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❗️ Russian air defense systems shot down a Ukrainian drone over the Bryansk region, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Sunday.

"At about 10:30 p.m. [19:30 GMT], we thwarted an attempt by the Kiev regime to conduct a terrorist attack using an aircraft-type drone against targets in the Russian territory. On-duty air defense units destroyed a UAV over the Bryansk region," the statement read.

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A new model of the Project 20382 corvette was presented at the international arms exhibition World Defense Show 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The modification is equipped with an integrated Zaslon (lit. Barrier) radar system, which significantly increases the combat capabilities of the ship, Russian state military company Rosoboronexport reported.

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🇹🇷🇷🇺 Turkiye & Russia share the approach to the war in Gaza, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, emphasizing that both governments wanted the conflict to end as soon as possible.

"As you know, Russia’s position on the war in Gaza is closer to where we stand. Russia’s position on ending the war as soon as possible, delivering humanitarian aid and on the two-state solution coincides with ours," Fidan told A Haber news channel on Sunday.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has been calling for an immediate ceasefire and an end to attacks on hospitals and other civilian infrastructure in the Palestinian enclave following the October 7 Hamas incursion into Israel and the retaliatory attack by Israel on Gaza.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Putin are expected to hold talks in Turkiye later in February. Fidan said that Erdogan was keeping tabs on the situation in Syria and in the Gaza Strip, which he would want to discuss with Putin.

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❗️ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed he is thinking about replacing Armed Forces commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny.

Zelensky added he is thinking about “replacing several top state officials, not only in the military.”

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❗️ A second Ukrainian drone was intercepted over the Bryansk region at about 11 p.m. local time, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz said that no one was hurt and no damage was reported.

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A third Ukrainian drone was destroyed over the Bryansk region at about 11:50 p.m. Moscow time, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz said there were no casualties or damage reported. Emergency services are working on the spot, he added. The governor also thanked the Russian Armed Forces for defending civilians.

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The Central African Army, with the aid of Russian forces, repelled an attack from Sudanese militants, according to the local media.

"The CAR armed forces and their Russian allies repelled... an attack by armed bandits... at a mining site in the village of Mamoun..." local radio station Lengo Songo reported. "The place was the target of an attack by a group of bandits who came from Sudan."

Later in the day, the Russian embassy in the CAR confirmed reports that the country's army, backed by Russian support, had repelled an attack by militants from Sudan.

In early 2018, Russia sent its first military instructors to the CAR at the request of the government. As of February 2022, a total of 1,135 Russian instructors were operating in the country, training military personnel of the CAR army.

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National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan suggested the United States is “prepared” for war with Iran Sunday, vowing the country would take “more action” after US strikes in Iraq and Syria have already killed 40.

“This was the beginning of our response, there will be more steps,” Sullivan declared during an appearance on US television. “Some of those steps will be seen, some may not be seen,” he added cryptically.

Meanwhile the Iraqi and Iranian foreign ministries blasted the move. “Iraq reiterated its refusal that its lands be an arena for settling scores or showing force between warring countries,” read a statement from Iraq.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said the US strikes are “another adventurous and strategic mistake by the United States that will result only in increased tension and instability.”

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A fourth drone launched by the Kiev regime was downed over the Bryansk region at about 12:30 a.m. Moscow time, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

Bogomaz said on Telegram that air defenses shot down two more drones over the region, adding that no one was injured and no material damage was reported. He said emergency services were working on site.

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❗️ The United States and the United Kingdom carried out 15 strikes on positions of Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, in the Yemeni governorates of Al Hudaydah and Saada on Sunday night, officials told Sputnik.

"The American and British aircraft carried out 11 strikes on the governorate, including eight strikes on the Ras Issa area in Al-Salif District in the north of the city of Al Hudaydah, and three strikes targeted Az Zaydiyah District in the northeast of Al Hudaydah," a local government source in the Al Hudaydah governorate said.

"Four strikes targeted Ansar Allah's military camp on the eastern outskirts of the city of Saada, which is a stronghold of the group," a source in the Saada governorate said.

Yahya Saria, a spokesman for the Houthi armed forces, said Sunday that the US and UK militaries launched 48 airstrikes at six Yemeni governorates the previous night, adding that retaliation would follow.

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Republican lawmakers criticized US President Joe Biden’s recent retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria this weekend.

“If the goal is to deter Iran, you’re failing miserably,” said Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) during an interview on US television. “If you’ve convinced Iran you don’t want a wider war, they believe you.”

“They’re not afraid of us. They were afraid of [former US President Donald] Trump,” he added.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) blasted the US president in a statement Friday for waiting a week to launch the strikes, which have killed at least 40.

“Unfortunately, the administration waited for a week and telegraphed to the world, including to Iran, the nature of our response," the official stressed.

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❗️ The US Senate has released a bipartisan deal on border security, Ukraine, and Israel aid.

The $118 billion compromise bill includes:

🔸 $60 billion for Ukraine security assistance

🔸 $20.23 billion to address the US border crisis – three times less than the aid to Ukraine

🔸 $14.1 billion for Israel

🔸 $10 billion for humanitarian aid, including to Gaza, the West Bank, and Ukraine

🔸 $2.33 billion for Ukrainian refugees

🔸 $2.44 billion for US operations related to the Red Sea conflict

🔸 $26.15 billion to replenish US weapons stocks provided to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel

🔸 $4.83 billion for measures to "deter China" in the Indo-Pacific Region

Biden supported the bill, urging Congress to swiftly pass it.

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The Houthis conducted drills simulating attacks on Israel's Army barracks, settlements, media reported.

Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, has held a major military exercise simulating attacks on Israel's army barracks and settlements, the Al-Masirah broadcaster reported Saturday, citing the movement's spokesman.

The broadcaster aired footage partly showing the exercise conducted by the movement's reserve and advance forces "as part of the preparations for the battle to conquer Palestine and the holy jihad."

Missiles, drones, tanks and artillery were used in the exercise dubbed "Yemen in support of Palestine," but the date and location of the drills were not disclosed.

The Houthis revealed the exercise after announcing another rocket attack on "certain targets" in the city of Eilat in southern Israel and after claiming to have attacked a UK commercial ship in the Red Sea that was heading to Israeli ports.

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The Iraqi and Iranian foreign ministers released statements criticizing the destabilizing potential of the US’ retaliatory blitz in the Middle East as the United States seeks revenge for an attack on its base near the Syria-Jordan border.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani called the US strikes in Iraq and Syria “another adventure and strategic mistake by the American government, which will have no result other than the escalation of tension and instability in the region.”

Iraqi spokesman Bassem al-Awadi also criticized the attacks as an infringement on the country’s sovereignty, saying “Iraq reiterates its refusal to let its lands be an arena for settling scores, and all parties must realize this… The Iraqi government will make every effort required by moral, national, and constitutional responsibility to protect our land, our cities, and the lives of our children in all types of armed forces.”

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🇸🇻 Incumbent Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele claimed to have won the presidential election in El Salvador with more than 85% of the votes on Sunday.

"According to our figure, we won the presidential election with over 85% of the vote and won at least 58 of the 60 seats in the [Legislative] Assembly. The record in the entire democratic history of the world. See you at 9 p.m. in front of the National Palace. God bless El Salvador," Bukele said on X (formerly Twitter).

Earlier on Sunday, the exit poll conducted by the CID Gallup research company showed that Bukele was leading in the election with 87% of the votes, and his party, Nuevas Ideas, was taking 54 of the 60 seats in the country's parliament. The margin of error of these results should be no more than 3%.

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US House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that the proposed $118 billion supplemental funding bill with aid for Ukraine and Israel, as well as border security and national security measures, "is even worse than expected" and "will be dead on arrival."

"I’ve seen enough. This bill is even worse than we expected, and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created. As the lead Democrat negotiator proclaimed: Under this legislation, 'the border never closes,'" Johnson said on X (formerly Twitter), adding that the bill "will be dead on arrival" if it reaches the House.

Earlier on Sunday, the Senate, after weeks of negotiations with the White House, released the $118 billion national security supplemental bill that includes some $60 billion in additional aid for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, and about $20 billion for border security, among other priorities.

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US President Joe Biden is urging congressional support for newly-unveiled border legislation in the Senate as he seeks to secure lethal aid for US-backed regimes in Ukraine and Israel.

The bill was the result of Senate negotiations between Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), James Lankford (R-OK), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ). In an indication that the Biden administration plans to continue to provoke China on the issue of Taiwan "independence," the bill also sends funds to Taiwan’s government.

Some progressive Democrats are critical of the legislation’s concessions to the right on border policy, while conservative Republicans in the House have promised to scuttle the bill entirely.

“This bill is even worse than we expected, and won’t come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who called the bill “dead on arrival.”

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📹💥 "Solntsepek" TOS-1A Heavy Flamethrower System crews destroyed Ukrainian concealed positions and a temporary deployment point on the right bank of the Dnepr River.

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Popular American conservative podcaster blasts liberals for ignoring Russia’s security concerns

American journalist Candace Owens has underscored the importance of linking the conflict in Ukraine with NATO’s ongoing expansion toward Russia’s borders.

“No serious person can discuss what happened in that region without addressing NATO’s expansion eastward despite promises made by our government officials that we would not, following German reuinification,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Owens recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin “signified this reason in virtually all of his speeches leading up to and after” the start of Moscow's special military operation, and that Putin made it clear last year that Ukraine's possible membership in NATO would pose a security threat to Russia and would not improve Ukraine's own security situation.

He stressed that one of the reasons for the Russia's special operation is “the threat of Ukraine's entry into NATO.” Putin accused NATO of repeatedly making “empty promises” not to expand eastward.

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▪️US Senate unveils $118 bln bipartisan deal for aid to Ukraine, Israel and new border security measures. What exactly are legislators planning?

▪️US and UK strike Houthi positions in Yemen

▪️Zelensky breaks silence on Zaluzhny issue, confirms considering ousting Commander-in-Chief

More stories:

▪️“Failing miserably”: Biden under fire for Middle East policy

▪️Wonder how the Ukrainian conflict started? Consider NATO's eastward expansion

▪️Houthis conduct drills, simulating attack on Israeli army

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