Defence`s Feeds

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Thursday, commenting on the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, that escalation and the fact that there are no restraints left are a problem.

Ukraine has finally received the first small batch of F-16 fighter jets promised by the West, with some of them allegedly already participating in air defense missions, if recent Western media reports are to be believed.

The delivery of F-16 jets to Kiev will not be able to significantly influence the dynamics of events at front as all the aircraft will be shot down and destroyed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

Russia is ready to cooperate with all those who seek to facilitate the settlement of the crisis in Ukraine, taking into account Russian interests and current realities, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik.

The preliminary analysis of Kiev halting the oil transit from Russia shows no energy supply risks for Hungary or Slovakia, EU Commission spokesman Balazs Ujvari said on Thursday.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said that he had held several rounds of talks with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, during which Shmygal emphasized Kiev's determination not to resume the transit of Russian oil to Slovakia and Hungary.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Thursday that the labeling of the Kinmen speedboat incident is "unnecessary," in response to a statement by Chinese authorities describing the incident as a "malicious collision."

A Canadian warship has passed through the Taiwan Strait, drawing ire in China.

Israel said Thursday it killed Hamas military chief Muhammad Deif, believed to be the main planner of the shock October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis in mid-July.

Milad Bidi, a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was killed in an Israeli air strike on July 30 that targeted top Hizballah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut, Lebanon.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated his appeal for de-escalation in the Middle East in a phone call with a senior official in Iran, his Spokesperson reported on Thursday.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Hungary has stubbornly refused to join EU efforts to punish and isolate Moscow.

Russia, the United States, and several other countries have carried out the largest prisoner swap since the end of the Cold War, freeing 16 people -- including RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan -- from Russian and Belarusian prisons, while eight Russians were returned home. including RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, Wall Street Journal

The U.S. on Thursday confirmed a historic prisoner swap with Russia that included the release of American journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and permanent resident Vladimir Kara-Murza.

Eight Russians detained and held in custody in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries have been returned to Russia, the country's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday.

The situation in the Middle East is again teetering on the brink of what experts described as an "escalating and volatile conflict," as Iran vowed "harsh punishment" for Israel, which it says was responsible for assassinating Hamas' political leader, Ismail Haniyeh.

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall visited the South Carolina Air National Guard's 169th Fighter Wing July 31, as part of a senior leader visit.

Air Force Special Operations Command officials released the results of the investigation of the CV-22B Osprey mishap Nov. 29, 2023, near Yakushima, Japan.

Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) returned to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, following a 727- day deployment to 5th, 6th, and 7th fleet areas of operations, July 31.

The U.S. Navy and Armed Forces of the Philippines conducted a Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) in the South China Sea, upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, reaffirming the two nations' commitment to bolstering regional security and stability, July 31.