The first day of #SPIEF2023 has come to an end.

Here are the main highlights:

▪️Russia can’t be isolated in spite of all efforts, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman said;

▪️Those who impose sanctions have more problems than those targeted, Spanish businessman Pedro Mourino said;

▪️Russian Rosatom, Sri Lanka agree on NPP construction;

▪️Vladimir Putin is expected to participate in the forum’s plenary session on Friday, June 16.

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🗣️”All these decisions about US military violence abroad are made in total secrecy within the National Security Council, the Oval Office and the war rooms in the Pentagon. And that is not democracy”: Dave Lindorff, investigative journalist, Editor of the online publication ThisCantBeHappening.net and 2019 winner of an “Izzy” Award for Outstanding Independent Media, on how the government keeps important information from Americans

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

🔺No more unipolarity: Iranian president visits Latin American countries in an attempt to strengthen multipolar world order
🔺The Ukrainian counteroffensive, with no tangible results, prompts disappointment among Western military analysts. What's behind the failure?
🔺German Minister Robert Habeck: Lack of Russian gas could bring German industry to a standstill

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

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

🇷🇺 #SPIEF2023: Watch a video from the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum from first day

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Russia has been developing several types of combat laser systems for both air and ground use. These include anti-drone systems, weapons capable of disabling enemy equipment, and laser ammunition for anti-personnel and anti-vehicle purposes.

The Sokol-Eshelon as well as Peresvet combat laser systems disable spacecraft at altitudes up to 1,500 km and UAVs in the atmosphere. The Zadira destroys drones at a range of up to 5 km.

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🎙First ever 'Africa Category' added to Grammy Awards

The 2024 Grammys ceremony will now have a category for "Best African Music Performance," the Recording Academy stated on social media

🗣 "Today, we’re proud to announce a new category for the 66th Grammy Awards – Best African Music Performance," the organizer stated. "This track and singles category recognizes recordings that utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent."

The event's organizer, said that the newly introduced category would include 19 different music genres from around Africa that highlight the continent's melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions

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Which Russian weapons systems have built-in AI?

Russia’s minister of industry confirmed to Sputnik on Tuesday that an S-350 Vityaz missile system operating in “automatic mode” had been successfully used in the ongoing Russia-NATO proxy war in Ukraine.

How has Russia incorporated AI in its military equipment? What is it used for? And which specific systems have it?

Sputnik explores

Black Sea grain deal: No talk of extension if 'Istanbul package' does not work until July 17, Lavrov says

💬 “Unfortunately, the Istanbul package signed on July 22, 2022 is still being implemented only in terms of Ukrainian food exports. The part of the package regarding Russian ammonia is not valid. Now the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline has also been blown up,” Lavrov said.

He said there is still no progress in the implementation of the Russia-UN Memorandum, designed to ensure the real exemption from illegal unilateral Western sanctions for Russian agricultural products and fertilizers.

💬 "I have to state again: if the 'Istanbul package' does not work, as it was initiated by the UN Secretary General, by July 17, then there can be no talk of any further extension," Lavrov said.

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Nine Ukrainian UAVs eliminated over Crimea

Six of them were shot down by air defense forces and the other three were disabled by electromagnetic pulse, local authorities said.

One of the drones detonated in the Krasnogvardeysky district and there were no casualties reported. The blast shattered windows in a number of houses.

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🇺🇸🇮🇱 Biden administration reportedly weighing ‘Israel model’ for Ukraine instead of NATO membership

The deal that would be a limited commitment and not include a collective defense guarantee. US media reports have indicated the Biden White House would pledge to continue providing more military aid to Ukraine, regardless of the outcome of its ongoing counter-offensive. The deal would likely be for a shorter period than the commitment to Israel, which typically runs in 10-year intervals.

Kiev and some European allies have been advocating for Ukraine's full NATO membership, including a collective defense guarantee. However, opponents of the initiative argue it would escalate the Ukraine conflict and confirm Russia’s justification for the special operation, one of which was NATO's encroachment across Europe since the start of the century.

Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly threatened to boycott the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, next month if he is not given a roadmap for Ukraine joining the military alliance as a full member.

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