southfront--2020-09-10--International Situation In 2020: Dangers And Threats

Written by Lieutenant-General S. Afanasiev ; Originally appeared at Foreign Military Review 2020 # 1 , translated by AlexD exclusively for SouthFront The current international situation is characterised by the growing global instability caused by the desire of the United States of America to maintain political , military and economic dominance on the world stage , while completely ignoring the norms of international law and the interests of other countries .
American elites have de facto appropriated the right to set “ red lines ” and determine how to punish “ disagreeable ” states for violating them .
By doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to replace the United Nations and reduce its role in maintaining world peace and resolving crisis situations .
The events in Venezuela , Syria , Hong Kong and Bolivia are vivid examples of the White House ’ s destructive actions in 2019 .
The United States is trying to implement a similar approach in relation to our country , consistently pursuing an aggressive anti-Russian foreign policy .
In their activities , overseas political strategists completely ignore its negative consequences not only for the global stability , but also for the national interests of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such approaches in Washington is the unwillingness of the US ruling circles to accept the concept of a multipolar world promoted by Russia , China and a number of other countries , which American politicians consider as a serious challenge to “ American global leadership ” .
Contrary to the objective needs of the international community , Washington seeks to weaken the Russian Federation as much as possible , thereby freeing up forces and means to confront the People ’ s Republic of China .
The active use of force by the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world leads to the preservation of the main hotbeds of tension in 2020 and the emergence of new threats to international stability and the national interests of countries that are “ opponents ” of the United States .
In addition , the situation is complicated by a number of factors that have a negative impact on the global security .
The most significant of them are : • acquisition of strategic properties by non-nuclear weapons ( including cyber weapons ) and “ erasing ” differences in combat effectiveness between them and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ nuclear multipolarity ” as a result of the irreversible proliferation of nuclear weapons ( NW ) and the uncontrolled build-up of nuclear missile capabilities of other states ; • the dangerous decrease in the level of competence of western elites , an “ atrophy ” of the sense of responsibility , an increase in “ strategic parasitism ” – the feeling that “ peace is forever ” , a weakening of public resistance to militarism .
It is also necessary to take into account the desire of the United States to manipulate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in particular to achieve a “ reformatting ” of the existing arms controls system .
American steps such as withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range and Short-Range Missile Elimination Treaty and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to resolve the situation around the Iranian nuclear programme , unfair implementation of the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty ( START ) , exploring the possibility of refusing to participate in the Open Skies Treaty , and unwillingness to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty significantly undermine strategic stability .
At the same time , the Start-3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a condition for its extension , Washington proposes to radically revise the content of the document .
In particular , it should include non-nuclear strategic systems , tactical nuclear weapons , and include China as a participant .
This position may indicate the intention of the United States , under the pretext of demands that are obviously unacceptable to the Russian Federation , to disrupt the extension of the agreement and get rid of the restrictions imposed by it .
The American leadership also consistently opposes the formation of an international legal framework @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military purposes .
The Pentagon sees space as a potential theater of war and is trying to ensure complete freedom of maneuver in this direction .
Last year , the United States began forming a new type of armed forces – the Space Force .
The creation of the United Space Command ( USC ) is responsible for their training and combat application .
The USC has the world ’ s largest orbital constellation at its disposal .
It is obvious that the activities of Washington and its allies , which ignore the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , create new global military dangers .
Among them must include : • prerequisites for the resumption of the “ arms race ” ; • attempts to put the new Russian systems under contractual control , such as the Poseidon Underwater Autonomous System , the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile , and the Burevestnik long-range cruise missile with a nuclear power plant ; • the desire of “ disagreeable ” -to-US regimes to acquire nuclear weapons in order to protect themselves from “ colour revolutions ” ; • Washington ’ s attempts to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia and China , by imposing unjustified restrictions and sanctions against them to curb economic growth ; • “ blur ” boundaries between military and non-military means of warfare ( including informational influence , economic sanctions , etc . )
and , as a consequence , the emergence of “ gray ” areas make it impossible to unequivocally categorise the steps of other countries as hostile , the impossibility of reliably determining the beginning of the aggression .
At the same time , Washington is increasing military spending as well as putting pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NATO .
In particular , the US military budget for the 2020 fiscal year is 748.8 billion dollars ( 16 times more than the Russian one ) .
According to the White House , this figure will reach 800 billion by 2024 .
The total military budget of the Alliance has already by far exceeded $ 1 trillion , but the Trump administration is seeking to bring defence spending to 2 % of GDP from the allies by 2024 .
A significant concern is the reduction of the US threshold for the use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new edition of the “ US Nuclear Strategy ” ( 2018 ) allows for the possibility of its use in response to a “ significant attack using conventional means ” , which Washington considers to include “ cyber weapons ” .
This makes it possible to blame anyone for the “ attack ” , since there are currently no reliable mechanisms recognised by the international community for verifying the sources of “ cyberattacks ” .
At the same time , the United States and its allies are working to develop advanced high-tech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and can provide sustained superiority over comparable military capabilities of opponents .
Such systems include hypersonic strike vehicles of various bases , autonomous robotic systems , weapons based on new physical principles ( laser , electromagnetic , etc. )
.
Information systems for military use of artificial intelligence technology are actively developed and implemented .
Applied research is carried out in the field of neurotechnology , genetic engineering , and regenerative medicine .
The results obtained can be used to increase the physical and mental potential of military personnel , as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ unfriendly ” countries .
The development of these areas creates prerequisites for the emergence of extremely dangerous means of armed struggle for humanity .
In particular , the United States and NATO attach key importance to the psychological impact on the leadership of the armed forces and intelligence services of unfriendly states .
Various forms of threats , blackmail , bribery and other specific methods are used for this purpose .
This is how the United States acts against the security forces of Venezuela , where the Americans failed to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” due to the high level of support for the country ’ s leadership from the police and armed forces .
In addition , the threat of an “ unintended ” war remains in international relations , for example , as a result of the escalation of a non-nuclear military conflict between “ third countries ” – such as India and Pakistan – with the exchange of nuclear strikes .
The US course aimed at military “ containment ” of Russia is openly supported by NATO and the European Union .
In order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Alliance is implementing the “ Action Plan to Increase the Combat Readiness of the NATO Armed Forces ” and the “ concept of forward presence and reinforcement ” .
Its military potential continues to be built up , and military and transport infrastructure facilities on the Alliance ’ s “ Eastern Flank ” are being modernised .
Two new NATO Joint Command ( JC ) at the operational and strategic level have been established in the USA ( NATO JC Norfolk , Norfolk ) and Germany ( NATO JC Ulm ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ units has been increased .
Six tactical battalion groups , two of which are American , are deployed in Bulgaria , Hungary , Latvia , Poland , Romania and Estonia .
In Europe , Washington additionally deployed an armoured brigade and an army aviation brigade on a rotating basis .
In 2020 , the Alliance plans to conduct a series of command-staff and military exercises of the “ Defender ” type to work out plans for “ military assistance ” to Eastern European allies .
As part of the events , large groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( forces ) are scheduled to be deployed to the Baltic states and Poland ( for the first time in the last 30 years ) .
The United States ’ efforts to increase the combat capabilities of the European segment of the American missile defence system have a destabilising effect on the situation in Europe .
The construction of an anti-missile base in Poland , where it is planned to place Standard-3 , model 2A anti-missiles , is being completed .
It is planned to equip the existing Aegis Ashore Complex in Romania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In addition , these systems can be quickly converted to use offensive weapons – the Tomahawk cruise missiles ( range of 2,400 km ) .
A serious threat to military security in the European region is also posed by the continuing tension is south-eastern Ukraine , where attacks , including with heavy weapons , continue on civilian infrastructures in the Donetsk and Luhansk People ’ s Republics .
Kiev continues to try to avoid clear and consistent implementation of the Minsk Agreements on overcoming the crisis in the Donbas .
In these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Ukrainian authorities to disrupt the negotiation process .
In the Middle East , the policy of the United States and its main regional allies to contain Iran , as well as the ongoing Syrian crisis , has had a negative impact on the situation .
Washington , in the context of Tehran ’ s strengthening position in the Middle East , is taking steps to isolate it .
The traditional sponsors of the American administration – the management of the military-industrial complex , as well as representatives of major fuel and energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapid transformation of Iran into an independent uncomfortable “ player ” on the world market of hydrocarbons use the “ Iranian threat ” factor to obtain multibillion-dollar contracts for the supply of arms to the Middle East countries .
To justify the anti-Iranian actions , the White House uses the thesis that Tehran threatens to block energy supplies from the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz , including by organising sabotage on tankers and oil pipelines in Saudi Arabia .
In order to destroy the “ Shi ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its allies are provoking mass demonstrations in Lebanon and Iraq , urging the leadership of these countries to refrain from applying harsh measures to demonstrators .
The protest movement is directed by pro-western non-governmental organisations that “ prompt ” demonstrators to make changes in the political system of these countries that ensure the removal of “ Shi ’ ite pro-Iranian forces ” from power .
The situation in Syria remains tense , ISIL ( banned in Russia ) sleeper cells are operating in government-controlled territories , the situation remains difficult in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Idlib de-escalation zone , power is held by terrorist groups that threaten to destabilise the situation in the north-west of the country ( in total , about 20 thousand radical extremists are concentrated in this area ) .
The most efficient of them are “ Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ” ( based on the organisation “ Jabhat al-Nusra ” ) , “ Haras al-Din ” and the Islamic Party of Turkestan .
The militants continue their provocations against the Syrian government forces and the Russian Hmeimim air base , firing at the civilian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Idlib de-escalation zone , citing the presence of “ moderate ” opposition groups as the main argument .
To this end , they are conducting large-scale information campaigns to accuse government troops and the Russian Aerospace Forces of violating international law and deliberately attacking humanitarian targets .
In north-eastern Syria , the Russian-Turkish Memorandum of Understanding signed in Sochi on 22 October 2019 succeeded in bringing a large part of the Trans-Euphrates Region back under the control of Damascus .
In accordance with the agreements reached , a Russian-Turkish Joint Coordination Centre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the two countries are patrolling the border strip .
However , the United States has not abandoned its intention to establish a Kurdish quasi-state in Syria .
To achieve this goal , Washington continues to cooperate with the Syrian Kurds and took control of the oil-bearing areas of the provinces of Hasakeh and Deir ez-Zor .
The main negative factor affecting the development of the situation in Africa was the intervention of the United States and its allies in the internal affairs of individual states to replace “ undesirable ” regimes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ establish monopoly control over the continent ’ s natural resources .
In Libya , the internal armed conflict provoked by the NATO intervention has been ongoing since 2011 .
In the absence of unified state administration and law enforcement agencies , the country ’ s territory has become a “ springboard ” for African terrorists .
At the same time , the chaos in Libya meets the interests of the United States , which seeks to prevent a reduction in the supply of cheap Libyan oil to the European market and thus replace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , the Americans secretly “ encourage ” the actions of both sides in the Libyan conflict , pushing them to continue the confrontation , and trying to undermine Russia ’ s position in this country .
In the south , the main threat is the intensive activity of radical Islamists , especially ISIL , in Afghanistan and Pakistan , whose goal is to create a so-called “ Great Caliphate ” with a theocratic form of government .
The extremists ’ plans call for the inclusion of the territories of the Central Asian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of China in this quasi-state formation .
The Islamic Movement of Taliban ( IMT ) has the greatest influence on the situation in Afghanistan .
Its formations , which are engaged in an armed struggle with government troops and units of foreign contingents on the Afghan territory , outnumber ISIL by an order of magnitude ( about 50 thousand people against 4 thousand ) .
Not having achieved a significant advantage in the armed confrontation with the Taliban over 18 years of foreign military presence on the Afghan territory , Washington began consultations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 .
At the same time , the parties are not ready to compromise and take tough positions to defend their demands .
The lack of progress in negotiations keeps the level of terrorist activity in Afghanistan high .
Tensions between India and Pakistan do not decrease .
Mutual territorial claims last year led to another armed incident in Kashmir .
Strict approaches of the leadership of both countries to the settlement of inter-state contradictions and the presence of large contingents of troops in the disputed territories hinder the normalisation of bilateral relations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probability of escalation of the Indian-Pakistani confrontation into a full-fledged armed conflict is low .
However , the contradictions between Delhi and Islamabad can have a significant negative impact on the prospects for cooperation in international formats with the participation of India , Pakistan , China and Russia .
In the East , the international situation is mainly determined by the confrontation between the United States and China .
The problems of ensuring stability in the Korean Peninsula remain unresolved .
Washington aims to achieve military superiority over Beijing by creating a collective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States , based on the American military presence and a network of military and political alliances .
At the same time , the United States actively contributes to the process of destabilising the domestic situation in China .
So , since May last year , protests have been taking place in Hong Kong , led by a coalition of opposition parties funded by overseas mentors .
The protests became radical : public transport was paralysed , the medical system was disrupted , and there were more frequent cases of clashes between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For its part , the People ’ s Republic of China pursues an active foreign policy aimed at expanding the strategic boundaries of its “ living space ” and gaining a dominant position that allows determining the direction of integration processes not only in the Asia-Pacific Region ( APR ) , but also in the world as a whole .
This is achieved through economic and cultural expansion around the globe , as well as by involving as many states as possible in the implementation of the “ One Belt , One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goals so far have been achieved through a policy of “ soft power ” .
At the same time , the Chinese leadership is increasingly striving to solve foreign policy problems from the position of a “ strong state ” .
In particular , Beijing is increasing the forward presence of its armed forces , building and modernising military infrastructure in disputed areas of the South China Sea , and actively equipping the People ’ s Liberation Army with modern weapons systems .
Japan has a significant influence on the situation in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the foreign policy activities of the country ’ s leadership is to strengthen its position as one of the regional centres of power .
In order to achieve this goal , priority is given to deepening military cooperation with Washington , as well as establishing a strategic partnership with NATO .
In addition , to contain its main competitor , China , Japan intends to play an active role in the implementation of the American concept of a “ Free and Open Indo-Pacific Partnership ” .
At the same time , Tokyo does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Russian island of Iturup , Kunashir and the Lesser Kuril Ridge .
The Korean Peninsula remains another hotbed of regional tension that has a significant impact on the global situation .
Pyongyang ’ s contacts with Washington and Seoul , which began in 2018 , have had a certain stabilising effect on the development of the situation .
However , further attempts by the United States to solve the problem of denuclearisation of the peninsula were in fact a failure .
Pyongyang , having failed to ease international sanctions and reduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group near its borders , is threatening to end dialogue with the United States and end the “ voluntary moratorium ” on nuclear and missile tests .
In the Arctic , the military-political situation is characterised by increasing competition for control of energy resources , strategic sea and air communications between the United States , Canada , Norway , Denmark and Russia , as well as non-regional players .
In this zone , there is an increase not only in their economic activity , but also in their military activity .
Washington ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Arctic is to prevent the division of territories in high latitudes according to an unacceptable option for the American side .
The new edition of the “ Arctic Strategy of the US Department of Defense ” focuses on the position of the Russian Federation on the use of the Northern Sea Route .
The main destabilising factor is the military activity of the Russian Federation in the Arctic .
Washington ’ s readiness to ensure freedom of navigation “ in problem areas ” , if necessary , is particularly emphasized .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear multi-purpose submarines in the waters of the Barents and Norwegian Seas .
Navy and Coast Guard ships serve off the coast of Alaska .
In addition , a United States marine corps unit is based in Norway on a rotating basis .
The NATO leadership is also taking measures to strengthen the Alliance ’ s “ northern flank ” .
The block ’ s intelligence capabilities are being increased .
Military formations of non-aligned states – Sweden and Finland – are actively involved in operational and combat training activities in the region @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy of the Alliance is assigned to Norway , which has warehouses of weapons and military equipment for reinforcement of troops .
In general , the assessment of the current international situation and the forecast of its development for 2020 indicate Washington ’ s desire to create a qualitatively new world order that assumes global dominance of the United States .
It should also be noted that approaches to ensuring international stability based on maintaining strategic parity do not actually “ work ” .
In terms of their effectiveness , the new means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The proliferation of such weapons requires the organisation of international control over them in multilateral formats and the preparation of new treaties on restrictions in this area .
Thus , the international situation in 2020 still carries a significant potential for dangers and threats to the Russian Federation .
On a global scale there are still prerequisites for the escalation of crises that may involve our country .
The leading role in these destructive processes belongs to the United States and its allies , who realise their geopolitical ambitions without taking into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the interests of other states .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • The Old Dependables : Russian Weapons in 21st Century Regional Conflicts

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Written by Lieutenant-General S. Afanasiev; Originally appeared at Foreign Military Review 2020 #1, translated by AlexD exclusively for SouthFront
The current international situation is characterised by the growing global instability caused by the desire of the United States of America to maintain political, military and economic dominance on the world stage, while completely ignoring the norms of international law and the interests of other countries.
American elites have de facto appropriated the right to set “red lines” and determine how to punish “disagreeable” states for violating them. By doing so, Washington and its allies seek to replace the United Nations and reduce its role in maintaining world peace and resolving crisis situations. The events in Venezuela, Syria, Hong Kong and Bolivia are vivid examples of the White House’s destructive actions in 2019.
The United States is trying to implement a similar approach in relation to our country, consistently pursuing an aggressive anti-Russian foreign policy. In their activities, overseas political strategists completely ignore its negative consequences not only for the global stability, but also for the national interests of their allies.
The main reason for such approaches in Washington is the unwillingness of the US ruling circles to accept the concept of a multipolar world promoted by Russia, China and a number of other countries, which American politicians consider as a serious challenge to “American global leadership”. Contrary to the objective needs of the international community, Washington seeks to weaken the Russian Federation as much as possible, thereby freeing up forces and means to confront the People’s Republic of China.
The active use of force by the White House and its allies to gain hegemony in the world leads to the preservation of the main hotbeds of tension in 2020 and the emergence of new threats to international stability and the national interests of countries that are “opponents” of the United States. In addition, the situation is complicated by a number of factors that have a negative impact on the global security. The most significant of them are:
acquisition of strategic properties by non-nuclear weapons (including cyber weapons) and “erasing” differences in combat effectiveness between them and nuclear weapons;
the formation of “nuclear multipolarity” as a result of the irreversible proliferation of nuclear weapons (NW) and the uncontrolled build-up of nuclear missile capabilities of other states;
the dangerous decrease in the level of competence of western elites, an “atrophy” of the sense of responsibility, an increase in “strategic parasitism” – the feeling that “peace is forever”, a weakening of public resistance to militarism.
It is also necessary to take into account the desire of the United States to manipulate international law in favour of its interests, in particular to achieve a “reformatting” of the existing arms controls system.
American steps such as withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range and Short-Range Missile Elimination Treaty and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to resolve the situation around the Iranian nuclear programme, unfair implementation of the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty (START), exploring the possibility of refusing to participate in the Open Skies Treaty, and unwillingness to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty significantly undermine strategic stability.
At the same time, the Start-3 Treaty expires in February 2021.
As a condition for its extension, Washington proposes to radically revise the content of the document. In particular, it should include non-nuclear strategic systems, tactical nuclear weapons, and include China as a participant. This position may indicate the intention of the United States, under the pretext of demands that are obviously unacceptable to the Russian Federation, to disrupt the extension of the agreement and get rid of the restrictions imposed by it.
The American leadership also consistently opposes the formation of an international legal framework prohibiting the use of outer space for military purposes. The Pentagon sees space as a potential theater of war and is trying to ensure complete freedom of maneuver in this direction. Last year, the United States began forming a new type of armed forces – the Space Force. The creation of the United Space Command (USC) is responsible for their training and combat application. The USC has the world’s largest orbital constellation at its disposal.
It is obvious that the activities of Washington and its allies, which ignore the interests of other subjects of international relations, create new global military dangers. Among them must include:
prerequisites for the resumption of the “arms race”;
attempts to put the new Russian systems under contractual control, such as the Poseidon Underwater Autonomous System, the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile, and the Burevestnik long-range cruise missile with a nuclear power plant;
the desire of “disagreeable”-to-US regimes to acquire nuclear weapons in order to protect themselves from “colour revolutions”;
Washington’s attempts to “demonise” its geopolitical rivals, primarily Russia and China, by imposing unjustified restrictions and sanctions against them to curb economic growth;
“blur” boundaries between military and non-military means of warfare (including informational influence, economic sanctions, etc.) and, as a consequence, the emergence of “gray” areas make it impossible to unequivocally categorise the steps of other countries as hostile, the impossibility of reliably determining the beginning of the aggression.
At the same time, Washington is increasing military spending as well as putting pressure on its allies to increase funding for NATO.
In particular, the US military budget for the 2020 fiscal year is 748.8 billion dollars (16 times more than the Russian one). According to the White House, this figure will reach 800 billion by 2024. The total military budget of the Alliance has already by far exceeded $1 trillion, but the Trump administration is seeking to bring defence spending to 2% of GDP from the allies by 2024.
A significant concern is the reduction of the US threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. In particular, the new edition of the “US Nuclear Strategy” (2018) allows for the possibility of its use in response to a “significant attack using conventional means”, which Washington considers to include “cyber weapons”. This makes it possible to blame anyone for the “attack”, since there are currently no reliable mechanisms recognised by the international community for verifying the sources of “cyberattacks”.
At the same time, the United States and its allies are working to develop advanced high-tech weapons systems that have qualitatively new capabilities and can provide sustained superiority over comparable military capabilities of opponents. Such systems include hypersonic strike vehicles of various bases, autonomous robotic systems, weapons based on new physical principles (laser, electromagnetic, etc.).
Information systems for military use of artificial intelligence technology are actively developed and implemented. Applied research is carried out in the field of neurotechnology, genetic engineering, and regenerative medicine. The results obtained can be used to increase the physical and mental potential of military personnel, as well as to covertly influence the ecosystems and populations of “unfriendly” countries. The development of these areas creates prerequisites for the emergence of extremely dangerous means of armed struggle for humanity.
In particular, the United States and NATO attach key importance to the psychological impact on the leadership of the armed forces and intelligence services of unfriendly states. Various forms of threats, blackmail, bribery and other specific methods are used for this purpose. This is how the United States acts against the security forces of Venezuela, where the Americans failed to ensure the victory of the “democratic forces” due to the high level of support for the country’s leadership from the police and armed forces.
In addition, the threat of an “unintended” war remains in international relations, for example, as a result of the escalation of a non-nuclear military conflict between “third countries” – such as India and Pakistan – with the exchange of nuclear strikes.
The US course aimed at military “containment” of Russia is openly supported by NATO and the European Union.
In order to put pressure on our country, the Alliance is implementing the “Action Plan to Increase the Combat Readiness of the NATO Armed Forces” and the “concept of forward presence and reinforcement”. Its military potential continues to be built up, and military and transport infrastructure facilities on the Alliance’s “Eastern Flank” are being modernised. Two new NATO Joint Command (JC) at the operational and strategic level have been established in the USA (NATO JC Norfolk, Norfolk) and Germany (NATO JC Ulm), and the number of the primary engagement units has been increased.
Six tactical battalion groups, two of which are American, are deployed in Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Estonia. In Europe, Washington additionally deployed an armoured brigade and an army aviation brigade on a rotating basis.
In 2020, the Alliance plans to conduct a series of command-staff and military exercises of the “Defender” type to work out plans for “military assistance” to Eastern European allies. As part of the events, large groups of American, Canadian and British troops (forces) are scheduled to be deployed to the Baltic states and Poland (for the first time in the last 30 years).
The United States’ efforts to increase the combat capabilities of the European segment of the American missile defence system have a destabilising effect on the situation in Europe. The construction of an anti-missile base in Poland, where it is planned to place Standard-3, model 2A anti-missiles, is being completed. It is planned to equip the existing Aegis Ashore Complex in Romania with the same means in the future. In addition, these systems can be quickly converted to use offensive weapons – the Tomahawk cruise missiles (range of 2,400 km).
A serious threat to military security in the European region is also posed by the continuing tension is south-eastern Ukraine, where attacks, including with heavy weapons, continue on civilian infrastructures in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.
Kiev continues to try to avoid clear and consistent implementation of the Minsk Agreements on overcoming the crisis in the Donbas.
In these conditions another armed provocation is possible from the Ukrainian authorities to disrupt the negotiation process.
In the Middle East, the policy of the United States and its main regional allies to contain Iran, as well as the ongoing Syrian crisis, has had a negative impact on the situation.
Washington, in the context of Tehran’s strengthening position in the Middle East, is taking steps to isolate it. The traditional sponsors of the American administration – the management of the military-industrial complex, as well as representatives of major fuel and energy corporations, who are dissatisfied with the rapid transformation of Iran into an independent uncomfortable “player” on the world market of hydrocarbons use the “Iranian threat” factor to obtain multibillion-dollar contracts for the supply of arms to the Middle East countries.
To justify the anti-Iranian actions, the White House uses the thesis that Tehran threatens to block energy supplies from the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, including by organising sabotage on tankers and oil pipelines in Saudi Arabia.
In order to destroy the “Shi’ite Axis” (Iran-Iraq-Syria-Lebanon) Washington and its allies are provoking mass demonstrations in Lebanon and Iraq, urging the leadership of these countries to refrain from applying harsh measures to demonstrators. The protest movement is directed by pro-western non-governmental organisations that “prompt” demonstrators to make changes in the political system of these countries that ensure the removal of “Shi’ite pro-Iranian forces” from power.
The situation in Syria remains tense, ISIL (banned in Russia) sleeper cells are operating in government-controlled territories, the situation remains difficult in the “pacified” southern provinces. In the Idlib de-escalation zone, power is held by terrorist groups that threaten to destabilise the situation in the north-west of the country (in total, about 20 thousand radical extremists are concentrated in this area). The most efficient of them are “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” (based on the organisation “Jabhat al-Nusra”), “Haras al-Din” and the Islamic Party of Turkestan. The militants continue their provocations against the Syrian government forces and the Russian Hmeimim air base, firing at the civilian population.
Western countries seek to preserve the Idlib de-escalation zone, citing the presence of “moderate” opposition groups as the main argument. To this end, they are conducting large-scale information campaigns to accuse government troops and the Russian Aerospace Forces of violating international law and deliberately attacking humanitarian targets.
In north-eastern Syria, the Russian-Turkish Memorandum of Understanding signed in Sochi on 22 October 2019 succeeded in bringing a large part of the Trans-Euphrates Region back under the control of Damascus. In accordance with the agreements reached, a Russian-Turkish Joint Coordination Centre has been deployed, and military personnel from the two countries are patrolling the border strip.
However, the United States has not abandoned its intention to establish a Kurdish quasi-state in Syria. To achieve this goal, Washington continues to cooperate with the Syrian Kurds and took control of the oil-bearing areas of the provinces of Hasakeh and Deir ez-Zor.
The main negative factor affecting the development of the situation in Africa was the intervention of the United States and its allies in the internal affairs of individual states to replace “undesirable” regimes. The purpose of such actions is to establish monopoly control over the continent’s natural resources.
In Libya, the internal armed conflict provoked by the NATO intervention has been ongoing since 2011. In the absence of unified state administration and law enforcement agencies, the country’s territory has become a “springboard” for African terrorists. At the same time, the chaos in Libya meets the interests of the United States, which seeks to prevent a reduction in the supply of cheap Libyan oil to the European market and thus replace Iranian raw materials. At the same time, the Americans secretly “encourage” the actions of both sides in the Libyan conflict, pushing them to continue the confrontation, and trying to undermine Russia’s position in this country.
In the south, the main threat is the intensive activity of radical Islamists, especially ISIL, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, whose goal is to create a so-called “Great Caliphate” with a theocratic form of government. The extremists’ plans call for the inclusion of the territories of the Central Asian republics and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region of China in this quasi-state formation.
The Islamic Movement of Taliban (IMT) has the greatest influence on the situation in Afghanistan. Its formations, which are engaged in an armed struggle with government troops and units of foreign contingents on the Afghan territory, outnumber ISIL by an order of magnitude (about 50 thousand people against 4 thousand).
Not having achieved a significant advantage in the armed confrontation with the Taliban over 18 years of foreign military presence on the Afghan territory, Washington began consultations with the IMT at the end of 2018. At the same time, the parties are not ready to compromise and take tough positions to defend their demands. The lack of progress in negotiations keeps the level of terrorist activity in Afghanistan high.
Tensions between India and Pakistan do not decrease. Mutual territorial claims last year led to another armed incident in Kashmir.
Strict approaches of the leadership of both countries to the settlement of inter-state contradictions and the presence of large contingents of troops in the disputed territories hinder the normalisation of bilateral relations. At the same time, the probability of escalation of the Indian-Pakistani confrontation into a full-fledged armed conflict is low. However, the contradictions between Delhi and Islamabad can have a significant negative impact on the prospects for cooperation in international formats with the participation of India, Pakistan, China and Russia.
In the East, the international situation is mainly determined by the confrontation between the United States and China. The problems of ensuring stability in the Korean Peninsula remain unresolved.
Washington aims to achieve military superiority over Beijing by creating a collective security structure in the region controlled by the United States, based on the American military presence and a network of military and political alliances. At the same time, the United States actively contributes to the process of destabilising the domestic situation in China. So, since May last year, protests have been taking place in Hong Kong, led by a coalition of opposition parties funded by overseas mentors. The protests became radical: public transport was paralysed, the medical system was disrupted, and there were more frequent cases of clashes between residents on the basis of political differences.
For its part, the People’s Republic of China pursues an active foreign policy aimed at expanding the strategic boundaries of its “living space” and gaining a dominant position that allows determining the direction of integration processes not only in the Asia-Pacific Region (APR), but also in the world as a whole.
This is achieved through economic and cultural expansion around the globe, as well as by involving as many states as possible in the implementation of the “One Belt, One Road” concept.
China’s goals so far have been achieved through a policy of “soft power”. At the same time, the Chinese leadership is increasingly striving to solve foreign policy problems from the position of a “strong state”.
In particular, Beijing is increasing the forward presence of its armed forces, building and modernising military infrastructure in disputed areas of the South China Sea, and actively equipping the People’s Liberation Army with modern weapons systems.
Japan has a significant influence on the situation in the Asia-Pacific Region.
The main goal of the foreign policy activities of the country’s leadership is to strengthen its position as one of the regional centres of power. In order to achieve this goal, priority is given to deepening military cooperation with Washington, as well as establishing a strategic partnership with NATO.
In addition, to contain its main competitor, China, Japan intends to play an active role in the implementation of the American concept of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Partnership”. At the same time, Tokyo does not intend to give up its claims to the Russian island of Iturup, Kunashir and the Lesser Kuril Ridge.
The Korean Peninsula remains another hotbed of regional tension that has a significant impact on the global situation. Pyongyang’s contacts with Washington and Seoul, which began in 2018, have had a certain stabilising effect on the development of the situation. However, further attempts by the United States to solve the problem of denuclearisation of the peninsula were in fact a failure. Pyongyang, having failed to ease international sanctions and reduce the military activity of the US-South Korea group near its borders, is threatening to end dialogue with the United States and end the “voluntary moratorium” on nuclear and missile tests.
In the Arctic, the military-political situation is characterised by increasing competition for control of energy resources, strategic sea and air communications between the United States, Canada, Norway, Denmark and Russia, as well as non-regional players. In this zone, there is an increase not only in their economic activity, but also in their military activity.
Washington’s primary task in implementing its interests in the Arctic is to prevent the division of territories in high latitudes according to an unacceptable option for the American side.
The new edition of the “Arctic Strategy of the US Department of Defense” focuses on the position of the Russian Federation on the use of the Northern Sea Route. The main destabilising factor is the military activity of the Russian Federation in the Arctic. Washington’s readiness to ensure freedom of navigation “in problem areas”, if necessary, is particularly emphasized.
The Pentagon has organised combat duty of nuclear multi-purpose submarines in the waters of the Barents and Norwegian Seas. Navy and Coast Guard ships serve off the coast of Alaska. In addition, a United States marine corps unit is based in Norway on a rotating basis.
The NATO leadership is also taking measures to strengthen the Alliance’s “northern flank”.
The block’s intelligence capabilities are being increased. Military formations of non-aligned states – Sweden and Finland – are actively involved in operational and combat training activities in the region.
A special role in the Arctic policy of the Alliance is assigned to Norway, which has warehouses of weapons and military equipment for reinforcement of troops.
In general, the assessment of the current international situation and the forecast of its development for 2020 indicate Washington’s desire to create a qualitatively new world order that assumes global dominance of the United States. It should also be noted that approaches to ensuring international stability based on maintaining strategic parity do not actually “work”. In terms of their effectiveness, the new means of armed struggle are approaching nuclear missiles. The proliferation of such weapons requires the organisation of international control over them in multilateral formats and the preparation of new treaties on restrictions in this area.
Thus, the international situation in 2020 still carries a significant potential for dangers and threats to the Russian Federation. On a global scale there are still prerequisites for the escalation of crises that may involve our country. The leading role in these destructive processes belongs to the United States and its allies, who realise their geopolitical ambitions without taking into account the norms of international law and the interests of other states.
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southfront--2020-09-10--Russia Just Lost One Of Fighter Jets Deployed In Libya?

A video , allegedly showing a Russian-speaking pilot in Libya waiting for an evacuation helicopter after his aircraft had supposedly crashed , appeared online on September 7 causing a wave of speculation in mainstream media and among military enthusiasts .
The clip shows a white-and-orange parachute on the ground , in a desert-like environment , and the Russian-speaking person claims that his aircraft was shot down at around 70km and that he ejected from it at about 40km from the airfield .
He claims that he is waiting for an evacuation group of helicopters while the enemy is searching for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resumed to show an approaching Mi-24 helicopter in colors close to those used by helicopters of the Libyan National Army ( LNA ) .
The video does not show any wreckage , nor indications of the near crash site , nor clues about the type of aircraft nor the real date or location of the video .
The Russian pro-government military blog ‘ Fighter Bomber ’ , which originally released the video , also revealed no further details about it .
The video came following several reports by the US military claiming that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warplanes to the LNA-operated al-Jufra Airfield .
The US Africa Command then claimed that these warplanes were possibly operated by Russia-linked private military contractors .
At the same time , the color scheme of the filmed helicopter is close to that used by the LNA .
In particular , an LNA Mi-8 helicopter , which recently crash landed west of Sirte and was captured by forces of the Turkish-backed Government of National Accord ( GNA ) had a similar painting scheme .
As to the video itself and the actions of the alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty strange .
First of all , if the jet was really shot down in combat conditions and the pilot ejected , the decision to film a video that may fall into the hands of the enemy is quite puzzling .
The behavior of the pilot making such a decision raises questions about the real purpose of the move .
In real combat conditions , the pilot would likely try to retreat from the crash site as much as possible taking the crash-position indicator with him to allow the rescue force to find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the claims of the ‘ pilot ’ , no smoke can really be seen in the video .
Further , the pilot is not wearing a proper flight suit .
On top of this , Russian sources say that the survival radio set , likely the P-855 , which can be seen in the video , is of a different color than those used by the Russian Aerospace Forces .
These factors indicate that the video , regardless of the location , could be from some sort of combat search and rescue exercise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the ‘ pilot ’ who was sitting near his parachute and waiting for somebody , like in peace time , instead of retreating from the alleged crash site .
Nonetheless , there is no doubt that these details are likely to be ignored by mainstream media , which will probably soon be full of reports about how Turkish forces downed a Russian fighter aircraft in Libya .
If the abovementioned fun clip was really recorded in Libya , by some Russian-linked private military contractors , their leadership is now apparently interested in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

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A video, allegedly showing a Russian-speaking pilot in Libya waiting for an evacuation helicopter after his aircraft had supposedly crashed, appeared online on September 7 causing a wave of speculation in mainstream media and among military enthusiasts.
The clip shows a white-and-orange parachute on the ground, in a desert-like environment, and the Russian-speaking person claims that his aircraft was shot down at around 70km and that he ejected from it at about 40km from the airfield. He claims that he is waiting for an evacuation group of helicopters while the enemy is searching for him. After a break the video resumed to show an approaching Mi-24 helicopter in colors close to those used by helicopters of the Libyan National Army (LNA).
The video does not show any wreckage, nor indications of the near crash site, nor clues about the type of aircraft nor the real date or location of the video. The Russian pro-government military blog ‘Fighter Bomber’, which originally released the video, also revealed no further details about it.
The video came following several reports by the US military claiming that Russia had deployed several MiG-29 and Su-24 warplanes to the LNA-operated al-Jufra Airfield. The US Africa Command then claimed that these warplanes were possibly operated by Russia-linked private military contractors.
At the same time, the color scheme of the filmed helicopter is close to that used by the LNA. In particular, an LNA Mi-8 helicopter, which recently crash landed west of Sirte and was captured by forces of the Turkish-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) had a similar painting scheme.
As to the video itself and the actions of the alleged pilot on it, the situation looks pretty strange. First of all, if the jet was really shot down in combat conditions and the pilot ejected, the decision to film a video that may fall into the hands of the enemy is quite puzzling. The behavior of the pilot making such a decision raises questions about the real purpose of the move. In real combat conditions, the pilot would likely try to retreat from the crash site as much as possible taking the crash-position indicator with him to allow the rescue force to find him. Another factor is that despite the claims of the ‘pilot’, no smoke can really be seen in the video. Further, the pilot is not wearing a proper flight suit. On top of this, Russian sources say that the survival radio set, likely the P-855, which can be seen in the video, is of a different color than those used by the Russian Aerospace Forces.
These factors indicate that the video, regardless of the location, could be from some sort of combat search and rescue exercise. This would explain the strange behavior of the ‘pilot’ who was sitting near his parachute and waiting for somebody, like in peace time, instead of retreating from the alleged crash site. Nonetheless, there is no doubt that these details are likely to be ignored by mainstream media, which will probably soon be full of reports about how Turkish forces downed a Russian fighter aircraft in Libya. If the abovementioned fun clip was really recorded in Libya, by some Russian-linked private military contractors, their leadership is now apparently interested in improving the operational security of their forces.
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southfront--2020-09-10--Ansat Multipurpose Utility Helicopter (Infographics)

Click to see the full-size image The Ansat is a Russian multipurpose utility helicopter produced by Kazan Helicopters .
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The Ansat is a Russian multipurpose utility helicopter produced by Kazan Helicopters.
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southfront--2020-09-10--Houthis Struck ‘High-Value Target’ In Saudi Capital With Ballistic Missile, Drones

The Yemeni Missile Force and Air Force , both allied to the Houthis , announced on September 10 that they had struck a “ high-value target ” in the Saudi capital , Riyadh , in a joint operation .
In a statement , Brig .
Gen. Yahya Sari , a spokesman for the pro-Houthi wing of the Yemeni military , said the “ high-value target ” was attacked with a Zulfiqar ballistic missile and three Samad-3 suicide drones .
“ The attack is a response to the continuous escalation by the enemy and its continuous siege on our dear country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We promise the criminal and aggressor Saudi regime with painful and hurtful operations if it continues its aggression and siege on our great country and our dear people.
” The Samad-3 drone , which has a range of more than 1,500 km , was revealed last year .
Nevertheless , nothing is known about the Zulfiqar missile , which was used by the Houthis in previous attacks on Saudi Arabia .
While the Houthis claim that their operation was successful , the Saudi-led coalition said several missiles and drones were intercepted after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rarely acknowledges its losses in Houthi drone and missile attacks .
The upcoming few days may reveal more information on the Yemeni group ’ s new operation and its results .
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The Yemeni Missile Force and Air Force, both allied to the Houthis, announced on September 10 that they had struck a “high-value target” in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in a joint operation.
In a statement, Brig. Gen. Yahya Sari, a spokesman for the pro-Houthi wing of the Yemeni military, said the “high-value target” was attacked with a Zulfiqar ballistic missile and three Samad-3 suicide drones.
“The attack is a response to the continuous escalation by the enemy and its continuous siege on our dear country,” the spokesman said, adding “We promise the criminal and aggressor Saudi regime with painful and hurtful operations if it continues its aggression and siege on our great country and our dear people.”
The Samad-3 drone, which has a range of more than 1,500 km, was revealed last year. Nevertheless, nothing is known about the Zulfiqar missile, which was used by the Houthis in previous attacks on Saudi Arabia.
While the Houthis claim that their operation was successful, the Saudi-led coalition said several missiles and drones were intercepted after being launched from Yemen.
Saudi Arabia rarely acknowledges its losses in Houthi drone and missile attacks. The upcoming few days may reveal more information on the Yemeni group’s new operation and its results.
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southfront--2020-09-10--Military Situation Syria’s Greater Idlib On September 10, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria ’ s Greater Idlib : @ @ @ @ @ militants ’ positions in the western outskirts of the city of Idlib ; • Syrian @ @ @ @ @ artillery shelled Turkish-backed militants ’ positions in the villages of al-Barah , Kansafra , Safuhan @ @ @ @ @ Turkish-backed militants artillery shelled SAA positions in the villages of Miznaz and Talhiyah ; MORE @ @ @ @

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Syria’s Greater Idlib:
Russian warplanes targeted Turkish-backed militants’ positions in the western outskirts of the city of Idlib;
Russian warplanes targeted Turkish-backed militants’ positions in the Kabani area;
Syrian Arab Army (SAA) artillery shelled Turkish-backed militants’ positions in the villages of al-Barah, Kansafra, Safuhan and Kafr Uwaid;
Turkish-backed militants artillery shelled SAA positions in the villages of Miznaz and Talhiyah;
A Turksih general died in Idlib due to a «heart attack».
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southfront--2020-09-10--Turkish General Died From “Heart Attack” In Idlib. 3 Mossad Agents Allegedly Captured

A Turkish general died of a heart attack in the combat zone of the Syrian province of Idlib , the Turkish Defense Ministry reported on September 9 .
According to Turkish state media , the general started to feel bad in the combat zone and was evacuated to a hospital .
However , he died despite doctors ’ best efforts .
Afterwards , his body was moved to the Turkish province of Hatay .
The announcement came just a few days after the Syrian Army and the Turkish Armed Forces exchanged strikes in southern Idlib .
Pro-Turkish sources on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these developments and the death of the general from a supposed ‘ heart attack ’ are not related .
Later on the same day , the Russian Aerospace Forces conducted a series of airstrikes on positions of the Turkish-backed terrorist group , Hayat Tahrir al-Sham , in the western countryside of Idlib .
Earlier , Russian airstrikes pounded positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its allied terrorists from the Turkistan Islamic Party in the vicinity of the town of Kabani in northern Lattakia .
Both waves of airstrikes hit weapon depots and fortified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed that these strikes were a pretext for a new Syrian-led ground operation in Greater Idlib .
This scenario remains unlikely .
The more realistic option is the further development of Turkish-Russian cooperation in the field with the intent of finally creating a real demilitarized zone along the M4 highway and enforcing the withdrawal of radicals and heavy weapons from it .
In this light , Syrian sources say that a few more ‘ heart attacks ’ targeting Turkish officers , who are sabotaging the implementation of this deal and thus directly contributing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hiding in Greater Idlib , may have a positive impact on the situation .
A new armed group calling itself the “ Freedom Movement ” claimed that it had captured two officers of the Israeli intelligence agency , Mossad .
In an official statement , first posted on a Facebook page called “ Palestinian Top Secrets ” on September 5 , the group claimed that the officers were captured while carrying out “ cross-border security missions.
” The group shared a video of the alleged Israeli officers in captivity .
One of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ David Ben-Rose.
” He supposedly worked undercover for Mossad as a petrochemicals scientist .
Israel has not commented on the group ’ s claim so far .
In most cases , Tel Aviv does go public with incidents involving its citizens or service members .
There is a significant chance that the Freedom Movement statement may be a part of the ongoing media campaign waged by pro-Palestinian groups against Israel .
On the other hand , if the claims turn out to be true , this will become a notable blow for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing tensions with Hezbollah and Iran .

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A Turkish general died of a heart attack in the combat zone of the Syrian province of Idlib, the Turkish Defense Ministry reported on September 9. According to Turkish state media, the general started to feel bad in the combat zone and was evacuated to a hospital. However, he died despite doctors’ best efforts. Afterwards, his body was moved to the Turkish province of Hatay.
The announcement came just a few days after the Syrian Army and the Turkish Armed Forces exchanged strikes in southern Idlib. Pro-Turkish sources on social media immediately became pretty active arguing that these developments and the death of the general from a supposed ‘heart attack’ are not related.
Later on the same day, the Russian Aerospace Forces conducted a series of airstrikes on positions of the Turkish-backed terrorist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, in the western countryside of Idlib. Earlier, Russian airstrikes pounded positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its allied terrorists from the Turkistan Islamic Party in the vicinity of the town of Kabani in northern Lattakia. Both waves of airstrikes hit weapon depots and fortified terrorist positions. Pro-government sources as always claimed that these strikes were a pretext for a new Syrian-led ground operation in Greater Idlib. This scenario remains unlikely. The more realistic option is the further development of Turkish-Russian cooperation in the field with the intent of finally creating a real demilitarized zone along the M4 highway and enforcing the withdrawal of radicals and heavy weapons from it. In this light, Syrian sources say that a few more ‘heart attacks’ targeting Turkish officers, who are sabotaging the implementation of this deal and thus directly contributing to the Turkish campaign to defend terrorists hiding in Greater Idlib, may have a positive impact on the situation.
A new armed group calling itself the “Freedom Movement” claimed that it had captured two officers of the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad. In an official statement, first posted on a Facebook page called “Palestinian Top Secrets” on September 5, the group claimed that the officers were captured while carrying out “cross-border security missions.”
The group shared a video of the alleged Israeli officers in captivity. One of the alleged officers identified himself in Hebrew as “David Ben-Rose.” He supposedly worked undercover for Mossad as a petrochemicals scientist. Israel has not commented on the group’s claim so far. In most cases, Tel Aviv does go public with incidents involving its citizens or service members.
There is a significant chance that the Freedom Movement statement may be a part of the ongoing media campaign waged by pro-Palestinian groups against Israel. On the other hand, if the claims turn out to be true, this will become a notable blow for Israeli propaganda amid the country’s growing tensions with Hezbollah and Iran.
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southfront--2020-09-10--Lebanese Army Shot Down Israeli Drone (Photos)

The Lebanese Armed Forces announced on September 10 that its units had shot down an Israeli drone that violated the country ’ s aerospace .
“ At about 17:10 , a hostile Israeli drone penetrated the Lebanese airspace over the town of Aita al-Shaab , and was shot down by personnel of one of the army posts at a distance of 200 meters from the Blue Line inside Lebanese territory , ” the army said in a statement .
The Israeli Defense Forces ( IDF ) acknowledged that one of their drones was lost near the separation line with Lebanon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear of information leakage.
” Photos posted on social media by Lebanese users revealed that the downed Israeli drone was a commercially available DJI Mavic Pro .
The DJI Mavic Pro , which is equipped with a camera and can stay in the air for 27 minutes , has been in service with the IDF since 2016 .
Drones of this type are usually used for “ non-secret ” missions by the Golani Brigade , Givati Brigade , Kfir Brigade , Nahal Brigade and Paratroopers Brigade .
Last month , Hezbollah fighters shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after it had crossed the separation line from the Israeli side to an area located south of the Lebanese town of Ayta al-Shab .
Tension between Israel and Lebanon has been rising since July 20 , when a series of Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian capital claimed the life of a Hezbollah fighters .
The IDF is now anticipating a response by the Lebanese group .
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The Lebanese Armed Forces announced on September 10 that its units had shot down an Israeli drone that violated the country’s aerospace.
“At about 17:10, a hostile Israeli drone penetrated the Lebanese airspace over the town of Aita al-Shaab, and was shot down by personnel of one of the army posts at a distance of 200 meters from the Blue Line inside Lebanese territory,” the army said in a statement.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged that one of their drones was lost near the separation line with Lebanon, saying that “there is no fear of information leakage.”
Photos posted on social media by Lebanese users revealed that the downed Israeli drone was a commercially available DJI Mavic Pro.
The DJI Mavic Pro, which is equipped with a camera and can stay in the air for 27 minutes, has been in service with the IDF since 2016. Drones of this type are usually used for “non-secret” missions by the Golani Brigade, Givati Brigade, Kfir Brigade, Nahal Brigade and Paratroopers Brigade.
Last month, Hezbollah fighters shot down a drone of the same type after it had crossed the separation line from the Israeli side to an area located south of the Lebanese town of Ayta al-Shab.
Tension between Israel and Lebanon has been rising since July 20, when a series of Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian capital claimed the life of a Hezbollah fighters. The IDF is now anticipating a response by the Lebanese group.
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southfront--2020-09-10--57 Soldiers, ISIS Terrorists Killed In Central Syria Clashes This Month: Monitoring Group

Central Syria is still witnessing clashes between ISIS terrorists and the Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) , which is conducting a combing operation in the region .
On September 10 , the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in its report that the combing operation , which began earlier this month , is still ongoing with support from the Russian Aerospace Forces .
Russian airstrikes are targeting ISIS cells in the central region on a daily basis .
“ From its side , the Islamic State organization continues its operations against regime forces and the militants loyal to them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bombs and mines , as well as by launching surprise attacks in separate areas of the Syrian Badiya , ” the SOHR ’ s report reads .
According to the London-based monitoring group , the ongoing clashes have claimed the lives of 19 Syrian soldiers and 38 ISIS terrorists since the beginning of September .
ISIS terrorists are launching their attacks from the Homs desert , which lays between eastern Homs and western Deir Ezzor .
The SAA ’ s operation and Russian airstrikes limited the activities of ISIS in the Homs desert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still present in the region .
According to recent reports , the group is receiving support from U.S.-backed fighters in the nearby area of al-Tanaf .
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Central Syria is still witnessing clashes between ISIS terrorists and the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), which is conducting a combing operation in the region.
On September 10, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in its report that the combing operation, which began earlier this month, is still ongoing with support from the Russian Aerospace Forces. Russian airstrikes are targeting ISIS cells in the central region on a daily basis.
“From its side, the Islamic State organization continues its operations against regime forces and the militants loyal to them, by setting up ambushes, planting bombs and mines, as well as by launching surprise attacks in separate areas of the Syrian Badiya,” the SOHR’s report reads.
According to the London-based monitoring group, the ongoing clashes have claimed the lives of 19 Syrian soldiers and 38 ISIS terrorists since the beginning of September.
ISIS terrorists are launching their attacks from the Homs desert, which lays between eastern Homs and western Deir Ezzor.
The SAA’s operation and Russian airstrikes limited the activities of ISIS in the Homs desert. Nevertheless, the terrorist group is still present in the region. According to recent reports, the group is receiving support from U.S.-backed fighters in the nearby area of al-Tanaf.
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southfront--2020-09-10--Military Situation In Iraq On September 10, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Iraq : • US coalition warplanes @ @ @ @ @ Zab town in Kirkuk governorate ; • According to the U.S. CENTCOM commander Gen. McKenzie @ @ @ @ @ Government of Iraq and the coalition partners , the U.S. has decided to reduce its @ @ @ @ @ about 5,200 to 3,000 troops during the month of September ; • The PMU and @ @ @ @ @ a security operation in the west of Tuz Khurmatu district .
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A brief overview of the recent developments in Iraq:
US coalition warplanes struck ISIS position near the Zab town in Kirkuk governorate;
According to the U.S. CENTCOM commander Gen. McKenzie, in coordination with the Government of Iraq and the coalition partners, the U.S. has decided to reduce its troop presence in Iraq from about 5,200 to 3,000 troops during the month of September;
The PMU and the security forces carried out a security operation in the west of Tuz Khurmatu district.
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southfront--2020-09-10--Russian Forces Deployed Large Reinforcements In Syria’s Al-Qamishli Airport

On September 10 , Russian forces deployed reinforcements in al-Qamishli Airport in northeastern Syria , according to the Syrian Observatory @ @ @ @ @ ) .
The city of al-Qamishli that is located right on the border with Turkey @ @ @ @ @ government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces .
Two days ago , the London-based @ @ @ @ @ had deployed equipment , weapons and logistics by air in al-Qamishli Airport .
Last year @ @ @ @ @ Russia was planning to establish a base in al-Qamishli Airport similar to that in Hmeimim @ @ @ @ @ However , Russian military presence in the airport remained limited to a few helicopters and @ @ @ @ @ recently deployed reinforcements in al-Qamishli Airport are meant to support the operations of the Russian @ @ @ @ @ .
Moscow is working to strengthen its influence in the region in cooperation with Damascus @ @ @ @ @ ON THIS TOPIC : • Service Member Died From Injures Received In IED Attack That @ @ @ @ @

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On September 10, Russian forces deployed reinforcements in al-Qamishli Airport in northeastern Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
The city of al-Qamishli that is located right on the border with Turkey is jointly controlled by Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
“Russian forces brought, through the M4 International Highway, 50 trucks loaded with armored vehicles, weapons, ammunition and logistical materials to Qamishli Airport,” the SOHR said in a report.
Two days ago, the London-based monitoring group reported that Russia had deployed equipment, weapons and logistics by air in al-Qamishli Airport.
Last year, several sources claimed that Russia was planning to establish a base in al-Qamishli Airport similar to that in Hmeimim on the Syrian coast. However, Russian military presence in the airport remained limited to a few helicopters and an air-defense system.
The recently deployed reinforcements in al-Qamishli Airport are meant to support the operations of the Russian Military Police in northeastern Syria. Moscow is working to strengthen its influence in the region in cooperation with Damascus and the SDF.
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southfront--2020-09-10--In Videos: New Huge Fire At Beirut Port Causes Panic In Lebanese Capital

Approximately a month after the large-scale blast in Beirut Port that killed almost 200 people and wounded thousands , the @ @ @ @ @ in panic .
On September 10 , a huge fire was reported at the city @ @ @ @ @ ON THE TOPIC : • Hezbollah Withdrew More Than 2,500 Fighters From Syria – Report @ @ @ @ @ s Readiness To Retaliate To Killing Of Its Members

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Approximately a month after the large-scale blast in Beirut Port that killed almost 200 people and wounded thousands, the Lebanese capital is once again in panic. On September 10, a huge fire was reported at the city’s port.
#Arabic phrase of the day – عدم كفاءة مطلقة – 'adm kafa'at mutlaqa – utter incompetence. https://t.co/jOYPaSokqK — Lizzie Porterلِيزي بورتر (@lcmporter) September 10, 2020
The sky has turned black again in Beirut. pic.twitter.com/8Z8OSVu4QD — Liz Sly (@LizSly) September 10, 2020
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southfront--2020-09-10--Rocket Strike Hits ‘Victoria Base’ In Baghdad International Airport

On September 10 , another rocket strike hit Baghdad International Airport in the western outskirt of the Iraqi capital , according to the Iraqi Security Media Cell .
According to the Security Media Cell ’ s statement , the rocket was launched from the district of al-Furat , which is located a few meters away from the airport ’ s eastern section .
Sabereen News , a Telegram channel close to Shiite armed groups , claimed that two rockets had hit the military section of Baghdad International Airport .
According to the channel , the rocket hit the army post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ Victoria Base.
” Four days ago , a similar rocket strike hit Baghdad International Airport .
The strike reportedly targeted the headquarters of British security service company G4S , which is responsible for the security of the airport .
Iraqi Shiite armed groups are allegedly behind the attacks on Baghdad International Airport and other Iraqi installations hosting U.S. troops .
These groups vowed to expel U.S. troops from the country after the assassination of Quds Force Commander Maj. Gen. Qassim Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis , Deputy-Commander of the Popular Mobilization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ON THIS TOPIC :

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On September 10, another rocket strike hit Baghdad International Airport in the western outskirt of the Iraqi capital, according to the Iraqi Security Media Cell.
“A Katyusha rocket landed at Baghdad International Airport without causing any losses,” the Security Media Cell said in a statement.
According to the Security Media Cell’s statement, the rocket was launched from the district of al-Furat, which is located a few meters away from the airport’s eastern section.
Sabereen News, a Telegram channel close to Shiite armed groups, claimed that two rockets had hit the military section of Baghdad International Airport. According to the channel, the rocket hit the army post office in the U.S.-held part, known as “Victoria Base.”
Four days ago, a similar rocket strike hit Baghdad International Airport. The strike reportedly targeted the headquarters of British security service company G4S, which is responsible for the security of the airport.
Iraqi Shiite armed groups are allegedly behind the attacks on Baghdad International Airport and other Iraqi installations hosting U.S. troops. These groups vowed to expel U.S. troops from the country after the assassination of Quds Force Commander Maj. Gen. Qassim Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Deputy-Commander of the Popular Mobilization Units, earlier this year.
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southfront--2020-09-10--Ukrainian Orthodox Church Fights Back Religious Discrimination

The canonic Ukrainian Orthodox Church ( Moscow Patriarchate ) fights back the systematic religious discrimination that it has been facing since the 2014 coup .
So far , the resistance of the Orthodox community has been mostly focused on the grassroots level .
However , recently , the Church supporters also started making legal steps in regions .
While it is highly unlikely that a major progress in the field can be achieved under the current Kiev regime , the ability of the canonic church to resist to aggressive actions against it demonstrates that it has a wide support among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propaganda and persecutions on religious , ethnic and political grounds .
Criminal proceedings have been opened against a Deputy of the Lvov Provincial Council at the request of the family of Fr .
Maxim Yoenko , a cleric of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Zolochev who has continually faced harassment from civil and schismatic representatives .
The Zolochev police launched a pre-trial investigation on September 3 into the statements and actions of Deputy Miroslava Babinskaya aimed at inciting religious hatred against representatives of the canonical UOC , the Union of Orthodox Journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that all representatives of the UOC must be expelled from Zolochev , since they won ’ t leave themselves .
“ Our fight against the Moscow aggression in Zolochev continues , because the Moscow Patriarchate is the aggressor in our city , ” Babinskaya told reporters , referring to the use of Fr .
Maxim ’ s house as a church .
Babinskaya even proposed declaring the Moscow Patriarchate illegal in Zolochev at a recent City Council session .
She earlier stated that she is certain that the UOC “ glorifies Putin and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defenders.
” In a statement on the matter , Matushka Olga Shakhoval recalled the Deputy ’ s scandalous statements in the media in July , as a result of which Fr .
Maxim and his family began to receive threats to both health and life , which continue to this day .
She also pointed out that on July 6 , activists destroyed the fence around their house .
Their house has also been graffitied with racist and nazi slogans , and Mayor Igor Grynkiv has also called on the people to rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church on his property .
After the fence was rebuilt at Fr .
Maxim ’ s house , the mayor ’ s office took to the courts to demand that it be demolished again , though this claim was not satisfied .
In August , unknown perpetrators attacked a children ’ s store in Zolochev belonging to a parishioner of the canonical Church .
Surveillance cameras have also been set up around Fr .
Maxim ’ s house , and thus his entire family is always being watched .
The Public Advocacy NGO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one instance of the violation of human rights in Zolochev and has promised to bring the matter to the attention of international human rights organizations .
It was then reported that the issue of the violation of the human rights of the faithful of the UOC in Zolochev will be raised at a session of the UN ’ s Human Rights Council .
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The canonic Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) fights back the systematic religious discrimination that it has been facing since the 2014 coup. So far, the resistance of the Orthodox community has been mostly focused on the grassroots level. However, recently, the Church supporters also started making legal steps in regions. While it is highly unlikely that a major progress in the field can be achieved under the current Kiev regime, the ability of the canonic church to resist to aggressive actions against it demonstrates that it has a wide support among Ukrainian citizens despite the years of the propaganda and persecutions on religious, ethnic and political grounds.
Orthochristian.com reports (source):
Criminal proceedings have been opened against a Deputy of the Lvov Provincial Council at the request of the family of Fr. Maxim Yoenko, a cleric of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Zolochev who has continually faced harassment from civil and schismatic representatives.
The Zolochev police launched a pre-trial investigation on September 3 into the statements and actions of Deputy Miroslava Babinskaya aimed at inciting religious hatred against representatives of the canonical UOC, the Union of Orthodox Journalists reports.
In July, she stated that all representatives of the UOC must be expelled from Zolochev, since they won’t leave themselves. “Our fight against the Moscow aggression in Zolochev continues, because the Moscow Patriarchate is the aggressor in our city,” Babinskaya told reporters, referring to the use of Fr. Maxim’s house as a church.
Babinskaya even proposed declaring the Moscow Patriarchate illegal in Zolochev at a recent City Council session. She earlier stated that she is certain that the UOC “glorifies Putin and blesses weapons, and kills our Ukrainian defenders.”
In a statement on the matter, Matushka Olga Shakhoval recalled the Deputy’s scandalous statements in the media in July, as a result of which Fr. Maxim and his family began to receive threats to both health and life, which continue to this day. She also pointed out that on July 6, activists destroyed the fence around their house.
Their house has also been graffitied with racist and nazi slogans, and Mayor Igor Grynkiv has also called on the people to rise up against Fr. Maxim and the church on his property. After the fence was rebuilt at Fr. Maxim’s house, the mayor’s office took to the courts to demand that it be demolished again, though this claim was not satisfied.
In August, unknown perpetrators attacked a children’s store in Zolochev belonging to a parishioner of the canonical Church.
Surveillance cameras have also been set up around Fr. Maxim’s house, and thus his entire family is always being watched. The Public Advocacy NGO has pointed to the surveillance as just one instance of the violation of human rights in Zolochev and has promised to bring the matter to the attention of international human rights organizations.
It was then reported that the issue of the violation of the human rights of the faithful of the UOC in Zolochev will be raised at a session of the UN’s Human Rights Council.
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southfront--2020-09-10--Three Pantsir-S1 Air-Defense Systems Spotted South Of Libya’s Sirte

The Libyan National Army ( LNA ) has deployed at least three Pantsir-S1 air-defense system south of the coastal city of Sirte .
The systems were spotted in satellite images shared by Twitter user Ahmed Abdo on September 10 .
The three systems were deployed along the main defense line south of Sirte , 75 to 76 km away from each other .
The Pantsir systems in the images are based on a KAMAZ-6560 8×8 truck .
This means that they were not deployed by the UAE , whose systems are based on German MAN SX 45 8×8 trucks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria that enjoys good relations with the LNA and its main backers , Egypt and the UAE .
Last July , a number of Pantsir-S1 systems were spotted in the vicinity of Sirte .
However , they were in a desert yellow paint .
More than two months ago , Egypt warned against any attack on Sirte .
President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi declared the city and al-Jufra Air Base , a red line for the Egyptian military .
Since then , the city has become the main front between the LNA and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
The recent talks between the LNA and the GNA in Morocco saw some progress .
Nevertheless , the army and its allies are apparently still preparing for the worst .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Russia To Send 1,000 Fighters From Northeast Syria To Libya : Anadolu Agency

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The Libyan National Army (LNA) has deployed at least three Pantsir-S1 air-defense system south of the coastal city of Sirte.
The systems were spotted in satellite images shared by Twitter user Ahmed Abdo on September 10. The three systems were deployed along the main defense line south of Sirte, 75 to 76 km away from each other.
It’s actually a “Red Line ” that’s what LNA claims since 6/6 ! along with #aljufrah – #Sirte Road 3 air defense systems deployed type Pantsir-S1 “notice that the camouflage not match with UAE types ” also the distance between of them about 75/76km ! which pretty much not randomly pic.twitter.com/26jzl1SEfW — A.AB 1806?? (@ahmedabdo1806) September 10, 2020
The Pantsir systems in the images are based on a KAMAZ-6560 8×8 truck. This means that they were not deployed by the UAE, whose systems are based on German MAN SX 45 8×8 trucks. A possible sources of the systems is Syria that enjoys good relations with the LNA and its main backers, Egypt and the UAE.
Last July, a number of Pantsir-S1 systems were spotted in the vicinity of Sirte. However, they were in a desert yellow paint.
More than two months ago, Egypt warned against any attack on Sirte. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi declared the city and al-Jufra Air Base, a red line for the Egyptian military. Since then, the city has become the main front between the LNA and the Turkish-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).
The recent talks between the LNA and the GNA in Morocco saw some progress. Nevertheless, the army and its allies are apparently still preparing for the worst.
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southfront--2020-09-10--Military Situation In Afghanistan On September 10, 2020 (Map Update)

Click to see the full-size image A brief overview of the recent developments in Afghanistan : • According to Afghanistan @ @ @ @ @ , 22 IEDs planted by the Taliban on public roads in Nahre Saraj and Nadali @ @ @ @ @ been safely detonated by the Afghan National Army ( ANA ) ; • According to @ @ @ @ @ McKenzie , the US will reduce the number of its troops in Afghanistan to 4,500 @ @ @ @ @ bomb blast near a convoy carrying Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh killed 10 and injured @ @ @ @ @ s Taimani district .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Afghan Vice President Survives Bomb @ @ @ @ @ Least 10 People Killed

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A brief overview of the recent developments in Afghanistan:
According to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense, 22 IEDs planted by the Taliban on public roads in Nahre Saraj and Nadali districts in Helmand province have been safely detonated by the Afghan National Army (ANA);
According to the U.S. CENTCOM commander Gen. McKenzie, the US will reduce the number of its troops in Afghanistan to 4,500 by November;
A bomb blast near a convoy carrying Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh killed 10 and injured several people in Kabul’s Taimani district.
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southfront--2020-09-10--Senior Syrian Army General Assassinated In Daraa

On September 10 , Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) Brigadier General Talal al-Qasim was assassinated in the southern governorate of Daraa .
According to local sources , two gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire at the Syrian general as he was passing on a road between the towns of Buser al Harir and Nahtah in the eastern Daraa countryside , killing him on the spot .
Brig .
Gen. al-Qasim , originally from the town of Hrisun in the Tartus countryside , held a command position in the SAA ’ s 5th Division .
This was not the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Unidentified gunmen shot and killed two soldiers of the army ’ s elite 4th Division , Muhammad Faris Asfoura and Imad al-Din Ismail , near the town of Nahj in the western Daraa countryside in the morning .
No group has claimed responsibility for these attacks , so far .
Nevertheless , ISIS remains a main suspect .
The terrorist group ’ s cells are very active in Daraa .
The assassination of Brig .
Gen. al-Qasim and the attack on the 4th Division ’ s soldiers highlight the state of lawlessness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighters are yet to agree on a mechanism to restate security and fight terrorism in the governorate .
MORE ON THIS TOPIC : • Service Member Died From Injures Received In IED Attack That Killed Russian General In Syria • Russia To Send 1,000 Fighters From Northeast Syria To Libya : Anadolu Agency

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On September 10, Syrian Arab Army (SAA) Brigadier General Talal al-Qasim was assassinated in the southern governorate of Daraa.
According to local sources, two gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire at the Syrian general as he was passing on a road between the towns of Buser al Harir and Nahtah in the eastern Daraa countryside, killing him on the spot.
Brig. Gen. al-Qasim, originally from the town of Hrisun in the Tartus countryside, held a command position in the SAA’s 5th Division.
This was not the only attack on Syrian service members in Daraa. Unidentified gunmen shot and killed two soldiers of the army’s elite 4th Division, Muhammad Faris Asfoura and Imad al-Din Ismail, near the town of Nahj in the western Daraa countryside in the morning.
No group has claimed responsibility for these attacks, so far. Nevertheless, ISIS remains a main suspect. The terrorist group’s cells are very active in Daraa.
The assassination of Brig. Gen. al-Qasim and the attack on the 4th Division’s soldiers highlight the state of lawlessness in Daraa. Government forces and local fighters are yet to agree on a mechanism to restate security and fight terrorism in the governorate.
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southfront--2020-09-10--On No! U.S. President Reveals That Pentagon Chiefs Push For Wars To Keep Contractors ‘Happy’

On September 8 , US President Donald Trump revealed an open secret that the United States ’ military leadership wants to keep waging wars in order to keep defense contractors “ happy.
” Speaking at a White House news conference , Trump said Pentagon chiefs probably weren ’ t “ in love with me ” because “ they want to do nothing but fight wars so that all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy.
” “ Some people don ’ t like to come home , some people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump said .
“ One cold-hearted globalist betrayal after another , that ’ s what it was.
” Trump added that U.S. troops largely support him , but he does not receive the same affinity from the military leadership .
The comments came after Trump had come under a powerful media attack .
The Atlantic and then multiple other mainstream media organizations reported that the President allegedly made offensive comments against fallen U.S. service-members , including calling World War I dead at an American military cemetery in France “ losers ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these reports were expectedly based on anonymous sources .
The Trump administration attempts to reduce ( at least formally ) the US military presence in combat zones in the Middle East and the Central Asia face an expected resistance from the military establishment that makes billions of dollars from wars .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • Trump ’ s Space Force Conducts First Official Deployment… And It Is Not To The Moon

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You gotta be kidding!
On September 8, US President Donald Trump revealed an open secret that the United States’ military leadership wants to keep waging wars in order to keep defense contractors “happy.”
Speaking at a White House news conference, Trump said Pentagon chiefs probably weren’t “in love with me” because “they want to do nothing but fight wars so that all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy.” “Some people don’t like to come home, some people like to continue to spend money,” Trump said. “One cold-hearted globalist betrayal after another, that’s what it was.”
Trump added that U.S. troops largely support him, but he does not receive the same affinity from the military leadership.
The comments came after Trump had come under a powerful media attack. The Atlantic and then multiple other mainstream media organizations reported that the President allegedly made offensive comments against fallen U.S. service-members, including calling World War I dead at an American military cemetery in France “losers” and “suckers” in 2018. All these reports were expectedly based on anonymous sources.
Trump described this as a “hoax” saying: “I’m not saying the military’s in love with me. The soldiers are.”
The Trump administration attempts to reduce (at least formally) the US military presence in combat zones in the Middle East and the Central Asia face an expected resistance from the military establishment that makes billions of dollars from wars.
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southfront--2020-09-11--Ukraine Once Again Proves Itself As Hotbed Of Radicalism In Eastern Europe

On September 9 , the Security Service of Ukraine announced that it had detained one of the ISIS leaders in Kiev .
According to the released statement , the detained terrorist was an aide to Ahmed Chataev , an ethnic Chechen and ISIS member from Georgia .
Chataev , eliminated in Georgia ’ s Tbilisi in 2017 , is thought to have been the planner of the 2016 Istanbul airport attack .
The ISIS member detained in Kiev was participating in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq and entered Ukraine with ‘ fake documents ’ in 2018 .
Since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hotbed of radicalism and terrorism and is still serving as an important foothold and transfer point to Europe for ISIS an al-Qaeda members fleeing the Middle East ( after the collapse of ISIS in Syria and Iraq and the series of defeats suffered by al-Qaeda-linked groups in Syria ) .
ISIS-linked militants were even openly participating in the operation of the Kiev regime against self-defense forces of the Donetsk and Lugansk People ’ s Republics ( DPR/LPR ) in eastern Ukraine .
The environment of the permanent political terror , censorship and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight against the canonic Orthodox Church ) goes fully in the framework of approaches liked by supporters of ISIS and al-Qaeda .
The high level of corruption in Ukrainian security services and the public Ukrainian support ( if not on the official level , then at least in media ) to almost any terrorist entity that declares that it fights against Russia made Kiev and its surroundings an attractive destination for terrorists .
A large number of them then tries to enter the European Union , while the rest uses Ukraine as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , Ukraine also become a popular destination for various neo-Nazi and radical nationalist groups .
This situation was covered in details by the Soufan Center , a US-based think tank published its report “ White Supremacy Extremism : The Transnational Rise of the Violent White Supremacist Movement , ” released on September 30 , 2019 .
There is no surprise that in these conditions representatives of the conservative and constructive part of the Ukrainian society that survived in the Kiev-controlled part of the country feel themselves under a permanent political and religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only been fighting opposition parties and voices , but even the canonic Orthodox Church , which is being supported by most of the population .
The ‘ European integration ’ has been ongoing in Ukraine at its best .
MORE ON THE TOPIC : • The Political And Religious Games Of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

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On September 9, the Security Service of Ukraine announced that it had detained one of the ISIS leaders in Kiev.
According to the released statement, the detained terrorist was an aide to Ahmed Chataev, an ethnic Chechen and ISIS member from Georgia. Chataev, eliminated in Georgia’s Tbilisi in 2017, is thought to have been the planner of the 2016 Istanbul airport attack.
The ISIS member detained in Kiev was participating in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq and entered Ukraine with ‘fake documents’ in 2018.
“In the Kiev region, he created a criminal group, which included immigrants from the countries of Central Asia. According to operational information, during this time he continued to coordinate “ISIS” cells abroad,” the statement says.
Since the 2014 coup, Ukraine has turned into a hotbed of radicalism and terrorism and is still serving as an important foothold and transfer point to Europe for ISIS an al-Qaeda members fleeing the Middle East (after the collapse of ISIS in Syria and Iraq and the series of defeats suffered by al-Qaeda-linked groups in Syria).
ISIS-linked militants were even openly participating in the operation of the Kiev regime against self-defense forces of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR/LPR) in eastern Ukraine.
The environment of the permanent political terror, censorship and religious tensions (like the Kiev regime fight against the canonic Orthodox Church) goes fully in the framework of approaches liked by supporters of ISIS and al-Qaeda. The high level of corruption in Ukrainian security services and the public Ukrainian support (if not on the official level, then at least in media) to almost any terrorist entity that declares that it fights against Russia made Kiev and its surroundings an attractive destination for terrorists. A large number of them then tries to enter the European Union, while the rest uses Ukraine as a base for operations in Eastern Europe.
Meanwhile, Ukraine also become a popular destination for various neo-Nazi and radical nationalist groups. This situation was covered in details by the Soufan Center, a US-based think tank published its report “White Supremacy Extremism: The Transnational Rise of the Violent White Supremacist Movement,” released on September 30, 2019.
There is no surprise that in these conditions representatives of the conservative and constructive part of the Ukrainian society that survived in the Kiev-controlled part of the country feel themselves under a permanent political and religious pressure. The Kiev regime has not only been fighting opposition parties and voices, but even the canonic Orthodox Church, which is being supported by most of the population.
The ‘European integration’ has been ongoing in Ukraine at its best.
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