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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Ukrainian Air Force helicopter shot down, 14 people dead

A general of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is among those killed

Ukrainian soldiers near checkpoint outside Sloviansk (archive) EPA/ROMAN PILIPEY

Ukrainian soldiers near checkpoint outside Sloviansk (archive)

© EPA/ROMAN PILIPEY

KIEV, May 29. /ITAR-TASS/. Fourteen Ukrainian servicemen were killed in a special operation conducted against federalization supporters in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, parliament-appointed Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov told a parliament meeting.

A general of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is among those killed, he said. "Our servicemen were in the helicopter that was shot down. They were to replace other servicemen in rotation," Turchynov said.

{article_photo:733871:'Self-defense forces shot down Ukraine Air Force helicopter in Sloviansk':'right':'50'}Militiamen claim 2 helicopters shot down

Earlier, a self-defense forces’ representative stated that the people’s militia fighters had shot down the second helicopter of the armed forces controlled by Kiev authorities.

The first helicopter was shot down by the militiamen on the south-eastern outskirts of Sloviansk, Donetsk Region, near Chervony Molochar settlement.

“Violent shooting can be heard in this area, and dense black smoke is seen,” the militia representative said. In addition, according to latest reports, fight is underway near the Semyonovsk locality.

{article_photo:733865:'About 300 Ukrainian mercenaries from Syria fighting in south-eastern Ukraine — source':'left':'50'}Mercenaries involved in military operation

About 300 Ukrainian mercenaries who fought in Syria on the opposition side against Bashar Assad returned to Ukraine in March-April and are now participating in the punitive operation of Ukrainian government forces in the southeast of Ukraine, according to a source in the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

After returning from Syria, they joined the battalion of Right Sector radicals participating in the government forces' punitive operation against residents in southeastern regions of the country. Most of the mercenaries are from western regions of Ukraine. Among them are snipers and soldiers of Special Forces known for their cruelty. They fought in more than one "hotspot", including in the North Caucasus where they participated in fighting against federal forces, the source said on Thursday.

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Zakharova said earlier that no attempts by "French warmongers" would change the outcome of the conflict

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Israel carries out four strikes on building in Beirut

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Decision on strikes inside Russia seals US puppet Zelensky’s fate — commentator

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Russian forces gain foothold in Chasov Yar’s industrial zone — expert

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France only finishes off Ukraine by allowing it to strike inside Russia — diplomat

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Kremlin explains why Oreshnik missile came as surprise

"I am sure that neither of us is even aware right now of any new future developments.", Peskov said

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NATO enters conflict, Russia has every right to attack its targets now — expert

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Commissioning of Oreshnik and new developments: Putin’s meeting with defense specialists

Here are the key statements, made during the meeting

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US, European officials suggest returning nukes to Ukraine — NYT

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Biden’s actions on Ukraine meant to 'muck things up' for Trump — Lavrov

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Russia not obliged to notify anyone about launch of intermediate-range missile — Kremlin

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Ukrainian frontline may 'collapse' under onslaught of Russian forces — BBC

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Russia’s Oreshnik has no analogues worldwide — Putin

"We know what kind of developments are being carried out there, but this will happen tomorrow or in a year or two, but we have such a system already today," the president said

Zelensky shook up by Russia’s response to permission to attack it — Lavrov

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Bundeswehr prepares plan for Operation Germany in case of war with Russia — newspaper

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India, Russia discuss defense industry within military cooperation commission

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US, West have no capabilities to intercept new Russian hypersonic missile — expert

"There is more in the Russian arsenal than many believe," said Karin Kneissl, the former Foreign Minister of Austria

US not seeking confrontation with Russia, but will continue assistance to Kiev — Pentagon

Department of Defense Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh also claimed that Washington, while helping Ukraine, is not attempting to turn the conflict into a large-scale regional confrontation that spills beyond the country’s borders

Western nations should take Putin's statement seriously, warns Hungarian PM

Viktor Orban recalled that Russia has "one of the most powerful armies in the world, which boasts the most advanced, most powerful weapons"

Russian forces eliminate Ukrainian MiG-29 on ground

Additionally, Russian units eliminated one munitions depot

Russia forced to roll out new weapons as West fuels conflict, Minsk says

According to Belarusian Security Council State Secretary Alexander Volfovich, "the West does not support peace, it supports war"

Defense ministers of five European nations to meet in Berlin on November 25

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Russia’s presidency of the integration will pass to Brazil this year, the diplomat said

Russia entitled to use weapons against military sites of states attacking it — Duma

"Russia has repeatedly stated that such actions will receive a response – and it will be a stronger one," Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stressed

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Ukraine should consider territorial concessions to Russia in return for peace — magazine

Foreign Policy pointed out that Western officials should stop insisting in public speeches on the need to achieve a strategic defeat for Russia

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Gazprombank’s UnionPay cards no longer serviced in several countries

US, Europe openly side with Kiev by supplying it with weapons — top Turkish diplomat

He stressed that today "it is vital prevent economic and political confrontation in certain regions of the world from growing into a real war."

China against double standards in international law — Foreign Ministry

Spokesman Lin Jian highlighted Washington's use of double standards in handling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within the United Nations

US expects Russia-North Korea cooperation to be formidable challenge in coming years

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US missile defense base in Poland long among Russian army’s targets — Foreign Ministry

Maria Zakharova stated that the US-NATO construction project, ongoing for nearly a decade with complete disregard to Russian security concerns, has consistently been a focus of Russia's attention

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Houthis say they attacked Israeli military base with hypersonic missile

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Kremlin clarifies notification process for Oreshnik missile launch

"An automated warning was sent 30 minutes before the launch," Dmitry Peskov said

Weapons supplied to Ukraine cannot reach Russian territory, Spanish defense minister says

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State Department says Russia, China maintain forward momentum in bilateral relationship

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Russian servicemen control 30% of Chasov Yar in DPR — expert

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Belarusian president believes humanity is on the brink of World War III

Alexander Lukashenko also emphasized that a real information war has been underway for a long time

Ukrainian defense line in Donbass may soon collapse — expert

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Japanese lawmaker praises Putin's restraint amid decision to strike deep into Russia

Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell confirmed that the US administration had lifted restrictions for US-supplied missiles to be used for strikes up to 300 kilometers inside Russia

Biden’s decision to use ATACMS against Russia may 'blow up in America’s face' — US expert

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Putin to address parliament next year, preparations underway — Kremlin

"Certainly, it is being prepared in advance, this is a lengthy process," the Kremlin official said

Russia, CSTO partners to discuss West’s authorization of strikes on Russia — TASS source

"A top-level session of the CSTO Collective Security Council will be held in the near future, and this matter will naturally be addressed", the source told TASS

West beginning to realize only part of Ukraine will remain — Lavrov

According to the Russian foreign minister, this represents the "confrontational logic" of the West

Oreshnik missile to change course of Ukrainian conflict, Medvedev believes

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said it in an interview

Russia’s reaction to Austrian OMV’s failure to pay for gas justified — MFA

The company stated it would seek damages amounting to 230 million euro for failing to receive the contracted volume of gas from the Russian company for delivery to Germany

Death toll from Israeli strike on Beirut climbs to 11, with 33 people injured

According to the television channel, the attack was aimed at eliminating Muhammad Haydar

Ukraine conflict entering decisive phase, Polish PM says

According to Donald Tusk, "no one knows how the conflict will end"

Western air defense systems unlikely to intercept Russian missiles — France’s Le Monde

According to the French military source, Russia's recent use of the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile should be taken in the context of possible negotiations regarding the ongoing Ukrainian conflict

Ukraine loses up to 160 troops in battlegroup East’s responsibility area — top brass

Units of the Russian battlegroup East continue fulfilling military tasks in the area of the special military operation

Signal to West and 'red card': experts weigh in on Putin’s missile launch statements

The important message in Vladimir Putin’s speech was that "Russia does believe that the West has shifted from a proxy-war to direct war" and that the parties find themselves in "a global conflict" now, Dmitry Suslov said

Progress cargo spaceship docks to ISS

The process was controlled by specialists on the Mission Control Center on Earth and by Roscosmos cosmonauts Ivan Vagner

Russian ambassador says UK prime minister doesn’t understand situation in Ukraine

Turning to the Labour Party’s domestic policies, Andrey Kelin said Starmer’s plans to spur the economy were "not met with applause by the population

Diplomat mocks US Senator for talking about invading Netherlands

Maria Zakharova quoted the US Senator, who called the ICC a "Kangaroo court" and ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan a "deranged fanatic"

Oreshnik can reach targets across entire Europe — missile troops commander

"Based on the tasks and the range of this weapon, it can hit targets across entire Europe, which sets it apart from other high-precision long-range weapons," Sergey Karakayev said

Kremlin confident Putin's statement got through to US administration

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 21 that the United States and its NATO allies had earlier announced that they would authorize Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons to hit inside Russia, after which American and British missiles struck Russian military facilities in the Kursk and Bryansk regions

Zelensky to have no input if Russia, US negotiate, ex-Prime Minister says

Previously, Elon Musk said on the X social platform, commenting on Zelensky’s supposition that the United States cannot force Ukraine to "sit and listen" at the negotiating table because Ukraine is an independent country, that Zelensky has an "amazing sense of humor"

German politician slams Ukraine’s ‘irresponsible’ strike on Russia with UK-made missiles

"A diplomatic search for balance and mutual understanding should be the goal, instead of further escalation," Alice Weidel said

Russia encircles largest Ukrainian fortification in southern DPR — security services

"The enemy positioned in the fortified area in Velikaya Novoselka in the south of the DPR is already trapped in a kill zone," the source said

Russia fires ballistic, non-nuclear-tipped missile at Ukrainian aerospace plant — Putin

According to the president, the missile is code-named Oreshnik, which can roughly be translated as hazel bush

US to impose export restrictions against up to 200 Chinese firms — agency

According to Reuters, the Commerce Department plans to publish the new regulations "prior to the Thanksgiving break"