💬 Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on mass detonation of pagers in Lebanon: this requires investigation and international attention to the matter.

At least 11 people were killed and more than 4,000 were injured as a result of the mass pager explosion across Lebanon on Tuesday.

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Moscow hosts BRICS Urban Future Forum

🔸 The 2024 Cloud City BRICS International Innovation Forum kicks off in Moscow on September 18 in a two-day event that brings together more than 5,000 participants from over 30 countries. 

🔸 The event, also known as the BRICS Urban Future Forum, is attended by managers, entrepreneurs, urbanists, as well as members of the scientific community and public organizations from former Soviet republics, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. 

They will participate in the discussion "with political and business decision-makers to help identify growth areas and create synergies among BRICS cities, organizations and companies", according to the forum’s website.

🔸 This year’s forum is being held under the “Harmonious Development: The Future of BRICS Megacities” slogan. One of the goals is to promote leadership practices of Moscow city management to foreign markets.

Sputnik is the forum’s general information partner.

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◻️ Hezbollah vows retaliation against Israel for wave of deadly pager blasts

◻️ Who could be the accomplices behind the deadly pager attack that rocked Lebanon?

◻️ Russian commander reveals fate of private US military company daring to set foot on Russian soil

◻️ What’s known about the connections linking the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* jihadists to the Kiev regime

◻️ EU imports of Russian pipeline gas soar to highs not seen since February

*Terrorist organizations banned in Russia

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Are the Houthis now hooked up to Starlink?

Elon Musk has released a map showcasing the coverage that Starlink is already offering across the Arabian Peninsula - available in Yemen now.

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❗️The city of Energodar, located near the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, faced a mass drone attack. However, the drones failed to reach the nuclear station's facility. the plant's communications director told Sputnik.

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Taiwanese company distances itself from pagers used in Lebanon blasts

The wave of pager detonations in parts of Lebanon had nothing to do with Taiwanese manufacturer Gold Apollo, but were produced and developed by a European company, Gold Apollo CEO Hsu Chin-Kuang said on Wednesday.

“The product was not ours. It was only that it had our brand on it. We are a responsible company. This is very embarrassing,” the Gold Apollo CEO said.

On Tuesday, a wave of pager blasts rocked various parts of Lebanon. The Lebanese Health Ministry said that the explosions had killed 12 people, including 2 children and left more than 4,000 injured.

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💬 Further comments from Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, on the mass detonation of pagers in Lebanon:

🔸 Russia condemns the mass detonation of pagers in Lebanon, viewing it as an act of hybrid warfare.

🔸 Moscow warns that these blasts could have serious negative repercussions, especially given the heightened tensions between Lebanon and Israel.

🔸 Russia urges restraint in response to the situation in Lebanon and the accusations against Israel regarding the pager explosions.

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❗️The Ukrainian military has nearly exhausted its entire arsenal of drones and artillery in relentless attacks on Energodar, according to the city’s mayor.

Given the situation, Energodar’s local authorities are taking all necessary precautions and measures to safeguard the population, including the employees of the Nuclear Power Plant, from these attacks.

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⚡️ NATO tools up Estonia's military for a potential armed conflict between the alliance and Moscow

"Today our long-range strike assets are fully integrated into NATO's plans, and NATO tells us that we must address specific targets within [Russian territory], thereby enabling them to come to Estonia and progress to the next steps," Estonia’s Chief of Staff of the Joint Headquarters, Major General Vahur Karus said in an interview with Estonian national broadcaster ERR.

Karus noted that Estonia could definitely count on the immediate participation of the Western bloc’s units stationed on its soil in a potential conflict with Russia.

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⚡️Russia’s Armed Forces struck facilities providing support for the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, including airfield infrastructure, drone production workshops, and concentrations of personnel and military equipment across 138 locations, the Defense Ministry revealed.

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❗️Key statements by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

🔸Commenting on the developments in Lebanon, Peskov said that this leads to an escalation of tension and the region is in an explosive state.

🔸He also informed that Russia's President Vladimir Putin will hold a meeting on the development of the Russian Armed Forces in in the context of the special military operation. Putin will also address the participants of the plenary session of the Eurasian Women's Forum, and possibly will have an international telephone conversation.

🔸The Kremlin categorically disagrees with Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in his assessment of the Collective Security Treaty Organization: "The organization does not pose any threat to Armenia's sovereignty," Peskov explained.

🔸Russia continues and will continue contacts with Armenia, it is a close partner, Kremlin spokesman added.

🔸Regarding Norway's statement about radioactive cesium at the border with Russia, Peskov said that there were no notifications from the Russian services.

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❗️Live: Eurasian Women's Forum opens in Russia with focus on trust and cooperation

👉Watch the livestream here or on Sputnik's website

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

◻️ Russia’s Battlegroup Zapad repelled four counterattacks, with Ukrainian forces suffering a loss of over 610 combatants.

◻️ Russia’s Battlegroup Tsentr repelled ten counterattacks, with Ukrainian forces suffering over 500 troop losses.

◻️ Russia’s Battlegroup Yug repelled two counterattacks, with Ukrainian forces losing over 640 soldiers.

◻️ Ukrainian losses reached a total of 550 servicemen in Battlegroup Vostok's area of responsibility, as one counterattack was repelled.

◻️ Russia's Battlegroup Sever hammered three Ukrainian formations, causing the enemy to lose as many as 179 combatants.

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🤖🎻Watch a robot play a violin at the opening ceremony of the Eurasian Women's Forum in Russia's St. Petersburg

The Eurasian Women's Forum is a major international platform that brings together female leaders from around the world to engage in dialogue and collaborate on key global issues. This year's forum runs from September 18 to 20.

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Two biolabs created under Pentagon programs have been identified in the Kiev-controlled city of Zaporozhye, Vladimir Rogov, head of the Zaporozhye public movement ‘We are together with Russia’, tells Sputnik.

He says that, according to the documents, they were registered as private structures located in well-protected areas so as not to attract attention from the outside.

Much of the equipment and research results from these laboratories were hastily exported after the start of Russia's special military operation. Activity has decreased now, but security is still present - it can be assumed that some of the equipment remains, Rogov stresses.

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⚡️ Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad divulges details on mass nationwide beeper blasts:

◻️ The death toll from yesterday's pager explosions has risen to 12. They include two children, aged 8 and 11, and healthcare employees.

◻️ As many as 2,800 wounded were admitted to hospitals across the country in a short space of time.

◻️ Beirut and its southern suburb of Dahiya experienced the highest number of casualties, totaling 1,850. Additionally, 750 individuals were injured in the southern region.

◻️ To date, a total of 460 operations have been performed, primarily focused on the eyes and face.

◻️ Some of the victims have been transported from the Bekaa Valley to Syria for treatment, others to Iran.

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China to slap sanctions on nine US firms over arms sales to Taiwan

Beijing has decided to impose sanctions on nine US companies for selling weapons to Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

"China has decided to impose countermeasures against nine US comnies, including Sierra Nevada Corporation, Stick Rudder Enterprises LLC, Cubic Corporation, S3 AeroDefense, TCOM, TextOre, Planate Management Group, ACT1 Federal, Exovera," the ministry said in a statement.

On Tuesday, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said that the State Department had approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) to the tune of $228 million.

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