🗣'Business is about profits': Why Indian companies should look to Donbass

"If there’s an opportunity, Indian companies should look for where they can make money, whether it’s in Donbass or Kaliningrad," Imperial Tailoring Company founder Sammy Kotwani told Sputnik at SPIEF.

➕He stressed the rich mineral resources in Donbass, pointing out the potential for Indian businesses to benefit from the region's wealth.

➡️Turning to the International North Transport Corridor through Iran, Kotwani acknowledged the challenges posed by the Middle East crisis but assured that "the corridor will start again, and business will continue as usual."

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🎥🎥 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova is speaking at the session 'Shaping a Fair and Sustainable World Order by Strengthening Shared Values of the Global Majority' as part of the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

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🚨 RUSSIA AND INDONESIA STRENGTHEN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

President Vladimir Putin and Indonesian leader Prabowo Subianto have signed a declaration on strategic partnership and an agreement to create a €2 billion ($2.2 billion) investment fund.

Key statements from Vladimir Putin:

▪️Indonesia is one of Russia’s key partners in the Asia-Pacific region

▪️Russia and Indonesia’s relationship is mutually beneficial and steadily developing

▪️Russia supports Indonesia’s BRICS membership, having actively aided the process

▪️Indonesia’s inclusion in BRICS will bring significant added value to the group’s development

📍SPIEF Sidelines

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🌍 Global South sees new opportunities in Russia 🇷🇺

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova highlighted the growing interest from Latin America and the Global South in business ties with Russia.

"They see opened opportunities," She told a press briefing at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

"The EU business has partially left, and American companies have been blocked from working with Russian partners for years," Zakharova added. "Now, they see the commercial benefit, the prospects, and the resource base to support these opportunities."

The Global South is ready for true independence, seeking to diversify partnerships beyond one center of power, she added, and a new era of equal, mutually beneficial relationships is emerging.

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🚨 IRGC DOWNS ADVANCED ISRAELI HERON DRONE

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have announced the destruction of a highly advanced Israeli Heron drone in Khorramabad.

According to the IRGC press service, the drone was intercepted and destroyed by air defense forces last night.

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🇲🇩 WEST BOUGHT OFF MOLDOVA BECAUSE THEY NEED 'SLAVES' - EX-Moldovan MP

Ilan Shor dropped a truth bomb at SPIEF 2025 revealing how Moldova descended into becoming a vassal and slave state of the West.

[The West] came in and saw a poor, impoverished country with everything completely destroyed [...] They walked in and bought it up. And then countries like Moldova ended up, as today, becoming vassals and slaves of Western regimes," he stressed.

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🚨 ISRAEL-IRAN ESCALATION: LATEST UPDATES

Key updates on the Israel-Iran conflict as of June 19:

▪️IRGC Strikes Israeli Command Center: Iran’s IRGC claims a precision strike on an Israeli command and intelligence center located near a hospital.

▪️Mossad agent arrested: A Mossad agent has been arrested in western Tehran.

▪️Diplomatic talks in Geneva: The foreign ministers of the UK, Germany and France will meet with the Iranian Foreign Minister in Geneva on June 20.

▪️US jet movements: The US has relocated some aircraft from its base in Qatar due to potential Iranian attacks, according to Reuters.

▪️Russia warns the US: Russia cautions the US against intervening in the Israel-Iran conflict, warning of uncontrollable consequences, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

▪️Iran’s demand for justice: Iran’s National Security Council declares that Iranian strikes will cease only when Israel is “punished” and “pays reparations.”

▪️15th wave of Operation True Promise 3: IRGC announces the launch of the 15th wave of its operation.

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🤡 Reza Pahlavi: Netanyahu lapdog dreaming about returning to Iran as new shah

Self-proclaimed ‘crown prince of Iran’ Reza Pahlavi has called for a “nationwide uprising,” but is a political zero with absolutely no shot at winning over ordinary Iranians, says prominent Tehran-based political analyst and commentator Mohammad Khatibi.

💬 “While he appears to enjoy some support from Israel, it remains unclear how seriously Tel Aviv regards him as a credible alternative. Reza lacks widespread popularity both within Iran and among segments of the diaspora opposition,” Khatibi told Sputnik.

💬 “His reluctance to condemn Israeli aggression against Iran has alienated portions of his support base. Many Iranians perceive him as being subordinate to Netanyahu, and his public comments before the recent conflict drew further criticism — he is often seen as weak,” the commentator explained.

Iran’s opposition misfits

Pahlavi represents just one segment of the radical anti-government opposition, alongside groups like MEK – known for its campaign of terrorist bombings inside Iran – and figures like Masih Alinejad, a Voice of America presenter making a living bashing Iran’s government on the US taxpayers’ dime.

While the US and Israel seek regime change, they have no real workable alternative, Khatibi argues.

💬 “Collectively all the opposition lacks the organizational capacity and grass-roots support compared to huge base of the current government. With Israeli aggression the people are becoming more in line with the government and this grows even bigger day by day.”

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🌐 SPIEF: A forum of growing global importance

💬 "Year after year, the forum continues to achieve great things. The participation has grown — countries like Pakistan, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the CIS are now fully engaged," PTV News journalist Ishteak Hamdani told Sputnik, reflecting on over five years at SPIEF.

💬 “It’s clear that SPIEF is becoming more crucial for global dialogue and progress."

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🔸 IRGC announced 15th wave of operation True Promise 3

🔸 Reza Pahlavi: Netanyahu lapdog dreaming about returning to Iran as new shah

🔸 Recycled blatant lies: US, Israel push for regime change in Iran – expert

🔸 Group of Russian soldiers returns from Kiev-controlled territory as per Istanbul agreements

🔸 RUSSIA AND INDONESIA STRENGTHEN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

🔸 Putin and Xi discuss Middle East, bilateral relations and G7 summit aftermath

🔸 A Rafale, A French PM, and the art of getting stuck

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🚨 Iran issues warning to Israel TV Channel 14

Iran has issued a warning regarding buildings belonging to Channel 14 television, advising personnel to evacuate ahead of potential strikes.

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🚗 Manturov gets behind the wheel of the new Lada Azimut

Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister took the Lada Azimut for a spin at SPIEF and shared his thoughts.

💬 "With my build, it’s extremely comfortable," Mantunov said. "I pay attention to the steering wheel and dashboard placement—nothing’s obstructed. The seat adjusts perfectly, and I feel seamlessly molded into it."

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🪖 Israel receives 14 military cargo planes from US, Germany – Defense Ministry

🔸 The aircraft delivered military equipment and supplies to support the IDF amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.

🔸 According to the ministry, these planes are part of an ongoing air and sea bridge operating since the launch of Israel’s attack on Iran on June 13.

🔸 This delivery adds to over 800 cargo planes that have arrived since the war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023.

🔸 The Israeli Defense Ministry did not specify the types of military equipment received. As of Thursday evening, neither Washington nor Berlin had commented.

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🚨 Explosion at Norwegian ambassador's residence in Tel Aviv – reports

A hand grenade was thrown into the courtyard of the Norwegian ambassador’s residence in Tel Aviv on Thursday evening, according to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.

The Norwegian Foreign Ministry confirmed the explosion and stated that no embassy staff were injured.

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📌 Bolivian president highlights the importance of Sputnik for unbiased news

In an exclusive interview, Bolivian President Luis Arce stressed the crucial role of Sputnik as an alternative and impartial source of information in today’s media landscape.

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❓ Will Trump attack Iran? He'll let you know in two weeks

💬 “Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next 2 weeks,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday, conveying Trump’s words.

The announcement follows days of speculation that Trump might order an attack on heavily shielded Iranian nuclear facilities that Israel has failed to penetrate using heavy US bunker buster bombs.

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📹 Israeli air defenses intercept a drone over Haifa without the sirens being activated – IDF

The Israeli military spokesman announced this morning that the air force had intercepted a drone in the airspace over Haifa, in the north of the country, shortly before midnight, without the need to activate the air raid sirens.

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📹 New footage shows aftermath of Iranian strike on Weizmann Institute – SNN

SNN has published new video showing damage to the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot following a direct hit by an Iranian ballistic missile.

🔸 According to The Times of Israel, the strike destroyed two buildings — a life sciences facility and an unfinished structure — and damaged dozens more. Around 45 laboratories were affected.

🔸 Researchers say the institute lost vital scientific equipment and research spanning over two decades. One professor said his lab's 22 years of work, including thousands of biological samples, were lost.

🔸 Estimated rebuilding costs may exceed $100 million, according to unnamed institute sources cited by Israeli media.

🔸 The Weizmann Institute, one of Israel’s leading research institutions, has collaborated with military and defense industries.

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