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Amid rising strategic uncertainty, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday instructed his top security, intelligence, and defence leadership to begin formal consultations on the potential resumption of nuclear weapons testing. This is a dramatic signal that Moscow is prepared to mirror any similar moves by the United States. File Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin; Via: Visegrad24 Putin’s remarks came during a high-level operational meeting with the permanent members of the Security Council , including Defence Minister Andrei Belousov , FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov , Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Chief Sergei Naryshkin , and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov , among others. At the centre of the meeting was an interjection from State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, who pressed Putin for clarity on the Kremlin’s position following Donald Trump’s public call for renewed U.S. nuclear weapons testing.  Trump, currently leading the 2026 presidential race, had e...

Amid rising geopolitical tensions and a protracted war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed the successful test of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile  -- a weapon Moscow claims has unlimited range and unprecedented strike capabilities. Speaking at a frontline military command centre, Putin said that the test flight of the missile -- officially codenamed “Burevestnik” (Storm Petrel) -- was completed on October 21 and demonstrated “the reliability of Russia’s nuclear deterrent.” Image Source: MFA Russia “For the first time,” Putin said, “a successful multi-hour flight was conducted with a nuclear propulsion system. The missile covered over 14,000 kilometres -- and that is not the limit.” The Burevestnik is part of Russia’s next-generation strategic weapons program, first announced in 2018, and designed to bypass U.S. missile defence systems by flying at low altitudes and altering course mid-flight.  Unlike conventional missiles, it is po...

The war in Ukraine entered a new and alarming phase this week as Russian drone and missile strikes targeted railway infrastructure and passenger trains in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region , leaving dozens wounded , at least one civilian dead , and entire towns without power . Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, visiting the region on President Zelensky’s instructions, confirmed that electricity remains cut off across much of the area following repeated Russian strikes.  Image Source: Mahmood Khan on X Meanwhile, the Ukrainian railway company Ukrzaliznytsia is scrambling to reroute trains, deploy generators , and protect civilian routes from further attacks. The most devastating attack struck Shostka railway station, where two trains—a local commuter and a Kyiv-bound service—were hit in a coordinated drone assault, according to official statements.  The second strike came during evacuation efforts, leading Ukrainian officials to accuse Russia of deliberately targeting ...

Europe’s escalating drone crisis entered a new and potentially dangerous phase on Friday after Czech authorities confirmed the deployment of anti-drone units and armed snipers at Václav Havel International Airport in Prague, in response to an anonymous tip-off about an incoming drone swarm . Czech Armed Forces have deployed anti-drone systems around Václav Havel International Airport; via: Molo44 The threat--described as “ unverified ” but serious-- came from an English-speaking caller , prompting a full-scale security mobilization at one of Central Europe’s busiest airports.  The Czech Police announced it was prepared to shut down the airspace and access roads around the capital’s airport if necessary. The incident comes less than 24 hours after Munich Airport in Germany was paralyzed by a drone wave that forced the cancellation or diversion of dozens of flights, stranding nearly 3,000 passengers overnight during a national holiday.  Bavarian Premier Markus Söder has call...

An alarming breach of NATO airspace has reportedly unfolded as 15 unidentified drones were spotted flying over Belgium’s Elsenborn military base before crossing into German territory , according to Belgian broadcaster VRT NWS .  The drones—whose origin and operators remain unknown —were detected around 1:45 a.m. local time , and the incident has triggered urgent investigations by Belgian and German defense agencies. Drones were spotted flying over Elsenborn military area in Belgium. via: OSINT Global This latest incident marks a new escalation in hybrid threats facing Europe , with both military installations and civilian infrastructure increasingly targeted by mysterious drone incursions , often suspected to be Russian-linked intelligence probes or intimidation tactics , though no direct evidence has emerged yet . Dual Incidents in Belgian and German Airspace According to VRT NWS, a Belgian test aircraft operating in the area confirmed the presence of the drones, which flew ...

In one of his most expansive and ideologically pointed speeches in recent years, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the collapse of the Western-led global order and outlined Russia’s blueprint for a “ multipolar ” world rooted in civilizational sovereignty, regional balance, and resistance to NATO's expansionism.  Image of Russian Prez Putin via Sputnik on X Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on October 2, 2025, the Russian leader issued direct warnings to Europe and the United States, while doubling down on his justification for the war in Ukraine. In a speech lasting nearly two hours, Putin painted the current global landscape as irreversibly transformed. He asserted that attempts to impose “Western hegemony” have not only failed but triggered a systemic shift--replacing unipolarity with a fragmented, fast-moving, and contested multipolar world.  “There is no power, nor will there ever be one, capable of ruling the world,” Putin said, declaring the era ...

Moldova’s 2025 parliamentary election has emerged as one of the most consequential in its post-Soviet history. With voters choosing a new 101-member legislature, the contest has become a high-stakes battle between pro-European reformists and pro-Russian opposition blocs—underscored by mounting evidence of foreign interference, disinformation campaigns, and attempts to sway public sentiment and electoral outcomes through illicit means. Moldova could lose everything the country has gained: Maia Sandu At the center of the race is the ruling pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), led by Igor Grosu, which is seeking to retain its parliamentary majority.  Its main challengers include the Patriotic Electoral Bloc (BEP), led by former president Igor Dodon, and the Alternative Bloc, fronted by Chișinău mayor Ion Ceban.  Independent observers note that the election result could determine whether Moldova maintains its trajectory toward European Union integration or pivot...

Under mounting international scrutiny and a sharp escalation in cross-border military actions, Russia deepened its diplomatic push at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.  Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held back-to-back meetings with nearly two dozen counterparts, from Africa to Latin America, positioning Moscow as a reliable partner for the Global South amid a widening rift with the West.  File Photo: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov The messaging came as NATO states issued fresh warnings over Russian drones, missiles and fighter jets violating airspace across Eastern Europe, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly warned Kremlin officials to “know where the bomb shelters are.” In a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Lavrov claimed Russia remained open to negotiations on Ukraine and reiterated Moscow’s interest in building on the outcomes of the Trump-Putin Alaska summit.  The Russian side accused Kyiv and unna...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Kremlin leaders to “know where the bomb shelters are” in an escalation of rhetoric, as Moscow deepens its military provocations against NATO and the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year.  The comments came shortly after his address to the United Nations General Assembly, and amid fresh airspace violations across Europe attributed to Russian fighter jets and drones. File Photo: Dmitry Medvedev In an interview with Axios , Zelenskyy said he had received permission from U.S. President Donald Trump to target Russian energy and infrastructure assets, and had also requested a specific weapons system from Washington that he believes could force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.  He declined to specify the system, but said: “They have to know that we in Ukraine, each day, we will answer. If they attack us, we will answer them.” The warning provoked a direct and incendiary response from former Russian Pres...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in New York on Tuesday for a critical week of diplomacy at the United Nations General Assembly, as his country faces intensifying Russian attacks and mounting battlefield strain.  With nearly two dozen high-level meetings scheduled—including one with U.S. President Donald Trump—Zelenskyy is expected to make a direct appeal for tougher sanctions against Moscow and renewed international pressure to halt the more than three-year-old war. Image Source: The Kyiv Post His arrival follows a surge in Russian military action. Overnight missile and drone attacks on Odesa and Zaporizhzhia killed at least two civilians, while Ukraine’s air force reported it had intercepted over 100 drones in a single night.  Russia, meanwhile, claimed to have shot down dozens of Ukrainian drones aimed at Moscow, forcing temporary flight suspensions at the capital’s Sheremetyevo airport. The Kremlin’s air campaign appears to be aimed at eroding morale and inf...

India has sent sacred relics of Lord Buddha to Russia’s Kalmykia Republic for a landmark international exposition, in what officials call a historic gesture of cultural diplomacy and spiritual solidarity. This marks the first time the holy relics will be publicly enshrined in the only Buddhist-majority region in Europe. Image Source: Sputink India The sacred relics — bone fragments believed to belong to the Buddha, housed at the National Museum in New Delhi — were flown by special Indian Air Force aircraft and escorted by senior monks from India and abroad.  They will be displayed at the Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery in Elista, Kalmykia’s capital, as the central attraction of the 3rd International Buddhist Forum , held from September 24 to 28 . The forum’s theme, “Buddhism in the New Millennium” , is expected to draw delegates from over 35 countries , making it one of the largest global Buddhist gatherings this year. The Indian delegation is led by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Ch...

Conflicting battlefield claims over Kupyansk have escalated into a war of narratives, as Russia asserted that its forces had broken into the eastern Ukrainian city, while Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky insisted that tough fighting continues within the city limits, with Ukrainian forces actively engaged in clearing operations. Image Source: GeromanAT on X Russian military channels claimed on Saturday that its troops had reached central Kupyansk, a city in Kharkiv Oblast less than 100 kilometres from the regional capital. Russian units reportedly advanced from the south, opening direct routes toward Volchansk and Chuhuiv.  Ukrainian authorities, however, categorically denied the reports. President Zelensky confirmed that combat was underway inside the city and described the operation as a controlled effort to eliminate Russian sabotage groups. “There are tough actions inside Kupyansk. Our forces are conducting a cleanup. We believe the Russians will be destroyed there,” Zele...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Donetsk over the past 24 hours coincided with one of Ukraine’s most aggressive counteroffensives in months--focused on Pokrovsk and Dobropillia. From the frontline, the Ukrainian president claimed that over 2,500 Russian troops have been killed or wounded since the operation began, with more than 1,300 reported killed in the Pokrovsk area alone.  He also said nearly 100 Russian soldiers had been captured, and that Ukrainian forces had reclaimed 160 square kilometres and seven settlements, with another 170 square kilometres “cleared” of Russian forces. Russia’s version of the battle tells a different story. According to its defence ministry, Ukrainian forces suffered 1,395 casualties in the past 24 hours across multiple fronts, including Donetsk and Luhansk.  The Battlegroup Center reportedly inflicted the largest losses--over 435 Ukrainian troops. The figures were published via the state outlet TASS and, like Kyiv’s numbers, remain unverified by...

Poland has signaled its intent to become a formal part of NATO's nuclear sharing program and has not ruled out hosting French nuclear weapons on its territory. The statement by Polish President Karol Nawrocki comes amid rising security tensions with Russia and Belarus and represents Warsaw’s most explicit positioning to date in favor of a European nuclear deterrent on its soil. Image From Exercise Iron Defenders 25. NATO In an interview with France’s LCI television aired September 16, Nawrocki stated, “Poland should be part of the nuclear sharing program. It should have its own nuclear capacities—energy, civil, and military.”  When asked directly if French nuclear weapons might one day be stationed in Poland, he said, “It may be too early to talk about it. But if you ask me whether Poland should be part of the nuclear sharing program, I would say ‘yes, of course.’” ‼️🇵🇱🤝🇺🇲🇨🇦🇪🇺 NATO troops have been granted permission to be stationed on Polish territory - Karol Nawrocki sig...