📹 Signal operators from Russia’s Airborne Troops reliably assist in the command and control of the area of the special military operation

Station crews set up shop in areas that have undergone security sweeps in advance by intelligence and engineering units.

Upon arriving at a new location, the crews promptly set up the necessary equipment to provide commanders and troops with secure communication channels.

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🥇 Team Russia clinches 262nd gold medal at day 10 of BRICS Games

On the tenth day of the BRICS Games, the Russian national team achieved a total of 262 gold medals, surpassing their competitors and claiming victory in the team standings ahead of schedule. They also took home 141 silver and 99 bronze medals.

Following closely behind, the Belarusian team secured second place with 55 gold, 85 silver, and 107 bronze medals. The Chinese team finished in third place with 20 gold, 24 silver, and 18 bronze medals.

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💬 Ukraine joining the European Union would be a problem for the bloc's common agricultural policy, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski cautioned.

"Of these thirty-odd provisions that we will negotiate, I expect that the most difficult … will be the topics of agriculture and transport," Sikorski said in an appearance on the TVN channel.

He noted that Ukraine has "giant farms" on "very fertile land," which "will be a problem for the entire common agricultural policy of the European Union."

On Friday, the EU Council approved the commencement of negotiations regarding the accession of Ukraine and Moldova, set to begin on June 25.

Prior to this, Polish farmers had been taking action by repeatedly blocking checkpoints along the border with Ukraine in response to the influx of agricultural goods.

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German right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD) plans to set up The Sovereignists faction in the European Parliament, with its key demands being the end to EU bureaucracy and peace negotiations with Russia, German newspaper Der Spiegel reported, citing sources.

The party intends to conduct a constituent meeting of the new faction in one of the European Parliament's rooms on June 27, the newspaper reported, citing a leaked email of one of the AfD party members.

The Sofia Declaration by Bulgarian right-wing political party Revival, which aims against the dictatorship of EU bureaucracy and was signed by many European right-wing parties, is expected to become the faction’s key document, the newspaper reported. The declaration also demands peace negotiations with Russia.

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‘Late-to-the-party suicide drill’: Ex-DoD expert slams scheme to upgrade antiquated B-52s with nukes

The push by Congress to restore nuclear weapon capabilities of the B-52 bombers is more of a “political statement,” retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski told Sputnik.

“Nuclear armed B-52s, instead of serving as a signal to an enemy that nuclear war can be prevented even after launch as it was throughout the Cold War, today would simply be a late-to-the-party nuclear suicide drill,” remarked the retired US Air Force officer.

She lamented the fact that there are currently "no statesmen in the West interested in preventing nuclear war, as we had during the Cold War.”

The idea of upgrading the conventional B-52 bombers comes amid setbacks and failures in developing US hypersonic standoff weapons, she added.

“Putting nukes back on the upgraded B-52 is a band-aid that covers that,’ said the ex- DoD analyst.

Money from the defense lobby explains why Congress pushed through the amendments to the FY25 policy legislation allowing for the upgrade, said the expert, adding:

“The initiative will be costly and profitable for the defense industry, and in practical terms it keeps the B-52 in the game for taxpayer dollars.”

Newly-passed US Senate and House defense policy bills for fiscal year 2025 contain funding for restoring nuclear weapon capabilities on some 30 B-52H Stratofortress bombers. The Pentagon, however, is reportedly more keen on investing in the next generation nuclear-capable B-21 bomber as the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty is set to expire in February 2026.

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❗️ In the morning, the Russian Armed Forces struck a training site for the Ukrainian Air Force’s flight and technical personnel. As a result all facilities were hit, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

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

◾️ Russian troops repelled several counterattacks and struck several enemy brigades; Ukrainian forces lost more than 900 military personnel over the past 24 hours

◾️ Russian air defense forces shot down 75 UAVs and 33 HIMARS rockets;

◾️ Russian forces destroyed a German-made IRIS-T anti-aircraft missile launcher;

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❗️ Two civilians, one of them a two-year-old child, have been killed after a Ukrainian attack on the city of Sevastopol in Crimea, the governor said

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❗️ Russian Air Defense Forces shot down four ATACMS missiles launched by Ukraine over Sevastopol, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

One ATACMS missile deviated from its flight trajectory and its warhead exploded in the air over the territory of Sevastopol, the ministry added.

More than 20 civilians in Sevastopol were injured as a result of falling fragments of cluster submunitions, the ministry said.

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❗️ The death toll from the ATACMS missile strike by Ukrainian forces on Sevastopol has risen to 3 people, including two children, while the number of wounded has risen to nearly 100, the governor said.

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❗️ Ukrainian forces purposely choose mass gatherings of people for shelling, Russian FM spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

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📹 Crews of Russian Su-34 strike jets pummel units of Ukraine’s forces in the special military operation zone

The bombing raid was carried out against camouflaged enemy equipment and manpower.

The strike used high-explosive aerial bombs with universal gliding and guidance modules (UMPC), making it possible to deliver precise strikes without entering the enemy's air defense coverage zone.

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❗️ Ukraine’s shelling of Sevastopol injured 124 people, including 27 children, an aide to the head of the Russian Health Ministry said.

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Hamas is currently reasserting control in Khan Yunis by actively recruiting new fighters, specifically targeting young adolescents who are around 18 years old from both southern and northern Gaza, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

This resurgence of Hamas's presence in Khan Yunis began following the IDF's withdrawal on April 7. On Sunday, Army Radio and various sources verified that Hamas's growing influence in Khan Yunis is approaching a critical point.

There is mounting apprehension that, due to the influx of reinforcements and the development of training camps, Hamas may soon start reassembling its battalions in the region.

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❗️ All targetting of ATACMS missiles is entered by US specialists, using their own data, and such actions will not go unanswered, the Russian Defense Ministry said after the Ukrainian shelling of Sevastopol.

Responsibility for the strike on Sevastopol lies primarily with the US, which supplied the weapons to Ukraine, as well as with the Zelensky regime, the ministry added.

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What is known so far about the Ukrainian missile strike on the Russian city of Sevastopol in Crimea

◻️ Today at 12:15 local time, Ukrainian militants launched a missile strike on the city of Sevastopol using five American ATACMS tactical missiles equipped with cluster warheads.

◻️ During the defense against the missile attack by air defense forces, four American ATACMS missiles were intercepted.

◻️ The explosion of the cluster warhead of the fifth American missile in the air resulted in numerous casualties among the civilian population of Sevastopol.

◻️ 124 people were injured as a result of the attack. Among the 27 injured children, five are in critical condition, according to the Ministry of Health. The death toll from the ATACMS missile strike by Ukrainian forces on Sevastopol has risen to three, the governor said.

◻️ All flight missions of American ATACMS tactical missiles are conducted by American specialists based on their own satellite reconnaissance data, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

◻️ Ukrainian forces purposely choose mass gatherings of people for shelling, Russian FM spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

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❗️ Full statement of the Russian Defense Ministry on the Ukrainian attack on Sevastopol:

◾️ Today at 12:15 p.m. a deliberate terrorist missile attack was carried out on the city of Sevastopol by five American ATACMS missiles equipped with cluster warheads;

◾️ Four US-made ATACMS missiles were intercepted;

◾️ The detonation of the fragmentation warhead of a fifth US-made missile in mid-air resulted in numerous casualties among civilians in Sevastopol;

◾️ All flight assignments for US ATACMS operational-tactical missiles are entered by US specialists based on the US's own satellite intelligence data;

◾️ Therefore, responsibility for the deliberate missile strike on civilians in Sevastopol lies primarily with the United States, which supplied these weapons to Ukraine, and with the Zelensky regime, from whose territory this strike was carried out;

◾️ Such actions will not go unanswered.

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❗️The number of casualties after the Ukrainian Armed Forces' attack on Sevastopol has risen to five, including three children and two adults, according to the governor.

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❗️Putin expressed condolences to the families of those killed in Sevastopol, said the regional governor Razvozhayev.

He called almost immediately after the attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, noted the governor:

"The President instructed federal authorities to provide all necessary assistance to Sevastopol. A plane has been dispatched from Moscow. After receiving initial treatment, the children will be transferred to the best hospitals in Moscow."

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Israel's Defense Minister heads to US amid Biden-Netanyahu arms hold-up spat

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is heading to Washington in a scramble to get the US to unfreeze a weapons shipment to Tel Aviv, Israeli media reported.

Despite having received billions-worth of US military aid, Israel has been infuriated by delays in supplies of heavy bombs.

Gallant is reportedly seeking to address the issue, telling reporters before setting off that the upcoming “meetings with the senior government officials are critical for the future of the war.”

Besides the delayed arms shipment, Gallant is scheduled to discuss "phase three" of operations in Gaza’s city of Rafah with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other officials.

The latest phase of Israel’s assault will focus on more localized operations against Hamas. Israel's plans for an offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon is also reportedly on the agenda, along with Iran’s nuclear program.

The trip comes as tensions soared further between US President Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu after the Israeli PM unleashed a barrage of criticism targeting the White House in a recent video.

Netanyahu slammed the May freeze on a heavy bomb shipment to Israel as “inconceivable”. Washington’s move came in response to Tel Aviv’s decision to go forward with its Rafah invasion despite pressure from the US to hold off.

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Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, in connection with the shelling of Sevastopol, called on the UN Secretariat to "acknowledge the people killed by the Kiev regime using American weapons on the beach and condemn the act of terrorism."

Earlier, at the UN Secretary-General's office, commenting to Sputnik on the Ukrainian shelling, they had limited themselves to stating that "it is necessary to avoid casualties among the civilian population."

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