The Belarusian Armed Forces will begin an inspection on September 30, during which emphasis will be on the readiness of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces, the country's Defense Ministry stated.

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BLU-109: What’s known about US-made bunker buster bomb Israel likely used to target Nasrallah?

An analysis of footage put out by the IAF this week showing Israeli F-15Is taking off to attack Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut shows that Israel likely used American-made 2,000 pound (907 kg) BLU-109 bombs with Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits for the strike.

▪️ Developed in the mid-1980s for use by the US Air Force, the BLU-109 (deciphered as ‘Bomb Live Unit’) is a bunker buster munition with a 250 kg tritonal payload designed to destroy hardened bunkers – penetrating 1.8-2.4 meters of reinforced concrete before detonating.

▪️ The bomb is 2.41 meters long, has a 370 mm diameter and an 874 kg total mass. It’s fitted with a forged steel point tip and mechanical-electric delayed-action tail fuse to facilitate penetration and detonation.

When armed with a JDAM kit, BLU-109s are transformed from a ‘dumb’ free-falling bomb into a ‘smart’ GPS-guided weapon which can communicate with the aircraft carrying them. JDAM-equipped BLU-109s are officially known as the GBU-31(V)3/B.

▪️ The BLU-109 is manufactured by General Dynamics’ Ordnance and Tactical Systems division.

▪️ While it was created for a hypothetical European WWIII scenario against the Soviet bloc that never arrived, the BLU-109 instead became a mainstay of wars of aggression by the US and its allies after 1991, used against Yugoslavia in 1999, Afghanistan from 2001 on, Iraq in 2003, and by Israel in 2023-2024 in its operations in Gaza and Lebanon.

▪️ The US has exported the BLU-109 to a handful of allies besides Israel, including Greece, the Netherlands, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Turkiye.

▪️ The stock BLU-109’s explosive tritonal fill consists of 80% TNT and 20% aluminum powder. A variant known as the BLU-118 carries a PBXIH-135-based thermobaric charge.

▪️ It’s estimated that up to 85 GBU-31(V)3/B munitions were used for the attack on Nasrallah among some 80 total tons of explosives used.

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US and its corporate interests won’t leave Iraq anytime soon – analyst

Don’t expect the US to suddenly leave Iraq “while corporate interests steer American foreign policy,” Isa Blumi, associate professor at the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Stockholm University, told Sputnik.

“I don't see this happening […] unless there is a serious revolution in Iraq itself or in the larger region that sees the US leave from strategic and very lucrative arenas for American corporations to make money,” Blumi said, commenting on the ambiguous announcement of a partial drawdown of US forces from Iraq.

The US “is not giving up its firm control over Iraq's oil,” which it has been plundering, he emphasized. The US footprint “remains omnipresent, hegemonic, willing to use enormous violence,” he noted.

The military presence “will be modified” due to the “vulnerability of explicit American presence” to aerial attacks, which might chip away at the dimming aura of US invincibility, the expert underscored.

Domestic politics could also be a motive as part of a “campaign message for the American people to be persuaded that the US is not participating in the events that are happening now [in the Middle East].”

The American withdrawal will “reduce the tension in Iraq,” Ali Mamouri, former strategic communication advisor to the Iraqi prime minister, told Sputnik.

The Afghanistan scenario, where the Taliban* swiftly swept to power in the wake of the disastrous US withdrawal, won’t be repeated in Iraq, according to Mamouri. “Iraqi security forces are capable, well-skilled, in a large number and with the experience of defeating Daesh**. Moreover, the regional forces support Iraq’s stability and no one benefits from unrest in Iraq at the moment,” he noted.

* Under UN sanctions for terrorist activities
** Terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other states

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‘US invaded Iraq for electoral reasons, leaving for electoral reasons’ – observer

US plan to ‘mostly’ end its presence in Iraq is an “expected step, thought it came too late,” Dr. Muhannad Alazzeh, a former Jordanian senator and international rights commissioner, told Sputnik. Pointing to the trickle of casualties US forces have taken to various militias, the observer says the years the US has spent in Iraq appear to have finally proven “more than sufficient to convince any illegitimate interferer that they have to quit.”

“The US administration decided to invade Iraq in 2003 on false pretenses related to weapons of mass destruction which were not found,” Allazzeh recalled, adding that the promises made by Washington about liberating Iraqis and spreading democracy were never delivered. Instead, Washington is “leaving…behind them an armed conflict among tens of groups, severe corruption and a flabby administrative system.”

Ultimately, Dr. Alazzeh is convinced US plans are tied to the upcoming elections. “The USA invaded Iraq for electoral reasons and they’re leaving for electoral reasons,” he said.

Reports on US plans suggest Washington expects a small number of troops to remain in Iraq even after the main forces are pulled out. This makes sense, says political analyst Dr. Hossein Askari.

“Let’s be clear, the US does not want to totally leave Iraq. It will always want to keep a post inside Iraq – to monitor Iran’s activities in Iraq, Syria, their implication for Israel and to support [allied and pro-American] elements inside Iraq,” Askari, a professor emeritus at George Washington University, said.

“At the same time, there are ominous signs of anti-Americanism in the entire region because of America’s total support and assistance to Israel in its ongoing genocide. Because of this, the Iraqi establishment and government are trying to trumpet the message that they are in no way supporting the US and that its role inside Iraq will be winding down,” the observer said.

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Plans to restore Russia's new regions are being fulfilled – Putin

Russia is consistently accomplishing its plans to restore the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during the opening of social facilities in the new regions.

As the Russian head of state noted, the large-scale socio-economic development program for the four regions is one of the nation’s most important priorities. There is no doubt that the program will be implemented, Putin emphasized.

“We declared this from the very beginning, immediately after the liberation of the first districts, towns, and villages, we did everything possible as soon as the situation allowed us to start peaceful reconstruction work. And we are consistently fulfilling the outlined plans,” Putin said.

On September 30, the Russian people celebrate the anniversary of Russia's reunification with the DPR, LPR, and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions in 2022.

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Mass migration, hawkish Ukraine policy, kowtowing to Brussels diktat explains Austrian ruling coalition’s crushing defeat

“The will of the electorate is clear: the majority wants a center-right government under the leadership of the FPO,” former Freedom party of Austria (FPO) MEP Andreas Moelzer told Sputnik, commenting on Sunday’s election blowout, which saw the FPO nearly double its seat numbers from 31 to 58, and the Christian Democrat Austrian People’s Party (OVP) and Greens – which have governed the country since 2020, lose their parliamentary majority.

There’s a “long list” of OVP/Green policies accounting for the swing, Moelzer says, starting with immigration.

“Many people in Austria have fears if their children and grandchildren will be able to preserve their national and cultural identity due to the uncontrolled mass immigration during the last years. The people are dissatisfied because the European Union is unable or unwilling to protect its external borders,” Moelzer explained. Many Austrians also “dislike Brussels’ increasing influence” in general, “and fear further loss of sovereignty,” he said.

The government’s harsh Covid-era policies, from lockdowns to mandatory jabs, are another sore point for many voters, the politician said.

“Then there is the Ukraine policy of the current government which supports the hawkish policy of the EU. The sanctions against Russia have led to a dramatic increase of the inflation rate, and Austria’s neutrality is gradually [being] abolished as participation in the NATO ‘Sky Shield’ project shows,” Moelzer said. “For the overwhelming majority of Austrians, our neutrality is very important,” he stressed.

OVP Chancellor Karl Nehammer has said he’s unprepared to form a coalition with the FPO despite Sunday’s victory. “If the FPO remains in opposition, it will be a stronger force than now, exerting stronger political pressure on the government, especially in policies like immigration, the war in Ukraine and so on,” Moelzer predicted.

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📹 Flags of the People's Republic of China are waving over Hong Kong in honor of the upcoming China's Founding Day.

The holiday is celebrated on October 1, and this year marks its 75th anniversary.

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❗️Israel has warned the US about an imminent ground invasion in Lebanon, according to Western media.

The invasion of the Israeli army could begin within hours and, according to the sources, Israeli special forces have begun conducting raids in Lebanon in preparation.

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Yemen claims destruction of 11th US Reaper drone

Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Yahya Saree announced the destruction of the 11th US-made MQ-9 Reaper drones in Saada province.

That made the Ansar Allah-led government the first stare this decade to down more than 10 of the US drones, each costing over $1 million.

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US citizens: Mr. President, can we have some aid?

Biden: No. There is aid at home

Aid at home:

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Here’s why even ‘limited’ Israeli ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon would be ‘perilous’

“A ground operation in Lebanon by Israel is likely, given the military buildup near the border. However, such an operation carries significant risks” for Tel Aviv, international and security affairs expert Dr. Mehmet Rakipoglu told Sputnik, commenting on reports that Israel is preparing a ground invasion of southern Lebanon after targeting senior Hezbollah commanders and leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah, in a string of missile strikes.

“In urban warfare, non-state actors like Hezbollah can inflict heavy damage on conventional military forces, making even limited operations perilous. Israel risks facing a situation similar to its prolonged struggle in Gaza, potentially drawing itself into a protracted conflict,” Rakipoglu, an assistant professor at Turkiye’s Mardin Artuklu University, and director of Turkish Studies at the Istanbul-based Mokha Center for Strategic Studies, explained.

With that said, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu can’t exactly be described as a “rational actor,” given his record of aggressive and escalatory policies, which makes “this scenario more challenging to predict,” the observer said.

“If a ground operation occurs, Israel is likely to face heavy losses. Hezbollah is a far stronger actor than Hamas, both financially and militarily, and Israel may incur substantial casualties without being able to neutralize Hezbollah entirely,” Rakipoglu warned.

Israel, facing setbacks in Gaza, is now “attempting to gain a psychological advantage by targeting resistance leadership,” according to the observer. These attacks, including the assassination of Hezbollah’s Nasrallah and senior members of the militia’s command structure, “damages its strategic capabilities.”

On the other hand, “while Israel appears to gain from this, the move may increase global opposition to Israel, especially after violating international law with an attack on sovereign Lebanese territory,” Rakipoglu summed up.

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