A strike was carried out on a military warehouse in the port of Odessa in which Ukrainian militants, including foreigners, were killed. Ambulances are arriving at the scene, Sputnik was told by the underground movement.

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Ukraine couldn't launch Kursk terror attack without US support – ex-Pentagon analyst

"All Ukrainian military activities, especially long-planned ones, utilize US surveillance, intelligence, and reconnaissance assistance. The Kursk invasion qualifies here," retired US Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski, a former analyst for the US Department of Defense, tells Sputnik. "The weapons systems themselves included US and NATO systems, and some of those are operated by US and NATO personnel."

However, the US State Department denies being involved in Ukraine's terrorist attack on Kursk, claiming that it was unaware of the Kiev regime's plans.

"I don't believe Western government officials, like the Secretary of Defense [Lloyd] Austin, Secretary of State [Antony] Blinken, or the members of the National Security Council, were surprised," Kwiatkowski says.

The pundit suggests that the logic of the incursion fits into the US establishment's apparent plan "to get Ukraine over with by raising a last bit of billions for the country, making sure the last shipment of arms and cash is sent, and trying to move out of a stasis in Ukraine before the election."

She also places emphasis on "the sophistication and secrecy" surrounding the Kursk aggression. One might wonder whether the masterminds behind the invasion were National Security adviser Jake Sullivan and Blinken or it was the "last gasp" of the collapsing Ukrainian war cabinet and "Ukro-nationalists," according to Kwiatkowski.

"While bold, it was destined to be repelled, and it risked and made vulnerable the rest of the Ukraine military, and the remainder of Ukraine," the pundit concludes.

Earlier, the director of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and chairman of the National Anti-Terrorist Committee (NAC) Alexander Bortnikov stated that the Kiev regime carried out a terrorist attack in the Kursk region with the support of the West.

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▪️What did Western politicians say about Ukraine’s Kursk attack?

▪️What’s known so far about the fighting in Kursk region?

▪️What the sides of the Gaza conflict want in the face of a possible ceasefire

▪️Germany hunts for Ukrainian diver blamed for Nord Stream destruction

▪️Russia presents Yak-130M: A modernized combat and training aircraft

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‘Tsar Drone’: What is known about the new Russian heavy drone

The new heavy-duty quadcopter drone has become one of the highlights of the Army 2024 International Military-Technical Forum.

Nicknamed Motylek (lit Moth), the drone is powered by four asynchronous electric motors and can carry up to 230kg of payload.

Presumably, the Moth can be equipped with an electronic warfare system or even carry a FAB-250 gravity bomb, which the drone can drop on the enemy from a height of about 100 meters. There is no information, at this time, on the stage and pace of testing.

Motylek’s manufacturer, a company called Sovelmash, also announced that the final version of the drone is going to be built using only the components made in Russia.

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🤡 Who would’ve thought?

The United States was not aware in advance of Germany’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian suspect in the 2022 attack on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday.

"We did not know about it or were in support of it. It’s not something that we were aware of," Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing, when asked about the matter.

The United States condemns the apparent act of sabotage against Nord Stream 2, Jean-Pierre added.

German prosecutors reportedly issued an arrest warrant to Poland for a suspect tied to the Nord Stream 2 attack, identified as Volodymyr Z.

However, the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office told Sputnik that it will not comment on whether they have contacted Russia about the development.

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🇵🇰 Moscow's central area is lit up tonight with the colors of the Pakistani flag in honor of the country's independence day.

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Gas price surge in Europe: What drives it and who could profit from it?

Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region and the attack on the Sudzha gas transit station through which Russian gas is exported to Europe is the “most immediate” reason for the recent upsurge of natural gas prices in the EU, international oil economist and global energy expert Dr. Mamdouh G. Salameh tells Sputnik.

“Nobody knows what the Ukrainian forces will do with the transit point. Will they let the flow of gas to the EU continue or will they stop it? It is this uncertainty that is behind the gas price rises,” he explains.

The growing demand in China and the Asia-Pacific for liquefied natural gas (LNG) also helps drive up the prices as “Asia is now competing very vigorously with the EU for LNG supplies,” Dr. Salameh notes.

“A final reason is delays in LNG shipments from Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project because of tightened US sanctions,” Dr. Salameh adds.

According to him, the ensuing situation might benefit any natural gas and LNG producer who can meet the demand, including Russia “if the Ukraine forces don’t destroy the strategic gas transit point or don’t stop the flow of Russian gas and also Novatek if it can ship some LNG very soon.”

Regarding the consequences of this price surge, Dr. Salameh suggests that it will help accelerate the “worsening EU’s economic situation.”

“One reason is because it has to compete with Asia for the available LNG in the Spot Market. This will plunge its economy into recession,” he elaborates.

Meanwhile, the expert notes, Russia and Novatek “could benefit from increasing sales of Russian gas to Europe via Turk Stream and LNG from Novatek.”

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What does Boris Johnson's possible Telegraph's editor-in-chief appointment say about Western media?

Media reports have indicated that former UK PM Boris Johnson may be in line to be the Telegraph's next global editor-in-chief.

Former head of the Ministry of Finance and Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi reportedly proposed the possible appointment of Johnson, one of the most Russophobic Western politicians, to investors as part of his bid to buy the Telegraph and weekend magazine Spectator.

Such a move could become another case in a chain of similar events, revealing the inner mechanisms of supposedly impartial Western media.

▪️George Osborne is a former UK finance minister who switched to editing at The Evening Standard after quitting his job in 2017. He became infamous for pushing for economic sanctions against Russia and responding to critics’ objections (they said that the sanctions would hit the UK as well) that "the costs of not acting would be greater."

▪️Jacek Kurski – a conservative Polish politician, commonly called the “spin doctor” of the rabidly anti-Russian Law and Justice Party (PiS), also was put in charge of culture and “national heritage” in 2005. PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski later appointed him head of state television TVP. While in his new position, Kurski made headlines with the claim that “a huge part of West European politicians let Putin use them” and was dismissed in 2022.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Western politicians use the rhetoric of Russophobia to shift responsibility for their failures onto others.

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Two French pilots died after two Rafale fighter jets collided in eastern France earlier on Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron said.

"We learned with sadness of the deaths of Captain Sebastien Mabire and Lieutenant Matthis Laurens in a crash during a training flight on Rafale fighter jets," Macron said on X.

On Wednesday, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said that two fighter jets crashed in eastern France. One of the pilots was found alive shortly after the crash, while the fate of the remaining two pilots was unknown.

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🇹🇷🇵🇸 Turkiye will continue to support Palestine and will seek to stop Israel's actions, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, according to the Turkish leader's office.

"During the meeting, [Erdogan and Abbas] discussed the massacres committed by Israel in the Palestinian territories, the steps to be taken to achieve a lasting ceasefire and peace, and current developments. President Erdogan said Turkiye will continue to support the just cause of Palestine and will continue to work to stop Israel and increase international pressure on Israel," the office said in a statement.

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😯 Dancing on ice: Ballerina performs "Swan Lake" at the North Pole

During a tourist cruise to the North Pole aboard an icebreaker, a remarkable performance took place. Amidst the pristine white of the Arctic, a ballerina performed a scene from "Swan Lake" en pointe.

This unique ballet performance marked the first time the classic dance has ever been performed at the North Pole.

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A military parade took place at Bagram Airfield in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan to mark the third anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

The US Armed Forces completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 30, 2021.

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