Romania threatened by its own militarization as NATO’s “center” shifts to the Black Sea

After The Times reported earlier this week that work is under way to transform the Mihail Kogalniceanu (MK) Air Base near the Black Sea port of Constanta in Romania into the largest NATO military base in Europe, it’s become clear: NATO’s military infrastructure is advancing towards Russia not only in the Baltics, but also on the Blak Sea coast.

“NATO’s center shifts east as it moves the largest European base to Romania,” The Times’ headline said. So, what is known about MK so far?

▪️Right now, the Mihail Kogalniceanu base already covers 500 hectares of land and serves as a home to thousands of NATO troops, including the 101st US Airborne division.

▪️By 2030, the MK base will have the capacity to host 10,000 soldiers and civilian personnel and it is expected to be fully operational by 2040.

▪️The MK base “will overtake NATO’s Ramstein base in Germany, swallowing up 2,800 hectares of farmland, housing many thousand NATO troops, and being double the size of the German 50,000-garrison” in Ramstein, according to The Times.

▪️The MK base is located just 250 miles away from Russia’s Crimea and 186 miles from the strategically and spiritually important port city of Odessa.

▪️Romanian authorities officially announced that they would finance the expansion of the base, expected to be around to €2.5 billion ($2.7 billion).

▪️Romania bought three squadrons of F-16 fighter jets and plans to buy 32 ultra-modern F-35 Lightning jets that will be stationed at the base. Recently, the base was visited by nuclear-capable B-52 bombers that flew there from the US.

▪️Once the news of the MK base’s modernization was revealed, Moscow reacted accordingly: Russian Senator Andrei Klimov said that “the closer it [the base] is to Russia’s borders, the more likely it is to be among the first targets for retaliatory strikes."

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📹 Yemen's Hodeida floods kill at least 45, affect thousands of families

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Boeing failures gone galactic

The tribulations of the Boeing Starliner crew who have been stuck aboard the ISS for several weeks due to malfunctions of their spacecraft’s hardware underscore one simple fact: something is seriously rotten at the once famous aerospace industry giant.

Suffering from multiple helium leaks and hampered by failures of several of its maneuvering thrusters, Starliner first had trouble docking with the ISS and now remains stuck in orbit - while NASA ponders how to return the ship’s crew who has been stuck in space for two months instead of the originally planned eight days.   

Ironically, helium leak was a known issue at the time Starliner blasted off into space, and the spacecraft’s uncrewed launch back in 2022 also revealed problems with thrusters.   

In 2021, Starliner’s launch was delayed due to several corroded valves in the ship’s propulsion system, causing them to stick in the closed position.

Starliner’s first uncrewed flight back in 2019 also had to be cut short due to what was eventually described as software bugs.   

All these problems plaguing the ill-fated $4.2 billion program meant to build the means for NASA to ferry astronauts to the ISS raise serious concerns about the US space agency’s future plans, though there is still SpaceX’s Crew Dragon to consider.   

The Starliner debacle can be considered the proverbial icing on the cake of malfunctions and technical issues that have been plaguing Boeing airliners in recent years.   

Just this January, an Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737 MAX 9 was forced to perform an emergency landing after a part of its hull – specifically, a door plug – got blown out. Speculations abound that said door plug probably was not properly secured by bolts.   

In February that followed, another 737 MAX suffered from problems with its flight controls getting stuck during landing; while in March, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that anti-icing gear on Boeing 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliners could result in the loss of thrust by planes’ engines.   

And that’s not to mention the fact that Boeing 737 MAX aircraft were grounded worldwide for nearly two years, from March 2019 till December 2020, after it was determined that two such aircraft crashed, in 2018 and 2019, respectively, due to a design flaw in the flight control system.   

💬Meanwhile, two whistleblowers who warned about manufacturing defects in Boeing aircraft died this year: the death of one of them, John Barnett, was ruled a suicide by US authorities, while the other, Joshua Dean, died after a “short illness developed suddenly.”

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❗️Seven Ukrainian unmanned boats en route to Russia's Crimea were destroyed in the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry informed.

In addition, Russian troops intercepted and destroyed 75 drones (26 over Belgorod, 19 over Lipetsk, seven over Kursk, five over Bryansk, four over Voronezh, one over Orel, five over Crimea, and eight over the Black Sea).

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Date for possible resumption of Gaza talks revealed

Israel and the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, should resume urgent discussions in Doha or Cairo on August 15 “to close all remaining gaps” and start implementing the Gaza Strip-related ceasefire agreement without “further delay”, the US, Qatar and Egypt have said in a joint statement. 

“As mediators, if necessary, we are prepared to present a final bridging proposal that resolves the remaining implementation issues in a manner that meets the expectations of all parties,” the statement pointed out. 

Egypt, Qatar and the US have worked “for months to reach a framework agreement, and it is now on the table, with only details of implementation missing”, according to the statement. 

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the proposal by signaling readiness to send a delegation to attend the August 15 talks, while Hamas has yet to respond.

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The US must apologize for atomic bombings - Japanese lawmaker

The United States must apologize to the Japanese people for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Muneo Suzuki, a member of the upper house of the Japanese parliament, told Sputnik.

"Last year, the G7 summit was held in Hiroshima. Then President [Joe] Biden should have said that the fact that the United States had used nuclear weapons, which is unacceptable to use, was a mistake, and he should have apologized to the Japanese people from the bottom of his heart. At least one word about it. America, which dropped atomic bombs, has never apologized! It must apologize," the lawmaker said.

Suzuki said Prime Minister Fumio Kishida should use diplomatic efforts to have the United States apologize.

"Fumio Kishida often says that he is 'the prime minister from Hiroshima, which suffered from nuclear weapons.' But it was the United States that made Hiroshima suffer from nuclear weapons. And he should tell America that it must apologize to the Japanese people. Prime Minister Kishida should make diplomatic efforts for this. Next year will mark the 80th anniversary of the bombing. And I believe that the United States must apologize and express regret," he said.

In August 1945, US pilots dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The atomic explosion and its aftermath killed 140,000 people out of a population of 350,000 in Hiroshima, and 74,000 in Nagasaki. The vast majority of the victims of the atomic bombings were civilians. "Peace ceremonies" are held annually in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the anniversary of the tragic events - August 6 and 9.

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🔸Israel signals readiness to send delegation for talks with Hamas

🔸Hezbollah: how powerful is the movement? Check out Sputnik’s explainer.

🔸Russian army continues to destroy Ukraine’s vehicles and manpower after their botched attack on Kursk region

🔸‘Harassment designed to silence me’: more from Scott Ritter on FBI raiding his home

🔸Little spaceship that couldn’t: how failures of Boeing’s Starliner have gone galactic

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Kamala Harris confirmed that she will hold a televised debate with Trump on September 10.

At the same time, she did not answer the question about her readiness to hold two other rounds of televised debates which Trump had previously mentioned.

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📹Russian troops defeat the Polish-made self-propelled gun Krab of the Ukrainian forces with Lancets in the border area of the Kursk region.

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❗️The Russian troops thwarted an attempt by the Ukrainian militants to cross the Dnepr River with 20 landing boats.

The enemy tried to cross the river around four o'clock in the morning and, as a result, suffered significant losses, a soldier of the Russian Dnepr Battlegroup told Sputnik.

Twelve Ukrainian militants were eliminated while trying to land on the Kinburna Spit of the Dnepr River; three boats with saboteurs were destroyed, Kherson Governor Vladimir Saldo informed.

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⚡️The Russian Armed Forces continue to repel the attempted invasion by the Ukrainian troops, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

During the day, the Russian Sever battlegroup, and the approaching reserves, prevented attempts by the enemy units to raid deep into the territory, it added.

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❗️As a result of the repelled attack, Ukrainian losses amounted to more than 280 militants and 27 armored vehicles, including four tanks, the Russian Defense Ministry informed.

In total, the enemy lost up to 945 soldiers and 102 armored vehicles in the battle in the Kursk region.

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❗️Key statements by the Russian Defense Ministry concerning the situation in the Kursk region: 

▪️Russian soldiers struck Ukrainian manpower and equipment in the areas of Darino, Gogolevka, Melovoy, Nikolsky settlements, and the western outskirts of Sudzha.

▪️In the Yuzhny area, the Russian Army Aviation destroyed five Stryker armored personnel carriers; in the settlement of Martynovka. Russian troops eliminated a Ukrainian column comprising a tank, four armored personnel carriers and a Kozak armored combat vehicle.

▪️Russian aviation and missile forces defeated Ukrainian reserves on the territory of the Sumy region.

▪️During the day, Ukrainian losses amounted to more than 280 militants and 27 armored vehicles, including four tanks, five armored personnel carriers, 18 armored combat vehicles, as well as six vehicles, a 155 mm M777 howitzer, a 155 mm self-propelled artillery "Krab", and a 152 mm D-20 gun.

▪️In total, during the fighting in the Kursk region, the enemy lost up to 945 military personnel and 102 armored vehicles, including 12 tanks, 17 armored personnel carriers, six infantry fighting vehicles, 67 armored combat vehicles, as well as 12 vehicles, two self-propelled fire launchers of the Buk M1 anti-aircraft missile system, and three field artillery guns.

▪️The operation to destroy Ukrainian formations continues.

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📹Video of an attempt by Ukrainian militants to land on the Kinburn spit of the Dnepr in the Kherson region thwarted by the Russian forces

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🇮🇷New cruise missiles enter service with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy

According to the press service of the IRGC Navy:

🔻These missiles have new capabilities, including powerful combat units and the ability to thwart interception. 

🔻These missiles belong to the category of cruise missiles, capable of inflicting serious damage and sinking enemy ships.

🔻Various long-range and medium-range missile systems, attack and reconnaissance drones, electronic warfare systems, naval radars and combat devices, have also been added to the combat organization of this unit.

🔻Only 210 of the 2,654 systems were demonstrated to ensure security and keep confidential other strategic systems.

🔻These systems are the most advanced anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons of the IRGC Navy.

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LIVE: Russia hosts event to mark 80 years of diplomatic relations with Lebanon

Watch the livestream here or on Sputnik's website

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People flee eastern Khan Yunis after Israeli warnings of upcoming strikes

Earlier, the Israeli military launched an operation in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip after reportedly receiving intelligence indicating the presence of Hamas in the area, the army's press service reported.

In addition, "The Israeli Air Force struck 30 Hamas sites in Khan Yunis," the press service continued, mentioning "weapons depots" and "terrorist gathering places" among the targets attacked.

Video from social media.

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❗️Russia's Defense Ministry says build-up of forces engaged in active clashes against Ukraine's units in Sudzha district of the Russian Kursk region is underway

In columns heading to the districts of the Kursk region, there are Grad MLRS, towed artillery guns, tanks transported on trawls, and heavy tracked vehicles being transported.

There is a build-up of forces conducting active hostilities with Ukrainian formations in the Sudzha district of the Kursk region, the Russian MoD informed.

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