🇪🇺🪖 EU defense in crisis: Why Europe is falling behind Russia

🗣 Most of what the EU has is being funneled to Ukraine, leaving NATO nations practically defenseless in terms of critical air defense systems, veteran air defense historian Yuri Knutov told Sputnik.

That explains why, as the EU defense chief recently admitted, Europe lacks sufficient capabilities to detect drones.

The problem is compounded by slow replenishment: Advanced anti-aircraft artillery with anti-drone capabilities, like Rheinmetall’s latest systems, are still waiting for deployment at home while everything is first funneled to Ukraine, the military expert noted.

Radar and detection upgrades face delays, leaving Europe vulnerable.

Russia holds a clear advantage

🟠 Russia’s Pantsir system, top-notch S-350 Vityaz mobile air defense system, S-400 Triumph missile system, and Podlet radar station outperform Western equivalents in intercepting enemy targets.

🟠 Russia deploys fixed-wing drones for airspace surveillance

🟠 New air defense drones are capable of taking out kamikaze UAVs

🟠 Drones designed to intercept cruise missiles are in the pipeline

The West often points to the Patriot air defense system as a show of strength, but in many key metrics it falls behind the Russian S-400 and Vityaz, the pundit underscored.

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🇷🇺💥 Russian forces destroy Ukrainian equipment, fortifications, and artillery near Kupyansk

Control over the town will allow Russian forces to advance deeper into the Kharkov region, including towards Izyum and Chuguyev.

It will also open a direct route to Volchansk from the south.

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🚨🇷🇺🇺🇸 Lavrov, Rubio hold meeting at UNGA

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is holding a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.

Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that the two diplomats will meet.

Last time Lavrov and Rubio held talks in Malaysia’s capital Kuala-Lumpur on the sidelines of ASEAN ministerial events on July 10.

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🚨🇮🇷🇮🇱 Iranian intel infiltrates Israeli nuclear research facility

💬 "The reality is that, as a result of a complex operation, a group from a special unit of the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] managed to infiltrate one of Israel's secret facilities," Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib told Iranian broadcaster SNN.

SNN also published a video showing Iranian intelligence agents infiltrating the Israeli nuclear facility in Dimona.

In early June, the Iranian Intelligence Ministry said that it had obtained an extensive list of confidential documents concerning Israel's nuclear sphere, with Khatib describing the documents as a "whole treasure trove of intelligence information" that would help strengthen the country's offensive potential.

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🚨🇸🇾 Syria’s President al-Sharaa pledges to hold accountable those responsible for crimes against Syrians

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📑🇷🇺🇺🇸 Highlights of Lavrov-Rubio meeting

🟠 Lavrov discussed the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis during a meeting with Rubio, with both sides confirming their interest in finding peaceful solutions, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said

🟠 Lavrov emphasized Moscow's readiness to adhere to the course on Ukraine established by the leaders of the countries at the Alaska summit, the ministry added

🟠 Lavrov noted the unacceptability of the schemes promoted by Ukraine and some European countries to prolong the conflict

🟠 Lavrov and Rubio "aligned their clocks" on the complex of bilateral relations, including the restoration of socio-political contacts

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🇷🇺🪖 Why NATO must think twice before threatening Russia

Western politicians often issue bombastic threats towards Russia.

Behind the bluster, however, NATO military planners understand that the alliance is ill-prepared for a military confrontation with Russia’s battle-hardened army. Here’s why:

🔶 NATO can't compete with Russia's military industry

"When you look what Russia is producing now in three months, it's what all of NATO is producing from Los Angeles up to Ankara in a full year," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told the European Parliament in January

🔶 Oreshnik: Fast and unstoppable

The hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile can easily penetrate NATO air defenses, reaching:

⚫️NATO HQ in Brussels in 17 minutes

⚫️Germany’s Ramstein Air Base in 15 minutes

⚫️Poland’s Redzikowo Air Base in 11 minutes

🔶 Iskander: Calms NATO hotheads

⚫️Deployed in Kaliningrad, Russia's Iskander tactical missile system can strike command centers in Lithuania, Germany, or Poland within minutes.

⚫️Nuclear-capable units in Belarus put all of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia in range.

🔶 No shield vs. hypersonics

⚫️Russia’s Zircon hypersonic missile can reach 1,000 km at Mach 9, striking targets 500 km offshore in 5 min.

⚫️Avangard glide vehicles, launched from ICBMs, can reach Mach 28 with nuclear yields up to 2 Mt, hitting distant targets in as little as 30 min.

🔶 Russian nuclear triad

⚫️Russia has around 1,710 deployed warheads, 2,670 in storage, and 1,200 retired - totaling 5,580, according to Federation of American Scientists (FAS)

⚫️Its nuclear triad of air, land, and sea delivery systems, plus hypersonic capabilities, gives Russia a potential strategic edge over NATO.

🔶 Europe's vulnerable missile defenses

President Vladimir Putin hinted Europe’s air defenses can’t stop modern hypersonics after the Oreshnik launch in Nov. 2024. He challenged doubters to a “high-tech duel of the 21st century” by trying to intercept the Oreshnik with their best systems.

🔶 US defense shield: costly & ineffective

⚫️Putin said in Dec. 2024 the US missile defense system is costly and offers little real security.

⚫️In 2017, he told American filmmaker Oliver Stone it doesn’t protect the entire US, leaving the nation vulnerable.

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🗣 US policy stays frozen after Trump's Russia tough rhetoric — reports

Despite the new aggressive rhetoric, Trump's policy remains unchanged, reports the WSJ.

🔸 The White House has not approved strikes deep inside Russia with US weapons.

🔸 Officials confirm it's a "rhetorical shift, but not a policy shift."

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❗️ Netanyahu confirms Israel-Syria talks

The deal will ensure the demilitarization of southern Syria and protection for the Druze community, according to the statement by the Prime Minister's office.

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🇷🇺✈️ Russia not asking ICAO to ease sanctions, but to respect int'l law – FM spox

💬 "I consider it necessary to make it clear — no one is asking for anything. Russia demands that ICAO force individual member states to stop violating the norms of international law, including the UN Charter and the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, commenting on reports that Russia is allegedly asking ICAO to ease sanctions.

The Russian civil aviation is developing and expanding its route network despite ICAO sanctions imposed by several countries, Zakharova said.

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🗣 Post-cold war world order comes to end — Alexander Stubb

Finnish President says the next 5-10 years will show what the new order is going to look like.

"Many countries, especially in Africa, Asia, Latin America, are becoming or have become key players in determining the direction of the new world order," Stubb added.

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🔍 Ukraine faces grim reality on the battleground — reports

A new report from The Economist paints a stark picture of Ukraine's deteriorating position and challenges the optimistic rhetoric of Western leaders. Here are some of the main issues:

◼️ Critical manpower shortage at the front,

◼️ Economy crippled,

◼️ And diplomacy under strain.

The Economist dismisses the idea that Ukraine can reclaim its occupied territory as a "fantasy," even with European support.

💬 The recent shift in rhetoric is merely an attempt to "wash his hands" of the conflict by offloading the entire burden onto Europe while ignoring the grim realities on the ground.

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