🚀 The Soyuz 2.1b rocket carrying the Resurs-P High-Detail Earth Observation Satellite No. 4 was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

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Production of the Taurus cruise missile has been halted in Germany because there are currently no active orders for it, Thomas Gottschild, head of the MBDA arms company that makes the missiles, told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has previously ruled out supplying Kiev with long-range weapons systems that require the participation of the German military, even if they are located outside Ukraine. He has repeatedly opposed the transfer of the Taurus to the Ukrainian armed forces, despite pressure from the opposition and some members of the ruling coalition.

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New phase of wishful thinking: Biden claims Arab states are ready to recognize Israel

US President Joe Biden recently claimed that Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, are ready to recognize the Jewish state, but remained tight-lipped on the status of the Palestinian Authority. Riyadh has repeatedly made clear that it would not agree to establish relations with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state.

"The crux of the issue remains Israel's reluctance to acknowledge a Palestinian state as per these terms. This impasse underscores the complexity of achieving peace and mutual recognition in the region," Dr. Imad Salamey, an associate professor of political science and international affairs at the Lebanese American University, told Sputnik.

He pointed to the 2002 Arab Summit in Beirut, which "highlighted the collective willingness of Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, to recognize Israel, contingent upon Israel's recognition of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Salamey added that while the US publicly calls for peace, it "continues to affirm its strategic alliance with Israel, as demonstrated by the new supply of bombs and fighter jets," an apparent reference to the Biden administration's recent decision to "quietly" provide the Jewish state with billions of dollars worth of military hardware and munitions.

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Russia's Soyuz-2.1b rocket has launched a Resurs-P high-detail No. 4 satellite into orbit after taking off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

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❗️Russian Aerospace Forces launched a group strike on energy facilities and gas production in Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defense has reported.

The strike disrupted the work of defense industry enterprises producing and repairing weapons, military equipment and ammunition. All goals were reportedly achieved and the designated objects were hit.

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🇷🇺🪖 Other statements from the Russian Defense Ministry weekly briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️Near Avdeyevka, the Russian Army improved the situation along the front line and repelled nine attacks by Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian losses amounted to 300 soldiers;

▪️In the Kupyansk area, the Russian Army repelled five attacks by Ukrainian troops near Sinkovka and Ternov villages;

▪️The Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 580 Ukrainian aircraft since the beginning of the special military operation;

▪️ In the Donetsk area, the Russian Army occupied more advantageous positions. Ukrainian losses amounted to more than 300 soldiers;

▪️Russia’s air defenses shot down 178 Ukrainian drones, as well as 23 rockets from the HIMARS and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems.

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Ukraine’s top general Oleksander Syrsky is living up to his ‘butcher’ nickname

Since taking command more than a month ago, Syrsky has lost Avdeyevka and committed a series of costly blunders. Despite these failures, however, the general enjoys strong support from Ukraine’s NATO patrons.

“He's not a good soldier from a military strategic or tactical point of view, but he's a good. murderer, pirate for the people that own and control Ukraine,” said Sputnik correspondent Russell Bentley (@TXDPR).

“He's willing to torture, kill, rape, rob anybody that he's told to that will advance his career. And so from that perspective, he's the perfect guy for NATO and the people who are fighting against Russia.”

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Pivot to NATO: How Japan is becoming the alliance’s outpost in Asia

Japan has made headlines in recent weeks for its efforts to increase its military capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region to the highest levels since World War II, as well as for speculation that it could soon join the AUKUS nuclear submarine and defense technology alliance.

These moves come amid a growing push to bring Japan closer into NATO’s orbit. Here are the most recent developments:

🔹Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attended NATO summit in 2023, a first for a Japanese leader. He inked the ITPP (Individually Tailored Partnership Programme) with NATO to extend collaboration beyond traditional security areas into cyber, emerging and disruptive technologies and strategic communications.

🔹Extended military visits to NATO members, and conducted joint exercises in the Pacific with forces from Canada, the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands in recent years.

🔹Participated in ‘largest deployment exercise in NATO’s history’ in European airspace in 2023, and joined AsterX (NATO’s annual space defense drill) for the first time in 2024.

🔹Discussed establishing a dedicated line for sharing security information with NATO to deepen intelligence cooperation with the bloc in 2024.

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FAB-3000: Russia’s new devastating bomb creates serious problems for Ukraine

The explosive power of the FAB-3000 will allow Russian forces to smash Ukrainian underground bunkers, which often serve as hideouts for senior Ukrainian officers and NATO advisors, explained Sputnik correspondent Russell Bentley (@TXDPR).

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Why has Taurus missile production been put on hold?

MBDA, a European missile manufacturer whose product line includes Patriot surface-to-air missiles and Taurus cruise missiles, has recently complained about the slow pace at which defense contracts are being awarded to them.

Thomas Gottschild, head of MDBA's German branch, has claimed that this situation and the fact that Taurus missile production has effectively been suspended because defense contractors cannot produce stocks without orders first being placed, according to German media reports.

"The arms industry needs a base load in production,” Gottschild said as quoted by Der Spiegel. "It's enough to make it worthwhile to maintain supply chains, keep test equipment state-of-the-art and maintain the competence of employees."

Germany has so far refused to supply Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, despite calls from Berlin's NATO allies to provide the weapons to Kiev.

Earlier this month, however, Die Welt revealed that only half of the roughly 600 Taurus missiles Germany currently has are operational.

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He who laughs last: Will Russia's Joker drone become new portable air defense?

Russia's “Joker-10” FPV drones have been adjusted to shoot down or ram hostile UAVs, the General Director of Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions Dmitry Kuzyakin tells Sputnik. He explains that surface-to-air missiles that intercept drones might cost as much as a private house, while some drones are cheaper than bicycles.

“Thus we are having effective and cheap air defense systems to protect our oil refineries, as well as civilian and nuclear objects," he stresses.

Joker drones can fire a cloud of shards that obliterate hostile UAVs, and good old ramming is also always an option.

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❗️The Russian Federation has handed over demands for the arrest of those involved in the attack on Crocus City Hall and other terrorist attacks to Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

Among others, Moscow demanded that Kiev arrest the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Vasyl Malyuk, who recognized Ukraine’s role in organizing the 2022 attack against the Crimean Bridge, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

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📹 Russian drone operators hit an enemy stronghold in the Donetsk area.

“Your reference point will be that they have a rubbish dump there, their position is always filthy”, a soldier said.

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Russia becomes G20’s fifth fastest-growing economy despite sanctions

The Russian economy grew by 3.6% last year, fully compensating for the 2022 decline of 1.2%, a Sputnik analysis of data from national statistical services reveals.

According to the research, in 2023, Russia entered the top 5 of growing economies in the Group of 20, which includes the 19 biggest economies in the world, as well as the EU and the African Union.

This success is even more telling considering the fact that the economies of European nations that imposed sanctions on Moscow stagnated.

In last month’s address to the parliament, President Vladimir Putin touted Russia as “the largest economy in Europe when it comes to the gross domestic product and purchasing power parity.”

“The pace and, most importantly, the quality of growth allow us to hope and even assert that in the near future, we will be able to join the group of four largest economic powers in the world,” Putin underlined.

He earlier pointed out that it’s safe to say that the restoration of the Russian economy has been completed and that the country withstood “absolutely unprecedented external [sanctions] pressure” by the West.

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