RUSSIA
Share
ISW suggests Kremlin approved Bloomberg leak on plans to intensify strikes against Ukraine
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assess that Vladimir Putin may have organised or at least approved the disclosure of Kremlin thinking to Bloomberg about plans to step up attacks on Ukraine’s energy system and other…
Report: Russian-made small arms entering Italy via mafia channels and ‘shadow fleet’
Italian investigative outlet Linkiesta has reported that Russian-origin small arms and ammunition have been moved covertly into Italy through mafia structures, with consignments routed by sea and overland and then warehoused by clans for resale or contingency use. The report,…
Russia launches 619 drones and missiles at Ukraine; air defences neutralise 583
Russia conducted a large-scale combined strike across Ukraine overnight from 19 to 20 September, launching 619 aerial assets comprising attack drones and missiles. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that 583 of these were destroyed or suppressed, with impacts and falling debris recorded in…
Byadmin
MiG-31s over Estonia expose a NATO posture Moscow now expects
Estonia’s report that three Russian MiG-31s penetrated its airspace near Vaindloo Island on 19 September is the fourth such violation this year and the most serious to date: the jets reportedly remained inside for around 12 minutes, with transponders off,…
Estonia summons Russian envoy after MiG-31 incursion; Poland reports low passes over Petrobaltic Baltic platform
Estonia summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires in Tallinn on Friday, 19 September, after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland and remained for around 12 minutes. The Estonian Foreign Ministry issued a formal note of…
Ukraine targets Russian energy sites in Bashkortostan and Volgograd
Ukrainian forces struck two major energy facilities deep inside Russia overnight on 17–18 September, hitting the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat petrochemical complex in Bashkortostan and the Lukoil-operated Volgograd oil refinery. Regional authorities in Bashkortostan reported a fire at the Salavat site…
India sends 65 troops to Russian–Belarusian ‘Zapad-2025’ drills as tariffs row with Washington reshapes regional alignments
India has deployed a 65-strong contingent to Russia’s Mulino training ground for the multilateral military exercise “Zapad-2025”, marking New Delhi’s first participation in the Russian–Belarusian war games and signalling continued defence ties with Moscow amid heightened trade tensions with the…
Trump’s Belarus overture risks confusing NATO at a fraught moment
U.S. military officers’ surprise appearance at Zapad-2025 in Belarus has jarred allies already managing drone incursions and a large Russian–Belarusian drill on NATO’s doorstep. The visit may have been designed as observation under OSCE rules, but its timing and optics…
Ukraine’s forces strike Kirishi oil refinery in Leningrad Oblast
Ukrainian Special Operations Forces and the Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces say they struck the Kirishinefteorgsintez (KINEF) oil refinery in Russia’s Leningrad Oblast overnight on 13–14 September, describing the site as one of the largest refineries in the Russian Federation.…
Eastern Sentry Looks Reactive as Russian Drones Test NATO’s Eastern Flank
Repeated air alerts in Poland and Romania this week, coupled with NATO’s launch of the Eastern Sentry mission, underscore an alliance still reacting to events rather than shaping them. On 9–10 September, Poland became the first NATO member state to…