonel Douglas Macgregor in an interview with Tucker Carlson.

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⚡️ Russia has received proposals from the United States on arms control, they are currently being studied, Deputy FM Ryabkov said

At the same time, he noted that there are no new elements in Washington's proposals; Moscow will respond "at the right time".

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🧐 What is the Hamas underground city?

📹 The IDF has released footage showing an extensive network of underground canals dug directly beneath the city.

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The Russian military has acquired complexes that shot down 24 Ukrainian planes in five days, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said

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