Hezbollah struck an Israeli Drone Dome anti-aircraft system position in the vicinity of the northern Israeli town of Metula, presumably with an FPV drone. An anti-tank guided missile also struck intelligence equipment on military towers.

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The dusk of small drones? Russian electronic warfare questions small UAVs’ combat advantage

While small aerial drones have become a ubiquitous sight on the battlefield in recent years, these nimble and deadly craft may soon lose their edge, according to General Pierre Schill, chief of staff of the French Army.

Speaking at the Eurosatory military expo this week, Schill argued that the development of countermeasures is going to negate the advantage drones currently enjoy in combat.

”The life of impunity of small, very simple drones over the battlefield is a snapshot in time,” he said as quoted by Defense News. “Today, the sword, in the sense of the aerial drone, is powerful, more powerful than the shield. The shield is going to grow.”

Recent developments in the Ukrainian conflict zone lend credence to Schill’s words as the electronic countermeasures deployed by Russian forces prove incredibly effective in thwarting attacks by drones and guided munitions carried out by Kiev regime's troops.

Schill specifically mentioned the Turkish-made Bayraktar drones, which were regarded as a game-changing weapon in Kiev’s arsenal shortly after the escalation of the Ukrainian conflict in February 2022 but quickly proved to be no match for Russian air defenses and electronic countermeasures.

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US ban on use of Kaspersky Lab's software will lead to increase in cybercrimes

The decision of the US Commerce Department to ban the use of Russian multinational cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab's software in the United States will lead to an increase in cybercrimes, the company's press office told Sputnik.

"First of all, this decision will promote cybercrimes. International cooperation among cybersecurity experts is necessary to effectively counter cyber threats, but it is now limited. Moreover, users and businesses in the US will not be able to protect their devices from malware with industry-leading technology, according to independent tests. Our current customers in the US will face significant challenges as they will now be forced to urgently seek replacements for technologies they have relied on for years," the company said in a statement.

The company added that Kaspersky Lab will continue protecting the world from cyber threats and its business "from actions that are aimed at wrongfully damaging the company's reputation and commercial interests."

On Thursday, the US Commerce Department issued a new rule prohibiting information and communications technology and services (ICTS) transactions with Kaspersky Lab effective September 29, imposed new export restrictions on Kaspersky and blacklisted Kaspersky Lab, Kaspersky Group and Kaspersky Labs Limited for their alleged cooperation with Russia's military and intelligence authorities.

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Russia's Vostok Battlegroup foils Ukraine's attempts to strengthen positions

Russian servicemen of the Vostok (lit. "East") battlegroup disrupted attempts by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strengthen forward positions, group spokesman Alexander Gordeyev told Sputnik.

“Units of the Vostok group of forces continue to carry out combat missions in the area of the special military operation. During active operations, the group’s units improved the situation along the front line, disrupted attempts by the enemy to reinforce forward positions and rotation in strong points in the areas of Vladimirovka, Makarovka, Marfopol and Charivnoye," Gordeyev said.

He said up to 140 enemy servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, six other vehicles, a towed M198 howitzer, 19 aircraft-type drones and three ammunition supply points were destroyed.

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❗️The Russian naval aviation of the Black Sea Fleet destroyed six unmanned boats of the Ukrainian navy in the northwestern part of the Black Sea.

The Russian operational air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 70 drones over the territory of Crimea and the Black Sea, 43 drones over the Krasnodar region and one drone over the Volgograd region.

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🇷🇺Russia prematurely wins team medal standings at the BRICS games in the Russian city of Kazan

Russian athletes have won 177 gold, 107 silver and 74 bronze medals. Belarusians are in second place (34-56-70), and the Chinese national team is in third place (17-17-12).

In the remaining four days of the competition, athletes will compete for 135 sets of awards, while the gap of the Russian team from the second place in the medal standings has reached 143 gold medals.

The BRICS Games will be held from June 12 to 23. About five thousand athletes from more than 90 countries will participate in the competition, competing for 387 sets of medals.

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🔸 Hezbollah strikes Israeli Iron Dome anti-aircraft system position near the town of Metula. Check out the video

🔸 Last chance for salvation: Why should Zelensky listen to Putin?

🔸 By creating enemies for itself, the West is producing allies for Russia

🔸 Russian electronic warfare sets new standards for military drones

🔸 Why will the US ban on the use of Kaspersky Lab's software lead to increase in cybercrimes?

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❗️Belarus starts sudden readiness check of military units, missile troops, artillery, air force and air defense systems, the republic's Defense Ministry reported

Earlier, Russia and Belarus began joint training of the armed forces for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons. The exercise of non-strategic nuclear forces is aimed at ensuring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, the ministry added.

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Russia's Kazan hosts BRICS+ Cities Forum

At least 200 mayors from 21 countries will attend the International Forum of BRICS+ Cities, which is opening in Kazan, the capital of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan.

At the opening ceremony, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will address the participants via video link.

The three-day forum will be attended by city leaders from countries including China, India, South Africa, Brazil, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Turkiye, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Argentina, Chile, Morocco, Indonesia and Mexico.

The agenda includes a discussion on the creation of a new international organization, the Association of Cities and Municipalities of the BRICS+ countries.

Participants will hold its founding assembly, elect a leader, determine the location of the headquarters, and outline a work plan. The meeting will also feature a discussion on inter-municipal and international cooperation, moderated by Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT and Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent media group.

The forum was organized by the Kazan City Hall under the auspices of the Russian Foreign Ministry and its Diplomatic Academy, as well as the Russian Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States.

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Ukraine conflict started because of NATO expansion — Trump

"For 20 years, I heard that if Ukraine goes into NATO, it's a real problem for Russia... It's always been understood that that was a no-no," ex-president said.

While talking about the Ukraine conflict, he also said that Biden's rhetoric provoked Russia: "Biden was saying all of the wrong things. And one of the wrong things he was saying 'no, Ukraine will go into NATO.'"

"That was very provocative. And now it's even more provocative. I hear routinely they're now talking about Ukraine entering NATO. And now I hear France wants to go in and fight. Well, I wish them a lot of luck," Donald Trump sarcastically concluded.

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❗️Twelve dead, over 100 hospitalized due to cholera outbreak in Kherson

The outbreak was recorded in Kherson among the Ukrainian military and civilian population. The Ukrainian authorities appointed by Kiev are trying to hide information about the epidemic, the pro-Russian underground in Kherson told Sputnik.

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New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) possible only after US stops arms supplies to Kiev and blocks Ukraine's NATO accession, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said

The United States is quite seriously proposing to Russia to negotiate a new treaty while continuing to supply arms to Kiev, the official said, calling the US authorities "cynical".

"This is possible only after [the US] refuses to supply weapons to the Bandera regime and blocks its admission to NATO," Medvedev wrote on Telegram.

Earlier, the US National Security Council (NSC) told Sputnik that the US is open to nuclear arms control talks with Russia without linking the issue to the Ukraine conflict.

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❗️LIVE: Lavrov sums up results of CSTO’s ministerial meeting

Watch the livestream here or on Sputnik's website

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Strategic deterrence? USAF B-1B bomber does 'routine missions' in Guam

A United States Air Force (USAF) B-1B bomber has arrived in Guam to support routine missions, the US Pacific Command wrote on X.

The island of Guam in the western Pacific Ocean is an unincorporated organized territory of the United States. These developments come after Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov expressed concern that Washington's decision to deploy intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region "within the framework of the concept of dual deterrence is irreversible".

The statement came after a US Army Pacific spokesman told Sputnik that the Biden administration was on track to deploy an intermediate-range missile system in the Asia-Pacific region by the end of this year.

Earlier, the US Pacific Air Forces announced that USAF B-52 bombers based in North Dakota landed in Guam in late January on an alleged mission to support "strategic deterrence" in the Indo-Pacific region.

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❗️NATO will send military mission to Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said, noting that Budapest will not participate in it.

"We have achieved the minimum goal, I have agreed with the NATO Secretary General, Hungary will get off the train. NATO will have a military mission in Ukraine, but Hungary will not take part in it."

At the same time, "the driver [of the war train] could not be convinced," and now only Trump will be able to "stop the train" if he returns to the White House, Orban believes.

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Satellite images show massive destruction of Rafah after Israeli invasion

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❗️Main statements from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's press conference on CSTO Ministerial Council results:

💬 The procedure of Armenia's withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) was not discussed at the meeting of the foreign ministers, there were no statements on Yerevan's withdrawal.

💬 The CSTO considers it important to help the Afghan authorities in the fight against terrorism.

💬 Threats to Eurasian security come from different directions, the CSTO agrees on the need to create a security architecture in Eurasia.

💬 There are still politicians in the West who will understand that after each failed settlement of the conflict, Ukraine has lost territories.

💬 Statements about the necessity of inviting Russia to the settlement summit create misunderstandings about why Moscow was not invited to the meeting in Switzerland.

💬 NATO will hinder the processes of formation of the Eurasian security structure.

💬 The UN Security Council meeting on cooperation between the UN and the CSTO will be held in New York on July 19.

➖ Lavrov said that he had stopped following Ukraine's statements on the topic of the next "peace" conference.

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China imposed sanctions against American company Lockheed Martin over sale of weapons to Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced.

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