With Russia having redeployed most of the country’s air defense systems for Moscow’s big May 9th propaganda festival, Ukraine launched an overnight series of precision strikes on military facilities, factories, and airfields across the country.
Ukraine slams military targets all over Russia Amid Moscow’s Defense Gaps Read Post »
Tatneft’s net profit under Russian Accounting Standards (RAS) dropped by 45.5% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025, falling to 37.29 billion rubles, according to the company’s financial disclosures. This represents a 1.8-fold decrease compared to the same period last year. Quarterly revenue declined by 5.4% to 361.44 billion rubles, while the cost of sales rose 8.1% to 276.59 billion rubles. As a result, gross profit contracted by 32.8%, totaling 84.86 billion rubles.
Profit at Russian oil giant Tatneft drops by half Read Post »
Russia’s economic stability faces mounting challenges as oil prices plummet to levels far below the government’s budgetary expectations. As of May 2, 2025, the average price for Russia’s Urals and ESPO oil blends has dropped to $48.92 per barrel, or 3,987 roubles, marking a two-year low and standing over 40% beneath the 6,726 roubles per barrel projected in the federal budget. This significant shortfall in oil revenue is exerting considerable pressure on Russia’s fiscal health.
Russian oil now trading at -40% of what’s required to keep government funded Read Post »
In a startling revelation, like an instruction manual written in the Kremlin, the Heritage Foundation, a prominent U.S. conservative think tank, has set its sights on dismantling the European Union (EU), aligning its agenda in ways that eerily mirror Russian interests. On March 11, 2025, the group convened a closed-door meeting in Washington, D.C., to discuss proposals that could weaken the EU’s unity, a move that has raised alarm bells across the continent.
US Conservatives in closed door meetings aimed at dismantling the EU Read Post »
In a stunning act of defiance against Russia’s repressive regime, 63-year-old journalist Ekaterina Barabash escaped house arrest in Moscow and fled to safety in France, marking a rare victory for press freedom in a country where dissent is met with severe punishment. Her story, which unfolded in the spring of 2025, is a testament to the courage of independent journalists who risk everything to speak the truth in the face of authoritarian censorship.
Journalist Ekaterina Barabash has escaped Russia Read Post »
Markets are already punishing Romania for the disastrous embrace of pro-Russian populism— and George Simion hasn’t even won the presidency yet. In the space of just a few days, the mere prospect of elevating a far-right, pro-Kremlin ex-football hooligan to the nation’s highest office has plunged markets into turmoil, triggered capital flight, and sent a clear signal to the world: Romania is risking a catastrophic return to isolation, instability, and economic backwardness.
Romania Is Already Paying the Price for Embracing a Pro-Russian Demagogue Read Post »
They live in the despised West, their children ask Russian soldiers to kill “Ukrainian fascists”, and they spread unhinged anti-Ukraine and anti-West propaganda on the internet. Meet Russian propagandist Oleg Nesterenko and his wife and Ukrainian traitor Vera Pokornaya, both residing in the Parisian suburbs, while bootlicking Russia and praising its war crimes. Until 2023, neither was subject to much scrutiny.
The Central Bank of Russia has reported a $3.5 billion decrease in its international reserves over the week ending April 25, bringing the total down to $677.8 billion. While Russian officials attribute the drop to “negative revaluation,” the reality is more complex— and more troubling for the Kremlin.
Russia’s Reserves Shrink by $3.5 Billion in a Week — Signs of a Cracking Fortress Read Post »
