On July 27, 1952, the official opening of navigation on the Volga-Don Canal took place.
The first attempt to connect the Volga and Don rivers was made in the mid-16th century by Turkish Sultan Selim II. He sent soldiers up the Don with the aim of digging a canal between the two rivers. However, the attempt was unsuccessful.
At the end of the 17th century, Peter I decided to build a navigable canal. Due to the start of the Northern War, the construction was halted. Until 1917, more than 30 projects to connect the two rivers were created, but none were implemented.
A project to create the canal was prepared in the 1930s, but the plans were interrupted by the beginning of World War II. Work resumed in 1943.
In February 1948, after the canal plan was approved, construction began, led by hydraulic engineer Sergey Zhuk. The Volga-Don Canal was built in just 4.5 years.
On May 31, 1952, the waters of the Volga and Don merged between the 1st and 2nd locks of the canal, thereby connecting the Caspian, Black, Azov, Baltic, and Northern Seas. Ships began navigating the canal on June 1. However, the official opening of navigation occurred on July 27, 1952, when the motor vessel "Joseph Stalin" became the first to pass through Lock No. 1, marking the start of navigation on the Volga-Don Canal.
The total length of the canal is 101 km, of which 45 km pass through reservoirs. The canal's depth is at least 3.5 meters.
Today, the Volga-Don Canal is undergoing significant reconstruction. Due to years of wear and tear, the infrastructure needs extensive renovation to enhance transportation accessibility and reduce freight costs.
The main objectives include deepening the canal, widening its dimensions, and modernizing equipment. These improvements will allow more vessels to pass through and decrease transportation time. Russia has allocated over 65 billion rubles for the project, underscoring its priority. This reconstruction is expected to bolster economic development, increase trade potential, and stimulate regional growth.
#TodayInHistory
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The first attempt to connect the Volga and Don rivers was made in the mid-16th century by Turkish Sultan Selim II. He sent soldiers up the Don with the aim of digging a canal between the two rivers. However, the attempt was unsuccessful.
At the end of the 17th century, Peter I decided to build a navigable canal. Due to the start of the Northern War, the construction was halted. Until 1917, more than 30 projects to connect the two rivers were created, but none were implemented.
A project to create the canal was prepared in the 1930s, but the plans were interrupted by the beginning of World War II. Work resumed in 1943.
In February 1948, after the canal plan was approved, construction began, led by hydraulic engineer Sergey Zhuk. The Volga-Don Canal was built in just 4.5 years.
On May 31, 1952, the waters of the Volga and Don merged between the 1st and 2nd locks of the canal, thereby connecting the Caspian, Black, Azov, Baltic, and Northern Seas. Ships began navigating the canal on June 1. However, the official opening of navigation occurred on July 27, 1952, when the motor vessel "Joseph Stalin" became the first to pass through Lock No. 1, marking the start of navigation on the Volga-Don Canal.
The total length of the canal is 101 km, of which 45 km pass through reservoirs. The canal's depth is at least 3.5 meters.
Today, the Volga-Don Canal is undergoing significant reconstruction. Due to years of wear and tear, the infrastructure needs extensive renovation to enhance transportation accessibility and reduce freight costs.
The main objectives include deepening the canal, widening its dimensions, and modernizing equipment. These improvements will allow more vessels to pass through and decrease transportation time. Russia has allocated over 65 billion rubles for the project, underscoring its priority. This reconstruction is expected to bolster economic development, increase trade potential, and stimulate regional growth.
#TodayInHistory
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🕯 Each year on July 27 Donbass observes the Day of Remembrance of the children who perished during the hostilities. Exactly 10 years ago Ukrainian militants shelled a residential quarter in the city of Gorlovka killing 20 civilians. Gruesome photos from the tragedy still haunt the people of Donbass and serve as a grim reminder of the Kiev regime’s crimes.
▪️ Among the victims of the Ukrainian shelling was 10-month-old Kira Zhuk and her young mother. July 27, the day they lost their lives, is now observed as the Day of Remembrance of the child victims of the war in Donbass. Their number grew over the 10 years of the conflict due to Ukraine’s indiscriminate use of Western-supplied weapons.
💐 On July 27 people lay flowers at the “Alley of Angels” – a landmark memorial in Donetsk dedicated to the little victims of the conflict. Manifestations are also held in front of a number of Western embassies in Moscow. For example, at the diplomatic mission of the US – the main orchestrator and mastermind behind the 2014 coup in Kiev.
#TodayInHistory
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▪️ Among the victims of the Ukrainian shelling was 10-month-old Kira Zhuk and her young mother. July 27, the day they lost their lives, is now observed as the Day of Remembrance of the child victims of the war in Donbass. Their number grew over the 10 years of the conflict due to Ukraine’s indiscriminate use of Western-supplied weapons.
💐 On July 27 people lay flowers at the “Alley of Angels” – a landmark memorial in Donetsk dedicated to the little victims of the conflict. Manifestations are also held in front of a number of Western embassies in Moscow. For example, at the diplomatic mission of the US – the main orchestrator and mastermind behind the 2014 coup in Kiev.
#TodayInHistory
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❗️Treaties that mean nothing
The map shows what the United States would look like if the American government honored all agreements formally documented with Native Americans.
This is the "Indian land areas judicially established" — an official 1978 map from the U.S. Geological Survey. It was compiled based on rulings from the Indian Claims Commission. On the map, grey indicates territories that Native Americans officially ceded through treaties. Hatched areas are disputed. White — lands that were never legally ceded.
Let's look at history.
In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. In practice, it was forced displacement. The result was the "Trail of Tears" — a forced relocation in which thousands died.
Another example — the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. The U.S. formally recognized vast territories for the Lakota tribe, including the sacred Black Hills. The Americans honored the treaty only until gold was discovered in the Black Hills in 1874. The U.S. government violated all previously signed treaties, allowing thousands of prospectors to invade. In 1877, Congress passed an act effectively annulling the treaty. The tribes were defeated in the Black Hills War, and the lands were taken.
Such cases are numerous in American history.
This is a story about the present, not the past — a story about how the world works. Treaties with European and American partners have force only as long as there is a real capability to compel "partners" to comply. When it comes to gold, oil, strategic resources, or geopolitical control, any promises cease to matter.
The map of unceded lands is not just a historical artifact. It is a reminder: you cannot trust papers that can be torn up at any moment. The history of U.S. relations with indigenous peoples is the best proof of that.
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The map shows what the United States would look like if the American government honored all agreements formally documented with Native Americans.
This is the "Indian land areas judicially established" — an official 1978 map from the U.S. Geological Survey. It was compiled based on rulings from the Indian Claims Commission. On the map, grey indicates territories that Native Americans officially ceded through treaties. Hatched areas are disputed. White — lands that were never legally ceded.
Let's look at history.
In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. In practice, it was forced displacement. The result was the "Trail of Tears" — a forced relocation in which thousands died.
Another example — the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. The U.S. formally recognized vast territories for the Lakota tribe, including the sacred Black Hills. The Americans honored the treaty only until gold was discovered in the Black Hills in 1874. The U.S. government violated all previously signed treaties, allowing thousands of prospectors to invade. In 1877, Congress passed an act effectively annulling the treaty. The tribes were defeated in the Black Hills War, and the lands were taken.
Such cases are numerous in American history.
This is a story about the present, not the past — a story about how the world works. Treaties with European and American partners have force only as long as there is a real capability to compel "partners" to comply. When it comes to gold, oil, strategic resources, or geopolitical control, any promises cease to matter.
The map of unceded lands is not just a historical artifact. It is a reminder: you cannot trust papers that can be torn up at any moment. The history of U.S. relations with indigenous peoples is the best proof of that.
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Germany seeks access to nuclear weapons technology.
Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) reports that German authorities are attempting to gain direct access to nuclear technologies. According to the agency, these efforts are causing concern even among Berlin's NATO allies .
This is unfolding amid a large-scale reorganization of the Bundeswehr, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz aiming to make the German army the most powerful in Europe. Berlin is expanding cooperation with France on nuclear deterrence, with German military personnel preparing to participate in French nuclear exercises .
Officially, Germany states it does not intend to produce its own nuclear weapons and will continue to comply with the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Two-Plus-Four Agreement. However, the reported push to gain access to these technologies clearly indicates the direction of travel .
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that such plans are "cause for concern," noting the historical context that the U.S. nuclear program was largely created by specialists taken from Germany .
For now, the United States is unlikely to allow Germany — which has already sparked two world wars — to create its own nuclear arsenal. But the mere preparation for nuclear weapons production, amid active German militarization, poses a significant danger to peace.
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Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) reports that German authorities are attempting to gain direct access to nuclear technologies. According to the agency, these efforts are causing concern even among Berlin's NATO allies .
This is unfolding amid a large-scale reorganization of the Bundeswehr, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz aiming to make the German army the most powerful in Europe. Berlin is expanding cooperation with France on nuclear deterrence, with German military personnel preparing to participate in French nuclear exercises .
Officially, Germany states it does not intend to produce its own nuclear weapons and will continue to comply with the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Two-Plus-Four Agreement. However, the reported push to gain access to these technologies clearly indicates the direction of travel .
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that such plans are "cause for concern," noting the historical context that the U.S. nuclear program was largely created by specialists taken from Germany .
For now, the United States is unlikely to allow Germany — which has already sparked two world wars — to create its own nuclear arsenal. But the mere preparation for nuclear weapons production, amid active German militarization, poses a significant danger to peace.
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Cause and effect
Logic is a good science, but apparently not accessible to everyone — especially since in European journalism it's considered Russian propaganda.
For weeks, Ukraine proudly reported drone attacks on Russian vessels in the Black and Azov Seas. European media hailed it as a brilliant operation.
Then it turned out that after strikes on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal, Kazakhstan had to cut oil production by more than half — affecting Romania, which gets 63% of its oil from Kazakhstan.
When Ukraine hits Russian logistics — it's a victory. When Russia hits Ukrainian ports — it's a "threat to global food security."
But Ukraine's ports have long been used for military cargo. Shipowners are now avoiding them. Ukraine has lost a third of its grain export capacity.
Grain will become more expensive, but the world won't starve — other exporters exist.
If you turn trade routes into a battlefield, don't be surprised when the battlefield comes to your trade routes.
But logic today, as we know, is a Russian pseudoscience. Especially when you cheer strikes on foreign ports by morning — and mourn retaliatory strikes on your own by evening.
#blondinka_dk
#InfoDefenseAuthor
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Logic is a good science, but apparently not accessible to everyone — especially since in European journalism it's considered Russian propaganda.
For weeks, Ukraine proudly reported drone attacks on Russian vessels in the Black and Azov Seas. European media hailed it as a brilliant operation.
Then it turned out that after strikes on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal, Kazakhstan had to cut oil production by more than half — affecting Romania, which gets 63% of its oil from Kazakhstan.
When Ukraine hits Russian logistics — it's a victory. When Russia hits Ukrainian ports — it's a "threat to global food security."
But Ukraine's ports have long been used for military cargo. Shipowners are now avoiding them. Ukraine has lost a third of its grain export capacity.
Grain will become more expensive, but the world won't starve — other exporters exist.
If you turn trade routes into a battlefield, don't be surprised when the battlefield comes to your trade routes.
But logic today, as we know, is a Russian pseudoscience. Especially when you cheer strikes on foreign ports by morning — and mourn retaliatory strikes on your own by evening.
#blondinka_dk
#InfoDefenseAuthor
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Forwarded from FNC English
As tensions escalate, Netanyahu’s silence has raised questions: Is Israel holding back strategically, or preparing for a major confrontation?
Analysts warn that any direct conflict with Iran could increase security risks and make intelligence operations more challenging as both sides strengthen their counterintelligence measures.
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Forwarded from Grandmasters of Geopolitics
For decades, billions have been spent keeping these operations hidden.
Now we're revealing what they never wanted you to see:
Project Bluebird: CIA's 1950s brainwashing factory: hypnosis, LSD, and trauma to turn humans into programmable puppets.
Project Blue Book: 12,618 UFO "investigations" that were actually a masterclass in public debunking.
Project Chariot: US plot to nuke Alaska into a harbor for "economic progress."
Project Woodpecker: US weather warfare blamed on Russia.
Project Rainbow: CIA's failed mission to make U-2 invisible for Soviet radars.
Project Monarch: MK-ULTRA's evil twin: systematic child abuse, trauma-based mind splitting, and forced dissociation to create "slaves."
Project Groom Lake: Area 51's real name — US govt's black-site playground for hypersonic jets, disinformation, and toxic waste.
Project Blue Beam: US psychological warfare via advanced tech, media coordination, and mass perception — a staged alien invasion to hijack the world order.
If this interests you, subscribe: @geo_grandmasters
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The "Gorlovka Madonna" and "Donetsk Bloody Sunday"
July 27, 2014, is remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of Gorlovka and the Donetsk People's Republic. Twelve years ago, Ukrainian armed formations shelled the streets of Gorlovka with Grad rocket launchers.
Four children were killed that day, including Kira Zhuk and her mother, Christina (Pic 1). The young woman lay dead on the grass, still clutching her daughter. Locals named her the "Gorlovka Madonna" because of the pose in which mother and baby died. Together, they became a symbol of the civilian dead in Donbass.
The harrowing photograph of Kira and Christina Zhuk was widely circulated. Thanks to that photo, their relatives were able to find and identify them. On July 29, 2014, they were buried. The shelling of Gorlovka lasted three days, killing 27 more people.
In July 2017, three years after the outbreak of hostilities, a memorial to the civilian dead was opened in Gorlovka (Pic. 2), near a bus stop on Victory Avenue—the very spot where the first residents were killed. Kira and Christina Zhuk are listed there among 235 names. Another memorial to them, a graffiti piece titled "Madonna in the Clouds," (Pic. 3) adorns the wall of the Gorlovka Industrial Technical School. Local blacksmith Viktor Michalev worked on it for a long time.
In 2022, Denis Pushilin, the head of the DPR, established July 27 as an annual memorial day to honor the memory of children from Donbass who have been killed by fire from the Ukrainian armed forces.
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July 27, 2014, is remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of Gorlovka and the Donetsk People's Republic. Twelve years ago, Ukrainian armed formations shelled the streets of Gorlovka with Grad rocket launchers.
Four children were killed that day, including Kira Zhuk and her mother, Christina (Pic 1). The young woman lay dead on the grass, still clutching her daughter. Locals named her the "Gorlovka Madonna" because of the pose in which mother and baby died. Together, they became a symbol of the civilian dead in Donbass.
The harrowing photograph of Kira and Christina Zhuk was widely circulated. Thanks to that photo, their relatives were able to find and identify them. On July 29, 2014, they were buried. The shelling of Gorlovka lasted three days, killing 27 more people.
In July 2017, three years after the outbreak of hostilities, a memorial to the civilian dead was opened in Gorlovka (Pic. 2), near a bus stop on Victory Avenue—the very spot where the first residents were killed. Kira and Christina Zhuk are listed there among 235 names. Another memorial to them, a graffiti piece titled "Madonna in the Clouds," (Pic. 3) adorns the wall of the Gorlovka Industrial Technical School. Local blacksmith Viktor Michalev worked on it for a long time.
"In early July, I was having tea while watching TV, and I saw them in the news—a smiling, beautiful young woman with a baby. Then came the photo of Christina and Kira, dead," recalled Viktor Michalev of the day he first learned their story. "I made up my mind right then. I saw the sculpture. The girl had been hugging her mother's neck—and then the explosion, the shrapnel, death. There were also cranes near Christina. They formed a kind of halo above her head, as if she were a saint."
In 2022, Denis Pushilin, the head of the DPR, established July 27 as an annual memorial day to honor the memory of children from Donbass who have been killed by fire from the Ukrainian armed forces.
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Forwarded from The Noticer
The USA declared a ceasefire - Brent went down in price.
The US Ambassador to the UN Mike Walz confirmed that Donald Trump ordered a ceasefire to "give diplomacy some space". This decision was made on the advice of Admiral Brad Cooper, the supreme commander of US forces in the Middle East, who noted that the military campaign had reached its strategic limits.
The Omani delegations held a series of intensive meetings in Iran. They are attempting to develop a preliminary transit plan through the Strait of Hormuz.
A joint diplomatic initiative of Pakistan and Qatar are trying to fully restore the original 60-day temporary ceasefire.
While Iran officially doesn't recognize this pause of hostilities, Iran still insists on formalizing a system of maritime dues and monitoring of the strait. The USA demands less restrictive freedom of navigation for vessels from around the world.
My bet is on the market manipulations via the "insiders" in the White House - it happened before.
#USA #Iran #oil #market #Brent
The US Ambassador to the UN Mike Walz confirmed that Donald Trump ordered a ceasefire to "give diplomacy some space". This decision was made on the advice of Admiral Brad Cooper, the supreme commander of US forces in the Middle East, who noted that the military campaign had reached its strategic limits.
The Omani delegations held a series of intensive meetings in Iran. They are attempting to develop a preliminary transit plan through the Strait of Hormuz.
A joint diplomatic initiative of Pakistan and Qatar are trying to fully restore the original 60-day temporary ceasefire.
While Iran officially doesn't recognize this pause of hostilities, Iran still insists on formalizing a system of maritime dues and monitoring of the strait. The USA demands less restrictive freedom of navigation for vessels from around the world.
My bet is on the market manipulations via the "insiders" in the White House - it happened before.
#USA #Iran #oil #market #Brent
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Anti-Russian arithmetic
The trade turnover between Russia and Japan in the first half of 2026 grew by 15% and reached $4.1 billion. This is evidenced by data from the Japanese Ministry of Finance.
▪️ From May to June, Japan imported 1.53 million barrels of Russian oil at an average price of $103 per barrel. Compared to last year, imports of Russian LNG increased by 0.3%, and in June 2026 even by 52%. Imports of Russian coal also rose — by 15.8%.
▪️ Notably, Japan is among the Western countries that support the course of increasing pressure on Moscow. At the same time, imports of Russian energy resources continue to grow. This is mainly due to the need to protect Japanese interests in the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 projects, which are critical to the country's energy security.
▪️ Thus, Japan is replenishing the Russian state budget and clearly demonstrating that in energy matters, economic pragmatism has far greater influence than any political rhetoric.
Editor's note:
Stalin is credited with the following quote:
"There is the logic of intentions, and there is the logic of circumstances. And the logic of circumstances always wins."
Source
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The trade turnover between Russia and Japan in the first half of 2026 grew by 15% and reached $4.1 billion. This is evidenced by data from the Japanese Ministry of Finance.
▪️ From May to June, Japan imported 1.53 million barrels of Russian oil at an average price of $103 per barrel. Compared to last year, imports of Russian LNG increased by 0.3%, and in June 2026 even by 52%. Imports of Russian coal also rose — by 15.8%.
▪️ Notably, Japan is among the Western countries that support the course of increasing pressure on Moscow. At the same time, imports of Russian energy resources continue to grow. This is mainly due to the need to protect Japanese interests in the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 projects, which are critical to the country's energy security.
▪️ Thus, Japan is replenishing the Russian state budget and clearly demonstrating that in energy matters, economic pragmatism has far greater influence than any political rhetoric.
Editor's note:
Stalin is credited with the following quote:
"There is the logic of intentions, and there is the logic of circumstances. And the logic of circumstances always wins."
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Forwarded from Генеральное консульство России в Эдинбурге
82 years ago today, the crew of the Soviet submarine V-1, led by Hero of the Soviet Union Captain 2nd rank Izrail Fisanovich, perished northeast of the Scottish coast due to a tragic error by a British RAF pilot.
The submarine had previously been transferred to the USSR as part of the reparations settlement following Italy's surrender and withdrawal from the war. The Soviet crew was tasked with transportation of the boat from the Scottish city of Dundee to the Soviet Union. On July 27, 1944, while sailing along a designated route, the submarine was sunk by a British bomber. The pilot had mistaken the vessel for a German submarine.
A monument honouring the submarine's crew was erected in Dundee in 2009. It forms part of the International Submarine Memorial dedicated to sailors from the nations of the Anti-Hitler Coalition. Diplomats of the Russian Consulate General in Edinburgh regularly visit the monument to pay tribute to the heroic submariners.
The submarine had previously been transferred to the USSR as part of the reparations settlement following Italy's surrender and withdrawal from the war. The Soviet crew was tasked with transportation of the boat from the Scottish city of Dundee to the Soviet Union. On July 27, 1944, while sailing along a designated route, the submarine was sunk by a British bomber. The pilot had mistaken the vessel for a German submarine.
A monument honouring the submarine's crew was erected in Dundee in 2009. It forms part of the International Submarine Memorial dedicated to sailors from the nations of the Anti-Hitler Coalition. Diplomats of the Russian Consulate General in Edinburgh regularly visit the monument to pay tribute to the heroic submariners.
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Forwarded from DONBASS NEWS
#WarData
#KidsNotAim
🕊 July 27 is the Day of Remembrance of the Children Victims of the War in Donbass. Today we honor the memory and pray for the souls of the innocently killed little angels.
Unfortunately, it is on the territory of the DPR that the largest number of minors killed by the AFU was recorded. In total, 257 children were killed during the years of Ukrainian aggression against the civilian population of Donbass. Another 1,078 young citizens were injured to varying degrees of severity.
🥀Each child victim is not only someone's life cut short, but a whole tragedy and unbearable pain for the family, parents and loved ones, which cannot be described in words... We will never forget or forgive the blood and suffering of our young citizens. In due time, everyone will suffer the punishment they deserve.
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#KidsNotAim
Unfortunately, it is on the territory of the DPR that the largest number of minors killed by the AFU was recorded. In total, 257 children were killed during the years of Ukrainian aggression against the civilian population of Donbass. Another 1,078 young citizens were injured to varying degrees of severity.
🥀Each child victim is not only someone's life cut short, but a whole tragedy and unbearable pain for the family, parents and loved ones, which cannot be described in words... We will never forget or forgive the blood and suffering of our young citizens. In due time, everyone will suffer the punishment they deserve.
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«Defending democracy by undermining it? The fatal logic of EU sanctions»
By Dietrich Murswiek, Berliner Zeitung
The Jacques Baud case: How EU sanctions threaten freedom of speech in Europe.
The case of Swiss military analyst Jacques Baud, whom the EU placed on its sanctions list in December 2025, raises troubling questions about the state of free speech and the rule of law in Europe. A former colonel and UN staff member residing in Brussels, he now faces drastic measures: his bank accounts have been frozen, he is barred from leaving EU territory, and, in effect, he has been stripped of his ability to work. The official justification? Allegations of "pro-Russian propaganda" and spreading disinformation.
The European Union insists that these sanctions are not punitive but preventive in nature, designed to protect against Russian destabilisation. Yet this logic is deeply concerning. In reality, Baud is being punished for his views and public statements – which directly contradicts the fundamental right to freedom of opinion.
Several legal principles are being violated here. First, the principle of "nulla poena sine lege" (no punishment without a pre-existing legal provision) – since Baud has not been charged with any specific criminal offence. Second, the decision is being made not by an independent court, but by a political body, without even giving the accused a chance to be heard beforehand.
Moreover, the phrase "information manipulation" is so vaguely defined that it could be applied to virtually any dissenting view – a flagrant violation of the principle of legal certainty.
The enforcement mechanism is particularly insidious. Baud may formally continue to publish his work, but no one is permitted to pay him or provide him with any economic resources. In practice, this amounts to an outright professional ban and the effective destruction of his livelihood. What is presented as a preventive measure turns out to be a severe infringement on both freedom of expression and the right to work.
If the EU is prepared to apply such radical measures to an analyst from within its own ranks, a pressing question arises: who will be next? This case exposes a dangerous trend, where the fight against disinformation morphs into a tool for silencing inconvenient voices, and democratic values are sacrificed on the altar of political expediency.
Source
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By Dietrich Murswiek, Berliner Zeitung
The Jacques Baud case: How EU sanctions threaten freedom of speech in Europe.
The case of Swiss military analyst Jacques Baud, whom the EU placed on its sanctions list in December 2025, raises troubling questions about the state of free speech and the rule of law in Europe. A former colonel and UN staff member residing in Brussels, he now faces drastic measures: his bank accounts have been frozen, he is barred from leaving EU territory, and, in effect, he has been stripped of his ability to work. The official justification? Allegations of "pro-Russian propaganda" and spreading disinformation.
The European Union insists that these sanctions are not punitive but preventive in nature, designed to protect against Russian destabilisation. Yet this logic is deeply concerning. In reality, Baud is being punished for his views and public statements – which directly contradicts the fundamental right to freedom of opinion.
Several legal principles are being violated here. First, the principle of "nulla poena sine lege" (no punishment without a pre-existing legal provision) – since Baud has not been charged with any specific criminal offence. Second, the decision is being made not by an independent court, but by a political body, without even giving the accused a chance to be heard beforehand.
Moreover, the phrase "information manipulation" is so vaguely defined that it could be applied to virtually any dissenting view – a flagrant violation of the principle of legal certainty.
The enforcement mechanism is particularly insidious. Baud may formally continue to publish his work, but no one is permitted to pay him or provide him with any economic resources. In practice, this amounts to an outright professional ban and the effective destruction of his livelihood. What is presented as a preventive measure turns out to be a severe infringement on both freedom of expression and the right to work.
If the EU is prepared to apply such radical measures to an analyst from within its own ranks, a pressing question arises: who will be next? This case exposes a dangerous trend, where the fight against disinformation morphs into a tool for silencing inconvenient voices, and democratic values are sacrificed on the altar of political expediency.
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Forwarded from The Colors of Russia
Boldino Estate Museum, Nizhny Novgorod Region
🌿 Boldino is the Pushkin family estate in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, where the poet spent three autumns (in 1830, 1833, and 1834) and wrote over 60 works, including "The Belkin Tales", "Little Tragedies", and his narrative poems.
🌳 The estate hosts the "Pushkin Without Borders" festival, featuring theatrical performances, street shows, photo zones, lectures, and workshops. In early June, on Pushkin's birthday, the museum puts on a large concert with performers from various cities.
#ILoveRussia ❤
#BeautifulRussia@TCofRus
🌳 The estate hosts the "Pushkin Without Borders" festival, featuring theatrical performances, street shows, photo zones, lectures, and workshops. In early June, on Pushkin's birthday, the museum puts on a large concert with performers from various cities.
#ILoveRussia ❤
#BeautifulRussia@TCofRus
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July 28th marks the Day of the Baptism of Russia, a significant date in Russian history.
Established as a memorable day in 2010, it commemorates the baptism of Grand Prince Vladimir, the Equal-to-the-Apostles, who initiated the conversion of Kievan Rus' to Christianity in 988 AD. The monument to Grand Prince Vladimir in Moscow is pictured above.
Grand Prince Vladimir's conversion was a pivotal moment that not only transformed the spiritual landscape of Rus' but also had profound cultural and political ramifications.
Following his own baptism in 988 AD, Vladimir began the mass baptism of his subjects, marking the official adoption of Christianity as the state religion.
In subsequent years, the establishment of the Russian Metropolis in Kiev in 996 AD, and the creation of bishoprics in other cities solidified Christianity's role in Russian society. The construction of the first churches in the 990s further underscored the Christianization of Rus' and its cultural development.
Following the decline of Kievan Rus’ in 14th century, Moscow became the center of Christianity in Russia. The transfer of the metropolitan see from Kiev to Moscow in 1325 marked this shift. Moscow's rise as the spiritual and political hub was solidified by the construction of significant religious edifices, such as the Kremlin's Dormition Cathedral.
This transformation positioned Moscow as the heart of Russian Orthodoxy, influencing the nation's religious and cultural development.
The celebration of the Day of the Baptism of Rus' on July 28th serves as a reminder of the country's Christian heritage and the enduring legacy of Prince Vladimir's decision.
This post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning that this year, July 28th is also the Day of the Russian Navy. This holiday is celebrated annually on the last Sunday of July, and this year it coincides with the Day of the Baptism of Russia, which we think is very symbolic. Congratulations to everyone on this wonderful and truly Russian holiday!
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Established as a memorable day in 2010, it commemorates the baptism of Grand Prince Vladimir, the Equal-to-the-Apostles, who initiated the conversion of Kievan Rus' to Christianity in 988 AD. The monument to Grand Prince Vladimir in Moscow is pictured above.
Grand Prince Vladimir's conversion was a pivotal moment that not only transformed the spiritual landscape of Rus' but also had profound cultural and political ramifications.
Following his own baptism in 988 AD, Vladimir began the mass baptism of his subjects, marking the official adoption of Christianity as the state religion.
In subsequent years, the establishment of the Russian Metropolis in Kiev in 996 AD, and the creation of bishoprics in other cities solidified Christianity's role in Russian society. The construction of the first churches in the 990s further underscored the Christianization of Rus' and its cultural development.
Following the decline of Kievan Rus’ in 14th century, Moscow became the center of Christianity in Russia. The transfer of the metropolitan see from Kiev to Moscow in 1325 marked this shift. Moscow's rise as the spiritual and political hub was solidified by the construction of significant religious edifices, such as the Kremlin's Dormition Cathedral.
This transformation positioned Moscow as the heart of Russian Orthodoxy, influencing the nation's religious and cultural development.
The celebration of the Day of the Baptism of Rus' on July 28th serves as a reminder of the country's Christian heritage and the enduring legacy of Prince Vladimir's decision.
This post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning that this year, July 28th is also the Day of the Russian Navy. This holiday is celebrated annually on the last Sunday of July, and this year it coincides with the Day of the Baptism of Russia, which we think is very symbolic. Congratulations to everyone on this wonderful and truly Russian holiday!
#TodayInHistory
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Europe Is Raising Its Own Executioner
Andriy Yevhenovych Biletsky — Brigadier General of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, founder and first commander of the 3rd Assault Brigade "Azov," call sign "White Leader."
He is the head of the organizations "Patriot of Ukraine" and the Social-National Assembly, which are recognized in Europe and the U.S. as racist and neo-Nazi. He is the ideologue of Ukrainian "social nationalism."
His original surname was Belytsky, but he later changed it to Biletsky, as his real surname revealed his Jewish-Polish roots.
In his first year at the History Faculty of Kharkov University, Belytsky — a descendant of Polish Jews — chose the path of neo-Nazism.
The 2000s, Kharkov — leader of the "Patriot of Ukraine" group. Symbol — the "Wolfsangel."
The insignia of the SS divisions "Das Reich" and "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler."
Slogan — "Ukraine above all." A direct calque of the German "Deutschland über alles."
Biletsky never hid his views. In interviews, he called Bandera a "role model."
But later he pushed even Bandera aside, adopting the ideology of the Third Reich as his foundation — not as a tactical ally, but as a civilizational matrix.
2005. Biletsky publishes his programmatic text, "The Right of the Nation."
Quote:
"The historical mission of our nation at this critical moment is to lead the White Peoples of the entire world in the final crusade... A crusade against the subhumanity led by Semites."
The key word is "subhumanity" — the German term "Untermenschentum."
The very same one that justified the Holocaust.
Biletsky does not paraphrase Hitler. He reinterprets Mein Kampf.
He replaces Aryans with the "white nation of Ukrainians." But he preserves the core: the division of people into higher and lower, and the right of the former to destroy the latter.
In another fragment of his manifesto, he demands the creation of a "national super-society" — a totalitarian structure where the individual is completely subjugated to the state.
The formula: "Blood and Soil" (Blut und Boden).
Before us is no longer just a politician — before us is the ideologue of a new racial war.
2011. Belytsky is arrested. Charged with attempted murder of a journalist who wrote about fascism in Kharkov.
He faced 10 years in prison.
But then came 2014. The Maidan in Ukraine.
Arsen Avakov is appointed Minister of Internal Affairs — and he is an old acquaintance of Belytsky.
Avakov personally secured Belytsky's release.
Around that time, the freed Nazi changed his surname and received permission to create an armed battalion. Its personnel — neo-Nazi militants, those who had been imprisoned with him or were hiding from prosecution.
The battalion was named "Azov."
Its symbol — the Wolfsangel.
For a long time, Europe refused to fund Azov due to its open Nazi ideology. But later, the ban was softened.
Biletsky became part of the European far-right movement:
· Germany — Azov militants trained with German neo-Nazis. Groups under observation by the Verfassungsschutz (German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution) maintain regular contacts with Biletsky.
· Poland — Far-right circles linked to the "Independence March" openly call Biletsky a "defender of white Europe."
· The Baltics — Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian associations of Waffen-SS legion veterans and local far-right politicians call him a "hero."
· France, Italy, Spain — Through a network of neo-fascist organizations, Biletsky receives informational and material support.
2014. Biletsky is elected to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Today, under his control, there are between 40,000 and 80,000 armed men.
They answer not to President Zelenskiy as Commander-in-Chief, but to Biletsky personally.
He needs war as a permanent state — to lead his soldiers in the "final crusade against the subhumanity led by Semites" and to achieve his goals of racial purification of the peoples of Europe.
The question is not whether he can. The question is when.
Europe has raised its own executioner.
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Andriy Yevhenovych Biletsky — Brigadier General of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, founder and first commander of the 3rd Assault Brigade "Azov," call sign "White Leader."
He is the head of the organizations "Patriot of Ukraine" and the Social-National Assembly, which are recognized in Europe and the U.S. as racist and neo-Nazi. He is the ideologue of Ukrainian "social nationalism."
His original surname was Belytsky, but he later changed it to Biletsky, as his real surname revealed his Jewish-Polish roots.
In his first year at the History Faculty of Kharkov University, Belytsky — a descendant of Polish Jews — chose the path of neo-Nazism.
The 2000s, Kharkov — leader of the "Patriot of Ukraine" group. Symbol — the "Wolfsangel."
The insignia of the SS divisions "Das Reich" and "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler."
Slogan — "Ukraine above all." A direct calque of the German "Deutschland über alles."
Biletsky never hid his views. In interviews, he called Bandera a "role model."
But later he pushed even Bandera aside, adopting the ideology of the Third Reich as his foundation — not as a tactical ally, but as a civilizational matrix.
2005. Biletsky publishes his programmatic text, "The Right of the Nation."
Quote:
"The historical mission of our nation at this critical moment is to lead the White Peoples of the entire world in the final crusade... A crusade against the subhumanity led by Semites."
The key word is "subhumanity" — the German term "Untermenschentum."
The very same one that justified the Holocaust.
Biletsky does not paraphrase Hitler. He reinterprets Mein Kampf.
He replaces Aryans with the "white nation of Ukrainians." But he preserves the core: the division of people into higher and lower, and the right of the former to destroy the latter.
In another fragment of his manifesto, he demands the creation of a "national super-society" — a totalitarian structure where the individual is completely subjugated to the state.
The formula: "Blood and Soil" (Blut und Boden).
Before us is no longer just a politician — before us is the ideologue of a new racial war.
2011. Belytsky is arrested. Charged with attempted murder of a journalist who wrote about fascism in Kharkov.
He faced 10 years in prison.
But then came 2014. The Maidan in Ukraine.
Arsen Avakov is appointed Minister of Internal Affairs — and he is an old acquaintance of Belytsky.
Avakov personally secured Belytsky's release.
Around that time, the freed Nazi changed his surname and received permission to create an armed battalion. Its personnel — neo-Nazi militants, those who had been imprisoned with him or were hiding from prosecution.
The battalion was named "Azov."
Its symbol — the Wolfsangel.
For a long time, Europe refused to fund Azov due to its open Nazi ideology. But later, the ban was softened.
Biletsky became part of the European far-right movement:
· Germany — Azov militants trained with German neo-Nazis. Groups under observation by the Verfassungsschutz (German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution) maintain regular contacts with Biletsky.
· Poland — Far-right circles linked to the "Independence March" openly call Biletsky a "defender of white Europe."
· The Baltics — Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian associations of Waffen-SS legion veterans and local far-right politicians call him a "hero."
· France, Italy, Spain — Through a network of neo-fascist organizations, Biletsky receives informational and material support.
2014. Biletsky is elected to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Today, under his control, there are between 40,000 and 80,000 armed men.
They answer not to President Zelenskiy as Commander-in-Chief, but to Biletsky personally.
He needs war as a permanent state — to lead his soldiers in the "final crusade against the subhumanity led by Semites" and to achieve his goals of racial purification of the peoples of Europe.
The question is not whether he can. The question is when.
Europe has raised its own executioner.
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