When electronics turn deadly: booby-trapping techniques and origins

Two waves of blasts of pagers and walkie-talkies rocked Lebanon on September 17 and 18, claiming the lives of at least 25, including children.

Israel was accused of booby-trapping communication devices used by Hezbollah members in what the Lebanese government denounced as a terror attack. Remarkably, turning innocuous objects into bombs can be traced back to the US military manuals dated as early as 1965.

◻️ The Intercept reported on Thursday that the US Army's Field Manual 5-31 described in detail how devices ranging from office equipment to kitchenware could be booby-trapped.

◻️ The US Army manual TM 31-200-1 from 1966 explained how to plant a small explosive charge in a communication headset to cause serious injury.

◻️ In 1996, Israeli security agency Shin Bet reportedly used a technique similar to those to detonate a small charge of RDX explosives near the ear of Hamas operative Yahya Ayyash.

◻️ In 2010, Al-Qaeda* spread information on how to hide explosives in the ink cartridge of a printer and pass it through airport security undetected.

◻️ A Stuxnet malware attack on Iranian nuclear enrichment centrifuges at Natanz facility in September 2010 caused the fast-spinning machines to tear themselves apart, in what is said to be a joint US-Israeli op.

◻️ In July 2014, Popular Mechanics explained how a working smartphone can be turned into an improvised explosive device filled with PETN or RDX.

◻️ In April 2017, CNN quoted US intelligence agencies as saying that ISIS* had developed ways to plant explosives in electronic devices that can evade airport security screening.

◻️ In 2023 Ecuadorian journalists received USB sticks reportedly charged with RDX. When plugged into computers they exploded and injured a television presenter.

*banned for terrorism in Russia and other countries

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Lebanese minister: Israel’s aggression not only targets Hezbollah, but the country’s sovereignty

"Israeli aggression against Lebanon is a flagrant crime of our time," Lebanese acting Minister of the Displaced Issam Sharafeddine told Sputnik. "It is clear that the goal of this terrorist attack is to harm as many Hezbollah supporters as possible, so they can later claim victory and avoid a ground invasion."

In response to the attacks, Sharafeddine announced Lebanon's intention to seek an international arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

"Lebanon must file a complaint with the International Court, as these attacks fall under international law," he stressed.

The minister also highlighted the US bias in favor of Israel, pointing out that the US supports Israel "financially, logistically, and militarily" while using its veto power on the international stage.

"Israel's strength lies in its alliances," Sharafeddine noted, adding that its technology, sourced from the US and Europe, is used against Arab nations including Lebanon and Palestine.

He affirmed that the attacks were an assault on Lebanon’s sovereignty, not just Hezbollah.

"It is noteworthy that every time we are under attack, the Americans immediately intervene, dictating to certain parties what to do to calm the situation on the front,” Sharafeddine said.

“Credit must be given to the resistance – they adhere to the rules of engagement and carefully consider their response, as they do not want to drag Lebanon into a larger conflict."

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What countries are most dependent on Russian mineral resources?

Sputnik has analyzed data from open sources, finding out that Germany, Finland, Lithuania, and the US are the most active consumers of Russian minerals.
Here are the countries that are most dependent on resources from Russia (by mineral type):

Aluminum:
▪️ Greece 19.3%
▪️ Bulgaria 7.4%
▪️ Estonia 5.7%

Titanium:
▪️ Germany 42.2%
▪️ Belgium 15.7%
▪️ France 10.2%

Nickel:
▪️ Finland 90.9%
▪️ Estonia 16.8%
▪️ Germany 11.5%
▪️ Czech Republic 10.9%

Ammonia:
▪️ Lithuania 90.7%
▪️ Belgium 17.5%

Palladium:
▪️ US 39.2%
▪️ Italy 29.1%
▪️ Japan 24.2%

At the end of 2023, Russia ranked first to third in the world in production of more than 12 types of minerals.

Earlier this month, at a meeting with members of government, Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out that Russia is the world leader in terms of its reserves of many natural resources. Therefore, in response to restrictions on the supply of a number of goods by unfriendly countries, the head of state suggested to think about limiting exports to such countries of uranium, titanium, nickel, and other goods, but not to the detriment of Russia.

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⚡️Russia’s Investigative Committee identifies suspects in murder of Sputnik’s Russell Bentley

The Russian Investigative Committee has wrapped up the preliminary investigation into the murder of Russell Bentley, 64, a US-born Donbass volunteer and Sputnik correspondent.

Suspects involved in the criminal case were identified as Russian Armed Forces servicemen Vitaly Vansyatsky, Vladislav Agaltsev, Vladimir Bazhin, and Andrey Iordanov. The individuals have been accused of felonies under Russia's Criminal Code, including the use of physical violence and torture, which resulted in the death of the victim through negligence, as well as the concealment of an especially grievous crime.

On April 8, Russian military servicemen Vansyatsky, Agaltsev, and Iordanov used physical violence and torture against Russell Bentley in Donetsk, which led to the correspondent's death. On the same day, Vansyatsky and Agaltsev blew up a VAZ 2115 car with Bentley's body with TNT explosives.

On April 9, Bazhin, a serviceman from the same military unit removed Bentley's remains from the scene on the instructions of Vansyatsky in a bid to conceal the heinous crime. The accused have been provided with the materials of criminal case. Subsequently, the case will be transferred for the indictment approval and court hearings.

Bentley went to Donbass in 2014 and joined the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) militia using the call sign Texas. He said that he admired the courage of the Donbass defenders and called Donetsk his home. The US-born volunteer was granted Russian citizenship and began collaborating with Sputnik as a correspondent. He was known as an outspoken supporter of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine.

In mid-April, Bentley went missing in Donetsk. On April 19, Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent media group, announced that the 64-year-old had died. An investigation into the circumstances of Bentley's death was launched by the Russian Investigative Committee.

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Deadly pagers that exploded in Lebanon were not made in Taiwan, economy minister claims

Components used in thousands of pagers that detonated in Lebanon were not manufactured in Taiwan, the country’s Economy Minister Kuo Jyh-huei told reporters.

"The components are (mainly) low-end IC (integrated circuits) and batteries," he said on Friday, reiterating that he could “say with certainty they were not made in Taiwan."

As part of the investigation into the two waves of deadly blasts, which claimed the lives of 37 people and wounded about 3,000 in Lebanon, authorities in Taiwan questioned the president and founder of the Taiwanese pager company Gold Apollo.

Hsu Ching-kuang has insisted that his company did not make the pagers used by Hezbollah that exploded on Tuesday. He pointed out that the pagers were manufactured by Budapest-based company BAC Consulting KFT, which has a license to use its brand.

As to the hundreds of Hezbollah-used walkie-talkies that exploded on Wednesday, Japanese manufacturer Icom said the devices appeared to be a discontinued model exported abroad, including to the Middle East, between 2004 and 2014.

“We can’t rule out the possibility that they are fakes, but there is also a chance the products are our IC-V82 model,” Icom’s director Yoshiki Enomoto was quoted as saying by Japanese media.

Lebanese authorities and Hezbollah have accused Israeli intelligence services of carrying out the series of coordinated explosions of electronic devices. Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate.

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Russian Investigative Committee identifies suspects in murder of Sputnik’s Russell Bentley

IDF claims to have struck 100 rocket launchers belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanon overnight

Is pager warfare a prelude to Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon?

How will Lebanon deadly pager blasts affect the global electronics market?

Deadly electronics: an overview of cases when innocuous objects were turned into bombs.

Germany and the US are among the most active consumers of Russian minerals – what do they buy?

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Remembering Russell Bentley: Fearless US-born Donbass volunteer & genuine fighter for freedom

American citizen and Texas native Russell Bonner Bentley volunteered to join the Donbass militia in 2014, taking up arms to defend the region's freedom against Ukrainian neo-Nazi forces, where he operated under the call sign "Texas."

After being granted Russian citizenship, he joined up with Sputnik to serve as a military correspondent. He was known as an outspoken supporter of Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine.

Bentley went missing in mid-April, and was subsequently confirmed to have been murdered. Russia's Investigative Committee has completed the preliminary investigation into Bentley's homicide and has identified the suspects.

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The Russell Bentley I Knew

Dimitri Simes Jr., a Sputnik journalist who worked closely with Bentley, shares how he will remember ‘Texas’:

Russell Bentley was born an American, but became a true hero of the Russian Spring. He was colorful, passionate, possessed a sharp sense of humor, and always spoke with complete moral clarity. Bentley believed that the battle for Donbass was not just a national liberation war of the Russian people, but part of a larger struggle by humanity against Western imperialism.

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Russell Bentley’s widow thanks Russian investigators for rapid progress in murder case

Russell Bentley’s widow Lyudmila has thanked Russia’s investigators for swift handling of his murder case.

“Russell's relatives, who maintain constant contact with me, are also […] grateful to the investigative bodies that are working on the case,” Lyudmila told Sputnik.

The Russian Investigative Committee has wrapped up the preliminary investigation into the murder of the US-born Donbass volunteer and Sputnik correspondent, and identified the suspects.

“I can say that I am in constant contact with the investigator, who works closely with me. Now I am familiarizing myself with all 12 volumes of the case materials,” said the Donbass English-language teacher who loved and supported Bentley throughout his fight against Ukrainian neo-Nazi forces, first as a soldier, then as a Sputnik correspondent.

After the accused, their lawyers, and the prosecutor also familiarize themselves with the case materials, the case will go to court, she added, citing the investigator.

"I’d like to especially thank Dmitry Kiselev, director general of Sputnik's parent media group Rossiya Segodnya, and all Sputnik employees for their support", she also said.

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Ukrainian military set up concentration camps in Russia’s border region - Russian FM spokeswoman

There is evidence of concentration camps created by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Russia’s border region where Ukrainian troops for various reasons at gunpoint place local residents who have been unable to leave unsafe areas, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated.

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📹 Guess who won an epic fight between a criminal and police robot in Texas

A man threw a sheet over a car and fired a gun at it, and the robot fired back with tear gas and then pinned the guy to the ground.

The man in the video is Felix Delarosa, who is wanted in the US. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2017 for manufacturing and delivering a controlled substance, but was released early in 2022. He ripped off the electronic bracelet he was required by a court order to wear and tried to escape.

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Key statements from the Russian Ministry of Defense on the fighting in Russia's Kursk region:

◻️ Ukraine has lost up to 370 militants and 18 armored vehicles in the Kursk region;

◻️ Since the start of fighting in the Kursk direction, Ukraine has lost over 15,300 militants and 124 tanks;

◻️ Russian forces repelled four attempts by Ukrainian militants to break through the Russian border near Novy Put and Medvezhye, with the enemy losing up to 60 militants and a Leopard tank.

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Kremlin rejects 'absurd' idea of transferring Crimea to UN mandate, asserts Russian regions off-limits for such proposals

Other statements by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at his briefing:

▪️ The situation in areas under the control of Ukrainian militants is extreme, but it will be corrected in time

▪️ Mobile device explosions in Lebanon are a topic of “keen interest” for Russia's special services, work will be carried out in this area

▪️ There have been no contacts yet between Russia and Middle Eastern countries against the background of the mobile device explosions in Lebanon.

▪️ Assistance to military units in the special operation zone by Russian regions is assessed as positive by Putin

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Russia will take back Kursk region territories still under Ukraine's control - Kremlin

"Our military is doing its job. They will do it. Control will be restored... The situation in those areas under the control of Ukrainian militants is, of course, extraordinary. This situation will be corrected in a timely manner," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated.

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📹 Guns for me, but not for thee? Ha-Ha-Harris laughs, telling school shooting victims, she owns firearms & would shoot intruders

Another totally cringe moment from Kamala Harris erupting into laughter at a meeting with families who were victims of a recent school shooting. They are still struggling with the pain and trauma from the horrific experience they had to endure.

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Kamala Harris suffers from "imposter syndrome", that's why she gives interviews so rarely – psychiatrist

The US Vice-President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, feels "anxious" under questioning, psychiatrist and body language expert Carol Lieberman told the New York Post, saying this may be the reason she rarely gives media interviews.

‘Imposter syndrome’ is a psychological condition, where a person lacks confidence in their competence and feels they don't deserve to succeed, Lieberman said, adding that Harris may be suffering from the condition.

The Democrat candidate's constant giggling, grimaces and wide arm movements are all signs of the anxiety felt by a person with the syndrome, Lieberman explained.

"Kamala was able to stifle her cackling" during the election debate against Donald Trump on September 10, but she "made up for it with bigger grimacing," the psychiatrist pointed out.

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❗️Ukraine lost up to 3,510 militants and 18 tanks, including Leopard tanks, in the Russian Sever Battlegroup's combat zone.

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

◻️ The Russian Battlegroup Vostok hit 11 Ukrainian counterattacks and secured more advantageous positions during the week.

◻️ The Russian Aerospace Forces shot down three Ukrainian aircraft, while another was downed by air defense systems.

◻️ 53 Ukrainian militants surrendered on the frontlines.

◻️ The Ukrainian forces lost up to 355 militants in the Russian Dnepr Battlegroup's combat zone, and four field ammunition depots were destroyed.

◻️ The Russian Zapad Battlegroup struck 10 Ukrainian brigades, including the Azov special forces brigade (recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia).

◻️ Russian air defenses intercepted 7 ATACMS missiles, 12 Hammer bombs, 42 HIMARS shells, and 305 Ukrainian drones.

◻️ The Russian Battlegroup Sever continued its operation in the Kursk region, liberating two settlements.

◻️ The Zapad Battlegroup repelled 24 Ukrainian counterattacks over the week.

◻️ In the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR), two settlements—Georgievka and Zhelannoe Pervoe—were liberated.

◻️ The Russian Yug Battlegroup repelled 14 Ukrainian counterattacks.

◻️ The Russian Battlegroup Tsentr struck 17 Ukrainian brigades, including the Lyut Assault Brigade.

◻️ The Russian Yug Battlegroup destroyed four Ukrainian electronic warfare and counter-battery stations.

◻️ The Russian Tsentr Battlegroup repelled 58 Ukrainian counterattacks, inflicting losses of up to 3,610 militants.

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