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Middle East conflict

Israeli forces register 20 more munitions launched from Lebanon, fire artillery back

In addition, the press office reported skirmishes in two border settlements in northern parts of Israel

TEL AVIV, October 19. /TASS/. Israeli forces registered another salvo from Lebanon, with 20 munitions fired, the IDF press office said, adding that Israeli forces fire artillery in response.

"After the initial alarm reports in Western Galilee, about 20 launches from Lebanese territory towards Israeli territory were registered," the IDF said.

"The Israel Defense Forces opened artillery fire at the source," the military added.

Shortly before that, the IDF press office reported six rockets launched from Lebanon, with five rockets falling in unpopulated area and one being downed by Israeli air defense systems. After that, Israeli forces returned fire, the IDF reported.

In addition, the press office reported skirmishes in two border settlements in northern parts of Israel.

"We also received report of an anti-tank missile launched towards Dvoranit and small arms fired towards Zar’it. No injuries were reported," the IDF said.

The strike reports were preceded by notification of alarms going off in northern parts of Israel. Overall, the IDF press office issue five such notifications within one hour.

This is the first time such frequency of alarms was registered since the beginning of the new round of escalation in the region on October 7.

Middle East conflict

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Unless de-escalation is reached through diplomacy, Israel will have no other choice except to use all means for protection of its citizens, Danny Danon said

Senior Russian lawmaker warns that calls for long-range strikes open way to nuclear war

Vyacheslav Volodin commented on a recent resolution of the European Parliament to allow strikes inside Russia with Western weapons

Sixteen drones eliminated over Russia’s Bryansk Region

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Israel wants no war with Lebanon — ambassador to UN

Unless de-escalation is reached through diplomacy, Israel will have no other choice except to use all means for protection of its citizens, Danny Danon said

Only Lebanese hospitals, kindergartens used exploded pagers — Iranian ambassador

Multiple explosions of communication devices occurred in Lebanon on September 17 and 18

Hezbollah commanders wanted to repeat October 7 in northern Israel — General Staff

The IDF said that it had conducted a targeted strike in Beirut, adding that Ibrahim Aqil, a military commander of Hezbollah’s militia, was killed along with other top brass

Six Hezbollah elite unit Radwan commanders killed by Israel’s airstrike o Beirut

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Drones downed in southwest of Russia’s Tver Region

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The top Russian diplomat noted that he had good relations with many of his Israeli counterparts

Russia cautions Chisinau against involvement in Ukrainian conflict — Foreign Ministry

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Zelensky says Ukrainian troops in extremely difficult situation in two DPR areas

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Theft of Russian assets to nullify trust towards EU — MFA

Maria Zakharova pointed out that the European Union had lost independence

Report on alternative payment systems will be prepared by BRICS summit in Kazan — Lavrov

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Russia wants no nuclear war — Lavrov

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No more red lines for Israel, any Hezbollah radical is legitimate target — PM’s office

The Israel Defense Forces said earlier that a pinpoint strike was delivered on Beirut that killed Hezbollah Shiite militia commander Ibrahim Aqil and several other Hezbollah commanders

Russia to explain risks of cooperation with NATO to post-Soviet countries — MFA

"No doubt, such voyages of representatives of the aggressive military bloc do not contribute to regional stability and security," Maria Zakharova said

Twenty Hezbollah commanders killed in Israeli strike on Beirut — Axios

The news website cited a senior Israeli official who confirmed that Israel had not informed the US in advance of the preparations for the attack on Beirut, "but briefed senior US officials on the matter immediately after it was carried out"

Cases against Ukrainian servicemen: situation in Kursk Region

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West is persuading Ukraine to give up claims to 1991 borders — legislator

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Russian forces strike Ukrainian energy facilities, troops last night — top brass

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Over 6,200 Kursk Region residents evacuated from border areas over week

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Ukrainian drones attack Kamenka-Dneprovskaya in Zaporozhye Region

"Another cynical attack by terrorists for whom nothing is sacred," Governor Yevgeny Balitsky said

US’ new military aid package for Ukraine to be worth $375 mln — agency

According to Reuters, the new package will include patrol boats, additional munitions for high-mobility artillery rocket systems

Russia calls on UN to give honest assessment of sanctions' impact on Syria — envoy

Vasily Nebenzya stressed that Russia was waiting for the UN to "send a clear signal to Western donors regarding the need to lift unilateral illegal sanctions and actively support long-term development reconstruction"

Up to 62 flights of Ukrainian drones reported near ZNPP every day — Russian diplomat

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Businessman probably related to exploding gadgets in Lebanon missing in Norway

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Russia’s Akhmat special force destroys military storage facility in Kursk direction

Akhmat also eliminated one armored personnel carrier and one self-propelled artillery weapon, the deputy chief of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces Apty Alaudinov said

Florida court rules to arrest Russian citizen Postovoy, take him to Washington

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Iran warns about pending response to Israel after Hamas leader Haniyeh’s killing

The head of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s office slammed human rights activists for practicing double standards, when they are "silent while 41,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, mostly women and children, have been killed by the cruel Zionist regime"

Ukrainian breakthrough attempts thwarted: developments in Kursk Region

The Russian military repelled three attempts by the Ukrainian military to break through the border near Novy Put, Malaya Obukhovka and Medvezhye

North Korea convinced Russia to win special military operation in Ukraine — top diplomat

"The North Korean people express their support for the Russian people in their just struggle," Choe Son Hui stressed

Fourteen dead in Beirut airstrike - Lebanese Health Ministry updates casualty statistics

The local civil defense service reported that a search and rescue operation was still underway in the al-Qaim neighborhood, where two residential buildings had collapsed

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Hezbollah handing out pagers hours before their detonation — agency

The sources said that the Shiite movement did not have any specific suspicions about these pagers and their "checks had been part of a routine 'sweep' of its equipment to find any indications that they were laced with explosives"

Evacuation starts in Kuban settlement due to explosion after drone fragments fall

Two unmanned aerial vehicles have been downed near Tikhoretsk

Lifting ban on strikes deep into Russia won't help Ukraine much — Pentagon

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, for his part, said that Moscow was aware of the West's decision to attack deep into Russian territory and to send appropriate signals to Kiev

Russian Su-34 bomber destroys Ukrainian manpower, equipment in Kursk area

After receiving a confirmation from reconnaissance that the Ukrainian army’s temporary disposition location had been destroyed, the crew safely returned to the airfield of departure

EU will grant loan to Kiev that will be paid from frozen Russian assets — EC president

Ursula von der Leyen stressed that 35 billion euros is the part which the European countries will contribute to the 45 billion euro loan approved by the G7 in Italy in the summer

Press review: BRICS challenges existing security concepts and Europe's economy in trouble

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, September 13th

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The delivery was organized as part of military cooperation between Russia and Mali to boost defense and security ties

Russia fully ready to defend its interests in Arctic — Lavrov

The minister to say that NATO is becoming increasingly interested in the Arctic region

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Serbian citizens sincerely appreciate Putin - deputy PM

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Scholz says Germany not to send Kiev missiles ‘capable of reaching as far as Moscow’

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Russia-Africa summit to be held in 2-3 years on African continent — Lavrov

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"The West continues to supply arms and money to the Kiev regime, propose pseudo-peace initiatives, and try to rally as many countries as possible to their side," Maria Zakharova said

Ukrainian forces create concentration camps in Russian border areas — diplomat

Maria Zakharova pointed out that one of the Ukrainian prisoners of war reported an attack on a passenger train being prepared in the Kursk Region

Stoltenberg's statements on use of long-range missiles against Russia senseless — MFA

According to the outgoing NATO Secretary-General, Ukraine's use of long-range missiles will not lead to the alliance being drawn into a conflict with Russia

Turkey’s top diplomat confirms Ankara seeks to join BRICS

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Russia, China launch joint naval exercise in Vladivostok — Pacific Fleet

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"Most positions around the city, including those at the most important sites and heights are Russian, the whole city is exposed to fire," the sources explained

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"The situation in those areas which are under the control of the Ukrainian militants is extraordinary, of course," Dmitry Peskov stated

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Together with Ibrahim Aqil at least six commanders of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force died in the airstrike

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According to Major General Apty Alaudinov, the entire frontline in moving forward, with Ukrainian soldiers surrendering

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As a result of active actions, the group took more advantageous lines and inflicted damage on formations of six brigades of the enemy

Russian prime minister approves list of countries imposing destructive attitudes

It includes the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan and other states

Attempts made to provoke Hezbollah with aim of US interference in war — Lavrov

Lavrov pointed put that without this, recurrent outbreaks of violence will never stop in the Middle East

Some 101 Ukrainian drones intercepted in Russian regions, Azov Sea overnight — ministry

Air defenses eliminated UAVs over eight regions, Defense Ministry said

Russia's newest satellites to change course of Ukrainian conflict — former UN inspector

According to Ritter this conflict would become "unsustainable for the Ukrainian sometime by the end of summer, early fall"

Lavrov says he agrees with Trump about destructiveness of sanctions for US dollar

The Russian foreign minister stressed that, despite the continued dependence of many economies on the dollar, the risk of this phenomenon has already been recognized

EP resolution regarding strikes on Russia madness, EU seeks war — French politician

According to Florian Filippot, France should urgently withdraw from the EU and advocate for a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict

Ukrainian troops retreat from village near Artyomovsk in DPR — Russian officers

The enemy fled from near Andreyevka where it has long been holding positions, it has retreated, law enforcement officers said

Battlegroup North liberates two settlements in Kursk Region this week

Apart from that, according to the report, Russian aircraft struck areas of deployment of manpower and weapons of the Ukrainian army’s three mechanized, one tank, and two assault brigades

First five Baikal aircraft will be delivered in 2026 — minister

"It has been decided that we will switch to the domestic VK-800 engine," Anton Alikhanov said

Ukrainian troops attack two settlements in Russia’s Belgorod region, leaving no casualties

Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov added that in the settlement of Murom, the Shebekinsky district, the windows of a private house were broken out, the roof and fence were damaged due to a drone attack

Kiev and EU open joint defense innovation office — Ukrainian Defense Minister

According to him, the so-called IT coalition of 13 countries has already attracted more than 70 million euros for the needs of Ukraine

Kremlin slams Poland's idea to revise Crimea's status 'absurd'

"Russian territory and Russian regions cannot be the subject of any discussion or transfer to anyone," Dmitry Peskov emphasized

Russia, China do not need to create military alliance — Lavrov

Those relations are the best in the whole history of ties that existed between two countries, Foreign Minister added

Russia offers safe haven for people trying to escape Western liberal ideals

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This substation is engaged in supplying power to the plant’s infrastructure facilities, the plant said in a statement on its Telegram channel

Researchers from Siberia’s Tomsk who partnered with CERN start working at home

All eight researchers from the university who took part in mega science research have already returned to Russia

Strikes at Beirut and shelling of Lebanon: escalation on Lebanese-Israeli border

The IDF has also intensified the hostilities in the northern direction and started carrying out massive airstrikes at Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

Russia welcomes normalization of Iran’s relations with Arab countries — Lavrov

It is in the interests of both Iran and its Arab countries to establish "friendly, normal, goods relations," Russian Foreign Minister added

Hezbollah attacks Israeli military headquarters in Ein-Zeitim

The statement said that the Shiite units conducted these operations in response to the Israeli Air Force strikes on Lebanese populated localities

Kadyrov send two more Cybertucks to special military operation zone

"The electric car’s mobility, comfort and maneuverability are what is needed here," the Chechen leader said

Press review: US shifts rhetoric on Ukraine and walkie-talkie explosions rock Lebanon

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, September 19th

Two-thirds of Abrams tanks in Ukraine already destroyed — Russia’s deputy OSCE envoy

As Maxim Buyakevich noted, the discussion is afoot in the West about the possibility of using high-accuracy long-range weapons against facilities deep inside Russian territory

Ten Ukrainian drones destroyed over Russia’s Bryansk Region — governor

There are no casualties or damage

Russia’s air defenses repel massive attack on Bryansk region, taking down over 50 drones

Russian Defense Ministry’s air defense forces intercepted or destroyed 53 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles

Russian troops repulse ten Ukraine’s counterattacks near Kremennaya in LPR in one week

The enemy is being actively knocked out as it acts near Chervonaya Dibrova, Ternov

Russia sanctions likely to dilute US dollar’s dominance, IMF says

Radical restrictive measures imposed by Western countries may contribute to the emergence of small currency blocs based on trade between certain groups of states, IMF’s first deputy managing director Gita Gopinath pointed out

US carries out mock electronic launch of Minuteman III ICBM

Such test deployments of Minuteman III missiles without an actual launch are being carried out twice a year at various air bases, the statement says

US volunteer Russel Bentley missing in Donetsk killed — RT editor-in-chief

Bentley came to Donbass from the United States in 2014

Ukrainian troops captured: situation in Kursk Region

In total, the enemy has lost over 11,800 servicemen since fighting began in the region

US to step up efforts to limit Russia’s fuel exports, defense imports – White House

Sanctions and export controls are "our tools", US Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics Daleep Singh said

Medvedev allows use of nuclear weapons by Russia when ‘patience runs out’

The politician underscored that no one really needs a nuclear conflict - it is "a very bad story with a very difficult outcome."

Russian Federation Council Speaker calls detonations in Lebanon a 'heinous attack'

Valentina Matviyenko noted that Russia’s position regarding the ongoing escalation in the Middle East was "clearly stated by the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Representative to the UN"

UN human rights commissioner slams blasts in Lebanon as war crime

The UN official called for bringing those behind these blasts to responsibility under international law and protecting civilians in conflict zoes

Nazi Germany’s Gestapo officers accompanied Katyn commission

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FIDE General Assembly to consider full-fledged access of Russian athletes

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Zelensky may be overthrown if Ukraine fails to hold elections — Ukrainian MP

Ukraine is still facing the question of the legitimacy of power in the absence of parliamentary and presidential elections, which cannot be held during martial law

Ukrainian forces in difficult situation in Kursk Region, try gain foothold — commander

Major General Apty Alaudinov added that, on Thursday, he visited the rightmost flank of the Russian troops on the Kursk direction - near cities of Rylsk and Lgov

More than 25 aerial targets downed over Kherson region, Sea of Azov — governor

No injuries were caused