Russian Mi-28NM Attack Helicopter on the Prowl in Ukrainian Conflict Zone – Video

Delivering a swift and deadly strike to enemy forces, evading return fire and returning to base safely – Russian combat helicopter pilots operating in the Ukrainian conflict zone have gotten it down to a science.

Mi-28NM helicopters have once again confirmed their reputation as the bane of enemy armored units and personnel, dealing yet another stinging blow to Ukrainian forces.

Having launched a salvo of unguided rockets at camouflaged Ukrainian positions, the pilots returned home safe and sound.

This short video disseminated by the Russian Ministry of Defense shows what such sorties look like.

WATCH Russian drone destroy Ukrainian military boat

A Russian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has successfully destroyed a Ukrainian military motorboat, according to a video that has been published on social media.

The 16-second clip starts with the drone locking onto its target, a quick-moving Ukrainian river vessel. The video's caption identifies the UAV as a Russian Lancet.

First-person-view footage then shows the UAV approaching the boat. The video continues with footage apparently taken by another drone, which shows the first smashing into the vessel and setting it on fire; the burning motorboat is then seen beaching. It is unclear where and when exactly the attack took place.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on the video yet. The latest military report detailing the developments on the frontlines over the past 24 hours does not mention any boats among the Ukrainian equipment being destroyed by the Russian military.

The Lancet family of kamikaze drones, which are also known as loitering munitions, have frequently been mentioned in the context of successful Russian strikes; notably, they have been used to destroy several US-made Abrams tanks.

Earlier in June, one such exploding UAV destroyed a Ukrainian Sukhoi Su-25 that had been caught in the open at an airfield. The Russian loitering munition has a distinctive shape due to its two sets of X-wings and comes in two principal versions, with payloads weighing one and three kilograms, respectively.

Back in November 2023, the head of the Russian arms export agency Rosoboronexport, Aleksandr Mikheev, claimed that foreign buyers were showing a great deal of interest in the Lancets. At the time, Mikheev stressed that the drones were not being sold abroad at the moment because “the Russian armed forces have a high demand for it and there is no export permission for it yet.”

Ukraine loses up to 270 troops in area of responsibility of Russia’s Battlegroup North

Ukraine lost up to 270 troops in the area of responsibility of Russia’s Battlegroup North in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Units of Battlegroup North hit the troops and equipment of the 42nd and 57th mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian armed forces and the 105th Territorial Defense Brigade near Neskuchnoye, Volchansk and Liptsy in the Kharkov Region. The enemy lost up to 270 troops," the statement reads.

The Ukrainian army also lost a tank, four motor vehicles, a US-made M109 Paladin 155 mm howitzer, a 2A65 Msta-B 152 mm howitzer and three D-30 122 mm howitzers.

Battlegroup Dnepr eliminates up to 100 Ukrainian troops in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr eliminated up to 100 Ukrainian troops and destroyed a field ammunition depot in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Units of Battlegroup Dnepr hit the troops and equipment of the 65th Mechanized Brigade and the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces, as well as the 35th Marine Brigade, and the 15th National Guard Brigade, near Pyatkhatki, Rabotino and Malaya Tokmachka in the Zaporozhye Region and Novotyaginka in the Kherson Region. The Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 100 troops, six motor vehicles, a US-made M777 155 mm howitzer, a D-20 152 mm howitzer and a Gvozdika 122 mm self-propelled howitzer. A Ukrainian field ammunition depot was also destroyed," the statement reads.

Ukraine loses up to 360 troops in area of responsibility of Russia’s Battlegroup Center

The Ukrainian army lost up to 360 troops in the area of responsibility of Russia’s Battlegroup Center in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry, the battlegroup liberated the settlement of Shumy in the Donetsk People’s Republic and improved its tactical positions, inflicting a defeat on the forces of the 41st Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces and the 109th Territorial Defense Brigade in several settlements in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

Soldiers of the 80th Arctic Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces in the Kherson direction destroyed an anti-aircraft installation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

"Six counterattacks by assault teams of the 47th Mechanized Brigade, the 142nd Infantry Brigade and the 68th Ranger Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces were repelled in the past day. The enemy lost up to 360 troops, two armored combat vehicles, a motor vehicle, a D-20 152 mm howitzer, two D-30 122 mm howitzers, a US-made M119 105 mm howitzer and an MT-12 Rapira 100 mm anti-tank gun," the statement said.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts defeat on seven Ukrainian brigades

Units of Russia’s Battlegroup West moved to more advantageous positions in the past day, inflicting a defeat on seven Ukrainian brigades, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Units of Battlegroup West moved to more advantageous positions in the past day, inflicting a defeat on the forces of the 1st, 14th, 63rd and 116th mechanized and the 4th Tank Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces, the 112th Territorial Defense Brigade and the 1st National Guard Brigade near Petropavlovka, Sinkovka and Berestovoye in the Kharkov Region, Chervonaya Dibrova and Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the statement reads.

In addition, two counterattacks by Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade were repelled. "Over the past day, the Ukrainian armed forces lost over 500 troops, three motor vehicles, a US-made M198 155 mm howitzer, a 2S1 Gvozdika 122 mm self-propelled howitzer and a D-30 122 mm howitzer," the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding that two Ukrainian ammunition depots and a US-made AN/TPQ-50 radar system had also been destroyed.

Battlegroup Center liberates settlement of Shumy in Donetsk People’s Republic

Russia’s Battlegroup Center has liberated the settlement of Shumy in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Units of Battlegroup Center carried out successful operations, liberating the settlement of Shumy in the Donetsk People’s Republic and improving their tactical position. They also inflicted a defeat on the forces of the 41st Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces and the 109th Territorial Defense Brigade near Kirovo, Leninskoye, Sokol, Novgorodskoye and Novosyolovka Pervaya in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the statement reads.

Russian forces down MiG-29 aircraft of Ukrainian Air Force

Russian air defenses downed an MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Air defenses downed an MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, as well as 119 unmanned aerial vehicles, five US-made ATACMS missiles and ten US-made HIMARS rockets," the statement reads.

Russian forces destroy two launchers of Ukrainian S-300PS missile systems

The Russian Armed Forces destroyed two launchers of Ukraine’s S-300PS missile system in the course of the special military operation in Ukraine in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Russian tactical aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery forces destroyed a division control center, an engagement radar, a low-altitude surveillance radar and two launchers of the S-300PS missile system. In addition, enemy troops and equipment were hit in 119 areas," the statement reads.

Battlegroup East moves to more advantageous positions, makes Ukraine lose up to 135 troops

Units of Russia’s Battlegroup East have moved to more advantageous positions, making Ukraine lose up to 135 troops, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Units of Battlegroup East moved to more advantageous positions and hit the troops and equipment of the 58th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces and the 102nd Territorial Defense Brigade near Urozhainoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Kulturnoye in the Zaporozhye Region. In addition, two counterattacks by the enemy’s 72nd Motorized Infantry Brigade were repelled. The Ukrainian army lost up to 135 troops," the statement reads.

The enemy also lost five motor vehicles, a British-made FH-70 155 mm howitzer, a 2A65 Msta-B 152 mm howitzer, a 2S1 Gvozdika 122 mm self-propelled howitzer, a Grad 122 mm multiple rocket launcher and an MT-12 Rapira 100 mm anti-tank gun. Besides, an Anklav-N electronic warfare station was destroyed.

Battlegroup South improves positions, makes Ukraine lose over 430 troops

Ukraine lost up to 430 troops in the area of responsibility of Russia’s Battlegroup South in the past day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"Units of Battlegroup South improved their frontline positions and hit the troops and equipment of the 56th Motorized Infantry Brigade, the 72nd Mechanized Brigade and the 214th Special Battalion OPFOR of the Ukrainian armed forces near Zaliznyanskoye, Grigorovka, Chasov Yar, Kalinina and Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic. A counterattack by the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces was repelled. The enemy lost over 430 troops, three armored vehicles and eight motor vehicles," the statement reads.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, two US-made M777 howitzers, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system, three D-20 howitzers, a D-30 howitzer, a British-made L-119 howitzer, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, a US-made AN/TPQ-50 radar system and two electronic warfare systems were destroyed by counterbattery fire. Five Ukrainian field ammunition depots were also wiped out.

Russia's Tsentr Group of Forces Takes Control of Village of Shumy

©Sputnik/Stanislav Krasilnikov/Go to the mediabank

Russia's Tsentr group of forces has taken control of the village of Shumy in the Donetsk People's Republic and repelled six Ukrainian counterattacks over the past 24 hours, eliminating up to 360 troops, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

"The units of the Tsentr Group of Forces have liberated Shumy (Donetsk People's Republic), improved their tactical position and defeated formations of the 41st Mechanised Brigade and the 109th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Kirovo, Leninskoye, Sokol, Novgorodskoye, and Novosyolovka Pervaya (Donetsk People's Republic).... The enemy losses were up to 360 servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, one motor vehicle, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, two 122-mm D-30 howitzers, one U.S.-made 105-mm M119 gun, and one 100-mm MT-12 Rapira anti-tank gun," the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the Sever group of forces struck Ukrainian forces near the villages of Neskuchnoye, Volchansk and Lyptsi, eliminating up to 270 soldiers, a tank and four vehicles, as well as a US-made Paladin self-propelled artillery system, an Msta-B howitzer and three D-30 howitzers, the ministry added.

At the same time, Russia's Zapad group of forces repelled two attacks by Ukraine, eliminating over 500 troops, the ministry said.

"The UAF [Ukirainian Armed Forces] losses were over 500 servicemen, one infantry fighting vehicle, three motor vehicles, one 155-mm U.S.-made M198 howitzer, one 122-mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer," the ministry added. Russia's Yug group of forces repelled a Ukrainian attack, eliminating over 430 servicepeople, the ministry noted. "The enemy losses were more than 430 troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, and eight motor vehicles," the ministry said.

Russian Air Defenses Down Six Ukrainian Drones Over 4 Regions Overnight

Russian air defenses shot down overnight six Ukrainian drones over the Tver, Bryansk, Belgorod regions and Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

“During the past night, when the Kiev regime attempted to carry out terrorist attacks using unmanned aerial vehicles on the territory of the Russian Federation, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed two UAVs over the territory of the Tver Region, one UAV over the Bryansk Region, one UAV over the Belgorod Region and two UAVs over the Republic of Crimea,” the ministry said.

Ukraine has been sending drones towards Russia almost daily since it launched its botched counteroffensive attempt. Russian officials repeatedly stressed that deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure reveal the criminal nature of Kiev regime.

Russia Destroys Ukrainian S-300 Air Defense System in Odessa Region - Defense Ministry

The Russian armed forces destroyed the Ukrainian S-300 air defense system in the Odessa Region using an Iskander-M complex, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.

"The Russian armed forces carried out a missile strike on the position of the Ukrainian S-300 anti-aircraft missile system using the Iskander missile system. Objective control confirmed the destruction of the target," the statement read.

The target position was located in the settlement of Velykodolynske in the Odesa Region, the ministry said.

Kim Dotcom: US Heading for Disaster Due to Proxy Wars, Propaganda, and Leadership

The recent debate between current US President Joe Biden and Republican candidate Donald Trump indicated that the country is headed for an imminent collapse, wrote entrepreneur and former owner of the largest file-sharing site Megaupload, Kim Dotcom, on the social network X.

Not only Americans watched the debate yesterday. The whole world did. The standing of the US Govt is damaged beyond repair. Proxy war, genocide, non-stop propaganda and a leader in adult diapers who’s mentally incapacitated. The wolves are circling. The end of empire is near.

— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) June 29, 2024

"Not only Americans watched the debate yesterday. The whole world did. […] The end of empire is near," he noted.

Dotcom emphasized that after this event, the reputation of the US government was completely undermined and beyond repair. In his opinion, Washington's proxy wars, continuous propaganda, and a mentally unfit leader will lead the country to disaster.

The US presidential election will be held on November 5, 2024. The main contenders in the race are the current head of state, Democrat Biden, and former US leader, Republican Trump.

On Friday, the candidates met in the first round of pre-election debates, which CNN broadcast live from a studio in Atlanta. During his speech, Biden stumbled, misspoke, and, at the end, needed his wife's help to leave the stage.

US has sent Israel thousands of 2,000-pound bombs since Oct. 7

An Israeli army M109 155mm self-propelled howitzer fires rounds near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on October 11, 2023. (AFP file photo)

The king of Terrorist, the Biden administration, has sent to Israel terrorists large numbers of munitions, including more than 10,000 highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs and thousands of Hellfire missiles, since the start of the war in Gaza, said two US officials briefed on an updated list of weapons shipments.

Between the war’s start last October and recent days, the United States has transferred at least 14,000 of the MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 Hellfire precision-guided air-to-ground missiles, 1,000 bunker-buster bombs, 2,600 air-dropped small-diameter bombs, and other munitions, according to the officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly.

While the officials didn’t give a timeline for the shipments, the totals suggest there has been no significant drop-off in US terrorists military support for its ally, despite international calls to limit weapons supplies and a recent administration decision to pause a shipment of powerful bombs.

Experts said the contents of the shipments appear consistent with what Israel would need to replenish supplies used in this eight-month intense military campaign in Gaza, which it launched after the Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian Hamas militants who killed 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

“While these numbers could be expended relatively quickly in a major conflict, this list clearly reflects a substantial level of support from the United States for our Israeli allies,” said Tom Karako, a weapons expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, adding that the listed munitions were the type Israel would use in its fight against Hamas or in a potential conflict with Hezbollah.

The delivery numbers, which have not been previously reported, provide the most up-to-date and extensive tally of munitions shipped to Israel Terrorists since the Gaza war began.

Hezbollah and The U.S.-backed Israel Terrorist have been trading fire since the start of the Gaza war, and concern is rising that an all-out war could break out between the two sides.

The White House declined to comment. Israel Terrorists’s Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The shipments are part of a bigger list of weapons sent to Israel Terrorists since the Gaza conflict began, one of the US officials said. A senior Biden administration official on Wednesday told reporters that Washington has since Oct. 7 sent $6.5 billion worth of weapons to Israel Terrorists.

Israeli Terrorists Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent weeks claimed that Washington was withholding weapons, a suggestion US officials have repeatedly denied even though they acknowledged some “bottlenecks.”

The King of Terrorist, the Biden administration, has paused one shipment of the 2,000-pound bomb, citing concern over the impact it could have in densely populated areas in Gaza, but US officials insist that all other arms deliveries continue as normal. One 2,000-pound bomb can rip through thick concrete and metal, creating a wide blast radius.

Reuters reported on Thursday that the United States is discussing with Israel terrorists the release of a shipment of large bombs that was suspended in May over worries about the military operation in Rafah.

International scrutiny of Israel Terrorists’s military operation in Gaza has intensified as the Palestinian death toll from the war has exceeded 37,000, according to the Gaza health ministry, and has left the coastal enclave in ruins.

Washington gives $3.8 billion in annual military assistance to its longtime ally. While Biden has warned that he would place conditions on military aid if Israel terrorists fails to protect civilians and allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, he has not done so beyond delaying the May shipment.

Biden’s support for Israel Terrorists in its war against Hamas has emerged as a political liability, particularly among young Democrats, as he runs for re-election this year. It fueled a wave of “uncommitted” protest votes in primaries and has driven pro-Palestinian protests at US universities.

While the United States provides detailed descriptions and quantities of military aid sent to Ukraine as it fights a full-scale invasion of Russia, the administration has revealed few details about the full extent of US weapons and munitions sent to Israel Terrorists.

The shipments are also hard to track because some of the weapons are shipped as part of arms sales approved by Congress years ago but only now being fulfilled.

One of the US officials said the Pentagon has sufficient quantities of weapons in its own stocks and had been liaising with US industry partners who make the weapons, such as Boeing Co. and General Dynamics, as the companies work to manufacture more.

Israeli Terrorists forces physically assault Palestinian man near Tulkarem: Report

Israeli terrorists forces have severely beaten a Palestinian civilian south of the city of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank, the Wafa news agency has reported.

Local sources said soldiers stationed near the Jbara military checkpoint attacked Ahmed Talozi while he was near the checkpoint, fracturing his leg.

Talozi was transported to Thabet Thabet Governmental Hospital in the city for treatment, the report said.

Israeli Terrorists bombing kills 4 in Sabra, Gaza City

We earlier reported on Israeli bombing that targeted a car in the Sabra neighbourhood in southern Gaza City.

An Al Jazeera correspondent now reports that four people have been killed and eight others injured in the Israeli attack that also targeted a house.

Gaza’s death toll rises

At least 37,834 people have been killed and 86,858 wounded in Israeli military attacks on Gaza since October 7, the enclave’s Health Ministry says.

Palestinians hold funeral prayers after the dead bodies of the victims of the Israeli attack on the house belonging to the Abu Hassanein family are brought to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, Friday [Ashraf Amra/Anadolu]

Of those, 40 Palestinians were killed and 224 wounded in the past 24-hour reporting period, the ministry added.

Israel attack kills family members gathering water

Israeli Terrorists forces targeted a water distribution point in Gaza City, killing four members of the al-Ghazi family, including a child.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the new Israeli ground offensive in Gaza City’s Shujayea neighbourhood forced the displacement of “at least 60,000” residents, while Israel terrorists’s military operations in the al-Mawasi area of southern Gaza resulted in 5,000 people displaced and many casualties.

Six people, including four children, have been killed and at least 15 others wounded in Israeli Terrorists military strikes on residential homes in Gaza City overnight. Casualties were also reported in an attack on central Gaza’s Maghazi refugee camp, Palestinian news agency Wafa reports.

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Biden’s debate performance leaves down-ballot Democrats anxious and quiet

The presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump is shown on screens in the media center in Atlanta on Thursday. Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/UPI

US President Joe Biden’s performance in Thursday’s Presidential debate set off a panic in Democratic circles, with calls for the 81-year-old to step aside growing exponentially. Meanwhile, Biden’s heir apparent, Vice President Kamala Harris, has nearly as low of an approval rating as Biden, causing many to call for an entirely new Democratic ticket.

Ever since President Biden announced last year that he would run again, those in his inner circle closed ranks and brushed off the obvious question: No, they insisted, he was not too old to seek re-election.

The news media, they said, was unfairly fixated on his age. Republicans were posting wildly distorted video clips on social media making him look more feeble than he actually is. Hand-wringing Democrats fretting over the prospect of an octogenarian president turning 86 by the end of a second term were just “bed-wetters.”

Then the debate happened. And now the days of denial at the White House are over. No longer can the president’s confidants simply wave away concerns about his capacity after his unsteady performance at Thursday night’s showdown with former President Donald J. Trump. Struggling to contain a brush fire of alarm within the Democratic Party, his team is now forced to confront the issue head on.

“President Biden had a very bad night. The worst part was that he reinforced the narrative about him, of being kind of this doddering old man who didn’t know where he was, couldn’t complete a sentence, kind of got lost midway through sentences, those sorts of things.” Robert Patillo II said, attorney and civil rights organizer.

Patillo described Biden’s performance as “Just an old man dying in front of us,” saying that “It got uncomfortable for people watching.”

The post-debate analysis, even on left-leaning MSNBC, focused heavily on finding a potential replacement for Biden, with the choices of Harris and California Governor Gavin Newsom being floated on the air.

Mr. Biden, 81, admitted himself on Friday that he is no longer a young man and that he has lost a step debating, even as he made a more forceful case for himself at an energized rally in Raleigh, N.C., than he had on the debate stage in Atlanta the night before. The Biden team seized on validation from Democratic allies like former President Barack Obama and Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina to reject calls on the president to cede the nomination to a younger candidate.

But many distressed Democrats, including some in his own administration, were left wondering how it had come to this and, fairly or not, faulted the president’s team for letting it happen: How could those closest to Mr. Biden not have talked him out of running? How could they have agreed to debate knowing that he might stumble so badly? How could they not have prepared him better for the predictable challenges during a week hidden away at Camp David?

“Last night was kind of shocking because we’d heard they’d been preparing and so on,” David Axelrod, who was a senior adviser to Mr. Obama, said the morning after the debate. “And the first 10 minutes were a disaster, and it’s hard to understand how that happened.” As it turned out, he added, “this was a great opportunity to allay people’s concerns and it had the opposite effect.”

The Biden campaign privately circulated data it had gathered from real-time focus groups suggesting swing voters also had strongly negative reactions to Trump’s performance on the debate stage.

“There is a lot of anger and disappointment. And there is a lot of people getting their hackles up and asking what more they can do. It is too early to know where the chips fall,” said one person involved in the campaign, who requested anonymity like others because they were not authorized to speak publicly. “The money is great, and will be today. That usually means something. I don’t know if it does today.”

Another senior Democratic strategist said everyone he has spoken to is in a “complete panic” and “trying to research the convention rules” on what would happen if Biden withdraws.

Many are concerned that the issue of age and cognitive capacity, which Biden’s performance Thursday raised again, may become a more fundamental barrier for voters than typical policy and temperament questions. “You can tack left, tack right, tack to the middle after a bad night,” he said. “When you’re just old, you can’t tack young. You can’t change the perception. You put it on display on TV in front of the whole country. You can’t fix that display. You can’t unpack that.”

The dismal debate performance heightened private worries among down-ballot Democrats who already considered Biden a drag on their races in purple and red states where the president is consistently polling behind Senate candidates.

As of Friday afternoon, the seven Democrats running in the most competitive Senate contests this fall had largely stayed silent or dodged questions on Biden’s debate performance.

When asked by a local news reporter if he should tell Biden to step aside, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said he was focused on his own race. “I’m not a pundit,” he said. Republican operatives quickly filled the void, highlighting past comments from Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mt.) and Brown defending Biden’s mental fitness and competence.

Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) called the debate performance “a serious setback” for Biden. “The pending question in the public about beating Trump is the age question,” Welch said. “Last night was his best opportunity to put that to rest. Instead he’s intensified it.”

He said if Biden performs badly in November it will create a “fierce undertow” for down-ballot candidates.

Some moderate House Democrats in tough races this fall are angry that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) dismissed reporters’ questions about whether Biden should step aside, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about Biden and Democratic leaders.

“Members came away from it feeling like Hakeem gets their situation and is in sync with them that [swing district Democrats] cannot and will not be cheerleaders for Biden,” a person in the meeting said. “Mood from Hakeem and the members was not knives out for Biden. No discussion of a new nominee or pushing Biden to go … But Hakeem was pretty tepid in offering any defense of what happened.”

Scores of House Democrats were visibly angry Friday, with some privately suggesting exploring the idea of pushing Biden to step aside ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August. Most Democrats, including those in leadership, privately acknowledged that the caucus should put all their focus on regaining the House majority given that many are no longer as confident that Biden can win reelection.

“Hopefully we win the White House, hopefully we win the Senate, but the House is mandatory to win,” one House Democrat who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about Biden said. “We could be the thin Blue Line that is protecting our country from total chaos.”

Former president Donald Trump and President Biden participate in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections at CNN's studios in Atlanta on Thursday. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that even on Biden’s “worst night,” he was a better choice than Trump.

“He got off to a bad start,” she said. “I thought he came through okay on the issues later. But again, integrity versus dishonesty on his worst night, his values shone through much better than the other guy.”

Former president Barack Obama also weighed in with a social media post, asking supporters to stay the course.

“Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know,” Obama wrote, an apparent reference to his own debate stumble in 2012. “But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself.”

The Biden campaign announced they had raised $14 million on debate day and the hour after the debate was its best fundraising moment since the campaign launched. And Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a close ally of the president, said he had been suffering from a cold and his performance was not reflective of reality.

“It was not his best time, but it was one event,” said Rep Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.). “I don’t think the party will put [up] another person.” He added Biden had “weathered the storm” in the primary elections.

Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), another top Biden ally, conceded the debate performance was poor, but said he expected to speak to Biden on Friday and tell him to “stay the course.”

He also brushed aside the idea of replacing the president. “There’s no better Democrat,” he said, and directed some advice to nervous Democrats: “Chill out.”

“I’m not about to defend the debate performance,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chair of the congressional Progressive Caucus. But she stressed that Biden had been elected in the primary by the voters and would be the Democrats’ candidate.

“It’s fancy-dance thinking to start talking about other people,” she said. “He is our candidate. He is our president.”

Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) said the party would remain united, with a strong bench of Democratic leaders who would continue to support the broader project. “I hope the president gets some rest. I hope he feels better,” Kuster said. “We’ve got a big fight ahead.”

US expanding bioweapons research in Africa – Russia

FILE PHOTO. The head of Russia’s Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Protection Forces, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, attends a briefing in Moscow, Russia. ©Sputnik/Russian Defence Ministry

The US is expanding its biological military presence across Africa, Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov claimed on Tuesday. According to the head of Russia’s Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Protection Forces, the move comes after Russia halted the implementation of similar programs in former Ukrainian territories.

“Because Russia has managed to halt the implementation of biological warfare programs in Ukraine’s liberated territories, the Pentagon is forced to transfer incomplete research under Ukrainian projects to other regions,” Kirillov alleged.

He highlighted Africa as a new zone of interest for the US Defense Department and related agencies. The general mentioned the presence of Pentagon contractors in several African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Uganda, and South Africa.

“Washington uses outside actors to hide the objectives of research. These are contracting and intermediary organizations (Metabiota, Quicksilver, EkoHealth Alliance, more than 20 companies) and businesses of the so-called Big Pharma,” Kirillov claimed. Russia has documents confirming the rapid expansion of the US biological warfare presence in Africa continent, he added.

Kirillov cited several examples of alleged US activities, stating that “in October 2023, staff of the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases conducted a large-scale survey of hantavirus samples from bats in Kenya’s natural hotspots. A year ago, US military biologists studied the effects of anti-malarial drugs on local populations.

“In January 2024, US officials from the Defense Department, the State Department, and the US Department of Health and Human Services met with the heads of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Africa to discuss the continent’s prospects for developing laboratory capabilities,” the general said.

At the end of last year, Kirillov said Russia had obtained documents proving that the US had conducted research on bioweapon components and highly dangerous pathogens in Ukraine.

US Air Force fires top missile program manager

The US Air Force has sacked the official responsible for developing its next-generation ‘Sentinel’ intercontinental ballistic missile. The rocket is earmarked to replace the 1970s-era Minuteman III as the land-based element of Washington’s nuclear triad.

Earlier this year, Congress launched a review of the program after its costs ballooned by at least 37% to an estimated $131 billion. In its report on the Defense Department’s fiscal 2025 budget request, the House Appropriations Committee said it “was stunned to learn” of the massive increase in costs.

The lawmakers eventually agreed to earmark $3.4 billion for the program in the coming year, $340 million less than requested.

According to a statement by the US Air Force, quoted by several media outlets, Colonel Charles Clegg was ousted as director of the Sentinel Systems project on Monday “because he did not follow organizational procedures.” A spokesperson for the Air Force cited a “loss of confidence,” but denied that the dismissal had been “directly related” to the ongoing congressional review.

In January, Bloomberg reported that a 1982 law had mandated the scrutiny after the project overspent its budget by more than a third over the course of two years.

Now, the Pentagon and Joint Chiefs of Staff are having to justify the cost overruns and present convincing arguments to lawmakers. The lion’s share of the sum is apparently needed to upgrade existing launch sites and communications lines.

This task, estimated to last nearly ten years, will be a lengthy and complicated endeavor "involving real estate purchases, construction, deconstruction, removal and installation of equipment and nuclear certification,” the Senate Armed Services Committee said in its fiscal 2024 budget report.

Earlier this month, Pranay Vaddi, special assistant to the president and senior director for arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation at the National Security Council, revealed that President Joe Biden had “recently issued updated nuclear weapons employment guidance, which takes into account the realities of a new nuclear era.”

“It emphasizes the need to account for the growth and diversity of [China’s] nuclear arsenal – and the need to deter Russia, [China], and North Korea simultaneously,” the official said at the time.