Dozens of George Washington University students continue their protest in Washington, D.C. in support of Palestinians and against Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip. The organizers told a Sputnik correspondent that they demanded that US authorities “sever financial, material and intellectual ties” with Israel.
University administration unsuccessfully demanded that the protesters disperse by the end of the day Thursday - the tent city was set up on a square near the university's law school, a ten-minute walk from the White House.
The protest continued Friday, but police did not disperse participants. Law enforcement officials admit they have no idea when the demonstration will end.
In addition to Washington, D.C., demonstrations have also taken place at Columbia University, Yale, MIT, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, and other institutions. At some universities administrators, backed by police officers, are forcibly disbanding the protests, which has led to hundreds of arrests and detentions.
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University administration unsuccessfully demanded that the protesters disperse by the end of the day Thursday - the tent city was set up on a square near the university's law school, a ten-minute walk from the White House.
The protest continued Friday, but police did not disperse participants. Law enforcement officials admit they have no idea when the demonstration will end.
In addition to Washington, D.C., demonstrations have also taken place at Columbia University, Yale, MIT, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, UC Berkeley, and other institutions. At some universities administrators, backed by police officers, are forcibly disbanding the protests, which has led to hundreds of arrests and detentions.
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Israel has a clear timeline for carrying out an operation in the Gaza Strip's southernmost city of Rafah and it will not allow Palestinian movement Hamas to conduct "another round of pointless talks for the purpose of fraud," the Axios news portal reported, citing senior Israeli officials.
On Friday, a delegation of Egyptian intelligence officials paid a visit to Israel to meet with Israeli military and security officials to talk over the hostage deal and the operation in Rafah, the report said.
The Israeli message to the Egyptian delegation that it would not engage in "another round of pointless talks for the purpose of fraud" was clear, another official said.
Therefore, Israel was ready to give the hostage negotiations one last go, but if there was no progress soon, it would launch the operation, Axios reported.
On April 8, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the date for the start of the ground operation in Rafah had been set. The city is considered to be Hamas' last holdout and the plan for the operation has already been approved, but it will require the evacuation of over one million displaced people currently sheltering there.
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On Friday, a delegation of Egyptian intelligence officials paid a visit to Israel to meet with Israeli military and security officials to talk over the hostage deal and the operation in Rafah, the report said.
"Israel told Egypt that it is serious about preparations for the operation in Rafah and that it will not let Hamas drag its feet," one of the Israeli officials was quoted as saying.
The Israeli message to the Egyptian delegation that it would not engage in "another round of pointless talks for the purpose of fraud" was clear, another official said.
Therefore, Israel was ready to give the hostage negotiations one last go, but if there was no progress soon, it would launch the operation, Axios reported.
On April 8, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the date for the start of the ground operation in Rafah had been set. The city is considered to be Hamas' last holdout and the plan for the operation has already been approved, but it will require the evacuation of over one million displaced people currently sheltering there.
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Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte admitted that the military aid package for Ukraine adopted by the US Congress this week could be the last one, which would pose new challenges for Europe.
On Tuesday, the US Senate passed a $95 billion bill containing approximately $61 billion in Ukraine-related funding. US President Joe Biden signed the bill into law on Wednesday. The US Department of Defense later unveiled a $1 billion military aid package for Kiev, including cluster munitions and air defense supplies.
Russia has repeatedly warned NATO countries that arms supplies to Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets. Moscow has accused NATO countries of "playing with fire" by arming Ukraine, emphasizing that such actions hinder the possibility of Russia-Ukraine negotiations.
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"It is great that the US Congress has decided to support Ukraine, but we have to start thinking about what should happen if this is the last aid package. That would mean that the challenges for us here in Europe would be even greater. We have prayed so much that Congress convene and resolve this issue, but there may be a need for further support," Simonyte told Lithuanian news agency ELTA.
On Tuesday, the US Senate passed a $95 billion bill containing approximately $61 billion in Ukraine-related funding. US President Joe Biden signed the bill into law on Wednesday. The US Department of Defense later unveiled a $1 billion military aid package for Kiev, including cluster munitions and air defense supplies.
Russia has repeatedly warned NATO countries that arms supplies to Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets. Moscow has accused NATO countries of "playing with fire" by arming Ukraine, emphasizing that such actions hinder the possibility of Russia-Ukraine negotiations.
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Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, said that they struck the British oil tanker Andromeda Star in the Red Sea with missiles and shot down a US MQ-9 drone.
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Israel has carried out deadly strikes in areas of Gaza that it marked as safe zones for Palestinian civilians, NBC News reported, citing an investigation it conducted on this matter.
The report said it looked into seven Israeli strikes that had killed Palestinians in areas of southern Gaza designated as safe zones by Israel.
These strikes occurred from January to April, the report noted.
The report said that on December 18, Israeli armed forces dropped leaflets in Gaza that identified the Tal Al Sultan, Al Zuhur, and Al Shaboura neighborhoods as safe and told Gaza residents to seek shelter there.
However, NBC News said its investigation found that all three locations have been hit by Israeli airstrikes since then.
NBC News said they were told by the Israel Defense Forces that they continue to consider these designated areas as safe zones.
Israel's operation in Gaza has resulted in the death of more than 34,000 Palestinians and the wounding of over 77,000 Palestinians since October.
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The report said it looked into seven Israeli strikes that had killed Palestinians in areas of southern Gaza designated as safe zones by Israel.
These strikes occurred from January to April, the report noted.
The report said that on December 18, Israeli armed forces dropped leaflets in Gaza that identified the Tal Al Sultan, Al Zuhur, and Al Shaboura neighborhoods as safe and told Gaza residents to seek shelter there.
However, NBC News said its investigation found that all three locations have been hit by Israeli airstrikes since then.
NBC News said they were told by the Israel Defense Forces that they continue to consider these designated areas as safe zones.
Israel's operation in Gaza has resulted in the death of more than 34,000 Palestinians and the wounding of over 77,000 Palestinians since October.
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Jewish student protester shatters myth of antisemitic campus demonstrations
Pro-Palestine demonstrations began over a week ago at Columbia University, where students set up an encampment calling for the school to divest funds from financial interests connected to weapons manufacturers and the Israeli occupation. Hundreds of arrests have since taken place at protests on campuses across the country.
“The university as soon as we set up started to accuse us of things like antisemitism and attempting to incite violence,” he added. “It could not be further from the truth at all. As a Jewish student, I was there and I feel like it's my duty to just refute these ridiculous claims of antisemitism that have been thrown around by the university and politicians.”
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“At least 33 major American universities – and now international ones – have joined in on campus Gaza protests,” noted host John Kiriakou on Sputnik’s Political Misfits program.
Pro-Palestine demonstrations began over a week ago at Columbia University, where students set up an encampment calling for the school to divest funds from financial interests connected to weapons manufacturers and the Israeli occupation. Hundreds of arrests have since taken place at protests on campuses across the country.
“NYU is one of the most expensive universities to attend in the United States,” said Jewish NYU protest organizer Sam, whose full name was withheld to protect his safety. “We are just utterly sick of having our money directly fund the murder of children, the destruction of hospitals, the oppression of an entire people”.
“The university as soon as we set up started to accuse us of things like antisemitism and attempting to incite violence,” he added. “It could not be further from the truth at all. As a Jewish student, I was there and I feel like it's my duty to just refute these ridiculous claims of antisemitism that have been thrown around by the university and politicians.”
“Not only did I and other Jewish students feel safe in the encampments, but Jewish students generally played a vital role in the planning of this encampment, as well as the programing. For example, we held a Passover Seder at the encampment.” Sam insisted the primary threat to Jewish students emerged not from their fellow demonstrators, but from their schools’ heavy-handed crackdowns.
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Israel has eliminated Lebanese movement Jamaa Islamiya's senior official Mosab Khalaf, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
According to the IDF, Khalaf had cooperated with the branch of Palestinian movement Hamas in Lebanon, coordinating and carrying out terror attacks against Israel.
Later, the military wing of the Lebanese movement confirmed the death of Khalaf as a result of an Israeli drone strike on a car he was riding in.
The situation on the Israel-Lebanon border worsened after the start of Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The Israeli army and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters daily fire at each other's positions in areas along the border.
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"A short while ago, IAF aircraft struck and eliminated Mosab Khalaf in the area of Meidoun in Lebanon, a senior terrorist in the Jamaa Islamiya terrorist organization who advanced a large number of terror attacks against Israel. The Jamaa Islamiya terrorist organization recently planned and promoted a large number of terror attacks from Lebanese territory against Israel in the area of Har Dov, as well as additional areas in northern Israel," the IDF said on Telegram.
According to the IDF, Khalaf had cooperated with the branch of Palestinian movement Hamas in Lebanon, coordinating and carrying out terror attacks against Israel.
"Khalaf’s elimination was carried out to harm the terrorist organization’s capability to carry out planned attacks against the State of Israel in the area of the northern border," the IDF claimed.
Later, the military wing of the Lebanese movement confirmed the death of Khalaf as a result of an Israeli drone strike on a car he was riding in.
The situation on the Israel-Lebanon border worsened after the start of Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The Israeli army and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters daily fire at each other's positions in areas along the border.
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Congress panics over Ukraine as Russian drones kill Abrams battle tanks, a former British diplomat told Sputnik.
The rush to fast-track $6 billion in military aid to Ukraine on Friday reflects the panic felt by the Biden administration and in Congress that the Zelensky regime's forces are collapsing amid reports that Russia's unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are now proving successful at targeting and destroying US-supplied Abrams Main Battle Tanks, veteran UK diplomat, former ambassador and political commentator Peter Ford told Sputnik.
"The announcement coincides with reports that the Ukrainians are withdrawing US Abrams tanks from the front because they have shown themselves to be vulnerable to drone attack," the analyst highlighted.
However, the main US defense contractors were oblivious to the multiple failures of their weapons systems on the battlefields of Ukraine and were only interested in further expanding their already enormous profit margins, Ford emphasized.
The other purpose of the otherwise futile and too late new arms package was to give Biden domestic credibility before his re-election campaign against former President Donald Trump this fall, Ford explained.
The $6 billion arms package was therefore meant "to make Biden look resolute and consistent as he positions himself for the presidential election campaign," he said.
The people of Ukraine once again had become the victims of cynical and ruthless US political manipulations and intrigues, Ford stressed.
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The rush to fast-track $6 billion in military aid to Ukraine on Friday reflects the panic felt by the Biden administration and in Congress that the Zelensky regime's forces are collapsing amid reports that Russia's unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are now proving successful at targeting and destroying US-supplied Abrams Main Battle Tanks, veteran UK diplomat, former ambassador and political commentator Peter Ford told Sputnik.
"The haste to release billions of dollars of funds for Ukraine betrays US alarm at the dire situation facing its client state on the battlefront," he said.
"The announcement coincides with reports that the Ukrainians are withdrawing US Abrams tanks from the front because they have shown themselves to be vulnerable to drone attack," the analyst highlighted.
However, the main US defense contractors were oblivious to the multiple failures of their weapons systems on the battlefields of Ukraine and were only interested in further expanding their already enormous profit margins, Ford emphasized.
"Never mind, the main aims are being achieved. Not to help Ukraine - how naive! - but to stuff billions of taxpayer dollars down the gullet of the arms manufacturers," he said.
The other purpose of the otherwise futile and too late new arms package was to give Biden domestic credibility before his re-election campaign against former President Donald Trump this fall, Ford explained.
The $6 billion arms package was therefore meant "to make Biden look resolute and consistent as he positions himself for the presidential election campaign," he said.
The people of Ukraine once again had become the victims of cynical and ruthless US political manipulations and intrigues, Ford stressed.
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Ukraine has reportedly withdrawn US-provided Abrams M1A1 tanks from the combat zone as their manufacturers' shares fall on the market. It is hard to sell military equipment that is so vulnerable and burns so easily, the head of the regional civic movement "We Are Together with Russia" Vladimir Rogov told Sputnik.
The Associated Press, citing sources in the Pentagon, previously reported that Ukraine had withdrawn US Abrams M1A1 tanks from battle because of their vulnerability to Russian drones. This information was later confirmed by Maxim Buzhansky, a member of Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada).
In addition, Rogov speculated the incident marked the beginning of the formation of a buffer zone and the withdrawal of Western weapons from Russia's borders.
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The Associated Press, citing sources in the Pentagon, previously reported that Ukraine had withdrawn US Abrams M1A1 tanks from battle because of their vulnerability to Russian drones. This information was later confirmed by Maxim Buzhansky, a member of Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada).
“Shares of Abrams tank manufacturers have fallen sharply. It is hard then to sell equipment that is so vulnerable and so easily hit by our troops and burned, although it was touted as invincible and unstoppable. There is nothing personal here, just business, just marketing,” Rogov said.
In addition, Rogov speculated the incident marked the beginning of the formation of a buffer zone and the withdrawal of Western weapons from Russia's borders.
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Sputnik International
Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, said that they struck the British oil tanker Andromeda Star in the Red Sea with missiles and shot down a US MQ-9 drone. Subscribe to @SputnikInt
US Central Command confirmed that Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, has launched another attack on merchant ships in the Red Sea. The attack damaged one ship, the Andromeda Star, although it was able to continue towards its destination.
Earlier in the day, the Houthis claimed its members struck the British oil tanker Andromeda Star in the Red Sea with anti-ship missiles and shot down the US drone MQ-9 Reaper.
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“Iranian-backed Houthis launched three anti-ship missiles from Yemeni-controlled territories into the Red Sea toward the Antigua and Barbados-flagged merchant ship Maisha, operated by Liberia, and the Andromeda Star, a British-owned Panamanian-flagged vessel,” the release said.
Earlier in the day, the Houthis claimed its members struck the British oil tanker Andromeda Star in the Red Sea with anti-ship missiles and shot down the US drone MQ-9 Reaper.
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Russian air defenses suppressed more than 10 Ukrainian drones overnight in several districts of the Krasnodar region. The Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles tried to attack oil refineries and infrastructure facilities, Governor Veniamin Kondratiev said.
No injuries were reported per preliminary information, according to the governor.
As a result of the attack by the Ukrainian armed forces a rectification column on the territory of a plant in the city of Slavyansk-on-Kuban was damaged and a fire was extinguished, local authorities reported, adding that there were no casualties.
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No injuries were reported per preliminary information, according to the governor.
As a result of the attack by the Ukrainian armed forces a rectification column on the territory of a plant in the city of Slavyansk-on-Kuban was damaged and a fire was extinguished, local authorities reported, adding that there were no casualties.
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Facade of diplomacy masks US efforts to ‘smear, isolate, suppress’ China
Political commentator Anna Ge claimed the United States pursues discussions with China only to maintain its own interests in ongoing diplomacy, while otherwise seeking to undermine Beijing. The radio host offered the analysis on Sputnik’s Fault Lines program.
“In essence the US is now raising the Chinese military assistance to Russia issue to forcibly link China and Russia,” she said, addressing US criticism of Beijing for carrying on trade relations with Moscow. “China, like many other countries, like Turkiye, and Egypt, etcetera, adopts a more neutral stance toward the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They take the needs of the two sides into consideration, not just Ukraine's, but also Russia's.”
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Political commentator Anna Ge claimed the United States pursues discussions with China only to maintain its own interests in ongoing diplomacy, while otherwise seeking to undermine Beijing. The radio host offered the analysis on Sputnik’s Fault Lines program.
“These meetings serve more like guard rails, which aren't meant to stabilize or improve relations but to keep them from spiraling out of control while the US continues to implement containment policies, continues to stack military assets in the region, continues to pressure the Chinese government wherever possible,” said Ge. “And also continues to attack Chinese companies.”
“In essence the US is now raising the Chinese military assistance to Russia issue to forcibly link China and Russia,” she said, addressing US criticism of Beijing for carrying on trade relations with Moscow. “China, like many other countries, like Turkiye, and Egypt, etcetera, adopts a more neutral stance toward the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They take the needs of the two sides into consideration, not just Ukraine's, but also Russia's.”
“China and Russia have the right to carry out normal economic and trade cooperation, which should not be interfered with by any country or restricted… The Chinese government keeps saying that this is a problem between Russia and Ukraine, it's not a problem between China and the US, and the US should not try to turn it into one,” the commentator stressed.
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North African countries expel Western military presence
A wave of anti-imperialist sentiment is spreading across Africa as countries across the continent reject Western influence. The latest indication of the trend came Thursday when US officials revealed the country would comply with government requests to withdraw troops stationed in Chad. This week also brought news that the United States would be pulling troops out of the neighboring country of Niger, weeks after the government there had made similar requests.
The country’s government insisted on the United States’ exit while also expelling troops from France, which historically held Niger as a colony.
“We have to look at who the terrorists in Africa have been. It's been the United States, the French and others who exploit the people horrifically and have for decades and decades,” he added.
Namibia’s president underscored the point recently, issuing a scathing statement against Germany for its lockstep support of Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip. The country suggested Germany, and by extension the rest of the Western world, have yet to reflect on their destructive colonial legacy as they continue to exert influence around the globe. Germany formerly held Namibia as a colonial possession, presiding over what scholars consider the 20th century’s first genocide there.
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A wave of anti-imperialist sentiment is spreading across Africa as countries across the continent reject Western influence. The latest indication of the trend came Thursday when US officials revealed the country would comply with government requests to withdraw troops stationed in Chad. This week also brought news that the United States would be pulling troops out of the neighboring country of Niger, weeks after the government there had made similar requests.
The country’s government insisted on the United States’ exit while also expelling troops from France, which historically held Niger as a colony.
“It’s, I think, a very positive move that countries are finally beginning to tell the United States they have to leave, they don't belong there anymore, they're not wanted, they're not needed there, and, to go,” said journalist Robert Fantina on Sputnik’s Political Misfits program.
“We have to look at who the terrorists in Africa have been. It's been the United States, the French and others who exploit the people horrifically and have for decades and decades,” he added.
Namibia’s president underscored the point recently, issuing a scathing statement against Germany for its lockstep support of Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip. The country suggested Germany, and by extension the rest of the Western world, have yet to reflect on their destructive colonial legacy as they continue to exert influence around the globe. Germany formerly held Namibia as a colonial possession, presiding over what scholars consider the 20th century’s first genocide there.
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NATO arms shipments can't make up for Ukraine's manpower shortage
Although a shortage of ammunition could be alleviated to some extent by foreign aid, Ukraine's main weakness is its acute shortage of soldiers, the Western press acknowledges, commenting on Joe Biden's latest Ukraine package.
Draft evasion has also plagued Ukraine. Oleynyk estimates that some 1.5 million men of military age are currently in hiding across Ukraine. Ukrainian military personnel are also increasingly deserting.
In recent months, there has also been a significant increase in the number of Ukrainian troops using the special "Volga" 149.200 radio frequency to communicate their desire to disarm, according to Sputnik's sources.
The frequency was set up by Russian forces for Ukrainian troops wishing to surrender. Volodymyr Zelensky's draconian draft laws cannot solve the problem of manpower shortage, as morale is low and about 90% of Ukrainians are unwilling to join the military, Oleynyk continued, citing recent Ukrainian polls.
As a result, the Ukrainian authorities have intensified illegal methods of recruitment and mobilization, further aggravating public discontent, the former MP said.
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Although a shortage of ammunition could be alleviated to some extent by foreign aid, Ukraine's main weakness is its acute shortage of soldiers, the Western press acknowledges, commenting on Joe Biden's latest Ukraine package.
"Many [Ukrainian] commanders say that their combat units suffer from a 30-40% deficit in manpower," Volodymyr Oleynyk, a Ukrainian politician and former MP of the Verkhovna Rada, told Sputnik. "Entire brigades break the law, violate orders and arbitrarily leave combat positions."
Draft evasion has also plagued Ukraine. Oleynyk estimates that some 1.5 million men of military age are currently in hiding across Ukraine. Ukrainian military personnel are also increasingly deserting.
"It is believed that there are about 100,000 deserters on the run," the former Ukrainian lawmaker said.
In recent months, there has also been a significant increase in the number of Ukrainian troops using the special "Volga" 149.200 radio frequency to communicate their desire to disarm, according to Sputnik's sources.
The frequency was set up by Russian forces for Ukrainian troops wishing to surrender. Volodymyr Zelensky's draconian draft laws cannot solve the problem of manpower shortage, as morale is low and about 90% of Ukrainians are unwilling to join the military, Oleynyk continued, citing recent Ukrainian polls.
As a result, the Ukrainian authorities have intensified illegal methods of recruitment and mobilization, further aggravating public discontent, the former MP said.
"This is a dead end. People don't want to protect the interests of the Americans and the Zelensky gang," Oleynyk concluded.
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Russia seizes US-made Abrams-type Assault Breacher Vehicle from Ukrainian troops
Russian forces have removed Ukraine's M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV), also known as Shredder, an armored minefield and obstacle breaching system based on the chassis of the M1 Abrams tank, from the battlefield, a Sputnik correspondent has reported.
The US-supplied ABV was earlier seized by servicemen of the Russian Army's Tsentr (Center) Battle Group, who managed to "blind" the vehicle by destroying its optics with the help of a First Person View (FPV) drone strike, a Tsentr officer with the call sign Volsk told Sputnik.
In a separate development, Tsentr servicemen retrieved the M88A2 Hercules heavy equipment recovery combat utility lift and evacuation system, another piece of US military equipment supplied to the Ukrainian military.
Like the ABV, the 63-ton Hercules, designed specifically to evacuate Abrams tanks, was hit by a Russian FPV drone in the Avdeyevka area. The key town of Avdeyevka was liberated from Ukrainian nationalists by Russian forces in February.
Previously, the Pentagon had been tight-lipped about reports that the Ukrainian army had withdrawn US-supplied Abrams tanks from the front line because of threats from Russian unmanned aerial vehicles.
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Russian forces have removed Ukraine's M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV), also known as Shredder, an armored minefield and obstacle breaching system based on the chassis of the M1 Abrams tank, from the battlefield, a Sputnik correspondent has reported.
The US-supplied ABV was earlier seized by servicemen of the Russian Army's Tsentr (Center) Battle Group, who managed to "blind" the vehicle by destroying its optics with the help of a First Person View (FPV) drone strike, a Tsentr officer with the call sign Volsk told Sputnik.
"After being 'blinded', the M1150 changed direction and drove into a minefield, where it was blown up," the officer said. He described the 70-ton ABV as a vehicle that "gets stuck in our black soil," which is why it cannot be used in the special military operation zone.
In a separate development, Tsentr servicemen retrieved the M88A2 Hercules heavy equipment recovery combat utility lift and evacuation system, another piece of US military equipment supplied to the Ukrainian military.
Like the ABV, the 63-ton Hercules, designed specifically to evacuate Abrams tanks, was hit by a Russian FPV drone in the Avdeyevka area. The key town of Avdeyevka was liberated from Ukrainian nationalists by Russian forces in February.
Previously, the Pentagon had been tight-lipped about reports that the Ukrainian army had withdrawn US-supplied Abrams tanks from the front line because of threats from Russian unmanned aerial vehicles.
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📹🔥Russian FPV drone operators destroyed a group of Ukrainian militants on the border with Russia's Belgorod region.
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America's Distorted Reality: blaming China for military activity in China
Taiwan detected 22 Chinese military aircraft, including Su-30 fighter jets, a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended a visit to China, Reuters reported, citing Taiwan's defense minister.
The news agency seemed surprised that China was conducting drills within its internationally recognized borders. Reuters noted that 12 Chinese aircraft crossed the "median line" of the Taiwan Strait, which "once served as the unofficial border between the two sides. China's air force now regularly sends planes across the strait because it does not recognize the line's existence, the article said.
Taiwan is recognized as part of China by most countries, including Russia and the US, while the latter continues to provoke the mainland with its policies toward the island.
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Taiwan detected 22 Chinese military aircraft, including Su-30 fighter jets, a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended a visit to China, Reuters reported, citing Taiwan's defense minister.
The news agency seemed surprised that China was conducting drills within its internationally recognized borders. Reuters noted that 12 Chinese aircraft crossed the "median line" of the Taiwan Strait, which "once served as the unofficial border between the two sides. China's air force now regularly sends planes across the strait because it does not recognize the line's existence, the article said.
Taiwan is recognized as part of China by most countries, including Russia and the US, while the latter continues to provoke the mainland with its policies toward the island.
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The US Air Force has signed a $13 billion contract with Sierra Nevada Corporation to develop a new 'Doomsday' aircraft to replace the E-4B.
Such aircraft are used as a command and control point in a nuclear war.
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Such aircraft are used as a command and control point in a nuclear war.
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Key statements by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at a regular briefing:
▪️Ukraine's refusal to continue negotiations in Istanbul in March 2022 was direct pressure from the UK.
▪️Now there are no conditions for the resumption of negotiations - because of Kiev's position.
▪️Peskov stated that he had seen the Wall Street Journal material on the conclusions of the US intelligence services about Putin's non-involvement in Navalny's death, the article itself was not of very high quality, it was empty reasoning.
▪️On the EU's plans to restrict the transportation of liquefied natural gas: possible arguments are hardly appropriate, we must wait for solutions.
▪️Attempts to squeeze Russia out of the energy markets will continue, and Moscow will look for ways to overcome them.
▪️Russia will develop cooperation with China, which is capable of defending its interests.
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▪️Ukraine's refusal to continue negotiations in Istanbul in March 2022 was direct pressure from the UK.
▪️Now there are no conditions for the resumption of negotiations - because of Kiev's position.
▪️Peskov stated that he had seen the Wall Street Journal material on the conclusions of the US intelligence services about Putin's non-involvement in Navalny's death, the article itself was not of very high quality, it was empty reasoning.
▪️On the EU's plans to restrict the transportation of liquefied natural gas: possible arguments are hardly appropriate, we must wait for solutions.
▪️Attempts to squeeze Russia out of the energy markets will continue, and Moscow will look for ways to overcome them.
▪️Russia will develop cooperation with China, which is capable of defending its interests.
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