“They've punched through the Kiev regime's defensive lines – first, several months ago in Avdeyevka, and then they got into operational space just to the west of that, which we call the Ocheretino bloom, and now we call it the Pokrovsk Offensive,” analyst Mark Sleboda offered an update on Russia’s progress in it’s special operation on Sputnik’s Political Misfits program.

"Russian forces are moving so fast and the Kiev regime defenses are so light, they have so few men and so few resources that… they're not turning every single building into a firing point and mini fortress,” the analyst highlighted.

“That’s how fast Russian forces are moving,” he continued. “They've already got, by some accounts, 40 to 50% of Selidovo and are moving to taking Pokrovsk into pincers. The effect of taking Pokrovsk will be like severing the artery, right? The heart's blood that is pumping supplies to the remaining Kiev regime occupied positions both north and south in the Donbass… It has huge strategic importance,” the analyst stressed.

“And the Kiev regime is only very late in the day now trying to even withdraw forces from [the] Kursk [region] to send all the way back to try to defend. But I think it's too late for all of that.”

“It's no secret that there is mass disgruntlement in this important NATO member, speaking of Turkiye… towards United States of America,” said writer and historian Dr. Gerald Horne, who joined Sputnik’s The Critical Hour program Tuesday to discuss the latest developments in the West Asian country. “Not least because of the assumed and likely accurate accusation that US imperialism was involved in the failed 2016 coup against Mr. Erdogan, the leader.”

“Likewise, there is disgruntlement in Turkiye about the historic role of US imperialism in Iraq going back about two decades to the ill-fated, ill-advised George W. Bush invasion of that neighbor of Turkiye, dislodging Saddam Hussein, unleashing chaos in the streets that is yet to dissipate and, of course, we also know that there are still US troops in Iraq who are attracting the negative attention not only of those in the streets of Turkiye but also amongst those in the streets of Iraq and Iran as well,” he continued.

“Jakarta has been engulfed in fiery unrest in recent days, as thousands of protesters attempted to storm parliament in response to controversial changes to election laws,” notes the website Orinoco Tribune, acknowledging large demonstrations taking place in the Indonesian capital recently.

“After years of fostering insurrectionary fervor in the country, has the NED’s influence finally reached a boiling point?” the website asks.

“The US has been unhappy” with Indonesian President Joko Widodo noted writer and peace activist KJ Noh, who joined Sputnik’s The Critical Hour program Tuesday. “They sometimes use the term ‘aggressive neutrality’ in that he has been balancing between China and the United States. So, for a very, very long time they did not want [Widodo] in power and it may be that there are more moves that are happening right now in order to depose him.”

“They want to see if they can create a provocation,” Noh said of the US’s offer of assistance. “The Philippines made a promise to China to remove the rusting ship the Sierra Madre. They broke that promise, they've been resupplying it.”