Russia’s Defense Ministry has released official footage of an Angara-A5 heavy-lift rocket launching from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome around 800 km north of Moscow on June 19. Onboard were military satellites, marking the fifth flight of the Angara‑A5 family. 

This mission utilized Plesetsk Cosmodrome’s Site 35, a high-latitude military Launchpad ideal for polar orbit insertions.  Angara series was developed post‑1990s to reduce reliance on Baikonur/Central Asian launches and foreign components.

The US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack on Thursday warned Lebanese group Hezbollah against getting involved in the conflict between Iran and Israel. Barrack, who is also the US ambassador to Turkiye, is on his first visit to Beirut, where he met top Lebanese officials including parliament speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah. Hezbollah suffered devastating losses in its war against Israel last year, which ended with a ceasefire agreement in November.

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French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot’s called for restraint, deescalation and a halt to the strikes on both sides during a press conference in Paris, on Thursday, the seventh day of the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. Barrot reiterates France's commitment to diplomacy, reviving nuclear negotiations with Iran, and advancing a two-state solution for peace in the Middle East.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, exchanging views on the situation in the Middle East. Putin and Xi stressed the need for a diplomatic solution. Xi told Putin that "Promoting a ceasefire and cessation of hostilities is the top priority. Armed force is not the correct way to resolve international disputes".