❗️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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🍫 What caused price of cocoa beans to rise and what can it lead to?

The price of cocoa beans, already on a steady rise over the past two years, surged to unprecedented levels in March, surpassing $10,000 per tonne for the first time in history, increasing by 2.4 times since the beginning of the year.

According to the International Cocoa Organization, production is expected to fall short of demand by 374,000 tonnes by 2024, while Swiss-based producer Barry Callebaut expects a gap of about 500,000 tonnes, or about one-tenth of the global market.

What are the reasons for this price increase, and what does it entail?

👉 Read Sputnik Africa's explainer to find out!

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Ukrainian presidential election canceled: What's next?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision not to hold the presidential election in his country, despite the fact that his term is about to end in less than two months, is unlikely to have any meaningful impact on his relationship with the West, says political analyst Bogdan Bezpalko, member of the Russian Presidential Council for Interethnic Relations.

According to him, Western powers may berate Zelensky in some “timid statements” but likely will not impose any sanctions against him or cease supporting Ukraine altogether.

“He may end up experiencing some difficulty in his contacts with the West but he will continue receiving aid – limited, significantly diminished perhaps, but he will keep getting aid,” Bezpalko tells Sputnik.

The analyst also notes that, with how disastrous Zelensky’s presidency turned out to be for Ukraine and for millions of Ukrainians, he would have no chance of being reelected if the voting process were free and transparent.

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

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

▪️Why has Taurus missile production been put on hold?

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

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

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

▪️Worthy use of NASA budget: technology from the Mars program found in Ukrainian drones

▪️'Hostile reactions from the West': Why Russia didn't Join NATO?

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Western ‘armored vehicle coalition’ for Ukraine: More taxpayers’ money down the drain?

The latest attempt by Western powers to funnel further military assistance to Ukraine by forming an ‘armored vehicle coalition’ will not change the situation on the battlefields of the conflict, says retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Earl Rasmussen.

He points out that this so-called coalition is not the first such effort by the West to beef up the Ukrainian war machine: specifically, there already are coalitions for artillery, fighter jets and de-mining.

“No, this will not impact the movement of the battle, the outcome of the conflict,” Rasmussen tells Sputnik.

He also warns that attempts by Western defense contractors to establish production facilities in Ukraine will translate into financial and human losses as these factories will quickly become targets for Russian strikes.

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Thousands of activists rallied in Jerusalem to demand early elections in Israel and a hostage release deal

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‘Absolutely inhumane’: German volunteer slams Ukrainian troops for drone attacks on Donbass children

“When a person sits there and sees where they're pointing that drone and knowingly drops that drone on a child, that's the worst thing that can happen in the world,” Alena Dirksen, a German humanitarian aid volunteer, told Sputnik’s Russell Bentley (@TXDPR).

“I'm sorry, but I can't call this creature who drops this drone, knowing that a child is going to be hurt, a human being.”

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💥 Russian paratroopers destroyed a field ammunition depot and a concentration of Ukrainian troops in the Seversk area.

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⚠️ WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

A journalist working with Ruptly in Gaza was seriously injured and lost his leg in an Israeli airstrike

Mohammad Abo Dahrouj was working outside Al-Aqsa Hospital at the time of the airstrike. He is now in the intensive care unit.

According to sources, two Palestinians were killed and several journalists were injured.

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'Anti-tank missiles... machine gun belt...smoke grenades... it's all packed'

The Russian military has captured at least a third US M2A2 Bradley ODS-SA IFV from the Avdeyevka area.

Initial inspection showed that the damage is minor and can be repaired, and that ammunition is loaded as well. Thus the Russian army will start using another Bradley soon.

Some news channels noted that this particular Bradley had not previously been listed among the casualties.

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Turkiye's opposition party wins in local elections for the first time in 20 years after 50% of the ballots have been processed, according to the voting data published by Turkish broadcaster TRT Haber.

The Republican People's Party (CHP) currently has 37.8% of the votes and is slightly ahead of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has 36.8%. Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) brings up the rear of the top three with just under 6% of the vote, while the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which is allied with the AKP, has less than 4%.

Established in 2001, the AKP has come first in every municipal election since 2004.

The Nation Alliance, a coalition of six opposition parties running for the presidential and parliamentary elections in May 2023, was essentially dissolved after unsatisfactory voting results. In the current municipal elections, the CHP is flying solo.

President Erdogan admitted that the AKP did not achieve the desired results in the municipal elections, the results of which show lapses on the ground.

Meanwhile, CHP new leader Ozgur Ozel described the preliminary outcome as a "historic result" and a "clear signal" to the incumbent government.

Turks were voting on Sunday to elect mayors of 81 cities, including 30 megacities, heads of municipalities, village and district heads, and village councils.

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New Palestinian cabinet sworn in by President Abbas in Ramallah

On Thursday, newly-appointed Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa presented the new cabinet and its work program to Abbas, who then signed a decree on the approval of the new government.

On Sunday evening, the new cabinet headed by Mustafa was sworn in at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah, the report said.

The new Palestinian prime minister will also take over the position of foreign minister from veteran diplomat Riyad al-Maliki, the news agency reported.

After the ceremony, the president said that the new cabinet's mandate would apply to the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Among the new cabinet's tasks, Abbas pointed out the preparation for presidential and parliamentary elections.

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