🇹🇷🇷🇺 Erdogan has held phone talks with Putin, the presidents discussed the terrorist attacks in Dagestan, the Turkish leader's office said

The sides agreed to continue coordinating actions in the anti-terrorist area, the Kremlin said.

In addition, the leaders agreed on further contacts, including at the SCO summit in Astana on July 3-4.

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❗️ Protesters in Kenya broke into parliament in Nairobi, fire started in part of building - reports

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❗️ Key statements from the briefing by Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of the Troops of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence of the Russian armed forces:

◻️ According to available information, radiochemicals continue to be imported into Ukraine for further utilization.

◻️ The creation of a technical and legal framework allows the United States to build up its biological-military capabilities in various regions of the world.

◻️ The main supply routes for radiochemicals to Ukraine are organized through Poland and Romania.

◻️ The importation of radiochemicals turns Ukraine into a dumping ground for spent nuclear fuel and waste from hazardous chemical production facilities.

◻️ Academy of Sciences of Ukraine authorized the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) to conduct dual-use bioprospecting under the agreement between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Pentagon.

◻️ In 2023, the SBU asked the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences to study samples of chemical, radiological, nuclear and bioweapons and traces of their use.

◻️ The reform of Ukraine's health care system, initiated at the direction of the United States, has created conditions for the implementation of military biological programs.

◻️ In the course of the special military operation, SBU documents were obtained confirming the interest of the Zelensky regime in continuing work on weapons of mass destruction.

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❗️ The organisational, logistical, and financial aspects of importing radiochemical substances into Ukraine are personally overseen by the head of Zelensky's office, Yermak, according to the Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov

Kirillov added that the radiochemical substances being imported into Ukraine could be used to create a dirty bomb, which could then be used under a false flag.

Igor Kirillov also named new individuals involved in work with components of weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine, including the country's chief sanitary doctor, Kuzin.

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❗️There are documents confirming that the US military-biological presence in Africa is rapidly expanding, Kirillov stated, adding that the construction of a laboratory and training centre in Ethiopia has begun under a joint programme and with financial support from the Pentagon's DTRA.

Employees of the US Army's Institute of Infectious Diseases conducted a study on bat hantaviruses in Kenya in 2023, he said.

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EU leaders have agreed that Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas will succeed Josep Borrell as the European Commission's foreign relations chief, while former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa will head the European Council, DPA writes.

The Russian Interior Ministry had previously declared Kallas a wanted person. A police source told the media that the Estonian PM faces charges of the destruction of monuments to Soviet soldiers. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also called for Kallas to be held accountable for the crimes.

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'People should understand cynicism of Biden releasing Assange for political advantage'

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange left the maximum security prison in London on June 24 after agreeing to a plea-bargain deal on one espionage charge in a US court to bring an end to his years-long legal drama.

Australian citizen Assange was charged with 18 offenses, carrying a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison, for publishing inconvenient truths about the US' invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Human rights activists and investigative journalists reflected on the development to Sputnik.

◾️ Lucy Komisar, investigative journalist based in New York: "I was very pleased and happy to learn that Julian Assange will be free after more than a decade of imprisonment in the UK, both the years when he was forced to find safety in the Ecuadorian Embassy and then in the harsh conditions of Belmarsh prison.”

“I think Assange is being released now by Joe Biden in the hopes it might improve his standing with progressives and win him a few more votes,” Komisar said. “People concerned about Assange will understand the cynicism of Biden keeping him locked up until he thought he might get some advantage by releasing him.”

◾️ Craig Murray, former British diplomat: "I don't think Joe Biden wanted Julian to arrive in the middle of an election campaign. To be seen to be attacking freedom of speech, to be attacking constitutional rights is not a good look for the United States president whose election campaign is already in a lot of trouble over his support for genocide in Gaza."

◾️ Taylor Hudak, independent investigative journalist: "The prosecution should have never happened in the first place. Mr. Assange should have never spent one day in jail for the so-called crime of journalism. WikiLeaks has never published a false document. It is unfortunate that Mr. Assange had to plead guilty to any charge."

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Biden's Assange plea deal ‘ploy’ could spell goodbye to free speech for future journalists, whistleblowers

The plea deal for Julian Assange that allowed him to walk out of a UK prison “raises some serious concerns regarding the effects on the free press and the circumstances surrounding this agreement,” Andy Vermaut, Editor-in-Chief for Belgian Indegazette told Sputnik.

Details of the plea bargain are yet to be released, but it may require Assange to compromise or “give up some basic rights […] such as free speech, mobility, or ongoing monitoring, which can be regarded as concessions that erode the principles of press freedom,” said the human rights defender.

Andy Vermaut suggested several factors may have fed into Assange’s release:

1️⃣ “There may be geopolitical factors involved, "The US may be trying to prevent further deterioration of diplomatic relations and regain its position as a protector of the freedom of the press,” speculated the expert.

2️⃣ "The Biden administration could be using this deal as a strategy to divert attention from other political issues or to woo certain voters before the presidential debate,” Vermaut said, in a nod at the looming Biden-Trump standoff.

3️⃣ The whistleblower’s extended period of detention had elicited concerns from human rights groups, which “could have called for his release.”

If this is a ploy by the Biden administration, it may appeal to liberal voters and those who support civil liberties. But this could be counterproductive if it is perceived as a calculated move rather than a move towards the principle of justice, said the pundit.

If Assange is forced to agree to such things, it might end up “paving the way for future journalists and whistleblowers to be prosecuted,” Vermaut concluded.

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⚠️ WARNING! GRAPHIC CONTENT

Surveillance video of the beach in Russia's Sevastopol at the moment of the Ukrainian missile attack on June 23.

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Assange was not permitted to fly on commercial airlines to the island of Saipan and then to Australia, according to his wife, Stella.

She also announced a fundraising campaign to cover the travel costs for the WikiLeaks founder. According to her, the charter flight will cost $520,000, which must be paid to the Australian authorities.

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Ukrainian attack on civilians in Crimea bears 'signature' of Zelensky's regime

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on social media that the statement by Mikhail Podolyak, head of Volodymyr Zelensky's office, calling Crimea a “military camp” peopled by “civilian occupiers” was reminiscent of the Nazi German attitude to Crimea.

"A 100-percent carbon copy of the German-Nazi concept of the cleansing of the Crimea during the World War II," she stressed.

On Sunday, Igor Kimakovsky, an adviser to the head of the Donetsk People's Republic, compared the shelling of a beach in Sevastopol to the 2014 attack on a children's beach in Zugres, Donetsk region. The attack killed 13 people, including three children, and wounded 30 civilians. 

"A similar tragedy took place in 2014 in Zugres, where civilians were also killed. We will remember how volunteers died on the beach of the local reservoir in Golmovskoye, where they came to distribute food to people. The signature is the same in all cases," Kimakovsky said in an apparent nod to the fact that it's not a new practice for the Kiev regime.

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The plane carrying Assange has departed from Thailand to the island of Saipan, where, after a court session, the WikiLeaks founder is expected to be released.

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US Justice Dept. expects Assange's plea, sentencing will happen Wednesday - filing

The US Justice Department expects WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's guilty plea and sentencing will happen on Wednesday, according to a court document provided to Sputnik on Tuesday.

The Justice Department said that Assange is expected to plead guilty on Wednesday morning in a US federal court in the Northern Mariana Islands.

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Assange should have never been forced to accept trumped-up charge — CODEPINK

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a "giant of journalistic integrity" who should have never been forced to accept a trumped-up charge under the US Espionage Act in exchange for freedom, co-founder of the peace group CODEPINK Medea Benjamin told Sputnik.

"While Julian pleads guilty to espionage, a trumped-up charge he should never have been forced to accept, we uphold him as a giant of journalistic integrity," Benjamin said.

On Monday, WikiLeaks said that Assange had been released from prison in the United Kingdom and departed the country. Court documents revealed that he is expected to plead guilty to US espionage charges as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors. The trial will be held on Wednesday on Saipan island at the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, a self-governing commonwealth of the United States.

Benjamin pointed out that she and her organization, CODEPINK, are thrilled at the news that Assange is regaining his freedom after the 14-year torturous ordeal.

"Without Julian Assange’s critical journalism, the world would know a lot less about war crimes committed by the United States and its allies," Benjamin said. "He is the reason so many anti-war organizations in the United States like ours have the proof we need to fight against wars and militarism. We celebrate Julian’s release and commend his brave journalism. "

Assange, an Australian citizen, was transferred to London’s high-security Belmarsh prison in April 2019 on bail breach charges. In the US, he faced prosecution under the Espionage Act for obtaining and disclosing classified information that shed light on war crimes and human rights violations committed by US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Rostec, Russia’s state corporation, delivers batch of newest 152-mm self-propelled wheeled Malva howitzers to troops

The Malva is built based on the BAZ-6010-02 8x8 wheeled chassis, providing it with the capability to navigate difficult terrain with ease. Thanks to its all-wheel drive system and powerful diesel engine, the vehicle can traverse off-road environments effectively. The gun on the Malva has a minimum reserve of 30 rounds and features automated calculation of firing parameters for all types of ammunition.

Compared to tracked artillery units, the Malva's howitzer is more maneuverable and has a longer technical lifespan, making it a cost-effective option for military operations.

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Pepe Escobar: BRICS+ cities unite in Kazan, ushering in new era of cooperation

Russia’s city of Kazan hosted the first BRICS+ Association of Cities and Municipalities forum as part of the Russian presidency of BRICS in 2024. President Putin sent a special message to the attendees, expressing confidence that the forum will launch new promising initiatives.

Kazan was the perfect choice of venue, as it is “Russia’s window to the lands of Islam and [the] 2024 BRICS+ capital,” geo-economic and geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar told Sputnik, referring to the upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan from October 22 to 24.

BRICS member countries sent the largest delegations to Kazan, along with representatives from Argentina and the post-Soviet space. The forum welcomed over 100 mayors, deputy mayors, heads of municipal associations and local government officials, keen to “advance closer cooperation on several fields – from economy, culture and education to ecology, waste management and tourism,” the analyst said.

Escobar stressed how “it was fascinating to watch interconnected interests voiced out of multiple latitudes.”

The formal part of the conference was followed by a cruise down the Volga River - the historic cradle of the Russian state.

“Now it’s up to BRICS+ cities, dozens, soon hundreds, and then thousands, to crosstalk and harmonize their development and problem-solving strategies,” the analyst concluded.

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Google Maps users have discovered a top-secret prototype of the American naval drone Manta Ray at a base in California.

The images have started circulating on social media and can still be found on Google Maps.

One of the unique features of the drone, developed by Northrop Grumman, is its ability to "hibernate" on the seabed and remain there for extended periods without refuelling.

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