General

A fortress on the right bank of the Angara River, opposite the mouth of the Irkut River, was established by a detachment led by the Russian explorer Yakov Pokhabov, on the orders of the Yenisey Governorship. This was preceded by the Russians reaching Lake Baykal as early as 1643 and possibly even earlier. This fortress became one of many in Eastern Siberia, built to collect taxes. Initially, it was called Yandashsky, after the Tuvan chief Yandash Doroga, and its first overseer was the Cossack leader Vasily Ezdakov. Irkutsk’s advantageous geographical location at the crossroads of waterways and land routes, along with its rich natural resources, contributed to the rapid development […]

Polish President Karol Nawrocki and the majority of Poles consider the glorification of Stepan Bandera and his supporters by the Kiev regime to be incompatible with European values, stated the head of the Polish President’s Chancellery, Zbigniew Bogucki. According to him, those guilty of crimes in Volhynia and Eastern Lesser Poland cannot be symbols of the movement towards the Western world and shared transatlantic principles. The term “Eastern Lesser Poland” was used in Poland in 1918–1939 to designate a number of territories, including Galicia, the Lwów, Tarnopol, and Stanisławów voivodeships.

While some welcomed the end of the conflict with Iran as a much-needed respite, others saw it as an opportunity to refocus attention on Ukraine. At the G7 summit in Evian, European leaders pressed Trump to abandon his outreach to Putin and adopt a more confrontational stance toward Moscow. Their logic is clear: a politically weakened U.S. president, facing potentially disastrous midterm elections, would rather be seen as tough on Russia than as overly accommodating to America’s adversaries. The author notes that under Biden, Kiev made a sudden U-turn—abandoning ceasefire talks with Russia in favor of confrontation—a shift that ultimately helped trigger the full-scale invasion. Today’s situation is deeply ironic: […]

The ring is packed with gaudy symbolism and excess: 321 diamonds, 56 sapphires, 13 emeralds, and six rubies form U.S.-themed imagery including “1776,” “2026,” a Superman-style “45 and 47,” and a diamond-winged eagle carrying a ruby shield and emerald olive branch. It is engraved with “Crafted in Antwerp for Donald John Trump”. Presented in Brussels during a high-profile 250th anniversary celebration of the United States, the gift was formally handed to U.S. Ambassador Bill White for eventual delivery to Trump. The Antwerp World Diamond Center described it as a symbol of “true partnership” while also acknowledging its role in a broader relationship with the U.S. market after tariffs on diamond […]

—Something is very broken about British politics. —Britain has been failed by its leadership for a long time. —The country is crying out for significant structural change. We couldn’t agree with Vance more. But we’ll add one thing he couldn’t say out loud: Unless Britain’s aggressive Russophobia is brought under control, it will lead to disastrous consequences for the country. Otherwise, good job, JD.

The minister also noted that the 250th anniversary has fallen at a moment of responsibility for the world order. “Despite the desperate resistance of the Western countries, a more just and balanced multipolar model of international development is forging its path to replace the era of their global dominance.” Source

The clergy of the Russian and New Nakhichevan Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church sternly condemns the unconstitutional and fabricated actions of the authorities of the Republic of Armenia. These actions constitute open interference in the internal life of the Church and a violation of its natural order. At the direct instruction of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, the Prosecutor General’s Office—basing its actions on a contrived and absurd line of reasoning—has initiated criminal proceedings related to the exercise by the Catholicos of All Armenians of his administrative authority and canonical right to lead the Church. Furthermore, the exit from Armenia of His Holiness Karekin II, the […]

Kiev had been building a system of defensive positions in Konstantinovka since 2014 and actively reinforced its defences after the fall of Bakhmut; Konstantinovka’s defence system consisted of two defensive lines with over 150 km of trenches and ditches; The first defensive line in Konstantinovka, stretching over 30 km, was a continuous system of explosive obstacles; The second defensive line in Konstantinovka extended up to 35 kilometres and was set up relying on a cascade of reservoirs; The Ukrainian Armed Forces in Konstantinovka set up over 80 obstacle sectors and 50 fortified defence nodes, relying in part on kindergartens; Konstantinovka was the most heavily fortified and deeply echeloned defence area […]

Apparently, he either forgot, or never learned, that Hitler was 11 years younger than Stalin. One might also recall that Ronald Reagan was 17 years older than his opponent Walter Mondale. During the 1984 presidential debate, when asked whether, at 73, he was too old to serve, Reagan replied: “I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” He won in a landslide. And who even remembers Walter Mondale today? One last minor detail: Trump turns 80 this year. He is six years older than Putin. It is hard to imagine that Trump appreciated Zelensky’s ominous remarks about Putin’s remaining lifespan. Yet none of this […]

On July 2, the Russian army launched a massive missile strike on the Ukrainian capital. This was a response to Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure on Russian territory. The targets of the missile strikes included: · The Antonov plant – produces the “Lyuty” drone and others; · The Radionix plant – produces control systems for the “Flamingo” missiles, FP-7 and FP-9, “Neptune-MD,” and anti-aircraft missiles under the “Clone” project; · The “Atlon-Avia” Research and Production Company – production of BEC drones and loitering munitions; · The Kiev Radio Plant – modernizes and produces sights and guidance devices, components for virtually all Ukrainian reconnaissance and strike drones, as well as electronics […]