Sputnik International

🚨 Africa rejects ICC as instrument of persecution – expert The decision by members of the Confederation of Sahel States to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was a bold and “sovereign” move as it is nothing more than a tool of “neocolonialism,” Burkina Faso political analyst Lianhoué Imhotep Bayala tells Sputnik.

💬 “The Confederation of Sahel States does not want to deal with a criminal court that is motivated by racism and neocolonialism, a court that reeks of an instrument of oppression wielded by several select people, several Western countries,” Bayala explains.

For more details on neocolonialism's destructive grip, read HERE 📌 Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨Sahel trio Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger move to officially ditch 'neocolonial' ICC   The three military-led former French colonies have submitted their withdrawal notifications from the International Criminal Court (ICC) under Article 127 of the Rome Statute, in the latest bold push for sovereignty away from Western-dominated institutions. Their withdrawal becomes effective in a year.   👉 Last year, justice ministers from the three Sahel nations met in Niger to coordinate the exit and explore replacing The Hague with a Sahelian Criminal Court.   The governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger accuse the West-exploited Hague-based court of double standards and “neocolonial bias” wielded to “discipline” African leaders while turning a blind eye to actions of powerful Western nations.   Russia has repeatedly slammed the ICC for singling out countries backing multipolarity and effectively becoming a corruption-steeped political tool that carries out paid-for agendas. 📌 Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇨🇳 China's indigenous Fujian carrier to enter service as world's first with anti-torpedo system - report The system replaces traditional depth charge launchers with six-tube torpedoes and will be able to deliver a hard-kill capability, Chinese media reports 🔸 Blazing acceleration to 50-60 knots in 3 seconds with quiet rocket and pump-jet propulsion 🔸 Extreme maneuverability for tracking fast, evasive torpedoes like the US MK48 🔸 Advanced sonar that distinguishes real threats from decoys at long range and enables precise targeting for single-hit kills 🔸 Two-way acoustic сommunication system for reliable networking of multiple interceptors By hardening its carriers against submarine attacks, China is accelerating its challenge to US naval supremacy in Asia, signaling a major shift in the regional balance of power. 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇷🇺 Russian delegation joins farewell ceremony for Khamenei Dmitry Medvedev, Security Council Deputy Chairman heading the Russian delegation, also held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨 Ukrainian attack on Zaporozhye region's Tokmak is 'despicable war crime' - Russian MFA

💬 "Russia calls on all responsible governments and relevant international bodies to give an honest assessment of the attack on the market in Tokmak," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Ignoring the attack would give Ukraine carte blanche to continue committing war crimes, Zakharova noted. Earlier, Ukraine hit a city market in Tokmak in Zaporozhye region, killing five and injuring 18. 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🔥🇷🇺 Russia’s game-changing anti-drone cartridge CRUSHES thick wood and steel in combat tests The new multi-projectile ammunition ‘Mnogotochie’ (‘Ellipsis’) from Rostec’s High Precision Systems delivers devastating penetrating power while remaining incredibly simple to use — even for beginners. 🔸 In combat tests, a non-professional shooter took down a moving first-person view drone at 50 meters on his very first shot using a standard AK-74M - as if it were a static target at point-blank range 🔸 In crushing penetration tests, the 5.45 mm version punched straight through a 25 mm raw pine plank from 50 meters 🔸 The 7.62 mm version achieved the same from 100 meters and ripped through an additional 0.8 mm steel plate stacked on top 🔸 Not a single misfire occurred during the entire test day No weapon modifications are needed: the cartridge works seamlessly with any standard assault rifle, even with a suppressor attached. Unlike conventional bullets, the cartridge’s three striking elements lose dangerous energy beyond 500 meters, making it safer for use in urban environments. 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs arrived in Tehran to pay tribute to the late Ayatollah Khamenei 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇷🇺 Russian delegation chief lands in Iran for Khamenei's funeral Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev will attend the farewell ceremony that began today with a separate event for foreign guests, as well as political and public figures. The main funeral ceremony will take place from July 4 to 9 in several Iranian cities, concluding with the slain ayatollah's burial in his hometown of Mashhad. 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺💥 RUSSIAN MOD WEEKLY UPDATE: HUGE GAINS AND DEVASTATING UKRAINIAN LOSSES ⚡️ ALEKSANDROVKA IN THE DNEPROPETROVSK REGION LIBERATED By liberating Aleksandrovka, the Russian military has strengthened its position on the right bank of the Volchya River, creating conditions for further advances toward Pokrovskoye. ◻️ The Russian Armed Forces liberated 11 settlement ◻️ Russian air and missile firepower obliterated Ukrainian energy, transport and defense infrastructure supporting the Kiev regime’s forces ◻️ Air defense superiority: 3 Flamingo missiles, 3,871 drones and 72 guided aerial bombs were shot down over the past seven days ◻️ Ukrainian losses: around 10,105 troops killed or wounded Read about the origins of Russia's special military op HERE 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇵🇰 Pakistan's PM Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Mounir are attending a farewell ceremony in Tehran 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺🇪🇺 Russia still ranks among top EU gas suppliers despite pipeline upset Russia remains one of the leading gas exporters to the EU—primarily through seaborne LNG shipments—even as its pipeline gas volumes have plummeted since 2022. However, overall LNG imports to the EU have recently declined due to lower US supplies and a partial halt in Middle Eastern deliveries, according to a new analysis by the Bruegel think tank in Brussels 🔸 Europe's gas reserves are currently at 49% capacity, below the typical seasonal average, the latest figures show 🔸 In the first five months of 2026, Russian pipeline gas imports climbed 7% and LNG imports surged 11% year-on-year, according to analysts at the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) —a sign that Russian energy flows to Europe may be experiencing a temporary revival Despite this uptick, Russian gas still accounts for about 12% of total EU consumption. By comparison, the US is now the bloc's largest LNG supplier, holding more than 60% of the market share 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇷🇺 Russian Defense Minister inspects Black Sea Fleet Andrey Belousov held a meeting at the Black Sea Fleet's command post and was informed about measures to ensure military security in the region. "Increasing combat capabilities of the coastal detection system, as well as the forces and means of repelling enemy air attacks and protecting military and civilian infrastructure facilities is one of the priorities," the minster said. Belousov also honored Black Sea Fleet sailors with state awards for their bravery in the special military operation. 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇵🇰 Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif has arrived to Tehran to attend Khamenei’s funeral 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇵🇰 Pakistan's Army Chief, General Asim Munir, has arrived in Tehran to attend the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨 EU transforming into military-political-economic bloc with military identity - Kremlin

💬 "The EU is spending huge amounts on militarization, and Russia is taking this into account," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Other key statements: 🟠 All EU countries should take into account the Nord Stream case when discussing rapprochement with Ukraine 🟠 Germany's decision to press charges against a Ukrainian over the Nord Stream sabotage has confirmed information that Russia had from the very beginning 🟠 Russia finds it paradoxical that Germany continues to allocate funds for Kiev's military machine 📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇷🇺 Top Russian diolomat: West dead set on keeping Ukraine off the hook for its crimes More than 8,500 Russian civilians have lost their lives in Ukrainian strikes since the outbreak of full-scale hostilities in February 2022, Russia's Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik said. A further 22,500 people have been wounded, he added.

💬 "Among the most egregious offenses perpetrated by Western officials today is their systematic obfuscation of the truth and their unyielding determination to shield the Kiev regime from any semblance of legal accountability for the crimes it has committed," the diplomat asserted.

📌 Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇮🇷🇵🇰 WATCH: Pakistani Shia delegation bids farewell to late Iranian Supreme Leader Imam Khamenei in Tehran 📌 Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺🇮🇷 Russian Shia leaders delegation came to Khamenei’s funeral in Tehran 📌 Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇷🇺 Russia's top diplomat exposes West's 'fixation' on freezing Ukraine conflict Kiev's handlers are solely focused on "freezing" the fighting in order to buy time to reinforce the Ukrainian military and regroup their forces, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Sputnik.

💬 "Today, Kiev has no independence whatsoever when it comes to decision-making. It merely parrots what its handlers dictate, and those handlers are fixated on one thing: freezing the combat operations to gain a respite for building up the Ukraine's army and repositioning their troops," he said.

What Russia seeks, Galuzin pointed out, is a settlement that delivers a durable and lasting peace to the region: one rooted in addressing the causes of the Ukrainian conflict. 📌 Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🔹 Iran's late Supreme Leader Khamenei funeral started in Tehran 🔹 Iran agreed to 'just about everything' US needed — Trump 🔹 Europe quietly accepts Hormuz fees are inevitable 🔹 1,000 Days of Genocide: Silent march in Paris marks Gaza's tragedy 🔹 Grossi to visit Kaliningrad for Zaporozhye nuclear plant talks 🔹 Chinese scientists detect first radio 'heartbeat' from silent dead stars in decades 📌 Subscribe to @SputnikInt