Russian Army Aviation: How it began and what can it do?

The Army Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces celebrates its 76th anniversary today. Having come a long way from its humble beginnings as a helicopter squadron founded in 1948, the Russian Army Aviation today is a full-fledged military branch capable of performing a variety of tasks that range from providing direct fire support to ground troops, airlifting personnel, conducting reconnaissance and engaging in special operations.

Military purposes aside, the Army Aviation can also be deployed to help deal with the aftermath of disasters, both natural and manmade.

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Pepe Escobar: ‘Primakov Triangle’ revealed at Kazan summit as BRICS’ actual ‘driving force’

The “kernel of the Kazan Declaration” adopted at the BRICS summit in Russia last week is “to move in practice towards in-depth institutional changes and to reject Hegemony,” says Brazilian journalist and Sputnik columnist Pepe Escobar.

“The Declaration will be presented to the UN Security Council. There’s no doubt the Hegemon will reject it,” he predicts.

Yet another outcome of the Kazan summit was confirmation that BRICS’ “driving force” is the so-called “Primakov triangle”: Russia, India and China, or RIC for short, Escobar says.

“It’s now possible to add Iran, and that would make it RIIC. Everything of substance in the inter-connected processes of BRICS integration and Afro-Eurasia integration depends on RIIC,” he adds.

Praising the organization of the summit itself, Escobar claims that no other nation in the world “would have been able to pull off such a complex and impeccably organized summit, held after over 200 BRICS-related meetings throughout the year across Russia conducted by unnamed sherpas, members of working groups and the BRICs Business Council.”

“President Putin opened and handed the floor to the leaders and heads of delegations of other 35 nations, most at the highest level, including Palestine, plus the UN Secretary General. Quite a few speeches were nothing short of epic. The session lasted 3h25. It will be circulating all across the Global Majority for years.”

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Israel's retaliatory raid on Iran: Key reactions from around the globe

The Jewish state asserted that its October 26 air attack on Tehran impacted Iran's defensive capabilities, while Iran described the damage as "limited." Meanwhile, the US cautioned Tehran against any retaliatory actions. What further details were provided in official statements regarding the strikes?

Israel

🔹Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: the strikes had "severely damaged Iran’s defense capability and its ability to produce missiles". “Two days ago, we hit the head of the octopus. To the people of Iran, I say - our struggle is against a tyrannical regime that threatens the entire region. Whoever hurts us, we hurt them.”

🔹Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the strikes had targeted missile manufacturing facilities, surface-to-air missile arrays and Iranian aerial capabilities.

🔹IDF Spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari: if Iran begins “a new round of escalation,” Israel will be “obligated to respond.”

Iran

🇮🇷 Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: Israel’s “exaggeration [of the attack] is wrong, but downplaying what they did is wrong as well.” “We must make the Zionists [the Israelis] understand the power of Iranian people.”

🇮🇷Foreign Ministry: the strikes are a “clear violation” of international law, and Iran “considers itself ennoscriptd and obligated to defend itself.”

🇮🇷Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: “The Americans provided an air corridor for the Zionist air force, and the defensive equipment they had previously sent to them constitutes a form of participation in the recent operations. We believe the US’ involvement with the Zionist entity in fueling regional tensions is entirely clear.”

US

🔻President Joe Biden: “It looks like they [Israel] didn't hit anything other than military targets. I hope this is the end [of months-long escalation].”

🔻Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin: the US reaffirms the US’ “ironclad commitment to Israel's security and support for its right to defend itself.” Iran “should not make the mistake of responding to Israel's strikes, which should mark the end of this exchange.”

🔻White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett: the US “was not a participant in this operation” and Iran should “cease its attacks on Israel so that this cycle of fighting can end without further escalation.”

UN

🇺🇳 Spokesperson for the Secretary-General: Antonio Guterres is “deeply alarmed” by the continued escalation across the region. “All acts of escalation are condemnable and must stop.”

Russia

🇷🇺Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov: "Certainly, Israel’s strikes on Iran, which are presented as a response implying that now things are even and nothing more needs to be done, is a complex situation. They have not simplified the situation. But we hope that the Security Council can, in some way, help calm things down," he said, adding that Moscow believes it is now possible to avoid the worst-case

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⚡️An attempt to violate the state border was thwarted in Russia's Bryansk region, four saboteurs were eliminated and the remnants of the sabotage and reconnaissance group were hit by a missile and artillery strike, according to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB)

▪️A tattoo of the US parachute reconnaissance regiment was found on the body of one of the saboteurs killed in the Bryansk region

▪️Personal items indicating their affiliation with third countries were found on the saboteurs killed in the Bryansk region

▪️Foreign weapons, equipment and communications equipment were found on the saboteurs killed

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US ‘played critical support role’ in Israel’s strike on Iran – analyst

There are signs indicating that the US could have been involved in the deadly Israeli air raid on Iran on October 26, Dr. Imad Salamey, associate professor of political science and international affairs at the Lebanese American University, tells Sputnik.

“The US and Israel appear to have been in full coordination for the recent Israeli strike on Iranian territory. High-level meetings and discussions between the two countries’ political and military leaders preceded the attack, underscoring a collaborative approach,” Salamey argues.

He insists on Washington playing “a critical support role” in last week’s strikes by “reportedly providing safe passages over Iraqi airspace, installing THAAD missile defense systems in Israel, and placing its destroyer ships in the region on high alert.”

“These steps suggest a deep alignment in strategy, with the US offering logistical and defensive support while Israel executed the actual strike. This coordination highlights the shared US-Israeli objective of countering Iran’s regional influence,” the pundit points out.

He suggests that Tehran and Tel Aviv may refrain from further escalation “until after” the November 5 US presidential election, “as any further confrontation would not serve their interests at this time” and “risks complicating the situation for all parties.”

“The election outcome on November 5 will likely shape the next phase of this conflict, influencing the scope and nature of negotiations and potential resolutions. Until then, both Iran and Israel are likely to adopt a ‘wait and see’ approach, assessing how the political landscape may shift post-election,” Salamey concludes.

On October 26, the Israel Defense Forces launched three waves of “precise” strikes on Iranian military targets, in what Tel Aviv said was a “response” to Tehran’s missile attacks on the Jewish state in early October.

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❗️The case of the murder of Sputnik correspondent Russell Bentley in Donetsk has been sent to court, the press service of the Russian Investigative Committee told Sputnik

The defendants have familiarized themselves with the materials of the criminal case, the Investigative Committee added.

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⚡️The Russian Federal Security Service released a video showing the suppression of an attempt to violate the Russian state border in the Bryansk region with the participation of foreign saboteurs

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Colonial past haunts Brits: The UK doesn't want to pay what it owes in slave trade reparations

The summit of 56 Commonwealth nations in Samoa has wrapped up, releasing a statement which focused, among other issues, on calls for "reparatory justice" with regard to the trans-Atlantic slave trade during the colonial era.

▪️Prior to the summit, Caricom, a group of 15 Caribbean nations, reportedly agreed to demand reparations on behalf of 14 Caribbean states affected by the British Empire's centuries-long slavery practices, according to the Daily Mail.

▪️Fourteen slavery-affected countries include Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.

▪️The final communiqué of the Samoa meeting doesn't contain the reparations sum, however, it contains the term "reparatory justice" which usually refers to actions to repair the past and ongoing damage to nations which suffered from slavery, deprivation of land, genocide, and denial of legal and human rights.

▪️UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has rejected the call for reparations as an issue of the past. Last year, the call for reparations was also dismissed by Starmer's predecessor, Rishi Sunak.

▪️According to different estimates, the sum of reparations varies from $266 billion to $24 trillion.

▪️In June 2023, the Brattle Group Report on Reparations for Transatlantic Chattel Slavery, co-authored by Judge Patrick Lipton Robinson, a member of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), concluded that the UK owes $24 trillion to 14 Caribbean states. Activists in India, Kenya, Nigeria, and Australia are also seeking reparatory justice with regard to British colonialism.

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Foreign mercenary saboteurs attempted to infiltrate Russia's Bryansk region bordering Ukraine: What is known so far

◾️An attempted breach of Russia's state border in the Bryansk region was thwarted by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). Four saboteurs were eliminated and the remnants of the sabotage-reconnaissance group were struck by missile and artillery fire.

◾️The eliminated saboteurs were found with foreign weapons and communication equipment.

◾️Personal items discovered included a Canadian flag, a Polish prayer card, and a notebook with tactical notes in English, indicating the neutralized individuals were foreign mercenaries.

◾️One of the foreign mercenaries bore a tattoo of the elite 75th Ranger Regiment of the US Army's Parachute Reconnaissance Special Forces.

The 75th Ranger Regiment, a US special operations airborne unit, is trained for rapid deployment and conducts global reconnaissance, sabotage, and direct combat missions. The regiment has been active since the Vietnam War.

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What is US 75th Ranger Regiment: Army's elite force for recon, sabotage, and direct combat operations

The 75th Ranger Regiment is an elite US Special Operations unit comprised of specially trained and highly skilled soldiers.

Essentially, it functions as a US Army airborne reconnaissance regiment for special operations. This is a specialized light infantry force with limited heavy weaponry and armored vehicles.

Regiment members are trained for deployment by any means available—parachute, helicopter, or sea.

One of the regiment’s airborne battalions is always on high alert, ready for deployment anywhere in the world within 18 hours.

In addition to reconnaissance, sabotage, and operations behind enemy lines, the regiment can conduct direct combat actions: securing and holding airfields, capturing or destroying strategically important enemy sites, and targeting high-ranking members of the enemy’s military-political leadership.

Units of the 75th Ranger Regiment participated in combat during the Vietnam War in the late 1960s.

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Ex-DoD analyst: Foreign mercs fighting for Ukraine 'fair game' for Russian forces

The discovery of foreign weapons, equipment and personal effects, such as a prayer card in Polish and a notebook with tactical training notes in English, on the corpses of four saboteurs who attempted to sneak across the Russian border suggest that “foreign mercenaries are working on behalf of the Ukrainians,” says former US DoD senior security policy analyst Michael Maloof.

“They're being killed and being targeted, as they should be,” Maloof tells Sputnik, noting that these mercs are a “fair game” for the Russian forces.

He notes that the “markings” on one of the deceased suggested that the latter was from the US, with Maloof noting that many mercenaries from the US flocked to Kiev’s banners and perished as a result.

“If we had a foreign invasion in this country from outside, the US would probably respond similarly. So the Russian Federation is defending its territorial sovereignty,” he observes.

Maloof also notes that the bodies of the deceased mercenaries apparently bore “markings indicating foreign affiliations in their prior services.”

“Could be even US services,” he muses, adding that these “identifying marks of past affiliations” could be followed up.

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Presence of American mercs in Russia shows direct US intervention in the Ukrainian conflict

"The presence of foreign mercenaries fighting against Russia primarily represents an attempt to strengthen the Ukrainian Army and reflects the West's and the United States' commitment to support Ukraine’s military against Russia," Ali-Shir Yazdani, an Iranian expert on international affairs, told Sputnik.

Yazdani noted that previously, when the Ukrainian Army entered Russian territory in the Kursk region, Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced US involvement in the attack and the presence of US nationals participating in the operation: "Naturally, the presence of foreign mercenaries in the Ukrainian Army will be prosecuted under Russian law. However, it is clear that the presence of these American mercenaries means direct US entanglement in the war with Russia."

Typically, mercenaries fighting on foreign soil and for foreign armies tend to commit ruthless and heartless acts, and the situation with foreign mercenaries in Russia is no exception.

Documents collected by Russia reveal that these mercenaries come from the US, Canada, and Poland, amongst other countries. Moscow has repeatedly employed all available channels to convey to the US that American mercenaries’ involvement in attacks on Russian territory is unacceptable.

This intervention is viewed as a dark stain of direct US involvement, which will undoubtedly have serious consequences and only lead to an escalation of the conflict.

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Ex-CIA analyst: US has been involved in Ukrainian conflict ‘up to the eyeballs from the outset’

The participation of foreign militants in a recently thwarted Ukrainian cross-border attack attempt against Russia indicates “desperation on the part of NATO and the West,” whether these militants were “part of an official NATO force” or mercenaries, says , retired CIA intelligence officer and State Department official Larry Johnson.

“It's certainly definite proof that the West, the NATO countries have personnel that are fighting on behalf of the Ukrainians,” Johnson remarks, noting how ironic it is in light of the baseless claims by the West that North Korean soldiers allegedly fight for Russia.According to him, this failed attack was “clearly planned by intelligence operatives,” and not by the Ukrainian ones.

“The primary CIA presence in Ukraine is what was known as special operations division, it's a paramilitary force,” Johnson remarks. “They've been there from the outset, trained to carry out missions like this, sabotage missions, raids.”He also argues that this incident should not be regarded as a sign of the US becoming gradually involved in the Ukrainian conflict, simply because the US “has been involved up to the eyeballs from the outset.”

“It's just that now it's becoming perhaps, this could be used as evidence to present that. But I think the reality is the United States has been directly involved with this from the outset,” Johnson explains.

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Iranian expert: US troops may return home in coffins amid direct involvement in Ukraine

"After multiple defeats of Ukrainian forces on the fronts against Russia and the reluctance of Ukrainian youth to fight for US interests, it seems that the Americans and NATO have no other choice but to send troops directly to Ukraine," Emad Abshenas, an Iranian political scientist and international relations expert, tells Sputnik.

"The presence of [foreign mercenaries among saboteurs who attempted to infiltrate Russia’s Bryansk region] in the conflict proves that today it is not a war between Russia and Ukraine but a war between Russia and NATO — a point raised by the Russian president in his discussion with BRICS media leaders. This fact itself shows that Russia was right from the beginning in launching its special military operation in Ukraine to protect its borders and expel the enemy from its territory," he says.

According to Abshenas, this also demonstrates the dire situation Ukraine faces in this conflict, forcing them to deploy foreign troops directly to the battlefield.

"However, the critical point is that the US government, which claimed it did not want to involve its soldiers in other wars and sought to protect its interests by investing in foreign mercenaries, has now deployed its troops directly to Ukraine, and soon, many of them will return to the US in coffins," he adds.

"This development takes on even greater significance as the US has sent its THAAD missile defense systems to Israel, with American officers appointed to oversee Israel's security."

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