“It’d be interesting to know the details of this proposed treaty by the United States,” retired US Army Lt. Col. Earl Rasmussen told Sputnik, commenting on a joint US-Japanese UN Security Council Resolution expected to be tabled next week proposing a ban on nuclear weapons in outer space.
“I’m often kind of cautious when they propose something, because the US is probably the one country that has reneged or withdrawn unilaterally from more treaties than any other country,” Rasmussen said.
The timing of the proposal is “interesting” and “curious,” and the details crucial, because there already is an international agreement banning the deployment of nuclear weapons in space – the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the observer said.
Rasmussen doesn’t rule out that the Security Council Resolution may be aimed at advanced space-based weapons which countries have developed but not fielded, with recent US diplomatic maneuvers in strategic arms control serving as a hint regarding how the US might fear other countries might behave.
“I mean if we look at the [1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile] Treaty that the US pulled out of – they were developing missile defense systems prior to doing so and then they withdrew from the treaty and deployed them,” the observer said. The same goes for the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which the US quit in 2019, resuming medium-range missile testing immediately thereafter.
“I also think that the US probably has concerns over EMP,” Rasmussen said, referring to electromagnetic pulse weapons which can knock out satellite electronics. The US military is “highly dependent on satellites” for its operations, Rasmussen emphasized. “So I’m thinking they’re probably concerned as far as not really having a good defensive capability to counter some type of satellite killer or disrupter or something.”
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🇦🇿🇦🇲 Azerbaijani media publish footage of alleged concentration of Armenian equipment near the border. No response has been made by Armenia as of yet.
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🔥 Russia's Yug Battlegroup scouts wipe out positions of Ukrainian forces near Artemovsk
On a daily basis, servicemen of reconnaissance units of the Yug Battlegroup using strike drones and ATGM systems strike manpower, hardware, and fortifications of the Ukrainian forces.
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On a daily basis, servicemen of reconnaissance units of the Yug Battlegroup using strike drones and ATGM systems strike manpower, hardware, and fortifications of the Ukrainian forces.
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Bold nighttime raid: Russian paratroopers' armored group neutralizes Ukrainian nationalists in stronghold
An armored Russian airborne regiment operating in the BMD-2K-AU airborne assault vehicle rapidly moved into the assigned area to destroy the targets under the cover of darkness.
The Russian paratroopers engaged in direct fire against the enemy, and in a few minutes about 500 fragmentation shells flew out of the barrel of 30-mm guns. The distance to enemy positions was no more than 1,000 meters; a quadrocopter operator with thermal imaging equipment adjusted the fire.
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An armored Russian airborne regiment operating in the BMD-2K-AU airborne assault vehicle rapidly moved into the assigned area to destroy the targets under the cover of darkness.
The Russian paratroopers engaged in direct fire against the enemy, and in a few minutes about 500 fragmentation shells flew out of the barrel of 30-mm guns. The distance to enemy positions was no more than 1,000 meters; a quadrocopter operator with thermal imaging equipment adjusted the fire.
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Slovakia committed to humanitarian aid, not bombs, for Ukraine - foreign minister
Slovakian Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said a NATO initiative to create a Ukraine aid fund requires detailed study, but if the republic supports it, it will be in areas not related to arms supply.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico rejected European interference in the Donbass conflict recently, urging Slovakia’s congress to pass a resolution against the sending of troops to Ukraine. The prime minister claimed there is no military solution to the Donbass conflict and urged negotiations for a peaceful settlement. He also promised the cooperation of Slovakia in efforts to provide Ukraine with humanitarian aid at the time.
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Slovakian Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said a NATO initiative to create a Ukraine aid fund requires detailed study, but if the republic supports it, it will be in areas not related to arms supply.
"It is premature to talk about details, but our position, which we will certainly promote, is that even if we support these initiatives, [the support] will not relate to arms supplies, because we have specifically indicated that we will not support arms supplies from the Slovak army depots or from the republic's budget,” Blanar told reporters.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico rejected European interference in the Donbass conflict recently, urging Slovakia’s congress to pass a resolution against the sending of troops to Ukraine. The prime minister claimed there is no military solution to the Donbass conflict and urged negotiations for a peaceful settlement. He also promised the cooperation of Slovakia in efforts to provide Ukraine with humanitarian aid at the time.
“I refuse to have an iron curtain built between the EU and the Russian Federation,” said Fico in separate remarks previously.
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The United States continues to engage with Russia directly to address its concerns over Moscow's alleged effort to develop a space-based anti-satellite capability, a US Defense Department spokesperson told Sputnik.
In February a US lawmaker stated Russia is developing a space-based anti-satellite weapon that poses a serious US national security threat, a claim that was confirmed by the White House. In response to US claims the Kremlin said the White House is trying to encourage Congress to vote for a bill to allocate money to Ukraine amid Russia's special military operation in the Donbass.
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“We continue to monitor the development of a concerning Russian anti-satellite capability," the spokesperson said. "We’ve taken a series of actions in response to this development, including coordinating with our allies and partners, and directly engaging with Russia on their irresponsible plan.”
In February a US lawmaker stated Russia is developing a space-based anti-satellite weapon that poses a serious US national security threat, a claim that was confirmed by the White House. In response to US claims the Kremlin said the White House is trying to encourage Congress to vote for a bill to allocate money to Ukraine amid Russia's special military operation in the Donbass.
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Israeli strikes in Gaza proving part of 'concerted effort to industrialize genocide'
According to a recent report, the Israeli army has marked tens of thousands of Gazans as suspects for assassination, using artificial intelligence (AI) targeting systems and “little human oversight.” The system is called “Lavender” and has “played a central role in the unprecedented bombing of Palestinians,” the report notes.
The Lavender system reportedly marked as many as 37,000 Palestinians as suspected militants and usually targeted their homes for possible air strikes rather than during the course of military activity.
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According to a recent report, the Israeli army has marked tens of thousands of Gazans as suspects for assassination, using artificial intelligence (AI) targeting systems and “little human oversight.” The system is called “Lavender” and has “played a central role in the unprecedented bombing of Palestinians,” the report notes.
“It's not just the Lavender, they're also using facial recognition cameras in Gaza to pick out people who they consider to be Hamas," Carrillo said. "Because, if you go by the numbers provided by Tel Aviv, every man, adult male in Gaza who has been killed is a terrorist.”
“And we need to really keep in mind that a lot of Western tech companies are helping Israel do this. Google, Microsoft, they have contracts with the Israeli army, with the Israeli government to provide them with this technology,” said Carrillo. “This is Western aid. Just like the weapons, just like the political cover.”
The Lavender system reportedly marked as many as 37,000 Palestinians as suspected militants and usually targeted their homes for possible air strikes rather than during the course of military activity.
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NATO's “losing war” and an empty promise to Ukraine
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated Thursday that Ukraine will eventually join NATO. US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and US Senator JD Vance took to social media to decry Blinken’s comments as irresponsible and dangerous, saying inviting Ukraine to join NATO during a war is to “invite our nation to war.”
Journalist and educator KJ Noh joined Sputnik’s Political Misfits Friday to discuss these developments. “[Former President Donald] Trump himself has a very mercantile, business view of NATO,” said the activist, explaining the Republican Party’s strain of “America First” foreign policy. “He sees them as free riders on the American military and he wants the quid pro quo.”
Former President Donald Trump said recently he would “100%” keep the US in NATO should he return to the Oval Office, as long as European countries pay their “fair share” and “play fair.” The former president told British media the US pays for “90% of NATO,” adding that it is the “most unfair thing.”
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated Thursday that Ukraine will eventually join NATO. US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and US Senator JD Vance took to social media to decry Blinken’s comments as irresponsible and dangerous, saying inviting Ukraine to join NATO during a war is to “invite our nation to war.”
Journalist and educator KJ Noh joined Sputnik’s Political Misfits Friday to discuss these developments. “[Former President Donald] Trump himself has a very mercantile, business view of NATO,” said the activist, explaining the Republican Party’s strain of “America First” foreign policy. “He sees them as free riders on the American military and he wants the quid pro quo.”
Former President Donald Trump said recently he would “100%” keep the US in NATO should he return to the Oval Office, as long as European countries pay their “fair share” and “play fair.” The former president told British media the US pays for “90% of NATO,” adding that it is the “most unfair thing.”
“Clearly NATO is losing,” said Noh of the US-backed conflict in the Donbass. “And this is, as I said, a NATO war. And they want to see if they can do a controlled demolition.”
“We've sunk these costs on. And so we have to keep on sinking into more costs. I don't think the European population will stand for it, [but] the ruling elite seems still to be stuck on this. So I think it is an incredible debacle.”
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Iraqi Shia groups take credit for attack on Israeli oil refineries
Shia armed groups forming part of the so-called Islamic Resistance in Iraq took credit for an attack on oil refineries in the northern Israeli city of Haifa Saturday.
The Iraqi armed groups said they "will continue to destroy enemy strongholds during operations to resist the occupation and support our people in the Gaza Strip, as well as in response to the Zionist massacre of unarmed Palestinian civilians."
Observers expect the Iranian-backed Axis of Resistance to step up attacks in the Middle East after an Israeli strike hit Iran's consulate in Syria this week. Seven Iranian military advisors were killed in the attack, including two generals.
Iran has warned it will launch a retaliatory attack against Israel imminently, with analysts suggesting the country may strike within Israeli territory.
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Shia armed groups forming part of the so-called Islamic Resistance in Iraq took credit for an attack on oil refineries in the northern Israeli city of Haifa Saturday.
“Today at dawn, Saturday, April 6, 2024, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq attacked oil refineries in Haifa in our occupied territories with drones,” read a statement posted to Telegram.
The Iraqi armed groups said they "will continue to destroy enemy strongholds during operations to resist the occupation and support our people in the Gaza Strip, as well as in response to the Zionist massacre of unarmed Palestinian civilians."
Observers expect the Iranian-backed Axis of Resistance to step up attacks in the Middle East after an Israeli strike hit Iran's consulate in Syria this week. Seven Iranian military advisors were killed in the attack, including two generals.
Iran has warned it will launch a retaliatory attack against Israel imminently, with analysts suggesting the country may strike within Israeli territory.
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Ukrainian army, retreating from Avdeyevka, mined and destroyed residential buildings - even if civilians lived there, it will take several months to clear the entire town territory, adviser to the head of the DPR Yan Gagin told Sputnik.
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Mexico breaks diplomatic relations with Ecuador after embassy storming
Ecuadorian authorities detained former Vice President Jorge Glas while he was at the Mexican Embassy in Quito, the Mexican ambassador said.
He added that Mexico was suspending relations with Ecuador immediately after the incident.
Last December, the former Ecuadorian vice president arrived at the Mexican Embassy in Quito asking for protection. The Ecuadorian government sent a request to enter the embassy and arrest Glas, but it was denied.
Glas, who was released at the end of 2022 after five years in prison for bribery and criminal conspiracy, was sentenced to six years in prison in December 2023 in a corruption case involving the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. The issuance of a warrant for his arrest took place after he took refuge in the Mexican diplomatic mission.
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Ecuadorian authorities detained former Vice President Jorge Glas while he was at the Mexican Embassy in Quito, the Mexican ambassador said.
He added that Mexico was suspending relations with Ecuador immediately after the incident.
Last December, the former Ecuadorian vice president arrived at the Mexican Embassy in Quito asking for protection. The Ecuadorian government sent a request to enter the embassy and arrest Glas, but it was denied.
Glas, who was released at the end of 2022 after five years in prison for bribery and criminal conspiracy, was sentenced to six years in prison in December 2023 in a corruption case involving the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. The issuance of a warrant for his arrest took place after he took refuge in the Mexican diplomatic mission.
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US and Israel have reportedly put their forces on alert
The US and Israeli militaries have been placed on heightened alert amid reports of a possible Iranian response to an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus, The New York Times reported, citing sources.
On Friday, the US broadcaster CBS reported, citing officials, that the United States and Israel believe Iran is about to retaliate for the Israeli bombing of the Iranian Consulate in Syria.
Israel has canceled leave for combat units, recalled some reservists to air defense units, and blocked GPS signals, the NYT report said.
Two unnamed Iranian officials said Iran has placed all its armed forces on full high alert, adding that a decision has been made that Iran must respond directly to the attack in Damascus to create deterrence.
On Monday, Israel carried out an airstrike on the consular annex of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, destroying the building. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said seven of its members were killed in the attack, including two commanders. On Tuesday, the Syrian Health Ministry said that the attack also killed four Syrians and injured 13 more.
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The US and Israeli militaries have been placed on heightened alert amid reports of a possible Iranian response to an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus, The New York Times reported, citing sources.
On Friday, the US broadcaster CBS reported, citing officials, that the United States and Israel believe Iran is about to retaliate for the Israeli bombing of the Iranian Consulate in Syria.
Israel has canceled leave for combat units, recalled some reservists to air defense units, and blocked GPS signals, the NYT report said.
Two unnamed Iranian officials said Iran has placed all its armed forces on full high alert, adding that a decision has been made that Iran must respond directly to the attack in Damascus to create deterrence.
On Monday, Israel carried out an airstrike on the consular annex of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, destroying the building. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said seven of its members were killed in the attack, including two commanders. On Tuesday, the Syrian Health Ministry said that the attack also killed four Syrians and injured 13 more.
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◾️ US and Israel have reportedly put their forces on alert
◾️ Iran warns American leadership not to get dragged in Netanyahu's trap for US
◾️ Take a look at bold nighttime raid: Russian paratroopers' armored group neutralizes Ukrainian nationalists in stronghold
Check out other stories we have covered:
◾️ What’s behind US Security Council Resolution proposing ban on nukes in space?
◾️ Scott Ritter: Strengthened Russia-DPRK relations signal new world beyond US hegemony
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◾️ Iran warns American leadership not to get dragged in Netanyahu's trap for US
◾️ Take a look at bold nighttime raid: Russian paratroopers' armored group neutralizes Ukrainian nationalists in stronghold
Check out other stories we have covered:
◾️ What’s behind US Security Council Resolution proposing ban on nukes in space?
◾️ Scott Ritter: Strengthened Russia-DPRK relations signal new world beyond US hegemony
Subscribe to @SputnikInt
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The Russian Armed Forces attacked an ammunition warehouse in Kharkov, the coordinator of the Nikolayev resistance movement Sergey Lebedev told Sputnik.
The destroyed warehouse contained shells for Czech Vampire MLRS, Lebedev added.
According to him, another strike was carried out in near the Nikopol railway station in the Dnepropetrovsk region, and there were dead and wounded among the Ukrainian troops.
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The destroyed warehouse contained shells for Czech Vampire MLRS, Lebedev added.
According to him, another strike was carried out in near the Nikopol railway station in the Dnepropetrovsk region, and there were dead and wounded among the Ukrainian troops.
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What are Russia’s BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, also known as Bradley 'killers'?
The Rostec State Corporation has delivered a new batch of third-generation infantry fighting vehicles, the BMP-3, to the Russian Defense Ministry, the press service of the High-Precision Complexes holding company said.
The Russian Armed Forces have already been actively using BMP-3 vehicles in the special military operation zone.
What are the key characteristics of this advanced IFV?
🔺It is designed for both general combat and special missions.
🔺The combat vehicle has a powerful armament complex, including a 100-millimeter launcher equipped with an automatic fire control system.
🔺The BMP-3 can reach speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour on land and up to 9.5 kilometers per hour on water.
🔺The total combat weight of the vehicle without additional protection is 19 tons.
The BMP-3 is developed and mass-produced by Kurganmashzavod in Russia’s Kurgan region in the Urals.
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The Rostec State Corporation has delivered a new batch of third-generation infantry fighting vehicles, the BMP-3, to the Russian Defense Ministry, the press service of the High-Precision Complexes holding company said.
The Russian Armed Forces have already been actively using BMP-3 vehicles in the special military operation zone.
What are the key characteristics of this advanced IFV?
🔺It is designed for both general combat and special missions.
🔺The combat vehicle has a powerful armament complex, including a 100-millimeter launcher equipped with an automatic fire control system.
🔺The BMP-3 can reach speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour on land and up to 9.5 kilometers per hour on water.
🔺The total combat weight of the vehicle without additional protection is 19 tons.
The BMP-3 is developed and mass-produced by Kurganmashzavod in Russia’s Kurgan region in the Urals.
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New rustled-up joint NATO mission shows West 'has no real plan in Ukraine' - analyst
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski’s touting of a new joint NATO mission in Ukraine is “more a wish than reality,” strategic analyst Paolo Raffone told Sputnik.
Paolo Raffone underscored that the alliance’s support for Ukraine is “limited to certain logistic, advisory and training functions,” and under the current North Atlantic Treaty, “it would not be possible to do more.”
As for the 100-billion-euro five-year package of military aid to Ukraine floated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, this is a “plan on paper without any concrete fiscal coverage from NATO member states," Paolo Raffone noted.
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Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski’s touting of a new joint NATO mission in Ukraine is “more a wish than reality,” strategic analyst Paolo Raffone told Sputnik.
According to him, NATO “has no real plan for Ukraine, but it would like to see the situation ‘stabilized’ to be more manageable.” “To date, nobody in NATO is willing to engage with a stable allied military presence in Ukraine,” said the director of the CIPI Foundation in Brussels.
Paolo Raffone underscored that the alliance’s support for Ukraine is “limited to certain logistic, advisory and training functions,” and under the current North Atlantic Treaty, “it would not be possible to do more.”
As for the 100-billion-euro five-year package of military aid to Ukraine floated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, this is a “plan on paper without any concrete fiscal coverage from NATO member states," Paolo Raffone noted.
Overall, all these statements, Raffone noted, “should be interpreted in view of the possible return of [Donald] Trump to the White House at the end of 2024. They look like attempts to create ‘Trump-proof’ conditions, preemptive declaratory engagements to balance candidate Donald Trump suggesting the US could cut support [to Ukraine] and claiming some NATO members were not paying their way.”
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❗️Ukraine is trying to bleed Australia’s weapons stockpiles dry
The Ukrainian ambassador to Australia has launched a large-scale media campaign to browbeat the Australian government into donating more weapons to the Zelensky regime.
Sputnik contributor Simeon Boikov (@AussieCossack) explains why ordinary Australians are becoming fed up with this insolent begging.
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The Ukrainian ambassador to Australia has launched a large-scale media campaign to browbeat the Australian government into donating more weapons to the Zelensky regime.
Sputnik contributor Simeon Boikov (@AussieCossack) explains why ordinary Australians are becoming fed up with this insolent begging.
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The descent vehicle of the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft has landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan.
Belarus’ first space flight participant, Marina Vasilevskaya, Russian Oleg Novitsky, and American Loral O'Hara have returned to Earth from the ISS.
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Belarus’ first space flight participant, Marina Vasilevskaya, Russian Oleg Novitsky, and American Loral O'Hara have returned to Earth from the ISS.
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