WATCH LIVE: Lavrov attends Foreign Ministers of the Caspian states meeting

👉 Follow the live here or on Sputnik's website

Ukrainian artillery killed 25 of their own fighters who tried to surrender to Russian troops in the Donetsk region, the deputy commander of the 1st infantry battalion of the 110th regiment told Sputnik.

"Enemy soldiers made contact with us through radio frequency 149.200, expressing a desire to surrender... We established contact and provided them with a specific location at which they could surrender. Apparently, the Kiev regime perceived this act as detrimental and proceeded to eliminate their own servicemen," he stated.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇬🇧 The UK plans to cut annual net migration by 300,000 people, UK Home Secretary James Cleverly announced in a statement released by the UK government.

The UK authorities will also tighten the Health and Care visa, which has been granted to a significant number of "care workers and their dependants," by preventing overseas care workers from "bringing their dependants to the UK," the statement read.

"From next spring, the government will increase the earning threshold for overseas workers by nearly 50% from its current position of £26,200 [$33,105] to £38,700 [$48,899], encouraging businesses to look to British talent first and invest in their workforce, helping us to deter employers from over-relying on migration, whilst bringing salaries in line with the average full-time salary for these types of jobs," the statement added.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman stressed the level of trust and cooperation between Riyadh and Moscow on oil policy. Relations between the two countries form the basis of the OPEC+ alliance, which agreed last week to extend and deepen production cuts.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Residents of the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza are moving en masse from the eastern part of the city to the western part in anticipation of the Israeli offensive.

Yesterday, the Israeli army called on the residents of Khan Yunis to evacuate to Rafah, some are trying to get there.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

WATCH LIVE: Lavrov holds meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abdollahiyan

👉Follow the live here or on the Sputnik's website

The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is dire, with many children orphaned and suffering from severe injuries. Some of them have suffered the loss of their eyes due to severe burns, while others lost their upper or lower limbs, or have ended up totally limbless, Dr. Amjad Loubani, a gynecologist from Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital told Sputnik.

She noted that the conditions are “catastrophic, and children are experiencing a doubling in disability rates in recent weeks. Additionally, many kids are malnourished and are showing signs of hunger. The lack of necessary medicines has resulted in the spread of viruses, skin diseases, and infections in refugee camps. Mental disorders among minors have also risen due to the ongoing hostilities.”

Life in the Gaza Strip has regressed to "Stone Age" conditions, according to Dr. Loubani.

"We would like delegations to come to Gaza once the fighting ends and see the ultimate horror and disaster that has unfolded here in the Gaza Strip. We have no electricity. There is no gas or fuel either. Mothers are forced to cook meals for their children using wood," she said.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇺🇸 Senator Dick Durbin wants to make it possible for illegal immigrants to join the US military

"Do you know what the recruiting numbers are at the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force? They can't reach their quotas each month. They can't find enough people to join."

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🗣🇷🇺 Presidential aide Ushakov spoke about details of Putin's upcoming trip to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as well as negotiations with the Iranian president:

▪️ The issue of the Russian special operation will be raised during the negotiations;

▪️ One of the topics that will be discussed is the connection of all these countries to BRICS;

▪️ The President will discuss the Middle East and energy with the leaders of the UAE and Saudi Arabia;

▪️ Moscow seeks a long-term ceasefire in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and a full exchange of prisoners and detainees;

▪️ There are no plans for joint press statements after the visits to the UAE and Saudi Arabia;

▪️A representative Russian delegation is traveling with Putin to the United Arab Emirates will include: Deputy Prime Minister Belousov, Industry and Trade Minister Manturov, Deputy Prime Minister Novak, Foreign Minister Lavrov, Central Bank Chairman Nabiullina, Roscosmos Director General Borisov, and Rosatom CEO Likhachev.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺🇮🇷 The heads of the Russian and Iranian foreign ministries signed the "Declaration of the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran on Ways and Means of Countering, Mitigating and Compensating for the Negative Consequences of Unilateral Coercive Measures".

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Why is Israel facing strategic defeat in Gaza?

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is right when he warns Israel of a "strategic defeat" in Gaza, according to retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski.

"A strategic defeat for Israel in many ways has already occurred as nearly all of her Western allies have had to tamp down on domestic demonstrations and exercise of free speech. Her actions are costing her the faith of the populations she formerly could rely on – and damaging the political parties and politicians in their own countries," Kwiatkowski told Sputnik.

She also noted that Israel also risks alienating its neighbors after all the years of diplomatic efforts to establish good ties and diplomatic relations with Arab and Muslim states.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺🪖 Key points of Russian MoD briefing on progress of special military op in Ukraine:

▪️ In the Kupyansk region, three attacks by Ukrainian troops were repelled. Ukrainian losses were up to 35 soldiers;

▪️ In the Krasny Liman area, Ukrainian losses were up to 55 soldiers;

▪️ In the Donetsk region, four Ukrainian attacks were repelled in the areas of Bogdanovka, Kleshcheevka and Toretsk. Ukrainian losses amounted to 515 soldiers;

▪️ In Zaporozhye, Russian forces repelled an attack in the Uspenovka area. Ukrainian losses were up to 50 soldiers;

▪️ In the Kherson region, Ukrainian losses were up to 40 soldiers, the M-109 Paladin self-propelled gun and the US M777 artillery system;

▪️ Two Ukrainian MiG-29s and an Mi-8 helicopter were shot down during the day, and 74 drones were destroyed.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt