🎥 Russia’s 120mm Self-Propelled Mortar "Nonna-SVK" (video courtesy of Russian MoD)

The Nonna-SVK is equipped with a 120mm gun that can fire high-explosive fragmentation and active-reactive projectiles with a maximum range of 18 kilometers. It is a self-propelled mortar system capable of providing indirect fire support for ground forces.

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🗣️"There will be a residential recession in real estate, which will come as a result of the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes, pushing the entire economy into recession": Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, speaks about commercial real estate that is likely to be the next domino to fall in the US

🎧Listen to more of Tauheed’s analysis in our podcast The Critical Hour

📊 India imported Russian 🇮🇳 🇷🇺 goods to the tune of $15.5 billion, making Russia the second-largest supplier of goods to the South Asian giant after China: data from India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry

Imports from Russia saw a 4.7-fold increase compared to the same period last year, making it the largest quarterly figure in history.

While China 🇨🇳 remained the top supplier of goods to India, its supplies of goods to the country reduced by 15.4% to $22.6 billion in the first quarter of 2023.

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Billionaire NGO kingpin George Soros has sparked rumors of a spat with Twitter owner Elon Musk by dumping his entire stake in Tesla Motors.

Is this the reason for the conflict between them or is the problem actually bigger?

Sputnik explores

Durham Report: what is known so far

The US Justice Department has released a report by Special Counsel John Durham revealing that there was no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia at the start of the investigation. The 306-page report exposes flaws in the FBI's handling of the probe into alleged Trump-Russia collusion, debunking previous claims.

What is exposed in the Durham Report and how far has it gone before being published?

Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, and former president of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, took to his Telegram channel to weigh in on Russia's lower house nixing the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

He said, "the State Duma has denounced the CFE Treaty. Good riddance. This document ceased to be relevant for us back in 2007. But now, even in terms of previously suspended international obligations, nothing prevents us from placing our weapons wherever we want to protect our national interests. Including in our Russian part of Europe."

Medvedev further added that "of course, we will maximize the production of weapons, military and special equipment, and means of destruction."

The deputy chairman of the Security Council concluded by taking a swipe at the French president, saying, "P. S. By the way, greetings to Macron. According to his logic, this is also a geopolitical loss for Russia..."

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🇺🇸🇿🇦 US sought to sway South Africa’s independent foreign policy by accusing it of sending weapons to Russia, says Moscow

The Russian Embassy in South Africa has pointed out that Washington “seems to have lost its ability to interact with partners on equal basis long ago”, noting that “one’s friendship with the US is only possible under US rules”, while responding to the claims made by US Ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety against Pretoria that the latter had allegedly loaded arms and ammunition onto the Russian vessel Lady R docked in SA last December.

❗️ “Appointing guilty parties at own discretion and resorting to ‘megaphone diplomacy’ have become typical characteristics of US foreign policy. In this context, the words of the US’ official cannot be perceived otherwise than as an attempt to sway the independent sovereign state’s foreign policy,” the embassy stated.

Highlighting that the Russian vessel’s docking is being used as a pretext for a pressure campaign against Pretoria, which “obviously coordinated with Western mainstream media”, the embassy argued that the reason behind this was South Africa’s “non-aligned position with regard to the Ukraine conflict, which proves unsatisfactory for the United States”.

🗣 “Docking of Lady R in Simonstown is being used as a pretext – totally fabricated and as false as the notorious tube presented by US’ State Secretary Colin Powell at the United Nations Security Council, which was followed by a full-scale invasion of Iraq and cost the lives of 1 million Iraqis (we hope it won’t come to that now),” the embassy’s statement read.

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📹 "A hunt has been declared for us, but we will also hunt for them" - a crew commander told Sputnik about the advantages of the Terminator combat vehicle.

The Terminator combat vehicle is designed to provide support to tanks, it amplifies their strength while effectively neutralizing threats on the battlefield. This vehicle possesses the capability to engage targets at long ranges, including moving objects, helicopters, and even enemy tanks. It has a large arsenal of arms including grenade launchers, thirty-caliber armor-piercing cartridges, and high-explosive shells.

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'Entire investigative team' removed from Hunter Biden tax probe

The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has removed the investigative team from the ongoing tax fraud probe of Hunter Biden. The move appears to be in retaliation against a whistleblower who raised concerns about the case. The whistleblower's lawyers argue that the IRS's actions are retaliatory and may obstruct a congressional inquiry.

Meanwhile, US District Attorney of Delaware David Weiss is nearing a decision on whether to charge Hunter Biden with tax and gun-related offenses. The investigation, which began in 2018, reportedly involves suspicious foreign transactions, including money exchanges with China and other countries.

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‼️Shoigu Rejects Claims of Downed Russian Hypersonic Missiles

Kiev's words about allegedly shooting down six Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missiles by their air defense system are not true, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"I have already said it before and I will repeat it again. We have not launched as many Kinzhal missiles as they allegedly shoot down in their statements every time," Shoigu said in an exclusive interview.

"Moreover, the number of these 'Ukrainian interceptions,' and who really controls the US complexes is still a big question — exceeds our launches by three times. And they mistake the type of missiles all the time. That is why they miss."

🗣️"A lot of this military hardware the United States has dumped into Ukraine hasn't really helped the Ukrainians out very much. It looks like there's kind of a bonanza for the military-industrial complex to sell all kinds of weapons here. But in terms of actual battlefield strength, it's not really giving Ukraine the upper hand": Journalist and political analyst Caleb Maupin on Ukraine's counter-offensive that seems to be falling apart

🎧Listen to more of Maupin’s analysis in our podcast The Critical Hour

🎥 Russia’s Giatsint-B 152-mm artillery guns in action (video courtesy of Russian MoD)

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🔺No more military assistance? US funding to Kiev could dry up by midsummer
🔺South Africa is under "extraordinary pressure" to pick sides in Ukraine conflict
🔺China wants to make the yuan the global currency. Should America worry?

The Critical Hour will cover these and more stories! Tune in to Radio Sputnik at 6pm EST|3pm PST|12am CET via the website or app

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France promises to train Ukrainian pilots in bid to curry favor with US

French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed openness to training Ukrainian fighter jet pilots in France, aligning with US policy on Russia. Macron stated that the training programs could commence immediately, although the supply of warplanes was not discussed during his recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris. This move is seen as a solidarity gesture with London and Berlin in their goal to counter Moscow's military operation in Ukraine, where Kiev acts as a proxy for the West.

However, Russian military expert Vasily Dandykin suggests that Macron's offer may be a way to appease Zelensky without committing fully. Even if France approves the supply of warplanes, the training process for Ukrainian pilots is expected to take at least two years, leaving the question of whether Zelensky's regime will still require the jets by then.

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Kremlin castigates CIA scheme to recruit Russian 'spies' on social media

The CIA recently opened a Telegram channel, "Securely Contacting CIA," to gather information on the Russian economy and leaders. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized the move, highlighting ongoing recruitment efforts by foreign intelligence services. The CIA's video message on the Telegram channel calls on Russians, including military officers, diplomats, and scientists, to engage in contact.

However, sociological research shows strong public support for President Putin, casting doubt on the effectiveness of the recruitment attempt. Russian law enforcement agencies are likely to take notice, as state treason carries severe penalties. The CIA's messaging, which tries to appeal to patriotism and Russian culture, is viewed as disrespectful for using renowned authors to encourage betrayal.

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🗣️"All of the cry and the concern, and it's like if you disagree with the USA sending weapons to Ukraine, you're a bad person because ‘evil Putin is killing these people.’ It's all just a bunch of hollow bombast because at the end of the day, the US is prolonging this war": Journalist, and political analyst Caleb Maupin on Western propaganda to support the military supply to Ukraine

🎧Listen to more of Maupin’s analysis in our podcast The Critical Hour

IEA suggests Russia's April oil exports hit record highs since February 2022

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Russia's oil exports in April reached a record high since February 2022, with a month-on-month increase of 50,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 8.3 million bpd. The IEA has also revised its forecast for Russia's oil production in 2023, now expecting a decrease of 350,000 bpd instead of the previously projected 530,000 barrels per day to reach 10.7 million bpd.

The IEA attributed the resilience of Russian oil supply to the re-routing of crude exports to new markets, driven by attractive price discounts that entice traders and refiners. The agency's report highlights a 180 kbpd upward revision in Russian output for this year, leading to the revised estimate of average oil production at 10.7 mbpd in 2023, representing a decrease of 350 kbpd year-on-year.

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🗣️”Russia has been trying to figure out how to stop the world food crisis and export its grain and fertilizer. And the United States has not really cooperated with them. They haven't lifted the sanctions on certain banks. They haven't enabled certain ports and ships to get the shipments they need”: Caleb Maupin, journalist, and political analyst, on the sabotage of the grain deal

🎧Listen to more of Maupin’s analysis in our podcast The Critical Hour