US-South Korea nuclear strategy could be aimed at Russia and China

The recent agreement could be aimed at Russia and China in the first place. The US is ready to justify any actions aimed at preparing for a large-scale conflict with China and Russia in the Asia-Pacific region by the "North Korean nuclear threat," Konstantin Asmolov of the Moscow-based Institute for China and Modern Asia Studies, tells Sputnik.

US President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol have authorized a joint nuclear pact after it was signed by defense officials in July. The agreement is called "US-Republic of Korea Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula."

"Despite the fact that formally the document is about containment, it is likely to aggravate tensions," Asmolov said. "In essence, it's about the return of permanent stationing nuclear weapons in the Korean Peninsula and the American nuclear 'umbrella' over South Korea."

The new agreement could also be an attempt by the US to quiet Seoul’s sense of insecurity, Dr. Zhang Baohui, director of the Centre for Asian Pacific Studies at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, tells Sputnik.

As tensions continue to grow amid US-South Korean joint military exercises and muscle-flexing, Seoul needs additional guarantees from Washington. The question is, however, whether the US is ready to wage a nuclear war with Pyongyang for the sake of South Korea as "the credibility of US extended deterrence is steadily being eroded," Baohui stresses.

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🔥 Russian Lancet drone destroys Ukrainian electronic warfare station

During aerial reconnaissance on the right bank of the Dnepr river, a electronic warfare station was discovered and destroyed by a direct hit from the loitering munition.

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❗️Death toll from Israeli strike on Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip rises to 90 with 300 injured, according to Gaza Health Ministry.

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📹 Russian ballistic missile system Iskander-M's crew struck a Ukrainian parking lot for a railway train in the Kharkov region, destroying about 20 pieces of equipment, including three Marder infantry fighting vehicles, and up to 120 militants, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

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📹 Video shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike on a refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip.

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US left eating Russia’s dust as struggling Sentinel ICBM program cannot catch up to Yars and Sarmat

As the development costs of new US intercontinental ballistic missile LGM-35A Sentinel soar into the stratosphere with the deadline being pushed further and further away, it appears that the United States finds itself severely outclassed by Russia as far as this type of armaments is concerned.

The Sentinel is a three-stage intercontinental ballistic missile intended to replace the United States’ arsenal of aging Minuteman III ICBMs by 2038, with the missile itself originally expected to be adopted by the US military around 2030.

The missile is expected to carry several W87-1 thermonuclear warhead with a blast yield of 475 kilotons each, and have a range of at least 15,000 kilometers.

At this time, however, Sentinel appears to be stuck in the “development hell”, with the missile’s cost already vastly exceeding the original estimates while the program itself is far from completed.

Meanwhile, the United States finds itself woefully lacking in the land-based nuclear deterrent department that is currently comprised of the aforementioned Minuteman III missiles, relics of the Cold War.

At the same time, Russia has upgraded its land-based nuclear triad component since the fall of the USSR, adopting advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles such as RS-24 Yars and RS-28 Sarmat.

Each of these Russian missiles carry multiple high-yield thermonuclear warheads and possess advance capabilities for bypassing enemy anti-ballistic missile defenses – something that Minuteman III cannot match due to it being simply too old.

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▪️'Coordinated rebellion': Why did Joe Biden suddenly fall from Dems & media grace?

▪️US left eating Russia’s dust as struggling Sentinel ICBM program cannot catch up to Yars and Sarmat

▪️Is Project 2025 Biden's new bugaboo to divert attention from his campaign's failure?

▪️US-South Korea nuclear strategy could be aimed at Russia and China

▪️Third time the charm? Germany draws up contingency plan for war

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Belarusian border guards will continue to serve at the border with Ukraine in a reinforced mode, said Konstantin Molostov, the head of the Belarusian State Border Committee.

"Under the decision of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, based on the conclusions and assessment of the situation, border guards continue to perform tasks in a reinforced mode," Molostov was quoted as saying by the Belta news agency.

The situation on the border remains difficult due to the hostilities in Ukraine, he said, adding that the density of mines and barricades on the Ukrainian side had increased.

At the same time, there has been a significant reduction in the number of provocations by the Ukrainian military, Molostov said. There have been no new provocations near the border or preconditions for them in recent days, he added.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said earlier in the day that he ordered Belarusian forces to retreat to places of their permanent deployment after the Ukrainian troops had pulled back from the border.

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Terrorists of the ISIS* group have intensified activity after the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May and planned to carry out terrorist attacks at mourning events for the deceased president as well as during two rounds of snap presidential elections in the country, Iran's Intelligence Ministry said.

"The ISIS terrorists ... immediately after the sorrowful incident [the helicopter crash] ... in May doubled down on their efforts to infiltrate the country, carry out terrorist acts at funerals and memorial ceremonies for the deceased ... and then to carry out sabotage during the two rounds of elections across the country," the ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry, from May 21 to July 5 its counterterrorism unit identified numerous groups, engaged in 79 direct confrontations with terrorists and detained dozens of fighters, their supporters, and suppliers of weapons and ammunition. The unit also discovered, neutralized and confiscated 560 weapons, some 42,000 live rounds of ammunition, nine ready-made bombs and a significant amount of materials for making bombs.

*ISIS (also known as ISIS/IL/ISIS-K/Islamic State) is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries

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⚡️ Sounds of gunfire erupt during Trump's speech in Pennsylvania, interrupting his speech - broadcast

Trump left the campaign site after hearing gunfire, his ear is bloody, according to the broadcast.

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❗️ The moment of gunfire in Pennsylvania during Trump's speech.

The US presidential candidate can be seen grabbing his ear after shots rang out, after which bodyguards rushed to his aid.

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❗️ Trump left the stage escorted by Secret Service agents after shots were fired at a campaign rally, with blood visible on his ear.

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❗️ Trump defiantly pumped his fist into the air after apparently being struck by gunfire at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Blood was visible running down his face as Secret Service agents escorted him off the stage.

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US President Joe Biden said he has received no information about the apparent attack on his predecessor, Republican Donald Trump, during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, Reuters reported.

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The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has redirected a Sputnik request for info about the shooting incident at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania to the US Secret Service.

"We suggest you contact the US Secret Service," the FBI told the news agency in response to an inquiry about the incident.

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The US Secret Service confirmed an incident occurred at a Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Trump is safe after the incident, the Secret Service said.

There is now an active Secret Service investigation at the location of the rally, a spokesperson for the agency said.

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❗️ Trump said he feels fine as he is en route to the hospital following a shooting incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, local media reported.

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