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Military operation in Ukraine

F-16's no match for Russian jets in air combat

F-16 is inferior in maneuverability to the latest generation of Russian thrust-vectoring aircraft, French aviation expert Cyrille de Lattre said

MOSCOW, July 15. /TASS/. US-made F-16s are no match for Russian jets in air combat, French aviation expert Cyrille de Lattre told TASS.

"As far as I can judge, in case of an air combat F-16 has no chance against a Russian fighter jet. Much will depend on the pilot, however Ukrainian pilots have no experience in F-16 combat engagement. They had insufficient training to eliminate the drawback," he said.

F-16 is inferior in maneuverability to the latest generation of Russian thrust-vectoring aircraft, he added.

A downed F-16 in Ukraine will have a negative effect on the image of the highly advertised jet. "When the first jet is downed, the United States will conceal it as long as possible therefore," de Lattre said.

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Military operation in Ukraine

US may announce new military aid package for Ukraine worth $125mln — AP

According to the report, the package may include air defense missiles, munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems

Russian forces break through Ukrainian defenses near Kupyansk — military expert

"At this time, the Ukrainian command is trying to stabilize the frontline but the shortage of forces and means adversely affects the situation," Andrey Marochko said

ICC not to touch Kiev regime as long as it acts as its ‘toy’ — envoy

"We stand against a strictly established coalition. A coalition, built upon financial mechanisms, military mechanisms, meaning the IMF, the dollar, the NATO - all this cements this coalition, which acts on directions from Washington," the diplomat added

Pentagon sees use of US weapons to strike inside Kursk Region as in line with policy

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EU issues death sentence to Ukraine, pushing it to suicide — Russian diplomat

Kirill Logvinov said that the European Union is already at a "transitional stage from a global standoff" with Russia to a "direct military and political confrontation"

Kiev begins preparation of attack on Kursk nuclear power plant — Russian Foreign Ministry

Previously, the Russian Defense Ministry warned that Moscow will immediately use harsh response measures

Armenia bans import of rodents to avoid monkeypox

The agency specified that this decision will remain in force until the World Health Organization issues a clarification

Ukraine raised risk of nuclear war for allies, former chief of Romanian intelligence says

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Russian commander reports presence of active NATO soldiers in Kursk area

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Alexey Klemeshov reminded residents not to approach debris and suspicious objects

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Currently, other tasks are on the agenda, the president emphasized

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The exhibition features a special BND booth

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"A great deal will depend on the evidence base that we will gather here through joint efforts to provide confirmed and absolutely verified data," Rodion Miroshnik said

Ukrainian General Staff says situation around Krasnoarmeisk, Kupyansk tough

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IAEA receives Russia’s notification about drone fragments found at Kursk NPP

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ICRC helps Russian Red Cross in Kursk Region

To date, more than 11,500 people have received help from specialists

Biden to continue his political course during last months as US president — diplomat

The incumbent administration is balancing on the verge of war and peace, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said

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Abbas Araghchi pointed to the Western "hostile approach" in their engagement with Tehran

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EU Diplomacy Chief says EU-China trade war unavoidable — South China Morning Post

According to Borrell, the likely aggravation of trade relations between the EU and China "is in line with the logic of things"

US still has questions about goals of Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk Region — Pentagon

Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh refused to state Washington’s support for the Ukrainian incursion

US could have easily stopped Kiev’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region — ambassador

The Americans knew everything, and nothing happens without their knowledge Anatoly Antonov, said

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Putin honors TASS with order For Valorous Labor for role in media industry

The award is "for its great contribution to the development of the national mass media and professional achievements," the decree reads

Hungarian official criticizes Ukraine’s attack on Russia’s Kursk Region

Gergely Gulyas described as "wrong" anything that stands in the way of settling the conflict, including the "spillover of the hostilities into Russian territory"

Another weather balloon falls in Poland’s northeast

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Prime ministers of Russia, China agree to hold next meeting in 2025 — communique

The specific timeframe, venue and format will be agreed further via diplomatic channels

Soyuz MS-26 crew members cleared for training for space flight at Baikonur spaceport

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Russia blacklists 32 British think tank experts — Russian Foreign Ministry

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Russian forces start eliminating Ukrainian troops near Belogorovka from several directions

"This made the operational situation much worse for Ukrainian commanders and the troops stationed in the area," Military expert Andrey Marochko said

Ukrainian forces fragmented in border area near Kursk — Russian commander

According to the report, "by means of aerial and ground-based reconnaissance," the enemy is being tracked and hit by heavy fire

Innovative Russian ground drones doing damage in special op

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FACTBOX: Gas explosion in apartment building in Perm Region

16 people were evacuated from the building

Armenia tries to blame Russia for its own mistakes — diplomat

Maria Zakharova noted that Yerevan, sabotaging the trilateral agreements, "once again acts at the behest of the West"

Press review: NATO complicit in Kursk attack and Russian military officials get new roles

Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, August 21st

Military exercise on preparation, use of tactical nuclear weapons kicks off in Russia

"Under the order of the commander-in-chief, a military exercise involving practice of preparation and use of tactical nuclear weapons started in the Southern military district under the supervision of the General Staff," the ministry said

Russia, China agree to strengthen cooperation in energy sector

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Iranian agencies define helicopter crash that killed Raisi as accident — Fars

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Russia, China to develop branch network of their banks

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Russian troops receive brigade set of Iskander-M ballistic missile system

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Sergey Chemezov highlighted the Russian T-90M Proryv tank which "is a head above both the British and American tanks, and foreign customers understand this well"

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Russian forces destroy US-made Abrams tank in borderline Kursk area — commander

"In addition, we have eliminated several artillery guns of various caliber and also several command posts," Major General Apty Alaudinov said

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Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said the subject was raised during Russian diplomats’ recent meetings with compatriots in Salt Lake City and Chicago

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The German Chancellor assured that his country will continue to support Ukraine and will remain its major proponent in Europe

One crew member of sunken ferry remains unaccounted for in Port Kavkaz — rescuers

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Russian Prosecutor General's Office adds Ukrainian Nazi Hunka on international wanted list

"Despite the reluctance of some countries to fight Nazism, the Prosecutor General's Office managed to obtain a positive decision to include Hunka in the Interpol database," the agency said

Response to Kiev over Kursk incursion is supreme commander-in-chief’s competence — Lavrov

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

Ferry in Russian port of Kavkaz sinks after Ukrainian attack — officials

Following the incident, Oleg Kryuchkov, an adviser to the head of Crimea, denied "the enemy’s widespread falsities" about fuel supply in the peninsula

Ukrainian troops attempted to attack Kursk NPP, IAEA notified — Putin

The Russian leader added that the IAEA promised "to come over themselves and send specialists to assess the situation"

IN BRIEF: In Kursk Region, Ukraine forces regroup, suffer losses

A total of more than 4,400 Ukrainian servicemen have been destroyed during the hostilities

Russia doing best to maintain serviceability of SuperJet fleet — Rostec CEO

Sergey Chemezov added that domestic enterprises have designed its counterparts of spark plugs and filters for the aircraft

FSB files charges against US, Ukrainian reporters for illegally crossing border into Kursk

According to the press service, the journalists "filmed videos in the vicinity of the town of Sudzha in the Kursk Region"

Russian BMP-3 IFV’s armament to include mini-drones — arms manufacturer

Earlier, Rostec announced plans to integrate FPV drones into the armament of light armored vehicles

Lack of morality, ethics in Russia’s enemies known, yet impossible to get used to — Putin

"Our enemy is not like us, although it also has a head and arms," the Russian president said

Ukrainian lawmaker laments that 'thousands' defect from armed forces

Prior to that, the Ukrainian parliament has passed a bill allowing to pardon AWOL servicemen, who abandoned their posts for the first time, if they agree to resume their military service before the pretrial investigation is completed

Some 250,000 Gaza residents displaced due to hostilities — UNRWA

Families are repeatedly displaced, carrying what they can amid military operations, UNRWA said

India outpaces China by oil imports from Russia in July

Iraq is the second largest oil supplier to India

Kremlin spokesman says he cannot recall Putin ever talking to Kamala Harris

"When Russian President Vladimir Putin met with US President Joe Biden, Mrs. Harris was not in Geneva," Dmitry Peskov said

Russian forces destroy French-made Crotale missile system in Kursk Region

According to Akhmat Special Forces Commander Major General Apty Alaudinov, it costs €8.9 million

Press review: Moscow-Beijing ties look for shot in arm and US backdoors new nuke strategy

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, August 22nd

Ukrainians deserting army en masse, don't want to lay down lives for Zelensky — senator

Sergey Tsekov emphasized that attempts to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has true believers in Ukraine in an uproar, also play a significant role

Ex-prime minister calls Ukraine 'dying country'

According to Nikolay Azarov, Vladimir Zelensky and his predecessor Pyotr Poroshenko have contributed greatly to the country’s demise

Russia, China enjoy unprecedented high level of cooperation, senior military official

The Russian Defense Ministry reported earlier in the day that a delegation of the Ground Force of the People's Liberation Army of China arrived in Moscow to discuss military cooperation

Ukrainian forces attack ferry with fuels tanks in port of Kavkaz — Russian officials

No casualties have been reported as yet

Seizure of Allegro trains by Finnish VR illegal — Russian Railways

Unlawfulness of actions of the Finnish side is confirmed by decisions of Russian courts, which bind the Finnish railway operator to continue performing contracts made by it

Israeli antifascist activist calls for extradition of Ukrainian Nazi Hunka

The Russian Prosecutor General's Office told TASS on August 22 that it had put Hunka on an international wanted list

Strikes on Ukrainian reserves, cases against foreign reporters: situation in Kursk Region

An enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group was destroyed west of Skrylievka

Russia-China relations unshaken by changes in Ukraine conflict situation — expert

According to Yang Jin, regular contacts between China and Russia in all spheres "will help them to effectively resist pressure and external influence"

Moscow, Washington ‘doomed to interact’ — Russian ambassador

Anatoly Antonov said that he sees "only a potential opportunity"

Ukrainian forces attack 8 settlements in Belgorod Region, no one injured

According to the governor, two private households and an infrastructure object were damaged in the Shebekino city district

Ukrainian troops walking away from prepared positions, soldier says

A Ukrainian drone operator with the call sign Groot said that another challenge for Ukraine was a new tactic in which Russia deployed recurrent waves of smaller infantry units of two to four men

IAEA unlikely to admit nuclear safety threats posed by Ukraine — official

A member of the Zaporozhye Region’s legislature, Renat Karchaa said that every time when nuclear risks emerge, the IAEA expresses its "serious concerns," but stops short of naming the culprits

Botswana finds diamond weighing over 2,400 carats

Lucara Diamond Corporation did not specify the quality and approximate value of the stone

Trump’s hope of getting on well with Russia achievable — adviser

Trump has repeatedly announced his readiness to "get on well" with Russia

Palestine invites UN Security Council to visit Gaza Strip

In addition, the Palestinian Permanent Observer at the UN Riyad Mansour called on the Security Council to "ensure President Abbas’ ability to reach the Gaza Strip"

Iran can strike Israel from both air and ground — mission to UN

At the same time, the Iranian mission pointed out that Tehran does not intend to disrupt negotiations on the settlement of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli army is conducting a military operation against Hamas

Russia proposes to adopt new UN Security Council resolution on Middle East — mission to UN

In his opinion, "it is precisely the manic desire of the United States to ‘monopolize’ the Middle East peace process and to reshape it according to ‘patterns’ suited to Israel that led to the dramatic consequences that we are witnessing today"

Ukrainian recruits refuse to fire at Russians, commander says

Ukrainian commanders blame poorly-trained recruits for failures on the eastern flank, especially for the territorial losses in the Krasnoarmeisk area in the Donetsk People’s Republic, where they "enabled Russia’s army to advance"

Net profits of Russian banks soaring by 36% in July — Central Bank

The number of profitable banks increased to 250 and their share of the total number of banks was 79% in July

US-led coalition’s aircraft violate Syrian airspace 10 times in past day

Also, the authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic, in coordination with the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties and Refugee Migration Monitoring in Syria, helped three refugees leave the Rukban refugee camp

Israeli Defense Minister says Hamas’ Rafah Brigade defeated

"The Hamas’ Rafah Brigade has been defeated, and 150 tunnels have been destroyed in this area," Yoav Gallant said

Unrecovered bodies of European mercenaries litter Kursk fields — Russian MP

According to Viktor Vodolatsky, the West needed the Ukrainian incursion into the borderline Russian region of Kursk to test how well Russia’s border is protected