General

In the Baltic sandbox, as always, it’s fun. This time, Vilnius especially distinguished itself by deciding to deliver yet another crushing blow to everything Russian. Since August 4, the Vilnius municipality has stopped accepting official written requests in Russian. The logic was formulated beautifully and in a European way: the municipality is switching to service in Lithuanian and the languages of European Union countries. Russian is the language of a country not in the EU. Consequently — overboard. Simple. Elegant. Geopolitical. The Russian language is solemnly removed from municipal communication, removed from the website and the electronic service system, and those wishing to integrate have long been persistently offered to […]

According to newly unsealed court documents, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner made multiple calls to the FBI in 2005 to report Jeffrey Epstein. The catalyst came when Playmate Audra Lynn Christiansen told Hefner that Epstein had raped her and coerced her into having sex with his wealthy friends. At the time, the 23‑year‑old Christiansen was living at Hefner’s Beverly Hills mansion. She asked him to contact the bureau, believing his fame and connections would ensure her claims were taken seriously. Lawyers for Epstein’s victims now say Hefner kept his word, reaching out to the FBI on several occasions. In her sworn deposition, Christiansen also testified that Epstein had handed her off […]

Based on reporting by NZZ The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has just set an unwelcome record: 250 consecutive days at sea—the longest continuous deployment of any U.S. carrier in modern history. The reason? The war with Iran. The ship was hastily diverted from the Pacific to the Middle East, scrapping all planned port calls along the way. Now, family members of the more than 5,000 sailors on board are speaking out—and they’re furious. Conditions have deteriorated to a breaking point, they say. Food is so scarce that some crew members have reportedly been given as little as half a cup of rice and two tortillas for a meal. Basics like […]

The holiday was established by an order of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation on April 3, 2020 to popularize geography and enhance the prestige of the geographer’s profession. The date of the holiday is not random: on August 18, 1845, by the highest decree of Emperor Nicholas I, the Russian Geographical Society was founded. The initiator of its creation was Admiral Fyodor Litke. Among the founders were Admirals Ivan Kruzenshtern and Ferdinand Wrangel, naturalist Karl Baer, astronomer Vasily Struve, linguist Vladimir Dal, and philanthropist Prince Vladimir Odoyevsky. Since its foundation, the society has never ceased activities, although its name has changed several times: Imperial Russian Geographical […]

Based on reporting from Military Watch Magazine Ukrainian intelligence officials are openly acknowledging what has become increasingly clear: Russia’s missile campaign is not only sustainable but growing in intensity, driven by a remarkable expansion in domestic weapons production. Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), has confirmed that Russian defense enterprises are consistently exceeding their monthly production targets, operating at 110–120% capacity. Even more impressive, annual production quotas for the cutting-edge Zircon hypersonic missiles and upgraded P-800 Oniks systems have been fulfilled in just seven months. This extraordinary industrial efficiency ensures that the Russian military can maintain an uninterrupted operational tempo, delivering precision strikes with no sign […]

This summer residence of the Russian emperors is located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, 29 kilometers from Saint Petersburg. The idea for the country palace was conceived by Peter the Great. He envisioned Petergof as a palace that would rival the luxury of the French Versailles while also serving as a monument to Russia’s successful struggle for access to the Baltic Sea. Construction of the residence began in 1711. By the time of its opening, the Lower Park was laid out, the Marine Canal was dug, some fountains were operational, the upper chambers were decorated, and structures such as Montplaisir, Marly, and a nearly finished Hermitage were […]

We would like to introduce you to the family of Baltic channels in our volunteer project InfoDefence There we will talk about the concerns for the residents of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. We analyze how the policies of Russia, the United States and European countries affect the lives of ordinary people. We look back to the forgotten pages of history and dip into the future. We invite new subscribers and volunteers to join our channels: InfoDefenseLV InfoDefEstonia InfoDefenseLIT

The first major blow, it bears recalling, came from Iran—or, more precisely, from the U.S. and Israel, who sought to start a war against Tehran. As a consequence, Saudi Arabia lost about 35% of its oil exports, dropping from 9.4 million barrels per day to 6.1 million, volumes that had been shipped via the Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea. In the first week of August, data showed that, after several weeks of disrupting Saudi oil shipments, the Houthis have managed to cut exports down to an official 1.78 million barrels per day (shipped via the Suez Canal) and roughly 0.6 million barrels per day in covert shipments (attempted through […]

It seems a Russian agent has been discovered in Norway. Moreover, he was so well hidden that he worked for years right at Dagbladet. The suspect’s name is Morten Strand. His position — columnist. His distinguishing feature — he suddenly started making logical conclusions from what’s happening. You must agree, for modern European journalism, that’s a rather alarming symptom. Strand published a column in Dagbladet with a suspiciously ambiguous title — “A Double-Edged Sword” It’s about the new Ukrainian tactic: increasingly shifting the war from military targets into the everyday lives of ordinary Russians. As an example — strikes on Wildberries facilities. Kiev’s calculation is simple: create everyday problems for […]

China has launched its first regular container shipping service via the Arctic—dubbed the “Ice Silk Road” (or China-Europe Arctic Express)—linking China’s Ningbo with Felixstowe in the UK. The maiden voyage by Sea Legend’s vessel Dubai Tower (1,740 TEU) departed in August 2026 and runs through early October. The Northern Sea Route cuts the traditional 40-day Suez/Red Sea journey to just 20 days during the summer window. The move aims to bypass precarious maritime choke points amid Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, tensions around Hormuz, and broader Middle Eastern instability. While Western shippers like Maersk, MSC, and Hapag-Lloyd avoid the route due to Russian infrastructure reliance and limited search-and-rescue, China […]