Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with Evgenia Gutsul, the head of Gagauzia*, on the sidelines of the World Youth Festival in the Russian federal territory of Sirius, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told Sputnik.

*Gagauzia is an autonomous region in the south of Moldova that has traditionally advocated rapprochement with Russia, while Kishinev has declared a course toward European integration.

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▪️Putin's full speech at the closing ceremony of the World Youth Festival in the Russian federal territory of Sirius

▪️Putin: Russia is a unique country and you need to get to know it

▪️Highlights from the World Youth Festival’s closing ceremony

▪️What you need to know about Russia-China space program?

▪️What’s known about Russia’s new Groza.04.K man-portable anti-FPV drone system

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“Aren’t you going to pinch me?” - an unexpected question from Putin after he was asked by a forum participant for a photo to prove back home in Italy that the Russian president was real.

The success of the World Youth Festival demonstrates that sanctions against Russia have failed. However, the purpose of such events is to build friendship, not to prove someone wrong, Putin stressed.

“I defended Crimea [and] Slavyansk as a field medic at the age of 16,” a young man from Ukraine told Putin how he refused to support the Kiev regime and joined the Russian “Sparta” battalion.

The reunification of Russia and Ukraine on a spiritual level is inevitable, but this is hindered by disgusting manifestations of nationalism, Putin said.

If states create a multipolar world in which they help each other, social issues will be solved more easily, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"Our common task is to make sure that all people have equal conditions. This is a difficult task, but I think, I am even convinced that if we create this multipolar world, in which we not only depend on each other, but also help each other, then social issues, including education and health care, will be solved more easily, they will be solved more effectively," Putin declared at the closing ceremony of the World Youth Festival.

He added that by combining efforts, it is possible to achieve better results.

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Moldovan authorities are persecuting the Gagauzia* leader.

Charges in the criminal case against Gagauzia leader Evgenia Gutsul will soon be brought to court, acting Prosecutor General of Moldova, Ion Munteanu, announced against the backdrop of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Gutsul.

"Prosecutors are in the final stages of collecting evidence in the case against Gagauzia's leader, Evgenia Gutsul, and plan to bring it to court soon," Munteanu said in an interview with Moldovan broadcaster Jurnal TV.

Earlier in the day, Gutsul stated that she had discussed the political situation in Moldova with Putin.

Last spring, elections were held in Gagauzia for the head of the autonomy, and a representative of the opposition party "Shor," Gutsul, won. The Moldovan authorities declared the party unconstitutional, accusing it of illegal financing and initiating criminal cases against its leaders. Additionally, Kishinev initiated audits of the election results themselves. On July nineteenth, Gutsul's inauguration took place, but none of the republic's authorities attended the ceremony. Moldovan President Maia Sandu has not yet signed a decree approving Gutsul as a member of the government, although this is required by the country's legislation.

*Gagauzia is an autonomous region in the south of Moldova that has traditionally advocated rapprochement with Russia, while Kishinev has declared a course toward European integration.

No loose ends now: Obsolete Boeing airliner converted into stunning Bali villa

For a modest price of $7,300, aircraft enthusiasts can enjoy a luxurious Bali beach vacation on a decommissioned jet. The mastermind behind this unique concept is Felix Demin, a real estate entrepreneur currently living in Indonesia.

The now obsolete Boeing used to belong to Mandala Air, an Indonesian airline that shut down about a decade ago. The plane has never flown since.

The designers refurbished the interior of the fuselage by removing all passenger seats and luggage shelves, subsequently transforming it into two spacious bedrooms. The cockpit was renovated as well, with the pilots' seats and control panel getting pulled out to make way for a luxurious stone bath.

Boeing has been making headlines in recent years due to a series of scandals related to its poor technical performance and lack of safety regulations. One shocking incident occurred in January when an Alaska Airlines flight, carrying 177 passengers and flying at approximately 16,000 feet, experienced a blown door plug, resulting in a huge hole in the side of the aircraft.

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The US and the UK launched two strikes against the Hodeidah international airport in western Yemen, the Al-Masirah TV channel reported.

Earlier in the day, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said that Yemeni forces attacked a US cargo ship True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden.

UK and US jets carried out strikes against the airport of Hodeidah following the attack on the US cargo ship, the broadcaster reported.

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💰 The US House of Representatives passed legislation with approximately $460 billion in spending, in an effort to avoid a partial government shutdown before the end of the week.

House lawmakers passed the bill under suspension of the rules in a vote of 339 in favor and 85 opposed, with two-thirds support required for passage.

The legislation now heads to the US Senate for consideration. US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that he would bring the bill to the Senate floor quickly after passage in the House of Representatives.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed appreciation to Serbs who "have been Russia's most reliable allies for centuries" at the closing ceremony of the World Youth Festival.

“Relations between Russia and Serbia are of a special nature... I want to stress that Serbs have been Russia’s most reliable allies for centuries. We know, remember, and appreciate this,” Putin said.

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Three crew members of the True Confidence commercial vessel were killed after a Houthi missile hit the ship as it sailed through the Gulf of Aden, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a press release.

"At approximately 11:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) March 6, an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) was launched from Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen toward M/V True Confidence, a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier, while transiting the Gulf of Aden," the statement said.

"The missile struck the vessel, and the multinational crew reports three fatalities, at least four injuries, of which three are in critical condition, and significant damage to the ship," CENTCOM explained.

The crew abandoned the ship and coalition warships responded and are assessing the situation, the release said.

According to CENTCOM, Wednesday's attack is the fifth anti-ship ballistic missile fired by the Houthis in the last two days, two of which hit the shipping vessels MSC Sky II and True Confidence.

The US and UK reportedly launched air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen following the deadly Houthi attack.

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Kamala Harris’ call for ‘ceasefire’ ignores reality of Israel’s brutal occupation

Harris made headlines this week with a speech in which she called for a six-week ceasefire in Gaza, but critics say the US Vice President’s rhetoric offers little of substance.

“They're acting like Kamala Harris went rogue,” said host of Sputnik’s Fault Lines program Jamarl Thomas as Harris’ speech has been characterized in liberal media outlets as a break from official White House policy. “Kamala Harris just articulated [US President Joe] Biden's position, which is basically the Israeli position with the idea that they're going to occupy Gaza after the fact, or put in an administrator that they choose.”

“What sort of a two-state [policy] can you have with all the settlers within the West Bank basically preventing some sort of a contiguous territory to come under the Palestinian Authority?” Dr. Hasan Unal, a professor of political science and international relations at Bashkent University in Ankara, Turkiye, told the program.

Nevertheless, the US continues to provide Israel with billions of dollars in military aid each year, Thomas noted, even while claiming sympathy for the plight of the Palestinians.

“There is a lobby in the United States, specifically on behalf of Israel, and they funnel lots of money, they have lots of influence, and the interesting thing about them is that their lobbying – or at least how our politicians respond to the lobbying – it is on both sides,” Unal clarified.

“Democrats and Republicans respond pretty similarly,” he noted.

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Even Democrats warn Biden that an Israeli invasion of Rafah risks violating military aid conditions.

A group made up of 37 House Democrats sent a letter to US President Joe Biden telling him that an Israeli invasion of Rafah could violate the administration’s requirement that US military aid be used in accordance with international law, a report revealed.

“An extensive Israeli offensive in Rafah would further deteriorate the already dreadful conditions for civilians, more than half of whom are on the brink of famine, as well as risk the lives of the 130 Israeli and American hostages still held in Gaza by exposing them to the threat of aerial bombardments and derailing a negotiated agreement that could lead to their release,” the representatives stressed.

“Intentionally using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare by depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supplies as provided for under the Geneva Conventions, is a war crime,” said the International Rescue Committee, according to the report.

Receiving both military and diplomatic support from the US, Israeli officials seem to have set a deadline to invade Rafah on the Muslim holiday of Ramadan starting on March 10. Roughly 1.4 million Palestinians are estimated to be seeking refuge in the southern city.

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Russian air defenses shot down two Ukrainian drones over the Tula region. No injuries or damage were reported per preliminary information, according to the local authorities.

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NATO countries supplied $873 million worth of wine to Russia last year, according to Sputnik's calculations.

Under a proposed 200% customs barrier, Latvia, Lithuania, and Italy will lose the most money - these countries account for 87% of all supplies, or $757 million in wine exports.

On March 5, the Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers of Russia said that it had asked the government and the parliament to strengthen measures to protect the Russian market.

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Cash, troop and ammo-strapped Ukraine finds time to wage ‘anti-Russia’ proxy war in Africa

A report by the Wall Street Journal citing Ukrainian and Sudanese officials has alleged that Ukraine deployed special forces troops to Sudan in 2023 to fight rebel Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries as part of a “global” conflict with Russia.

A Ukrainian commando offered details about the purpose of the operations, saying that “if [Russia has] gold mines in Sudan, we need to make them not profitable.”

WSJ admitted that Kiev’s commitment, supposedly made following a personal request to President Zelensky, “comes with significant political risk at a moment when Western support for Ukraine is wavering,” particularly after US officials explicitly warned other countries not to get involved in the Sudanese crisis.

“War is a risky business. We are in a full-fledged war with Russia. They have units in different parts of the world, and we sometimes try to strike them there,” Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov told the newspaper. Budanov was recently added to Russia’s registry of terrorists and extremists.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali al-Sadiq Ali told Sputnik there’s no truth in WSJ’s reporting on a Ukrainian diplomatic or military presence in the African nation, and emphasized that Russia “has historically been and remains a friend of Sudan.”