Russian air defenses destroyed a Ukrainian drone near the city of Kaluga, no casualties or damage were reported Kaluga region Governor Vladislav Shapsha said.

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The topic of the possible entry of South Ossetia into Russia is being discussed in close coordination with Moscow, South Ossetian Parliament Chairman Alan Alborov told Sputnik.

"We are discussing all these issues in close coordination with the Russian Federation, taking into account our bilateral relations and agreements," Alborov said when asked about the possibility of holding a referendum on this topic.

The two parties pursue a joint coordinated foreign policy, Alborov said, noting that South Ossetia will become part of Russia when the governments of South Ossetia and Russia come to this idea.

On August 26, 2008, following Georgia's armed aggression against Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russia recognized the independence of the two breakaway regions. The two republics were subsequently recognized by Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria.

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Russian air defenses wiped out four Ukrainian drones in the Yaroslavl region. No injuries or damage were reported per preliminary information, Governor Mikhail Yevraev wrote on Telegram.

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Feeling strain of war, Israel considers connoscripting ultra-Orthodox Jewish population

Ultra-Orthodox Jews have long been exempted from military service in Israel as young members of the religiously conservative community devote themselves to study of the Torah in schools known as yeshivas. But that policy may change as Israeli society feels the strain of the country’s months-long operation in Gaza.

“There are not enough soldiers,” said opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid at a Thursday rally in Tel Aviv. “And at the same time there are 66,000 young and healthy members of the Haredi community, at enlistment age, who are not joining.”

The issue is a conundrum for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who counts many conservative and ultra-Orthodox Jews among his political coalition. But polling shows most Israelis oppose the community’s exemption, and Netanyahu’s opposition has hammered him over the issue.

Israel’s economy has been battered in recent months as a portion of the workforce has been called up to fight in Gaza. The prospect of war against Hezbollah in Lebanon threatens to place even more strain on the IDF. Additionally, some half a million Israelis have reportedly fled the country since last October’s Hamas attack.

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❗️Russian air defense systems destroyed nine RM-70 Vampire missile system shells and three Hurricane missile system shells over Russia's Belgorod region, the Defense Ministry reported.

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▪️Russian presidential election: the third and final day of voting begins

▪️Russian aerospace forces destroy a terrorist base in Syria's Deir Ez-Zor governorate

▪️Niger terminates the military agreement with the US, is going to throw out its military base

▪️On thin ice: US falling behind Russia in mobility in Arctic region

▪️What is known about Russia’s T-14 Armata tank?

▪️Macron is going to ‘ask for’ a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict for duration of Paris Olympics

More stories:

▪️South Ossetia ponders over becoming a part of Russia

▪️Native American lawsuit in New York sheds light on dark aspect of US history

▪️Feeling strain of war, Israel considers connoscripting ultra-Orthodox Jewish population

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❗️Turnout in the Russian presidential elections exceeded 60%, according to the Central Election Commission.

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A 16-year-old girl has died as result of a Ukrainian shelling in Russia's Belgorod, the region's governor confirmed.

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Key statements by the head of the Russian Central Election Commission, Ella Pamfilova:

▪️ Voter turnout in the Russian presidential election is 61.37% across the country, including remote voting, as of 06:45 (GMT).

▪️ 1115 international observers from 129 countries are working on the presidential election in the Russian Federation.

▪️ Over the past day, 12,600 dangerous hits were recorded on the CEC website and four DDoS attacks were blocked.

▪️ "We will win this information war too" - Pamfilova on attacks on CEC resources.

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Ukraine's 'best drone operator' killed in special operation zone - reports

Oles Samchuk, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' "best drone operator" with the call sign Karkade, has been killed in the special military operation zone, according to Russian military correspondent Ruslan Tatarinov.

The correspondent did not specify where and how Samchuk, a former cameraman, died. The 22-year-old's death was confirmed by Ukraine's National Union of Cinematographers, which reported that the drone operator was allegedly killed in the Donetsk region earlier this week.

According to Ukrainian media, Samchuk served in the Azov battalion* aerial reconnaissance unit.

*The Azov battalion is a terrorist organization banned in Russia.

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Commenting on Macron's proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine at the Paris Olympics, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested that he "stop supplying weapons" to Kiev.

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🇹🇷🗳Russian citizens lined up near the polling station at the Consulate General in Istanbul, Turkiye, to cast their ballots in the Russian presidential election.

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📹Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected a command post of the Black Sea Fleet.

Shoigu ordered the installation of additional firepower, large-caliber machine gun rifle complexes to defeat enemy drones, and inspected the construction of a new military hospital in Sevastopol, Crimea.

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