🇷🇺🇺🇸 US being deeper 'dragged into abyss' of Ukrainian crisis, says Russian ambassador Antonov

💬 "The US continues to push the situation in eastern Ukraine to an even greater tragedy. It forces dozens of countries to supply weapons and ammunition to the Zelensky regime," Antonov said while commenting on a new package of US military assistance to Ukraine worth $325 million.

He said Washington does not want to give up its main goal: to inflict a strategic defeat upon Russia on the battlefield.

💬 "American politicians need success to justify a thoughtless course in solving the Ukrainian question, to confirm the expediency of spending and to demonstrate “successes” in the fight against the Russian Federation in the run-up to the upcoming 2024 US Presidential election," Antonov said.

He said the United States is not interested in negotiated solutions to the Ukrainian conflict.

💬 "Americans are not ready to stop at anything. They are not interested in negotiated solutions. Nobody is bothered about the fate of Ukraine, which is used only as an iron baton against Russia," Antonov said.

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📹 Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter unleashes guided missile on Ukrainian armored vehicle, completely wiping it out

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🇩🇰 Denmark bans Quran-burner Rasmus Paludan from major political festival

Local police authorities on Tuesday imposed a ban on Paludan from Allinge village and its environs - including local waters - which is where the Folkemodet festival takes place, from the morning of 14 June to midday on 18 June, on the grounds that his appearance would represent a risk both to himself and others.

Over the years, the divisive chairman of the ethno-nationalist Hard Line Party has usually been protected by the Danish Security and Intelligence Service. However, this time the DSIS washed its hands of the radical politician, specifically informing the Bornholm police that maintaining personal protection would be impossible.

Paludan said that the restriction put him in a dangerous position. Nevertheless, he pledged to appear at the festival, despite the ban. "I will follow the instructions and stay outside the prohibited zone. It will probably be the case that I will be left unprotected, so that any terrorist can shoot me," he added.

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🇷🇺🇮🇩 Russian tourists cannot be intimidated by sanctions, says Russia's Ambassador to Indonesia

💬 “And when could a Russian person be scared by sanctions? But seriously speaking, most Russian tourists are absolutely law-abiding people who have no desire or intention to break laws or in any way offend the feelings of Indonesians who live in Bali. Therefore, the tourist flow has not decreased, but, on the contrary, continues to increase," Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Lyudmila Vorobyova told Sputnik at the #SPIEF2023.

Recently, numerous reports have appeared in the Indonesian media about cases of deportation of Russian citizens from Indonesia and, in particular, from the resort island of Bali. There were also a number of negative statements regarding Russian tourists, and new sanctions were introduced - in particular, Bali Governor Wayan Koster published a list of eight bans for tourists in Bali.

💬 "The Indonesian authorities and Bali authorities decided to clean up the mess. There are laws of the country, there are immigration laws. If you arrived on a tourist visa, then you cannot engage in illegal labor activities. If you have a visa for a certain period, and you stay in the country for a longer period and do not renew a visa or do not apply for a new one, then this is a violation of the immigration law," Vorobyova said.

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⚡️ Egypt applies for BRICS membership, Russian envoy says

❗️Russia can’t be isolated in spite of all efforts, MFA spokeswoman says in her interview to Sputnik

💬 “According to the organizers, delegates from 130 countries and territories are participating in the forum. Given this fact, can we really claim that Russia is isolated, something which the West endlessly chatters on about?”

"A country, [its] people and the nation that honors its history and passes it on to the future generations cannot be isolated. There will be attempts to isolate [Russia], but the isolation itself will not happen. This has already been proven," Maria Zakharova added.

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❗️Caucasus mercenaries in Ukraine seize luxury mansions in Kherson

💬 "As of May 30, a group of Caucasus Legion mercenaries, along with the Ukrainian troops, occupied a private two-storey house in Kherson ... The house is located in a prestigious neighborhood and surrounded by private households. Georgian mercenaries, including Caucasus Legion commander Lado Gamsakhurdia, occupy the first and the second floors of the building," a Russian security service officer told Sputnik, citing their sources in the Ukrainian army.

▪️The house's takeover could have been executed with the help of the commander's adviser Alexey Lyublinsky, known under the call sign "Kherson," whose responsibility is intelligence work for the Caucasus Legion, the source said.

💬 "In late 2022, Lyublinsky, together with Caucasus Legion mercenaries, was capturing private properties, which belonged to the residents of the Zaporozhye Region they suspected of pro-Russian sympathies," the officer stated.

▪️Russian intelligence has discovered that the mercenaries at the occupied house have been receiving humanitarian aid sent by a woman based in Western Ukraine, Lyudmila Sivak.

▪️The intelligence also revealed a bus route by which the Caucasus Legion's new recruits enter Ukraine: Tbilisi-Batumi-Istanbul-Izmail-Odessa-Kherson, the source added.

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🇧🇾 Belarus to engage in conflict in Ukraine if aggression used against Minsk, Lukashenko says

💬 "We will take a strong stand if aggression is committed against us. We already have enough power to answer," Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.

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📹 Russia’s Baltic Fleet conducts artillery battle with mock enemy during drills

In total, over 15 warships participated in the training, where strike groups fired on mock enemy warships and engaged in a single ship and aerial attack.

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🇪🇺 “Those who impose sanctions have more problems than those targeted,” Spanish businessman Pedro Mourino said in an interview with Sputnik at #SPIEF2023, describing the state of affairs in Europe after the West’s barrage of sanctions

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Moscow expects Paris to clarify motives behind Macron's plan to attend BRICS summit

💬 "It would be nice if they [Macron's office] told why they want [to attend the summit]. Do they want to once again make some contact to show Paris' activity or is it a 'Trojan horse' of some sort — so let them explain," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Radio Sputnik.

A comment should follow in particular from the French Presidency or whoever is delegated to represent France at the summit of the key emerging economies, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman said.

💬 "After all, we are talking about the organization to which they are in no way a member and toward which they have never even shown any politeness, let alone showing any good intentions or feelings," Zakharova added.

On Tuesday, French newspaper reported, citing sources in the Elysee Palace, that Macron had asked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for an invitation to the upcoming BRICS summit.

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⚡️ Ukraine lost about 7,500 people killed and wounded on frontline alone since June 4, Russia's MoD says

⚡️ Blinken to travel to Beijing, London, UK on June 16-21, will meet with senior PRC officials in China, State Department says

❗️Kremlin on creation of "buffer zone" in Ukraine: Kiev has more long-range weapons, it will be necessary to move line for security of Russian regions

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

▪️Last night, Russian forces launched strikes with high-precision long-range sea and air-based weapons at concentration sites of Ukrainian reserves and foreign mercenaries, as well as ammunition depots, weapons and foreign-made military equipment. All the assigned targets were hit, the goal of the strikes was achieved;

▪️The attacks of two Ukrainian motorized infantry companies were repelled;

▪️Four tanks and seven armored fighting vehicles were destroyed close to the Vremevsky salient;

▪️In the DPR, attacks of two company tactical groups were repelled. Ukrainian losses amounted to 10 tanks and five armored fighting vehicles;

▪️In the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces destroyed up to 30 Ukrainian troops, a US-made M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer, and a Polish Krab self-propelled howitzer;

▪️In the Krasny Liman direction, Russian forces neutralized up to 60 Ukrainian personnel, one Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, one D-20 howitzer, and one Grad MLRS combat vehicle;

▪️In the Donetsk direction, Ukrainian losses amounted to over 205 Ukrainian troops, two armored fighting vehicles, two D-20 howitzers, as well as several ammunition depots;

▪️In the South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, Russian forces destroyed over 800 Ukrainian troops, 20 tanks, four infantry fighting vehicles, 15 armored combat vehicles, two US-made M777 artillery systems, one Msta-B and one D-30 howitzer, a Grad multiple rocket launcher combat vehicle, as well as an ammunition depot;

▪️In the Kherson direction, Russian troops neutralized up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, and one Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer;

▪️In the area of the city of Zaporozhye, a P-18 radar station for detecting and tracking aerial targets was destroyed;

▪️Air defenses shot down two Storm Shadow cruise missiles, four HIMARS projectiles, and 20 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the DPR, Zaporozhye, and Kharkov regions.

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