From satellites to missile defense: Role of Russia’s Space Forces

Russia is celebrating Space Forces Day. By marking the day, Russia pays tribute to the first-ever launch of a Soviet manmade satellite into space on October 4, 1957. What are Russia’s Space Forces and what do they do?

Being part of the Russian Aerospace Forces since 2015, Russia’s Space Forces are tasked with:

▪️monitoring space objects and identifying threats to Russia in and from space, and, if necessary, countering such threats;

▪️providing top brass with reliable information on detection of ballistic missile launches and warning of a likely missile attack;

▪️launching spacecraft into orbit, controlling military and dual-purpose satellite systems in flight and using some of them to provide Russian troops with relevant information.

What are the staples of Russia’s Space Forces?

▪️unique Rokot light three-stage rocket with multiple-use engine;
▪️state-of-the-art Soyuz-2 carrier rocket;
▪️Fazan and the Taman-Baza command and instrumentation systems;
▪️Voronezh-M radar;
▪️Angara – a family of modular heavy-lift carrier rockets with oxygen-kerosene engines, designed to launch various types of spacecraft from Russian soil. Modifications include:
▪️Angara-A5 – a three-stage rocket capable of delivering up to a 24.5-ton payload into low orbit thanks to its powerful RD-191 engines.
▪️Angara-A5M – the A5’s upgraded version can carry up to 27.7 tons of cargo because of its improved RD-191M engines that generate 10% more thrust than the RD-191.
▪️Angara-A5V – still under development, the rocket is expected to ferry up to 37.5 tons into orbit and it features a different rocket engine, RD-0150, which runs on liquid oxygen and hydrogen.

According to President Vladimir Putin, the new Angara system will “play a key role in providing Russia with independent and guaranteed access to outer space.”

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US pays top dollar for Red Sea operations but can't stop Axis of Resistance

The US Department of Defense (DoD) will receive $1.2 billion to maintain warships deployed in the Red Sea and restock missiles and drone interceptors used to repel attacks from Iran and its Axis of Resistance allies, according to the DoD’s two September 6 budget documents, first reviewed by Bloomberg.

The request includes:

▪️$300 million for "incremental depot maintenance costs" on the USS Bataan and the USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group which "returned from operations in support of DoD's response to the situation in Israel." It was earlier reported that the warships had been deployed in the Red Sea;
▪️$190 million for the replacement of the RTX Corp. Standard Missile-3 Block 1B which were "extended in support of Israel"; each advance model SM-3 Block IB costs around $9.7 million;
▪️$276 million for the replacement of Standard Missile-6;
▪️$57.3 million for Tomahawk cruise missiles;
▪️$6.7 million for Enhanced Sea Sparrow self-defense missiles;
▪️$7.2 million for General Purpose Bombs;
▪️$20 million for BAE Systems' Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS) rockets;
▪️$25 million for Boeing's Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM);
▪️$7.4 million for Boeing Small Diameter Bombs;
▪️$26.4 million for the replacement of RTX Coyote Block 2 drone interceptors;

The Red Sea crisis

The Red Sea crisis began on October 19, 2023, seeing the Houthis, a Yemeni Shiite group, launching drones and missiles at Israeli-linked ships to force Tel Aviv into halting its Gaza war.

In January, the US and UK started joint operations against the Houthis as part of the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian with non-operational support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands.

🔸An intelligence report seen by Axios in June revealed that the US Navy had expended $1 billion in munitions to counter Houthis in the Red, but failed to stop the Yemeni group, whose stockpiles appear nowhere near exhausted.

🔸The cost of ammunition used by the US to repel attacks from the Houthis in and around the Red Sea between October 2023 and mid-July 2024 equated to 1.16 billion, Business Insider revealed in July, citing a US Navy source.

🔸The figure covers the cost of 770 munitions launched by the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group during its nine-month deployment in the region. The War Zone provided a breakdown of the types of munitions:

▪️155 Standard-series missiles;
▪️135 Tomahawk cruise missiles;
▪️60 air-to-are missiles;
▪️20 air-to-surface munitions.

How much has the unplanned military buildup in the Middle East cost the US?

▪️According to the Pentagon's January 2024 estimates, the US spent $1.6 billion between October 2023 and January 2024, whereas a full year of operations was estimated at the time at $2.2 billion. These figures don't include the cost of missiles fired to shoot down Houthi drones and missiles in the Red Sea or to attack Houthi positions in Yemen.

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have reported the deaths of two more officers on the northern front at the border with Lebanon, including Sergeant Daniel Aviv Haim Sofer and Corporal Tal Dror

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Saying no to ‘woke’: Europeans flock to Russia to embrace traditional values

About a dozen Danish citizens have recently applied for Russian residency, Russia’s Embassy in Russia’s embassy in Copenhagen says.

The wave of Europeans seeking to move to Russia gained steam after President Vladimir Putin’s August decree, authorizing foreigners, who do not accept moral policies of the countries of their origin, to apply for temporary residence in Russia.

As the West shows no signs of slowing down the rise of questionable neoliberal morals, there are still those who seek to pursue a life in accordance with traditional centuries-long ideals. That’s where Russia comes in handy to embrace anyone interested.

The residency route, dubbed the Shared Values Visa (SVV), simplifies relocation to Russia, as the effort doesn’t require passing Russian language, history, or legislation tests.

So, where do other applications come from?

▪️As per the Russian Embassy in London, more than 30 UK citizens have shown interest in moving to Russia since August. So far, the number of applications to the Russian Embassy in the UK has reportedly increased by 226%;

▪️As per UK media, 17 Scots have applied for Russian residency wanting nothing to do with the woke culture.

▪️According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, “thousands of people” come to Russian embassies in NATO countries to get relevant documents,” as said by Maria Zakharova, adding that people want to protect their kids “from having their genitals twisted and rearranged”;

▪️The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has said that most applications come from Germany, US, Australia, Romania, Latvia, and Lithuania, the Main Directorate for Migration Issues reported;

▪️Russian media in turn reported that 30 Italians have sought relocation to Russia due to their resentment of the woke agenda.

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Israel will never win a ground operation, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said.

Iran does not want to send its troops to another country, Lebanon is capable of defending itself, the ambassador said, adding that Iran's strikes on Israel have been successful and Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system is "leaky.”

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📹 Social media video of fires in northern Israel after rocket attacks from Lebanon

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Attacks on Iran oil infrastructure to send oil price over $100 - Mideast energy researcher

"The damage of Iran crude facilities will certainly have repercussions and cause pressure on the worldwide energy markets," Marc Ayoub, Lebanese energy policy researcher and non-resident fellow at the Tahir Institute for Middle East Policy, told Sputnik, commenting on a possible Israeli strike.

He noted that in the past few days, oil prices went up and could reach $80 per barrel even before an Israeli attack. Ayoub's comment comes at a time when Israel is considering a response to the Iranian retaliatory missile strike. One of options is to hit Iran's oil infrastructure, American and Israeli media say, citing Israeli officials.

US President Joe Biden's remark that the option is being "discussed" by Washington and Tel Aviv triggered uncertainty in the markets. "This could be similar to what happened when Iraq invaded Kuwait in the 1990 depending on the size of the strike, which might lead us to prices above $100," the pundit continued. "Around 1.5 million barrels per day are expected to be lost."

Iran can also go nuclear and block the Strait of Hormuz. Around 20 million barrels of oil and petroleum products pass through the strait daily. "The use of the Hormuz strait will be another escalation, and particularly for some Gulf countries, as around 27% of world oil flows pass through it, including Iran's shipments to China," Ayoub said. "And this will put further pressure on supplies and markets."

Meanwhile, a pressure on Biden to tighten oil sanctions on Tehran from US politicians is growing following Iran's missile attack. Earlier, in September, a bipartisan group of lawmakers urged Biden to ban Iran's oil sales to China.

The US doesn't seem willing to raise stakes in the region prior to the November election, according to the expert. "The risk is currently there, but it doesn't seem there is a will for further escalation," Ayoub concluded.

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As violence grows prior to 2024 election, Secret Service losing grip

The US Secret Service has found itself on the ropes ahead of the election, according to The New York Times. Reports exposing the agency's exhaustion started to emerge following the attempted assassinations of Republican nominee Donald Trump.

NYT has revealed that the service had shrunk dramatically by 2024: at least 1,400 of its 7,800 agents quit in FY2022 and FY2023 – the largest outflow from the agency. What's more, many experienced professionals have stepped down.

The newspaper lists several reasons behind the outflow of agents, including:

▪️Lots of overtime work;

▪️Perception of favoritism in promotion and hiring;

▪️Agent requests to equip their units with drones to ease workload remain unheeded.

▪️Plummeting recruitment standards and inadequate training complicate matters further, NYT says.

▪️Earlier, in July, NBC News drew attention to the fact that the Secret Service's arm that protects presidents and other high-profile figures is now nearly 10% smaller than it was a decade ago dropping from 4,027 in FY2014 to 3,671 in FY2024.

▪️The US Secret Service was pushed to its limits being tasked with ensuring the safety of more than 140 world leaders during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week in September, a senior official admitted in an interview with Sputnik last month while speaking on conditions on anonymity.

▪️In September Secret Service acting director Ronald L. Rowe Jr. urged federal lawmakers to increase funding for the agency: "We are running our people at levels that we have not seen in our protective operations."

▪️Meanwhile, the Government Accountability Office found in 2020 that Secret Service agents are overwhelmed and suffer from psychological stress, whereas the National Academy of Public Administration concluded in 2021 that they are tasked with "more than ever within tight resources" as "threats against the President and other protectees have grown in intensity and scale."

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▪️Attacks on Iran oil infrastructure to send oil price over $100 - Mideast energy researcher

▪️What are Iranian oil reserves?

▪️A father’s burden: protecting the family through the chaos of Lebanon’s bombardment

▪️US pays top dollar for Red Sea operations but can't stop Axis of Resistance

▪️As violence grows prior to 2024 election, Secret Service losing grip

▪️'Otherwise, they said they would send me video with my husband's severed head' — wife of Russian soldier in Ukrainian captivity

▪️Saying no to ‘woke’: Europeans flock to Russia to embrace traditional values

▪️From satellites to missile defense: Role of Russia’s Space Forces

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Russia's liberation of Ugledar demonstrates futility of US arms supplies to Ukraine – Envoy

The liberation of Ugledar demonstrates the senselessness of American arms supplies to Kiev, Russia's Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said.

💬 “The liberation of Ugledar is another confirmation that the endless supply of weapons to Kiev at the expense of the American taxpayer makes no sense. However, they do not want to settle down. It is obvious that Washington will continue to push Ukrainian political figures into insane provocations. It is high time to realize that such efforts are futile and lead only to additional numerous victims,” Antonov said in a statement.

The liberation of Ugledar “is an impressive victory of the Russian spirit and the might of our armaments,” the envoy emphasized.

💬 “Another important step has been taken in the implementation of the special military operation. Other successes are not far off, especially since the frontline is cracking and [we are] confidently advancing to the west. The [Biden] administration representatives are silent, as it is impossible for them to admit the collapse of their idea of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia,” the ambassador added.

💬 “Celebrated American vehicles and armaments are being ground up, burned, or end up captured by our soldiers, as happened with the IFV Bradley during the exodus of Ukrainian fighters and hirelings from Ugledar. Or an F-16 fighter jet which was shot down by their own air defense forces. It is obvious to us that the enemy will be defeated and Russia will prevail. The Western ‘Ukraine project’ is futile and only deals a fatal blow to international security, which is so necessary for everyone,” the Ambassador emphasized.

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The Israeli Air Force carried out two strikes on residential buildings in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Lebanese field source told Sputnik.

Previously, the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for civilians in the Burj al-Barajneh neighborhood of Beirut.

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🥴 No teleprompter = no speech?

Kamala Harris struggled to deliver remarks in Detroit, Michigan, Friday when her teleprompter appeared to suddenly stop working. The presidential candidate was stuck repeating herself multiple times like a skipping record, reciting “32 days”.

“Remember this number? 32! Today we've got 32 days until the election. So 32 days. 32 days. Okay, we've got some business to do. We've got some business to do. Alright, 32 days,” Harris said, apparently improvising.

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Trump praises Israeli Iron Dome, says he wants one for the US

“I love it. We're going to have it. One of the things I say, we're going to have an Iron Dome. Why shouldn't we have an Iron Dome? And you see how effective. So the other day, 287 big missiles, ballistic missiles, were shot into Israel. Every single one of them was taken down. Well, why shouldn't we have that?” the former president said during a campaign stop in North Carolina.

On October 1, Iran fired around 200 ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israel’s killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah. Iran claims 90% hit their targets, while Tel Aviv insists their “state-of-the-art” air defense stopped most of them – although evidence on the ground suggests otherwise. Israel's military censor has forbidden journalists in the country from reporting in detail on the incident, according to The Times of Israel.

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😂 Kamala booby trapped my chair! – Trump

“I think I'm gonna stand. This chair is the most uncomfortable chair ever," the former president said during a campaign event in North Carolina.

"First of all, it spins. And the one thing I don't want is to fall on my ass because that's gonna be... That will be the only story… So, I'm not sitting in that sucker. I think it's a booby trap. That was put there by Kamala," Trump joked.

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Russia ‘moving like a steamroller’ through Ukraine-controlled territory as US support dries up

Moscow continues to steadily advance through Ukraine-controlled territory as the US turns its attention towards the Middle East, notes independent journalist Sarah Bils. The US Navy veteran and co-founder of DD Geopolitics joined Sputnik’s The Backstory program this week as Russia liberated the coal mining town of Ugledar in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).

💬 “The interesting thing about Ugledar is.. that there's nothing behind Ugledar. There's no fortifications behind Ugledar,” noted Bils. “So what the [Russian] troops can now do is sweep to the west and then come up from the south and hit up Kurakhovo, which is not fortified on the south side.”

Located at an elevation of 614 feet, Ugledar is a strategic link between southern and eastern fronts in the conflict and a crucial supply hub. Russia’s control of the settlement marks a major step towards the complete liberation of the DPR. Russia is now advancing at its fastest rate in over two years, according to observers – the result of Moscow’s commitment to its war of attrition and Ukrainian losses recently suffered during its ill-fated aggression on the Kursk region.

💬 “Kursk [region] was a failed endeavor that lost almost 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers,” Bils pointed out. “I think that the American public have sort of fallen out of love with this idea of taking down Russia via Ukraine.”

The ongoing conflict threatens to strain the US to the limit, observers warn, with the US now at risk of being forced to support its ally Israel on multiple fronts while it continues to ship arms to Ukraine and Taiwan.

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❗️ Al-Qassam Brigades leader Saeed Atallah Ali was allegedly assassinated along with three members of his family in a strike on the Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, Reuters reported, citing local media.

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'The myth of America is over': US, Israel reportedly downplay level of destruction by Iran

At least two dozen long-range Iranian ballistic missiles were able to break through both Israeli and other Western air defenses on Tuesday night, the Washington Post reported. The missiles struck or landed near at least three military and intelligence installations, a review of videos and photos of the attack and its aftermath showed.

💬 “It's clear Israel was hit hard. The Iron Dome was not so secure that Iran made a point and will probably be forced to make further points, I would imagine, because Israel is hell-bent on escalation. It wants to drag other parties into this abyss with it,” Phil Kelly, a political commentator and socialist activist based in Belfast told Sputnik’s Political Misfits.

Using commercial satellite imagery, researchers have identified more than 30 points where Iranian missiles may have impacted an air base in southern Israel, a report from NHPR (New Hampshire and NPR) revealed. The images showed damaged hangars, buildings, taxiways and a crater on one of the runways at Nevatim Airbase, the report writes.

💬 “The myth of America, I think, is over. It was struggling long before it went all in on genocide Joe's watch to push Europe into World War III and to facilitate [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. But the rest of the world sees the US for what it is, and that is why you're seeing real concrete moves in the global side to disengage,” he added.

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