Moscow Calling – June 17

Russian MFA complains of Ukraine’s FPV drone attacks on civilians

From June 9 to 15, nearly 70 Russians, including 14 children, fell victim to Ukrainian FPV drone strikes, Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry, told TASS news agency. “The AFU (ВФУ – armed formations of Ukraine) deliberately and intentionally directed drones at civilians and civilian facilities,” he said. Miroshnik also noted that in addition to FPV drones, Ukrainian forces used artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, and guided aerial bombs in strikes on Russian regions (TASS).

Homemade GPS – GLONASS – comes of age?

More than 12 million cars are connected to the ERA-GLONASS state information system, Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit said in an interview with TASS. According to him, the number of connected cars is growing by about one million annually. “This is a unique technology that saves thousands of lives. Russia is a leader in its implementation,” the minister noted. Since 2017, the system has been mandatory for all new and imported cars. According to the Ministry of Transport, since its launch, ERA-GLONASS has recorded and transmitted about 460,000 emergency calls. GLONASS is a Russian satellite navigation system, similar to GPS. It allows you to determine the coordinates, speed, and altitude of an object anywhere on Earth. The system is controlled by the Russian Defense Ministry and is used for both civilian and military purposes (TASS).

Tigran Keosayan is in a coma, Simonyan asks for prayers

Doctors are providing care for Russian film director Tigran Keosayan, who is in a coma, but his recovery depends not on medicine, but on God, Margarita Simonyan, his wife, a leading Kremlin propagandist and RT editor-in-chief, wrote on her Telegram channel, according to TASS. “Doctors can only provide care at this point, and they are doing so,” she wrote. Simonyan thanked everyone who expressed support for them and expressed gratitude for the prayers for Keosayan. Previously, there had been no official information about his hospitalization. The reasons for the film director’s deteriorating condition have not been specified. The family has not disclosed any details, asking for privacy and hoping for the best. Margarita Simonyan and Tigran Keosayan are known for their tough stance on Ukraine. Both actively support Russia’s actions in the conflict and harshly criticize the Ukrainian authorities and Western support for Kyiv (TASS).

Dugin accuses Israel of “misanthropic” policies in the Middle East

Russian philosopher Alexandr Dugin, who is considered to be one of the Kremlin regime’s chief ideologues, said that Russian society, as well as some Western social media users, sympathize with Iran in its conflict with Israel. “We perceive what Israel is doing in the Middle East — first in Gaza, then in Lebanon, now in Iran and Syria — as monstrous acts. This is an absolutely bloodthirsty, cruel, misanthropic manner, where strikes are carried out indiscriminately, political leaders of sovereign states are destroyed without any justification,” Dugin said on Sputnik radio. He also stressed that Israel, possessing nuclear weapons, denies Iran the right to similar capabilities, using preventive strikes against military and nuclear facilities, which are accompanied by hundreds of casualties among the civilian population (EADaily).

Taliban attend economic forum in St. Petersburg

A delegation from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, led by Ataullah Omari, acting minister of agriculture, irrigation, and livestock, flew to Russia to participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Ariana News reported. The delegation includes Ahmadullah Zahid, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade; Abdul Latif Nazari, Technical Deputy Minister of Economy; Muhammad Younus Mohmand, Deputy Chairman of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Investment; as well as Afghan businessmen and investors. Omari is expected to deliver a speech on the prospects for agricultural development and economic growth in Afghanistan. According to EADaily, the SPIEF will be held from June 18 to 21 in St. Petersburg and will bring together representatives from more than 140 countries to discuss the economy, trade, investment, and the environment.