Russia has every right to defend its position and values – descendant of Leo Tolstoy

The country is righteous when defending its position and values, says Director of the State Museum of Leo Tolstoy and his great-great-grandson Vladimir Tolstoy.

"If the world is so globally divided today and holds polar views on issues of war and peace, good and evil, morality and immorality, then Russia has the right to defend its position, values, and notions about who conducts activities for global peace in a dignified manner,” he says.

Vladimir Tolstoy will be a member of the jury of the International Peace Prize named after L.N. Tolstoy. The laureate will be a person or organization actively engaged in peacekeeping efforts, significantly contributing to ending the arms race, building a multipolar world, strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation among peoples, and countering the threat of a third world war.

He believes that it is military experience that made his ancestor an epitome of peace philosophy.

“[Leo] Tolstoy experienced war firsthand, serving as an officer and artilleryman defending Russian Sevastopol and Crimea. He participated in military events in the Caucasus and even outside Russia, on the Danube in Silistra. He was often close to death and could have been captured multiple times. He saw death and the massive loss of life. He knew what he was talking and writing about from personal experience," stresses his descendant.

The Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize will be awarded on September 9 –the writer’s birthday- in Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre.

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❗️Russia's Ministry of Defense published footage of destroyed Ukrainian military equipment in the border area with the Kursk region.

Its Iskander-M complex destroyed combat and special equipment from Ukraine.

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Australian attempts to lash out at Russia-North Korea cooperation are "inappropriate" and "funny" — Aussie Cossack

This week, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong visited the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, trying to undermine cooperation relations between Russia and North Korea.

Australian independent journalist @AussieCossack explained why such an attempt has been futile:

"Who is Penny Wong to criticize Russia's or North Korea's behavior? North Korea and Russia are both sovereign countries, and it's not up to Australia or Penny Wong or Joe Biden or the UK or Germany or any other country in the world to stop Russian-North Korean collaboration," journalist said.

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🇷🇺 Russian military superiority over Ukraine visualized

While Ukraine’s Western backers frantically attempt to bolster the dwindling forces of the Kiev regime, the overwhelming superiority of the Russian Armed Forces in the Ukrainian conflict appears conclusive.

Be it the number of tanks, helicopters, artillery systems or troops – Ukraine simply cannot hold a candle to Russia.

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How the US expands its military presence in the Middle East

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered “adjustments” to the US' “military posture” in the Middle East to ensure Washington is prepared to respond to “various contingencies," in an apparent nod to Iran’s pledge to retaliate against Israel over the July 31 assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

▪️The USS Abraham Lincoln strike group has been ordered to sail to the Middle East to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group before the end of August, according to the Pentagon.

▪️Two of the five destroyers sailing with the USS Theodore Roosevelt - the USS Laboon and USS Cole - have been instructed to move to the Red Sea and toward Israel.

▪️About a dozen F/A-18 fighter jets and an E-2D Hawkeye surveillance aircraft from the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier earlier arrived at the undisclosed US base in the region, an unnamed US source told the Times of Israel.

▪️The US Navy jets’ land-based deployment is expected to be temporary, because a squadron of F-22 fighter jets is en route to the same base from their home station in Alaska. The roughly dozen F-22s are expected to arrive in the Middle East in the coming days, the source claimed.

▪️The Department of Defense also underscored a possible deployment of additional land-based ballistic missile defenses in the region.

▪️At the same time, the Pentagon recalled that the USS WASP Amphibious Ready Group / Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) is already operating in the Eastern Mediterranean.

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❗️The US State Department called the Ukrainian foray into the Kursk region a "sovereign decision". The department admitted that it is in contact with Kiev regarding military actions in Russian territory.

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▪️US aggression in the Middle East: A brief rundown

▪️Uncovering the Houthi movement, the Western coalition's target

▪️Asymmetric warfare: Why the Houthis can beat the collective West

▪️Who controls Yemen? Let's take a look at the political map.

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📹 The Russian Army destroyed a Ukrainian self-propelled artillery Krab unit in the border area of the Kursk region.

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What's Kamala Harris' running mate Tim Walz infamous for?

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris' choice of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate triggered a storm of criticism from Republicans.

Sputnik delved into Walz's record to find out whether the criticism is justified.

▪️As Minnesota governor, Walz introduced strict lockdowns and mask mandates during COVID-19, but loosely treated the elderly. Almost half (45%) of Minnesota’s COVID-19 deaths were in nursing homes and residential care communities.

▪️Walz is criticized for failing to prevent what is now called the largest pandemic-related fraud in the US: a whopping $250 million from a federal food program was stolen under his watch.

▪️While commanding the Minnesota National Guard 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion in 2005 he hastily quit, leaving his subordinates without leadership after learning that his unit would be sent to Iraq. Then he "embellished and selectively omitted facts" from his military career to look good, as per Minnesota National Guard veterans.

▪️He is accused of being slow to call the National Guard to stop violent Black Lives Matter (BLM) riots in 2020 which left many businesses in Minneapolis in ruins and put the lives of police officials in jeopardy.

▪️In April 2023, Walz signed a bill making Minnesota a "sanctuary" for child sex-change operations, including the provision puberty blockers, genital surgery, and hormone therapy including for minors coming from other states.

▪️In April and May 2023, he signed bills de facto making it legal to coerce women into having abortions. The laws also repeal Minnesota’s informed-consent provisions and legal protection for infants who survived abortions.

▪️As a cherry on top, on Sept. 23, 1995, the would-be governor was arrested for drunken driving in his home state of Nebraska. "A strong odor of alcoholic beverage" emitting from Walz was detected by the police.

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▪️What's the strategic importance of Toretsk and why is the Ukrainian military losing ground there?

▪️Ukraine’s botched attack on Russia’s Kursk region: here is what you need to know

▪️What's Kamala Harris' running mate Tim Walz infamous for?

▪️How the US expands its military presence in the Middle East

▪️Why has Ukraine started talking of peace?

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Overwhelming missile attack from Iran and allies could punch through Israel's Iron Dome

The Iranian missile attack in April pushed Israel’s air defenses to their limits, despite the fact that Iran did not use its best missiles and Israel being assisted by the US and other allies, Russian military analyst Yuri Lyamin tells Sputnik.

“A coordinated and more massive simultaneous attack from Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon can break through the Israeli air and missile defense,” says Lyamin, a senior researcher at the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies. “I don’t think that Israel could seriously boost its capabilities in this field by now since so little time has passed [since the April attack].”

It is no coincidence, he adds, that the United States seek to bolster Israel’s missile defense capabilities by deploying additional US military assets in the region.

Regarding the capabilities of Israel’s famous Iron Dome air defense system, Lyamin notes that it, just like any air defense system in existence, “does not guarantee 100% protection.”

“On one hand, it can be overwhelmed by a massed rocket launch,” he explains. “On the other hand, drones can be hard to detect and the Israeli air defense sometimes lets some of them slip through.”

Lyamin also observes that Israel’s relatively small acreage allowed Tel Aviv to create a multi-layered air defense capable of repelling serious attacks.

“The downside of this is that various important military, government and industrial installations are located relatively close to each other, which makes them vulnerable if the air/missile defenses get overwhelmed,” he adds.

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❗️FBI and state police have raided Scott Ritter’s home in New York state, according to local media reports.

Ritter is a regular Sputnik contributor. Sputnik is attempting to contact Ritter about the incident.

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FBI confirmed to Sputnik that it is conducting activities related to a “federal investigation” at Scott Ritter’s home.

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🇮🇷⚔️🇮🇱Economic consequences if war breaks out between Iran and Israel

The recent spike in tensions between Israel and Iran can backfire on the global economy, Marc Ayoub, a Lebanese energy policy researcher, and Rodney Shakespeare, a professor of binary economics, told Sputnik.

🔺The oil market may see the increase in crude prices up to $150 per barrel, especially if Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Oil tankers carry around 17 million barrels of oil each day through the Strait.

🔺Yemen’s Houthi-led government, part of Iran's Axis of Resistance, are likely to be part of this "closing" the Red sea and creating further logistics problems for global trade.

🔺The potential conflict is likely to rock the economies of regional players and beyond hitting highly indebted nations of the Global South. A Minsky moment – a sudden, major collapse of asset values – may affect huge areas of the global economy due to high levels of debt – personal, corporation, governmental.

🔺The price of gold may double.

🔺Governments are likely to resort to money-printing in order to stabilize the situation thus fanning inflation. The spike in prices and slowing demand could exacerbate matters further.

International foreign affairs experts are split on what kind of response Iran will resort to: some say that Tehran will respond asymmetrically; others insist that Iran may be forced to retaliate in order to deter Tel Aviv from further provocations.

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Russian war correspondent Evgeny Poddubny has been injured as a result of a Ukrainian drone attack on the Kursk region. He has been admitted to the Kursk regional hospital, he is alive, the hospital emergency room told Sputnik.

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