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Today’s focus: Israeli military launches airstrikes on Iran with hundreds of fighter jets, and Ayatollah Khamenei retreats; Gunfire reported in Moscow, Zelensky makes a big move; Two hundred Ukrainian pilots secretly trained in the UK with domestically-produced ballistic missiles aimed at Moscow; Russian soldiers curse North Korean reinforcements, Chinese mercenaries regret being used as cannon fodder.
Israel has finally taken action against Iran. Though the operation started early on Saturday local time, sometimes it’s necessary to let the dust settle before understanding many things. Interesting details often surface after the dust settles.
As a response to Iran’s launch of 181 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1, in the early hours of October 26 local time, Israel deployed over 100 fighter jets, including the state-of-the-art F-35 stealth fighters, to carry out airstrikes on various targets inside Iran. This can be considered the largest airstrike in Israeli history.
It’s important to note that there is a distance of 2000 kilometers between Israel and Iran, involving a significant issue. There are several countries between Israel and Iran, including Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and even Saudi Arabia, some of which turn a blind eye to Israeli aircraft crossing their airspace, essentially allowing passage.
To cross Syrian airspace, Israel engaged in electronic warfare beforehand, rendering all Syrian air defense radars “silent,” meaning Syria’s air defense capabilities were virtually null before the bulk of Israeli aircraft crossed over. In my opinion, Syria and Iraq likely have retaliatory capabilities as well. It’s likely they are just taking advantage of the situation. Everyone understands that they were not the target originally, but intercepting at this moment is inviting trouble.
After the destruction of all Iranian air defense systems, Iranian skies became playgrounds for Israeli fighter jets. Especially in the Iranian capital Tehran, there were widespread bombings, including targeted strikes on Iran’s Defense Ministry building, a research center of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Air Force, and even a power plant in Tehran, all almost simultaneously. Videos captured bombs falling like rain.
Reports indicate that Israeli aircraft were flying freely over Iranian airspace, making maneuvers back and forth. The second wave of attacks targeted missile factories, UAV production bases, and military installations across Iran. As a result of these bombings, Iran will be unable to fully recover production capabilities for at least a year.
During this long-range operation by the Israeli military, in addition to F-35 fighters, American-made F-15 and F-16 fighters were also deployed, including two female pilots. The Israeli Defense Forces released a video showing Israeli pilots boarding F-15 jets for takeoff.
While Israeli jets were conducting bombardments, the response from the Iranian Air Force was somewhat laughable. As the airstrikes were happening, the Iranian Air Force commander Mohsen Vahidi reportedly only ordered one Russian-made MiG-29B fighter jet to take off, which flew in Tehran’s northern skies without engaging in combat and returned to land. It seems like a mere show of presence, emphasizing that Iran also has an Air Force, capable of flying and circling in the skies, trying to bolster their visibility.
However, when it comes to displaying presence, the Israeli Air Force took it a step further. After completing two rounds of airstrikes on Iran, Israeli jets arranged themselves into different fighter formations during the return flight, a spectacular display as they soared triumphantly overhead.
To maintain some level of diplomatic courtesy, Israel refrained from targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and oil installations. Nevertheless, this operation resulted in widespread power outages and Internet interruptions within Iran. Residents of Tehran likely realized the boasting of Iran’s military power by the government was far from the truth, evident in their incapacity to retaliate against Israel’s attack. This led civilians to quickly rush to gas stations to refuel in preparation for potential evacuations, creating long queues at petrol stations.
The Israeli military announced that all Israeli fighter jets involved in the operation returned safely to Israel after striking targets in Iran over 2000 kilometers away. Should Iran retaliate, Israel is prepared for defense and a comprehensive strike. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei responded on the 27th, completely abandoning his prior arrogance, opting not to call for retaliation against Israel. For the first time, he modestly stated that Iran authorities will decide on the response, even trying to adopt a neutral stance, emphasizing not to overplay or downplay the retaliatory actions against Israel. Western media sources mentioned that the 85-year-old Khamenei is currently in critical condition, and his second son Mojtaba Khamenei is likely to succeed him. Sadly, his son is faced with the emerging trend of “let the leaders step down first,” creating a challenging situation for successors around the world.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly declared on the 27th that Israel’s attack had inflicted severe damage on Iran, achieving all its objectives. His metaphor comparing Middle Eastern terrorists to octopuses was particularly intriguing.
While Israel completed its strikes on Iran, events unfolded in Moscow. In the evening of October 26, gunfire was reported near Pushkin Central Park in Moscow, causing civilians in the park to scatter in panic.
On October 26, Ukrainian President Zelensky signed a law that many might overlook, as it signals a turning point in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The law allows foreigners to serve as Ukrainian military officers. You might wonder about the significance of this. Considering that Ukrainian Air Force pilots are required to be officers, this law implies the potential influx of numerous retired European and American pilots joining the Ukrainian Air Force.
For instance, retired American F-16 fighter jet pilots will be able to fly Ukrainian F-16 planes directly. It has been reported previously that two of Ukraine’s finest pilots tragically lost their lives shortly after taking off in F-16s. This was largely due to the fact that Ukrainian pilots were previously only trained on Russian-made aircraft, necessitating substantial time for training and adaptation to become proficient in flying American-made jets. Allowing seasoned American pilots to pilot F-16s will undoubtedly maximize the aircraft’s combat effectiveness.
In another development, which poses an additional threat to the Russian military, reports from British media state that 200 Ukrainian pilots completed initial training in the UK and have begun training to fly F-16s. Upon completion of their training, they will form five squadrons and operate 100 F-16s. When combined with retired Western pilots, this formation is poised to reclaim aerial dominance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, securing an overwhelming advantage.
Over the past two years, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has seen a significant shift in the strategic landscape from Russia’s initial advance toward the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to eventual retreat to eastern Ukraine, and even Ukrainian forces breaching into Russia’s Kursk Oblast. Strategically, the Russian military is constantly losing ground. Now, in addition to facing the comprehensive aerial threat posed by Ukrainian F-16s, another significant development that could setback Russian forces appears imminent.
Unbeknownst to many, Ukraine has successfully tested its new HRIM-2 ballistic missile, a game-changer. There hasn’t been extensive coverage on this, but a glance at its specifications indicates the substantial threat it poses to Russia.
Firstly, the HRIM-2 missile boasts a range of 500-700 kilometers. Looking at the map, the red lines represent current Ukrainian weapons’ reach into Russian territory. The Hamas rockets, Shadow of the Storm missiles developed by the UK and France, and American tactical missiles all have their designated ranges. Now, where can this domestically-produced Ukrainian missile hit? Right here, Moscow. This missile weighs 500 kilograms and can directly target a significant portion of Moscow and most of Russia’s strategic support bases for the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The most critical aspect is that this is a Ukrainian-made missile, requiring no approval from the US or European countries; Ukraine can choose where and when to strike independently. This feature is what most terrifies the Russian military.
In a speech on October 27, Putin made an intriguing observation: Moscow is considering various countermeasures to prevent the US and NATO from allowing Ukraine to use Western long-range weapons to attack Russian territory. Putin believes that only military personnel from NATO countries would be able to operate the specific equipment Ukraine desires, as the “Ukrainian military lacks the capability to do so independently.”
Even someone as astute as Putin can easily lose touch with reality after receiving excessive praise for an extended period, trapped in an “information cocoon.” If he becomes aware that Ukraine has successfully tested longer-range ballistic missiles, entering deployment status, it remains to be seen if Putin can maintain composure. For the sake of countless lives in both Russia and Ukraine, one can only hope that Putin and Zelensky can sit down and discuss a ceasefire, granting their people the peace they desperately need.
According to Zelensky, North Korean troops are heading to Russia and are set to face Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast this weekend. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Intelligence Directorate recently intercepted communication from the Russian military, revealing dissatisfaction among Russian troops over North Korean forces being prioritized for ammunition and weaponry. These Korean soldiers are referred to as the “K Camp”, a playful name given by Russian troops. Amusingly, in these communications, Russian troops even curse these Korean soldiers as “f**king Chinese”.
On October 25, a Chinese mercenary who joined the Russian military, using the alias “Red Dragon”, expressed during a live broadcast that before coming to Russia, he was unaware that Chinese people were considered cannon fodder. He no longer wishes to risk his life for others.
That wraps up this edition of “Current Events Recap”. We appreciate your support; please subscribe to our channel, support us, like, comment, and share. Your direct financial support would be greatly appreciated. Until next time.
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