The Russians are not our enemies — Ukrainian soldier

The captured Ukrainian soldier Taras Melnichuk said that despite the fact that he does not know how to use a machine gun and is not interested in military affairs, he was sent to the front. Because the guide refused to go with him, Melnichuk got lost and came close to the Russian positions.

"The Russians are not our enemies, we lived in brotherhood... I do not know how it happened that we are fighting now. That is why I think it is necessary to stop and somehow come to an agreement," he asserted.

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🇪🇬🇷🇺The Egyptian President al-Sisi welcomed the head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service Naryshkin, the parties discussed ways to achieve stability in the Middle East, the office of the Egyptian leader reported.

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🇨🇳 Chinese economy ‘makes good start’ as GDP exceeds expectations

China’s economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter of 2024, according to official data released by its National Bureau of Statistics.

The PRC’s gross domestic product growth has accelerated to 5.3% in the first quarter of 2024, slightly above the 5.2% in the last quarter of 2023.

“The national economy made a good start,” said Sheng Laiyun, deputy director of the statistics bureau, adding that the 1.6% growth creates a "strong foundation" for achieving annual development targets.

The bureau cited sustained growth in agricultural production, transport-backed services, manufacturing, and the supply of utility services, including electricity, thermal power, gas, and water, as the driving factors.

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📹 An Israeli drone struck a civilian vehicle in southern Lebanon, causing casualties, a source told Sputnik.

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❗️Ukrainian special services are behind the attempted assassination of Anatoly Shariy, a source told Sputnik.

According to the received data, the preparation of the assassination attempt on March 6, 2024 was carried out by the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine (GUR).

The GUR, in close cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), developed a "false flag" operation. They planned to physically eliminate the blogger while blaming Russia for his murder. The head of the GUR, Kyrylo Budanov, directly supervised the operation.

Ukrainian agents recruited participants for the attempted murder of Shariy from among ethnic Ukrainians living in Spain and representatives of local criminals, a source told Sputnik.

At the same time, Spanish law enforcement officers openly took a formal approach to the investigation of the circumstances of the attempted murder of Shariy, not even bothering to go to the place to inspect it.

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👀💥 Eye in the sky

Russian servicemen discovered Ukrainian fortifications during aerial reconnaissance using an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Upon receiving the coordinates of the enemy stronghold, the assault units covertly approached it from multiple directions and swiftly launched an attack. Artillery and tank units, along with drone strike operators, provided fire support to the assault troops.

After overcoming the resistance of the Ukrainian soldiers, Russian fighters successfully cleared and captured the stronghold, thereby enhancing the position of the group's units along the frontline.

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❗️Zelensky signed a high-profile bill on tightening mobilization in Ukraine

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Anatoly Shariy knew about the attempted murder a week ago, he said in his Telegram channel.

"I repeat - a week before the machine gun with a silencer on the windshield of the car, I gave the Spanish police even the names and phone numbers of those who were planning the murder. I have a recording of my statement and documents about it in my hands."

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❗️Putin spoke by phone with Iranian President Raisi, Kremlin says

In a telephone conversation, the Iranian president noted that Iran's actions were forced and limited in nature, and stressed his country's disinterest in further escalation, the Kremlin said.

Putin and Raisi discussed the situation in the Middle East following the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus and Tehran's retaliatory measures.

Russia's President expressed hope that all sides would show reasonable restraint and prevent a new round of confrontation.

The telephone conversation took place at the initiative of the Iranian side.

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Energy trade between China and Middle East swells amid growing distrust of US

The 2023 China-brokered Saudi-Iran peace deal has brought forth major market implications and trade-focused collaboration between China and the Middle East. What’s happening?

By 2030, energy trade between China and the Middle East could expand by 10%, to a $423 billion increase annually ($77 billion in renewables and $325 billion in petrochemicals), according to UBS Investment Bank.

The two players are poised to take over additional petrochemical trade from Europe as scarce gas supply could compel a hasty exit of the Europeans.

Underpinning their deepening cooperation is a growing desire by oil-rich Gulf states to diversify beyond Western markets. Meanwhile, China is the second largest oil consumer in the world after the US.

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Some US officials speculate Israel's retaliatory strikes will be carried out outside the territory of Iran, media reports

Iranian cargo or warehouses on Syrian territory could be attacked, NBC News said, citing US officials.

This option is being considered in part because the Iranian attack did not cause widespread destruction or deaths in Israel.

The officials were not briefed on Jerusalem's final decision on retaliation, the media noted.

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❗️Russia has been officially invited to the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy on June 6, the organizers announced.

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Biden is running against Christianity

Joining Tacker Carlson on his show, Pastor Doug Wilson revealed why those who believe there is a God above society, not the state, are called Christian nationalists in America.

"If there is no God above the society... if there is no God above the state, the state is God. The state becomes God... They want to control absolutely everything. Every keystroke, they want to control everything because they're aspiring to deity. The reason they're aspiring to deity is because they don't recognize any God above them," he said in the interview.

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Lockheed clinched lucrative deal as US sinks under record-high debt

Lockheed Martin has won a $17 billion contract for the development of next-generation interceptors to defend the US against intercontinental ballistic missile attacks. The deal comes amid US’ grapple with its record-high national debt.

The contract stipulates for the US Department of Defense to buy 20 interceptors for deployment at Fort Greely, Alaska, according to US Missile Defense Agency.

US Treasury Department reveals that the national budget deficit has exceeded $1 trillion in the first six months of Fiscal Year Oct 2023 - Mar 2024.

A federal budget deficit of $236 billion, and a public debt of $34.6 trillion, were posted in March and April respectively. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called the latter “a scary number.”

Russia’s Lower House Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin has called the USD a toxic currency, adding that US has no intention to repay its debt and will incite “more and more military conflicts” to delay an inevitable default.

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Without American support, Ukraine has no chance of winning, Zelensky said in an interview.

Zelensky pointed out that Russian forces have ten times more artillery than Ukrainian troops. In this scenario, Kiev will not be able to resist, he assumed, eagerly focusing on the West's unwavering support for Israel.

"You know, when someone says that our allies cannot provide us with this or that weapon, or they cannot be in Ukraine with this or that force, because that would be perceived as if Ukraine is engaging NATO in the war. Well, after yesterday's attack, I want to ask you a question. Is Israel part of NATO or not? Here's the answer. Israel is not a NATO country. The NATO allies, including NATO countries, have been defending Israel," he shared.

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EU top politicians to decide on Middle East conflict amid infighting

The leaders of the European Union are going to discuss the bloc’s foreign policy in the wake of Iran's strike on Israel on April 17-18, Politico reports.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, have opposing views on the conflict in Gaza. In March, they engaged in a heated exchange regarding the hostilities. According to officials familiar with the matter, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer has expressed support for Scholz during one of the EU leaders' summits, as reported by Politico.

Scholz and Nehammer harshly criticized Borrell for his prolonged criticism of Israel. Borrell has repeatedly called for the unconditional release of all hostages, a humanitarian ceasefire, and a two-state solution.

This week, Germany has denied allegations made by Nicaragua at the UN's top court that it supports the bloodshed in Gaza by selling arms to Israel. Germany is one of Israel's largest arms suppliers, having approved €326.5 million in weapons in 2023.

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Oil prices could mount over $100 if Iran is attacked or hurt with sanctions

"The impact of Iran’s attack on oil prices was hardly noticeable for the simple reason that the flow of oil from the Gulf region hasn’t been disrupted," Dr. Mamdouh G. Salameh, an international oil economist and a global energy expert explained to Sputnik. "This could, however, change if Israel retaliates thus prompting Iran to respond with a harsher retaliation that could lead to a disruption of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz."

In the event of further escalation between Israel and Iran Brent crude may surge well over $100 and reach $120 per barrel, according to the expert.

The Biden administration is not interested in the sharp escalation of tensions which could end up in the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and a spike in oil prices ahead of the 2024 elections. Instead, Team Biden is considering imposing sanctions on Iran's oil production and petroleum exports.

However, placing curbs on Iran's oil exports could backfire on Washington. If the flow of Iranian oil to the market is hindered, there is no other producer to fill the gap immediately: OPEC+ members have recently extended voluntary cuts to oil production in the second quarter. The situation is aggravated by China's economic recovery and bullish energy demand, meaning that the market will react to any decrease in oil supplies with an immediate hike in petroleum prices.

The Biden administration is unlikely to take significant action against Iran, Michael Rothman, president and founder of Cornerstone Analytics, a US-based consultancy focused on macro-energy research, told Sputnik. "The Biden Administration has actually loosened US compliance measures with existing sanctions on Iran that, in fact, allowed the country’s oil exports to rise over the past year," he stressed.

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🔥 Russian airborne artillery in action

The Kostroma paratroopers’ crew members operating a BM-21 Grad MLRS successfully destroyed a group of Ukrainian soldiers in the vicinity of the town of Chasov Yar.

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