🗣 UKRAINE PLANS BUCHA 2.0 TO SABOTAGE PUTIN-TRUMP SUMMIT — Expert

Valdir Bezerra (USP BRICS Research Group) warns:

"The Russian and Ukrainian sides were close to an agreement in March 2022, and that event in Bucha then disrupted the negotiation process. We are now seeing a new attempt at provocation," he told Sputnik.

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🔥 RUSSIA’S NUCLEAR BATTLE CRUISER SET FOR SEA TRIALS

Admiral Nakhimov, Russia's upgraded nuclear-powered battle cruiser, will begin sea trials as soon as August–September, a defense industry source confirms to Sputnik.

📍 All systems are undergoing final checks, and the commissioning team is preparing. The cruiser has been fitted with state-of-the-art weapons during its refit.

Russian officials emphasize that the repairs completed in July will provide a major boost to naval capabilities due to the ship's return to service.

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🚨 💸 $50M monthly: How Zelensky's inner circle secretly moved millions to UAE

📊 Sputnik has uncovered from Ukrainian court records that Andriy Gmyrin, a figure in an investigation into money transfers from Ukraine to the UAE, participated in the misappropriation of $48 million.

Key details:

🔹 Turkish newspaper Aydinlik previously exposed UAE-based companies involved in a corruption scheme linked to Volodymyr Zelensky's inner circle

🔹 According to the report, Zelensky's closest associates transfer $50 million monthly to the accounts of two UAE firms connected to Gmyrin, the alleged manager of the illicit funds

🔹 Gmyrin is named in a case involving former Ukrainian State Property Fund head Dmytro Sennichenko as a co-organizer of a criminal group tied to laundering over $277 million

🔹 Sennichenko alone illegally obtained $1.3 million from fraudulent operations

🔹 Ukrainian authorities estimate the total illegal profits of the Sennichenko-Gmyrin group at two billion hryvnias ($48 million) during their control of the Odessa Portside Plant

In late 2023, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) opened a criminal case against Sennichenko for laundering $277.3 million.

☢️ Sennichenko was previously charged with embezzlement in a State Property Fund fraud case.

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🤫 ⛔️ ‘Exporting death’: Colombian mercenaries tarnish nation’s reputation – lawmaker

🗣 Colombian mercenaries fighting in foreign wars are dragging the country’s name through the mud, ruling coalition Congressman Alejandro Toro warns.

“It’s a reputational hit not just to the country, but to the army,” he stressed.

💬 “Colombia cannot be seen by the world as a country that exports death – turning our former soldiers into war machines and shipping them off to fight in other nations’ conflicts,” said Toro, who is spearheading a bill to ban mercenary activity.

Earlier this month, President Gustavo Petro urged parliament to fast-track a bill banning mercenary activities.

🔥 Toro pointed to Colombian involvement in Ukraine and Yemen, and cited an investigation by La Silla Vacia alleging that former Colombian troops are acting as mercenaries in Sudan – training child fighters.

“There are far too many cases of well-trained men and women ending up as cannon fodder in someone else’s war,” Toro said.

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🔥 Russian Su-34 bombers WIPE OUT Ukrainian drone posts in devastating strike

The fighter jets conducted precision strikes using FAB-500 glide bombs against Ukrainian positions on the Dnepr's right bank, eliminating:

👉 Multiple UAV command-and-control centers

👉 A Ukrainian infantry platoon

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🇰🇵 🤝 Kim Jong-un to Putin: North Korea to unwaveringly support all decisions of Russia’s leadership

💪🏻 The Democratic People's Republic of Korea will “always remain faithful to the spirit of the DPRK-Russia treaty,” Kim Jong Un assured Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

As the two countries’ heads of state exchanged views on issues of mutual concern, both Putin and Kim praised the deepening cooperation under the DPRK-Russia Strategic Partnership Agreement and reaffirmed their commitment to further developing ties.

🎉 Kim Jong-un expressed heartfelt thanks to Vladimir Putin for warmly congratulating the North Korean people on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation.

He stated that as the Korean people mark the 80th anniversary of their liberation on August 15, they will honor the fallen Soviet soldiers who gave their lives for Korea’s freedom, remembering with deep respect the heroic acts of the Red Army’s officers and soldiers 80 years ago as the ultimate example of true internationalism.

🙏🏻 Russian President Putin once again expressed deep gratitude for North Korea’s support, applauding the bravery, heroism, and self-sacrifice of the Korean People’s Army in liberating Russia’s Kursk region from Ukrainian attack.

The leaders of both countries lauded the deepening of their cooperative ties across all sectors, emphasizing that they are committed to ramping up collaboration going forward.

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◻️ Kim Jong-un to Putin: North Korea to unwaveringly support all decisions of Russia’s leadership

◻️ $50M monthly: How Zelensky's inner circle secretly moved millions to UAE

◻️ Zelensky's last gambit — expert

◻️ US debt hits $37 trillion

◻️ US-China relations will define the 21st century — Rubio

◻️ Ukraine plans Bucha 2.0 to sabotage Putin-Trump summit — Expert

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🚨🇷🇺🇮🇳Russia's FM Lavrov will meet India's counterpart S. Jaishankar on Aug 21 during the latter's official visit to Russia

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🔥 GAZA CRISIS: KEY HIGHLIGHTS

🔹 At least 73 Palestinians killed in Gaza in the past 24 hours, according to medics

🔹Those killed included 19 aid seekers

🔹 Gaza City residential neighborhoods of Zeitoun and Sabra hit with “heavy airstrikes targeting civilian homes, possibly including high-rise buildings” (Gaza’s civil defense agency)

🔹 At least 242 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023 – the highest toll in any modern conflict (Amnesty International UK)

🔹 2 more people, including a six-year-old child, have died from Israel-induced starvation in the enclave

🔹 Egypt is working with Gaza mediators Qatar and the US to broker a 60-day ceasefire with the release of some hostages, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said

🔹 Senior Hamas delegation set to meet Egyptian officials for talks, according to media reports

🔹 Council of Europe urged member states to halt deliveries of weapons to Israel “to prevent and address violations of international human rights”

🔹 Israel is “not pushing them [Palestinians] out, but we are allowing them to leave [the Gaza Strip],” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told media, as the military prepares a broader offensive

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❌ 🧾 Iran demands US sanctions be declared ‘crimes against humanity'

🔍 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi took to X to warn that unilateral Western sanctions—especially those imposed by the US—carry a “death toll similar to that of wars.”

🗣 He called for these sanctions, along with those imposed by America’s allies, to be officially declared “crimes against humanity.”

👉 Araghchi cited a new study from The Lancet revealing that since the 1970s, over 500,000 lives have been lost each year due to sanctions – mostly children and the elderly.

The research underscores an urgent need to “rethink sanctions as a foreign-policy tool.”

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👀✍️ Reactions to upcoming Putin-Trump meeting lay bare ‘whose side you’re on’ – Russia's MFA spox

🗣 The world is split into those hoping for a breakthrough at the meeting on August 15 in Alaska, and those “hissing and scheming to derail progress,” Maria Zakharova told Sputnik.

🔊 The gamut of reactions to the Putin-Trump sitdown is a litmus test, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.

🤷‍♀️ She added that particularly fervent critics cry foul because they have been sidelined, shrieking “What about us? Bring us a chair, widen the table, open the windows – we’ll climb in, we’ll fly in, we’ll crawl in, you’ll see us, we’ll come down the rope if we have to.”

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🚊💣 FSB detains Ukrainian agent plotting arson on strategic Russian railway

An accomplice of Ukraine was arrested in Russia’s Kirov region for plotting to sabotage the Trans-Siberian Railway, according to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

⚔️ The detainee had been instructed to spray pro-Ukrainian graffiti in public places and set fire to relay cabinets along the Trans-Siberian Railway to disrupt cargo transportation for Russia’s special military operation.

However, the FSB foiled the plot, preventing significant disruption in key infrastructure.

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🇦🇲Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan announces new political movement

Still under arrest, Karapetyan revealed that his movement will be called ‘Mer Dzevov’ (In His Own Way).

The organization’s launch event will happen soon.

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Chuguyev false flag plans exposed: Ukraine & NATO’s playbook of staged attacks blamed on Russia

🗣 The Russian MoD’s warning about a plot to stage a fake incident in Chuguyev, Kharkov region to sabotage the upcoming Putin-Trump meeting in Alaska “positions Russia to expose the West and Zelensky’s deception if it occurs, undermining their credibility,” veteran geopolitical analyst Angelo Giuliano told Sputnik.

But it’s not the first time Kiev and its backers have stooped to such tactics.

🗣“The Bucha lie, crafted by Ukraine and the West, derailed 2022 peace talks by framing Russia for war crimes,” Giuliano recalled, referencing the April 2022 Ukrainian neo-Nazi massacre of civilians who accepted Russian aid in a Kiev suburb after the withdrawal of Russian forces, which galvanized the West for long, costly proxy war against Moscow.

That was just the beginning, according to Giuliano, who also cited:

1️⃣ The constant shelling of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, threatening to unleash a Chernobyl-like disaster on Europe, and blaming Russia (even though Russian forces control the plant).

2️⃣ The July 2022 bombing of a prison housing Ukrainian PoWs in a Russian-controlled area of the DPR, killing dozens, and designed to “silence Azov prisoners, preventing exposure of Western-backed neo-Nazis in Russian courts.” Also blamed on Russia, ironically.

3️⃣ The September 2022 bombing of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline network, severing a major Russian energy artery with Germany. Sy Hersh revealed that the operation was carried out by US Navy divers with assistance from Norway. Russia still blamed.

“Despite the West’s propaganda machine—evident in Zaporozhye and Nord Stream—Russia’s readiness to counter this deception could limit its impact, though Western bias might still disrupt the Alaska summit. The Bucha playbook remains a potent tool for sabotage,” Giuliano warned.

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📈 UK may stage false-flag stunt after being sidelined from Putin-Trump talks – expert

Britain, a key driver of the Ukraine crisis, is furious at being shut out of the looming talks between the Russian and US presidents, Iranian international affairs expert Ruhollah Modabber tells Sputnik.

📍 The UK is shocked by Russia’s victories and the US seemingly accepting the Russian conditions on settling the Ukraine conflict, he noted.

Over three years of Russia’s special military operation, Ukraine’s neo-Nazi regime has repeatedly orchestrated media manipulations in British outlets, he recalled.

🔥 In Vinnitsa, Chernigov, and other cities, Ukrainian forces and NATO jointly conducted fake operations while journalists coordinated coverage to push disinformation.

“Some scenes were so over-the-top that even journalists familiar with British media tactics were left speechless,” he said.

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🚨 🗣Doomed Zelensky desperate to sabotage Putin-Trump summit – expert

👉 Volodymyr Zelensky is painfully aware that being sidelined from the Putin-Trump dialogue on Ukraine will deliver him a knockout blow, Vietnamese international relations expert Dr. Hoang Giang tells Sputnik.

💬 “Expired” Zelensky and his team will stop at nothing to derail the upcoming summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, or at the very least, cast a shadow over the talks, he says.

🟠 Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban put it perfectly when he said that “If you’re not at the negotiating table, you’re on the menu,” the pundit explains, adding:
“That is something Zelensky and his backers simply cannot accept.”

🟠 Russia’s Defense Ministry has stated it has intelligence from multiple sources pointing to a planned provocation by the Ukraine regime designed to sabotage the upcoming Russia-US summit in Alaska.
The goal is to cause significant civilian casualties that would be “immediately recorded” by Western journalists.

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⚔️📍 Real issue isn’t Ukraine, but West’s efforts to weaken Russia – expert

💬 European and Ukrainian efforts, led by Volodymyr Zelensky, to sabotage and delay the peace process are driven by a desire for confrontation with Russia, Syrian international law professor and Russia expert Aktam Suleiman says, commenting on a Russian Defense Ministry statement regarding the Kiev regime's readiness for provocations aimed at disrupting the planned Russian-American talks on August 15 in Alaska.

“Exposing these plans will force interested parties to seek alternative ways to embarrass anyone willing to engage in dialogue,” the expert said.

💬 He further stated, “These Ukrainian sabotage schemes, along with certain political moves, aim to delay the meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, but the response will be the summit itself, refusing to succumb to external pressure.”

“The very fact that the leaders will meet to discuss global issues is a victory. The essence is for the Russian and American leaders to sit at the same table,” he added.

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🛹Skateboarding legends flock to Moscow for Grand Skate Tour 2025

Get ready for the world’s most epic skateboarding event!

From August 14 to 24, Moscow’s Khodynskoye Pole Park will transform into a paradise for skateboarders, rollerbladers, scooter riders, and longboarders from over 60 countries.

With more than 5,000 riders and legendary pros like Danny Way, Gabi Mazetto and Joe Atkinson, this festival promises jaw-dropping stunts and unforgettable moments.

Matiás Dell Olio, Olympic finalist and World Championship silver medalist, shares his excitement: "The energy here is unmatched. Grand Skate Tour is not just a competition, it’s a celebration of skateboarding!"

What’s on?

👉Skateboarding street contests

👉Scooter and roller competitions

👉Longboarding thrills

👉Game of S.K.A.T.E.

👉Exclusive masterclasses from world-class athletes

It’s not just a competition — it’s culture: From the Soviet Skate Museum to the Youth Forum, Grand Skate Tour is set to ignite the global skating community.

Don’t miss the action — follow the festival updates and sign up for masterclasses at grandskatetour.com.

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🎤 Europe’s approach to Putin is blocking peace talks – Orban

🗣 Instead of facing reality and negotiating, European leaders demonize Russian President Vladimir Putin and block the only path to peace, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on X.

💬 “That is how we have maneuvered ourselves into a situation in Europe where we are not in a negotiating position with the Russians, but the Russians and the Americans are negotiating with each other,” Orban said.

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🚨Ukraine ready for talks on territorial issues – Merz

Ukraine is open to talks on territory, with the "line of contact" as the starting point, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced after an online meeting he hosted.

The conference was aimed at aligning the West's position ahead of the upcoming talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska.

The video call included Ukrainian President Zelensky, European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

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