The ouster of the Pentagon’s chief planner, Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, from the Joint Chiefs of Staff may have stemmed from differences between his position on the war with Iran and that of War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Earl Rasmussen, a retired US Army lieutenant colonel, tells Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian forces struck a dry cargo ship delivering military supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces in Odessa, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

Unprecedented Ukrainian drone attacks, carried out with NATO countries’ assistance, are being countered by Russia’s multilayered air defense system, which will be further reinforced with weapons based on new physical principles, military expert and air defense historian Yury Knutov tells Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine lost over 340 soldiers in combat against Russia's Battlegroup Tsentr over the past day, in addition to losses in manpower and equipment on other fronts, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The humanitarian operation in Alyoshki is aimed at providing assistance to the civilian population, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Humanitarian missions, like the one in Alyoshki, are important, and the peacekeeping efforts of the US side are valuable on this matter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Since July 2025, a total of 56 Russian citizens have been detained across Russian regions for committing crimes after being coerced by Ukrainian security services, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement, adding that all of them had been users of the Dayvinchik service.

The ceasefire in Alyoshki is being fully observed, and no incidents have been reported during the period, Russia's Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova told reporters.

President Putin is expected to hold more than 20 bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Russia–Africa Summit, due to be attended by representatives from 48 African countries.

A number of states unfriendly to Moscow have long been trying to hinder the development of relations between Russia and Africa, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Anna Yevstigneeva told Sputnik.

Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom is discussing a number of potential areas for cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy with the United States, CEO Alexey Likhachev told Sputnik.

US officials have warned Middle East countries of a possible resumption of strikes on Iran after the November 3 midterm elections, the Associated Press reported, citing two unnamed diplomats

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov announced on Wednesday that trilateral negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States will resume after November 4. However, the exact date for the talks remains undetermined.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia believes it is necessary to develop contacts with Norway and Finland, as it is in Moscow's interests, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

Russia and the US should cooperate on satellite constellation launches to avoid interfering with each other, experts tell Sputnik, commenting on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks about Russia’s new orbital program and Elon Musk’s efforts.

Russian banks and their foreign partners are already processing international payments without relying on Western financial systems, Kremlin Deputy Chief of Staff Maxim Oreshkin told President Vladimir Putin at the Russia-Africa forum in Moscow.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia is ready to assist Africa in the fight against terrorism, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia plans to expand its network of ground stations for the GLONASS satellite navigation system in South Africa and other African countries, Roscosmos head Dmitry Bakanov said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia and Ukraine continue to observe the ceasefire declared on October 27 in Alyoshki in the Kherson Region, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The topic of security guarantees for Russia and Ukraine will be discussed at the upcoming trilateral talks on a settlement in Abu Dhabi, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.