An attempt by the Kiev regime to seize the Russian jack-up drilling rig "Krym-2" in the Black Sea was thwarted overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Ukrainian military intelligence sent a naval landing force on 14 US Willard Sea Force boats to seize the mobile platform. During the battle, the Black Sea Fleet and Russian servicemen sank eight boats and killed up to eighty Ukrainian troops.

Another six Ukrainian boats retreated without even attempting to pick up their wounded comrades who remained in the water, the Defense Ministry said.

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Russian Tu-160 strategic missile carriers carried out a flight over the neutral waters of the Barents and Norwegian Seas as part of the Okean-2024 exercises, the Defense Ministry reported.

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West's Ukraine line changes as funds dry out and Russian advance goes full throttle

As the Russian military continues its offensive, Western rhetoric has changed to calls for a "realistic" solution to the conflict:

🔸 German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has reportedly prepared a "peace plan" which envisages Ukraine "ceding" some territories which have recently joined the Russian Federation, according to Italian media. The chancellor has not commented on the reports. In July, the Scholz government slashed military aid to Ukraine for 2025.

🔸 Scholz told a German broadcaster on September 8 that the next "peace conference" on Ukraine should include Russia. A previous Western summit on Ukraine took place on June 15 and 16 J in Switzerland, with Russia not invited and China rejecting an invitation.

🔸 Switzerland continues to work on a possible peace conference with Russia's participation, spokesman for the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Jonas Montani told Russian media on September 10.

🔸 Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis recently admitted that Europe's support to Ukraine is waning, particularly in light of Germany's aid cuts.

🔸 British Defense Secretary John Healey told Parliament on September 9 that "Russian artillery is out-firing Ukraine by at least three to one." Despite Ukraine's Kursk incursion and sabotage operations in the Black Sea, "Russian pressure across the whole frontline will continue in the months ahead," he told MPs.

🔸 As US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrived in Kiev, the Wall Street Journal noted that Washington and London want Kiev to accept "realistic war goals" as Europe and the US cannot maintain hundred billion-dollar aid levels any longer.

🔸 But US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby earlier stated Blinken’s trip was not about forcing Ukraine into peace talks

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Moscow on Scholz's peace plan on Ukraine: 'No appeals from Germany either directly or through intermediates'.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova elaborated, “What we have encountered so far are mere leaks and rumors. There has been no official confirmation, so there is essentially nothing to comment on. We have not received any appeals, materials, or information from the German leadership.”

She emphasized that Russia is not refusing to negotiate, but pointed out that it is the German authorities, under Scholz's leadership, who continue to supply weapons to Ukraine. “The only way to demonstrate this [genuine willingness to pursue a peaceful settlement] is to halt the supply of arms to the Kiev regime. This undoubtedly entails condemning the terrorist actions carried out by this regime,” added Zakharova during the briefing.

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Trump ‘less inclined’ towards 2nd debate, criticizes moderators for corrections

Donald Trump believes Tuesday’s debate against vice-president and Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris went great for him, so there is no point in another one, Fox News reported.

The Republican candidate was critical of the ABC News network mediators in the head-to-head.

“We had a terrible network. I think they were terrible,” he stated. “They should be embarrassed. I mean they kept correcting me.”

The two candidates faced off on Tuesday night to spar on the economy, immigration and the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Trump boasted that he gave his best performance ever, while the Harris camp also claimed victory and called for a second debate.

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Putin: Russia may restrict export of strategic materials like uranium, titanium, nickel

Russia is a world leader in the output of an array of strategic minerals, from natural gas, gold and diamonds to uranium, titanium and nickel, and should “think about” whether it’s possible to reduce the export of the latter three resources amid unfriendly countries’ actions against Russia, President Vladimir Putin has said.

Speaking at a meeting with government ministers on Wednesday, Putin asked Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to look into the idea and report back, stressing that any proposed restrictions should not be “to one’s own detriment.”

Despite slapping Moscow with an unprecedented sanctions regime in 2022, European countries and the United States continue to rely on vast quantities of Russian energy and strategic materials, including gas and uranium, importing them to prevent spiking energy prices and shortages from wrecking their economies.

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Imminent attack: Putin warned Bush Jr. about 9/11 terrorist attacks in advance

Russian President Vladimir Putin called then-US president George W. Bush two days ahead of the 9/11 terrorist attack, warning him about the imminent atrocity, according to a 2019 book by former senior CIA analyst George Beebee.

“Putin had telephoned President Bush two days before the attacks to warn that Russian intelligence has detected signs of an incipient terrorist campaign, ‘something long in preparation,’ coming out of Afghanistan.”

Although it has long been known that Russia informed the US about the looming Islamist attack, Beebee's account of events suggests Putin warned his counterpart in Washington personally.

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he discussed granting permission to use long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory with Ukrainian leaders and will report the results of the talks to President Joe Biden.

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📹 VIDEO OF THE DAY 🔝

"Tomorrow, I'm doing 9/11" – Biden

Biden seems to have outdone himself

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