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Middle East conflict

Hamas Politburo sees Israel's position as an obstacle to hostage deal — portal

Walla reported that the head of the movement's Politburo asked the mediators to appeal to the US administration with a request to stop Israeli aggression

TEL AVIV, July 14. /TASS/. Chairman of the Politburo of the Palestinian Hamas movement, Ismail Haniyeh, held consultations with the mediators in the negotiations with Israel and called on them to help stop the aggression in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli news portal Walla reported.

According to the news portal, Haniyeh spoke with officials from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and Oman on Saturday evening and assured them that Hamas had acted "responsibly regarding the latest proposal for a hostage deal, but the position of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, including the new conditions it has put forward, and today's Israeli massacre in Gaza create obstacles to reaching an agreement."

It is reported that the head of the movement's Politburo asked the mediators to appeal to the US administration with a request to stop Israeli aggression.

On May 31, US President Joe Biden announced the terms of a new draft agreement on a peace settlement in Gaza, which consists of three stages. The first stage is designed for six weeks and involves a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated areas, the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons. During this period, the parties should begin negotiations, and the ceasefire will remain in effect until mutual understanding is reached. The second stage involves the release of all hostages, including military personnel. The third stage is the restoration of the Gaza Strip and the transfer of the remains of the dead Israelis to their families.

Finnish PM says it’s too early to reopen crossings on border with Russia

It would be in the interests of both countries to open the border but now there are no conditions for that, Petteri Orpo said

Russian forces conduct massive strike on Ukrainian communication systems in Kherson Region

Vladimir Saldo pointed out that Russian paratroopers had used quadcopters loaded with explosives to wipe out a large number of Starlink antennas on the right bank of the Dnieper

EU keeping quiet about Ukraine's Kursk attack for fear of negative consequences — media

According to the unnamed European diplomat, the EU leaders’ silence is rooted in "curiosity multiplied by trepidation and anticipation" of the consequences of the Ukrainian attack

Russia seeks to strengthen cooperation with Bangladesh in all areas — Lavrov

The top Russian diplomat wished Hossain good health and success in his crucial work

Putin’s trust rating inches upward — poll

The government’s approval rating stands at 50.3% (-0.2%), while Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s stands at 51.9% (-2.7%)

Lukashenko boasts Belarus’ readiness to counter any threats

The Belarusian leader added that control over the country’s border with Ukraine had been strengthened following the recent Ukrainian drone incident

Old man near Kursk goes missing after being ridiculed by Neo-Nazis, Russia launches probe

The directorate said that as a result of the preliminary investigation the identity of the elderly man, who was abused by Ukrainian soldiers, was established

Situation in Kursk Region: elimination of Ukrainian mobile groups, HIMARS launchers

Ukraine’s overall losses in the course of combat operations stand at up to 2,860 troops

Kadyrov reveals number of Chechen fighters involved in Ukraine special operation

Fighters from the Chechen Republic have been successfully coping with their assigned missions since the first days of the special military operation in Ukraine

Turkey won’t let Israel 'set region on fire', vows Erdogan

The Tuskish leader also said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will address the Turkish parliament on Thursday

Kiev’s losses: situation in Kursk Region

Russian troops took out Ukrainian units and equipment in the areas of Loknya, Kremiany, Oleshnya, Sverdlikova and Daryino

Iran debating whether to use force against Israel or run covert operation — CBS

British, US and French troops stationed in the Middle East helped Israel in downing Iranian projectiles

Progress MS-28 cargo spacecraft with food, equipment for ISS placed in orbit

It is expected to reach the ISS in about two days

Bridge across Seim River destroyed in Russia’s Kursk Region — official

According to the report, overland evacuation from a part of the Glushkovsky District is now cut off

Russia delivers 17 strikes at Ukrainian military sites, airfields over week — top brass

The Ukrainian army lost roughly 14,560 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the week

Fouga Magister two-seater plane crashes during air show in France

Rescue teams carry out an operation at sea; they have been unable to locate the pilot yet

Russian troops testing modified FPV drones in special military operation area

The tests run in conditions maximally close to a combat environment

All four pilots of Tu-22M3 crashed in Irkutsk Region found alive — governor

Igor Kobzev said that that two pilots are in satisfactory condition, while the other two are currently being examined

Expert calls Kiev’s attack on Kursk 'strategic blunder which will accelerate its defeat'

According to John Mearsheimer, the Ukrainian armed forces "lost many soldiers and a huge proportion of their equipment" while "the key determinant of success in a war of attrition is the casualty-exchange ratio, not capturing territory"

IN BRIEF: What we know about Ukrainian attack on shopping mall in Donetsk

According to the latest data, at least two people have been killed and 11 others sustained wounds

Russian Mi-28NM helicopters destroy massed Ukrainian troops, equipment in Kursk area

The strike was delivered by Vikhr missiles against reconnoitered targets

Ukrainian troops trained in UK one month before attack on Kursk Region — newspaper

It is reported that the Ukrainian attack was poorly organized, with a shortage of medical vehicles for evacuation

Many in Ukraine unhappy about moving elite troops from Donbass to Kursk — newspaper

On August 6, Ukraine launched a major offensive in Russia’s borderline Kursk Region

Infrastructure facilities suffer damage in Ukraine’s Dnepropetrovsk Region

Earlier, air raid warnings were issued and then lifted in a number of Ukrainian regions

Germany to ship 4 IRIS-T air defense systems, 30 Leopard tanks to Kiev before 2025

Representitive of the Berlin Christian Freuding presented the list of the shipments to Ukraine planned for 2024

West wants to strip Russia of access to Baltic Sea — Kremlin aide

It is using NATO’s new members to turn it into an ‘inland sea’ of the alliance, Nikolay Patrushev said

US allocated $174.19 bln in connection with Russia’s special op — report

The special inspectors said the funds were directed for military, direct budget, development, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine

Pilot of Tu-22M3 bomber that crashed in Irkutsk dies

Governor Igor Kobzev expressed his condolences to the pilot’s friends and family

Russia actively uses experience of partners that have long been sanctioned — MFA

"We naturally have a close political dialogue with those countries, cooperation through intergovernmental commissions, cooperation between companies," Dmitry Birichevsky said

Kiev admits Russian offensive not slowing down amid Ukraine’s attack on Kursk Region

Military experts quoted by the newspaper even suggested that Russia would send forces not involved in the special military operation to suppress the Ukrainian attack

West involved in planning of attack on Russia’s borderline Kursk region — Kremlin aide

Nikolay Patrushev dismissed the US Department of State’s claims of non-involvement into the matter

Russian Defense Ministry sets up coordination council for security in border areas

According to Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, its purpose is to improve the efficiency of comprehensive support for battlegroups that are engaged in guarding the state border

Russian, Chinese naval drills in Gulf of Finland in line with international law — China

According to the report, such activities by China and Russia "are in line with international law and practice, not directed against any specific targets and are not related to the current situation in the region"

Channel One host Simes says FBI could have used foreign-agents law to raid his US home

According to the political scientist, the problem with this justification of the raid would be that the law implies efforts by the suspect to influence US policy or legislation

Press review: Berlin's Nord Stream probe smells fishy and Putin tables peace proposal

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, August 15th

Anti-Russian sanctions to remain for decades no matter how Ukrainian crisis resolved — MFA

More than 20,000 sanctions have already been imposed, including personal, sectoral and freezing of assets, Dmitry Birichevsky noted

Kiev moving combat medics from near Kharkov to Sumy region — Russian military expert

Andrey Marochko suggested that the move comes as Kiev was not prepared for heavy "sanitary and irretrievable losses" when it planned its attack on the Kursk Region

China introduces antimony export restrictions - Ministry of Commerce

Restriction covers organic compounds of antimony with their purity over 99.999% and antimony-related technologies, including the technology of gold and antimony melting and separation

Ukrainian troops targeting cars used to evacuate people from Sudzha district — authorities

According to Alexander Bogachev, the situation in the district is difficult

Venezuelan president rejects US attempts to become Venezuela’s ‘executive branch’

Nicolas Maduro accused the US of pursuing "the imperialistic policy of interference" and advised Washington "to tackle its numerous domestic problems" instead

FACTBOX: Power outages in Primorsky Region

The preliminary cause of the power outage in the Primorsky Region is a technological failure of the equipment of the Primorskaya regional power station of the Siberian Generating Company, the enterprise reported

Russia unlikely to face defeat in Ukraine, US needs to offer compromise — experts

The alternative to that would be "fighting an endless war to a bloody stalemate in Ukraine," Michael Cohen, Christopher Preble and Monica Duffy Toft stressed

Sappers examine 5 hectares of Kursk Region in past 24 hours — Ministry

Previously, the Ministry announced that the sappers manage to examine about 2 hectares per day on average

US, UK deliver more strikes on Yemen — TV

According to the report, the attack targeted the coastal area of As-Salif

Protest voiced to Italian ambassador over reporters’ illegal entering Kursk Region

The Italian correspondents blatantly violated Russian laws and elementary rules of journalistic ethics and used their stay in the territory of our country whitewash the propaganda support for the Kiev regime’s crimes," the statement reads

US still tries to learn more about goals of Kiev’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk

According to Sabrina Singh, it is up to Ukraine to comment on its military operations

Free trade agreements between EAEU, partners in Middle East, Asia nearing finalization

Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov also suggested that the possibility of cooperation between BRICS and EAEU be considered

In Russia’s Kursk Region, Ukraine suffers losses and captured soldier gives testimony

In the Kauchuk area, Ukrainian mobile groups riding armored vehicles were stopped as they attempted a breakthrough into Russian territory

Russia’s Su-34 hits Ukrainian personnel, hardware in borderline Kursk Region — top brass

Pilots successfully returned to their home base

OHCHR experts invited to Russian office in Geneva to discuss request to visit country

The experts will be received at our permanent mission in Geneva and provided with facts to eliminate their illiteracy and blunt their cynicism, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said

Thailand’s parliament approves Shinawatra as country’s next prime minister

The candidate secured 247 votes in her support as 128 lawmakers voted against her and 22 others abstained

Kiev’s forces start digging in in Kursk area to escape destruction — Russian commander

Apty Alaudinov stressed that Russian troops would soon launch an all-out offensive to destroy the remaining enemy forces

Is Gaddafi's gloom prophecy in regard to Europe bound to be fulfilled?

As Europe’s migrant crisis grows far and wide, many Russian media are recalling the late Libyan leader Muamar Gaddafi’s gloom prophecy made several months before his violent death

Kursk attack may get Ukrainian army in more trouble on eastern front — newspaper

The paper points out that in order to carry out the attack, Ukraine "transferred troops and weapons from its already-creaking front lines," which "risks making a bad situation worse"

Ukrainian forces unprepared for Russia’s resistance in Kursk Region — Chechen commander

Apty Alaudinov noted that Ukrainian combat hardware is currently under attack by a large number of Russian units

Russia does not seek geopolitical war with West, diplomat says

"We just want others to respect us and take our security and sovereign development interests into account," Dmitry Birichevsky underlined

Russian ministry says Kursk Region incursion run, coordinated by Western special services

According to an analyst and former adviser to the Russian Defense Ministry Andrey Ilnitsky, the strategy of Western countries is to destroy Russia as an independent sovereign state

US may allocate additional security package to Ukraine in coming weeks — White House

John Kirby said that he dont have any announcements on capabilities to make today

FBI raids Virginia home of Russian political commentator Dimitri Simes — media

Simes told the news portal that he was out of the country

Western instructors played first fiddle in planning attack near Kursk, Ukrainian POW says

Sergey Bochenko also told of large numbers of eliminated hardware and servicemen he saw once he and his fellow servicemen crossed the border into the Kursk Region

US open to sending long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine — Politico

According to the report, no final decision has been made about transferring the weapon, but the administration is working through some details

Russia’s strategic advantage intact amid Ukrainian attack on Kursk Region — agency

According to the report, "to conduct the Kursk operation, Kiev deployed battalions drawn from multiple brigades, some of which were pulled from the hottest parts of the frontline"

Russia counts on Bolivia’s participation in BRICS summit — embassy

The embassy also expressed Russia’s support to "Bolivia’s aspirations of joining BRICS"

FACTBOX: Russian troops take Krupets back: situation in Kursk Region

Kiev lost up to 340 servicemen and 19 armored vehicles, including five Bradley infantry fighting vehicles throughout the day

Russian paratroopers destroy Ukrainian army’s Starlink satellite antennas in Kherson area

Russian forces carry out combat operations in the daytime and at night using thermal imagers installed on quadcopters

Russia plans to raise its fleet’s combat capabilities amid West's threats — Kremlin aide

According to Nikolay Patrushev, Maritime Collegium will analyze the legislative basis related to maritime activities

Belarus ready to respond to challenges similar to Kursk attack — General Staff chief

Pavel Muraveiko emphasized that the Belarusian Armed Forces "have created conditions for the deployment of troops with heavy equipment"

Russian army’s advance grows rapidly amid Ukraine’s Kursk offensive — Putin

Russian troops are confidently advancing forward along the entire battle contact line, the Russian leader stressed

Kiev troops will be forced to retreat from Russia after attack on Kursk region — expert

According to Monica Duffy Toft, Kiev’s surviving troops and equipment "will be redistributed, after rest and refit, to other critical areas of Ukraine’s front with Russia"

Ukraine launches 105 shells at Belgorod Region over past day

The Krasnoyaruzhsky District was attacked with seven munitions and two drones

Implementation of Russian, North Korean agreements ensures regional stability — Putin

Russian leader noted that two countries pay tribute to the soldiers of the Red Army and the Korean patriots who fought shoulder to shoulder

Attack on Kursk Region won’t allow Ukraine to regain lost territories — expert

Bruno Macaes pointed out that the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Kursk Region is inevitable, also because it will be very difficult for the Ukrainian authorities to justify to their citizens the price they will have to pay for continuing this operation

Russian Lancet loitering munition wipes out Ukrainian armored vehicle in Kursk Region

Russian Defense Ministry uploaded a video showing the destruction of a Kozak armored fighting vehicle of the Ukrainian army

NATO invades Russia in Kursk Region, ex-US intel officer says

Scott Ritter noted that the Russian army was learning from the situation in the Kursk Region and would use that experience in the future

Russian troops liberate Ivanovka community in DPR over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted roughly 470 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two US-made armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility

Mirra Andreeva of Russia advances to Round of 16 of WTA Cincinnati Open

She defeated Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic

Attack on Kursk Region to deplete Ukrainian elite forces — expert

It is reported that the attack on the Kursk Region could be compared to Nazi Germany’s 1944 attack on the Western front, which surprised the Allies

Diplomat blasts international organizations that failed to condemn murder of volunteers

Maria Zakharova underscored that the killed volunteers were what the West calls "humanitarians," they were aiding civilians

Germany should not send weapons to Kiev if it is behind Nord Stream sabotage — MP

Sahra Wagenknecht said that it is "absolutely evident that the federal government has no plans of investigating" the act of sabotage

US wants Russians, Ukrainians to die in conflict — Lukashenko

At the same time, the Belarusian president once again urged to start negotiations on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, in the continuation of which only the West is interested

Iskander missile systems successfully destroy key Ukrainian military targets — producer

"This precision weapon is very powerful and highly intelligent," it said

Lukashenko says he won’t use tactical nuclear weapons unless enemy crosses border

The Belarusian leader stressed that "red buttons" had already been pressed around the perimeter of Belarus and Russia

Ukrainian military attacked Sudzha with cluster munitions, Grad MLRS — eyewitness

Ukraine’s massive attack on the Kursk Region began on August 6

Five drones, two drone boats intercepted off Crimea overnight

Air defense forces destroyed five UAVs over the Black Sea waters, Russian Defense Ministry said

High-ranking Russian generals a priority target for Ukrainian troops — deputy minister

Vladimir Kubyshko also noted that an attack attempt on him took place during one of his trips to Kherson

Declassified files show Ukrainian nationalists' complicity in WWII executions of Jews

The OUN member noted that he had also reported a Jewish woman to Nazi Germany’s SD intelligence agency

Russian forces clear Martynovka in Kursk Region of Ukrainian troops — commander

It is noted that the Ukrainians had been pulling "everything they could" to those settlements with a view to breaching the Russian defenses and establishing a route to push deeper into Russia as they realized that Russian forces had been holding them off

Press review: Bern makes pitch to ref on Ukraine and global actors jockey for Gaza truce

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, August 16th

Ukraine could fall prey to vulture funds, face bankruptcy — former PM

According to Nikolay Azarov, who served as Ukrainian prime minister from 2010-2014, if this happens, it will mean that Ukraine's assets will be sold at a price that is many times lower than their nominal value

American family escapes moral decline in US, seeks asylum, better life in Russia

Irina Volk noted that Leo and Chantel Heyer were born and raised in New York

Putin discusses new military hardware developments with Security Council

The Russian president specified that Defense Minister Andrey Belousov was at his command post

Russian army destroys Ukrainian tank with Lancet in Kursk border area — Defense Ministry

The drone strike was confirmed by live video footage

Kursk attack fails to turn tide of hostilities in Ukraine's favor — newspaper

The journalist pointed out that "Russian patriotism shouldn’t be underestimated - especially when the fight is on home soil"

Zelensky’s time gone, pragmatic politicians are to replace him — opposition politician

"Zelensky is a master of political shows, but he cannot count money, resources, anticipate potential situations," Viktor Medvedchuk added

Pentagon sees no particular need for Kiev to use longer-range weapons

US believes that Ukranian forces can be effective on the battlefield by knitting West-supplied capabilities together

Moldova endures worst crisis in 30 years of independence — Gutul

Yevgenia Gutul pointed out that major foreign investors, who employed thousands of people, have left the country

No formal request yet from Russia for military assistance over situation in Kursk — CSTO

The Collective Security Treaty Organization emphasized that it closely monitored the developments

Putin calls T-90M Proryv world’s best main battle tank

"The tank fires to a longer range and more accurately. It also has better protection," the head of state noted

UN opposes display of Nazi symbols, racist rhetoric — secretary-general’s office

Deputy spokesman for the UN Secretary-General Farhan Haq said it, commenting on a video showing Ukrainian military wearing Nazi symbols on their uniform

Trump holds four-point advantage over Harris, poll shows

The poll, which was conducted online and on the phone on August 8 and 11-14, involved about 1,900 potential voters

Kerch authorities recognize risk of municipal emergency after missile attack

There is no information about the damage from the missile attack, but it is reported that examination and repair work will be carried out, which will restrict the city traffic