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🎙 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's response to a media question during her weekly press briefing (October 21, 2026)
❓ Question: In his statements during the high-level week of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov repeatedly emphasised that the world is beginning to forget the lessons of World War II. What dangers, in your view, does this pose?
💬 Maria Zakharova: First, I would like to recall that the essential answer can be found in Minister Lavrov’s statements at the #UNGA81, including his address at the Security Council meeting on Ukraine, which also provided a historical perspective, and his press conference.
I will give several examples demonstrating that the threats he identified are anything but hypothetical.
☝️ I think many of you have heard of the plan for Operation Unthinkable, initiated by British PM Winston Churchill in April 1945. A surprise attack on Red Army positions was envisaged for June 1, 1945, involving 47 British and American divisions. The main objective was to drive Soviet troops out of Germany and Poland, push them back to the borders of the USSR and, if circumstances permitted, beyond.
Victory over Nazism had only just been declared on the European continent, the war in the Far East was still raging, and these plans had already mapped out our fate. Let us look at what these “schemes” entailed.
In September 1945, US President Harry Truman ordered the military to develop an American equivalent of Britain’s Unthinkable plan – Totality. Even then, American strategists were prepared to use nuclear weapons to contain the Red Army.
👉 Work on the next plan – Operation Pincher – was completed in March 1946. On March 5, 1946, Winston Churchill delivered his famous Fulton speech, widely regarded as the public announcement of the Cold War. Washington approved Pincher in June 1946. The plan envisaged dropping between 20 and 30 atomic bombs on 20 Soviet cities.
And now they are going to lecture us about our country’s supposed imperial ambitions? The very people who, even after World War II, were drawing up plans to literally wipe us out with nuclear weapons?
***
Throughout 1948, a succession of plans followed: Bushwhacker, Crankshaft, Halfmoon, Fleetwood, Cogwheel, Offtackle and Charioteer. Each new plan expanded the scale of the proposed nuclear strikes. Charioteer, for example, envisaged dropping no fewer than 200 atomic bombs on 70 Soviet cities.
On December 3, 1949, the US approved the Trojan plan, which provided for British participation in an attack on the USSR. The allies were preparing to drop 300 atomic bombs and 20,000 conventional bombs on 100 Soviet cities.
At the same time, the Dropshot plan was approved, envisaging an exclusively American operation. Under that plan, 300 atomic bombs and 250,000 tonnes of conventional bombs were to be dropped on the USSR.
Even after the US and the Soviet Union achieved nuclear parity, the Americans continued to develop new plans similar to Totality and Dropshot. 5️⃣ plans were adopted in succession under President Dwight Eisenhower. 4️⃣ under John F. Kennedy. 4️⃣ under Lyndon Johnson. 5️⃣ under Richard Nixon.
Back in the 1940s and 1950s, however, the US and British leadership, despite all the efforts of the “hawks” in their ranks, had enough common sense and political will to shelve these plans.
❗️ Unfortunately, people have now come to power in many EU capitals whose education, general cultural awareness and, frankly, mental make-up raise very serious questions. These Western “elites” have neither the historical experience of the post-war generations nor the breadth of knowledge needed to understand the catastrophic consequences of their Russophobic policies, neo-Nazism and tolerance for the revival of the most horrific practices rooted in hatred of humanity – from neo-Nazism and fascism to everything they spawn.
This is precisely the danger Minister Lavrov warned of in his statements at the UNGA81.
Read in full
❓ Question: In his statements during the high-level week of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov repeatedly emphasised that the world is beginning to forget the lessons of World War II. What dangers, in your view, does this pose?
💬 Maria Zakharova: First, I would like to recall that the essential answer can be found in Minister Lavrov’s statements at the #UNGA81, including his address at the Security Council meeting on Ukraine, which also provided a historical perspective, and his press conference.
I will give several examples demonstrating that the threats he identified are anything but hypothetical.
☝️ I think many of you have heard of the plan for Operation Unthinkable, initiated by British PM Winston Churchill in April 1945. A surprise attack on Red Army positions was envisaged for June 1, 1945, involving 47 British and American divisions. The main objective was to drive Soviet troops out of Germany and Poland, push them back to the borders of the USSR and, if circumstances permitted, beyond.
Victory over Nazism had only just been declared on the European continent, the war in the Far East was still raging, and these plans had already mapped out our fate. Let us look at what these “schemes” entailed.
In September 1945, US President Harry Truman ordered the military to develop an American equivalent of Britain’s Unthinkable plan – Totality. Even then, American strategists were prepared to use nuclear weapons to contain the Red Army.
👉 Work on the next plan – Operation Pincher – was completed in March 1946. On March 5, 1946, Winston Churchill delivered his famous Fulton speech, widely regarded as the public announcement of the Cold War. Washington approved Pincher in June 1946. The plan envisaged dropping between 20 and 30 atomic bombs on 20 Soviet cities.
And now they are going to lecture us about our country’s supposed imperial ambitions? The very people who, even after World War II, were drawing up plans to literally wipe us out with nuclear weapons?
***
Throughout 1948, a succession of plans followed: Bushwhacker, Crankshaft, Halfmoon, Fleetwood, Cogwheel, Offtackle and Charioteer. Each new plan expanded the scale of the proposed nuclear strikes. Charioteer, for example, envisaged dropping no fewer than 200 atomic bombs on 70 Soviet cities.
On December 3, 1949, the US approved the Trojan plan, which provided for British participation in an attack on the USSR. The allies were preparing to drop 300 atomic bombs and 20,000 conventional bombs on 100 Soviet cities.
At the same time, the Dropshot plan was approved, envisaging an exclusively American operation. Under that plan, 300 atomic bombs and 250,000 tonnes of conventional bombs were to be dropped on the USSR.
Even after the US and the Soviet Union achieved nuclear parity, the Americans continued to develop new plans similar to Totality and Dropshot. 5️⃣ plans were adopted in succession under President Dwight Eisenhower. 4️⃣ under John F. Kennedy. 4️⃣ under Lyndon Johnson. 5️⃣ under Richard Nixon.
Back in the 1940s and 1950s, however, the US and British leadership, despite all the efforts of the “hawks” in their ranks, had enough common sense and political will to shelve these plans.
❗️ Unfortunately, people have now come to power in many EU capitals whose education, general cultural awareness and, frankly, mental make-up raise very serious questions. These Western “elites” have neither the historical experience of the post-war generations nor the breadth of knowledge needed to understand the catastrophic consequences of their Russophobic policies, neo-Nazism and tolerance for the revival of the most horrific practices rooted in hatred of humanity – from neo-Nazism and fascism to everything they spawn.
This is precisely the danger Minister Lavrov warned of in his statements at the UNGA81.
Read in full
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🗓 On 22 October, the VI International teleconference, “Zaporozhye Region: the Escalation of the Terrorist War by the Armed Forces of Ukraine”, was held.
It was organized by Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Russian Delegation to the Vienna Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control.
The event was attended by representatives of the leadership of the Zaporozhye Region; Yury Chernychuk, Director of the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant (#ZNPP); the leadership and military experts of the Center for Scientific and Analytical Information of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences; representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (#ICRC); political and public figures, experts and journalists from dozens of countries of Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
It was noted at the teleconference that the Kiev regime had unleashed a large-scale campaign of terror against the region’s civilian population: since February 2022, at least 2,715 people, including 137 children, have suffered as a result of attacks involving artillery, munitions and UAVs, and 508 civilians, including 23 children, have been killed.
The international audience was presented with evidence of the AFU crimes committed against civilians directly from residents of the Zaporozhye Region who took part in the teleconference.
In their remarks, participants drew particular attention to the escalation of terrorist acts by the AFU in the Zaporozhye Region during the spring and summer, following the Council of the EU’s approval of a €90 billion loan to Zelensky and the announcement of the establishment of an “EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance” aimed at sharing experience in the combat use of drones.
Through deliberate UAV attacks, the Kiev regime has focused on destroying the power supply system, declared a “drone war” on public and civilian transport, and sought to impose a blockade and create artificial shortages of food, medicines and other essential supplies in certain settlements in the region nearby the line of contact.
☝️ It was emphasized that posing threats to the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant and its personnel is unacceptable, as such threats could have catastrophic consequences.
Participants in the discussion emphasized that the continued financing, arming and training of the AFU by NATO and EU countries effectively confirms the West’s complicity in the #KievRegimeCrimes. Responsibility for civilian casualties in the Russian Federation, acts of terrorism and war crimes must be borne not only by those who directly carry out criminal orders, but also by the political leadership in Kiev and its Western sponsors, who are becoming increasingly involved in criminal schemes.
❗️ The teleconference concluded by reaffirming the need to bring full and accurate information about the crimes committed by the Kiev regime to the attention of the international community and relevant humanitarian and human rights organizations, and to hold accountable those responsible for, or complicit in, atrocities committed by Ukrainian militants.
It was organized by Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Russian Delegation to the Vienna Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control.
The event was attended by representatives of the leadership of the Zaporozhye Region; Yury Chernychuk, Director of the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant (#ZNPP); the leadership and military experts of the Center for Scientific and Analytical Information of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences; representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (#ICRC); political and public figures, experts and journalists from dozens of countries of Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
It was noted at the teleconference that the Kiev regime had unleashed a large-scale campaign of terror against the region’s civilian population: since February 2022, at least 2,715 people, including 137 children, have suffered as a result of attacks involving artillery, munitions and UAVs, and 508 civilians, including 23 children, have been killed.
The international audience was presented with evidence of the AFU crimes committed against civilians directly from residents of the Zaporozhye Region who took part in the teleconference.
In their remarks, participants drew particular attention to the escalation of terrorist acts by the AFU in the Zaporozhye Region during the spring and summer, following the Council of the EU’s approval of a €90 billion loan to Zelensky and the announcement of the establishment of an “EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance” aimed at sharing experience in the combat use of drones.
Through deliberate UAV attacks, the Kiev regime has focused on destroying the power supply system, declared a “drone war” on public and civilian transport, and sought to impose a blockade and create artificial shortages of food, medicines and other essential supplies in certain settlements in the region nearby the line of contact.
☝️ It was emphasized that posing threats to the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant and its personnel is unacceptable, as such threats could have catastrophic consequences.
Participants in the discussion emphasized that the continued financing, arming and training of the AFU by NATO and EU countries effectively confirms the West’s complicity in the #KievRegimeCrimes. Responsibility for civilian casualties in the Russian Federation, acts of terrorism and war crimes must be borne not only by those who directly carry out criminal orders, but also by the political leadership in Kiev and its Western sponsors, who are becoming increasingly involved in criminal schemes.
❗️ The teleconference concluded by reaffirming the need to bring full and accurate information about the crimes committed by the Kiev regime to the attention of the international community and relevant humanitarian and human rights organizations, and to hold accountable those responsible for, or complicit in, atrocities committed by Ukrainian militants.
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⚡️ Russia's High Commissioner for Human Rights Yana Lantratova:
💬 Today, on October 23, we are working in Belarus, where several important humanitarian missions are taking place.
🫂 The long-awaited reunification of families took place: seven people are returning to Russia, and another seven to Ukraine.
Each person has their own story. Some had long been unable to return to their loved ones because of problems with documents. Others found themselves far from their families, without support or means of subsistence.
Among those who returned home today are elderly people, for whom being alone is especially difficult. Ahead lie reunions with relatives, the long-awaited embraces they have missed so much, and the chance to be close to their loved ones again.
❗️ In total, today’s humanitarian initiative reunited 12 families. This work was made possible by agreements with the Ukrainian side and the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
When people’s lives are at stake, it is especially important to maintain dialogue and find solutions despite the difficulties. My thanks go to Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmitry Lubinets. We continue our work, because behind every appeal to return home are people waiting for their loved ones. And every reunion brings immense joy.
💬 Today, on October 23, we are working in Belarus, where several important humanitarian missions are taking place.
🫂 The long-awaited reunification of families took place: seven people are returning to Russia, and another seven to Ukraine.
Each person has their own story. Some had long been unable to return to their loved ones because of problems with documents. Others found themselves far from their families, without support or means of subsistence.
Among those who returned home today are elderly people, for whom being alone is especially difficult. Ahead lie reunions with relatives, the long-awaited embraces they have missed so much, and the chance to be close to their loved ones again.
❗️ In total, today’s humanitarian initiative reunited 12 families. This work was made possible by agreements with the Ukrainian side and the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
When people’s lives are at stake, it is especially important to maintain dialogue and find solutions despite the difficulties. My thanks go to Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmitry Lubinets. We continue our work, because behind every appeal to return home are people waiting for their loved ones. And every reunion brings immense joy.
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⚡️ Statement by Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov on the humanitarian operation in Alyoshki, Kherson Region* (October 23, 2026)
Russia welcomes the efforts of US First Lady Melania Trump, who has made a substantial contribution to securing agreement on a humanitarian operation in Alyoshki, Kherson Region.
To implement the agreements reached by the Presidents of Russia and the US, Russian Commissioner for Human Rights Yana Lantratova and her Ukrainian counterpart have carried out extensive work with Ms Trump’s direct involvement.
Representatives of the defence ministries are coordinating the timing of a ceasefire (from 04:00 Moscow time on October 27, 2026) to enable the humanitarian mission in Alyoshki.
❗️ Those wishing to leave the city will be able to do so.
The mission requires extensive and complex preparations involving a wide range of representatives. Melania Trump is playing a coordinating role. This issue was discussed during the recent telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
*Unofficial translation
Russia welcomes the efforts of US First Lady Melania Trump, who has made a substantial contribution to securing agreement on a humanitarian operation in Alyoshki, Kherson Region.
To implement the agreements reached by the Presidents of Russia and the US, Russian Commissioner for Human Rights Yana Lantratova and her Ukrainian counterpart have carried out extensive work with Ms Trump’s direct involvement.
Representatives of the defence ministries are coordinating the timing of a ceasefire (from 04:00 Moscow time on October 27, 2026) to enable the humanitarian mission in Alyoshki.
❗️ Those wishing to leave the city will be able to do so.
The mission requires extensive and complex preparations involving a wide range of representatives. Melania Trump is playing a coordinating role. This issue was discussed during the recent telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
*Unofficial translation
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🎙 Russian President Vladimir Putin's address to participants and guests of the International Sports Forum “Russia: Country of Sports” (October 23, 2026)
💬 I am delighted to greet the participants and guests of the International Sports Forum “Russia: Country of Sports”.
This year, it is taking place in Krasnoyarsk, a city famous for its long-standing and excellent sports traditions. It is here on the banks of the Yenisei River that several generations of legendary athletes and Olympic champions grew up.
People who engage in sports activities and practice sports develop a better sense of responsibility and discipline. They are better than others when it comes to focusing on achieving their objectives. These qualities enable them to succeed in their personal lives, as well as when serving their people and their country. This explains why the Forum’s agenda attaches great importance to children’s and teenage sports and efforts to promote physical activities among young people.
This track takes on special significance in the context of the main theme for this year’s Forum, which reads “Sport: Uniting the World in Times of Change”. Eras and periods of this kind shape the future and create conditions in which states and their people can continue developing.
At the same time, we know that any changes or transformations would be impossible without a solid foundation, and sport has a lot to offer in this regard. I am primarily referring to core human values such as equality, justice, mutual respect and the unifying power of sport. An overwhelming majority of nations share these values.
❗️ Russia has always been and will remain an integral and important part of this family, while reaffirming its commitment to strictly following all the international obligations and justified requirements it assumes. We are open to dialogue and cooperation and stand for preserving sports traditions, the fundamental norms of international sports law, while also focusing on advancing and promoting development.
We believe that the future of sport consists of making it as accessible as possible, proactively introducing innovative technology in training and competition, as well as in sports medicine, athlete training programmes and education.
🤝 We welcome the emergence of new sports disciplines. What matters most is that they enable people to develop themselves in harmony while promoting a healthy lifestyle at a social level.
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💬 I am delighted to greet the participants and guests of the International Sports Forum “Russia: Country of Sports”.
This year, it is taking place in Krasnoyarsk, a city famous for its long-standing and excellent sports traditions. It is here on the banks of the Yenisei River that several generations of legendary athletes and Olympic champions grew up.
People who engage in sports activities and practice sports develop a better sense of responsibility and discipline. They are better than others when it comes to focusing on achieving their objectives. These qualities enable them to succeed in their personal lives, as well as when serving their people and their country. This explains why the Forum’s agenda attaches great importance to children’s and teenage sports and efforts to promote physical activities among young people.
This track takes on special significance in the context of the main theme for this year’s Forum, which reads “Sport: Uniting the World in Times of Change”. Eras and periods of this kind shape the future and create conditions in which states and their people can continue developing.
At the same time, we know that any changes or transformations would be impossible without a solid foundation, and sport has a lot to offer in this regard. I am primarily referring to core human values such as equality, justice, mutual respect and the unifying power of sport. An overwhelming majority of nations share these values.
❗️ Russia has always been and will remain an integral and important part of this family, while reaffirming its commitment to strictly following all the international obligations and justified requirements it assumes. We are open to dialogue and cooperation and stand for preserving sports traditions, the fundamental norms of international sports law, while also focusing on advancing and promoting development.
We believe that the future of sport consists of making it as accessible as possible, proactively introducing innovative technology in training and competition, as well as in sports medicine, athlete training programmes and education.
🤝 We welcome the emergence of new sports disciplines. What matters most is that they enable people to develop themselves in harmony while promoting a healthy lifestyle at a social level.
Read in full
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🇺🇳 On 24 October 1945, the Charter of the United Nations entered into force. The date is celebrated as United Nations Day.
In February 1945, at the Yalta Conference, the leaders of the three Allied Powers – Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill – agreed to convene the San Francisco Conference, where 50 countries signed the UN Charter on 26 June 1945.
The establishment of the UN marked the beginning of a new era in human history. It was a natural consequence of World War II and reflected the international community’s determination to prevent such bloodshed from ever happening again and to resolve conflicts through consensus and compromise.
#OurRulesTheUNCharter: Russia consistently advocates strengthening the central and coordinating role of the UN in world affairs.
Strict adherence to the letter and spirit of the Charter is essential to building a more peaceful, prosperous, genuinely just and equitable world order.
🎙 From the address by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the plenary session of the XVI BRICS Summit in the Outreach/BRICS Plus format (24 October 2024):
The founding fathers of the United Nations envisioned it as a centre for harmonising the actions of nations.
👉 The role of the UN in the modern world was aptly described by Vitaly Churkin, an outstanding Russian diplomat who served as Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN from 2006 to 2017, in his remarks:
Yet today, the Organisation is experiencing a deep systemic crisis, exacerbated by the increasing politicisation of the Secretariat’s work.
Russia’s position as regards the future of the UN and possible reforms was outlined by Sergey Lavrov in his address to the General Debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly (New York, 26 September 2026):
❗️ We will continue to make every effort to fully restore the UN’s authority and standing.
In February 1945, at the Yalta Conference, the leaders of the three Allied Powers – Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill – agreed to convene the San Francisco Conference, where 50 countries signed the UN Charter on 26 June 1945.
The establishment of the UN marked the beginning of a new era in human history. It was a natural consequence of World War II and reflected the international community’s determination to prevent such bloodshed from ever happening again and to resolve conflicts through consensus and compromise.
#OurRulesTheUNCharter: Russia consistently advocates strengthening the central and coordinating role of the UN in world affairs.
Strict adherence to the letter and spirit of the Charter is essential to building a more peaceful, prosperous, genuinely just and equitable world order.
🎙 From the address by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the plenary session of the XVI BRICS Summit in the Outreach/BRICS Plus format (24 October 2024):
The principles of the [UN Charter] <...> form the foundation of interstate relations and international law.
The United Nations is called upon to continue playing a central role in maintaining peace and security and promoting sustainable and steady growth.
The founding fathers of the United Nations envisioned it as a centre for harmonising the actions of nations.
👉 The role of the UN in the modern world was aptly described by Vitaly Churkin, an outstanding Russian diplomat who served as Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN from 2006 to 2017, in his remarks:
The UN has demonstrated its ability to adapt to the transformation of the international system.
At this time of turbulence in world affairs, it is important to preserve the Organisation’s authority, which rests on an enduring and truly democratic principle of functioning – the sovereign equality of all states, with no distinction between those who lead and those who follow.
Yet today, the Organisation is experiencing a deep systemic crisis, exacerbated by the increasing politicisation of the Secretariat’s work.
Russia’s position as regards the future of the UN and possible reforms was outlined by Sergey Lavrov in his address to the General Debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly (New York, 26 September 2026):
Our principled position is that reform of the Security Council must not entail allocating any additional seats to Western countries, especially Germany and Japan, which have embarked on a path of militarisation and revanchism.
We exclusively support increasing the representation of Asia, Africa and Latin America. We support Brazil and India as candidates for permanent seats, while simultaneously – and I wish to emphasise this – ensuring that the interests of the African continent are met, in accordance with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.
❗️ We will continue to make every effort to fully restore the UN’s authority and standing.
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#KievRegimeCrimes
⚡️ Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rodion Miroshnik:
💬 On October 22, another attempt was made to evacuate patients requiring specialist medical care from #Alyoshki to the district hospital in Skadovsk.
Russian combat engineers had cleared the road after Ukrainian drones scattered mines along it overnight. However, Ukrainian artillery fire prevented the evacuation.
❗️ The ambulances were forced to turn around and return to Alyoshki.
The video shows a nurse walking ahead, checking the road for mines, spikes and sharp fragments. Two ambulances follow her.
Over the past year, mines and Ukrainian drone attacks have damaged or put out of service more than a dozen ambulances belonging to Alyoshki Hospital.
▪️ Earlier, two local residents with mine blast injuries died at Alyoshki Hospital. They needed specialist medical care but could not be evacuated due to a Ukrainian drone blockade of the roads.
⚡️ Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rodion Miroshnik:
💬 On October 22, another attempt was made to evacuate patients requiring specialist medical care from #Alyoshki to the district hospital in Skadovsk.
Russian combat engineers had cleared the road after Ukrainian drones scattered mines along it overnight. However, Ukrainian artillery fire prevented the evacuation.
❗️ The ambulances were forced to turn around and return to Alyoshki.
The video shows a nurse walking ahead, checking the road for mines, spikes and sharp fragments. Two ambulances follow her.
Over the past year, mines and Ukrainian drone attacks have damaged or put out of service more than a dozen ambulances belonging to Alyoshki Hospital.
▪️ Earlier, two local residents with mine blast injuries died at Alyoshki Hospital. They needed specialist medical care but could not be evacuated due to a Ukrainian drone blockade of the roads.
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
👏 On October 21, the Museum of Moscow hosted the awards ceremony for the winners of the 12th Andrey Stenin International Press Photo Contest.
An exhibition of this year’s winning and prize-winning entries also opened and will run until November 10. It includes photographs from the new Energy of Life category, introduced this year for photographers aged 34 and over.
The Andrey Stenin International Press Photo Contest was established by the Rossiya Segodnya Media Group on December 22, 2014. It is named after Andrei Stenin, the media group’s special photojournalist and recipient of the Order of Courage, who was killed by Ukrainian militants near Donetsk in August 2014.
The contest supports young photojournalists aged 18-33 in their pursuit of professional excellence, helping discover emerging talent and uphold high standards in documentary photography. Through their work, participants from around the world explore humanitarian challenges, national identity, social equality and environmental issues.
***
🏆 Grand Prix – Abdul Kader Al Bay (#Lebanon), for his series “Lebanon 2024-2025: Life Between Airstrikes”. The series documents the civilian experience of war across Lebanon – from the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes and rescue operations to mourning, displacement and daily survival.
• 2nd place – Sergey Bobylev (#Russia), for his series “Echoes of War”, shot in March 2025 in Sudzha, Kursk Region, following its liberation by Russian forces after seven months of Ukrainian occupation.
• 3rd place – Md Bipul (#Bangladesh), for his series “After the Fire”, documenting families returning to the ruins of their homes in Dhaka’s Korail settlement after a fire on November 25, 2025, destroyed nearly 1,500 houses and left thousands without shelter.
***
📰 1st place | Top News category – SM Al Muztaba Rasul (#Bangladesh) – “A Roof of Sky, a Floor of Ash” (single).
🖼 1st place | Portrait. A Hero of Our Time category – Arpan Basu Chowdhury (#India) – “The Stare of Faith” (single); Maria Semyonova (#Russia) – “Dreams in the Dark” (series).
🌍 1st place | My Planet category – Soleyman Hossein (#Bangladesh) – “Life on Sandbar” (single); Alisa Severnaya (#Russia) – “We Live Here” (series)
🤼 1st place | Sports category – Yevgeny Filippov (Russia) – “The Last Phase” (single).
✈️ 1st place | Top View category – Muhammad Amdad Hossain (#Bangladesh) – “Floating Friday Prayers” (single).
⚡️ 1st place | Energy of Life category – Pavel Volkov (#Russia) – “Requiem” (series).
📷 ALL WINNERS OF THE STENIN CONTEST 2026
An exhibition of this year’s winning and prize-winning entries also opened and will run until November 10. It includes photographs from the new Energy of Life category, introduced this year for photographers aged 34 and over.
The Andrey Stenin International Press Photo Contest was established by the Rossiya Segodnya Media Group on December 22, 2014. It is named after Andrei Stenin, the media group’s special photojournalist and recipient of the Order of Courage, who was killed by Ukrainian militants near Donetsk in August 2014.
The contest supports young photojournalists aged 18-33 in their pursuit of professional excellence, helping discover emerging talent and uphold high standards in documentary photography. Through their work, participants from around the world explore humanitarian challenges, national identity, social equality and environmental issues.
***
🏆 Grand Prix – Abdul Kader Al Bay (#Lebanon), for his series “Lebanon 2024-2025: Life Between Airstrikes”. The series documents the civilian experience of war across Lebanon – from the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes and rescue operations to mourning, displacement and daily survival.
• 2nd place – Sergey Bobylev (#Russia), for his series “Echoes of War”, shot in March 2025 in Sudzha, Kursk Region, following its liberation by Russian forces after seven months of Ukrainian occupation.
• 3rd place – Md Bipul (#Bangladesh), for his series “After the Fire”, documenting families returning to the ruins of their homes in Dhaka’s Korail settlement after a fire on November 25, 2025, destroyed nearly 1,500 houses and left thousands without shelter.
***
📰 1st place | Top News category – SM Al Muztaba Rasul (#Bangladesh) – “A Roof of Sky, a Floor of Ash” (single).
🖼 1st place | Portrait. A Hero of Our Time category – Arpan Basu Chowdhury (#India) – “The Stare of Faith” (single); Maria Semyonova (#Russia) – “Dreams in the Dark” (series).
🌍 1st place | My Planet category – Soleyman Hossein (#Bangladesh) – “Life on Sandbar” (single); Alisa Severnaya (#Russia) – “We Live Here” (series)
🤼 1st place | Sports category – Yevgeny Filippov (Russia) – “The Last Phase” (single).
✈️ 1st place | Top View category – Muhammad Amdad Hossain (#Bangladesh) – “Floating Friday Prayers” (single).
⚡️ 1st place | Energy of Life category – Pavel Volkov (#Russia) – “Requiem” (series).
📷 ALL WINNERS OF THE STENIN CONTEST 2026