❗️Russian troops have liberated the settlements of Melovoy and Podol in the Kursk region, Russia's Defense Ministry announced

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❗️Key statements of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

▪️US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Kremlin Aide Yuri Ushakov spoke on the phone yesterday.

▪️Crimea, Sevastopol, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions and the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics are regions of Russia, this is a fact established in Russia's Constitution.

▪️There is no doubt that the Kursk region will be liberated.

▪️The time required to liberate the Kursk region will be as long as needed to preserve the lives of military personnel and civilians.

▪️Putin may hold an international phone conversation on Thursday evening, the Kremlin will inform about it.

▪️Russia considers the sanctions imposed against it to be illegal and they should be lifted.

▪️The Kremlin does not rule out that Putin may have other contacts on Thursday, in addition to negotiations with Belarussian President Alexsander Lukashenko and the international conversation.

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📹 Trump's special envoy Witkoff's plane landed at Moscow Vnukovo airport

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How Sudzha’s liberation became the ENDGAME for Ukrainian forces in Kursk

⚡️🇷🇺 Sudzha liberated! Russian troops have driven Ukrainian forces out of the city in the Kursk region, says Russia's Ministry of Defense.

So, what led to this rapid collapse of enemy defenses?

▪️ No supplies = no army. Cutting off Ukraine’s supply lines in Kursk was the key to breaking their defense in Sudzha. First, Russia hit Ukrainian positions with Iskander-M missiles, crippling their support and air defense from the Sumy region. Then, they sealed the deal by cutting off their supply route through Yunakovka.

▪️ Gas pipeline surprise. Ukraine got a nasty shock when Russian forces broke through into their rear via the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhhorod gas pipeline, once used to send gas to Europe. The bold move sent the West into a panic, with talks of blowing up all Russian pipelines.

▪️ The end of the "adventure." Demoralized and battered by constant airstrikes, artillery, and drones, Ukrainian forces are retreating to the Sumy border. Full expulsion from the region is just around the corner. This is the result of Ukraine "sacrificing" large parts of Donbass in 2024-2025.

With Sudzha's liberation, Ukraine loses a major negotiating advantage. But the bigger story? A strong, battle-ready Russian force is now freed up to create a crucial "buffer zone." 💥

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❗️Russia DOES NOT ACCEPT the deployment of other countries' armed forces in Ukraine, this would mean involvement in the conflict and Moscow will respond by all means, Russian FM spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

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📹🇮🇹 Earthquake leads to violent standoff at NATO base in Naples

Tension soared in Bagnoli, Naples, Italy, as hundreds sought shelter after a 4.4 magnitude earthquake. Desperate for safety, they forced open the gates of the former NATO base, only to face a locked entrance.

This sparked protests and verbal clashes with police, who worked to calm the situation.

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🇷🇺🪖Key statements from the Russian Defense Ministry's daily briefing on the special military operation's progress:

▪️Ukraine lost up to 475 troops and five armed vehicles in the Russian Tsentr Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Ukraine lost up to 55 soldiers and four warehouses in the area of responsibility of Russia's Battlegroup Dnepr.

▪️Ukrainian losses amounted to 180 militants in the Russian Vostok Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Ukrainian losses amounted to 220 militants in the Russian Zapad Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Ukrainian losses amounted to 225 militants in the Russian Yug Battlegroup's combat zone.

▪️Russian air defences shot down four JDAM bombs, two HIMARS missiles and 147 drones.

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📊As Russian troops regain control of Sudzha and two villages in the Kursk region, check out our infographic to find out how the troops have advanced in the area over the past few days.

Sudzha was the largest settlement that Ukrainian forces managed to capture during their invasion of the Kursk region last August. They used the city as a primary logistical hub through which the Kiev regime supplied its units in surrounding villages and towns.

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❗️The proposed temporary ceasefire in Ukraine is nothing else but a temporary RESPITE for the Ukrainian military, Kremlin Aide Yuri Ushakov said.

He added that steps mimicking peaceful actions regarding Ukraine are unnecessary for anyone.

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❗️Russia is striving for a long-term peaceful settlement regarding Ukraine that takes into account Moscow's interests and concerns, Kremlin Aide Yuri Ushakov stated.

He did not rule out that President Vladimir Putin may offer more specific and substantive assessments of the proposal for a temporary ceasefire on Thursday.

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❗️Kremlin Aide Yuri Ushakov did not comment on the details of US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to Moscow, stating that both sides had agreed these contacts would remain confidential.

Here are his other statements:

▪️Ushakov reported that he conveyed Russia's position to Witkoff regarding the need for a long-term resolution in Ukraine.

▪️Russia expects the US to consider its position in future joint efforts.

▪️There is a normal exchange of opinions between Russia and the US, conducted in a calm manner.

▪️Both Russia and the US agree that Ukraine's NATO membership cannot be part of the settlement process, Ushakov said.

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🔊LIVE NOW: Putin holds meeting with Belarusian President Lukashenko

👉 Watch live in our Telegram

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🇷🇺🇧🇾 Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko have begun their meeting in the Kremlin.

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