The US, Japan, and Taiwan are planning to begin sharing real-time data from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)

Washington is purportedly determined to boost military coordination between its allies under the pretext that if China were to attack Taiwan, such a scenario would call for building a “common operational picture” using reconnaissance drones’ capability.

Four MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones – a maritime version of the American Reaper UAV - are to be delivered to Taipei by the US defense contractor General Atomics Aeronautical Systems sometime in 2025, sources were cited as saying. The drones, which can be configured with cross-domain capabilities for a broad range of maritime surveillance operations, are touted as successful in locating, tracking, and targeting enemy ships and radars. The UAVs, once they arrive in Taiwan, would be allowed to integrate into the system deployed by the US military and the Japanese Self-Defense Force in the region. Accordingly, reconnaissance information gathered simultaneously by the drones would be available to all the partners of the system.

Taiwan’s military would then be taught how to operate the new drone system, in conjunction with US and Japanese counterparts, added the report.

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📹 Russia's military, using a Lancet-3 kamikaze drone, destroyed the radar station of the IRIS-T anti-aircraft missile system supplied to Kiev by NATO countries

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📹 Footage showing the combat work of Russia's mobile anti-tank units

▪️These mobile groups have made an important contribution to repelling recent attacks by Ukrainian troops.

▪️High cross-country ability and great maneuverability of these units allow them to be moved along the frontline quickly so that they can get into a position advantageous for a shot.

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Catch our Fault Lines show, where we provide updates and analysis on all the most vital stories! Here's our lineup for today:

🔺To kick things off, we'll be focusing on reports of the US knowing in advance about the Nord Stream attack
🔺Next, we’ll speak about the ballooning trade deficit
🔺Finally, we’ll delve into the latest on Ukraine

More trending stories coming your way! Watch the live broadcast on Rumble or tune in to Radio Sputnik at 7am EST|4am PST|1pm CET via the website or app

📻Also in the United States at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will continue inspections of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) until the situation around it stabilizes

"The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant is on the front line. And we are in charge of an important effort to try to prevent a nuclear accident... I believe that, as the head of the IAEA, I should not be simply talking about it [securing the ZNPP], but going there assessing for myself what is going on, talking to the current management there, talking to the operators there, talking to everybody, having an assessment," Director General Rafael Grossi said.

Grossi underscored that he will focus on the consequences of the attack on the Kakhovka dam during his upcoming visit to the Zaporozhye NPP, adding, "basically this is the reason [for the visit]."

The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest, uses water from the Kakhovka reservoir for cooling purposes. The Kakhovka dam suffered heavy damage in an attack on Tuesday morning, causing an uncontrollable outflow of water to towns downstream. If the cooling capability of the NPP is affected, possible risks include a meltdown, damage to the reactors themselves, radiological consequences, etc.

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📹 The Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter has fired non-guided bombs to engage the enemy

Video courtesy of Russian MoD.

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Vladimir Putin is keeping the situation in the Kherson Region under control after the sabotage at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant

"Putin keeps the situation in the Kherson Region under control after the sabotage and the explosion of the dam. Yesterday, as you know, he instructed the Ministry of Emergency Situations to strengthen its presence there and provide assistance to people and also actively engage in work to eliminate the consequences of this disaster," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Putin has not current plans of holding a meeting in the Kherson Region after the sabotage, Peskov added.

Emergency teams are selflessly working in the region to deal with the aftermath of the destruction of Kakhovka HPP, even under the conditions of ongoing shelling, the spokesman underscored.

Kremlin spokesman also commented the recent explosion at the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline, naming it another issue that complicates the extension of the grain deal.

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German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has announced that it was awarded a contract from Norway to deliver nearly 300 advanced TG3 MIL 8×8 military trucks

The contract was signed in Oslo by Gro Jeare, director of the Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency (NDMA), and Michael Wittlinger, chairman of the board of management of Rheinmetall, and is worth over €150 million. This is the largest single order of trucks to date coming from Norway.

Michael Wittlinger of the German arms giant boasting 25,000 workers stressed that "more and more NATO armed forces are opting for our TG and HX vehicles" and emphasized it as an "important step toward greater interoperability and resilience." Rheinmetall's known for making the main gun on the Leopard 2 tank.

The country's chief of defense, Erik Kristoffersen, asked to increase the military allocations by NOK 8 billion every year from 2025 to 2031.

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❗️Russian Defense Minister Shoigu: Today at 1:30 am in the Zaporozhye direction, Ukrainian forces attempted to break through the defense with up to 1,500 personnel and 150 units of armored vehicles.

The Ukrainian military was promptly detected and a preemptive strike was carried out by artillery, aviation, and anti-tank means.

Aerial footage of Kakhovka HPP destruction and flooded surrounding areas

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Most Europeans choose 'neutrality' in US-China conflict, call Beijing 'necessary partner' - poll

Over 60% of respondents, surveyed in 11 countries of the European Union, stated that they would prefer their country not to take any side in case a conflict between Washington and Beijing erupted over Taiwan, according to the new survey from the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

No more than 23 percent revealed they would opt to side with Washington.

Individuals in the 11 EU member states were asked the question: generally speaking, thinking about China, which of the following best reflects your view on what it is to Europe?
Most respondents in the ECFR poll perceived Beijing more as a strategic partner than a rival.

When asked about the relationship between China and Russia, some 70 percent of respondents recognized that the two countries were close partners.

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RFK Jr. reveals terrible truth about Ukraine Pentagon 'concealed from Americans'

"What we’re doing in Ukraine now is just a massive assault on Ukrainians. We have trapped Ukraine in a proxy war against [Russia] and they are being devoured by the geopolitical machinations of neocons in the White House who have this comic book depiction that a lot of Americans have swallowed about what is happening," RFK Jr. said, speaking to Canadian psychologist and media commentator Jordan Peterson.

RFK Jr. recalled Biden’s slip of the tongue that the US's real goal in Ukraine was to cause regime change in Moscow.

"The Russians have wanted to settle this from the beginning and they’ve been very clear about what they want. They want NATO to make a pledge to not come into Ukraine, which we should have done. We shouldn’t have put NATO into fourteen countries. We told the Russians when they dismantled the Soviet Union in 1991 and they moved 400000 troops out of Germany," he said.

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🇷🇺Russian Oil Supplies to 🇮🇳India Up 19 Times, Coal Supplies Up 3 Times in 2022: Deputy PM Alexander Novak

🛢In general, the export of Russian energy resources to India, as well as to China, increased significantly last year, Novak said.

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"How far back should we push [Ukraine’s troops] so that our settlements are not shelled? … At least 500 kilometers. We understand the map of Ukraine and understand where the border could be. Well, probably along the Dnepr, along a natural barrier," Russia's DPR acting head Denis Pushilin told Sputnik.

The only solution is to push Ukraine’s Armed Forces even further, Pushilin believed, "until Ukraine is completely liberated, moreover, without variations along the lines of, some region [of Ukraine] going to Poland, some other region going to Romania, another going to Hungary, the situation will not change.”

Read the full interview with the head of Russia's Donetsk People's Republic on Sputnik's website

👑India to Host Miss World 2023 Pageant After 27 Years: media

The announcement has come as a surprise because the 🇦🇪 UAE was intially supposed to become venue for the much-anticipated beaty peagant.

🇮🇳India last hosted the event in the year 1996.

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Russia received over 20 requests for oil supply from different states in 2022

According to Alexander Novak, Russia's oil exports to friendly countries increased by 76%, petroleum products exports increased by 20%, and pipeline and liquefied gas exports increased by 8% by the end of 2022.

Russia increased the supply of oil to India by 19 times in 2022, while the deliveries of oil products and coal were up by two and three times, respectively.

The export of pipeline gas to China increased 1.5 times, amounting to 15.4 billion cubic meters at the end of the last year. The official also added that Rosneft has confirmed the transportation of 30 million tonnes of oil to China through the Skovorodino-Mohe oil pipeline for 2023.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, Moscow is discussing new long-term LNG supply contracts with Asia-Pacific countries, as well as the participation of Asian investors in Russian LNG projects.

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🗣️”The UK economy is in severe trouble and obviously then, with the fallout from the conflict in Ukraine, it is feeling that even more acutely. The problem for Sunak is he has very, very little to sell”: Belfast-based political commentator and socialist activist Phil Kelly on UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s visit to Washington

🎧Listen to more of Kelly’s analysis in our podcast Political Misfits

Swiss lower house votes against providing $5.5Bln aid package to Ukraine

"The National Council is currently opposed to providing Ukraine with the 5 billion franc aid program. On Thursday it rejected the proposal of the Foreign Affairs Committee to grant the aid package for a period of five to 10 years. The proposal has been withdrawn," the statement, published by the Swiss parliament, read.

The funds were earmarked for humanitarian aid, protection of civilians, mine clearance and "peace consolidation," the document said.

Meanwhile, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis told a parliamentary session that the country would continue to help rebuild Ukraine, but that it was necessary to clarify various issues related to the country's reconstruction and international cooperation in this area.

The Council of States, the upper house of parliament, will discuss a similar proposal to send Ukraine a 5 billion franc package on June 12, the document added.

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NATO brings back cold war strategizing as conflict with Russia looms

NATO is also reviewing its defense plans to be able to defend "every inch" of the bloc's territory in the event of a conflict with Russia, the report said. If Sweden joins the alliance in the near future, the move would facilitate troops transfer to the Baltic flank, the magazine reported.

"It's very important that Sweden is going as quickly as possible on board, because if you look at the map, we really need Sweden so that this whole thing is deep enough, what we are going to defend. It's very important for logistics and everything else. We already know that it's rather difficult to defend the Baltic countries. The same goes for Finland if Sweden is not on board," Harri Ohra-aho, an advisor for intelligence in Finland's Defense Ministry, was quoted as saying by the magazine.

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🗣️ “I see a distancing from some elements of the US government, not Blinken, not Victoria Nuland, but some people who are telling The Washington Post what to post and what to run. And the Post is citing CIA officials”: Ray McGovern, ex-CIA analyst, and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, on the West’s coverage of the recent bombing of the Novaya Kakhovka dam

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

🗣️”We were told could only be conducted by a state actor, and then you decide when you can't quite pin it on Russia, you say you're not interested in knowing who did it. That's damning. And we've heard that Nord Stream was blown up by Ukrainians not aligned to their government in a pleasure boat. You know what? Next, Andy Kaufman led the dam busters to blow up this dam”: Belfast-based political commentator and socialist activist Phil Kelly on the West’s constant disinformation stream

🎧Listen to more of Kelly’s analysis in our podcast Political Misfits