United 24 Media:
Russia wants to buy back the S-400 systems it delivered to Türkiye due to a shortage of air defense systems in its own stockpiles, the Turkish newspaper Nefes reports.
According to the publication, Moscow currently has no S-400 systems available for export, which prevents it from fulfilling contracts with various “friendly” countries. For this reason, Russia is considering repurchasing the systems delivered to Türkiye in 2019.
At the same time, Türkiye makes little use of the Russian S-400s, as they do not meet NATO standards. Ankara is also developing its own comprehensive air defense system, the “Steel Dome,” which is expected to reduce its dependence on foreign suppliers. In addition, almost half of the S-400 missiles’ permitted service life has already expired since their delivery.
Sources note that another motivation for Ankara is the prospect of achieving the lifting of U.S. sanctions imposed under the CAATSA law following the S-400 purchase. These sanctions led to Türkiye’s exclusion from the F-35 fighter jet production program.
Moscow and Ankara signed the S-400 contract in 2017, and in 2019 Türkiye received four S-400 divisions.
⚡️HUR and Special Operations Forces disrupted traffic on the Orel–Kursk section of the Russian Railways.
On September 13, Russian Railways workers discovered mines on the Maloarkhangelsk–Glazunovka stretch. A Russian Guard engineering team was sent to clear them, but the attempt failed: three Guardsmen were killed, and more than 15 trains were delayed.
That same night, September 14, the St. Petersburg–Pskov railway line was blown up on the Stroganovo–Mshinskaya section. A locomotive derailed, and 15 fuel tanks along with their contents were destroyed.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called on Polish politicians to resist, rather than yield to, the spread of “pro-Russian sentiment” in the country.
He noted that Poland is currently witnessing “a growing wave of pro-Russian sentiment and hostility toward Ukraine.”
The UN may send peacekeepers to Ukraine to support a ceasefire and post-war reconstruction, — said UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock.
She noted that a peacekeeping mission would be deployed if the majority of member states approve the initiative.
At the same time, Baerbock emphasized that peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow must take place first.
It is the Ukrainians who will teach us how to confront Russia, not the other way around. This is something Western governments and the public must urgently understand, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski told The Guardian, noting that Polish anti-drone teams will be trained by Ukrainian specialists.
“The Ukrainians have the best equipment to counter Russian drones, and they have far deeper and more modern experience in confronting the Russian army,” Sikorski said.
He added that the training of Polish teams in Ukraine’s advanced drone warfare tactics will take place at a NATO training center in Poland, which is “safer” than in Ukraine.
Denmark will bypass a number of laws and regulations to allow the Ukrainian company Fire Point to build a solid rocket fuel plant, DR reports.
A new law, passed by a large parliamentary majority, gives the government the right to temporarily suspend more than 20 laws and regulations for projects deemed “essential for national security or civil protection.” These include environmental, urban planning, land use, and environmental protection legislation. The law also allows for possible land expropriation.
Under the new framework and published draft regulations, the plant will be launched through an expedited procedure, with exemptions from multiple requirements.
However, the Danish Business Agency emphasized that this deviation is only a temporary measure to ensure a rapid start. Fire Point will still be required to fully comply with all safety and environmental standards. Authorities will remain engaged in the project, carry out regular inspections, and monitor compliance with safety, health, and environmental rules.
The French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) has awarded ArianeGroup a contract to develop and produce the fourth version of the M51 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), known as the “M51.4,” Naval News reports. The M51.4’s improved range, accuracy, and penetration capabilities are expected to strengthen the reliability of France’s sea-based nuclear deterrent in response to new threats.
“This large-scale program will be a transformational driver by introducing innovative technologies, methods, and approaches to achieve ambitious technical and economic goals,” ArianeGroup said.
The M51 is a new-generation intercontinental ballistic missile that began replacing the M45 in 2010. Each missile carries six to ten independently targetable TN 75 thermonuclear warheads (MIRVs).
Since 2015, the TN 75 has been replaced by new Tête nucléaire océanique (TNO) warheads, reportedly maneuverable (MARVs) to evade potential anti-ballistic missile defense systems. The TNO’s yield is estimated to be roughly equal to the TN 75’s 150 kilotons of TNT equivalent, with a circular error probable (CEP) of 150 meters.
The three-stage solid-fuel M51 engine also served as the basis for the boosters used in the European Ariane 5 space rocket. According to open data, the missile weighs 52,000 kg, is 12 meters long, has a diameter of 2.3 meters, and an operational range of 8,000–10,000 km at a speed of Mach 25.
The first test launch of the M51 was carried out successfully at the Center for Missile Tests (CELM) in Biscarrosse, France, on November 9, 2006. The sixth test, on May 5, 2013, failed, but subsequent launches in September 2015, July 2016, June 2020, April 2021, and April 2023 were all successful.
On November 18, 2023, the French military announced the successful land-based test launch of the M51.3 SLBM — its first.
The Younger Generation in Russia Has No Influence — The Times
The Times writes in a new article that Russia is turning into a regime where the younger generation has no influence, and Putin, now 72, has isolated himself and surrounded himself with old cadres.
The Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, is 70 and has held the position for 13 years. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is 75.
The security bloc is also controlled by people of retirement age — from 73-year-old FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov to 71-year-old Rosgvardia chief Viktor Zolotov.
❗️Donald Trump said that the sanctions imposed on Russia by EU countries are “not tough enough.”
“Europe buys oil from Russia. I don’t want them to buy oil, and the sanctions that they are imposing are not tough enough. I am ready to impose sanctions, but they should strengthen their sanctions in line with what I am doing,” the U.S. president said.
Ukraine Just Put AI Into Its FPV Drones—and They’re Already Winning
Ukraine’s defense sector is accelerating its shift toward AI-driven warfare, as drone maker Vyriy and autonomy developer The Fourth Law (TFL) begin mass production of precision FPV drones equipped with advanced terminal guidance.
The upgraded Vyriy-10, already one of the most widely used drones on the frontlines, will now come standard with TFL’s TFL-1 terminal guidance module, enabling precision strikes even under heavy jamming and electronic warfare.
❗️Russia will lose this war, — Keith Kellogg
If Putin had won, he would already be in Kyiv, west of the Dnipro, in Odesa, and he would have changed the government, the U.S. special representative noted.
He added that the Russians could advance in the Donbas, but if this advance is measured in meters rather than kilometers, it can hardly be considered a success.
“So, do I think the Russians are winning? Putin says so, but the West should answer: ‘No, they are not.’ By the way, this is a good question. Trump asked me the same thing in the Oval Office six weeks ago. I answered firmly and finally said: ‘Mr. President, don’t just listen to me. Your Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Kaine, is in the reception room now. Invite him. Ask him this question. He is your senior chief military advisor.’ And he asked, and Dan said the same thing. ‘Are they winning?’ ‘No, they are not,’” Kellogg concluded.
Russia is returning to barter. In the 1990s, it brought chaos to the economy — Reuters
▪️Russian companies have begun actively using barter in foreign trade.
▪️Wheat is exchanged for Chinese cars, and flax seeds for building materials and equipment due to Western sanctions and concerns about secondary restrictions among Chinese banks.
▪️After Russia was cut off from SWIFT, settlements in dollars and euros largely stopped. Transactions are now carried out on the principle of “grain for a car” or “raw materials for services.”
▪️Over the past year, at least eight such deals have been identified, including exchanges with China and Pakistan.
Barter is seen as a prelude to the chaos of the 1990s, when entire industries operated on exchanges and fraudsters made fortunes, making it impossible to determine the real value of goods.
Starlink satellite internet service restored after outage
As of the morning of September 15, the number of users in the US reporting issues with Starlink had dropped below 1,000, down from a peak of over 43,000, according to Downdetector. The Ukrainian military also reported problems.