Is a Democrat defeat only a matter of time?

The New York Times has become reminiscent of authoritarian regimes in its efforts to keep Democrats in power:

▪️Elections are bad for democracy

▪️The First Amendment is out of control

▪️The Constitution is sacred. Is it also dangerous?

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Team to save America?

Elon Musk has reacted enthusiastically to news that he could be appointed to the Trump administration if he wins the presidential election.

"I can’t wait. There is a lot of waste and needless regulation in government that needs to go," he wrote on his Х account.

Reportedly, Trump intends to create a special commission to review government programs, which would include the Tesla founder, The Washington Post wrote about Musk's prospects.

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❗️Telegram's cryptocurrency (TON) has completely collapsed a week after Pavel Durov's arrest. It fell by 93% in a matter of minutes.

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❗️UPD: TON's exchange price remains unchanged - TON cryptocurrency Х account

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Germany says it does not ‘in principle' limit Ukrainian strikes deep into Russia

Berlin does not, “in principle,” limit the Kiev regime in terms of strikes deep into Russian territory, Germany’s Embassy in Russia has clarified.

From the moment when Ukraine gets its latest batch of German-supplied weapons, they “become Ukrainian ones,” and there are no restrictions on their use, it told Russian media. The diplomatic mission regurgitated the old adage peddled by the West that this is justified by Ukraine’s “inalienable right to self-defense,” even amid the neo-Nazi regime’s terrorist incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.

Berlin decided to allow Ukraine to strike Russian territory bordering the Kharkov region with German-supplied weapons in July to impede Russia’s progress around the city.

At the time, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz added that we wouldn’t “allow our weapons to go deep into Russian territory.”

Volodymyr Zelensky has continued to clamor for permission for such strikes from the US, UK, France, and Germany.

At the end of May, President Vladimir Putin stated that NATO representatives must understand “what they are playing with” when discussing plans to allow Kiev to strike “legitimate targets” deep within Russian territory with missile systems transferred to Ukrainian forces by the West.

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🇷🇺 Putin to attend the Eastern Economic Forum

Vladimir Putin will pay a working visit to the city of Vladivostok in the Far Eastern Federal District on September 4-5, where he will participate in the ninth Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

The theme of this year's forum is "Far East 2030. Let's join efforts and create opportunities".

On September 4, the Russian president is scheduled to hold talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as well as with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin.

The Russian leader will see an interactive presentation of the results of the development of the Far East with a videoconference with residents of the Far Eastern Federal District who are ready to launch production facilities, and hold a meeting on the development of infrastructure in the Far Eastern Federal District.

On September 5, the main event of the Eastern Economic Forum will be the plenary session with the participation of Vladimir Putin, Anwar Ibrahim and Han Zheng.

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❗️️Ukrainian losses amounted to up to 2,010 troops over the course of the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding that Battlegroups Tsentr and Yug continued advancing deep into the enemy's defenses

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

◻️ Russia’s Battlegroup Vostok repelled three counterattacks by Ukrainian forces during the day. The enemy lost up to 150 soldiers.

◻️ Russia’s Battlegroup Tsentr struck formations of five enemy brigades and repelled seven counterattacks. Ukrainian losses totaled up to 490 troops.

◻️ Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr struck formations of four enemy brigades in the Kherson area.

◻️ Russia’s Battlegroup Zapad repelled one counterattack and Ukrainian forces lost up to 450 militants.

◻️ Russian air defenses shot down a Ukrainian MiG-29.

◻️ Ukrainian losses amounted to up to 710 servicemen in Battlegroup Yug’s area of responsibility.

◻️ Enemy losses in Russia’s Battlegroup Sever’s combat zone in the Kharkov region totaled up to 150 troops, a tank, and a Grad MLRS.

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❗️The main statements from the Russian Defense Ministry's daily briefing on the situation in the Kursk region:

◻️ The Ukrainian military suffered up to 400 casualties in the Kursk area.

◻️ In total, during the battles in the Kursk region, the enemy lost more than 9,300 soldiers.

◻️ The Russian troops repelled Ukrainian attacks near the settlements of Komarovka, Korenevo and Olgovka in the Kursk region

◻️ Russian troops successfully repelled five Ukrainian attacks in the Kursk region over the course of the day. As a result, the enemy suffered significant losses, with up to 25 militants killed or wounded, two armored combat vehicles destroyed, and three cars destroyed.

◻️ Tactical air strikes were conducted in the Sumy region, targeting areas where Ukrainian personnel and military equipment were concentrated.

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The Presidents of Russia and Mongolia laid a wreath at the monument to Georgy Zhukov

In the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar, Vladimir Putin is taking part in celebrations dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the joint victory of the Soviet and Mongolian armed forces over Japanese militarists on the Khalkhin Gol River.

Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov commanded the Soviet and Mongolian troops in the battles of Khalkhin Gol in 1939.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin's statements following talks with his Mongolian counterpart:

◻️ Russia and Mongolia will actively develop cooperation in traditional industries and establish joint work in the high-tech sphere.

◻️ The talks in Mongolia were held in a constructive and meaningful manner and allowed the leaders to outline further prospects for partnership.

◻️ Russia appreciates that Mongolia is pursuing a policy of cooperation with Moscow: that was confirmed in the talks.

◻️ Strengthening friendly relations with Mongolia remains one of Russia's priorities.

◻️ Russia and Mongolia actively cooperate and develop partnerships.

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Ukraine’s recruited ex-cons go on looting rampage in the Kursk region. Check out more updates on the situation in Russia’s border area:

◻️ The Kiev regime sent a company entirely comprised of former convicts as part of its incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. However, while trying to dodge clashes with Russian servicemen, the ex-cons of the Shkval Battalion engaged in looting rampages on Russian soil

◻️ Russian troops destroyed more than 10 units of enemy equipment in just the last 24 hours, including a Stryker combat vehicle, RAK-12 multiple launch rocket system, Tunguska anti-aircraft gun, and two UAV control points in the Kursk region, Akhmat special forces commander Major-General Apti Alaudinov said

◻️ A captured Ukrainian serviceman said troops were blindsided by the Kiev regime and not told they would be attacking Russia’s Kursk region. In order avoid mass desertion, psychologists worked with them before the attack, dismissing any questions whether they would be required to cross into Russian border areas

◻️ Ukraine’s plan to use the Kursk ploy to force Russia to withdraw some forces from Donbass failed, Norwegian publication ABC Nyheter cited Western experts as saying. As a result, Kiev’s units on the eastern front are faced with empty arsenals and depleted personnel

◻️ Washington's idea to pit Europe against Russia using the Ukraine crisis will not work, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov underscored. He noted that there can be only one fate in store for US-delivered weapons used in Ukraine’s attacks on hospitals and civilians, including in Russia's Kursk region – complete destruction

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What benefits has Egypt obtained by joining BRICS?

“For Egypt, joining BRICS was the main goal itself,” Chairman of the Eurasia and BRICS Forum, Mohamed Salah, told Sputnik on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

He also emphasized that by joining the BRICS Development Bank, Egypt will be able to obtain development projects and state loans.

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Construction kickbacks, ‘corruption pyramid’: Why was Ukraine’s electricity tsar really fired?  

Volodymyr Kudrytsky, the head of Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s state-owned electricity transmission system operator, has been sacked. Neither Zelensky’s office nor the energy ministry have commented on the dismissal. However, Ukrainian media, lawmakers and Kiev’s foreign donors have expressed an array of emotions regarding the decision.

◻️ In a fiery letter to Prime Minister Shmygal, Ukraine’s foreign donors, including the EU, the EBRD and the International Finance Corporation expressed “deep concern” over Kudrytsky’s sacking, warning that “such an event could jeopardize our collective ability to support Ukrenergo and other priority measures of Ukraine’s vital energy security.” 

◻️ Officially, Kudrytsky was dismissed “on grounds of failing to safeguard energy facilities amid intensified Russian attacks,” with an informed source telling Ukrainian media he was “accused of improperly implementing previous decisions of the headquarters of the supreme commander-in-chief and poor protection of Ukrenergo facilities.”

◻️ Kudrytsky is under investigation for alleged money laundering, graft, and abuse of power, and faces 5-8 years in prison and the confiscation of property if convicted.

◻️ Government e-procurement records service ProZorro shows that under Kudrytsky’s watch, Ukrenergo approved 63 tender-free contracts in late 2023 worth $1.6 mln each for the installation of protective structures on transformers, with completion of construction pushed back from February to April to June 2024, and none of the projects finished as of September 1.

◻️ But Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak suggests the charges against Kudrytsky are trumped up, and that Ukrenergo has been the only entity actually trying to build protective structures and to stock up on repair equipment in a timely manner.

◻️ Members of Zelensky’s inner circle have sought “to get rid of [Kudrytsky] for a long time,” the lawmaker wrote in a social media post. “The real reason is the animal desire to sit on all financial flows, including 100 bln hryvnia [about $2.4 bln] annually, and €1.5 billion in credit lines. The National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities has been captured, and with the addition of Ukrenergo, the construction of the corruption pyramid can be considered complete,” Zheleznyak wrote.

◻️ Lawmaker Andriy Zhupanin warned that Kudrytsky’s sacking won’t be a “solution to problems,” but just their start.

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Allies Against Japanese Aggression: How the USSR & Mongolia Defeated Tokyo Before WW2

During Vladimir Putin's visit to Mongolia, the Russian president engaged in discussions with his Mongolian counterpart before participating in the 85th anniversary celebrations commemorating the joint victory of Soviet and Mongolian forces at the Khalkh River.

Historical Background: The Protocol of Mutual Assistance, signed in 1936 between the USSR and Mongolia, laid the groundwork for military cooperation. By 1937, units of the Red Army's 57th Special Corps were stationed in Mongolia.

Timeline: Spring to Fall 1939

Location: Near Japanese-occupied Manchuria (Northeast China) and the Mongolian People's Republic.

Historical Significance: Some historians argue that the Battle of Khalkhin Gol was pivotal in convincing the Japanese emperor to abandon initial agreements with Hitler regarding an eastern advance into the Soviet Union, ultimately leading Japan to strike Pearl Harbor instead.

The events of 1939 preceded the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), a significant chapter within World War II. The memories of these war-related events are deeply revered by Russia and its diverse population.

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Fear of legal retribution may have pushed UK to scale back arms sales to Israel – expert

💬 “I suspect that behind the Starmer government’s decision there was the fear of possible juridical actions against the government for its so far blatant inaction in [the face] of Israeli violation[s]. A possible class action by many NGOs for not implementing British laws might have pushed the British government to act, unfortunately very late,” Dr. Marco Carnelos, a veteran Italian diplomat and former prime ministerial advisor on Middle East affairs, told Sputnik, commenting on London’s surprise move to suspend 30 of 350 licenses to Israel on the grounds that they could be used to violate international humanitarian law.

“The level of violence reached by Israeli forces operating in Gaza and the evident violation of the laws regulating the armed conflicts could not be ignored any longer by the UK, especially under a Labour government,” Carnelos suggested.

With that said, the veteran diplomat does not expect the move to have much of an impact on the power of the Israel lobby, neither in Prime Minister Starmer’s Labour Party nor in Whitehall.

“[The] pro-Palestinian lobby in UK has been very active but its capacity to influence the British political establishment pales in comparison to the Pro-Israel lobby. This is an initial modest success. I do not believe this decision will strain the UK-Israel relations. The Labour Party under Keir Starmer’s leadership remains very pro-Israel no matter how many crimes Israel might have committed in Gaza,” Dr. Carnelos emphasized.

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Russian forces hit a target near the Poltava air base, coordinator of the Nikolayev underground Sergey Lebedev told Sputnik.

"Someone serious was caught in the aviation facility area. There is a cordon now, ambulances are flying," he said, adding that the explosion did not cause a secondary detonation but was still very powerful.

Russian Council for the Integration of New Regions Vladimir Rogov said the Poltava Military Communications Institute was hit. He said the site was used for training Ukrainian troops in radar and electronic warfare.

"It was these personnel who were hit by the missile strike,” Rogov said. “This happened at the time of construction, in which over half a thousand troops initially took part. The enemy's losses are in the hundreds."

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Telegram apologizes to South Korea for ‘deepfake’ porn of girls on chat group

South Korea's media regulator has said encrypted messaging app Telegram complied with a request to remove ‘deepfake’ pornographic images from its platform – and has apologized for failing to stop the crime sooner.

Last month a South Korean TV channel exposed a chat group where male university students shared doctored porno pics with the faces of female classmates matted on – which is a crime in the Republic of Korea.

The police have launched a probe into the Telegram company for suspected involvement in facilitating the acts.

Telegram’s East Asia representative emailed the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) to confirm that the company had removed 25 items of sexual exploitation material from the app as its had requested, the commission said.

Telegram also apologized for poor communication on the issue and gave an exclusive email address for media watchdogs to get in touch, it said.

The KCSC said it had asked Telegram to set up a hotline with authorities to help combat illicit content on the platform.

"We wish to strengthen cooperation with Telegram by securing a hotline, starting with an exclusive email address, to resolve the circulation of deepfake sexual exploitation materials and ultimately eradicate digital sex crime content," a KCSC official said.

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