Soviet Union played ‘CENTRAL’ role in WWII victory despite West’s bid to rewrite history

Amid rising anti-Russian rhetoric in the West, former allies are actively seeking to minimize Russia’s crucial role in defeating the Nazis, University of Calgary Professor Alexander Hill told Sputnik.

“The bulk of the fighting was done on the ground by the Soviet Union. The bulk of German divisions were destroyed on the Eastern Front,” he highlighted.

Without the USSR’s ground war efforts, neither the US nor the UK would have likely gained a foothold on the European continent, Prof. Hill stressed.

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❗️Russian troops have liberated the village of Sukhaya Balka in the Donetsk People's Republic, Russia's Defense Ministry announced

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🇷🇺🪖More statements from the Russian MoD daily briefing on the special military operation's progress:    

▪️Ukraine lost up to 310 troops and four armored vehicles in the Russian Tsentr Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 170 soldiers in the Russian Vostok Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 250 troops in the Russian Zapad Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 70 soldiers in the area of responsibility of Russia's Battlegroup Dnepr.

▪️Russian air defenses shot down three JDAM bombs and 99 drones.

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🏋️‍♂️🤖Training to take over the world?

When a fitness lover is also a DIY mastermind. A Chinese enthusiast created his own gym buddies... out of scrap metal.

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🗣 If Ukraine is willing and open [to peace talks], steps should be taken to legally clear obstacles for negotiations with Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Other key statements:

▪️The Kremlin will inform about the potential visit of US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Russia if it takes place.

▪️President Vladimir Putin will hold talks in a narrow format with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman today, as well as a state lunch, and there will be an exchange of signed documents.

▪️Putin does not plan to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.

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🧐 Trump’s worldview? Great power COLLUSION, not competition

At least according to Foreign Affairs mag.

According to the publication, Donald Trump wants a “concert” system like 19th Century Europe, where strongmen work together (not always peacefully, but always with PURPOSE).

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📹 The American roots of German Nazism, Part 7: How Nazi propaganda copied the aesthetic of American westerns

“The idea of parallels between the conquest of territories in Eastern Europe and the American West was widely spread in Nazi Germany,” Yegor Yakovlev, a lecturer on Nazi crimes at St. Petersburg State University, tells Sputnik.

In this video from Sputnik's exclusive series, the historian, who specializes in the origins and rise of Nazism, explains how the aesthetics of American Westerns influenced Nazi propaganda, which convinced both adults and youth that the people in the East were "savages" and encouraged the conquest and colonization of their lands.

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🎥🎥 Russia's President Vladimir Putin holds talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman

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🔎 As US intel dwindles, Ukraine shifts focus to Japan

Zelensky is now turning to satellite geospatial data, including radar imagery, from SAR satellites provided by Tokyo, Ukrainian think tank DeepState has reported.

While Ukraine has access to SAR imagery from countries like Finland (Iceye), Germany (SAR-Lupe, SARah), and Italy (Cosmo-SkyMed 1 & 2), there is still a significant gap compared to US capabilities.

Currently, no European operator can provide optical satellite imagery at the level of the US or commercial providers, either in terms of data availability throughout the day or access to live-streaming tools.

Despite having access to the Pléiades Neo satellites and expanded rights from France, Ukraine is still "SIGNIFICANTLY LACKING" in what the US and commercial sources like Maxar and BlackSky offer.

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🇷🇺🤝🇴🇲Russia-Oman ties 'STRONG' and 'SOLID' — Sultan to Russia's President

💬Russian energy companies show great interest in cooperation with Oman, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, adding that the countries are working on developing cooperation in logistics, transport, mutual investments, and agriculture.

💬Russia's president also invited the sultan of Oman to take part in the summit between Russia and Arab countries scheduled to be held this year.

🗣Haitham bin Tariq Al Said told Putin that Oman strives to ensure that relations between the two states are privileged and beneficial.

🗣Oman is interested in developing economic relations with Russia, he added.

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⚔️ Tariff wars: US OVERESTIMATES itself and misreads China’s strength

Washington is enforcing "laws of the jungle" in the global economy as it pressures countries to curb trade with Beijing in exchange for tariff exemptions, writes the Global Times.

Meanwhile, China remains the "stabilizing anchor" of the world economy, while the US continues to break its promises in pursuit of its arrogant and hegemonic agenda.

China’s economic ties are too strong to be "cut off", thus, the US will fail, according to the editorial.

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🇷🇺🤝🇴🇲 Vladimir Putin showed Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq Al Said how to put on a translation earpiece during talks in the Kremlin.

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🚨📲SURRENDER VIA TELEGRAM: Exclusive clips of Ukrainian soldiers capitulating to Russian forces 

Two Ukrainian servicemen stationed in the Sumy region contacted Russia’s Sever Battlegroup through a Telegram chatbot.

After receiving an order to cross the state border, they relinquished their weapons and fled toward Russian positions, their movements monitored by a Russian drone operator.

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🇷🇺🤝🇴🇲A solemn ceremony to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman took place at the Kremlin.

The two leaders met in the St. George Hall of the Kremlin, where they shook hands. The national anthems of Oman and Russia were then played.

During the formal part of the ceremony:

🔸Putin thanked the sultan of Oman for accepting the invitation to visit Russia.

🔸A "solid package of documents" was prepared ahead of the Sultan's visit to Russia, according to Putin.

🔸The Sultan expressed interest in having Omani officials visit Moscow and other Russian cities more often.

🔸The Sultan of Oman encouraged Russian businesses to open offices in Oman and attract mutual investments.

Following the ceremony, President Putin and Sultan Haitham greeted members of their delegations. Afterward, Putin invited his colleague to a private meeting for further talks.

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🗣 Gagauzia Parliament Speaker Dmitry Konstantinov was banned from leaving Moldova for two months, Konstantinov told Sputnik.

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🚨🇷🇺💥2 Russian soldiers take down ENTIRE Ukrainian Unit with a 🇺🇸Bradley BMP

Shoutout to "Multik" from the 242nd Guard Motorized Rifle Regiment.

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🗣 US State Department calls Vladimir Putin’s words about readiness for direct talks with Ukraine a "very good sign"

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'THEY'RE AN EMBARRASSMENT' — Irish scholar on why Western counties boycott Russia's celebration of the victory over fascism

"Every year, we have this anniversary, and it reminds people about the actual historical facts of the war. And Western countries, Western politicians, don't want to face up to that," said Geoffrey Roberts, an emeritus professor of history at Ireland's University College Cork.

He stressed that Western leaders would rather gather in Ukraine on May 8 to mark the end of the war while they "celebrate and commemorate Ukrainian nationalists, neo-Nazis," who during WWII allied themselves with Nazi Germany and "actually took part in ethnic cleansing and massacres of Poles and Jews."

"The real celebration, the real commemoration will be taking place in Moscow," the professor concluded.

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