❗️Houthis target Israeli Ben Gurion airport

Ansar Allah movement (Houthis) launched a hypersonic missile at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport for the first time since Israeli strikes on the international airport in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say they intercepted another missile launched from Yemen.

Sirens sounded across central Israel as tensions escalate.

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🇷🇺 Happening now: Muscovites take to Victory Park to mark 80th anniversary of Great Patriotic War’s end

Paying little heed to unseasonably cold spring temperatures, city residents and guests of the capital flocked to the park, which contains the Great Patriotic War Museum, to pay tribute to Soviet soldiers, listen to a concert and lay flowers at the feet of monuments dedicated to the great victory.

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🇷🇺 Russia’s relations with Asia ‘blossoming, thriving’ after successful eastward pivot

Cooperation with Asian nations and especially China has reached “a new level,” from politics and economics to energy, aerospace, high tech and even national security, says prolific Beijing-based economics professor John Gong.

💬 “Russia’s entire economy is reoriented towards the East,” Gong told Sputnik, emphasizing that the relationship has advanced greatly in a very short period of time, and that the “very close relationship between the two countries” continues to grow and overcome challenges.

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🚤 Northern Sea Route is first of its kind ‘in human history’, made possible by Russia-China cooperation

The “transformational” maritime route needs Russian investment in infrastructure, and Chinese traffic to make it commercially viable, says prolific Beijing-based economics professor John Gong.

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🇷🇺 Victory Day Parade highlights Russia’s advanced capabilities, state of the art equipment

The “impressive performance” put on by the Russian Armed Forces commemorating the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War shows off hardware while instilling patriotism, courage, and a sense of belonging and pride, says University of International Business and Economics professor John Gong.

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💔 Not a done deal: NATO chief DOUSES Ukraine's membership hopes

While NATO agreed on the irreversible path for Ukraine into the alliance, “we never agreed that as part of a peace deal there would be guaranteed NATO membership for Ukraine,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

💬 “In the long-term NATO alliance has said yes there will be this perspective of NATO membership,” Rutte added.

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📹 Vienna's heartbeat on Victory Day: Zakharova shares emotional video

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova shared a video from the heart of the Austrian capital Vienna.

The iconic song ‘Return the Memory’, performed by Elena Sever, played as a tribute to Victory Day.

A powerful moment of remembrance and unity.

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🗣 Witkoff calls out absurdity of ignoring Putin

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff isn’t having any ‘don’t talk to Putin’ nonsense. Calling it "preposterous," he stresses that a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict isn’t even possible without direct talks.

Trying to solve global issues without talking to the key players—what could possibly go wrong?

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🚨 BOMBSHELL INTERVIEW INCOMING:

British political firebrand George Galloway sits down with Sputnik in Moscow for a NO HOLDS BARRED interview about Keir Starmer, British elite’s obsession with Ukraine, and decline of British industry.

Stay tuned!

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🇷🇺 Victory Day Parade debunks years of Western mythmaking about the state of the Russian Army

💬 “The equipment and weaponry presented at the parade and the drilled and disciplined troops showed that our army is not all bogged down on the steppes of Ukraine, but present here…in full dress uniform and in excellent spirits,” Russian military intelligence veteran, Col. Rustem Klupov said.

💬 “If our troops were in some kind of deplorable state and there were difficulties at the front, we would not have been able to pull out either tanks or guns for the parade. But they were shown,” Klupov pointed out.

Furthermore, just as weapons like the T-34 became symbols of victory in the Great Patriotic War, the weapons on display at Friday’s parade are becoming the same kind of symbols for the present conflict, according to the observer.

💬 “Weapons like the T-72B3, the MSTA-S, the Tornado-S, the BMP-2, a new model of the BRM-1K with a new weapons module and completely new electronics, as well as new models of weapons of a completely new generation, various types of drones” demonstrate that Russia has the arsenal for future victories.

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❗️“The West Supports Terrorists”

Despite countless threats from the EU, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico travelled to Moscow for 80th Victory Day celebrations.

Sputnik sat down with Ľuboš Blaha, deputy leader of the Smer party and a member of his delegation, to discuss why Slovakia decided to DEFY the EU.

Stay tuned!

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🇷🇺 Watchword of Putin’s Victory Day speech: SOVEREIGNTY

The president’s remarks were traditionally neutral and devoid of aggressive overtones, condemning and calling for a struggle against negative social manifestations such as Nazism and Russophobia, Russian military intelligence veteran, Col. Rustem Klupov says.

But the key message was a demonstration of Russia’s growing ability and readiness to “say no” to the hegemonic forces seeking to dominate the planet.

Russia has friends and fellow travelers in this struggle fighting for their national interests, “primarily against the dominance of the West, which is not fighting for its survival, but for its wealth and neocolonial possessions.”

💬 “This is why we today are increasingly declaring our sovereignty, and those countries that would also like to and seek to get out of subordination, to be sovereign and conduct mutually beneficial economic relations with others were present at the Victory Day parade,” Klupov said.

Lessons learned

The victory in the Great Patriotic War taught the USSR a bitter lesson, according to the observer. Moscow’s erstwhile allies began planning to attack the Soviet Union immediately after WWII ended out of a desire to preserve their hegemony.

💬 “In 1991 they began to achieve it, but couldn’t finish the job. We began reviving and defending our sovereignty. They will never recognize us as equals capable of coexisting, seeing us as pygmies and savages.” Hence the rolling of NATO up to Russia’s borders, and attempts to absorb Ukraine.

The situation today has shifted, and the collective West will either have to back off, or face the risk of economic and political collapse, Klupov believes.

💬 “Putin at one time asked about creating a global or Eurasian security [architecture]. If the West does not want to create such a system with us that meets both sides’ interests, we’re ready to build a Eurasian security system with parts of Europe and Asia, and Global South countries in Africa and Latin America. In essence, that is already happening bit by bit.”

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🎥🎥 Fireworks Illuminate Moscow Sky on Victory Day

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🗣 Attempts to downplay Russia’s contribution to WWII ‘not only a lie, but betrayal’ - De Gaulle’s grandson

💬 Such actions mark “a betrayal of all the sacrifices that were made, all the lives that were lost, all the families that were exterminated or torn apart while they fought for our freedom against the Nazi invaders,” Pierre de Gaulle, grandson of former Free France resistance leader and Fifth Republic President Charles De Gaulle, told Sputnik.

🇫🇷 Highlighting the details of Soviet-French wartime cooperation, de Gaulle dubbed the Normandie-Niemen Fighter Regiment “the finest example of brotherhood in arms and Franco-Russian friendship,” recalling how his grandfather had sought for it to be established as soon as possible, despite Churchill’s advice not to do so, and pointing to the unit’s critical role in Free French diplomacy with Moscow.

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