Latest assassination attempt on Donald Trump: What we know so far

FILE PHOTO: Ryan Routh, the suspect in the second attempted assassination of Donald Trump, takes part in a rally in Kiev in 2022. ©AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

Former US President Donald Trump, who is seeking a second term in the White House, appears to have been the target of an attempted assassination for a second time in three months.

The suspect is reportedly a Ukraine-obsessed man who was involved in recruiting foreign fighters for Kiev.

The incident

What the US Secret Service described as a possible attempt on the life of the Republican presidential candidate took place shortly before 2pm on Sunday at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Agency personnel fired several gunshots at an armed man who they spotted near the property line, it said.

The suspect fled but was caught later in the day in neighboring Martin County. The sheriff’s office confirmed that it had arrested a suspect who was driving north on I-95. Deputies were acting on information shared by their counterparts from West Palm Beach County.

The FBI has taken charge of the investigation.

Sniper nest

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw has shared images of the location where the suspect was hiding, in bushes on the perimeter of the golf club. Items recovered reportedly include an AK-47-style assault rifle with a scope, two backpacks with ceramic tiles, which were hanging on the fence, and a GoPro camera, he said.

Officials release an image of the gun found after the Trump shooting.

Looks like an AK-styled rifle laying barrel-up against a chain link fence. pic.twitter.com/befzc3s0QE

— Jon Michael Raasch (@JMRaasch) September 15, 2024

The sheriff said a Secret Service agent had spotted the barrel of a rifle sticking out of the bushes and engaged the gunman, forcing him to flee. The man and his vehicle were spotted by an eyewitness, who confirmed the suspect’s identity after he was arrested, Bradshaw added.

Pro-Kiev suspect

Multiple media outlets identified the would-be shooter as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, originally from North Carolina and residing in Hawaii. Photos of a man wearing a pink T-shirt and sitting inside a police cruiser are circulating online.

Routh has previously spoken to US media about his pro-Kiev stance and his role in recruiting foreign fighters who he thought the Ukrainian government could use.

Second Trump assassin, Ryan Wesley Routh, was connected to Rep Adam Kinzinger through his support of Ukraine. Here he’s being interviewed by Newsweek about his effort to recruit mercenaries to fight in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/6SnLYFkHv7

— @amuse (@amuse) September 15, 2024

In June 2022, he told Newsweek that he considered the Ukraine conflict to be “definitely black and white,” and “about good versus evil.”

He had initially intended to join the ranks of the Ukrainian military but apparently failed to do so. He reportedly went on to other projects, including an attempt to recruit and send Afghan commandos who had fled the Taliban to the front line in Ukraine.

”We can probably purchase some passports through Pakistan, since it’s such a corrupt country,” he told the New York Times in March 2023.

In an interview with Semafor the same month, Routh expressed his frustration with Kiev, which was suspicious about his proposal. He was identified by the outlet as the head of the International Volunteer Center (IVC) in Ukraine, a pro-Kiev non-profit.

🚨BREAKING: Ryan Routh was featured in an AZOV propaganda video in 2022. For those unaware, AZOV is a violent, far-right Ukrainian militia with neo-Nazi origins, notorious for its anti-Russian extremism—and supported by the CIA. Yet the media stays silent. pic.twitter.com/kfHvo6vZWx

— Dr. Simon Goddek (@goddeketal) September 16, 2024

In May 2022, his face briefly appeared in a video, which appealed to the international community to pressure Russia on behalf of the Azov Battalion, the infamous Ukrainian unit with ties to white nationalist groups around the world. Hundreds of its fighters were captured in the city of Mariupol that month, after they surrendered a heavily fortified former steel mill, which they used as a base. Supporters wanted them released as soon as possible.

Reaction

Public figures across the political aisle have condemned the latest apparent attempt to kill Trump.

”As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country,” President Joe Biden said in a statement.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running against Trump in the November election, said she was “deeply disturbed” by the incident, and thankful that her opponent was safe.

Trump has expressed his gratitude to the Secret Service, Sheriff Bradshaw and his office for the “incredible job done.” He remarked that “it was certainly an interesting day!”

Brush with death in July

In mid-July, a sniper fired at Trump during a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. One shot grazed Trump's ear, while further shots killed one of the ex-president’s supporters and wounded several others. The shooter was killed by return fire from a Secret Service agent.

The incident subjected the Secret Service to intense criticism over perceived lapses in security provided to Trump. Then Director Kimberly Cheatle stepped down from her position following bipartisan pressure. Ronald L. Rowe Jr. succeeded her as acting head of the agency.

Ukraine Suffers Over 13,800 Troop Losses During Kursk Operation

©AP Photo

The Russian armed forces have eliminated more than 13,800 Ukrainian servicemen and 115 tanks during military operations in the border areas of the Kursk Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

In total, during the fighting in the Kursk direction, Ukrainian troops lost more than 13,800 servicemen, 115 tanks, 44 infantry fighting vehicles, 91 armored personnel carriers, 729 armored combat vehicles, 439 cars, the ministry said in a statement.

Over the past day, Kiev has lost more than 350 soldiers and 13 pieces of military equipment, including two tanks, in the Kursk direction, the ministry added.

The Russian troops have repelled five counterattacks in the Kursk Region, as well as have taken control of settlements of Uspenovka and Borki, the ministry said, adding that the Ukrainian forces lost up to 40 people.

The Russian armed forces have also repelled three attempts by Ukrainian troops to break through the Russian border in the three directions in the Kursk region, eliminating up to 50 Ukrainian troops and a tank.

Ukrainian forces driven out of more Russian settlements – MOD

Russian forces responding to the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Region are pushing Kiev’s troops back in multiple directions, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported on Monday.

The update reported the liberation of two Russian settlements from Ukrainian troops. One of them, Uspenovka, is located 24km west of the town of Sudzha, the central hub for Kiev’s incursion. The other settlement, Borky, is 14km southeast of Sudzha.

The ministry also listed seven other villages, near to which Ukrainian units have reportedly been defeated over the past 24 hours, including one just 11km to the south of Sudzha.

Kiev sent thousands of troops across its northern border with Russia in August. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has claimed that the operation is part of a “victory plan,” which he intends to submit this month to the US government for consideration. American support is understood to be crucial for implementing Kiev’s strategy.

Russian estimates of Ukrainian casualties in its Kursk Region operation have reached 13,800, according to the latest update.

Last week, the Russian military reported liberating ten settlements in Kursk Region. Zelensky confirmed the Russian counteroffensive, claiming that Ukraine had planned accordingly for it.

Earlier on Monday, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed that Kiev is considering staging a false flag attack on a children’s facility on its soil. Accusing Russia of the “inhumane provocation” would help the Ukrainian government put pressure on the US and its allies to allow the use of their weapons for long-range strikes deep inside Russia, the agency claimed.

Ballistic missile fired by Houthis hits Israel sparking fire

Houthi group claims its new hypersonic missile managed to evade Israel’s air defence systems as Gaza war enters 12th month.

Responders put out a fire in the area of Lod, near Tel Aviv, in central Israel on September 15, 2024. [Menahem Kahana/AFP]

A long-range ballistic missile fired from Yemen has hit central Israel Terrorist, sparking fire, according to the Israeli military.

The missile triggered air raid sirens in Tel Aviv and across central Israel, including the Ben Gurion international airport, sending residents running for shelter. There were no reports of casualties or damage, and the airport authority said normal operations resumed shortly after.

They also showed images of a fragment that landed on an escalator in a train station in the central town of Modiin.

“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in central Israel, a surface-to-surface missile was identified crossing into central Israel Terrorist from the east and fell in an open area. No injuries were reported,” the military said.

Magen David Adom, Israel Terrorist's emergency services, said in a post on X that nine people had suffered minor injuries as they sought shelter.

Loud booms were also heard in the region, which the military said came from Israeli Terrorist missile interceptors.

It added that its protective guidelines for Israel’s residents were unchanged.

Houthis’ Saba news agency said the Israeli defence system could not shoot down the Yemeni missile, which caused a fire.

“A Yemeni missile reached Israel after ’20 missiles failed to intercept’ it,” Nasruddin Amer, a Houthi media official, posted on X.

The group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, announced that it had “targeted a military position of the Israeli enemy in the Jaffa area” with a “new hypersonic ballistic missile” that had managed to evade Israel’s air defence systems.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting on Sunday that the Houthis “should have known by now that we charge a heavy price for any attempt to harm us,” according to a statement from his office. Hamas welcomes attack Hamas, the Gaza-based Palestinian group, said praised the Houthis for their missile attack and said Israel “will not enjoy security” unless it ends its war in Gaza.

A statement by the group said it considers the missile attack a “natural response to the Zionist entity’s aggression against our Palestinian people”.

“We affirm that the Zionist enemy will not enjoy security unless it ceases its brutal aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip,” the group said in the statement.

The Houthi group, also known as Ansar Allah (supporters of God), controls most parts of Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.

It has been attacking Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the Bab al-Mandeb strait, since November in what it says is a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians and against Israel’s continuing war on Gaza.

This has forced shipping firms to reroute vessels to longer and more expensive journeys around Southern Africa.

A United States-led military coalition has been bombing Houthi targets since January, but the Yemeni group has continued its attacks.

The group has also fired drones and missiles from across the Red Sea towards Eilat, a southern Israeli port city.

In June, the group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree said it had launched two joint military operations with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq against ships at Israel’s Haifa port.

In July, Houthis in Yemen fired a long-range drone at Tel Aviv, killing one man and wounding four others.

Israel subsequently carried out a major air strike on Houthi military targets near Yemen’s Hodeidah port, killing at least three people and wounding 87.

Kursk counteroffensive, Donbass advance, and return of strike drones: The week in the Ukraine conflict - VIDEOS

A Russian Uragan multiple rocket launcher system pictured on September 9, 2024.
©Sputnik/Sergey Bobylev

The past week in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has seen hostilities continue along the front line, with the most active combat taking place in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Kursk Region.

On Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported seizing control of the DPR village of Grigorovka, located to the north of the town of Chasov Yar. The latter, which is split into two uneven parts by a canal, has seen intense combat over the past few months, with Russian forces seizing control over its eastern part.

On the same day, Russia announced the liberation of Vodyanoye, a small mining town in the DPR located just northeast of the Ukrainian-controlled town of Ugledar. Located on a hill in the open and consisting almost exclusively of high-rise concrete buildings, it had been turned by the Ukrainian military into a major fortress. The capture of Vodyanoye marks an important milestone in the battle for Ugledar, which has been going on for months already, as it further complicates logistics for the Ukrainian troops in the area.

Donbass advance

Russian forces have made major new gains in the west of the DPR, continuing their advance to the northwest of the town of Ocheretino, once a large logistics hub and a major Ukrainian stronghold. The town was a key part of the now-defunct defensive line where Ukraine unsuccessfully tried to halt the Russian advance after the liberation of Avdeevka early this year.

Over the past week, Russian forces continued to expand their zone of control to the west and southwest of the town, liberating several settlements in the area, namely Novgorodovka, Kalinovo, Memrik, Galytsynovka, and Dolinovka. Russian troops have also advanced further towards the city of Pokrovsk (also known as Krasnoarmeysk), the last major settlement under Ukrainian control in the area.

Intense fighting now continues in the towns of Selidovo and Ukrainsk, with roughly half of the latter reportedly now under Russian control. This week, the Russian Defense Military announced the liberation of Krasnogorovka, a large town located some 5km to the southeast of Galytsynovka. The town has seen extensive combat over the past few months.

The remaining Ukrainian forces between Galytsynovka and Krasnogorovka have now effectively ended up in a large pocket, which is unlikely to last long. The area consists of open fields separated by small strips of woods and lacks any large roads. According to multiple Ukrainian media reports, citing military sources, some units stationed in the area have already begun leaving it on their own despite receiving orders to stay at their positions.

Kursk counteroffensive

Moscow has launched a counteroffensive against the Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk Region, regaining control of some ten settlements in the west and northwest of the area seized by Kiev since the beginning of the incursion in early August.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the villages of Apanasovka, Byakhovo, Vyshnevka, Viktorovka, Vnezapnoye, Gordeevka, Krasnooktyabrskoye, Obukhovka, Snagost, and Desyaty Oktyabr have all been liberated. This is set to significantly complicate things for the Ukrainian invasion force and may jeopardize its logistics, as the majority of the villages are located along one of the two major roads that cross the border seized by Kiev during the attack.

Footage circulating online shows that Russian troops used a large number of armored vehicles during the push. One drone video, for instance, shows a convoy of military vehicles, led by a tank, rushing towards the village of Snagost. While the advancing forces came under fire, they were able to reach the village successfully and engage the Ukrainians, footage shows.

Apparently seeking to thwart the ongoing Russian counteroffensive, Kiev launched new attempts to break through the border at several points further to the west to flank the advancing troops. In particular, Ukrainian forces tried to advance onto the village of Obukhovka, located some 2km from the border. Thus far, however, the attacks have been repelled and the Ukrainian troops have failed to advance into Russian territory.

Multiple drone videos from the scene show Ukrainian troops forcing their way through anti-tank obstacles on the border and trying to advance deeper, but coming under heavy fire in the process. Over the past two days, Kiev’s forces have reportedly lost over a dozen vehicles in the area, including military engineering machines.

According to the latest estimates by the Russian military, Ukraine has lost more than 12,795 soldiers killed and wounded since the beginning of the Kursk incursion in early August. The invasion force has also sustained heavy material damage, losing at least 108 tanks, 44 infantry fighting vehicles, 86 armored personnel carriers, and nearly 700 other armored vehicles. Kiev’s forces have also reportedly lost a sizeable number of high-value assets, including seven US-made HIMARS and five M270 MLRS systems, 25 electronic warfare stations, seven artillery radars, as well as eight anti-aircraft launchers of various types.

Strike drones make a comeback

The ongoing hostilities in Kursk Region have been marked by a rather unexpected return of large strike drones to the battlefield.

Systems such as the Russian Orion and Ukrainian Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs saw action early in the conflict but were quickly rendered useless as both sides extensively covered their troops with assorted anti-aircraft and early warning systems. The MALE drones ended up unable to even reach the firing range without getting detected and shot down.

The situation, however, has changed for the Russian large UAVs in Kursk Region, where the Ukrainian invasion force appears to have subpar air defenses. Since launching the incursion, Kiev has lost several anti-aircraft systems that had been deployed to provide cover for its forces.

Over the past week, multiple videos showing Russian MALE drones striking Ukrainian forces in the area emerged online. One of the videos, for instance, purports to show a Forpost-RU UAV striking two Ukrainian T-64BV tanks in the village of Goncharovka, located just to the west of Sudzha. The drone likely hit the tanks with KAB-20 guided bombs, footage suggests.

Footage taken at the scene by the Ukrainian military appears to show the ammo stock of one of its tanks exploding, which completely destroyed the vehicle. While the second tank remained largely intact, it caught fire and likely ended up disabled as well.

Another Ukrainian T-64BV tank has fallen victim to an Orion UAV elsewhere in Kursk Region, another video circulating online suggests. Footage taken by the drone shows the tank maneuvering along a road before attempting to hide in a wooded area.

The vehicle, however, was taken out by a guided projectile fired by the Orion, likely a Kh-BPLA laser-guided missile. The Ukrainian tank sustained a direct hit and was destroyed, footage suggests.

Logistics strikes

The Russian military has continued its aerial campaign to strike Ukraine’s rear and infrastructure, apparently focusing this week on bridges and overpasses in and around Pokrovsk.

Multiple bridges – both road and rail – were targeted over the week in the area. The structures sustained heavy damage and mostly seem to have been rendered completely inoperable, footage circulating online suggests.

A major road overpass connecting Pokrovsk with a town called Mirnograd just to the northeast was hit by an unknown aerial projectile on Tuesday. The bridge snapped, with its sections falling on the rail line underneath, footage from the scene shows.

A small bridge located on the road connecting Pokrovsk to Selidovo has also fallen victim to a Russian strike. It was apparently hit by a Kh-38, an air-launched high-precision missile, which was captured by a surveillance drone.

Another bridge to Pokrovsk sustained heavy damage in an airstrike on Thursday. While the bridge partially collapsed, available footage suggests it might be still usable, as one of its lanes appears to be intact.

Still, the supports of the overpass appear to have been battered by the blast and it remains unclear whether the bridge retains enough structural integrity to withstand heavy vehicles.

Russian Missile Strike Eliminates Up to 30 Foreign Mercs Near Sumy - Russian Defense Ministry

Russian forces have carried out a missile strike and eliminated up to 30 foreign mercenaries and six units of military equipment of the Ukrainian armed forces near the settlement of Stetskovka, located north of the city of Sumy, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

The ministry also published a video showing the moment of the strike on enemy positions and a powerful explosion.

"Strike on mercenaries ... Stetskovka area (north of Sumy) ... As a result, the missile strike eliminated up to 30 foreign mercenaries and 6 units of hardware in a temporary deployment point," the ministry said on Telegram.

Earlier Russian Armed Forces conducted a missile strike on Poltava training center. As a result of precise attack, 500 military specialists, including foreign mercs, were killed or wounded.

Russian officials repeteadly stressed that mercenaries are non-combatants by international law and will be later persecuted for participation in hostilities should they survive.

What Advanced and Deadly Tanks Does Russia Field?

The second Sunday of September marks Tankmen’s Day in Russia. Established shortly after the end of World War II, this celebration honors the achievements and sacrifices of the Russia's Tank Troops.

The Russian tankers’ well-earned fearsome reputation is in no small part the product of the tanks they operate.

Sputnik has gathered information about Russia's most advanced metal machines:

T-90M Proryv

T-90M Proryv (Breakthrough) was described as the best tank in the world by Russian President Vladimir Putin himself. Its sturdy armor and powerful cannon are complemented by an array of countermeasures that protect the tank from enemy drones and make it harder to detect. A fresh batch of these tanks, which are also fairly easy to operate and repair, has recently been sent to the Russian troops in the Ukrainian conflict zone where they are bound to make the Kiev regime's troops’ lives miserable.

T-80BV

The T-80BV tank currently employed by Russia is a far cry from the original version of this tank that was adopted in the 1980s. Featuring improved targeting systems and autoloader, as well as advanced reactive armor, this tank can give any armored adversary a run for their money. For example, in June 2023, a lone Russian T-80BV took on an entire Ukrainian armored column and won.

T-14 Armata

The T-14 Armata is Russia’s next-generation tank that was specifically designed for network-centric warfare. This futuristic armored beast can shrug off enemy anti-tank missiles and sabot shells while dishing out punishment to the enemy.

The tank’s weapons are all remotely controlled while the crew remains safe in a protected compartment within the tank’s hull.

Israeli Terrorists attacks on Gaza kill 61 over last two days, says Health Ministry

Gaza’s Health Ministry says at least 61 people were killed by Israeli Terrprists attacks on the Gaza Strip in the last two days alone. Another child, identified as Yaqin al-Asṭal from Khan Younis, has died of malnutrition amid Israel’s continued blocking of aid to Gaza Strip.

During the past 48 hours, the Israeli Terrorists military killed 61 people and wounded 162 others, bringing the total death toll to 40,939 and injuries to 94,616 since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out last October, it added.

The ministry also reported that approximately 94,616 people have been injured in the ongoing assault.

“Israeli Terrorists forces killed 61 people and injured 162 others in four ‘massacres’ against families in the last 48 hours,” the statement said.

“Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

Israel Terrorists has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct 7, despite a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Palestinian children crying while holding the body of their mother who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza in November 2023. (AP)

Israel Terrorists faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.

Israeli Terrorists genocide ongoing, a child was killed and several others were injured in a series of Israeli airstrikes across northern and central Gaza early this Saturday morning.

One of the airstrikes hit the residential apartment of the Awadallah family in the al-Gharbawi building, located in the al-Nasser neighborhood of northern Gaza City. The attack resulted in the killing of a child and injuries to several individuals, who were subsequently transported to the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City.

In central Gaza, strikes targeted a residential apartment in the al-Bureij refugee camp, killing four people and injuring ten others, including children. The injured were taken to the Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat camp for treatment, as reported by Palestinian Red Crescent paramedics.

Our correspondent reported that several people were killed and wounded in a strike on tents housing displaced persons at the al-Halima al-Saadiya School in Jabalia al-Nazla, northern Gaza. Artillery shelling also targeted al-Dawa Street in the Nuseirat camp.

Furthermore, he confirmed that Israeli Terrorists forces demolished multiple buildings, south of the al-Sabra neighborhood near an educational institution and opened fire from their vehicles in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood of southeastern Gaza City. Additionally, Beit Lahia came under Israeli Terrorists artillery shelling this morning.

In a related development, our correspondent reported at least 61 fatalities due to the Israeli Terrorists aggression in Gaza today.

He also reported injuries from Israeli Terrorists shelling north of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Furthermore, an Israeli Terrorists Quadcopter opened fire on Palestinians near the Salah al-Din Mosque in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood of southeastern Gaza City.

'Israel Terrorists' strikes school shelter for displaced Palestinian

Israeli Terrorists occupation forces have bombed another school sheltering forcible displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, resulting in several casualties.

On Saturday morning, Israeli Terrorists airstrikes targeted the al-Halimah al-Saadiyah school in Jabalia, northern Gaza, killing at least eight people mostly women and children while sleeping in tents.

In a separate incident, an Israeli Terrorists bombing in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza claimed the lives of five people.

According to the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), the Israeli Terrorists military has targeted 69 percent of school buildings used as shelters for forcibly displaced individuals in the Gaza Strip.

The agency noted, “69% of school buildings where displaced families were seeking shelter have been directly hit or damaged,” as reported by the Global Education Cluster, which coordinates humanitarian efforts in education during internal displacements.

“This blatant disregard of humanitarian law must stop. We need a ceasefire now,” the agency emphasized.

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