The Russian military has destroyed two Ukrainian SAMP-T anti-aircraft missile systems of French-Italian origin in the Kharkov region, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

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❗️The Russian Armed Forces conducted a group strike in the night using high-precision long-range weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles against military-industrial facilities in Ukraine that produced and repaired equipment, military airfields, and the temporary locations of foreign mercenaries. All assigned targets were hit successfully.

🇷🇺🪖 More statements from the Russian MoD's daily briefing on the progress of the special military op in Ukraine:     

🔺Russian troops repelled two attacks by Ukrainian assault groups in the Donetsk region. The Ukrainian losses amounted to 470 militants.

🔺The Russian army repelled 12 Ukrainian counterattacks near Avdeyevka. Ukrainian losses exceeded 280 militants.

🔺Russian air defense systems shot down 205 Ukrainian UAVs, a Hammer bomb, and six MLRS shells.

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Ukrainian Army Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky has admitted the situation on the eastern front is especially difficult for Ukrainian troops due to the offensive actions by Russian forces in three directions.

According to him, a particularly difficult situation has developed in the Artemovsk area, east of Chasov Yar and Kleshcheevka, in Avdeyevka area, near Berdichev, Orlovka, Vodyanoy, Pervomaisky, and in the Novopavlosk area, near Novomikhailovka.

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Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has expressed his apologies to Mexico following the incident where Ecuadorian police attacked the country's diplomatic mission in Quito.

"What the Noboa government has done has no precedent in the history of Latin America. Even under the most terrible dictatorships, the rights of the embassy of any country were not violated. We do not live in a state governed by the rule of law, but in a barbaric..."

The administration of the President of Ecuador has described the storming of the Mexican embassy in Quito as a defense of their sovereignty.

Earlier, the Mexican government announced its intention to take legal action against the Ecuadorian government before the International Court of Justice in order to condemn their actions.

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China has brought the former empire back to a harsh reality

"Britain is not a competitor for China, the British government should not overestimate it's impact on the global scene."

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Strike on aid workers in Gaza: 'US knows how to be silent' on Israel's violations – analyst

Washington “knows how to be silent” when it comes to Tel Aviv’s violations of the law, global affairs analyst Mehmet Rakipoglu told Sputnik.

“In rhetoric, the US is the most important country concerning the international law, civilian casualties, not targeting civilians, but it's obvious that it's not the case when it comes to the implementation," Rakipoglu noted.

Current US 'frustration' with the Israeli Army’s actions in Gaza is “all about politics and upcoming presidential elections,” added the researcher on international affairs at Dimensions for Strategic Studies think tank.

After the Palestine-Israel conflict spiraled, the US showed little concern about civilian deaths. But “politics” has prompted Washington to speak up in the wake of the Israeli strike on aid workers from the World Central Kitchen organization, Rakipoglu noted.

He also suggested that the US “could plan that if there is any problem with the elections that can lead to a loss for Biden, Biden can say ‘Okay, now Netanyahu is responsible for that crisis, we are not and Israel is not.’”

One can expect “more problems between Netanyahu and Biden” to play out in the future, the expert concluded.

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Ukraine's ammunition shortage is so severe that soldiers have to search for unexploded Russian shells in swamps

Ukrainian armed forces commanders make soldiers search for unexploded shells in marshes for future use, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The publication quotes 36-year-old military officer Maxim Polyukhovich, who said he has to dive into mud and walk several kilometers through minefields in search of shells. According to him, "the commanders' appetite is increasing." “If I send 100 rounds, they call the next day asking for more ammo,” he says.

In March, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havryliuk said that stockpiles of certain types of ammunition in Ukraine have fallen to critical levels, making it difficult for the Ukrainian military to carry out its tasks.

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'Russia's evil empire': Poland resorts to hysterical pretexts to justify militarization

Recent statements by Polish officials on a “pre-war” situation near the borders with Russia have raised concerns about the full-blown participation of NATO in the Ukraine crisis.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski sent shockwaves in the media by declaring in Brussels that NATO was setting up a “special mission” in Ukraine, but later rushed to “clarify” that the alliance was not dispatching its forces against Russia, but set its mission for logistics and training. Later, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said he visits Poland’s eastern border almost every day, with the frantic comment that “Russia is rebuilding the evil empire.” The minister said defense spending had soared to four percent, up from NATO’s requirement of two percent.

Leading Polish weekly Polityka lambasted Sikorski’s statements, noting that they could be made to justify huge purchases of weapons abroad, which literally “drain the country of all resources still left here.”

Another Polish weekly, Do Rzeczy, questioned Poland’s ability to pay for the military reform that is expected to make Poland’s Army “the strongest in Europe.” Last year alone, Poland bought 32 F-35A fighter jets and 366 Abrams tanks from the US, and also ordered 1,000 K2 tanks from South Korea. Between 2022 and 2035, Warsaw plans to spend over $164 billion on weapons.

And with all the anti-Russian hysteria in official rhetoric, it seems obvious against whom Poland intends to fight.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on March 29 that Poland was in “a pre-war state” because of Russia, claiming that Moscow would escalate its campaign against Kiev.

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🇪🇬Hamas said its delegation would visit Cairo on April 7 at Egypt's invitation to take part in a new round of ceasefire talks while maintaining all its demands.

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"A war with Russia can only lead to the complete destruction of France," said Jean-Luc Melenchon, founder of the left-wing La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party, noting that it is necessary to find ways to talk about peace.

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How Russia can disarm threat of Ukraine’s ultra-long-range drones

Ukraine won’t be able to attack Russia behind the frontlines with its alleged ‘long-range drone capabilities’ as Moscow has an array of tools for dealing with this threat, military observers Evgeny Mikhailov and Edward Bagdasarian told Sputnik, commenting on reports in German media about Kiev’s new extended UAVs.

“Ukraine can’t win along the line of contact and is suffering defeats along the entire front, resorting to the launch of a systematic programme of terrorist actions in the depths of the Russian Federation,” Mikhailov said. Russia can counter these attacks in part by expanding strikes targeting drone infrastructure in Ukraine.

Another step in blunting the threat is to increase Russian strategic enterprises’ anti-drone defences, Bagdasarian noted.

“I think, firstly, that all these factories where things are produced for the special military operation will be classified. Secondly, the security services of such enterprises and objects of critical infrastructure within 1,500–2,000 km [of the front] will acquire anti-drone defences.”

“The Armed Forces of Ukraine will make every effort, spending the last of their resources, to continue carrying out such attacks,” Bagdasarian emphasised, adding that NATO will assist Kiev by providing intelligence support and cash.

But drones aren’t the end-all be all solution Kiev and its allies may be looking for as the Ukrainian crisis turns into a quagmire, Bagdasarian stressed.

“Their range is about the same as that of cruise missiles, but cruise missiles are faster, their flight path is closer to the ground, and they are more difficult to detect.… These homemade drones are more primitive, seemingly slapped together whatever was available. Therefore, their reliability, accuracy, safety and survivability are significantly lower,” the observer said.

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🔺He crystal-balled it: Russian politician who predicted Russian special operation in Ukraine, escalation in the Middle East and much more

🔺China has brought the former empire back to a harsh reality

🔺How Russia can disarm threat of Ukraine’s ultra-long range drones?

🔺'Russia's evil empire': Poland resorts to hysterical pretexts to justify militarization

🔺Ukraine's ammunition shortage is so severe that soldiers have to search for unexploded Russian shells in swamps

🔺Strike on aid workers in Gaza: 'US knows how to be silent' on Israel's violations – analyst

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❗️ A car rammed into a crowd of protesters in Tel Aviv who were demanding early elections and an immediate deal to release hostages in Gaza. One woman was taken away by ambulance, Sputnik's correspondent reports

Japan to deploy troops to the Philippines

Japan and the Philippines are planning to sign an agreement permitting rotational deployment of troops on each other’s territories, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez declared at an online news conference. The full deal will be unveiled soon after the US-Japan-Philippines summit in Washington, DC next week, Romualdez added.

Under the agreement, Japan and the Philippines would organize regular joint training exercises and patrols. Japan also plans to install satellite communication systems on Philippine patrol vessels, in addition to the coastal radar systems that it already provides to Manilla.

There was no immediate comment by China. Last year, the Chinese Foreign Ministry warned against military exercises involving US and its allies in the South China Sea waters harming its security and territorial interests.

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🇸🇰 The head of the Slovak parliament, Peter Pellegrini, wins his country's presidential election with 54.32% of the vote after counting more than 96% of total ballots.

Ivan Korcok, former foreign minister of the republic, recognized the defeat and congratulated Pellegrini.

Both have previously said they would not allow the Slovak military to be sent to Ukraine if they won the election. However they differ in their assessment of the ongoing conflict, possible military assistance to Kiev and Ukraine's potential NATO membership.

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The winner of the presidential election in Slovakia and current head of parliament Peter Pellegrini has promised the republic will be on the side of peace, not war.

Previously Pellegrini said arming Ukraine was ineffective and could lead to disaster.

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Nicaragua cuts diplomatic ties with Ecuador amid fallout from Mexican embassy invasion

Nicaragua announced it had completely severed diplomatic relations with Ecuador Saturday over the storming of the Mexican embassy in Quito by Ecuadorian police.

"Following the unthinkable and reprehensible acts committed... in Quito by forces that are supposed to protect the order and security of Ecuadorian citizens and their lives, our strong and irrevocable condemnation is transformed into a sovereign decision to sever all diplomatic relations with the Government of Ecuador," read a statement by the Nicaraguan government.

The highly provocative violation of the embassy, considered sovereign Mexican territory under international law, provoked condemnation across Latin America. Chile, Cuba, Bolivia, Venezuela, Honduras, and Brazil issued statements expressing anger over the incident.

Glas had been sheltering in the Mexican embassy since shortly after Ecuador issued a warrant for his arrest in December. Ecuador's government has been engaged in a persecution campaign against supporters of former President Rafael Correa for several years. The country has been on a downward economic spiral since the populist leader left office, with the security situation in the country also deteriorating.

Economic instability has created an environment for organized crime to thrive in Ecuador, as in other Latin American countries where Western-backed neoliberal policy has resulted in similar consequences.

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💥 Russian Artillerymen destroy mortar crew and ammunition depot of Ukrainian forces near Avdeyevka

Artillery units employed Akatsiya self-propelled artillery systems to destroy targets with indirect fire.

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Security Council to discuss Palestine's request for full UN membership Monday

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will consider Palestine's request for full membership in the organization and its transfer to the UNSC Committee on the Admission of New Members on April 8, a schedule of meetings for next week revealed.

The presidency of the UNSC will hold consultations to discuss further actions on Palestine's request at 10:00 am local time (14:00 GMT) Monday, the schedule read. At 12:00 noon local time the presidency will convene the council's closed meeting to confirm receipt of Palestine's letter and transfer it to the relevant committee.

Currently Palestine has only observer status at the UN, a recognition it has been granted since 2012.

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Israel claims to open Erez land crossing following phone call with Biden

Israel said the country will temporarily open its Erez land crossing into Gaza for humanitarian aid after a phone call between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week, but questions remain over the United States' willingness to seriously challenge its Middle Eastern ally.

The US president reportedly threatened to withhold support during the call Thursday and "underscored that an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians.”

Despite the threat the White House has not yet stated it will cease supplying their ally with weapons. When asked about the supply of lethal aid to Israel becoming “conditional,” US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby insisted he would not “preview decisions that haven’t been made yet”.

The Biden White House previously announced sanctions on a handful of West Bank settlers in a rare concrete measure against Israel, but the policy was recently walked back amid opposition from Israel's treasury chief.

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