❗️Armen Sarkisyan, the founder of a volunteer battalion who was allegedly among the injured in the Alye Parusa explosion, is alive, law enforcement officials told Sputnik.

Sarkisyan was born in Armenia but moved to Gorlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) at a young age. A former boxer, he became a key figure in promoting the sport in the region, eventually rising to the presidency of the DPR Boxing Federation.

In addition to his contributions to boxing, Sarkisyan took on a military role, founding the Armenian Battalion (ArBat) in Donbass in September 2022. By the summer of 2023, the battalion had been integrated into the Russian Armed Forces under the Ministry of Defense.

On August 7, 2024, its fighters were deployed to the Kursk region to combat Ukraine’s aggression.

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🚘MASSIVE MULTI-CAR PILEUP on Henan-Taihui Expressway, China

Around 100 vehicles were involved in a devastating crash, triggered by dense fog, slippery roads from a rain-snow mix, and icy conditions on the bridge.

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🎥🎥 Lavrov attends photo exhibition for 75th anniversary of Russia-Indonesia diplomatic relations

👉Watch the livestream here or follow the link to the Sputnik's website

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❗️Armen Sarkisyan, injured in the Alye Parusa explosion, was "hospitalized in serious condition, his leg will be amputated," a law enforcement representative told Sputnik.

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🚨 USAID threatened US Senator Joni Ernst over Ukraine aid oversight

"This began years ago, when we were trying to figure out what they were doing with our American taxpayer dollars that were going to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. So, I wanted to know exactly how those dollars were being spent. But we got all kinds of threats from USAID because I was trying to exercise my oversight capacity in Congress," she said during a Doge & Mars live on X.

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🍺🐘Drunk elephant causes chaos in Indian village

A wild elephant got into a barrel of alcohol at an areca nut plantation before storming through the village of Jalpaiguri, leaving locals in a state of panic.

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🤡 Kiev regime shake-up? NATO mulls replacing Zelensky

NATO is increasingly considering a REGIME CHANGE in Urkaine, according to Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).

Washington and Brussels reportedly see Volodymyr Zelensky as the main obstacle to talks aimed at "freezing the conflict" and starting a peace process.

NATO would prefer to replace him through elections—ideally ones that appear democratic—potentially as soon as this fall.

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🇷🇺🤝🇵🇸 Hamas promised to release Russian citizen from captivity

"One of them, Trufanov, will definitely be released in the near future. He will be freed despite being a service member, as it was decided to include him in the first stage of the deal. This is our response to Russia's position on the Palestinian issue," Hamas political office deputy head Musa Abu Marzouk told Sputnik.

The fate of Donbass native Maxim Kharkin will be determined in the second stage of the deal with Israel, he said, adding that Hamas is prioritizing his return.

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📹Roads and infrastructure in the Tulkarm refugee camp have suffered massive destruction as the Israeli offensive enters its seventh day.

Footage from social media

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❗️The founder of the volunteer battalion, Armen Sarkisyan, who was wounded in the explosion at the Alye Parusa residential complex, has passed away in the hospital.

His death was announced by the mayor of Gorlovka and later confirmed to Sputnik by law enforcement authorities.

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🚫EU saying NO to refugees?

The bloc is working on a plan to revise the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, which currently prevents countries from turning away asylum seekers at their borders, The Times reports, citing a document in its possession.

The convention, signed by 144 nations, prohibits the return of asylum seekers to their home countries if their lives or freedom are at risk. However, Europe’s growing migrant crisis is fueling calls for change.

"It should be noted that these principles were developed after the end of the Second World War and were shaped by a geopolitical landscape very different from today's," the document states.

With asylum systems overwhelmed and deportations of rejected applicants proving difficult, pressure is mounting for reform.

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🤡 Ukraine’s new battle plan? A stronger LGBTQ* rear!

With recruitment struggling due to minor inconveniences like corruption scandals and a general lack of enthusiasm for being sent to the front, the Ukrainian army command has apparently decided that its top priority is... assembling exclusive rear units made up entirely of individuals from the LGBTQ+* community.

"Right in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, there are gay battalions, among everything else..." Zaporozhye-based athlete Larisa Zhalinskaya, who was graciously drafted into the Ukrainian National Guard against her will, told Sputnik.

“Well, they’re sitting somewhere in the back, and there is no actual battalion. Sure, you can call it a battalion; they've recruited 15 individuals who identify as non-traditional, and it's been publicized as such. But the most important question for Ukraine is this: what do they really want? It's clear—money! So look here we are, promoting a non-binary battalion!"" she explained.

*banned in Russia as an extremist organization

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💬 Macron: France to double its military budget

The move would raise Paris' defense spending to €120 billion. A bid to win favor with Donald Trump, who is urging NATO members to increase their military budgets to 5% of GDP?

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🤑 No dollars, no first-class flights?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has frozen hiring and restricted travel due to a lack of funds following the US withdrawal from the UN body, its chief announced.

It seems "protecting" the world’s health isn’t cheap and losing your biggest sponsor hurts.

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HIDDEN NO MORE: Finland aids mercs in Ukraine

The Finnish Foreign Ministry has published guidelines for citizens looking to join Ukraine’s forces as mercenaries.

While the ministry claims not to promote or recommend such actions, it states it will provide “CONSULAR SERVICES” to Finnish nationals in Ukraine when possible.

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