An adviser to the head of Zelensky's office, Mykhaylo Podolyak, claims that Ukraine had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines.

He stated that Ukraine did not have the necessary technical and financial resources at the time of the explosions.

The topic of explosions on gas pipelines has been actively discussed in the media again in the last couple of days. Earlier, Germany published data on possible suspects, while the American media wrote that ex-commander-in-chief, Zaluzhny, was allegedly responsible for the operation.

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❗️The Russian forces struck a missile and artillery weapons depot, an unmanned boat storage site, and a fuel truck parking area belonging to Ukrainian militants.

🇷🇺🪖 More statements from the Russian Defense Ministry’s daily briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️The Russian Zapad Battlegroup took more advantageous positions in its combat zone, with Ukrainian militants losing up to 470 soldiers.

▪️Units of the Russian Vostok Battlegroup improved their positions along the front line, with Ukrainian militants losing up to 105 soldiers.

▪️Ukrainian losses amounted to 470 servicemen, an American BradleyIinfantry fighting vehicle, and a MaxxPro armored vehicle, as a result of actions by the Russian Tsentr Battlegroup.

▪️Russian air defense systems shot down 12 HIMARS MLRS rockets and 35 Ukrainian drones.

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❗️The Russian defense industry is working actively, and production volumes are increasing, Russia President Vladimir Putin said.

"The Russian defense industry pays special attention to the development of the unmanned aircraft systems industry," Putin added.

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🇷🇺💥Daring motorcycle assault: Russian stormtroopers have tested a new tactic for capturing the Ukrainian strongholds in the DPR. 

The assault group on an armored transport vehicle enters enemy positions at maximum speed, while continuously firing at a strongpoint from a 30 mm automatic cannon and a Kalashnikov machine gun. 

At the same time, motorcycle groups advance through the enemy's stronghold, entering their trenches and destroying their manpower.

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US officials believe Israel will never destroy Hamas – report

A growing number of US national security officials reportedly insist that although Hamas was badly damaged by the Israeli military’s attacks, Tel Aviv “would never be able to completely eliminate the group."

The Israel Defense Forces' ongoing bombings are only increasing risks to Gaza civilians while the possibility of further weakening Hamas has diminished, the sources also argue, as reported.

The claims followed Hamas announcing that it will not partake in the indirect talks on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal that are due to resume in Doha, Qatar on August 15.

The Palestinian group made it clear that they want a roadmap for implementing the agreement and would “not engage in negotiations for the sake of negotiations in order to provide cover for Israel to continue its war.”

The US, Qatar and Egypt earlier urged Israel and Hamas to resume urgent discussions so as "to close all remaining gaps" and start implementing a ceasefire agreement in Gaza without "further delay." The call came amid months of failed attempts to clinch the truce deal on Gaza, where Israel's continued bombardment has already killed around 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

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❗️Key statements by the Russian Defense Ministry on Ukraine's attack on the Russian Kursk region:

▪️Russian troops destroyed Ukrainian groups and took control of Krupets settlement in the Kursk region; 

▪️Russian forces repelled an attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kremyanoye and prevented Ukrainian attempts to break through the areas of Varvarovka, Safonovka, Sheptukhovka, Kauchuk, Alekseevsky and Matveevka settlements in the Kursk region;

▪️The Russian aviation struck the reserves of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, ammunition depots and material in the Sumy region;

▪️The Russian forces struck the Ukrainian manpower and equipment, National Guard and defense brigades at 7 settlements in the Kursk region;

▪️The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 340 servicemen and 19 armored vehicles in the Kursk region during the day;

▪️Russian troops with Iskander-M strike destroyed a convoy of 15 tankers in the Sumy region;

▪️Ukrainian forces lost up to 2,640 soldiers, 37 tanks, 32 armored personnel carriers, and 23 infantry fighting vehicles since the attack on the Russian Kursk region.

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New Zealand authorities have decided to extradite Kim Dotcom, the founder of the Megaupload and Mega file sharing sites, to the United States.

The businessman repeatedly came to the attention of the FBI, and was accused of fraud, racketeering and money laundering.

Dotcom often criticizes the American authorities and speaks out on foreign policy topics. He has been living in New Zealand since 2010. Local media wrote that the businessman intends to appeal the decision on extradition.

"Oops 😬 Don’t worry, I have a plan," the businessman replied to the news of his possible extradition.

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German military’s failed ploy to whitewash Nazi Wehrmacht war crimes unveiled

An extension to the Bundeswehr's 2018 Tradition Decree, that was intended to assign a special role to the founders of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) originating from the Nazi Wehrmacht, is no longer valid, Chief of Defense General Carsten Breuer announced on August.

"After justified outrage over the extension of the tradition decree, the Ministry of Defense thankfully withdrew it. The fact that they came up with this idea alone should give everyone a food for thought!" wrote Soren Pellmann, German MP from the Left Party.

The scandal was ignited by nothing less than an attempt to glorify Nazism:

🔺The Russian Foreign Ministry lambasted the extension that named Nazi soldiers and top brass involved in WW2 war crimes as examples "of military excellence, operational readiness and the will to fight to the goal when the mission requires it" as per the document.

Commenting on the document, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova singled out Nazi "war hero" Colonel Erich Hartmann; member of the NSDAP and SS Rear Admiral Erich Topp; and Brigadier General Heinz Karst.

🔺She stressed that for 80 years, Nazi Wehrmacht members have been deemed war criminals, but with the connivance of the Allied Forces of the US, the UK and France, many of them were allowed to join the ranks of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany.

"Tradition decree. The world is upside down at the turning point in the politics of memory. Instead of reflecting on the 'brown' [Nazi] roots of the Bundeswehr, the argument is now that they were not 'brown' because they joined the Bundeswehr and cleared themselves of their identity," German historian Prof. Jurgen Zimmerer wrote on his X account.

In early August, the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung raised alarm bells over the "supplementary information on the guidelines for understanding and maintaining traditions in Bundeswehr" quietly signed by Lieutenant General Kai Rohrschneider, head of the Department of Operational Readiness and Support of the German Armed Forces, on July 12. The document referred to former Nazis as "tradition-forming" and "identity-creating" for the modern German army.

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The attack on the Nord Stream pipelines was possible thanks to an agreement between Polish President Andrzej Duda and Zelensky, believes the former head of German intelligence, August Hanning.

He also called on the German government to demand compensation from the Ukrainian and Polish authorities for damages due to the attack on gas pipelines.

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Former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny, who now holds the post of ambassador to the UK, was summoned to Kiev, according to Ukrainian blogger Anatoly Shariy.

Earlier, the Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that Zaluzhny had disobeyed Volodymyr Zelensky's order to refrain from blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022. The CIA had reportedly demanded that Zelensky halt the attack.

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Unpacking the latest developments regarding Russia’s Kursk region clashes

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost up to 340 soldiers and 19 armored vehicles in Russia’s Kursk region over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry has stated.

Here are the latest updates on fighting in the region:

◾️ Russian forces are conducting mop-up operations in a number of local settlements, seized by Ukrainian troops, commander of the Akhmat special forces Apti Alaudinov told Russian media.

◾️ Kiev deployed 12,000 to the Kursk region, continuing to withdraw forces from the front line and using reserves, Alaudinov said.

◾️ The AP news agency reported in this vein that some Ukrainian battalions were pulled “from the hottest parts of the front line, where Russia’s advance has continued unabated.” So far, Moscow’s “overall strategic advantage” has been “intact,” according to AP.

◾️ The UK’s Challenger-2 tank is vulnerable to kamikaze drone attacks and can be eliminated by a single strike by a Russian loitering munition, the Russian state corporation Rostec said, commenting on the destruction of the Ukrainian military’s Challenger-2 in the Kursk region. Sky News earlier reported Ukraine used the Challenger 2s during the Kursk attack.

◾️ Additionally, one of Ukraine’s Polish-made PT-91 Twardy tank has been destroyed in the Kursk region as a result of a Russian Lancet drone strike, the first such loss of the Kiev regime in the area, Polish media reported.

◾️ Russia’s Ministry of Defense and National Guard are doing their best to ensure the safety of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, which currently operates as usual, Kursk Region Acting Governor Alexey Smirnov wrote on Telegram.

◾️ The Pentagon didn’t get the heads-up about Ukraine’s Kursk offensive and US officials are still trying to discern Kiev’s long-term objectives for the attack, a senior military official told the Defense One news outlet.

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❗️Much of the ammunition requested by Ukraine is no longer produced in the US and has been reduced to a minimum; their volumes are insufficient for the medium-term goals of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, according to the Pentagon.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are experiencing a shortage of weapons and ammunition, which makes it impossible for them to carry out large-scale offensives for at least six months, the Pentagon's report read.

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Zen and the art of shooting yourself in the foot: What caused Germany's economy to slow down to historic lows

From 2019, the German economy’s growth rate has been the slowest since the Federal Republic of Germany was established in 1949, claims German political analyst Nils Heisterhagen in an article published by Bild.

Furthermore, real wages in the Germany in the first quarter of 2024 were lower than during the first quarter of 2018, according to the German Federal Statistical Office.

🔺Bert Rurup, a German economist and former chair of the German Council of Economic Experts, told the newspaper that the biggest problem is the so-called debt brake rule that essentially limits the issuance of government debt.

🔺Rurup also advocated amending the unemployment benefit system, which he claims currently stimulates some Germans to simply collect their benefits while also working off the books instead of seeking legal employment.

🔺Germany has got itself into more trouble by cutting off from the Russian energy that has long been a tremendous boon to its economy. With the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022 and various sanctions imposed on Russia, Germany depends on more expensive energy imports, which drove the cost of production up and effectively deprives Germany of a competitive edge on foreign markets.

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❗️The Russian military destroyed a Ukrainian HIMARS launcher that was shelling Russia's Kursk region with an Iskander missile strike, the Defense Ministry reported.

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From Cobalt to Selenga: Regional military drills to help Russia boost its partnership with Central Asia

Russian troops are taking part in two major drills that are expected to strengthen Moscow’s strategic relations with Central Asian countries in the face of the West's efforts to expand its foothold in the region.

▪️On August 14, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a regional Russia-led defense alliance of ex-Soviet republics, such as Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, launched its two-day military exercises, the Cobalt-2024.

Soldiers are due to coordinate their efforts in repelling attacks from a simulated enemy during the drill in Russia's Novosibirsk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding that troops would also refine their skills between special forces units.

▪️Russian soldiers have meanwhile arrived in Mongolia to participate in the Selenga-2024 anti-terror exercises, due to be held on August 18-26.

The active phase of the exercises, which have been conducted since 2008, will involve a live-fire drill and tactical operations to track and destroy a simulated outlawed armed group.

▪️The Cobalt and Selenga exercises come amid increasing competition between Russia and the West for economic influence in Central Asia.

Russian Federal Security Service Director Alexander Bortnikov previously stressed that the West wants “to gain a foothold in Central Asia at all costs and use this platform to influence the entire region” by putting political and economic pressure on the countries.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, commenting on European media reports about Central Asia allegedly being Russia's "backyard," said that the EU was unsuccessfully trying to drive Russia out of the region and added that Western leaders make boorish remarks about cooperation between Russia and the countries of the region.

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Why Western media suddenly found a Ukrainian connection in Nord Stream bombing

Media outlets such as the WSJ recently started to peddle a narrative that the Nord Stream pipeline destruction in 2022 was allegedly orchestrated by a group of high-ranking Ukrainian officers led by Gen. Valery Zaluzhny.

Despite Western media efforts to implicate Ukraine, the United States still looks like the “main beneficiary and customer of the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline,” says German political analyst and independent journalist Dr. Gregor Spitzen.

“This has been clear from the very beginning, both in terms of the basic Roman law principle of 'Cui bono?' [who benefits?] and the statements by President Joe Biden and Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland that the US would not allow the pipeline to go into operation,” he tells Sputnik.

Efforts by German politicians and media to draw the attention away from the US by “throwing new and implausible versions into the information field,” while understandable – “if the US is found guilty of an act of state terrorism on the object of German property, the whole architecture of European security will collapse” – are still no less outrageous, Dr. Spitzen remarks.

“Germany's attempts to pin the blame on Ukrainian saboteurs who acted without a clear mandate from their government, while at the same time taking President Zelensky out of harm's way, looks legally flawless, but completely implausible,” Dr. Spitzen elaborates. “It can be predicted that the specific Ukrainians accused of sabotage will never be found. Either they will be found to have died of natural causes under suspicious circumstances, or they will have committed suicide.”

“This would be the best solution to the Nord Stream sabotage case. The pipeline is destroyed, US guilt is not proven, German politicians' reputations are saved, Ukrainian political leaders are exonerated, and the specific perpetrators, who acted on their own initiative, are dead or missing,” he adds.

Former CIA operations officer Philip Giraldi also branded media efforts to pin the blame on Ukraine as a “cover story,” arguing that Kiev simply lacked the resources to carry out the Nord Stream bombing.

“The US did and had even stated its intention in advance to destroy the pipeline if Russia were to invade Ukraine. And there is also the involvement of Norway which is not plausible if it were a Ukrainian operation,” he said.

Both Spitzen and Giraldi suggested that the fact that the story about Ukraine’s alleged role in the Nord Stream bombing surfaced simultaneously in the US and German media hints at the likelihood of a coordinated effort to craft “an acceptable narrative regarding what took place,” as Giraldi put it.

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❗️A special coordination council to improve troops' efficiency in covering the state border in Russia's Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions was created by order of Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov.

▪️The Council for Military Security of Border Territories will regulate the build-up of troops in the event of a border breach

▪️The key task of the council is to provide troops with weapons

▪️It does not replace operational control of troop actions

▪️It will meet at least once a week

▪️The council includes Belousov's deputies, heads of military command bodies, representatives of the General Staff, and regional heads

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