"Science must serve the cause of peace—so that the destruction of Earth becomes impossible."
— Yulii Khariton

Born on February 27, 1904, Yulii Borisovich Khariton (1904-1996) was a leading scientist in the Soviet Union, renowned as the "father of the Soviet atomic bomb*". His work was instrumental in breaking the United States' nuclear monopoly and advancing domestic nuclear weapons technology.

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Khariton's early academic pursuits led him to a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Cambridge, where he studied under Ernest Rutherford. Upon returning to the Soviet Union, he directed the Institute of Chemical Physics’ Laboratory of Explosives. During World War II, Khariton contributed to the Soviet Army and preliminary atomic research.

In 1946, after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Khariton was appointed lead scientist of the Soviet atomic program. He helped establish Arzamas-16, a secret nuclear weapons facility, where he served as lead scientist for 46 years. Khariton and his team successfully designed the first Soviet atomic bomb, which was tested on August 29, 1949. He also contributed to the Soviet thermonuclear program.

Khariton's leadership was marked by his ability to understand complex scientific issues and translate them into outstanding designs. He fostered numerous scientific schools and mentored many outstanding scientists. His impact extended beyond science, as leaders from Stalin to Yeltsin valued his counsel.

Khariton received numerous honors, including Hero of Socialist Labor, the Order of Lenin, and the Gold Medals of M.V. Lomonosov and I.V. Kurchatov. His legacy endures through his contributions to science and his role in shaping Russia’s nuclear program.

*Pictured above is Yulii Khariton with a model of the Soviet atomic bomb.

#TodayInHistory

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Anyone who believes or claims to believe that a negotiated settlement between Russia and Ukraine is achievable should read the following statements by Kirill Budanov, a member of the Ukrainian negotiating team, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, and former Chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. As reported by UNIAN, a Ukrainian news agency, Budanov made these and other similar remarks in an interview with Lebanese media:

— Several regional states should be formed on the territory of Russia. Only then will the world be able to feel safe.
— Even after the end of hostilities, sanctions against Russia must not be lifted.
— Frozen Russian assets and a large portion of future revenues should go toward reparations and the reconstruction of Ukraine.

As one can clearly see, the positions of Russia and Ukraine are so far apart that there is simply no way they can be resolved anywhere other than on the battlefield. We already know how this will end.

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👆This is a catchy headline, isn’t it? It prompts the reader to think that, in the exchange, Russia and Ukraine each received 1,000 bodies of their respective soldiers. Or maybe 500 each. Whatever the number, it certainly makes one assume that the numbers were roughly similar on both sides.

But those who actually read beyond the headlines will see this:

Russia has handed over the remains of 1,000 soldiers to Ukraine and has received the bodies of 35 Russian soldiers in return.

The question is: how many people will read beyond the headline? Our guess? Not many at all. And the BBC knows that.

The truth is in the details—if anyone bothers to look. But, alas, Western audiences have long been trained not to.

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The Bad and the Good

THE BAD NEWS:

During the premiership of Rishi Sunak, the British economy experienced prolonged stagnation and a technical recession. After he took office in October 2022, growth remained weak, and by late 2023 the UK had entered recession following two consecutive quarters of contraction. Output per capita declined, meaning living standards fell even where headline GDP appeared flat. Inflation remained persistently above the Bank of England’s target, continuing to squeeze households through high food, energy, and borrowing costs. Interest rates stayed elevated, increasing mortgage payments and pressuring businesses. Unemployment edged upward, with youth unemployment rising more sharply. Business investment remained subdued, reflecting uncertainty and weak demand. Overall, the period was marked by low growth, declining real incomes, strained public finances, and lack of structural improvement in productivity or long-term economic dynamism.

THE GOOD NEWS:

Sunak just accepted the role of Zelensky’s adviser on Ukraine’s economic renewal.

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👆This is a fragment from Zelensky’s Sky News interview on February 27. It will likely serve as one of the pieces of evidence in his upcoming war crimes tribunal. The charges resulting from this evidence are at least twofold:

1. Lying to the world about not receiving offers of nuclear weapons from Britain and France — punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

2. Attempted possession and potential use of nuclear weapons — punishable by life in a high-security prison with no possibility of parole, though a death penalty exception is also a possibility.

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On February 28, 1732, Empress Anna Ioannovna approved the plan for the establishment of the "Cadet Corps," presented by General Field Marshal Minich.

Cadet Corps students underwent drill training and were provided with military uniforms. Admission priority was given to the children of nobles, officers, and officials.

In 1825, the first Cossack Cadet Corps, the Orenburg Neplyuev Corps, was established. The year 1743 saw a reorganization of military educational institutions. The School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences, founded by Peter I in 1701, was renamed the Naval Corps. Minich's Cadet Corps was renamed the Landed Gentry Cadet Corps. In 1848, the Military Cossack School was transformed into the Omsk Cossack Cadet Corps.

A major reform of military educational institutions took place in 1882. Local military gymnasiums were renamed Cadet Corps, and the Guard Ensigns School was also restructured into a Cadet Corps. Cadet schools were opened in Novocherkassk and Orenburg. In the early 20th century, with the growing population in the empire's outskirts, cadet corps were established in Tashkent and Khabarovsk.

Shortly after the October Revolution of 1917, cadet corps were abolished. Until 1925, the Naval Corps (in Bizerte) and the Khabarovsk Corps (in Shanghai) continued to operate in exile.

During the Soviet era, Suvorov and Nakhimov schools carried on the traditions of pre-revolutionary cadet corps, with branches opening in several cities. Today, cadet education is being revived in Russia. In addition to Suvorov and Nakhimov schools, various other cadet corps, schools, and classes are now operational.

#TodayInHistory

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🌟 Dear friends!

Here are our most-commented-on posts from the past week:

❕ Another heartbreaking video showing forced mobilization in Ukraine

❕ On Boris Johnson’s willingness to sacrifice British lives for his own interests

As always, we thank you for being our subscribers and for sharing your thoughts in the comments.

Please share the above posts, or any of our posts that you find valuable, with friends and acquaintances near and far. Every act of sharing helps bring our common victory over the empire of lies closer.

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⚡️⚡️⚡️Israel and the US have launched a missile strike on Iran.

The targets included the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Intelligence, IRGC positions, the Iranian Parliament, the Supreme Court, Ayatollah Khamenei’s office, and the presidential palace.

Strikes also hit the cities of Qom, Tabriz, Isfahan, Hamedan, and Kermanshah.

🤡 A potential future ruler of the country – the Iranian prince currently based in the US – has called these strikes «humanitarian».

Iran has urged its citizens to leave countries hosting US military bases.

A retaliatory strike is imminent — but the US is prepared for it. Iran should have struck first. They had the time and opportunity to do so.

#Yury_Podolyaka

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The American-Israeli-Iranian War (Noon, February 28, 2026): First Takeaways.

Analysis by journalist Yury Podolyaka:

So, the first wave of U.S. and Israeli attacks is over. Iranian missile crews have also fired back at their assigned targets. And while everyone is in "reloading and refueling mode," we can try to draw some initial conclusions.

First conclusion – the lesson from the summer war of 2025, when the Americans and Israelis managed to take out a significant number of Iranian political and military leaders with their first strike, has been learned by Iran. This time, we're not seeing that.

Second conclusion – today's strike is different from the last one. Previously, it was clear the attacks would be swift, with the main objectives set for the very first day. Now, Israel and the U.S. are taking out Iranian air defense systems, clearing a path for future airstrikes. Air power is being used in a limited way for now. Essentially, this was a kind of "disarming strike" that has, at least partially, achieved its goals.

Third conclusion. Iran also fired back quickly and clearly according to its plan for responding to the initial enemy attack. The reaction time was literally an hour or an hour and a half. That's obviously not enough time for operational planning. However, the density (and coordination) of the strikes was high. This means targets were pre-designated and hit (as far as Iranian missiles were capable). Strikes targeted U.S. bases in Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE, as well as Israel. Some got through, some were intercepted by air defenses. There was also an attempt to hit American ships. So far, unsuccessful.

Which brings us to the fourth conclusion. The Iranian leadership is not yet ready to go all in. They believe they can fight this off, and so they haven't raised the stakes to the maximum. This is evident from the fact that tankers in the Strait of Hormuz haven't been targeted yet.

And finally, the fifth conclusion – this is just the beginning. And judging by the statements already made in Israel and the U.S. (including from potential American placeholders for the Iranian leadership), the goal of this war is to solve the Iranian issue for Israel once and for all. Because later on, its political leadership can't be sure that the Americans will continue to help them this radically. So, if Iran can withstand this now, the global balance of power could very well begin to tilt in its favor.

But first, they have to actually withstand this very strike. We'll be watching to see how they manage it.

#Yury_Podolyaka

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