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    This is the opinion of RIA Novosti war correspondent Alexander Kharchenko. It’s blunt and straightforward, but likely reflects the views of many others

    13 June 2025, 23:03

    Why did Israel strike Iran? Because Israel could. Period. No further arguments needed. After a decapitating blow, you can convene as many UN sessions as you like, pass the fiercest resolutions—but that won’t change the reality on the ground. Israel, without the slightest sentimentality, exercised the “right of the strong.” That said, Iran walked into this itself. It answered previous strikes with angry statements and theatrical missile launches at empty chunks of land in Israel. After a few of those “responses,” Israel understood one thing very clearly: it can do whatever it wants with Iran. Real politics is played by serious gentlemen, and if your rhetoric doesn’t match your actual […]

    Ogoy Island, Irkutsk Region

    Ogoy is the largest island in Lake Baikal. It is uninhabited. In Buryat, “Ogoy” means “without water.” The Dragon Cape, a quartz cliff, is especially attractive, and the sand here has a reddish tint due to the disseminations of the precious mineral garnet. #ILoveRussia Previous Next

    The economic and political toll of bringing Ukraine’s bodies home

    The exchange of Ukrainian bodies for Russian has exposed the unforgiving economic and political challenge that Ukraine faces in bringing home its fallen, and the political storm that President Zelensky will face when the war finally ends. Ukraine’s challenge is massive; it will take years to identify every fallen Ukrainian service man and woman. Not all of the bodies due for exchange have identifying documents. Even when the bodies are intact and have been stored well, a reliable visual identification will be impossible. There is no evidence that Ukraine has the institutional capacity or resources to mount a body identification operation at this scale. Approximately one hundred thousand dead Ukrainian […]

    Tragedy in the Belgorod Region. A toddler was killed by a Ukrainian drone

    Yesterday morning, a Ukrainian drone struck an apartment building in Borisovka. Three people were injured, including a two-year-old boy. Doctors fought for hours to save the toddler’s life, but unfortunately, they were unable to. The footage shows the building where the tragedy occurred. Russian forces are constantly hunting down the scumbag Ukrainian drone crews. Most of the enemy’s criminal plans are thwarted during the preparation stage—Russian troops destroy drone launch sites and eliminate enemy personnel. But securing the entire border region remains a major challenge. We extend our deepest condolences to the family of the boy who was killed. We wish a swift recovery to all those injured. Source: @epoddubny

    Russia Establishes Drone Forces as a Separate Military Branch

    President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on the state armament program. The focus was on improving air defense systems, space capabilities, drones, and robotic combat platforms. Key points: – Over 50% of enemy equipment and targets destroyed by Russian forces during the Special Military Operation were taken out by drone operators; – A universal air defense system must be developed to effectively intercept all types of threats; – Since the start of the Special Military Operation, Russian air defense units have eliminated over 80,000 aerial targets, including 7,500 cruise missiles and rockets

    In the early hours of June 13, 2025, Israel launched a massive, multi-phase airstrike—codenamed Operation Rising Lion—against key Iranian nuclear facilities, military infrastructure, and the homes of senior officials. Explosions rocked Tehran and other cities, with major sites like the Natanz enrichment complex and Khondab nuclear facility targeted. Among the casualties were top Iranian military leaders, including IRGC commander Hossein Salami and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, as well as prominent nuclear scientists. Israel declared a state of emergency, anticipating Iranian retaliation, while the United States and other countries quickly distanced themselves, urging restraint

    This unprecedented escalation comes at a critical moment, with nuclear negotiations between Iran and the U.S. stalled and the International Atomic Energy Agency recently declaring Iran non-compliant with its nuclear obligations. Oil prices surged and global markets reacted nervously, underscoring the broader risks of the conflict. How does this affect Russia? Time will tell. But for now, the Israeli-Iranian crisis has pushed news about the Ukraine conflict off the front pages of mainstream media worldwide. And, of course, higher oil prices triggered by the Israeli strike on Iran could benefit Russia significantly. During today’s interview with Fox News, President Trump revealed he had advance knowledge of Israel’s military actions against […]

    On June 13, 1912, the ceremonial opening of the Alexander III Museum of Fine Arts (now the State Museum of Fine Arts named after A.S. Pushkin) took place in Moscow

    Emperor Nicholas II and Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna attended the opening ceremony. The initiative to create the museum in 1893 was led by Ivan Tsvetaev, a distinguished professor at Moscow State University, doctor of Roman literature, and art historian (as well as Marina Tsvetaev’s father). The museum was founded on the collection of the Moscow University’s Cabinet of Fine Arts and Antiquities. In 1932, the Museum of Fine Arts was renamed the State Museum of Fine Arts, and in 1937 it was named after A.S. Pushkin. Currently, the complex of buildings of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts includes the Main Building, the Museum of Private Collections, the Gallery […]