▪️ Scott Ritter: Russians advance and Ukrainians can't stop them

▪️ Replacing Shoigu with Belousov isn’t a sign of weakness – here’s why

▪️ US Secretary of State Blinken makes unannounced visit to Ukraine

▪️ A car with British number plates destroyed by Russian forces in Donbass

▪️ There is 'no genocide happening in Gaza', US National Security Advisor Sullivan claims

More stories

▪️ President Biden signs a bill prohibiting US imports of Russian uranium

▪️ Why the US’ B-2 ‘wonder-bomber’ is just an attractive museum piece

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❗️ Vladimir Putin will visit China on May 16-17 at the invitation of Xi Jinping, the Kremlin said.

Following the talks between Putin and Xi Jinping, it is planned to sign a joint statement by the heads of state and a number of bilateral documents, the Kremlin added.

This will be Putin's first foreign trip since his inauguration

❗️ During Putin's visit to China, the leaders of Russia and China will determine areas of further development of cooperation and discuss the most pressing problems, the Kremlin said.

🇷🇺🇨🇳 Putin's upcoming visit to China: details

▪️ The leaders of Russia and China will discuss in detail the entire range of issues of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation.

▪️ Putin and Xi will thoroughly exchange views on the most pressing international and regional issues.

▪️ Following the talks, a joint statement by the heads of state is planned to be signed, as well as a number of bilateral documents.

▪️ Putin and Xi will take part in a gala evening to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the opening of the Russian-Chinese Years of Culture.

▪️ The program includes a meeting between Putin and Premier of China’s State Council Li Qiang.

▪️ Putin will also visit Harbin, where he will take part in the opening ceremony of the eighth Russian-Chinese EXPO and the fourth Russian-Chinese Forum on Interregional Cooperation.

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❗️ A criminal case has been opened against Yuri Kuznetsov, head of the personnel department of the Russian Defense Ministry, as he is suspected of taking a bribe on a particularly large scale, the Russian Investigative Committee said.

Kuznetsov received a bribe from members of commercial structures to carry out certain actions in their favor, the committee added.

During searches, cash in rubles and foreign currency in the amount of more than 100 million rubles ($1 million), gold coins, collector watches, and luxury items were found and seized. Kuznetsov has already been arrested.

❗️ Vladimir Putin has signed decrees on a number of appointments:

▪️ Nikolai Patrushev appointed as presidential aide

▪️ Dmitry Peskov reappointed as press secretary for the Russian president

▪️ Anton Vaino reappointed as head of the presidential administration

▪️Maxim Oreshkin, who was previously an aide to the Russian head of state, has been appointed deputy head of the presidential administration

▪️ Tula region Governor Alexey Dyumin has been appointed presidential aide and relieved of his previous post

▪️ Sergey Kiriyenko, Alexey Gromov and Dmitry Kozak retained their positions as deputy heads of the presidential administration

❗️ The western and northern parts of Volchansk in the Kharkov region are already controlled by Russian troops, the head of the region’s Russian administration, Vitaly Ganchev, has said.

More than 60 people from the Kraken* neo-Nazi formation have been captured in the Kharkov region and are testifying, Ganchev added.

*Terrorist organization banned in Russia

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❗️ Russia’s Battlegroup Sever will soon start liberating the village of Liptsy in the Kharkov region, as Russian troops have approached the outskirts, Vitaly Ganchev has said.

Ukraine is pulling up new reserves to fortified positions in the Kharkov region, but the Russian Air Force is operating there, so they will not be able to resist them for long, he added.

❗️ Former Rada MP Andrey Derkach has said that information about work by Ukrainian intelligence services on creating a “dirty bomb” is being investigated.

The politician emphasized that nuclear blackmail is normal for Ukraine's leaders.

“They did it both before the start of the special military operation and during the special military operation. We will voice this information so that our non-partners in the West have no questions later,” media quoted him as saying.

❗️ Sergei Shoigu is moving to a very high-ranking post with a broad scope of tasks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

He noted that Shoigu's new position is of great importance for the whole country.

❗️ Other statements by Dmitry Peskov:

▪️ We are aware of Blinken's visit to Ukraine, just as we are aware of nervousness in Ukraine, Europe, and the US about the situation in the special operation zone.

▪️ Every single European accusation against Russia regarding cyberattacks is groundless and Russia firmly rejects them.

▪️ What is happening in Georgia is the country’s internal affair and Russia has no intention of interfering.

📹 Russian Su-34 crews deliver powerful strikes on Ukrainian forces

The pilots deployed high-explosive aviation bombs with universal planning and correction modules, which allow the delivery of precise strikes from beyond the enemy’s air defense kill zone.

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❗️ Units of the Russia's Sever Battlegroup have liberated the village of Bugrovatka in Kharkov region, the Russian Defense Ministry said

Western media focus on bill signed by Biden banning Russian uranium imports to US

The Washington Post: "American companies pay around $1 billion a year for enriched uranium from Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear power conglomerate. The United States largely lacks its own uranium enrichment capacity."

Axios: "[The bill] effectively bans uranium imports from Russia starting 90 days after it's enacted, but allows reactor operators to continue importing until 2028 if they don't have another viable supplier."

The Guardian: "The delay in banning Russian uranium was, in part, driven by the US’s reliance on Russian imports and fears that the country’s 93 nuclear reactors could be disrupted by a lack of fuel."

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Ukrainian military’s manpower hits rock bottom, Kiev regime’s spy chief admits

"The situation is on the edge. Every hour, this situation moves toward critical," head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine (GUR) Kyrylo Budanov told the New York Times.

"All of our forces are either [in Kharkov] or in Chasov Yar. We don’t have anyone else in the reserves," Budanov stressed.

His statement comes amid the rapid progress made by Russia’s military forces in the Kharkov region.

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❗️ Ukraine lost up to 135 soldiers in the Kharkov region. The Russian Armed Forces destroyed a Vampire multiple-launch rocket system combat vehicle, a Strela-10 surface-to-air missile combat vehicle and a German-made Gepard self-propelled flak gun system.

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

▪️ Ukraine lost up to 120 servicemen, two armored vehicles and three artillery guns during the day due to the actions of the Zapad Battlegroup

▪️ Units of the Russian Armed Forces Yug Battlegroup defeated ten enemy brigades' manpower and equipment, Ukraine’s losses amounted to more than 520 soldiers over the day;

▪️ Russian Battlegroup Tsentr’s units repelled eight counterattacks, Ukraine lost up to 405 servicemen;

▪️ The Russian Armed Forces destroyed Ukraine’s production and storage facility for attack drones;

▪️ Battlegroup Vostok units inflicted up to 155 casualties on the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 24 hours;

▪️ Russian air defense forces shot down 26 Ukrainian drones and nine Hammer guided bombs over the day.

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🇷🇺🇨🇳 Russia and China play a balancing role in world affairs, and the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China will strengthen this joint work, acting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

"I can safely say that Moscow and Beijing play the most important ... balancing role in world affairs. And I am confident that the upcoming visit of the Russian president to China will strengthen this joint work," Lavrov said during a plenary session of the upper house of the parliament.

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✍️ The Parliament of Georgia adopted a bill on foreign agents, which had earlier sparked a wave of protests

❗️ Andrey Belousov considers acquisition for the Armed Forces to be one of his top-priority tasks as defense minister, but noted that there is no mention of mobilization.

He also drew attention to the need to provide Russian battlegroups in the special operation zone with weapons.

In addition, Belousov emphasized that there are some challenges with the timely payment of allowances to servicemen and their housing.

⚡️ The head of the UK’s Defense Ministry has admitted that London has given Kiev permission to launch strikes on Crimea because it considers the peninsula part of Ukraine.

"I don't want to go into huge detail. As you know, we have provided permissions for weapons to be used in the territory of Ukraine – including Crimea, which we believe is an integral part of Ukraine," Grant Shapps said.

UK to get new multirole support vessels while struggling to fix Royal Navy’s woes

The Royal Marines are to receive a set of the Multi-Role Support Ships (MRSS) geared to “quickly transport the Royal Marines Commando Force from sea to shore,” UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps told The Telegraph.

Development of the six vessels has only begun, with Shapps underscoring that the investment is crucial to ensure that the Royal Navy is “not left behind” by adversaries “like China and Russia.” The new-generation ships will:

▪️ Feature docks for landing craft

▪️ Have a hangar to accommodate a Chinook helicopter as well as a launch pad for helicopters

▪️ Will enable hosting and launching of attack drones from a dock that can be lowered into the water

▪️ May be fitted with laser weapons such as DragonFire

The announcement comes amid a host of embarrassing setbacks for the Royal Navy that reflects the UK's internal political and economic problems.

Its flagship aircraft carriers the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales have faced a number of technical malfunctions and operational restrictions forcing them to pull out of massive NATO drills. Furthermore, the costly vessels are vulnerable to drone and hypersonic missile strikes, critics claim.

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