❗️The primary focus of the United States in the Ukraine conflict is arming the Kiev regime, and not pursuing diplomatic efforts, the Pentagon told Sputnik.

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Ireland builds pricey homes for Ukrainian refugees as locals face severe housing shortages

The Irish authorities are pouring hundreds of millions of euros into accommodation projects for Ukrainian refugees.

🔸 The Irish government intends to construct 654 homes by April 2025 for around 2,640 Ukrainian refugees.

🔸 Initially, the Irish Department of Integration aimed to build 500 modular homes in 2022 at a cost of €200,000 each. However, as of September 2024, Comptroller and Auditor General Seamus McCarthy reported that the unit price had rocketed to €442,000, bringing the project’s total price tag to €289.3 million.

🔸 Additionally, Ireland has committed €1.5 million for the construction of 50 homes in Kiev as part of its stabilization and humanitarian support for Ukraine, which has incurred €130 million in costs for Irish taxpayers since February 2022, according to a mid-September report from DublinLive.

Ireland is struggling with a serious housing crisis, as its population growth far outpaces new home construction, almost by a ratio of 4 to 1, according to Savills, an international property consultancy.

🔸 The number of homeless individuals residing in emergency accommodations hit a record high of 14,486 in August, reflecting a 14% spike since August 2023, according to recent estimates from the Department of Housing.

🔸 Sixty-one percent of Irish respondents named housing as one of the two most important issues facing the country, according to a 2023 Eurobarometer poll, released last spring.

🔸 Irish residential property prices have jumped almost 9% since last year with the median price for a home reaching €337,500 in June, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

In June, the group Clonmel Concerned Residents held a series of protest actions at a new housing site for Ukrainians in Haywood, calling upon the Irish government to accommodate Irish families first.

The Irish Times reported on October 9 that new arrivals from Ukraine would not be offered accommodation from next March, citing proposals developed by government officials.

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Find out the details exposing Ukraine's ties to terrorist rebel groups in Mali

Several French media outlets have reported, citing anonymous sources, on Ukraine's involvement with terrorist factions from the coalition of Malian armed separatist groups known as CSP-DPA.  

According to these reports, the rapport between the Malian rebels and the Kiev regime intensified following the capture of the city of Kidal by the Malian army in November 2023. The sources indicate that contacts between Ukrainian military intelligence and these groups commenced in early 2024. Notably, several CSP-DPA militants reportedly traveled to Ukraine via Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, where they had been in hiding.  

Once in Ukraine, the militants received training in drone production and usage. Subsequently, in March 2024, Ukrainian military specialists provided training to the CSP-DPA militants in the Taodenni region of Mali on operating UAVs.  

"A group of CSP militants came to Ukraine for training with us, and a larger contingent of our instructors subsequently went to the Sahel region, where they continue to be stationed," a source close to the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine disclosed to the media.  

This source noted that the disclosure of information about cooperation between terrorists and Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate representative Andrei Yusov was 'a diplomatic mistake', but stated that Kiev regime's course remains unchanged.

Previously, after remarks from Ukrainian officials, a prosecutor in Mali specializing in counterterrorism initiated an investigation into potential assistance to terrorism. This inquiry was reportedly prompted by the Malian authorities' announcement of cutting diplomatic ties with Ukraine.

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Who’s taken action against Voice of America?

Burkina Faso’s Higher Council for Communication has suspended the Voice of America (VOA)* for three months, citing concerns that a particular program could "undermine the morale" of the armed forces of the West African nation and their counterparts in neighboring Mali.

The notorious US-funded broadcaster, VOA, faces restrictions in several other countries as well:

🔸 In March 2022, Russia's state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, blocked the VOA for its "deliberate and systematic circulation of reports containing false information" related to the Russian military operation in Ukraine.

🔸 In July 2022, the Turkish Broadcasting Authority prohibited access to the VOA website for operating without a license.

🔸 In November 2022, Taliban authorities in Afghanistan announced a ban on FM radio broadcasts from the VOA, citing complaints about the outlet's programming content.

🔸 In March 2019, authorities in Burundi indefinitely suspended the VOA, accusing the outlet of spreading "lies" and disinformation.

🔸 In December 2018, then-Pakistani Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry indicated that the VOA was blocked in Pakistan due to what he described as "false and prejudiced reporting."

*In Russia, the VOA is designated as a foreign media agent.

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Introducing Vizir: Russia's new heavy reusable naval drone

“Tests of the heavy reentry marine drone based on the crewless Vizir have been successfully completed. This drone is designed to be reusable. The customer has tasked the holding with developing it for various purposes, including cargo delivery to specified areas, reconnaissance missions, fire support during operations, as well as transporting ammunition and evacuating the wounded,” Mikhail Danilenko, managing director of the Kingisepp Machine-Building Plant (KMZ), told Sputnik, during an interview. He also mentioned that preparations for the mass production of these drones are currently underway.

Sputnik delves into the key features of the Vizir drone:

🔸 Speed and Range: The naval drone can reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour, with a maximum operational range of 600 kilometers.

🔸 Made in Russia: It is assembled entirely from domestically produced components.

🔸 Versatile Operations: The drone is capable of various functions, including cargo delivery, reconnaissance, patrolling, fire support, and transport-evacuation missions, which include delivering ammunition and evacuating casualties.

🔸 Payload: This drone can carry guided missiles that possess low explosive power.

🔸 Electro-Correction Feature: A noteworthy feature of the drone is its electro-correction for precise positioning, with a payload capacity of roughly 150 kilograms.

Military expert Vasily Dandykin has mentioned that the drone will be capable of engaging enemy kamikaze drones. KMZ plans to equip each unit with six to eight launchers, enabling the drones to carry low-power charges that can accurately strike targets.

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CIA's ‘freak offs’: spy agency mired in sexual abuse scandals

A 648-page internal watchdog report detailing systemic shortcomings in the CIA's handling of sexual misconduct remains confidential, yet numerous cases have surfaced publicly.

What is known about sexual misconduct within CIA ranks?

▪️An internal CIA survey obtained by CNN revealed that among the 25% of the workforce who responded, 28% reported experiencing at least one incident of a sexually hostile work environment during their tenure at the agency, while 7% encountered unwanted sexual contact or assault. Reports suggest that the true extent of the issue is underreported.

▪️Last year, two dozen women came forward with complaints of sexual abuse within the agency, according to the Associated Press.

Examples of known sexual crimes within the agency and beyond:

▪️A senior officer allegedly armed with a gun confronted a female contractor at her home, demanding sexual relations, as detailed in a federal complaint obtained by CNN.

▪️An undercover CIA officer in Europe is accused of knowingly infecting at least three colleagues with an incurable sexually transmitted disease.

▪️CIA officer Brian Jeffrey Raymond was sentenced to 30 years in prison for drugging 27 unsuspecting women from five countries and raping or engaging in nonconsensual sexual contact with 10 of them.

Why do most sexual crimes remain unreported?

▪️Many CIA employees reportedly hesitate to report sexual assaults over fears of disclosing classified info, potential retaliation from their abusers, or repercussions involving law enforcement.

That said, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recently touched upon the case of P. Diddy, suggesting that the American deep state elite and special services often turn a blind eye to degrading moral standards within US institutions.

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❗️Israeli strikes on Beirut Thursday evening killed 11 and wounded 48, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry's Emergency Operations Center

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🔥I will fight on the side of my president

Renowned Hollywood actor, martial artist and special representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry for humanitarian relations with the United States, Steven Seagal, revealed that at the onset of the special military operation, he penned a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, declaring his willingness to sacrifice his life for both the president and Russia.

In his documentary, "In the Name of Justice," Seagal recounted that he was in the Middle East at the time, where he was teaching martial arts. Upon learning of the military operation's initiation, he immediately wrote the letter, making sure that it would reach the president.

He emphasized in the letter his unwavering support for Putin, asserting that this moment would clarify who Russia's true compatriots are—who stands as friends and who reveals themselves as enemies.

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▪️Learn about Russia's new heavy reusable naval Vizir drone

▪️Palestinian boy pleads for access to urgent medical care as he fears to loose his leg

▪️Ukraine’s drone export ploy serves as ‘narrative’ for more aid money

▪️Ireland builds pricey homes for Ukrainian refugees but not for the locals

▪️Ukraine's ties to terrorist rebel groups in Mali were exposed

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❗️The death toll from the Israeli airstrike on Beirut has risen to 18, with over 90 people injured, according to updated information from the Lebanese Health Ministry

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US nuclear attack sub strength sinks to shadow of its former self

As the United States appears increasingly eager to antagonize other nations and project its military power globally, it seems that one critical element of its war machine—nuclear attack submarines—may no longer be as formidable as it once was.

During the Cold War, the US Navy operated approximately 140 nuclear-powered submarines; today, that number has dwindled to just 67, with only 49 classified as fast attack submarines. This decline is highlighted by retired US Navy Captain Jerry Hendrix in his article for the journal American Affairs.

Furthermore, submarine production in the United States is lagging, with Hendrix pointing out that only one new fast attack submarine is slated for procurement in the military's budget for fiscal year 2025.

“In fact, production of new submarines dropped from two to just over one per year at the very point when the Navy’s thirty-year shipbuilding plan called for industry to ramp up production to three fast-attack submarines and one ballistic missile submarine per year,” he observed.

The US also apparently does not have enough shipyards to maintain its submarine fleet.

The ten dry docks at four naval shipyards and three dry docks at two commercial shipyards - the only facilities certified to perform maintenance on US naval submarines, as mandated by congressional decree – are full to capacity and still delays occur. Hendrix estimated that at least three new dry docks and an “associated workforce” are needed.

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