📹🇻🇪 Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro refuted US media claims about the lifting of oil sanctions

"Those who are putting out these false leaks and setting up a whole apparatus of lies through national and international media and platforms are stabbing in the back the negotiations, conversations and agreements that have already been signed," Nicolas Maduro said.

Earlier, US media published an article claiming that the US and Venezuelan governments had agreed on a deal under which the US would ease oil sanctions and Venezuela would hold "internationally supervised" elections.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

📹 Russia’s latest TOS-2 "Tosochka" system destroys an enemy fortified area

Having received the target’s coordinates, the combat vehicle’s crew moved into firing position and got into combat position. The servicemen successfully struck a concentration of enemy infantry in a fortified area with an extended-range thermobaric projectile.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🔎 How does the TOS-2 "Tosochka" heavy flamethrower system differ from its predecessors, TOS-1 "Buratino" and TOS-1A "Solntsepek"?

▪️The number of shells has gone down from 24 and 30 to 18, the firing range now reaches 14-15 km (according to experts);

▪️The area covered by fire has increased to 60,000 square meters (up to 40,000 in previous versions);

▪️Aiming and fire control are fully automated;

▪️"Tosochka" utilizes the wheelbase of the "Ural-63706" truck;

▪️TOS-2 has an electronic warfare system and its own crane for loading ammunition, which is an improvement from previous versions that required a special transport-loading machine.

Manufacturers suggest that the new version has great opportunities for export. While previous versions will be modernized, TOS-2 will eventually replace TOS-1 and TOS-1A.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

The head of the Israeli Directorate of Military Intelligence, Aharon Haliva, on Tuesday took responsibility for not preventing the October 7 attack on Israel carried out by Hamas, and admitted that the intelligence has failed.

“The Directorate of Military Intelligence under my command failed to warn of a terrorist attack carried out by Hamas. We failed in our main task, and as the head of the military intelligence department, I bear full responsibility for what happened,” Haliva said, as quoted by Times of Israel, adding that his department will carry out an investigation into what happened.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

❗️Key points of the Russian Defense Ministry briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️In the direction of Donetsk, the Russian army repulsed nine attacks by Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian losses amounted to 485 soldiers and three armored vehicles;

▪️In the Zaporozhye region, Russian forces repelled four attacks by Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian losses amounted to 110 servicemen, seven tanks and seven armored vehicles;

▪️In the Kupyansk direction, the Russian Army repulsed seven attacks by Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian losses amounted to 270 servicemen, one tank and 10 armored vehicles;

▪️Near Krasny Liman, Russian troops repelled two attacks by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian losses amounted to 115 servicemen and three armored vehicles;

▪️In the direction of Kherson, Ukrainian losses amounted to 45 soldiers;

▪️Russian air defense systems shot down one Mi-8 helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force. Five operational-tactical missiles and four US GLSDB guided bombs were intercepted.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

A small number of US long-range ATACMS missiles have been secretly delivered to Ukraine in recent days, according to The Wall Street Journal

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Israel

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇬🇧 The British public-funded broadcaster, the BBC, has temporarily taken six correspondents covering the Middle East off the air, following concerns regarding certain social media posts that appeared to be in favor of Hamas' actions against Israel.

Posts made or endorsed by BBC News Arabic journalists, some of whom are stationed in Egypt and Lebanon, seemingly voiced support for Palestine or challenged Israel’s viewpoint.

🗣 “We are urgently investigating this matter. We take allegations of breaches of our editorial and social media guidelines with the utmost seriousness, and if and when we find breaches we will act, including taking disciplinary action,” BBC stressed in a statement.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

The IDF and the Shin Bet eliminated one of Hamas' senior members who served as the commander of the central camp brigade of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Air Force claimed

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Version of ATACMS missile sent to Ukrainians is equipped with cluster munitions, according to New York Times

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

New Russian drone to clear remotely controlled mines successfully tested

Igor Stukalo, who serves as technical director of the Defense Group, UTTA, said that the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Russian National Guard have already conducted tests of the Strekoza unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which demonstrated “positive results.”

According to him, the drone can be used in areas located as far as 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the frontline in the special operation zone.

Stukalo explained that if the remotely operated Strekoza detects a mine with a radioelectronic fuse, the drone, which carries a TNT block, will drop it on the target.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

#SputnikInfographics📊 🇨🇳 China marks 10th anniversary of Belt and Road initiative

Inspired by the Silk Road, an ancient network of trade routes that spanned the Asian and European continents for about 1,400 years until the mid-15th century, the Belt and Road project was launched in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

By June 2023, more than 150 nations had signed the BRI cooperation pacts with China. Over 140 countries and 30 international organizations are expected to participate in this year’s event. Among the leaders due in Beijing this week are the presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Laos, and Mongolia, as well as the chair of the Eurasian Economic Commission's board.

Explore Sputnik's infographics to find out more!

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺🇨🇳 President Putin is the first to enter Xi Jinping's welcome banquet

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇹🇭 Thai PM Srettha Thavisin dons pink socks when meeting with Vladimir Putin

Many social media users have wondered how common it is for state leaders to choose pink in their business attire? Perhaps the fact is that Thavisin was involved in business in the past: in this environment, bold accents in clothing are more easily accepted.

At the same time, some experts say that this choice may refer to the cultural characteristics of the Thai people: supposedly in Thailand, pink is the color of Tuesday, and different colors can have different religious meanings. This version is confirmed by the fact that the Prime Minister wore a pink tie to the meeting.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt