Key statements by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova at a press briefing:

About Ukraine's aggression on Kursk Oblast:

◻️ Kiev's attack on Kursk Oblast happens with the comprehensive support of the West and was sanctioned by it.

◻️ Russia warns that all foreign combatants carrying out terrorist attacks are legitimate military targets and will be destroyed.

◻️ Terrorists who attacked Kursk Oblast will be prosecuted without a statute of limitations, unless they are subjected to fair retribution before then.

About Ukraine's provocations against nuclear power plants:

◻️ Moscow is in contact with the IAEA regarding the Kiev regime's provocations against the Kursk nuclear power plant and the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.

◻️ A visit by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi to the Kursk nuclear power plant at the end of August is being worked out.

About terrorist attacks on Nord Stream:

◻️ Germany responds to all Moscow's requests on Nord Stream with empty formal replies.

◻️ Berlin's statements about "exchanging" information with Moscow on terrorist attacks on gas pipelines are a lie.

◻️ Moscow insists on bilateral consultations with Germany on Nord Stream.

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School where heroes are forged: What to know about Russia’s unique Spetsnaz university

During his trip to Chechnya, President Vladimir Putin stopped over at the Russian Special Forces University in Gudermes, familiarizing himself with the facilities, observing training, and meeting with special forces commanders, instructors, and volunteers fighting in the Ukraine conflict.

Here’s what you should know about this unique school:

Who founded it?

Created in 2013 at the behest of Chechen Republic leader Ramzan Kadyrov, the university is Russia’s only privately run special forces school. Kadyrov announced in February that the school would carry Putin’s name.

What kinds of training is offered?

The university offers comprehensive training across more than a dozen specialties, from urban combat and paradrops to live-fire and sniper, forest, polar, desert, diving/scuba, medical, canine, engineering, IT, and military journalism training.

That’s possible thanks to the school’s sprawling 400-hectare campus, which includes 95 buildings and other structures, including a whole mock town for combat drilling, a skydiving tunnel, landing sites, a two-hectare tactical reservoir, several shooting galleries and even a 1.6 km long runway.

Along with military training, the school offers civilian courses in elite sport, military/patriotic and physical education, sport shooting, parachuting, diving, mountaineering, CrossFit, security and bodyguard training, and more.

Who’s trained there?

◻️ Since April 2022, over 47,000 graduates (including 18,800 volunteers) have been trained here. The accelerated combat training course includes tactics, physical and medical training, psychological resilience, and specialized knowledge, as needed, and is conducted in accordance with requests from frontline commanders.

◻️ The school has also been heavily involved in the preparation of Chechnya’s security forces, including the legendary Akhmat Group Special Forces that have made a name themselves in operations to liberate the Donbass and other areas.

◻️ Training at the university is conducted by special forces veterans, including from Chechnya and the FSB’s elite Alpha counterterrorism task force.

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🇷🇺🤝🇨🇳 Cooperation between Russia and China contributes to Eurasia development – foreign policy expert

“Under the influence of the volatile global environment, the dollar hegemony continues to weaken,” Wang Yiwei, Director of the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China, told Sputnik.

“Against this background, China and Russia, relying on traditional trade, are expanding payments using the ruble-yuan pair, and are working on creating their own settlement system within the BRICS framework, including a barter system of payment,” Wang added.

He noted that Russia is the only country with which China has a comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation.

“This kind of cooperation is manifested not only in the form of strategic diplomatic guidance from the leaders [of Russia and China], but it is also reflected in strategic cooperation at the governmental level of the two countries,” Wang said, commenting on Chinese State Council Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Moscow.

The purpose of the annual meetings between the prime ministers of China and Russia is to set the governments' policy course for the year, which also reflects the high degree of strategic trust between the countries, the commentator pointed out.

Regular meetings between the prime ministers “deepen more concrete and professional cooperation between regional authorities,” while also playing an important role in strengthening trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

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Three units of Ukraine’s National Guard refuse to obey orders in Donetsk region – reports

The men, led by their commanders, refused to carry out combat missions near Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk in Ukrainian), located in the Kiev-controlled part of the DPR, Strana reported, quoting a serviceman of the second battalion of the 15th National Guard Brigade.

"The trouble was that we had already arrived at Pokrovsk with a huge manpower shortage," the soldier said. "After a week of fighting there were even fewer of us, 10 to 13 men in a company, including commanders.”

Vladislav said it was impossible to defend the positions, as Ukrainian troops were outnumbered 30 to one by the Russian forces. He said they were regularly under attack.

"Our three companies from among those transferred to Pokrovsk refused to carry out combat orders," Vladislav said. "The superiors came and suggested that those who refused to carry out the tasks should step forward."

But all the men, including their officers, took responsibility.

All the guardsmen who refused to follow orders had been fighting since the start of the Russian military operation, and all had experienced artillery shelling and combat. "But there are simply too few of us left,” Vladislav said.

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Biden’s desperation for ‘foreign policy win’ explains why Blinken jumped the gun on Gaza deal

“The US administration is particularly eager to announce an agreement, driven by both diplomatic and domestic pressures,” Dr. Imad Salamey, an assistant professor of political science at Lebanese American University, told Sputnik, commenting on why Israeli officials haven’t confirmed readiness to accept Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s hostages-for-ceasefire “bridging proposal.”

“The Biden administration views the success of such an agreement as a potential foreign policy win, which could bolster its position ahead of upcoming elections,” Salamey explained.

By contrast, “the Israeli government may face significant internal challenges regarding the deal,” the observer noted, adding that “Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government is deeply divided, and any official confirmation could exacerbate these divisions, potentially leading to resignations or even the collapse of the coalition."

"Thus, while the US is keen to publicize progress, Israel might be more cautious, weighing the domestic repercussions of any public acknowledgement of the agreement,” the expert concluded.

Israeli media reports indicate that the government will not agree to the US deal, and “at least in Israel, it’s clear to everyone that there will be no deal,” Tel Aviv-based international affairs observer Dr. Simon Tsipis told Sputnik.

“Netanyahu has started to refer to the fact that the point of the agreement that does not suit him is the Hamas demand that Israel withdraw its troops from the Philadelphi Corridor border” between Gaza and Egypt Tsipis said, referring to Tel Aviv’s unwillingness to let go of the border area to prevent the resumption of arms smuggling.

“But in my view, this is just an excuse for the fact that Netanyahu is not interested in making any deal with Hamas, no matter its contents,” the observer said, noting that for Netanyahu, the conflict has become not just a matter of political survival, but his personal freedom, given the criminal investigations inside Israel hanging over his head.

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The Iranian Armed Forces General Staff has partially refuted Fars' information about the causes of President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter crash.

“What the Fars publication said about the presence of two people in the helicopter in violation of safety protocols and that this was mentioned as one of the factors in the crash of the helicopter, which did not have enough thrust to adjust its flight altitude, is a lie,” Iranian media, which quoted the General Staff's statement, stated.

It further added ”the media needs to publish such news with caution and coordinate with central authorities.”

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❗️Russian Bryansk Governor Bogomaz announced the suppression of an attempt by a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group in the Klimovsky district of the region on August 21.

During the battle, the breakthrough attempt was prevented by the forces of the FSB Border Guard Service for the Bryansk Region and units of the Armed Forces. The enemy was inflicted with fire damage.

Currently, the situation at the site of the clash has stabilized and is under the control of the regional operational headquarters.

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🪖 The Ukrainian Armed Forces' special operations forces reported that they used Western HIMARS rocket launchers on pontoon bridges in the Kursk region.

Earlier, an American military official, answering a question from Sputnik, refused to admit that the Ukrainian Armed Forces moved HIMARS transferred to Ukraine during the attack on the Kursk region.

He also recalled Kiev's assurances that all American weapons are allegedly used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces only within the limits established by the United States.

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Armored BBQ Grills the Enemy

The crew of a Russian T-80 converted it into as ‘tsar-mangal’ (king grill) with air conditioning – and a bed. They installed grates so that the tank could get some air, solid 8 mm thick steel plate, and even a camp bed so that they could rest between combat missions.

"It all holds tightly, works great. No matter how much we ride, nothing loosens or falls apart," says the tank commander with the call sign Mikhey.

The crew’s field of vision after modding their tank is limited, but for assault operations it is just what they need. When smashing through defensive lines, the main threat is from anti-tank mines and FPV drones.

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Despite utilizing a bulletproof barrier for public events in the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt, Trump ditched the protected podium at a rally in North Carolina after a rally attendee fainted.

Trump's fearless behavior was greeted with applause from the crowd.

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Protests near Democrat convention won’t move Harris to stop arming Israel – expert

Police in Chicago took additional security measures after 72 demonstrators were arrested during multiple pro-Palestinian protests outside the Democratic party’s national convention, AP reported, adding that the police kept protesters “confined to a block of Madison street.”

“Frankly, I think protests will have minimal impact,” US constitutional historian and political commentator Dan Lazare told Sputnik.

“With each party claiming to be more pro-Zionist than the other, anyone with the slightest sympathy for the Palestinian plight is reduced to choosing between the really bad and the truly awful,” Lazare said. “For more than half a century, one US administration after another has coddled Israel, loaded it down with arms, and given it carte blanche to wage war against its Arab neighbors.”

“Harris has gone along with these policies at every step, so there is no way she can escape responsibility now,” Lazare argued, adding that “the result [of the US' pro-Israeli politics] is the anti-Palestinian pogroms on the West Bank and the isolation of Gaza.”

The LA Times earlier reported that “Biden has sent billions in military aid to Israel with few (if any) conditions, a move that prolonged the suffering of Palestinians,” explaining the protesters’ “feeling of anger and betrayal.”

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How statements about the West's non-involvement in Ukraine's attack on the Kursk region are crumbling apart

Western countries have repeatedly declared their non-involvement in Ukraine's incursion, shifting responsibility for this decision entirely to the Ukrainian authorities.

“We had nothing to do with this," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said, while State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel said the US “has not been engaged or involved in any of the planning or preparation for that.”

The Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder also claimed that Ukraine “did not inform us in advance and yes, we are in consultation, you know, discussing this with them."

Sputnik has looked into how these statements align with Russia’s arguments.

🔶 The Forward Observations Group (FOG), an alleged private military group from the US, has shared photos on social media of its members posing in front of a military vehicle with the caption read "The boys in Kursk". The post’s geolocation was tagged as "Kursk, Russia."

🔶 Zelensky adviser Mykhailo Podolyak himself stated there were “discussions between partner forces, just not on the public level" before the incursion.

🔶 An array of prized NATO hardware has been turned to scrap metal during Ukraine’s ill-fated Kursk operation. Shredded Western weaponry included US-made Stryker, Cougar, MaxxPro, and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Polish Krab howitzers, Canada’s Roshel armored car, launchers and radar for US Patriots.

🔶 Ukraine’s operation in Russia’s Kursk region was prepared with the participation of the US, UK, and Polish intelligence services, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said, citing available information, adding that Ukrainian units underwent combat coordination in training centers in the UK and Germany while NATO military advisers are providing assistance and satellite reconnaissance data.

Earlier Russian presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev dismissed the US Department of State’s claims of non-involvement, saying that “it’s common for the US to say one thing and do just the opposite. Without their participation and direct endorsement, Kiev would have never dared to set its foot on Russian territory."

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A rocket exploded during testing at the United Kingdom's new spaceport on the remote Shetland islands.

A rocket manufacturer has promised to resume normal operations "as soon as possible" following the accident.

The test was conducted by German company Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), which aspires to send the UK’s first vertical-launched rocket into orbit.

Monday's nine-engine test at the SaxaVord Spaceport on the island of Unst, in the archipelago north of Scotland, was one of several experiments that will be conducted before the first launch.

RFA stated that an "anomaly" resulted in "the loss of the stage," but there were no injuries.

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Mentally disabled man at the DNC...

"My name is Dr. Joey Perella, pronouns she-her-hers. I am a proud resident of the Garden State. I'm proud to stand with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz because they stand with the LGBTQ community. It's time to turn the page on Trump."

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China calls the US 'the world's biggest creator of nuclear threat risks'

Following US President Joe Biden's reportedly approval of a classified nuclear strategy focused on China's allegedly growing nuclear arsenal, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning noted that “the US is the world's biggest creator of strategic nuclear threat risks.”

She added that Washington has always hyped up the so-called “Chinese nuclear threat” and that this is “a pretext to avoid its own nuclear disarmament obligations.”

Mao Ning stressed that the nature of China's nuclear forces are very different from that of the US, adding that China has a no-first-use policy and follows a strict self-defense nuclear strategy.

She also pointed out that China maintains its nuclear capabilities at the maximum level necessary to ensure national security.

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Lebanon develops plan of action in case of escalation of conflict with Israel

The Lebanese government has developed a plan of action in case of escalation of the conflict with Israel, but international organizations have not provided the necessary assistance due to pressure from the West, Lebanese Labor Minister Mustafa Bayram told Sputnik.

He also noted that a possible armed conflict with Lebanon "will not be a walk in the park" for the Israel Defense Forces.

"The decision on war and peace today is entirely in the hands of Israel, and Lebanon has every right to self-defense ... It is impossible to say that there will not be a large-scale war against Lebanon, and we cannot guarantee what the Israeli army will do. Hezbollah is capable of waging this battle, and Israel does not need any pretext to strike Lebanon," Bayram added.

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