❗️Russian MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️ The Russian Armed Forces carried out successful strikes with high-precision weapons on ammunition depots, weapons and military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including UAVs;

▪️ The result of night strikes with high-precision weapons was the disruption of the supply of groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of combat operations;

▪️ Over the past day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continued to attempt to conduct offensive operations in the south of the DPR and in the Zaporozhye region. The most active operations were carried out in the areas of the settlements of Marinka and Avdeevka in the DPR, the Russian Army successfully repelled six attacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces;

▪️ The Russian Armed Forces repelled two attacks in the Zaporozhye direction;

▪️ In the area of the Vremevsky ledge, Russian army units repelled four enemy attacks carried out by forces of up to two battalion groups;

▪️ The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 680 soldiers and 35 tanks in a day in the south of the DPR and in the Zaporozhye region;

▪️ The Russian army destroyed up to 410 military units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces during fighting in the Donetsk direction;

▪️ The Russian Armed Forces hit two command and observation posts of the Ukrainian army near the city of Dzerzhinsk;

▪️ Russian troops destroyed up to 70 Ukrainian soldiers in the Kherson direction in a day;

▪️ Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Ukrainian MiG-29 in the Zaporozhye region, Russian air defense systems shot down a Su-25 in the Kherson region.

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The attitude of the Japanese government led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida towards Russia is wrong

On Friday, ambassadors of some 40 states visited the Russian Embassy in Japan on the occasion of the upcoming Russia Day, which is celebrated annually on June 12. Former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama  was among those who visited the embassy.

"I think that the Japanese government's attitude towards Russia is wrong. There have been various discussions, including on the territorial issues, and I thought that the improvement of relations would bring the solution of this problem closer. However, at present [Japan], in obedience to the United States, is almost giving military support to Ukraine, so Japan is supporting Ukraine and looking at Russia as an enemy. As a result, the friendship that we had until now is deteriorating. I deeply regret this," Hatoyama said.

The former prime minister said that Japan's power elite should adopt a more balanced approach to building relations with Russia.

"I think it is necessary to formulate a policy with a more correct point of view. Kishida's administration, as well as Japanese media that take the government's side, are fixated on supporting Ukraine, but I think [they] should have approached the problem with a more neutral attitude," Hatoyama said.

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Germany can become a hub of the international coalition for providing Ukraine with US-made F-16 fighter jets and even provide training to Ukrainian pilots but it will not provide the aircraft

"We have never had the F-16 in our portfolio, but we can provide airports in Germany as a hub or offer basic training for pilots who have only flown the MiG [jets] to date. The actual training on F-16 must be provided by the countries which themselves use these aircraft," Bundestag Defense Committee chairwoman Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said on Friday.

The senior German lawmaker also said that Ukraine could not become a NATO member so long as it was involved in active armed conflict.

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❗️ The Armed Forces of Ukraine struck, presumably with Storm Shadow missiles, at a children's recreation center on the Arabat Spit in the Kherson region. Information about the victims is being specified, emergency services said

🍞 Playing with hunger? Expert sheds light on West's bid to control food markets using proxy war against Russia

The recent acts of sabotage conducted by the Kiev regime, are being carried out in the interests of Western states to prevent Russian fertilizers from entering global markets, said Andrey Suzdaltsev, associate professor at HSE university, in an interview with Sputnik Africa.

🗣 "I have no doubt that this is being done not in Kiev’s favor, but in favor of some third forces that control the world’s grain and fertilizer markets and who do not want to see Russian grain and fertilizers there," he stated, referring to the recent terrorist attack on the ammonia pipeline in Ukraine

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📹 Russian artillery near Kupyansk continues to conduct combat work. By strikes, the crews of the MLRS Grad destroy the identified firing positions and fortifications of the enemy.

Accurate aiming plays an important role in striking. UAV calculations help the gunners in this. The collected data is promptly transmitted to field headquarters and commanders of rocket-artillery batteries.

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⚡️ Vladimir Putin: We can definitely say that the Ukrainian offensive has begun, this is evidenced by the use of strategic reserves

❗️Latest statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin:

▪️ Putin on the conflict in Ukraine: today's tragedy is due to the events of past years, responsibility lies with Kiev;

▪️ Ukrainian troops did not achieve their goals in any sector due to the courage of Russian soldiers, the correct organization of troops;

▪️ In recent days, we have seen significant losses in Ukraine, exceeding the "classic" figure;

▪️ It can be stated that all counteroffensive attempts made by Kiev failed, but the offensive potential is still preserved.

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Biden-Sunak talks signal 'end of any hope' for bilateral free trade deal - reports

The US and UK have unveiled the "Atlantic Declaration" for cooperation, but reports suggest that a full free-trade deal between the two countries is yet to be achieved. The declaration covers critical minerals for electric car batteries, defense industry cooperation, trade barriers, and data protection.

However, critics argue that the announcement signifies the end of hopes for a comprehensive trade deal with the US.

The UK Labour Party has accused the Conservative government of failing to deliver on their promise of a trade deal, while US President Joe Biden listed various areas of collaboration instead of committing to a free-trade agreement during a joint press conference.

The UK government has stated that it is not currently pursuing a free-trade agreement with the US.

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📹 Vladimir Putin's statement on the Ukrainian offensive

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🎙 What business ties do Russia and Nigeria have? How is the West trying to impede them?

🌍 To answer these and more, tune in for the second part of this week's episode of the AfroVerdict podcast by #Sputnik Africa!

https://news.1rj.ru/str/sputnik_africa/5174

🗣️”Regardless of what would be best for the world and what makes sense in terms of world peace and what would be the result of a direct military confrontation, it seems that some factions are just determined to one-up each other in their anti-China hostility”: Caleb Maupin, a journalist and political analyst, on US' anti-China policy and Blinken’s possible visit to the rival state

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

🇷🇺🇧🇾 Vladimir Putin, at a meeting with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, spoke about the timing of the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus

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⚡️ Trump faces 38 criminal counts, including retention of national security documents. Federal charges against Trump carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison, the indictment says.

🗣️”If American journalists, like the top-level ones, the people at the 'papers of record', have decided that their goal isn't to find objective truth, their goal is to try and push what they believe to be the right side of the narrative, the right side of history, well, then we're doomed”: Bryce Greene, a contributor to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, on the current state of American journalism

🎧Listen to more of Greene’s analysis in our podcast By Any Means Necessary

Italy's industrial production decreases by 7.2% year-on-year in April

Industrial production in Italy experienced a significant decline of 7.2% in April compared to the same period last year, marking the strongest drop in three years, according to the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat). This decline affected all major industries, with a 12.6% decrease in the energy sector, an 11% decrease in the production of intermediate goods, and a 7.2% decrease in consumer goods production.

Istat highlighted that this sharp decline in industrial production has not been witnessed in Italy for nearly three years.

Experts noted that a similar decline was observed in July 2020, but that was during the second phase of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.

President of the National Consumer Union Massimiliano Dona described the situation as a severe setback for companies and the country, highlighting the lack of policies aimed at restoring purchasing power for families.

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🗣️”Well, for The New York Times, the problem with Nazi regalia is not Nazism, it's PR”: Dan Lazare, an investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War,” on Nazi symbolism in Ukraine and US media coverage of it

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

‼️ UK's Boris Johnson Steps Down as MP Over Partygate Scandal

New head of Chinese army's Joint Staff to contribute to Russia-China military ties

The experience of the new chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission of the People's Liberation Army, Liu Zhenli, will contribute to the expansion of military cooperation between Russia and China, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said on Friday.

"I am convinced that your extensive experience will contribute both to the development of the Chinese armed forces and to the expansion of military cooperation between our countries," Gerasimov told Liu during talks via video link.

Russian-Chinese comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation are currently at the highest level, Gerasimov said, adding that coordination of efforts of Russia and China in the international arena has a stabilizing effect on the situation in the world.

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The Supreme Court of the Netherlands upheld on Friday the decision of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal on the transfer of Scythian gold to Ukraine

"In October 2021, the Court of Appeal ruled that the Scythian gold should be transferred to Ukraine. This decision remains in effect. This is what the Dutch Supreme Court ruled today," the court said in a statement.

The Scythian gold collection, consisting of almost 2,000 artifacts and belonging to several Crimean museums, was exhibited at the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam in early February 2014, before Crimea reunited with Russia.

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When could West pull the plug on military assistance to Kiev?

Military columnist and blogger Yuri Podolyaka offered Sputnik his thoughts about the latest developments related to the Ukraine conflict, including reports about Kiev’s counteroffensive, the US’ plans to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets and some NATO members’ alleged push to send troops to Ukraine.

Read his full analysis