Russia
Kyrgyzstan abandons attempt to rescue Russian climber trapped on icy summit of country’s highest mountain
Italian mountaineer perishes in effort to reach Natalia Nagovitsyna, who lost her husband in a 2021 climbing tragedy.
US EPA’s controversial Climate Crisis report is full of lies and mistakes
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a controversial report in July claiming the effects of the Climate Crisis were overblown. A fact check by Carbon Brief found it is full of lies and errors.
War of words escalates between Budapest Brussels and Kyiv following the latest Druzhba oil pipeline attacks
US President Donald Trump is very angry with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban over the attacks on Russia’s Druzhba oil pipeline that lead to an exchange of irate letters over the weekend.
India rejects criticism over Russian oil trade but flow from Moscow plummets
India has pushed back against mounting criticism of its continued energy ties with Moscow, insisting that no country is obliged to buy refined Russian oil products exported from Indian refineries.
China takes Russian oil shipments usually bound for India amid shifting trade flows
At its peak, Russia was India’s largest single supplier of crude, commanding a 36% share of the market. In 2024 alone, New Delhi imported $53bn worth of oil and crude products from Russia.
Russia’s economic problems are getting worse
Russia’s economic problems are getting worse. The economy narrowly avoided a recession in the first half of the year and the 2.2% forecast budget deficit is looking increasingly unrealistic as growth slides towards zero.
Putin says Russia and US discuss joint energy projects in Alaska, Arctic
US President Donald Trump let more deadlines to impose crushing sanctions and tariffs on Russia to end the war in Ukraine slide yet again. The reason might be that he is still hoping to sign off on multi-billion-dollar business deals with the Kremlin
Ukraine has made Russia’s refining sector a strategic liability
Russia’s ability to produce fuel is under attack. In the Far Eastern region of Primorye, kilometre-long queues at filling stations have already appeared and petrol prices are soaring as a fuel crisis gathers momentum.
Russian oil deliveries to Hungary off again after third attack on Druzhba pipeline as Ukraine ups attacks on Russian oil assets
Russian crude deliveries to Slovakia and Hungary were suspended on August 21 after a third attack on the Druzhba pipeline system in less than two weeks, officials confirmed. Flows are expected to remain offline for at least five days.
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China willing to supply Ukraine peacekeepers if there is a UN mandate
China has indicated its readiness to send troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission, but only if such a deployment is authorised by the United Nations, Welt am Sonntag reported on August 24, citing European Union diplomats.
Ukraine’s defence industry could triple its capacity, if Europe provides the contracts
Ukraine’s defence factories could triple their current output tomorrow. The technology is ready, the workers are trained, the production lines are in place. What is missing is money.
Mapping global drought risk - Statista
By 2050, more than 1.6bn people, including almost 20% of the African population, will be exposed to severe and extreme droughts, if a pessimistic scenario plays out, according to a report by INFORM Climate Change.
Russia’s car industry stalls under weight of Chinese dominance and structural decline
The Russian automotive sector is showing signs of systemic failure. After a brief post-crisis rebound in 2023 (+69%) and 2024 (+48%), the market has sharply reversed course in 2025, revealing deep-rooted vulnerabilities that go beyond a slowdown.
Forest carbon credits are facing a reckoning over albedo risks
Planting trees should reduce the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere right? Well, its not so easy as that. Trees also provide shade and prevent sunlight from reaching the ground that could reflect it back into space, cooling the plant.
Russia builds major signals intelligence hub near Nato borders in Kaliningrad
Russia is constructing a large-scale signals intelligence facility near Chernyakhovsk, in the Kaliningrad exclave, less than 100 kilometres from the borders of Poland and Lithuania, United24 Media reported on August 24.
Inflation slowing in the majority of Russia's regions
Annual inflation slowed in most Russian regions (74) in July despite the indexation of utility rates, the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) reported on August 22.
Are Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missiles really made in Ukraine?
Secret factory A camera crew from Associated Press was granted access to the Fire Point factory at an undisclosed location inside Ukraine to witness the production of Ukraine’s new Flamingo cruise missile.
Russia deliberately destroys a US factory based in Ukraine
Russia launched a record number of drones and missiles on August 21 and specifically targeted US company Flex's factory in Ukraine.
Ukraine hits Russia’s Druzhba oil pipeline again with drones
Ukraine has carried out another strike on the Druzhba oil pipeline, hitting the Unecha oil pumping station in the latest of a series of incidents targeting the Soviet-era pipeline.
Russian government draws up action plan to tighten control over internet
The Russian government has approved a sweeping action plan mandating operators to monitor user activity and granting law enforcement agencies powers to restrict communication services.