❗️EXCLUSIVE

Sputnik International reached out to a friend of the Trufanov (Trupanob) family, Russian citizens, who were kidnapped by HAMAS during the attack on Nir-Oz kibbutz on October 7. Her name is Shir Grossbart, and she was their neighbor at the Nir Oz kibbutz, and was close with Elena Trufanov.

27-year-old Alexander Trufanov, his 29-year-old girlfriend Sapir Cohen, his 50-year-old mother Elena Trufanova and his 73-year-old grandmother Irena Tati were all kidnapped by Hamas fighters. Vitaliy Trufanov, Alexander's father was tragically murdered in the attack.

Here's what Sputnik learned:

🔻 The family members were staying at the kibbutz for the weekend together.

🔻 Vitaly and Elena have been living in Israel for 25 years, their son Alexander and his girlfriend Sapir recently moved in together.

🔻 In one of the videos released by Hamas is proof that Elena, the 50-year-old woman is alive. In the video Elena is wearing a blue and white floral dress that was likely given to her in captivity (all three women were snatched from their home in their pajamas).

🔻 Currently, the only family member whose whereabout are known is Elena. A funeral service for Vitaly was held today, it was attended by friends of the family and Vitaly's brother, who flew from Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

🔻 The Israeli government has not provided any information about the hostages' whereabouts or potential rescue plans to their families.

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Nearly 3.5 thousand children died in Gaza during three weeks of escalation, about 940 are missing - they are probably under the rubble, the UN said

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📹 Destruction of the Leopard tank of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The Ukrainian military has lost nearly one-fifth of its Leopard 2 main battle tanks, which were supplied by NATO.

Due to its limitations, the West is currently unable to furnish Ukraine with an adequate number of modern tanks that can effectively alter the existing situation on the ground. Consequently, NATO member states are dispatching "upgraded" Soviet-era T-72s to Kiev.

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🇺🇸🇵🇸 Pro-Gazan protesters interrupted Blinken's speech to Congress, demanding a "ceasefire".

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Speaking to Sputnik, Dr. Sobhi Skek, the head physician of the Gaza cancer hospital, said that Israel’s bombing has persisted since yesterday evening. It has targeted areas surrounding the medical facility as well as various other parts of the city.

💬 "The patients' quarters had suffered significant devastation due to the proximity of the bombings. Ceilings have collapsed, window panes have been blown out, and patients have been injured by falling wooden frames from windows and doors. Furthermore, the explosions have caused considerable damage to the communication networks crucial for the hospital's functioning, in addition to impairing water tanks."

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Hey Friends! Don't miss tomorrow's LIVE broadcast of the latest episode of New Rules!

Join us for a discussion on the confrontation between Hamas and Israel with Ray McGovern, a former CIA analyst and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity.

We will be live on Rumble at 10:30am EST | 7:30am PST| 3:30pm CET.

In the meantime, check out our previous episodes:

💥Andrei Martyanov "Israel-Palestine War: Is the US Preparing to Attack Iran?"
💥Prof. Michael Hudson "Russia, China Unite Against US Empire"
💥Jackson Hinkle "Globalists Pushing the World to War"

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🤥 Hiding problems behind lies no longer possible

“‘American leadership holds the world together.’ Together?! The way things are going now, the new budget request will fund Americans' national security needs. Poppycock, malarkey, as Joe Biden would say… And I look at it like, the US is in so much trouble, they just have to absolutely lie to the American people because they can't possibly now tell them the truth because it's so obvious.”

Garland Nixon, host of our podcast The Critical Hour, comments on Biden's address to the nation last Friday

📣 #GarlandSpeaks

Irena Alexandrovna Tatti, who was taken hostage by Hamas, worked for many years as a dedicated pediatric pulmonologist in Russia, Mikhail Potapov, Chairman of the Rostov-on-Don Jewish community, told Sputnik.

A few years ago, Irena returned to Israel to be with her daughter, granddaughter and son-in-law. Her family lived together in a kibbutz not far from the Gaza Strip.

Mikhail described Irena as a very kind, compassionate and humble woman who was a professional doctor in a rare field. The community will always remember her fondly, Mikhail empathized.

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❗️Key points to the briefing of the Russian Defense Ministry on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️ The Russian Armed Forces repelled five enemy counterattacks in the Kharkiv region. Up to 60 Ukrainian troops, four tanks, including two German Leopard tanks, three armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system were eliminated.

▪️ The Russian Army repelled three Ukrainian attacks in the LPR and DPR. Enemy losses amounted to up to 250 Ukrainian servicemen, one tank, two armored combat vehicles, two pick-up trucks and two US-made M777 artillery systems.

▪️ The Russian Armed Forces inflicted a fire defeat on the enemy's personnel and hardware in the DPR. The enemy lost up to 170 Ukrainian servicemen, three tanks, two Bradley IFVs, three armored combat vehicles and two motor vehicles.

▪️ In the direction of the south of Donetsk, the Russian Army inflicted damage to the enemy's concentrations of personnel and hardware. Up to 160 Ukrainian troops, two armored combat vehicles, seven motor vehicles and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system were eliminated.

▪️ Russian forces repelled an enemy attack in the Zaporozhye region. Enemy losses amounted to over 140 Ukrainian soldiers, five armored combat vehicles, six pick-up trucks and two Paladin M109 howitzers.

▪️ In the direction of Kherson, the Russian Army inflicted manpower and hardware losses on the enemy groups. The enemy's losses as a result of the fire attack included up to 125 military personnel killed and wounded, as well as two motor vehicles, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system and a D-30 howitzer.

▪️ Russian air defenses shot down MiG-29 aircraft and a Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopter.

▪️ Eight Storm Shadow cruise missiles, two Neptune anti-ship missiles and six HIMARS projectiles were intercepted.

▪️ About 518 aircraft and 254 helicopters, 8,464 unmanned aerial vehicles, 441 air defense missile systems, 13,044 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,172 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,929 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 14,797 pieces of special military equipment were destroyed during the special military operation.

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🗣️ On the possible outcome of the Israel-Palestine conflict:

“I think this is the brilliance of the strategic plan that the resistance axis [Axis of Resistance] puts forward, because no matter what happens from today, it's already determined, the end of Israel is determined,” Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, told Sputnik.

🎧 Listen to more of Marouf’s analysis in our podcast The Critical Hour

👉 You can watch every episode of our show on Rumble

📻 Catch us at 105.5FM, 1390AM (Washington DC) and 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1140АМ (Kansas City)

🇮🇱🇵🇸 Latest updates on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict:

▪️Nearly 3.5 thousand children died in Gaza during three weeks of escalation, about 940 are missing - they are probably under the rubble, the UN said.

▪️The Israeli army reported heavy fighting between ground troops and Hamas fighters deep inside the Gaza Strip.

▪️US maintains contact with Hamas leadership through Qatar, diplomatic source told Sputnik.

▪️The Israeli authorities have acknowledged the existence of a plan to resettle 2.3 million Gaza residents to Egypt, Western Media reported, citing the Israeli Prime Minister’s office.

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🇷🇺 Russia’s fifth-generation fighter jet keeps improving

Russia’s Su-57 fifth-generation fighter has been fitted with a cutting-edge long-range cruise missile (LRCM) mounted within the fuselage, an informed source told Sputnik.

The source stressed that the LRCM is smaller than its analogues used in Russia’s Tu-95MS and the Tu-160 strategic bombers, but that its range is on par with similar missiles carried by the above-mentioned planes.

The Su-57 multirole stealth fighters, designed to destroy all types of air, ground and surface targets, have been effectively employed in a spate of combat missions in the special military operation zone.

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The SBU attempted to kill Oleg Tsarev in order to get rid of Zelensky’s competitor, Stephen Bryen, former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, stated in his column.

The President of Ukraine, he added, "fears that a deal might be made between the Russian and Ukrainian military," so Zelensky is anxious to liquidate potential challengers.

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❗️ A US base at an oil field in Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria came under rocket fire, a local source told Sputnik

As we observe World Cities Day, check out Sputnik Africa's new AfroVerdict episode where the host explores South Africa's Cape Town as an example of urban development.

🇧🇴 The Bolivian government is severing diplomatic ties with Israel, media reports

🇫🇷 What’s Macron Doing in Central Asia?

France may only succeed in boosting ties in Central Asia if Paris accommodates "the interests of Russia and China" in the region, according to Paolo Raffone, a strategic analyst and director of the CIPI Foundation in Brussels.

The expert noted that Macron’s forthcoming trips to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, “should mark the beginning of a new era in France-Central Asia relations,” which Raffoine said might see “the potential rewards in terms of energy security, geopolitical stability, and economic growth.”

Macron is due to visit Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on Wednesday and Thursday, in what reportedly aims to back the two Central Asian countries’ desire to "reinforce their links with Europe”.

👉Follow the link for more details

🌐 World Cities Day: What Urbanization Practices Does Cape Town Take Pride In?

🏙 As the international community celebrates World Cities Day on October 31, Annelise de Bruin, Manager of Metropolitan Spatial Planning and Urban Growth Management for the City of Cape Town, South Africa, in an interview with Sputnik Africa, shared what noteworthy practices implemented by Cape Town that can be replicated by cities in South Africa and around the world.

Among the key practices, she cited the way the city manages its development with an emphasis on protecting biodiversity and the environment.

👉 Read to learn more about urban development initiatives in Cape Town!

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🇺🇸 A bodyguard of Democrat Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman forcibly removed lawyer Dan Kovalik from a public campaign event, after he asked the politician about theIsraeli operation in Gaza. Fetterman, who refused to support a ceasefire in Gaza, also was not eager to answer a direct question.

"Within the elected officials, there isn't much of a schism. There's only a couple elected Democratic officials in Congress who are speaking out against the aid to Israel," Kovalik explained. "But amongst the base, I saw that 80 percent of Democrats support an immediate ceasefire."

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🇷🇺 The Russian aerospace forces have conducted airstrikes targeting militant facilities in Syria’s Idlib province and hit two underground hideouts, Vadim Kulit, the deputy head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria, said on Tuesday.

"The Russian aerospace forces carried out air strikes on targets of illegal armed groups involved in shelling the positions of Syrian government troops. In the areas of the settlements of Inkzin and Kansafra in the Idlib province, two underground hideouts and a warehouse with components for unmanned aerial vehicles were hit. Up to ten militants were killed," Kulit told a briefing.

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❗️ Russian air defense intercepted 2 Ukrainian UAVs over the territory of the Kursk region, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported