Viewership at Russian Propaganda Outlet Rutube Collapses, Announces Mass Layoffs
Crisis in Russia

Viewership at Russian Propaganda Outlet Rutube Collapses, Announces Mass Layoffs

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Rutube, Russia’s state-backed video platform and the Kremlin’s preferred alternative to YouTube, is undergoing mass layoffs as viewership craters and its parent company, Gazprom-Media, struggles to justify the platform’s ballooning costs. According to Frank Media, the platform’s staff were informed of “significant” cuts this week as part of a merger with Premier, an online cinema service, and Yappy, a TikTok-style vertical video app.

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A Rare Window of Opportunity To Crush Iran
World News

A Rare Window of Opportunity To Crush Iran

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Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Iran has become one of Moscow’s most critical enablers, supplying drones, missiles, and expertise that have fueled devastating attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure. Iran’s Shahed-136 drones—rebranded as Geran-2 by Russia—have become a cornerstone of Moscow’s strategy to terrorize Ukrainian cities.

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Belarusian Economy Slows Sharply as Russian Crisis Deepens
World News

Belarusian Economy Slows Sharply as Russian Crisis Deepens

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The economy of Belarus continues to drift downward due to contagion from Russia’s ongoing financial turmoil, according to a new assessment by Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service (FISU). According to Minsk’s own data, in January through July 2025, Belarus’s GDP grew by just 1.3% year-on-year, far short of the government’s 4.1% annual target.

Belarusian Economy Slows Sharply as Russian Crisis Deepens Read Post »

Azerbaijan Furious after Discovery that Russian Police Not Only Tortured But Castrated Two Azeri Brothers
World News

Azerbaijan Furious after Discovery that Russian Police Not Only Tortured But Castrated Two Azeri Brothers

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The deaths of two Azerbaijani brothers in Russian custody have ignited outrage and intensified tensions between Moscow and Baku. Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, both members of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia, died in Yekaterinburg following a mass arrest of Azerbaijani nationals in late June. Their bodies, returned to Azerbaijan, bore signs of extreme torture, including castration. A source close to the Kremlin claimed that the brothers were abused.

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Russia’s Fuel Crisis Revives Memories of Soviet Collapse
Crisis in Russia, Economy & Business

Russia’s Fuel Crisis Revives Memories of Soviet Collapse

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Russia’s deepening fuel crisis and overall collapsing economy are increasingly reminiscent of the dying days of the Soviet Union, when drivers queued for hours with ration coupons and a nation awash in oil could no longer fuel its own citizens. The parallels are stark: a powerful state losing control over its most vital resource.

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Russia’s failed methods to keep Germany and Baltics out of NATO now used on Ukraine
World, World News

Russia’s failed methods to keep Germany and Baltics out of NATO now used on Ukraine

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Moscow’s opposition to the nations on its acquisition list finding refuge in NATO has never been new or creative. It is a well-worn strategy, dating back to the earliest days of the Cold War, and repeated each time a European democracy has sought to guarantee its security inside the Western alliance.

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Russia’s Budget Deficit Again Surges as Spending Outpaces Revenues
Crisis in Russia

Russia’s Budget Deficit Again Surges as Spending Outpaces Revenues

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Russia’s public finances are deteriorating rapidly, with the consolidated budget showing a staggering deficit of 4.95 trillion rubles ($61.9 billion) in the first half of 2025, according to preliminary data from the Federal Treasury. The collapse is stark: during the same period last year, the budget ran a small surplus of 126.1 billion rubles ($1.6 billion).

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Putin Ignores Azerbaijan’s Warning, Destroys Azeri Oil Facility in Ukraine
War, World News

Putin Ignores Azerbaijan’s Warning, Destroys Azeri Oil Facility in Ukraine

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is pressing ahead with attacks on Odesa despite explicit warnings from Azerbaijan that further strikes on its assets would force a rethink in Baku’s position on the war. The destruction of a SOCAR oil depot overnight, following an earlier hit on a compressor station tied to Azerbaijani natural gas, shows Moscow’s disregard for regional sensitivities — and its willingness to escalate even at the risk of creating new enemies.

Putin Ignores Azerbaijan’s Warning, Destroys Azeri Oil Facility in Ukraine Read Post »

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