❗️ Ukraine's excessive requests for antidotes and gas masks indicate plans to use toxic substances, said Igor Kirillov, chief of the nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces.

Ukraine's use of toxic substances has become systematic with the tacit approval of Washington, he added.

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The Pentagon continues to develop new chemical munitions and systems for using chemical weapons, as well as modernize existing ones, said Igor Kirillov, chief of Russia's Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops.

"We are talking about mines, artillery shells and tank rounds; at least $10 million is allocated annually for their purchase in the United States."

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President Vladimir Putin knows what Russia’s response to attacks on its territory from Ukraine could be, said his press secretary Dmitry Peskov.

This is how Peskov responded to the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's proposal that Western countries must allow the use of weapons they supply to Ukraine for attacks on Russian territory. This issue will be officially discussed at the level of EU defense ministers.

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❗️LIVE: Vladimir Putin talks to media after visit to Uzbekistan

👉 Watch the livestream here or on Sputnik's website

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❗️ The Constitution of Ukraine provides for the extension of the powers of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, it does not say anything about the powers of the president, it is necessary to conduct an in-depth analysis of the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government, said Vladimir Putin.

There is nothing in the Ukrainian Constitution that prolongs presidential elections if new elections are not held due to martial law, the president noted.

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⚡️ According to preliminary estimates, the only legitimate authorities in Ukraine are the parliament and the speaker of the Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, Vladimir Putin said.

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❗️ Members of NATO countries must be aware of what they are playing with, Putin said amid talk of allowing Ukraine to strike at Russia

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📹 The Constitution of Ukraine provides for the extension of the powers of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, it does not say anything about the powers of the president, said Vladimir Putin.

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📹 There are problems in Afghanistan, everyone knows them, but somehow it is necessary to build relations with the current government, Putin said.

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The deployment of the West's troops into Ukraine is an escalation and another step towards conflict in Europe and a global conflict, Putin said.

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❗️ Russia is ready to continue the negotiation process on Ukraine, but what will be offered to it is unknown, Putin said.

It is not Russia that has stopped negotiations on Ukraine, he added.

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🎥 Putin’s full answer to the question about Zelensky’s legitimacy

He noted that the Constitution of Ukraine provides for the extension of the powers of only the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, but not the president.

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🤖 Russia’s robotizing its capital Moscow!

Moscow has given the go-ahead for the first stage of an unmanned tram service.

The most up-to-date lidars (light detection and ranging system) have been installed on the vehicle to obtain data on the tram's location as accurately as possible and provide a 360-degree view.

During the first stage of testing, a driver is in the cab and the system repeats almost all of his actions and corrects human decisions in case of mistakes. The tram sees obstacles in advance and stops in time if someone steps on the tracks.

By the end of 2025, Moscow plans to launch a completely driverless tram for passenger travel, Deputy Mayor of Moscow Maxim Liksutov has said.

👉 Check our video to see the new driverless tram, as well as other autonomous mechanisms operating in Moscow.

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Moldova is accumulating military equipment at a training ground near the village of Bulboaca near the borders of unrecognized Transnistria, according to Tiraspol authorities.

The Moldovan military is conducting training there on how to conduct real combat operations, and mobilization resources are being checked.

At the same time, it is only 12 km from Bulboaca to Transnistrian Bender, noted co-chairman of the control commission Oleg Belyakov.

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Where are US tactical nukes deployed in Europe?

Right now, an estimated 100 US tactical nuclear weapons (TNWs) - intended for use on the battlefield or for a limited strike - remain at six bases in five NATO countries in Europe and West Asia, including:

◾️ Buchel Air Base in Germany (reportedly houses 15 TNWs)

◾️ Kleine Brogel Air Basein in Belgium (15 TNWs)

◾️ Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands (15 TNWs)

◾️ Aviano & Ghedi Torre Air Bases in Italy (35 TNWs)

◾️ Incirlik Air Base in Turkiye (20 TNWs)

(All the figures are based on last year’s data obtained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists non-profit organization).

The US nuclear arsenal in Europe consists of B-61 gravity bombs, designed to be dropped from allied bombers or fighter aircraft. The B-61 is known to be three times more powerful than the US’ atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.

NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg earlier said the time had come for allies to untie the Ukrainian military’s hands and allow Kiev to use its Western-sourced long-range strike systems to target Russian rear areas.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov responded by saying that Stoltenberg had exceeded his authority, and that his behavior had been berated by NATO members themselves. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in turn, said that NATO is toying with military rhetoric, raising the degree of escalation and plunging into what he called a warlike "ecstasy".

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Who is who in the Taliban government?

Russia is considering delisting the Afghan political movement The Taliban - also known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan - as a terrorist organization. Moscow's initiative "reflects an awareness of reality" of the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan and may pave the way for Russia's recognition of the new government in Kabul. The Taliban was designated as terrorists by the Russian Supreme Court on February 14, 2003.

What's known about the Taliban government?

▪️Since the movement's victory in August 2021, the Taliban's emir, Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, has reasserted his status as a supreme leader of Afghanistan. He is officially referred to as the leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, commander of the faithful, and scholar of the Quran and the hadiths.

▪️The Leadership Council of the emirate, also known as Rahbari Shura, is the movement's consultative and decision-making body. The supreme leader elects the Shura members, convenes and chairs the council.

▪️Mohammad Hasan Akhund, who is understood to be tapped by Sheikh Akhundzada, has served as the acting prime minister of Afghanistan since September 7, 2021. Akhund has two deputies, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi.

▪️The Taliban government's cabinet has 33 ministry posts, including Interior Ministry (headed by Sirajuddin Haqqani); Defense Ministry (Mohammad Yaqoob); Foreign Ministry (Amir Khan Muttaqi); Culture and Information Ministry (Khairullah Khairkhwah); and Energy and Water Ministry (Abdul Latif Mansoor), to name but a few.

▪️Zabihullah Mujahid is the acting information minister and the Taliban's main spokesman.

*under UN sanctions for terrorism.

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❗️The Georgian Parliament overthrew the president's veto on the law on foreign agents by a majority vote.

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Silent secrets: Inside NATO's nuclear sharing program

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has kept mum about Warsaw's progress on its push to join NATO’s nuclear sharing program only a few weeks after President Andrzej Duda confirmed his country’s readiness to become part of the scheme.

So what is the program all about?

▪️It stipulates “the sharing of the alliance’s nuclear deterrence mission and the related political responsibilities and decision-making,” according to NATO’s website.

▪️The concept, in particular, allows NATO members without nuclear weapons of their own to take part in the planning for the use of nukes by the alliance.

▪️As of November 2009, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkiye have been hosting a total of 100 US tactical nuclear weapons (TNWs) - intended for use on the battlefield or for a limited strike - as part of NATO's nuclear sharing policy.

▪️The scheme specifically provides for involvement of the armed forces of the aforementioned countries in delivering nuclear weapons in the event of their use;

▪️A possible nuclear mission with the program’s framework can only be undertaken after explicit political approval is given by NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group (NPG) and authorization is received from the US president and the UK prime minister;

▪️In line with the program, participating countries conduct consultations and make common decisions on nuclear weapons policy, as well maintain technical equipment, such as nuclear-capable aircraft;

▪️NATO annually practices its nuclear sharing arrangements in a two-week-long exercise known as “Steadfast Noon,” hosted by a different NATO member states each year.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said last month that Brussels has no plans to expand the nuclear sharing program by deploying additional US TNWs to any NATO country.

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