Houthis too hot to handle? German warship ends mission against Yemeni militia, heads home
The Hessen, a German frigate deployed to the Red Sea in late February to take part in Operation Aspides – the European Union-led mission to protect regional shipping against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militiamen, wrapped up its mission and departed from the region early Saturday morning.
The Bundeswehr said the 143 meter-long anti-air and anti-ship missile-equipped warship was heading back to Germany after roughly eight weeks of service escorting 27 merchant ships – the equivalent of about one commercial vessel every two days.
The Hessen is the latest warship from two separate Western coalitions (the EU’s Operation Aspides and the US-UK Operation Prosperity Guardian) to leave the Red Sea region.
The German warship reported intercepting a Houthi missile on April 6. Before that, on March 21, the Bundeswehr reported that the Hessen had destroyed an unmanned sea vehicle launched by the militia.
The Houthis have forced US, British and European warships to expend missiles worth $1 million or more to destroy aerial and naval drones which cost thousands of dollars to make. Since January, the US and the UK have attempted to degrade Houthi capabilities through a series of air and missile strikes inside Yemen, but have so far failed to lift what is effectively a partial blockade of the Red Sea enforced by the militia since November 2023.
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The Hessen, a German frigate deployed to the Red Sea in late February to take part in Operation Aspides – the European Union-led mission to protect regional shipping against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militiamen, wrapped up its mission and departed from the region early Saturday morning.
The Bundeswehr said the 143 meter-long anti-air and anti-ship missile-equipped warship was heading back to Germany after roughly eight weeks of service escorting 27 merchant ships – the equivalent of about one commercial vessel every two days.
The Hessen is the latest warship from two separate Western coalitions (the EU’s Operation Aspides and the US-UK Operation Prosperity Guardian) to leave the Red Sea region.
The German warship reported intercepting a Houthi missile on April 6. Before that, on March 21, the Bundeswehr reported that the Hessen had destroyed an unmanned sea vehicle launched by the militia.
The Houthis have forced US, British and European warships to expend missiles worth $1 million or more to destroy aerial and naval drones which cost thousands of dollars to make. Since January, the US and the UK have attempted to degrade Houthi capabilities through a series of air and missile strikes inside Yemen, but have so far failed to lift what is effectively a partial blockade of the Red Sea enforced by the militia since November 2023.
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The Ukrainian army lost five Abrams tanks in two months mainly due to drones — The New York Times
"Depending on their size and technological sophistication, the drones can cost as little as $500 — a paltry investment for taking out a $10 million Abrams tank," the NYT added.
The New York Times also reports that Ukraine has lost 796 tanks in total since the beginning of the conflict.
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The drone combat in Ukraine that is transforming modern warfare has begun taking a deadly toll on one of the most powerful symbols of American military might — the tank — and threatening to rewrite how it will be used in future conflicts.
"Depending on their size and technological sophistication, the drones can cost as little as $500 — a paltry investment for taking out a $10 million Abrams tank," the NYT added.
The New York Times also reports that Ukraine has lost 796 tanks in total since the beginning of the conflict.
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US-greenlit Israeli strike on Iran ‘not game changer’ - former Netanyahu advisor
Israel’s airstrike against Iran in response to Tehran's retaliatory missile and drone attack is “not a game changer,” Aviv Bushinsky, a former media advisor and chief of staff for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Sputnik.
“I don't think that this is a unique event that […] will change the face of the Middle East,” he said. “I assume that the US administration did give a green light for such an operation,” Aviv Bushinsky underscored. “I think that the request by the American administration was, ‘Israel, please do not lead to an escalation, to a real big war in the Middle East.’ And I think that Netanyahu did obey and adhere to President Biden's request,” he emphasized.
US media reported that Israel on Friday carried out a “limited” retaliatory strike on sites in Iran, with explosions reported near the city of Isfahan. Tasnim reported that nuclear facilities in Isfahan province were unharmed.
Iranian MP Abolfazl Abu Tarabi, for his part, told Sputnik that some Western media outlets seek “to exaggerate the significance of the Israeli strike… seeking to sow panic among the Iranian population.”
He added that Tehran has “very advanced weapons” capable of repelling any air attack.
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Israel’s airstrike against Iran in response to Tehran's retaliatory missile and drone attack is “not a game changer,” Aviv Bushinsky, a former media advisor and chief of staff for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Sputnik.
“I don't think that this is a unique event that […] will change the face of the Middle East,” he said. “I assume that the US administration did give a green light for such an operation,” Aviv Bushinsky underscored. “I think that the request by the American administration was, ‘Israel, please do not lead to an escalation, to a real big war in the Middle East.’ And I think that Netanyahu did obey and adhere to President Biden's request,” he emphasized.
US media reported that Israel on Friday carried out a “limited” retaliatory strike on sites in Iran, with explosions reported near the city of Isfahan. Tasnim reported that nuclear facilities in Isfahan province were unharmed.
Iranian MP Abolfazl Abu Tarabi, for his part, told Sputnik that some Western media outlets seek “to exaggerate the significance of the Israeli strike… seeking to sow panic among the Iranian population.”
“Iran has always displayed strategic patience and acted very prudently. But its patience is not infinite, and when someone crosses our 'red lines', they must understand how we will respond. Iran has already proven this by attacking Israeli military targets,” the Iranian MP noted.
He added that Tehran has “very advanced weapons” capable of repelling any air attack.
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France is growing poorer through continued financial and military support of Ukraine, The Patriots party leader Florian Philippot warned, challenging the French prime minister's refusal to advocate for peace.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal insisted this week that Ukraine would continue to hold out as long as France continued supporting it.
Philippot argued that Ukrainians would "continue dying" instead.
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"This stubborn refusal of negotiations and peace worsens the human toll of this war by the day, while impoverishing France by the day and putting us in serious danger! Stop sending weapons and money to Ukraine," Philippot wrote on social media.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal insisted this week that Ukraine would continue to hold out as long as France continued supporting it.
Philippot argued that Ukrainians would "continue dying" instead.
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On the hook: why US cannot abandon Russia's unique nuclear fuel HALEU
President Joe Biden announced on Friday that a domestic US firm had managed to produce its first 200 pounds (90 kilograms) of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), insisting that the US could no longer rely on Russia's nuclear fuel. Is the US ready to dump it?
The future of the US nuclear industry depends on HALEU – uranium enriched to between 5 percent and 20 percent — which allows smaller designs of reactors with longer operating cycles and increased efficiencies over their predecessors.
In 2020 the US Department of Energy (DOE) projected that more than 40 metric tons of HALEU will be needed before the end of the decade — with additional amounts required each year — to launch a new fleet of advanced reactors in the US and meet Washington's net-zero targets by 2050.
According to Biden, the plant in Ohio will produce "nearly a ton by the end of the year" – a far cry from the declared goal. In the most optimistic scenario it would take at least five years for the US or its Western allies to launch the production of HALEU on a commercial scale. That will not be an easy task, given that US production of nuclear materials has been in steep decline since the 2000s.
The crux of the matter is that Russia has a monopoly on HALEU: only Tenex, part of Russia's Rosatom corporation, sells the fuel on a commercial basis.
That may be why the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act is still stalled in the US Senate. Even if passed, the legislation would allow a temporary waiver until January 2028 and does not target high-assay low-enriched uranium.
Despite threatening to stop buying Russian uranium, the EU and the US actually doubled purchases of the fuel from the nation in 2023 as they are struggling to step up their own uranium enrichment and meet 2050 zero-net targets.
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President Joe Biden announced on Friday that a domestic US firm had managed to produce its first 200 pounds (90 kilograms) of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), insisting that the US could no longer rely on Russia's nuclear fuel. Is the US ready to dump it?
The future of the US nuclear industry depends on HALEU – uranium enriched to between 5 percent and 20 percent — which allows smaller designs of reactors with longer operating cycles and increased efficiencies over their predecessors.
In 2020 the US Department of Energy (DOE) projected that more than 40 metric tons of HALEU will be needed before the end of the decade — with additional amounts required each year — to launch a new fleet of advanced reactors in the US and meet Washington's net-zero targets by 2050.
According to Biden, the plant in Ohio will produce "nearly a ton by the end of the year" – a far cry from the declared goal. In the most optimistic scenario it would take at least five years for the US or its Western allies to launch the production of HALEU on a commercial scale. That will not be an easy task, given that US production of nuclear materials has been in steep decline since the 2000s.
The crux of the matter is that Russia has a monopoly on HALEU: only Tenex, part of Russia's Rosatom corporation, sells the fuel on a commercial basis.
That may be why the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act is still stalled in the US Senate. Even if passed, the legislation would allow a temporary waiver until January 2028 and does not target high-assay low-enriched uranium.
Despite threatening to stop buying Russian uranium, the EU and the US actually doubled purchases of the fuel from the nation in 2023 as they are struggling to step up their own uranium enrichment and meet 2050 zero-net targets.
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Marjorie Taylor-Greene scorches new Ukraine aid package
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"The youngest generation don't even think they're going to be able to buy a home in their life and today in Congress the most important thing to be done is to send another $60 billion to a war in Ukraine."
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The US House votes 360-58 to pass a bill to give frozen Russian assets to Ukraine and compel the sale of TikTok.
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🤡 US Congressman forgets to take his medication this morning
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"Some say, well, we have to deal with our border first. The Ukrainian-Russian border is OUR border!"
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Russian air defences downed two Ukrainian balloons over Moscow and Tula regions, the Russian defence ministry says.
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The US bill to give $60.84 billion in aid to Ukraine gains enough votes to pass the House of Representatives, and voting continues.
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Sputnik International
The US bill to give $60.84 billion in aid to Ukraine gains enough votes to pass the House of Representatives, and voting continues. Subscribe to @SputnikInt
⚡️The US House passes the $60.84 billion Ukrainian aid bill in a 311–112 vote, sending it to the Senate.
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Tucker Carlson: US Deep State blackmails Congress into submission
“Members of Congress are terrified of the intel agencies. I'm not guessing at that. They've told me that, including people on the intel committee, including people who run the intel committee.”
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“Members of Congress are terrified of the intel agencies. I'm not guessing at that. They've told me that, including people on the intel committee, including people who run the intel committee.”
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America Last, Zelensky First:
US Congressmen celebrate the approval of a $61 billion aid package to Ukraine.
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US Congressmen celebrate the approval of a $61 billion aid package to Ukraine.
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The US House passes the $26.38 billion Israel aid bill in a 366-58 vote, sending it to the Senate.
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$61 billion in false promises: What will the new Ukraine aid package actually accomplish?
The vast majority of the aid package will go directly to US military contractors and into the Pentagon budget itself, retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski told Sputnik. The rest will be used to pay Ukrainian bureaucrats, leaving very little for the needs of frontline soldiers.
No less significantly, the new aid package does nothing to resolve Ukraine’s biggest military problem, which is a lack of manpower, former Pentagon analyst Mike Maloof told Sputnik.
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The vast majority of the aid package will go directly to US military contractors and into the Pentagon budget itself, retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski told Sputnik. The rest will be used to pay Ukrainian bureaucrats, leaving very little for the needs of frontline soldiers.
“It looks like $45 billion stays in the US and that leaves about $16 billion to Ukraine in the form of direct aid.,” she said. “The 2024 Ukrainian budget is $82 billion and about half of this is unfunded by tax revenue. Likely the $16 billion that makes it to Ukraine will be instantly absorbed to pay government bills rather than go to the war effort.”
No less significantly, the new aid package does nothing to resolve Ukraine’s biggest military problem, which is a lack of manpower, former Pentagon analyst Mike Maloof told Sputnik.
“They have no means to undertake a counter-offensive, and just given the amounts of artillery that they burn through, what even the US is proposing probably wouldn't last more than six months at best.”
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The expectable decision of the US House of Representatives to provide assistance to Ukraine will benefit America and damage Ukraine, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He added that the confiscation of Russian assets would harm the image of the United States and scare off investors in this country.
The US will answer for the confiscation of Russian state assets, Peskov said.
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The US will answer for the confiscation of Russian state assets, Peskov said.
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The allocation of US military assistance to Ukraine is a direct support for terrorist activities, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. She also said that the allocation of US military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan will exacerbate the global crisis. Zakharova further stated that the provision of US military support to Taiwan is an interference in China's internal affairs.
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🔺The US House passes the $60.84 billion Ukrainian aid bill in a 311–112 vote and the $26.38 billion Israel aid bill in a 366-58 vote, sending both to the Senate.
🔺$61 billion in false promises: What will the new Ukraine aid package actually accomplish?
🔺Tucker Carlson: US Deep State blackmails Congress into submission
🔺On the hook: why US cannot abandon Russia's unique nuclear fuel HALEU
🔺US-greenlit Israeli strike on Iran ‘not game changer’ - former Netanyahu advisor
Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🔺$61 billion in false promises: What will the new Ukraine aid package actually accomplish?
🔺Tucker Carlson: US Deep State blackmails Congress into submission
🔺On the hook: why US cannot abandon Russia's unique nuclear fuel HALEU
🔺US-greenlit Israeli strike on Iran ‘not game changer’ - former Netanyahu advisor
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‘America Last’: US Congresswoman lambasts Ukraine aid package
Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna expressed her bewilderment that the US would send tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine instead of strengthening the border, helping homeless veterans, or stimulating the economy.
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Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna expressed her bewilderment that the US would send tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine instead of strengthening the border, helping homeless veterans, or stimulating the economy.
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Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, called the US House decision to continue fund Ukraine a vote to maximize the number of military casualties.
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"We will certainly win, despite the 61 billion gory dollars that will mostly go down the throats of their gluttonous military-industrial complex. Strength and Truth are with us," stated Medvedev.
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‘Every American should be furious’: Marjorie Taylor Greene blasts US Speaker Mike Johnson over $61 billion Ukraine aid package
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“How can you vote for these people? They don’t serve our country,” she told reporters at press conference after the US House voted 311-112 to pass new Ukraine funding.
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