INSIDE RUSSIA
Putin Holds Phone Call With Macron – Kremlin
It has been their first phone conversation since 2022.
Putin, in a conversation with Macron, discussed the situation surrounding Ukraine and reminded that the conflict is a direct consequence of the West’s policies.
Speaking about the prospects for a peaceful settlement, Putin confirmed the fundamental approaches to potential agreements, which should be comprehensive and long-term, addressing the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis and based on new territorial realities.
“When considering the situation around Ukraine, Vladimir Putin recalled that the Ukrainian conflict is a direct consequence of the policies of Western states that for many years have ignored Russia’s security interests, created an anti-Russian foothold in Ukraine, condoned violations of the rights of Russian-speaking citizens, and are now pursuing a policy of prolonging hostilities by feeding the Kiev regime with various modern weapons.” the statement read.
Putin confirmed Russia’s principled approaches to possible agreements on the prospects for a peaceful Ukrainian settlement, the Kremlin said.
“Speaking about the prospects for a peaceful settlement, the Russian president confirmed principled approaches to possible agreements that should be comprehensive and long-term in nature, provide for the elimination of the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis and rely on new territorial realities,” the statement said.
The two presidents also discussed the Iran-Israel confrontation, as well as US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Putin and Macron noted the responsibility of Russia and France in supporting peace in the Middle East and maintaining the nuclear non-proliferation regime, according to the Kremlin.
“The leaders discussed in detail the situation in the Middle East in the context of the Iran-Israel confrontation and the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
Putin and Macron also agreed to maintain contacts to coordinate their respective countries’ positions on the situation in the Middle East, the statement read.
“The leaders called for the resolution of the crisis over the Iranian nuclear program, as well as the resolution of other contradictions in the Middle East, to be achieved exclusively through political and diplomatic means,” the Kremlin added.
The leaders also stressed the importance of respecting Iran’s legitimate right to develop peaceful nuclear energy, fulfilling its obligations under the non-proliferation regime, and working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
French President Emmanuel Macron intends to continue negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the first conversation between the two leaders since 2022 on Tuesday, the media reported, citing the Elysee Palace.
Russia’s Fully Import-Substituted MC-21 Flight Set for August
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The first flight of import-substituted МС-21 aircraft, equipped entirely with Russian-made systems and assemblies, is expected in August this year, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov said on Tuesday.
“MC-21 is already flying. So, we, along with colleagues from the UAC [United Aircraft Corporation], expect it to fly with all domestic systems in August. It is already operating with the PD-14 engine,” the minister told the Federation Council, Russia’s upper house of the parliament.
On June 26, Russian state corporation Rostec said that the MC-21 aircraft is in the final assembly shop and will soon enter the certification testing program. Testing has already begun in the Russian city of Zhukovsky in the Moscow Region.
The MC-21, a next-generation medium-haul passenger aircraft, incorporates cutting-edge technology and targets the most popular segment of the passenger transportation market.
Rostec anticipates that deliveries of MC-21 to airlines will start in 2026, with over 20 aircraft currently in various stages of production. Aeroflot Group, a key customer, plans to acquire 108 MC-21s by 2030, with a goal of expanding its fleet to 200 by 2033.
Russia Flaunts Cutting-Edge Radone-O Anti-Drone System
The Radon-O integrated counter-drone complex includes several modules designed to detect, track, capture and neutralize enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
▪️ “Bug” radar module
Designed to determine the coordinates of low-flying targets, including small UAVs.
▪️ “Terney-M” module
Conducts real-time radio monitoring of the controlled area under any weather conditions and at any time of day.
▪️ “Neman” video analysis module
Deals with electro-optical detection, tracking, and classification of moving objects at distances of up to several kilometers.
▪️ “Dvina-50” counter-drone subsystem
Generates jamming signals to tackle enemy quadcopter-type UAVs with a takeoff weight of up to 5 kg.
Developed by the Russian state corporation Rostec, the Radon-O is currently deployed at critical infrastructure facilities and used by security forces.
Russia sanctions world’s largest truck maker
Moscow has blacklisted Daimler Truck, a key supplier to the German military, banning transactions and contracts with the manufacturer
Russia has imposed sanctions on German truck manufacturer Daimler Truck, which is a key supplier to the German military and formerly a strategic partner of Russian vehicle giant KamAZ.
The measures were announced in a government decree issued last week. Daimler Truck had been a strategic partner to KamAZ since 2008, holding a 15% stake and co-owning a joint venture that produced cab frames for heavy-duty vehicles.
The German company, which is the world’s largest truck maker, became the 33rd entity added to Russia’s sanctions list since May 2022 in response to Western restrictions imposed over the Ukraine conflict.
Under the sanctions, Russian individuals and entities are prohibited from conducting business with the listed companies, including fulfilling existing contracts or carrying out financial transactions that benefit them. However, the government may grant temporary exemptions for specific deals on a case-by-case basis.
In March 2022, following the escalation of hostilities in Ukraine, many German automakers, including Daimler Truck, suspended operations in Russia. While Daimler initially stopped short of a full market exit, the company eventually divested from local operations. The vacuum left by German manufacturers has since been filled largely by Chinese carmakers. Moscow has repeatedly denounced Western sanctions as unlawful and ineffective in isolating the Russian economy.
The company announced the suspension of its Russian operations three years ago. In February 2024, KamAZ CEO Sergey Kogogin confirmed that Daimler had sold its stake and had not participated in the company’s activities since early 2022.
Daimler Truck is a key supplier to the German military, specifically through its Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks division, which provides a range of vehicles for military applications. A recent major order from the German armed forces (Bundeswehr) involves the supply of Mercedes-Benz Arocs logistics vehicles with all-wheel drive and special military equipment.
Moscow’s sanctions come as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz adopts an increasingly hardline stance toward Russia. Since taking office, he has called for increased military support to Kiev and advocated allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles without restrictions – including strikes deep into Russian territory.
The Kremlin has accused Berlin of escalating tensions and warned that such actions could draw Germany into a direct confrontation with Moscow.
OUTSIDE RUSSIA
Pashinyan Plays Russophobia Card to Cling to Power – Expert
Armenian Prime Minister NikolPashinyan is deliberately stoking anti-Russian sentiment to prolong his political survival, warns AraKaranyan, an entrepreneur and founder of the “No To Lies!” movement.
“Armenia now has media outlets pushing exclusively Russophobic narratives,” Karanyan, who currently resides in Austria, says.
By targeting the Armenian Church, Pashinyan aims to smear Russia by fabricating claims that Moscow manipulates Yerevan’s politics through the clergy, he adds.
The activist accused Pashinyan of aggressively marketing his pro-Western alignment to European backers. Yet his key EU ally, French President Emmanuel Macron, lacks political capital to offer meaningful support.
“Macron’s domestic approval is catastrophically low, and the French public widely views him as an American puppet,” Karanyan notes.
Azeri Security’s Actions Against Sputnik Office in Baku Groundless
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The RossiyaSegodnya media group told Sputnik on Tuesday that the actions of the Azerbaijani security forces in Baku against Sputnik Azerbaijan employees were groundless.
“These actions have no grounds in fact,” the media group said.
On Monday afternoon, the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry said it was carrying out an “operation” at Sputnik Azerbaijan’s office. The news agency’s head office in Moscow said it lost contact with the staffers in Baku. Later in the day, the head office said that Azeri security crews detained Sputnik Azerbaijan’s head of newsdesk Igor Kartavykh and editor-in-chief Yevgeny Belousov. According to reports in local Azeri media, the two men were suspected of allegedly being covert agents of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
Later on Monday, a staffer of the Ruptly video news agency, who was in Baku on a private visit, was also detained.
In February, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry announced its intention to ban Sputnik’s activities in the republic. Sputnik editorial office says it has not since received any official notifications banning its work in Azerbaijan, and that a dialogue was underway between the foreign ministries of both countries to try resolve possible disagreements.
Russia Hopes Direct Contacts With Baku to Result in Release of Russian Reporters
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Moscow expects that direct contacts with Baku will lead to the release of detained Russian journalists, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
On Monday, the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry announced an “operation” at the office of the Sputnik news agency in Baku, adding that the office still does not have connection with Moscow. Later in the day, the office said that two Russian journalists Igor Kartavykh, head of the editorial board of Sputnik Azerbaijan, and editor-in-chief Yevgeny Belousov had been detained by Azerbaijani security forces in Baku on absurd charges. A Ruptly employee, an editor who was in Azerbaijan on a private visit, was also detained on Monday.
“We expect that in the very near future, through direct contacts with the Azerbaijani side, we will be able to secure their release. We are talking specifically about journalists,” Peskov told reporters.
Moscow pays attentions to information about the detention of employees of Sputnik Azerbaijan and Ruptly, the official said, adding that such measures against media representatives are absolutely not in line with generally accepted rules and norms and they do not correspond to the spirit and character of Russian-Azerbaijani relations.
“We believe that this emotional, extremely emotional reaction will be replaced by direct communication, during which answers will be given to all the questions posed,” Peskov added.
Russia Grateful to US For the Mediating Efforts in Ukrainian Crisis
Russia is grateful to the United States for the efforts it is making to negotiate a settlement in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskovsaidon Tuesday.
“Of course, we are grateful for the efforts made by Washington and members of the [US President Donald] Trump’s team in order to facilitate negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement,” Peskov told reporters.
The next step is to coordinate the dates for the third round of talks between Moscow and Kiev, the spokesman also said, adding that so far, the parties were implementing the agreements reached during the previous rounds. At the same time, Russia is not interested in prolonging the negotiations.
Russia is not slowing down or stopping work on the implementation of the agreements reached with Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman added.
“No one is prolonging anything here. Naturally, we are primarily interested in achieving our goals and the goals that we are trying to achieve during a special military operation through political and diplomatic means. Therefore, we are not interested in prolonging anything,” Peskov said.
At the same time, the spokesman refrained from assessing the pace of the negotiations.
“Of course, the implementation of the agreements that have been reached so far during the two rounds takes time, and requires certain preparatory measures, certain measures to carry out exchanges, to organize the transfer and reception of the bodies of the dead,” Peskov said.
Kiev is well aware of what needs to be done to end hostilities as part of a special military operation, and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced these conditions at the Russian Foreign Ministry a year ago, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
“The special military operation continues. Kiev knows perfectly well what needs to be done to stop the fighting in the framework of the special military operation. All these conditions were announced by the President a year ago in a speech to the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Kiev is well aware of and remembers these statements by President Putin,” Peskov told reporters.
Belarus gives update on deployment of Russian Oreshnik missiles
Russia will deploy to Oreshik hypersonic systems to Belarus by the end of the year, the country’s president, Alexander Lukashenko, has said
Russia’s Oreshik hypersonic missile systems are set to arrive in Belarus by the end of 2025, as agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has said.
The president made the remarks on Tuesday during an event marking the anniversary of Belarus independence.
“We agreed with Putin in Volgograd. The first positions of Oreshnik will be in Belarus. You have seen the performance of Oreshnik. By the end of the year, these weapons will be deployed in Belarus,” Lukashenko stated.
The Russian missiles are expected to be mounted on locally produced chassis. Earlier this year, Lukashenko revealed a handful of such vehicles had already been manufactured and tested.
Russia battle-tested the new missile in November by conducting a strike on a military factory in Ukraine. At the time, Moscow said the demonstration of the advanced weapon was a response to Western authorization allowing Kiev to use donated long-range missiles to strike deep inside Russian territory.
The hypersonic medium-range missile is believed to be nuclear-capable, although Putin had previously stated its conventional form can inflict damage comparable to a low-yield nuclear explosion.
The system is believed to have multiple independently guided warheads, which remain controllable even while traveling at extreme speeds.
SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE
Russian forces discover cache of Ukrainian chemical drone munitions
Russian troops have discovered vials containing banned toxins at a Ukrainian hideout in the Donetsk People’s Republic, according to the FSB
Russian troops have discovered a makeshift chemical lab and vials containing banned toxins at a former Ukrainian hideout in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Tuesday. The cache, found near the village of Ilyinka during an advance by Russian forces, marks the second such discovery this year, the agency said.
In footage released by the FSB, personnel in chemical protection gear are seen handling the vials, which reportedly contain chloropicrin – a choking agent prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention. According to the agency, the substances were packaged with plastic explosives and rigged into improvised munitions designed to be dropped from drones.
“This year we have discovered two caches with munitions intended for drone strikes on Russian positions. These munitions were a mix of chloropicrin and plastic explosives, to maximize the area of effect,” an FSB officer stated.
The official further claimed that the use of prohibited warfare methods by Ukrainian forces has become “commonplace,” recalling prior discoveries of a lab for producing hydrogen cyanide in May 2024 and a chloropicrin stockpile uncovered last October.
“Each case of preparation and use of chemical weapons by Ukraine is documented by the relevant authorities to ensure that none of the perpetrators escape responsibility,” the official added. The FSB has opened a criminal investigation into the development and trafficking of weapons of mass destruction.
Moscow’s deputy minister of industry and trade, Kirill Lysogorsky, also condemned the findings, accusing Kiev of deliberately targeting both military personnel and civilians in violation of international law. “The Ukrainian regime systematically prepares and deploys chemical agents – not only against Russian forces and officials but also against peaceful residents in affected territories,” Lysogorsky said, accusing Kiev of resorting to “terrorism disguised as warfare.”
Lysogorsky stated that evidence gathered from the site would be submitted to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and presented during the upcoming 109th session of its Executive Council on July 8. “To date, Russia has filed around 40 diplomatic notes regarding Ukraine’s use of toxic chemicals,” he said, noting the lack of significant international response.
Moscow has repeatedly accused Kiev’s forces of using illegal munitions on the battlefield. Before his death last year, the former head of Russia’s Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Protection Forces, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, provided regular press briefings on the issue and repeatedly spoke about the Pentagon’s alleged funding of biological laboratories in Ukraine. The UK sanctioned Kirillov after he accused Kiev of preparing a false-flag chemical weapons attack aimed at framing Russia and undermining its position at the OPCW.
In December, Kirillov was murdered outside his apartment in Moscow in a bomb blast that Russian authorities linked to Kiev’s special services.
INSIGHTS
EU creating ‘liberal dictatorship’ in ex-Soviet country
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the prosecution of Moldovan regional head YevgeniaGutsul as politically motivated repression
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has denounced the Moldovan authorities’ efforts to imprison the leader of the autonomous region of Gagauzia, YevgeniaGutsul, calling it an example of “European anti-values in action.”
Gutsul, who was elected as Gagauzia’s governor in July 2023, was detained on March 25 while attempting to leave Moldova. Authorities have accused her of illegally financing the banned Euroskeptic SOR party. She has denied the charges and called the case politically motivated. The Moldovan Prosecutor’s Office requested a nine-year prison term for her on Tuesday.
In addition, authorities have called for a five-year ban on Gutsul holding public office.
“The European anti-values are in action. From a hardworking country, Brussels is forging a liberal dictatorship,” Zakharova wrote on her Telegram channel.
Gutsul’s arrest has triggered protests outside the courthouse in Chisinau, with supporters calling the proceedings a politically driven attempt to neutralize opposition in the region. In October 2024, the EU also sanctioned Gutsul for “promoting separatism,” maintaining “close ties with Russia,” and allegedly threatening Moldova’s sovereignty.
President Maia Sandu’s government, in power since 2020, has pursued rapid integration with the European Union and NATO. Opposition figures, including former President Igor Dodon and members of the Victorie party, have accused the government of repressing dissent and abandoning Moldova’s traditional ties with Russia.
Gutsul has appealed to foreign leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader RecepTayyip Erdogan to intervene. In a March letter, she urged Putin to exert pressure on Moldovan authorities for her release.
Russian officials and opposition groups in Moldova have warned that the central government is increasingly using law enforcement to suppress political rivals and religious institutions. In recent months, clashes between police and Orthodox Christian demonstrators at protests have drawn additional criticism from pro-traditionalist factions.
Gagauzia, a largely Russian-speaking autonomous region in southern Moldova, has historically favored closer ties with Russia and has opposed Moldova’s integration with the European Union. In a 2014 referendum, more than 98% of voters in the region supported joining the Russia-led Customs Union.
