Ukrainian serviceman: "Tell me to march on Kiev now — I will do it"

A Ukrainian Armed Forces' soldier shared his sincere thoughts on his two-year service in the army.

"I don't need that war any more. I volunteered, I was not drafted. But it makes me sick," he said.

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Israel rejected plans for a massive counterstrike on Iran under Western pressure — NYT

Israel abandoned plans for a major counterstrike against Iran after the US and other allies waged a diplomatic pressure campaign on Tel Aviv, according to three senior Israeli officials quoted by the New York Times.

Israeli leaders originally discussed hitting several military targets across Iran last week, including near the capital Tehran, in retaliation for the strike on April 13, the anonymous officials said.

However, such a broad and damaging attack would have been far harder for Tehran to overlook, increasing the chances of a forceful Iranian counterattack that could have brought the Middle East to the brink of a major regional conflict.

After US President Joe Biden, along with the British and German foreign ministers, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent a full-scale war, Israel opted for a more limited strike on Friday that avoided significant damage, diminishing the likelihood of an escalation — at least for the time being.

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US military advisers to Ukraine could be legitimate targets for Russia’s military – analyst

Any military “advisers” Washington sends to Kiev may become “a legitimate target for Russia's forces", political scientist Evgeny Mikhailov told Sputnik.

"It is quite likely that these observers and advisers will include specialists who can be given special assignments, including on the front line. In any case, all these individuals are a legitimate target for destruction by the Russian military,” he noted.

After voting to funnel more military assistance worth billions to Ukraine, US is vested in this aid reaching its intended destination, Mikhailov speculated.

“I think that, to a greater extent, advisers will be involved in maintaining logistics and overseeing weapons,” said the military expert.

“As for those of the “advisers” who, quite likely, will go to the combat line, where these weapons […] will be used, these Americans may choose to don Ukrainian uniforms,” remarked the analyst. He noted that such individuals could choose to be instructors on the combat line or guns-for-hire.

Regarding their legal status, Mikhailov reminded that Russia has clearly stated, military equipment and their overseers sent to Kiev, are all legitimate targets for the Russian military.

He opined that since one can “talk about a large-scale expansion of American presence in Ukraine, with the exception of military units”, there’s no issue if “Russian forces wipe them out in the same manner as anyone else who aids Ukraine’s fascist regime in destroying the Russian population."

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Telegram poses a ‘huge problem’ for Ukraine, secret service chief says

Ukraine needs to "legislatively force everyone to register so that it is clear" who runs each Telegram account, main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine (GUR) head Kyrylo Budanov told the media.

"If you want to prove your position, take responsibility. Why are you afraid to tell me who you are?," Budanov said. "There won’t be pressure on media."

A draft law on regulating the work of the messenger and other public platforms was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada on March 25. In particular, it requires the disclosure of the sources of funding for Telegram channels, information about their owners, including their exact location, contact phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

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Russia denounces Poland's hosting calls for nuclear weapons.

In a first for Eastern Europe, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced in a New York interview his country's readiness to host nuclear weapons from NATO members to "reinforce NATO's eastern flank.” He cited NATO's "nuclear sharing concept" as the basis for his call.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova immediately responded with a warning: American nuclear weapons on Polish territory will be part of the list of legitimate targets [of Russian forces] in case of Russia’s conflict with NATO.

While slamming Duda's call as provocative, Zakharova expressed no surprise, reminding how “Polish authorities have been making this ambition public for a long time – their desire to lean on the US nuclear weapons, deployed in Europe.”

The 1997 Founding Act on NATO-Russia Relations declared that NATO has "no intention, no plan and no reason to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of new members." Having joined only in 1999 after the agreement, there is no room for doubt on Poland’s classification as a new member.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, met with veteran builders and employees of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM). The main points of the president's speech:

🔺The Baikal-Amur Mainline is a road of the future that will define global logistics for the 21st century.

🔺Russia's turn towards the east became possible thanks to the BAM.

🔺The Russian Federation invites all interested countries to participate in the project for the creation of a North-South transport corridor.

🔺The modernization of the BAM and the Trans-Siberian Railway (Transsib), as well as the development of the Eastern polygon, is crucial for the political and economic sovereignty of the Russian Federation.

🔺We need concrete steps from the government to support the workers of BAM. Russia will create favorable conditions for those who live and work there.

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Participants of the Congress of Moldovan politicians in Moscow being detained at Moldova's Chisinau Airport, Lawmaker Tauber told Sputnik

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Southeast Asia heading for Ukraine-style crisis amid US militarization of Philippines

The creeping US militarization of the Philippines for use as a springboard for a conflict against China is eerily reminiscent of similar US efforts against Russia in Ukraine, former US Marine-turned author, journalist and independent international observer Brian Berletic has told Sputnik.

“The Philippines were previously a US colony gaining independence only in 1945. Since then, the US has attempted to reassert political control over the country as well as maintain a large US military presence on its shores. The goal is to militarize the country and use it as part of a wider united front against China,” Berletic said, commenting on the massive Balikatan drills that kicked off on Monday.

“Exercises like Balikatan give the US an opportunity to shape the Philippines’ armed forces into a suitable proxy for a potential conflict with China,” the observer said. “Washington’s primary objective in the Asia-Pacific region is to encircle and contain China. To do this, the US is attempting to compromise the governments of nations along China’s periphery including the Philippines, establish a US military presence within their borders, and militarize these countries against China.”

In addition to allowing the US to move military assets “dangerously close to Chinese territory,” US activities in the Philippines are designed to take advantage of and artificially inflame regional maritime disputes, the observer believes.

“This will result in a similar crisis as seen in Europe where the US not only used Ukraine in a highly destructive proxy war against Russia, but also decimated Europe’s economy, socio-political stability, and placed the entire region on the precipice of a US-driven war,” Berletic fears.

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🔺Sharing is caring? Why NATO’s 'Nuclear Sharing' strategy is dangerous

🔺Israel rejected plans for a massive counterstrike on Iran under Western pressure — NYT

🔺Southeast Asia heading for Ukraine-style crisis amid US militarization of Philippines

🔺US military advisers to Ukraine could be legitimate targets for Russia’s military – analyst

🔺Ukrainian serviceman: "Tell me to march on Kiev now — I will do it"

🔺Anti-establishment Republicans slam US House leadership over $60 billion Ukraine handout

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The G7 сould take 10 years to catch up with Russian nuclear fuel output

US President Joe Biden and his G7 have vowed to end imports of Russian nuclear fuel, but leading Western economies still lag behind Moscow in innovative atomic technologies, Rosatom Corporation Public Council member Valery Menshikov told Sputnik.

"Can they walk the talk?" Menshikov asked. "We'll see, because large investments will be required. What's more, it’s not just a matter of financial investments, because new technologies are needed. We have these new technologies. Can they catch up with us? They are likely to make an effort during the next eight to 10 years."

Russia maintains leadership in global uranium enrichment services, Sputnik's commentator stressed, adding that neither US nor European scientists have been able to achieve enrichment capacities matching those of their Russian peers. In addition, Russian nuclear fuel is comparatively cheaper, Menshikov pointed out.

Presently Russia supplies around 44 percent of global uranium enrichment services and 20 to 30 percent of enriched uranium products used in the US and Europe, according to the US Office of Nuclear Energy. The Bellona Environmental Foundation reports that the EU almost doubled its purchases of Russian nuclear fuel in 2023, while US imports also saw a 19 percent increase.

"We are building a lot of nuclear power plants abroad today," Menshikov said. "These countries are Turkiye, Egypt, India, China and Bangladesh. In general, the projects are very diverse. And most importantly, we are the absolute leaders in the construction of new stations abroad. And under all construction contracts we will provide completely fresh nuclear fuel."

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🇦🇺🇷🇺 ‘Spectacular backlash’: Ordinary Australians rally to defeat Russophobic campaign against local politician

The Australian political establishment and mainstream media has for weeks been going after Adrian McCrae, a councillor from the western town of Port Hedlund, who travelled to Russia in March to take part in the 2024 presidential election as an international observer.

McCrae infuriated Australian elites by going on national television and declaring that Russian President Vladimir Putin won his landslide victory fair and square. On Monday, the Mayor of Port Hedlund attempted to oust McCrae from office via a no confidence vote. However, the motion was defeated after local residents rallied to McCrae’s defense.

Sputnik contributor Simeon Boikov (@AussieCossack) breaks down the controversy.

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Some passengers who returned from the opposition congress in Moscow and were detained at Chisinau airport needed medical assistance, Ilan Shor, leader of the Moldovan opposition 'Shor' party, said

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Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from their positions and fled from the village of Ocheretino in the Donetsk People's Republic, Vladimir Rogov, head of the regional civic movement "We Are Together with Russia," told Sputnik.

"Good news has come from our military. The enemy left their positions in the village of Ocheretino northwest of Avdeyevka in the DNR and fled. Our guys have entered the village, our flags have been raised in the center," Rogov said.

According to him, Ocheretino is a dominant height and is a key settlement on the Ukrainian army' defense line north of Avdeyevka.

"The liberation of Ocheretino will create not just a threat to the Ukrainian soldiers, but also an opportunity for our army to strike at this section of the front," Rogov said.

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