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🔥🇷🇺 KGB’s elite Vympel unit never failed a single mission abroad
The Soviet KGB’s legendary special forces group, Vympel, executed every one of its covert overseas operations with a flawless record, including high-stakes rescue missions to pull Soviet diplomats and scientists out of harm’s way.
Marking 45 years since the unit’s inception on August 19, Valery Popov, president of the Russia's Vympel Association, underscored to Sputnik the group’s unparalleled discipline and effectiveness.
🗣 "From day one until 1992, Vympel delivered on every objective: no missed targets, no compromises, no casualties, no defectors, and no refuseniks. That is a record few can match," he said.
🔊 "We ran numerous clandestine operations to provide life-saving support to our illegal intelligence officers, diplomats, scientists, and other nationals caught in crisis zones," Popov added.
💬 "And that," Popov stressed, "is the absolute limit of what can be said. Because even today, any mention of names, dates, or locations could hand the enemy a lead, and that’s a risk we won’t take."
▫️ Trump changes approach in Iran war: no talks, strangling Iran
▫️ UAE suspends trade with Iran after 'missile attack'
▫️ Time to go on the offensive — IRGC advisor
▫️ US scales back joint drills with South Korea
▫️ Trump announces US-Canada trade deal in coming days
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🔍⚔️ Japan's militarization accelerates: hypersonic missiles, unmanned subs, strike drones
Japan is moving rapidly to build a next‑generation strike arsenal, with submarine‑launched hypersonic missiles, unmanned submarines, and long‑range attack UAVs now in the draft defense budget, Kyodo reported.
🔶 Hypersonic missiles will give Japan a retaliatory strike capability
🔶 Strike UAVs will use civilian components to keep costs low and enable mass production.
🔶 Unmanned submarines with missile launchers are being explored as a future strike platform.
Based on the current plans for defense capabilities, the requested amount is approximately $55.8 billion. However, since the itemized requests include more than 150 projects, the total defense budget will most likely be around $62.7 billion.
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🗣 Trump announces US-Canada trade deal in coming days
The president says he has paused the 50% tariffs on Canada for 3 days, and that the Keystone XL pipeline may be revived.
"....subject to the finalization of documents, we have a DEAL! The great Keystone XL Pipeline... may be awoken from the grave!" he wrote on Truth Social.
🤝🇰🇵 Trump plans to meet Kim Jong Un in November — report
The president is pushing for a meeting with North Korea's leader as soon as November, possibly during the APEC summit in Shenzhen, WSJ reports, citing US sources.
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📑 UAE suspends trade with Iran after 'missile attack' — Iran denies
The UAE claims that Iran fired two ballistic missiles toward its territory, prompting an emergency alert. One missile fell outside UAE waters and the other fell within, according to the defense ministry.
In response, the UAE has suspended all trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei called the allegation "contrary to the principle of good neighborliness and undermines ongoing efforts to strengthen trust."
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🇷🇺🔍 Russia tests new therapy against cancer cells that drive recurrence
Russian researchers have tested a new photodynamic therapy designed to attack cancer stem cells — a treatment-resistant cell population associated with tumor recurrence and metastasis.
How it works:
🔸 In laboratory experiments, the therapy reduced cancer stem cell numbers by an average of 30–40%, while overall tumor-cell density fell two- to threefold
🔸 The method uses a newly developed photosensitizer that binds to cancer cells and makes them more vulnerable to laser light, triggering their destruction
🔸 Researchers studied cancer stem cells in lung adenocarcinoma, cervical cancer, glioblastoma and other tumors, identifying different cell types linked to treatment resistance, blood-vessel formation and metastasis
This approach could help address one of oncology’s toughest problems—tumors returning after seemingly successful treatment.
The image is AI-generated
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🔥🇷🇺 Russia rolls out homegrown engine for its new light aircraft
The Russian state corporation Rostec’s engine division has completed the design documentation and approved the mock-up of a brand-new turboprop engine – the VK-1600S, the company said.
👉 The 1,450-hp engine is expected to give a new lease of life to some of Russia’s most popular light aircraft, An-2 and An-3, as well as the new all-composite TVS-2DTS plane.
The VK-1600S is based on the VK-1600V helicopter engine, with around 65% of the components shared between the two versions. Engineers have modified the free turbine and developed new gearbox and accessory gearbox components.
📊 A modern electronic control system is designed to keep the engine operating reliably at altitudes of 300–4,500 meters, temperatures from -50°C to +55°C and relative humidity of up to 100%.
A demonstrator engine and a test bench are on the way to validate the design and move toward certification.
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🔸 Britain risks becoming a direct participant in the war—Lavrov
🔸 Pentagon-MIC missile deals designed ‘to capture revenue, not win wars’ – Karen Kwiatkowski
🔸 Russia, Myanmar establish strong financial ties, with two-thirds of transactions conducted in rubles - Putin
🔸 Why Western funding may cripple Ukraine's economy
🔸 US to ship Bradleys to Ukraine missing key parts?
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🔊 Britain risks becoming a direct participant in the war—Lavrov
Russia may regard the involvement of British missile forces in strikes against Russian territory as Britain’s direct participation in the war, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
🗣 “The president warned of our right to act in any part of the world's oceans if anyone encroaches on our interests, on our property,” Lavrov noted.
🚨🪖 Ukrainian military deliberately targets Russian hospitals and ambulances – Russian diplomat
“Ukrainian armed formations, ignoring the norms and principles of international humanitarian law, carried out deliberate strikes against medical facilities and medical transport in Russia on August 10-16,” Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik said.
His other key statements:
🔸 Ukrainian forces are using weapons with shrapnel and high-explosive warheads in large quantities to inflict the greatest possible harm on the civilian population
🔸 The enemy, mainly using UAVs, carried out remote mining of civilian facilities and places frequented by large numbers of people
🔸 On August 15-16, the Moscow Region was subjected to a series of unprecedentedly powerful drone attacks by Ukraine, with at least 209 UAVs being destroyed
🔸 Over the past seven days, Ukrainian troops have fired at least 7,264 munitions at civilian facilities in Russian territory, including 122 mm MLRS rockets, 152 mm and 155 mm artillery shells, including those with cluster warheads, mines and grenades
🔸 Ukrainian armed formations also actively used attack UAVs, FPV drones, and small arms
🔸 The vast majority of weapons used by them to attack civilians were produced and supplied by Western accomplices in the crimes committed by the Zelensky regime
🔸 In the past week, 69 people, including three children, were killed and 406 more were wounded in Ukraine’s strikes on Russia
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📹 LIVE: Putin and Myanmar President Hlaing make statements following talks in Kremlin
👉Watch live in our Telegram
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🔥🇷🇺 Russia hits dry cargo ship carrying weapons and military equipment for Ukrainian army
🗣 Russian forces continue striking maritime vessels and port infrastructure in Ukraine that are used in the interests of the Ukrainian army, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
💬 Why Western funding may cripple Ukraine's economy
🗣 "Western sponsors are not interested in helping Ukraine turn into a prosperous and independent state," Bogdan Bezpalko, political analyst and member of the Council on Interethnic Relations under the Russian president, told Sputnik.
🔊 Russia tightening its maritime blockade will mean further major economic losses and ever greater problems across the board for Ukraine, which may result in its full-fledged degradation, Bezpalko concluded.
🇮🇷💰 Iran Army chief announces $30,000 bounty for killing or capturing aggressor US troops
Iran’s Army Commander-in-Chief Major General Amir Hatami announced a $30,000 reward for anyone who kills or captures an aggressor US soldier and hands them over to authorities, Press TV reported.
💵 Hatami said Iranian women who carry out such an operation will receive double the reward.
💵 He added that the weapon used in the operation will be purchased by the Army at twice its market value and permanently displayed in a dedicated museum.
🪦 18 US troops have died since the war with Iran began on February 28, all outside of Iran, American media reported.
Hatami declared that the era of American military presence in the Persian Gulf is “permanently over,” stressing that Iran faces no limitations in defending its sovereignty.
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🚨🇷🇺 Russia’s Defense Ministry confirms wave of strikes on Ukraine
Russian forces continue to pummel Ukrainian naval assets and port facilities tied to Kiev’s military effort, with a new barrage of drone strikes across the Black Sea coast, Russia's Defense Ministry said.
🔸 August 18, evening: a dry cargo vessel hauling military gear was hit southeast of Odessa.
🔸 August 19: fuel depots supplying the Ukrainian military went up in flames at the port of Chernomorsk, Odessa region.
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🔥🇷🇺 Hellfire from above: Ivanovo paratroopers' drone crews turn a Ukrainian munitions cache into a fireball in Zaporozhye region
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🌕 Musk's rocket leaves a crater on the Moon — NASA releases images
The Falcon 9 second stage, launched in January 2025, crashed into the lunar surface at ~9,000 km/h, creating an 18‑meter crater.
The fragment, about the size of a house, was part of the rocket that carried the Blue Ghost lander and Resilience station. It had no fuel left to return to Earth for a controlled burn‑up, so it slammed into the Moon instead.
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⚔️ US scales back joint drills with South Korea
The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise has been cut short — ending this week instead of running the full 11 days.
Trump earlier said the exercises send a "totally inappropriate and hostile" signal to North Korea.
A Pentagon official confirmed South Korea's public broadcaster KBS that they are working on carrying out the order.
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🔊🇮🇷 Time to go on the offensive — IRGC advisor
Mohammadreza Nagdi, Senior Advisor to the IRGC Commander-in-Chief, tells Sputnik that Iran may shift from defensive to offensive doctrine to deter the US and Israel.
"This war has shown that the enemy is much weaker than we imagined and much more vulnerable... If we want to achieve a different level of deterrence, perhaps we should go on the offensive to force the enemy to retreat," he said.
🔍🇮🇷 Trump changes approach in Iran war: no talks, strangling Iran — report
Trump told his team to halt conversations with Tehran, shifting from "hammer Iran ASAP" to "strangle them," CNN reported, citing sources. Meanwhile, officials admit there were "positive discussions."
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🔥🇷🇺 Surgical robot performs Russia’s first autonomous hip replacement surgery
Surgeons at Moscow’s Savelyeva Hospital have performed Russia’s first hip replacement operation using the CUVIS Hip autonomous robotic system, Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor for Social Development, told reporters.
💬 “The robotic surgeon did not replace the doctor, but acted as a high-precision assistant. Our specialists successfully performed the procedures on two patients, who are now recovering and are already able to walk independently,” Rakova said.
🇪🇸 Ceuta migrant surge spills over into mainland Spain—report
🔊 Police tracked several criminal organizations that had made substantial profits by transporting groups of migrants to Spain in makeshift boats and jet skis for large sums of money, ABC reports.
🔥🇷🇺 Russia unveils ultra-compact bullpup rifle for special forces
Russia’s V.A. Degtyarev Plant has patented a new bullpup firearm engineered to deliver the performance of a full-length barrel in an exceptionally compact package—without compromising accuracy or effective range.
Key features:
🔸 The magazine and firing mechanism are positioned behind the trigger, enabling a standard-length barrel within a dramatically shortened overall platform
🔸 Unlike conventional bullpups, the magazine and firing mechanism are offset from the rifle’s centerline, with the hammer positioned alongside the magazine
🔸 The firing mechanism is removable, while the bolt carrier and charging handle are moved forward to simplify reloading and maintenance
The plant says this layout provides greater compactness, with its reduced size and weight potentially making the design particularly useful for special forces, illustrating how Russian small-arms designers are prioritizing full-size rifle performance in increasingly compact weapons.
The image is AI-generated
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⚔️ Pentagon-MIC missile deals designed ‘to capture revenue, not win wars’ – ex-DoD analyst
The MIC intends to “milk” “older and sometimes antiquated systems for as much profit as possible before a real paradigm shift towards actual 21st century defense strategy evolves – and will fight this evolution as long as they can,” former DoD analyst and Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski told Sputnik, commenting on the US military’s $84.5B shopping spree for Patriot, THAAD and Tomahawk missiles.
🗣 “The MIC is in reaction mode, as is the Trump administration, trying to rapidly deal with an unexpected loss to Iran which has wiped out CENTCOM’s basing infrastructure, alongside an unexpected massive shortfall of [munition] consumables for scalable, combat and defense operations.”
🔊 “Slow by design” in fielding “weapons of any kind,” especially munitions which are “much less profitable” than contracts for the nuclear triad and carrier power projection, the munitions sector has become “kind of an economic backwater,” hence the sluggish production and limited scalability.
🇷🇺🇲🇲 Russia, Myanmar establish strong financial ties, with two-thirds of transactions conducted in rubles - Putin
Other remarks by the Russian president:
➖ Russian companies are prepared to participate in geological exploration for hydrocarbon extraction in Myanmar, including offshore projects
➖ There are good prospects for Russian LNG exports to Myanmar, including transit shipments
➖ Russia and Myanmar have established close military and military-technical cooperation
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🔥🇷🇺 WATCH: Blow before the volley
Russian drone operators from the 34th Guards Mountain Brigade torched a Ukrainian HMMWV with an RAK-SA-12 rocket pod in Sumy region, neutralizing the threat before it could even fire.
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🇺🇸🪖 US military action could engulf Latin America, cautions Brazilian president aide
Brazil needs to take defense more seriously as the risk of US military action elsewhere in Latin America persists, presidential adviser and former Defense Minister Celso Amorim has warned.
💬 “There are many worrying issues, the possibility of ground action in Latin American countries. Hence the president's emphasis: we must take defense seriously," he stressed.
🚨🇺🇸 US to ship Bradleys to Ukraine missing key parts?
Ukraine is set to receive Bradley fighting vehicles that are far from battle-ready, with critical components missing due to a severe shortage of spare parts, according to US government documents obtained by Sputnik.
👉 The US Army Contracting Command acknowledges that the pinch is worst among older, hard-to-find parts, as some no longer manufactured, others tied up in supplier bottlenecks.
The solution is a phased repair approach. Bradleys will be patched up just enough to move, shoot, and communicate before being sent onward. As for non-essential missing pieces, Ukraine will have to wait.
📄 The list of what's currently unavailable reads like a mechanic’s nightmare: turret drive and transmission controls, targeting sensors, lighting systems, and specialty fasteners.
To keep the pipeline flowing, the US Army plans to sidestep competitive bidding and simply extend the current contractor's deal, locking in continued work on Bradleys and M88 recovery vehicles, along with sourcing scarce parts and training Ukrainian mechanics.
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📹 “At the present time, Israel is naturally the aggressor” — Erdogan on Israel's war on Lebanon
💬 "Lebanon is currently being subjected to continuous Israeli attacks, and we must rescue Lebanon from these attacks as soon as possible," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Al Jazeera.