What is known about Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk?

Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on the situation in the Kursk region, attacked by Ukraine.

Here is the most up-to-date information:

▪️ Ukrainian army temporally holds control of the 28 settlements with nearly 2 thousand people, whose fate the authorities do not know. The depth of the Ukraine's incursion is 12 kilometers and the width is 40 kilometers.

▪️ According to the Kursk region's acting governor 12 people were killed as a result of the Ukrainian offensive and 121 people were wounded, with 10 of them being children.

"Kiev seeks to improve its negotiating positions in the future. What negotiations can we talk about with people who indiscriminately strike civilians, civilian infrastructure and pose threats to nuclear power facilities" Putin said.

The action in Kursk region pursues the military goal of stopping the offensive of Russian troops along the line of contact. The pace of the Russian forces' offensive along the entire line of contact increased 1.5 times after the events in Kursk region.

During the fighting in the Kursk area, the Ukraine has lost up to 1,610 servicemen, 32 tanks and 136 armored fighting vehicles, the Russian Defense Ministry said earlier.

Ukraine is expected to make new attempts to destabilize the situation in the Russian border regions, including the Bryansk region.

A captured Ukrainian soldier said that his commanders ordered to "shoot men in the legs" and Ukrainian soldiers engaged in looting.

The Russian President has demanded a reliable cover for the border with Ukraine after the enemy is driven out of Russian territory, He also noted that the Federal Security Service and National Guard of Russia (Rosgvardiya) are obliged to ensure a counter-terrorism operation in Russian border regions.

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From Lancets and super Pantsirs to mini missile subs and drone docks: what’s new at Russian ARMY-2024?

ARMY-2024, Russia’s largest annual defense forum and expo, kicked off today, with delegations from dozens of countries arriving for the three-day event to familiarize themselves with thousands of brand new designs and major upgrades of weapons and military equipment developed by Russian defense enterprises.

🔸 Lancet-E: a new export variant of Russia’s distinctive x-winged loitering munition. Russia expects strong demand for the Lancet-E, and state arms export intermediary agency Rosoboronexport is ready to discuss licensed and joint production.

🔸 Depecha and Buggy: Dubbed the ‘world’s first ground-based FPV kamikaze drones’, these small tracked and wheeled vehicles are designed to quietly zip over into enemy lines to target personnel, pillboxes, bunkers, fortified firing positions and strongholds. They can also carry provisions, ammo and fuel to friendly forces, and evacuate wounded troops.

🔸 Octavis: A unique autonomous underwater docking station designed to charge up, communicate with underwater sea drones, and transmit data to coastal centers. Designed to be anchored or grounded at depths of 500-1,000 m, and to service between one and three drones.

🔸 BTR-22: Prospective APC accounting for experience gained in the Ukraine conflict and featuring anti-drone protective screen and LGSh-689 electronic warfare system, tough new armor and combat crew of 11.

🔸 Pantsir: New variant of Russia’s famous air and missile defense system armed only with surface-to-air missiles.

🔸 Product X: A timely new lightweight, portable mini-radar system developed by Rostec, name not yet known, designed to detect enemy drone boats.

🔸 Amur-950: A brand new non-nuclear submarine design with vertical missile launch capability envisioned by developers as a “floating missile battery capable of delivering a powerful preemptive salvo on enemy ships and coastal infrastructure.”

Designed for low noise and high-awareness operation, the Amur-950 is expected to have a 1,000-ton displacement, a 19-man crew and a 30-day endurance time at sea, and to be ideal as a reconnaissance and covert surveillance vessel.

This year’s ARMY-2024 also features equipment from the so-called ‘people’s defense industry’ – products developed and produced by independent designers and volunteers from among ordinary Russians seeking to aid the front.

Among such designs on display is the Repeynik portable radar station, which can detect drones of all classes and sizes, and a unique low-cost night video surveillance system using custom-built software codenamed ‘Host’.

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Russia's nuclear reactor construction clout could nullify US uranium ban

The waiver loophole contained in the US ban on Russia’s enriched uranium that just entered into force stems from purely economic rationale, Valeriy Menshikov, member of public council of “Rosatom” corporation, told Sputnik.

Menshikov weighed in on why such waivers would likely be sought:

▪️ The gas centrifugation method of enriching uranium used by Russia - the world's top supplier of enriched uranium - is the most advanced and cost effective.

▪️ Russia has ninth generation centrifuges in operation, while US engineers have not been able to replicate this type of centrifuge.

▪️ The average age of the United States' 94 commercial nuclear power reactors is approximately 42 years, with most of them classified as Generation 2. However, the demands of energy production necessitate the use of Generation 3 reactors.

▪️ Almost all the commercial reactors in the US are owned by private companies.

“So such a loophole is simply practical. Each company can independently conclude certain contractual agreements with Rosatom,” said Menshikov.

Biden's law prohibiting Russian uranium imports went into effect on August 11. It allows waivers in cases when the US determines that “no alternative viable source of low-enriched uranium is available to sustain the continued operation of a nuclear reactor or a United States nuclear energy company; or importation of [LEU] is in the national interest.”

US plans to shake off reliance on Russian enriched uranium by boosting production will be costly and would need “at least 5-8, maybe 10 years,” said Menshikov.

The ban on its enriched uranium is not a big loss for Russia, a global leader in nuclear power plant construction, the expert noted.

“We are building in many countries in Asia, Turkiye, Egypt, India, Bangladesh, and Hungary,” he emphasized, and Russia will provide these facilities with a very large amount of the necessary enriched uranium products.

Furthermore, there are other market alternatives, such as China, which imported a record amount of Russian uranium to the tune of $233 million in May.

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New Russian Obereg body armor: light but mighty

The new Obereg (Talisman) body armor is both lightweight and impressively strong, making it indispensable for Russian soldiers serving in the special operation, Pavel Pavlenko, CEO of Oktava (part of Russia’s Rostec corporation) told Sputnik.

“It provides Class C2 protection, effectively resisting fragmentation impacts of up to 500 m/s,” he explained at the at the Army 2024 Forum.

The armor features lightweight silicon carbide armor plates, weighing about 9 kg, and provides full side, neck, shoulder and groin protection.

“We actively collect feedback from the fighters and utilize it to make enhancements,” Pavlenko said, adding that “over the last six months, we have made significant advancements in these crucial parameters.”

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Donald Trump will grant a major interview to tech tycoon Elon Musk.

It will take place at 8 pm Eastern American time (3 am Moscow Time).

A few hours before the interview, Trump published his first post for the year on social network X along with a video you can see above.

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Five fighter jets projecting power and protecting Russia’s skies

Since the Russian Air Force Day, a professional holiday dedicated to pilots and servicemen, is celebrated today it is worth noting that the Russia's Air Force fighter fleet is constantly being modernized.

Here are some of its newest models, which have already proved themselves in the Russia’s special operation:

🔶 Sukhoi Su-30SM2: An upgrade of the Sukhoi Su-30 – the multirole fighter backbone of Russian military aviation. The SM2, the first batch of which was delivered to the Air Force last week, features improved avionics, improved target detection and identification range, and enhanced AL-41F1S engines borrowed from the Su-35 with superior performance and range characteristics, lower maintenance costs and increased longevity.

🔶 Sukhoi Su-35S: The Su-35 has been dubbed the apex of the Sukhoi Su-27 family of fighters, with 4++ generation characteristics including supermaneuverability, advanced radar and avionics, and onboard weaponry. Over 150 Su-35S jets have been delivered to the military to date, with the latest batch received in April.

🔶 Sukhoi Su-34M: Introduced in 2022, the Su-34M is the modernized version of the Su-34 fighter-bomber. The new model includes sweeping improvements to avionics, radar and communications, improved electronic warfare capabilities, and extended targeting range.

🔶 Mikoyan MiG-31BM: The newest variant of the veteran MiG-31, with improved avionics, upgraded multimode phased array radar, and modernized navigation and communication systems. The Air Force got its newest batch of upgraded MiG-31BMs in July.

🔶 Sukhoi Su-57: The newest addition to Russia’s fighter fleet, the Su-57 is a stealth fighter with the designation of the nation’s first 5th-gen aircraft. The jet’s low visibility and avionics and automation features separate it from its 4+ and 4++ generation cousins. Future Su-57s may be equipped with new, purpose built AL-51F1 engines, enabling the Su-57 to fly in supercruise mode at speeds over 2,270 km/h without activating afterburners – whose heightened high heat signature may give away the aircraft’s location.

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⚡️ Scott Ritter weighs in on the FBI's reasons for searching his home and the aftermath

⚡️ What is known about Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk?

⚡️ ‘Shoot men in the legs' and 'no instructions about the prisoners' – the captured Ukrainian soldier's revelations

⚡️ Rosoboronexport presents top-notch Russian weapons at Army 2024

⚡️ SuperCam S350М and SuperCam SX350 - Russian drone forces know-how

⚡️ What is known about Ukraine’s attack on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant?

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US Senator Lindsey Graham enjoys seeing Zelensky kill Russian civilians, praises Ukrainian terrorist attack on the Kursk region

“When I think about Kursk [incursion] – bold, brilliant, beautiful. Keep it up,” the anti-Russia Senator claimed.

Earlier today, the Kursk region's acting governor reported that 12 people were killed as a result of the Ukrainian attack and 121 people were wounded, 10 of them being children.

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Lindsey Graham encourages citizens from NATO countries to become mercenaries in Ukraine

“We're looking for pilots who are willing to fight for freedom as the Ukrainians train their own pilots. So my message is, we need to be all in,” the warmongering Senator claimed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously said the arrival of F-16s to Ukraine will not affect the course of the special operation on the battlefield.

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Meet Gortenziya, one of Russia’s first mass-produced FPV-drones

The Gortenziya (lit. Hortensia) drones have been deployed on the front lines almost since the start of the special operation, with over 8,000 units shipped so far, Technical Director of Gortenziya Design Bureau Alexander Medvedev told Sputnik at the Russian ARMY-2024 forum.

“The vehicles can be delivered with different type of communication, both non-standard frequencies on video and on control, also with communication on control that cannot be detected and jammed, the so-called broadband communication system,” he pointed out.

Medvedev underscored that each device undergoes several testing stages and a mandatory test flight. Today, the Bureau produces about 120 vehicles a day, or roughly 3,000 units a month.

“We have a combat team that travels along the battle contact line to provide additional training for each of our vehicles, to talk about the nuances of our drop systems and transponders,” he added.

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US deployment of powerful armada to Middle East can’t hide host of weak spots

It’s been said that the world reserve currency status of the dollar is propped up by America’s aircraft carriers (i.e. the ability to project power around the world). When Pentagon's chief Lloyd Austin ordered a guided-missile sub and a carrier strike group to steam for the Middle East, US' allies took notice.

But what’s increasingly difficult NOT to notice is the declining power of the US Navy in recent years. A number of factors play into it, including:

🔸 Falling production and astronomical rises in equipment costs: A recent CBO analysis found US shipbuilding to be in a “terrible state,” with the downturn attributed to a shortage of skilled labor, erratic swings in Pentagon priorities, and cost overruns.

Speaking of costs, the Navy suffers the same problem as other branches. The newest carrier, the Ford, cost over $13 billion, not counting its F-35 strike fighters - the most expensive weapons project in human history ($2+ trillion and counting).

🔸 Recruitment crisis: The Navy is suffering from a long-term dearth in recruitment, missing enlistment goals by over 7,400 sailors in 2023. The causes are legion, from health issues facing young people, to new generations’ rejection of the idea of service as a patriotic duty thanks to decades of US aggression abroad, to DEI and identity politics and mandatory Covid jabs, which thousands of servicemen have quit over in the past three years.

🔸 Skyrocketing bureaucracy: There are more generals and admirals in the US today, in peacetime, when 2.86 million are under arms, than during World War II, when over 17 million Americans were in uniform and the country was fighting a global two front war.

Senior officers draw outsized salaries and pensions compared to grunts, a fact not lost on ordinary soldiers, sailors and airmen, and poisoning morale.

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What are the possible consequences of Germany's potential withdrawal from the Schengen Agreement?

Several major German parties have spoken out in favor of blanket identity checks on the borders between EU states, if such a decision is taken it could lead to a revamping of the entire Schengen zone.

While Pro-EU outlets expressed concern about the suggestion of the CDU/CSU bloc (Christian Democratic Union of Germany with the Christian Social Union in Bavaria, which is considered the strongest opposition force in Germany) and liberals from the Free Democratic Party (FDP) to reintroduce checks inside the Schengen zone, its critics inside the CDU cited their reasons:

🌏 Previous measures, when Germany reintroduced identity checks on the border with Austria (since 2015) or with Poland, Czech Republic and Switzerland (since September 2023) yielded positive results with a 72% fall in the number of illegal migrants coming to Germany via Eastern Europe.

🌏 Internal checks at borders within the EU would help alleviate European citizens' concerns about illegal migration. To this effect, the parties proposing the bill could try to improve their plight by winning votes from parties that also oppose the issue, such as the AfG.

At the same time, the German Green party vowed concerns saying this move, if it succeeds, would deal a blow not only to the dream of “borderless Europe,” but also to the EU itself. In their interviews, the Green politicians and Social Democrats noted the following:

🌏 The resumption of border controls will greatly affect the "just-in-time" production system, where components could be ordered and delivered between different EU member states without border crossing formalities.

🌏 Many economists say that without Schengen there will be no free movement of people, workforce and investments inside the EU. Moreover, without this freedom the common currency of the Eurozone (the euro) makes little sense.

Nevertheless, in the last year and a half, already 11 Schengen countries have done away with it at their borders partially or completely and Germany's decision could make this process a landslide.

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