US carries out second Minuteman III ICBM training launch in one week
The United States has carried out a second training launch of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the US Space Force Vandenberg base in one week, according to a statement on the base's website.
"An unarmed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile launches during an operational test at 1:46 a.m. Pacific Time on June 6, 2024, at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif," the statement reads.
The first operational test took place on June 4.
According to the US military, "ICBM test launches demonstrate that the US ICBM fleet is ready, reliable and effective in leveraging dominance in an era of strategic competition."
t.me/ForeignAgentIntel
Sanctions have become one of key factors of Russian economic growth — minister
According to the World Bank’s revised GDP assessment in terms of purchasing power parity in 2024, Russia was the world’s fourth-biggest economy on GDP in terms of purchasing power parity.
"Why did it happen so fast? I think it’s all sanctions’ fault," he said, adding that the process of economic growth "has accelerated."
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is being held on June 5-8. This year’s theme is "The Formation of New Areas of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World." Scheduled events include meetings for small and medium-sized businesses, creative industries, the SPIEF Youth Day, as well as the Drug Security, SPIEF Academy and SPIEF Junior forums. SPIEF is organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the information partner of the event.
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Zakharova: Different departments are working to remove the Taliban from the list of terrorists.
“How will this be done? Experts, lawyers, legal specialists, international specialists, representatives of various departments are working on this issue, and the relevant procedures that are involved are being carried out,” she said on the sidelines of SPIEF.
In early August 2021, the Taliban stepped up their offensive against Afghan government forces , entered Kabul on August 15 , and declared the war over the next day. During the last two weeks of August, a mass evacuation of citizens of Western countries and Afghans collaborating with them took place from Kabul airport, which was under the protection of the American military.
On the night of August 31, the US military left Kabul airport, ending almost 20 years of US military presence in Afghanistan. At the beginning of September of the same year, the composition of the interim government of Afghanistan was announced, headed by Mohammad Hassan Akhund , who served as the head of the Foreign Ministry during the first reign of the Taliban* and has been under UN sanctions since 2001.
Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia was going to make a decision to remove the Taliban* from the list of terrorists. According to the special representative of the Russian President for Afghanistan, director of the second department of Asia of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zamir Kabulov , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation have completed the study of the issue of lifting the Taliban's status as a terrorist organization in Russia, the proposal has been sent to the Kremlin. The decision will be made by the President of the Russian Federation.
On June 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that it is necessary to build relations with the Taliban government*, there are contacts
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum takes place from June 5 to 8.
* The organization is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities.
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Biden says some countries will 'make their own accommodations' if Ukraine goes down
The American president also said US decisions in the next four years "are going to determine the future of Europe for a long time to come."
The US fears that some countries including Poland will start pursuing a more independent policy if Kiev is defeated in the conflict in Ukraine, according to US President Joe Biden’s interview with Time magazine.
"The point is, though, that if we ever let Ukraine go down, mark my words, you'll see Poland go, and you'll see all those nations along the actual border of Russia, from the Balkans and Belarus, all those, they're going to make their own accommodations," Biden said.
"That's why we cannot let NATO fail. We have to build that both politically and economically. And militarily, which we're investing significantly," he said.
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US expects announcements on substantial weapons deliveries to Ukraine — White House
Jake Sullivan thinks that the United States "need to not just reaffirm but double down on the support."
"I think that the free world, the nations that have rallied to support Ukraine, need to not just reaffirm but double down on that support, and that part of that involves us making sure that we're delivering the actual material, tangible abilities Ukraine needs," Sullivan said as he was heading to take part in events marking the 80th anniversary of the Allied Forces landing in Normandy.
"I think over the coming weeks, you can expect announcements of further deliveries of substantial capability to Ukraine," Sullivan added.
Solemn ceremonies commemorating the D-Day landing in Normandy in June 1944 are scheduled to be held in Normandy and Brittany between June 6 and 8.
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❗️ Vladimir Putin arrived at the Lakhta Center. Alexey Miller showed the president the headquarters of Gazprom.
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Key Takeaways from the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum: Day One Summary.
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High speed train project displayed at the Saint Petersburg International Economic forum. Map shows the first of the lines.
- St Pete to Moscow 679 km in just 2h15min (currently 8 painful hours by Buhanka)
Others are:
- Moscow to Ekaterinburg 1532 km in 6h35min
- Moscow to Adler (Sochi) 1540 km in 7h50min
- Moscow to Ryazan 205 km in 1h5m
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A large-scale scheme for selling human organs abroad was uncovered in Ukraine .
According to police, the criminal group consisted of 11 people.
Law enforcement officials announced the exposure of a large-scale scheme for the export of human anatomical materials abroad, which included the former Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine, doctors of the Central Kiev Hospital and a number of other clinics, Ukrainian media reported
t.me/ForeignAgentIntel
Zelensky personally calls CIS leaders, asks them to come to Switzerland, all refused — MFA
According to Mikhail Galuzin, Russia’s closest friends and allies from the CIS are well aware of the essence of this conference.
"It has nothing to do with peace," Galuzin pointed out. "It is a hasty attempt to create an anti-Russian coalition and to present Moscow with an ultimatum, to make it appear that the world supports Zelensky's unimplementable peace formula. Such ‘get-togethers’ do not contribute to a political settlement. Their holding is pointless and a priori doomed to failure," he emphasized.
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Russia welcomes Turkey’s interest towards BRICS — Kremlin
Dmitry Peskov stressed that BRICS favors "maintaining contacts with all interested states, with various formats of remaining in touch being devised now for doing that".
"We all obviously welcome the increased interest towards BRICS from our neighbors, including such important partners as Turkey. Obviously, the issue of this interest will be on the agenda of the BRICS summit, which will be chaired by Russia and which we are actively preparing for," he said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said earlier than Ankara would like to join BRICS, adding that the issue would be discussed at the group’s ministerial meeting in Nizhny Novgorod. Some European countries are against Turkey joining the EU, so the country’s authorities are considering BRICS as an alternative integration platform, he noted.
Nizhny Novgorod will host a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers on June 10-11.
t.me/ForeignAgentIntel
Flightradar: US Air Force RQ-4B Global Hawk UAV disappeared from radar over the Black Sea.
A U.S. military RQ-4B Global Hawk reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) disappeared from radar while on a mission over the Black Sea near Crimea .
This was reported by RIA Novosti based on data from the Flightradar service dated June 4.
According to the portal, a high-altitude reconnaissance drone with tail number 10-2045 and call sign FORTE12 took off from NATO airbase Sigonella (Italy). The UAV proceeded through Bulgarian airspace and set a course towards the Black Sea for reconnaissance of the special operation zone in the territories of the Crimean peninsula.
t.me/ForeignAgentIntel
✈️ Vladimir Putin will fly to St. Petersburg this evening - Peskov. SPIEF starts tomorrow.
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❗️US government seizes Scott Ritter’s passport ahead of his SPIEF appearance – what we know so far
Читать полностью…
US seizes Scott Ritter’s passport.
The US State Department has seized the passport of former Marine and UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter, he told RT on Monday.
Ritter was on his way to Russia for the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) when he was pulled off the plane and had his documents confiscated.
“I was boarding the flight. Three [police] officers pulled me aside. They took my passport. When asked why, they said ‘orders of the State Department’. They had no further information for me,” Ritter told RT. “They pulled my bags off the plane, then escorted me out of the airport. They kept my passport.”
Ritter is a former US Marine Corps intelligence officer, who later served as the US and UN weapons inspector in Iraq. He is also a RT contributor, writing about international security, military affairs, Russia, and the Middle East, as well as arms control and nonproliferation.
He most recently visited Russia in January, spending time in Chechnya, Moscow and St. Petersburg, among other places.
The most recent post on Ritter’s Telegram channel put the Clooney Foundation for Justice on notice for its alleged crusade against “Russian propagandists.”
“Here I am. In your face. If telling the truth about Russia makes me a propagandist in your book, then I accept the title,” he wrote. “Bring it on. I’ll school you on the First Amendment.”
“You have zero concept of what free speech is. Try and arrest me and you’ll find out. In spades. It’s war,” he added.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting with the heads of world news agencies, expressed the opinion that the United States will get rid of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in about a year, after it fulfills a number of their demands.
First, according to the head of state, Kyiv will be forced to lower the mobilization age to 18 years.
"...then they will get rid of Zelensky. But all this must be done first, because this is not an easy story. The law must be adopted and certain steps must be taken. We are now in June 2024. To do all this, it seems to me, we need a year. Until spring, until the beginning of at least next year, they will tolerate him, and when he has done everything, they will say: “Goodbye.” - Putin
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Present-day territorial realities must be recognized to start dialogue on Ukraine
Endless supplies of Western weapons to Ukraine “only drag out the conflict and lead to an increase in civilian casualties,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said.
“Russia is open to holding a dialogue on Ukraine based on the consideration of our interests,” he said in an interview with TASS. “Our position regarding a comprehensive, sustainable and just settlement of the crisis remains unaltered.”
“In order for this to happen, first of all, its original causes must be addressed and modern geopolitical and territorial realities must be recognized,” he continued. “The West must stop pumping up the Ukrainian military with weapons and the Kiev regime must put an end to its military activities.”
According to him, Moscow is taking a notice of the growing risks of “weapons spreading around the world and ending up at the hands of terrorists and criminal groups.”
t.me/ForeignAgentIntel
Russia’s business dealings with Africa mutually beneficial
Russian companies are busy performing what Maria Zakharova called a "vital" task to help African countries grow, taking into account their colonial past.
According to the diplomat, Russian companies in Africa "behave differently" than Western businesses. "Relations are being built on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit. Our businesses, enterprises and companies, as they enter the African continent, not only develop a one-time infrastructure project, but rather show willingness to take major steps as an opportunity for mutual enrichment in the humanitarian sphere," she explained.
"Local experts told me that the French, for instance, who ran exploration or extraction projects, traded in mineral reserves without sharing the information they got as they explored with local governments, despite being under foreign jurisdiction, and some are still doing this," Zakharova recounted.
t.me/ForeignAgentIntel
People close to Biden claim his mental state getting worse — WSJ
The majority of those who mentioned the president’s worsening mental state are Republicans, however, "some Democrats said that he showed his age in several of the exchanges."
At a meeting with congressional leaders in the White House in January to negotiate a deal on Ukraine aid, the US president spoke so softly at times that some participants struggled to hear him, according to five people familiar with the meeting.
Former US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that last year, during talks to lift the debt ceiling, Biden’s demeanor "seemed to shift from one day to the next" - on some days, "he had loose and spontaneous exchanges with Republicans, and on others he mumbled and appeared to rely on notes." Two other sources had the same impression. Those who worked with Biden when he was vice-president describe him as someone "who appears slower now" and "has both good moments and bad ones."
t.me/ForeignAgentIntel
All of Putin's relatives were shown at SPIEF.
The family of the Russian President began with the peasant Nikita, who had a son, Akim.
Putin's ancestors lived mainly in the Tver province
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🥪 The dining hall has been prepared for SPIEF guests.
Set meals cost 4,900 rubles.
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Russia supplied foods to more than 160 countries in 2023 — PM
The task of food security provision is of key value for Russia and all the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, Mikhail Mishustin added.
Russia exported over 100 mln metric tons of foods to markets of more than 160 countries, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said.
"Our country is among top twenty among supplies of agricultural products in the global market, and the first one in a number of positions - wheat, sunflower oil, and pollack. Russian foods were on the shelves in 160 countries of the world; more than 100 mln metric tons of rations and 40 mln metric tons of fertilizers were exported," the Prime Minister said.
t.me/ForeignAgentIntel
West looking to foster Ukraine-like coup in Georgia — Russian diplomat
According to Mikhail Galuzin, the US and EU countries are shamelessly putting pressure on many sovereign countries.
"We can see attempts by the Westerners to escalate the situation in Georgia ahead of the parliamentary elections set for October," he noted. "We don’t rule out that the goal is to try to implement a 'maidan-like' scenario for a change of government in order to create another hotbed of tensions near Russia’s border," Galuzin added.
"We don’t rule out that the goal is to try to implement a 'maidan-like' scenario for a change of government in order to create another hotbed of tensions near Russia’s border," Galuzin added.
t.me/ForeignAgentIntel
Europe spends more money on fighting Russia than US — Biden
Answering a reporter’s question "what the endgame in Ukraine is and what peace looks like there," Biden said: "Peace looks like making sure Russia never, never, never, never occupies Ukraine".
"We spent a lot of money in Ukraine, but Europe has spent more money than the United States has, collectively. Europe has spent more money than the United States has, collectively Europe has spent more money in taking on Russia," he said.
The Russian authorities have repeatedly said that pumping weapons into Ukraine will not change Russia’s determination and the course of the special military operation in Ukraine. In May, Sergey Shoigu, who was then Russia's defense minister, said that the total losses of the Ukrainian armed forces in 2024 exceeded 111,000 people, 21,000 units of weapons and military equipment.
t.me/ForeignAgentIntel
🇷🇺 German Gref:
"Sberbank plans to open the first 16 branches in new regions of Russia by the end of July"
On Tuesday, VTB CEO Kostin announced the same intention:
"Offices will first appear in Lugansk, and then in Donetsk and Mariupol"
t.me/ForeignAgentIntel
Threat to arrest Russian journalists signals growing political persecution in the West (Part 1)
The Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) has been forced to disavow comments by its legal director calling for the arrest of Russian journalists after intense backlash.
Anna Neistat, who leads the foundation’s The Docket project, claimed Thursday that her team is urging international authorities to prosecute Russian reporters. “We want them to travel to other countries and be arrested there,” said Neistat, revealing that she is pressuring the European Union and International Criminal Court to pursue the matter. Neistat made the comments during an interview with the US state-backed propaganda outlet Voice of America.
The organization has since backpedaled on the provocative claim with a statement asserting that “someone in our foundation misspoke,” but observers see the proposal as yet another sign of the West’s growing authoritarianism and intolerance of dissenting voices. Author and political analyst Caleb Maupin joined Sputnik’s The Critical Hour program to discuss the incident.
“There's a lot of things to keep in mind in reaction to this news story,” said the author and reporter. “The first of which is that the European Union has basically already outlawed all Russian media within the EU space, right? You can't watch RT. Websites are suppressed, blocked, and it's pretty hard to look at Russian media in the EU.”
“What is a little bit different, though, about this is that this wasspecifically aimed at journalists who would report in Russian
, for Russian audiences, but would do so from EU countries. And the idea was that they would be charged, and what's interesting also is that the warrants for their arrest would be secret. They would be arrested upon arrival and it would be a way to basically just kidnap these reporters and journalists and hold them hostage.”
Ukrainians won’t have proper pensions – deputy minister
Kiev has urged citizens to plan for retirement on their own and work as long as possible due to a demographic crisis.
Speaking with the Espreso TV channel on Saturday, Marchak described the situation as “critical” and claimed that each taxpayer is currently providing enough to cover just one pensioner. This will “likely worsen in the future,” the official added.
Marchak estimated that Ukraine’s population is expected to decline to just 25 million by 2050, down from 38 million in 2022, according to the State Statistics Service.
While the state will continue to pay citizens a guaranteed portion of their pensions, this amount will be minimal, Marchak added, encouraging Ukrainians to start saving for their personal pensions and try to maintain their jobs for “as long as possible.”
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NATO planes monitor exercises of Belarusian, Russian air forces — defense official
"During the active phase of our exercise, several long-range radar detection aircraft hovered over Poland and the Baltic states," Davidovich said.
NATO's long-range radar detection aircraft closely monitored the joint exercises of the Russian and Belarusian militaries from the skies over Poland and the Baltic states, a senior Belarusian defense official said.
According to him, Belarus "long ago learned to respond to them." "We are countering them in a certain way, taking measures to reduce the effectiveness of their intelligence," the defense official said.
He pointed out that during the joint Belarusian-Russian air exercises on May 27-31, most of the aviation of the Belarusian Air Force was involved, "that is, all air bases, all types of aircraft took part in the exercises in one way or another." "The maximum number of servicemen took part in the exercise, the maximum range of tasks was performed.
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