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🚨Ukraine is deepening cooperation with Mexican drug cartels - SVR
Key statements by Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR):
💬 Ukrainian law enforcement is knowingly facilitating the growth of drug trafficking from Latin America to Europe
💬 Latin American criminal groups see Ukraine as a safe corridor to access the European market
💬 Ports in the Odessa region are becoming a key transshipment hub for drugs headed to Europe via Poland, Moldova, and Romania
💬 Zelensky's corruption-ridden regime is looking for extra income from drug transit, as Western funding isn't meeting its demands
💬 Latin American drug cartels are also eyeing access to Ukraine's black market for weapons
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🚨🇷🇺Russia is actively deploying mobile fire groups armed with FPV-interceptor drones - Russian Defense Minister
Key statements by Andrei Belousov during a meeting with military correspondents:
💬 AI is being used in Russian drones for pattern recognition, automatic target acquisition, and navigation.
💬 AI is being actively integrated into air defense systems, with results expected by November.
💬 The situation with UAV defense in Russian regions and the special military operation zone is changing every 2–3 months.
💬 Since April, Russia has been building a unified information environment to improve situational awareness of drone attacks.
💬 Troops are being equipped with software that enables target identification, real-time battlefield awareness, and tactical-level battle management.
💬 Unmanned forces are roughly three times more effective in drone operations than conventional crews.
💬 Funding for so-called frontline labs that refine equipment in the combat zone has been doubled twice in recent months.
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🚨🇷🇺Russia controls over 90% of global nuclear energy market
Russia’s domination in the nuclear energy sphere is the result of it possessing “the most advanced technology,” said Sheikh Ibrahim bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions.
“We are in active discussion with them to finance some of these [technologies],” he added, speaking at the Eurasian Development Bank Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan on June 26.
🇹🇷☢️ Akkuyu NPP reactor will begin operations this fall — Rosatom
The startup of Power Unit No. 1 is scheduled for fall 2026, with hot functional testing beginning in July, Director General of the Rosatom State Corporation Alexey Likhachev told Sputnik.
Türkiye's first nuclear power plant will have a capacity of 1,200 MW per unit — 4 reactors in total (VVER-1200 Gen 3+).
The Akkuyu NPP is the first "build-own-operate" project in the history of the global nuclear industry.
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🇮🇳🇷🇺 BrahMos production capacity jumps 20% with new Lucknow plant
The Russian‑Indian joint venture has opened a new large‑scale facility in Lucknow, producing the first batch of supersonic cruise missiles, BrahMos Aerospace co-director Alexander Maksichev told Sputnik.
Since May 2025, 4 production plants have been launched in India, and the Lucknow facility now has the largest capacity.
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🚨🇵🇰🇦🇫 Pakistan says it killed 29 militants in Afghan border operation
Pakistani security forces carried out "calibrated strikes" along the border, targeting hideouts of Jamaat ul Ahrar and Fitna al Khwarij, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced.
"Large quantities of weapons and ammunition stored at these Marakiz and hideouts were also destroyed," he added.
📹Venezuela quake devastation seen from above
◻️Drone footage from La Guaira state shows the scale of destruction after powerful twin earthquakes struck Venezuela, flattening more than 100 buildings.
◻️The death toll has risen to 1,450, according to the National Assembly speaker, as rescuers race against time to find survivors.
◻️Operations are being slowed by aftershocks, limited heavy equipment and a shrinking rescue window.
◻️The two quakes — magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 — hit within seconds of each other, with the stronger tremor releasing significantly more energy and worsening the destruction.
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📑 Iran, US agree to halt strikes, continue talks on Hormuz — report
US and Iran representatives will meet in Doha, Qatar, to resolve tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, with safe commercial shipping and a direct military hotline on the agenda, Axios reports.
"We decided to stop all the kinetic activity," a senior US official said.
No agreements reached in Anchorage — but 'possibilities' discussed, Putin says
The Russian president provided a brief readout of the Alaska summit, confirming that talks with the US took place but yielded no formal agreements.
Key takeaways:
▫️ Moscow agreed to certain compromises proposed by the US
▫️ The "Spirit of Anchorage" was not formally documented
▫️ Putin called Trump a "mature politician" who is unlikely to be persuaded
▫️ Russia is ready to continue negotiations — awaiting US representatives
▫️ Belarus could host future Ukraine talks, if the process advances
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🇺🇸🇬🇱 US leaves excessive post-Cold War pollution in Greenland
Vast remains of US pollution have been found at 36 former US bases and military installations, Politiken reports.
The waste includes:
🔶 Several hundred thousand liters of diesel oil
🔶 Thousands of tons of hazardous or contaminated waste
🔶 Millions of liters of low-level radioactive wastewater
🔶 Environmental toxins
🔶 Heavy metals
US President Donald Trump has made Greenland one of the main focuses of his second term in office, as he claims the island is necessary for American national security.
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🇺🇸 US wants to mass-produce cheap rockets like low-budget militias
👉 With its arsenals emptied by constantly waging wars all across the world and funneling arms to proxy conflicts, what is the US supposed to do?
🟠 Replacing the depleted stock does not come easy: for example, the US produces only about 600 Tomahawk missiles a year, each of which costs up to $2.6 million on average. Other US-made missiles aren’t cheap as well, with each precision strike missile (PrSM) being worth no less than $1.6 million.
🟠 The answer is to mass-produce cheap low-quality munitions, say US weapon manufacturers eager for government grant money.
🟠 The idea is to make rockets and missiles so simple that production could be set up in any large-enough area, like a school gym – one such defense firm boss in an interview with Financial Times compared his setup to a “McDonald’s model for missile making” with no complicated machines being involved.
🟠 In other words, the US military-industrial complex is about to adopt the methods of militant groups who make rockets out metal pipes due to being short on funds and resources.
🟠 Sure, the final product may be of poor quality, but seeing how the uber-expensive US missiles turned out to be a total disappointment in the recent wars, it’s not like anyone would notice the difference.
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🗣 Wider war with Iran would accelerate collapse of Pax Americana – Professor
👉 The Iran–US memorandum of understanding (MoU) is not regarded by the US and Israel as a ceasefire agreement; they also have a pattern of violating truces, Dr Greg Simons, professor of journalism at Daffodil International University, tells Sputnik.
💬 "They violate the conditions and then blame the opponent," Simons says. "This is nothing which is unexpected. This is how they behave."
💬 "It was Einstein that said to continue doing the same thing over and over again, and expect a different result is the sign of insanity," Simons said, commenting on US military actions.
💬 "The Americans are a declining empire. Their military is melting down. If they have a wider war, that's going to be accelerating the collapse of Pax Americana," Simons concludes.
🇨🇳🚀🇺🇸 US space crown slipping — China is coming for it
China has leapfrogged the US in several critical space sectors — GPS-style navigation, satellite reconnaissance, and even anti-satellite capabilities, the South China Morning Post reports.
🟠 The BeiDou navigation system has surpassed the US in global coverage and adoption
🟠 Remote sensing and satellite imaging ecosystems are among the world's largest
🟠 Counterspace capabilities — including anti-satellite weapons and orbital "dogfighting" technology
Despite the US still leading in low Earth orbit broadband, China's "whole-of-society" approach — state planning, private capital, and military-civil fusion — has unleashed over 500 space companies since 2014, creating an industrial ecosystem that scales rapidly.
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🚨🇷🇺 Putin: Russia stands firm thanks to its people
Russia “stands firmly on its feet” thanks to its people and is ready to defend its future, way of life, worldview and traditions, President Vladimir Putin said, speaking at the first stage of United Russia’s 23rd congress in Moscow.
Putin praised officers, soldiers, volunteers, medics, teachers, emergency workers, drivers, engineers and all those who continue to serve the country despite the risks.
Key statements:
🔶 Russia has always been strong and victorious thanks to national unity
🔶 Western elites are trying to sow internal unrest in Russia, but their efforts are failing
🔶 Russia will overcome all challenges, including terrorist attacks on its territory
🔶 Russia is standing in the way of evil
🔶 Russia can only exist as a strong and sovereign power, or there will be no Russia at all
🔶 No one has ever managed to get rid of Russia, and no one will succeed in the future
🔶 Russia has the strength and political will to resist attempts to contain its development
🔶 Russia is facing crude and unprecedented pressure from Western elites
🔶 Russia’s enemies are trying to defeat it on the battlefield, but are failing
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🚨 Putin: Russia can only exist as a strong power — and no one will get rid of it
Russia can only be a strong and independent power, or there will be no Russia at all, President Vladimir Putin said.
Whenever Russia shows any sign of weakness, others immediately start speaking to it in the language of force.
He added that no one has ever managed to get rid of Russia — and no one will succeed in the future.
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🚨🇷🇺Russia rolls out new anti-drone system to destroy two UAVs at once
The Duplet dual-shot anti-drone net launcher disables Ukrainian UAVs by firing a weighted net that entangles their propellers, causing them to lose control and crash.
"Why two shots? Because Ukrainian forces have changed tactics and now send two drones against a single soldier—one to strike, the second to hunt," Russia's Polyot enterprise explained.
🇮🇷🤝🤝🇵🇰What drives Iran and Pakistan together today?
Pakistan is deepening economic cooperation with Iran due to several strategic considerations, Muhammad Amir Rana, head of the Pak Institute for Peace Studies, explains in his op-ed in Dawn newspaper.
👉The necessity for a “more controlled border regime” in light of the Baloch insurgency – Baloch insurgents operate in both Iran and Pakistan and attack security forces there
👉The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline that, when finished, will supply gas from Iran’s South Pars field to Pakistan
👉Trade routes to Central Asia that Iran may provide as an alternative to routes that pass through Afghanistan, as the security situation there led Pakistan to give up on the idea of improving connectivity with Central Asia via Afghan territory
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🔸 Saving the Kiev regime is not part of our plans — Putin
🔸 Iran, US agree to halt strikes, continue talks on Hormuz — report
🔸 IDF demolishes 200‑meter Hezbollah tunnel in southern Lebanon
🔸 Israel-Lebanon deal will not pass — Lebanon's parliament speaker
🔸 BrahMos production capacity jumps 20% with new Lucknow plant
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💥🇱🇧 Israel-Lebanon deal will not pass — Lebanon's parliament speaker
Nabih Berri vowed to confront the US-brokered Israel-Lebanon agreement politically, warning it could spark internal strife.
He called it a dictate that disregards Lebanon's rights.
"It is ten times worse than the May 17, 1983 agreement," he said, referring to the last Israel-Lebanon peace deal.
🇮🇱🇱🇧 IDF demolishes 200‑meter Hezbollah tunnel in southern Lebanon
The Israeli military destroyed a deep tunnel near Majdal Zoun, containing hundreds of weapons and multiple rocket launch shafts.
▫️ The tunnel was over 25 meters deep
▫️ Demolition carried out by the 551st Brigade and Yahalom combat engineers
Hezbollah's response: The group said it is monitoring Israeli ceasefire violations and "reserves the right to defend our homeland and people."
The US‑Iran MOU stipulates that the war must end on all fronts — including Lebanon, where Israel has intensified attacks since March.
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🤝 Iran and US will resume technical talks on the MoU — report
Both sides have agreed to "stand down for now" and return to negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz, a US official told Reuters. The official said that free traffic through the Strait will resume.
According to the report, the talks will address all aspects of the June 17 Memorandum of Understanding.
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🗣🇷🇺 Saving the Kiev regime is not part of our plans — Putin
The Russian president rejected Ukraine's proposal to limit fighting to four regions, calling it a tactical move to redeploy troops amid a catastrophic personnel shortage.
◼️ Ukraine proposed confining operations to Kherson, Zaporozhye, Donetsk, and Lugansk — but that would free up Ukraine's military elsewhere
◼️ Russian troops are 10.5 km from Sumy, advancing toward Slavyansk (8–9 km away)
◼️ Russian forces control 96% of Konstantinovka; 149 houses remain in Krasny Liman
◼️ Ukrainian sabotage groups "quickly eliminated"
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🗣 Russia's energy grid 'operating with large safety margin' — Putin
The Russian president says all damaged energy facilities are being restored quickly.
Russia's retaliatory strikes deep into Ukraine are "much more powerful and sensitive," he added.
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🔸 Wider war with Iran would accelerate collapse of Pax Americana – Professor
🔸 Putin: Russia stands firm thanks to its people
🔸 US military base faces $400 million reconstruction fee after Iranian retaliation
🔸 Israeli attacks damage UNESCO heritage sites across south Lebanon
🔸 China maintains supercomputer supremacy against US meddling
🔸 Russian Geran drones annihilate Ukrainian training camp
🔸 Why Pakistan's new Hangor-class submarine is a game changer
🔸 Russia & Thailand build their own sanctions-proof payment system
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‼️ Tehran Times Exclusive:
New joint nuclear projects in discussion
Russian Ambassador Alexey Dedov told Tehran Times that trade between Russia and Iran reached $5.8 billion in 2025, a 21% increase, with continued growth despite the war. The EAEU-Iran free trade agreement has boosted commerce. On nuclear cooperation, Rosatom specialists will return to Iran once security is assured. Construction of the Rasht-Astara railway continues, and talks on the Hormoz nuclear plant are ongoing. Both sides are also negotiating small-scale nuclear power plant projects. Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, transit is currently free under the Islamabad Memorandum, with future mechanisms still being finalized.
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/527645/New-joint-nuclear-projects-in-discussion
🕊 Conflict control unit to be established under memorandum of understanding — Ghalibaf
💬 “It was decided to establish a conflict control unit between Iran, the United States, and Lebanon, which will monitor the implementation of this clause in Lebanon,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated during a phone call with Lebanese Parliament member Nabih Berri.
🇺🇸💰🇮🇷 US military base faces $400 million reconstruction fee after Iranian retaliation
The NSA Bahrain military base has been hit by Iran multiple times during the war, with the latest being on June 27 — prompting the Pentagon to consider revamping the base entirely.
Some damaged structures will not be rebuilt, command-and-control nodes could be moved underground, and military capabilities could become more spread out across the region, US officials told The Wall Street Journal.
The war is estimated to have caused $2.2 to $5.1 billion in damages to US bases, with $400 million in direct damage to NSA Bahrain alone, the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated.
The crucial US base in Bahrain is divided into three sections — all of which were hit by Iran:
🟠 Waterfront area focused on naval operations
🟠 Main base alongside administrative and command buildings
🟠 Navy-leased warehouse
The estimated construction costs to repair NSA Bahrain’s damages include:
💸 $200 million — Reconstructing the Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters
💸 $75 million — Three neighboring warehouses associated with NSA Bahrain
💸 $41 million — Waterfront area, including the damaged water tank and adjacent warehouse
💸 $34 million — Banz Group warehouse complex (UAVs and AI monitoring equipment)
💸 $24 million — Main dining hall and a barracks that housed 450 personnel
💸 $14 million — Emergency management warehouse (including ambulances)
💸 $1 million — Naval Security Forces training building
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🚨 Israeli attacks damage UNESCO heritage sites across south Lebanon
As Israel refuses to adhere to the US-Iran memorandum of understanding ceasefire and continues its ground offensive in southern Lebanon, multiple heritage sites have been targeted and damaged in IDF attacks, Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame stated.
The internationally protected city of Tyre has been the main target of the Israeli military. The targeted sites include:
🟠 Beaufort Castle, which is listed under enhanced protection mechanisms tied to the 1954 Hague Convention system
🟠 Chamaa Citadel, also under enhanced protection
🟠 Al-Bass Roman necropolis and ruins, estimated to be over 5,000 years old
🟠 Areas within or near the ancient Phoenician and Roman city layers
🟠 Historic villages and religious heritage buildings, including mosques, churches, and shrines
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz previously stated that Israel would destroy all houses along Lebanon’s border, raising fears that the military campaign will permanently erase centuries of Lebanese history.
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🚨🇷🇺Putin: Russia stands in the way of evil
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🚨 Putin: Russia’s strength lies in national unity
Russia has always been strong and victorious thanks to the unity of its people, President Vladimir Putin said, speaking at United Russia’s election congress in Moscow.
Russia “stands firmly on its feet” because of its people and is ready to fight for its future, he said.
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