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Russia’s military contract enlistment plunges to two-year low
In the second quarter of 2025, 37,900 Russians signed contracts with the Defense Ministry, according to the Russian outlet Vazhnyye Istorii ( Important Stories), which cited federal budget spending data.
The recruitment figure is the weakest in the past two years and 2.5 times lower than the same period in 2024, when 92,800 new contract soldiers received payments.
Overall, 127,500 people received signing bonuses in the first six months of this year. By comparison, from January to June 2024, 16 …
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Explosion at Ryazan gunpowder plant kills at least 23, injures over 150
At least 23 people were killed and more than 150 were injured in an explosion at the “Elastik” gunpowder plant in Russia’s Ryazan region as of Monday, and the facility sustained severe damage, Russian media reported, citing the Emergencies Ministry.
The blast occurred on the morning of August 15 at a plant that specializes in a broad range of defense products, including gunpowder, explosives, specialty chemicals and components for certain munitions.
According to official information, the …
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Russia halts oil supplies to Hungary after Ukrainian strike on Druzhba pipeline
Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Russia has suspended oil deliveries to Hungary following a strike by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on a pipeline - “likely referring to the Druzhba pipeline,” he added . He said Russian authorities are working to restore supplies.
“Ukraine again attacked the oil pipeline leading to Hungary, interrupting supplies. This latest blow to our energy security is outrageous and unacceptable!”
“Russia’s Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin told me that …
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Ukrainian drones hit Liski rail hub in Russia’s Voronezh region, halting train traffic
Infrastructure at the Liski junction railway station In Russia’s Voronezh region, a route used to supply ammunition to the front, was hit in a Ukrainian drone attack, Ukrinform reported, citing a source in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, known by its Ukrainian acronym GUR.
GUR carried out the operation on August 17 together with units of the State Border Guard Service and other components of Ukraine’s Defense Forces, the report said.
The strike disrupted rail links and stopped train …
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Russia's summer offensive stalls as key objectives go unmet
The Kremlin’s summer offensive plan has fallen short, with key objectives—including encircling Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka and pushing to Lyman and Siversk - still unmet.
Military analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko offered an interim assessment of Russia’s summer campaign and said the offensive has failed. Despite a record massing of troops—up to 120,000 along the Pokrovsk axis - Russian forces have not achieved any of the priority goals they set at the start of summer.
According to Kovalenko, …