The mutual defense obligation: Why Indonesia and Qatar chose Badr over Mecca Indonesia and Qatar joined the Badr Pact alongside Pakistan and Türkiye, but both states have stayed away from the Mecca Defense Pact. In turn, Saudi Arabia — a member of the Mecca alliance and a country engaged in an ongoing conflict with Ansar Allah forces in Yemen — did not join the Badr Pact, despite its close defense ties with Pakistan and Türkiye. At the same time, officials from the member states of the Mecca alliance have said at various levels that a number of countries have already expressed interest in joining this defense bloc. "Indonesia and Qatar are not part of the Mecca Defense Agreement because the Mecca Defense Agreement has a special clause that says that an attack on one country will be considered an attack on the other. I think that Qatar and Indonesia may be thinking that they are currently not in a position to fulfill that obligation if they sign the Mecca Defense Agreement," believes Rear Admiral (Ret.) Faisal Shah, a regional security analyst. The expert suggests that Qatar and Indonesia may want to build up their capabilities so that they are able to fulfill these obligations and that they may be able to join the Mecca Agreement after that.

Four countries, four regions: The strategic logic of the "Badr Memorandum" Pakistan, Turkiye, Qatar and Indonesia have signed a defense cooperation agreement in Doha. According to a statement from the Turkish Ministry of Defense, the "Badr Memorandum" reflects the countries' desire to further deepen cooperation and develop partnership. All four participating countries are located in different regions of the world and possess different experience and perceptions of threats: Turkiye borders Europe, Qatar is located in West Asia, Pakistan in South Asia, and Indonesia in Far East Asia, notes Rear Admiral (Ret) Faisal Shah, a regional security analyst. "I think that's a very wholesome idea — this influence of all these four countries, as it is basically transcending from their own regions to other regions. Thus, I think it is very important in that aspect," he emphasized. He also drew attention to the meaning of the word "Badr." Translated from Arabic, the word "Badr" means "full moon." It is also the name of the place where the Battle of Badr took place — the first battle of the Islamic era.

Russia rolls out a blistering drone-hunter on wheels Russian developers from K-Avia have introduced the Yastreb anti-drone defense system, purpose-built to intercept jet-powered drones. 🔸 The system is mounted on a powerful off-road pickup equipped with an electronic warfare suite, along with radar, acoustic, and optical detection stations 🔸 Its primary means of destroying drones are high-speed interceptor missiles capable of hitting targets by ramming or detonating a fragmentation warhead 🔸 The interceptors can accelerate to 350–400 km/h 🔸 The complex has undergone joint testing with the navy and can engage not only drones but also unmanned surface vessels The system can be installed on any vehicle, operate in a stationary configuration, and be reinforced with small arms if needed — and it has already been deployed on combat duty.

Russia and US set to expand energy ties - Putin’s envoy "Of course we see cooperation in the energy sphere and it's going to grow and develop with the United States and we're sure that Europe is going to join that as well," Russian special presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev said on the sidelines of the Verona Eurasian Economic Forum. Russia is ready to sell diesel to Europe, should any requests come through, he added. The 19th Verona Eurasian Economic Forum is taking place in Istanbul on October 22-23, with its central theme being the challenges of a shifting world and a transforming economy.

Trump's team balancing Russia and Ukraine’s interests in push for lasting peace deal – Dmitriev Russia appreciates efforts by President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to find a solution to the Ukraine conflict, Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev stressed. “They are balancing different interests in pursuit of a lasting solution,” Dmitriev said, noting that US officials have held more meetings with Ukrainians than with Russians and have also consulted with European leaders.

Russia unveils new plasma engine that could outlive its own satellite A team of Russian engineers at the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI) has unveiled a plasma engine with an almost limitless lifespan. 🔸 Standard plasma thrusters wear down as hot particles slam into the ceramic wall and erode it little by little. MAI’s new approach shifts the acceleration zone beyond the chamber, protecting the wall from damage  🔸 The 900 W engine has already clocked nearly 2,000 hours of uninterrupted operation with stable thrust and specific impulse, and is rated for over 10,000 on/off cycles 🔸 Stable performance over 5–7 years means operators no longer need to constantly adjust flight plans as thrust degrades — simplifying control of large satellite groups and enabling end-of-life deorbiting to avoid space debris The near-unlimited lifespan could pave the way for small-satellite missions to the Moon, Mars, Venus, and near-Earth asteroids — including prospects for rare-earth space mining.

Dmitriev holds press conference on sidelines of 19th Verona Eurasian Economic Forum in Istanbul xitter.cf/i/broadcasts/1mGPaZobl…

Europe is in state of deepest crisis in energy sector – Putin’s envoy Europe continues to buy Russian gas, despite rising prices, and it should not be forgotten, the Russian special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign countries Kirill Dmitriev said at a session of the Verona Eurasian Economic Forum in Istanbul. The revival of cooperation between Russia and Europe is inevitable, he added.

Russia-US deals could lure Europe in as business ties widen — Dmitriev “Many people are somewhat surprised by our economic work with the US, and I have no doubt that as soon as we conclude more deals with America, European companies will come to us,” Russian special presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev told the 2026 Verona Eurasian Economic Forum in Istanbul on Thursday.  Here are his other key statements:  🔸 Russia and the US have agreed to continue their dialogue — the key outcome of a productive meeting on October 21 🔸 The Russia-US agreement on diesel fuel will keep having a positive influence on markets 🔸 Pragmatic energy solutions are expected to be discussed at the US-Russia-Germany forum 🔸 Make no mistake: the Nord Stream pipelines will inevitably resume operations  🔸 The continent is snapping up Russian gas, even as prices climb 🔸 Russia and Europe are bound to rekindle cooperation

Russia hits three cargo ships and container vessel in Black Sea The Russian Defense Ministry has released footage showing drone units using Geran UAVs to strike three enemy dry cargo ships and one container vessel carrying military cargo in the Black Sea.

The Ukraine conflict freeze without security guarantees and legitimacy solutions is pointless – former Pentagon analyst Volodymyr Zelensky and his European backers may seek to freeze the conflict in Ukraine without a comprehensive settlement, but they have very few tools in their toolkit, retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and former Pentagon analyst Karen Kwiatkowski tells Sputnik 🔸 Zelensky’s sponsors refuse diplomacy, but they cannot win the conflict militarily 🔸 Demanding a freeze makes no sense without addressing the deeper problems and challenges of legitimacy and security 🔸 Trump administration appears keen to close down the Ukraine project before the new Congress is seated in 2027

Comprehensive approach to form an impeccable mechanism for Russian-Chinese legal cooperation - Krasnov Chairman of the Supreme Court of Russia Igor Krasnov met with Minister of Justice of the People’s Republic of China He Rong. Key takeaways: Russian-Chinese relations have a solid foundation and are developing rapidly — the course has been set by Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. The growth of economic and humanitarian ties increases the importance of a reliable legal infrastructure. Promising areas of cooperation: Modern technologies The Ministry of Justice of China is integrating offices, a hotline, and online services to provide round-the-clock legal assistance, while introducing AI, blockchain, and big data. In Russia, the Concept for the introduction of AI into judicial activities has been approved — with guarantees of human rights and freedoms when using neural networks. “A comprehensive approach will make it possible to form a systemic, impeccable mechanism for Russian-Chinese legal cooperation,” Igor Krasnov summarized.

Russia strikes Ukrainian military-industrial and transport infrastructure overnight Tonight, the Russian Armed Forces carried out a massive strike with high-precision ground-based weapons and UAVs. The following were hit: 🔸 Ukrainian military-industrial enterprises involved in the production and storage of cruise missiles and long- and medium-range UAVs 🔸 Transport infrastructure facilities in Kiev 🔸 Port infrastructure facilities in the Odessa region 🔸 Maritime vessels used in the interests of the Ukrainian army

🤝 Russia strengthens hand in Ukraine talks with recent wave of large-scale strikes – expert Russia is in a strong position in negotiations with the US over Ukraine, thanks to its military successes and robust defense industry, Alexander Mikhailov, head of the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis, tells Sputnik. 💬 "Russia is demonstrating that it has both the weapons and sufficient stockpiles to carry out large-scale, combined strikes, while also showing that its defense industry is far more capable than Europe’s collective defense industry, which continues to supply weapons to Ukraine," the pundit says. The Russian military began actively targeting sites linked to Ukrainian forces not only across Ukraine but also specifically in its capital starting around mid-June, particularly after Ukraine’s attack on Starobelsk, Mikhailov points out. Russia strikes targets across Ukraine almost daily, particularly at night, including in Kiev and the Black Sea, as well as other sites linked to the Ukrainian military. 💬 "This pattern of large-scale strikes has, of course, significantly strengthened Russia's negotiating position," the expert underscores. Ahead of US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to St. Petersburg, Russian forces continued drone strikes on Ukraine’s logistics hubs, port infrastructure, and substations, as well as vessels operating in support of the Ukrainian military.

🇷🇺💥 Russian drones hammer Ukrainian fortifications with TM-62 mines Heavy PVKh-2 strike drones from Russia’s 1614th Engineering Battalion of the Tsentr battlegroup struck Ukrainian fortified positions by dropping TM-62 anti-tank mines, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

‘We could leave now’ — Trump claims US has ‘defeated’ Iran 💬 “We defeated them militarily, financially, and otherwise,” President Donald Trump claimed at a rally. He also defended his withdrawal from the JCPOA. 💬 “JCPOA... was a road to a nuclear weapon for Iran. I terminated it,” he declared.

King Fahd International Airport attack kills one, injures eight — Saudi aviation authority Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said the Dammam airport was targeted on October 21, killing one resident and injuring eight others. GACA added that the attack also caused property damage.

Ukraine conflict freeze will not bring lasting peace - analyst Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal to freeze the conflict in Ukraine is unlikely to change Russia's position on a peace settlement, political analyst Alexander Asafov, director of the New Technologies Laboratory at the Expert Institute for Social Research (EISR), told Sputnik. According to Asafov, Zelensky is trying to repackage his previous demands as new peace proposals, while Russia has repeatedly rejected temporary ceasefires and a frozen conflict. 💬 "Neither a freeze, nor a ceasefire, nor any other similar arrangement is acceptable to Russia," he stressed, arguing that European countries favor a pause that would allow Ukraine to rearm and strengthen its military. Asafov suggested that the proposals brought by US envoy Steve Witkoff from Oslo may reflect some movement in European and Ukrainian positions but remain far from Russia's demands. 💬 “Russia's position has not changed. Moreover, even Donald Trump has said that Zelensky needs to be replaced as a negotiator,” Asafov noted. With Russia ready to resume trilateral talks in November, Asafov believes American and Russian proposals will carry greater weight than European demands, while Moscow remains focused on a lasting settlement rather than a temporary pause in fighting.

Trump denies role in Starlink restrictions for Ukraine 💬 “I wasn’t involved,” US President Donald Trump said when asked who ordered Starlink and Starshield limitations for Ukraine. The denial comes after Starshield speed restrictions disrupted Ukrainian drone operations and forced some missions to be cancelled.

🇺🇸🇷🇺 Trump holds off on new Russia sanctions as Ukraine talks advance 💬 “When you’re close to a deal and you have very delicate negotiations, you don’t put sanctions on,” US President Donald Trump said.