INSIDE RUSSIA
Ukrainian forces attempt to attack oil facility in Chuvash Region — Governor
The regional head noted that there were no casualties or threats to the population
MOSCOW, September 27. /TASS/. Ukrainian drones attacked an oil pumping station in Russia’s Chuvash Region, Governor Oleg Nikolayev reported.
“This morning, Ukrainian troops attempted to use drones in the Chuvash Region. The strike was carried out on an oil pumping station near the village of Konar,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
The regional head noted that there were no casualties or threats to the population. “Minor damage was caused [to the facility]. The facility’s operations have been suspended,” he said, adding that all emergency services are operating at full capacity and the situation is under control. All necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safety of the region and its residents.
Diamond Butterfly Film Award — New Symbol of Creative Unity
On November 24, 2025, the first gala ceremony of the Diamond Butterfly Open Eurasian Film Award will be held in Moscow. The film festival is inspired by national cultures and unique traditions of different countries.
This is the first and key event of the Eurasian Academy of Cinematographic Arts, which will bring together representatives of the film industry from all over the world and open a new space for creativity, cultural dialogue and support for national film initiatives.
The project of creating the Eurasian Film Academy and the new international film award is supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin: “The idea of creating such an academy has attracted great interest in the professional community. The Eurasian Film Academy means more than mutual encouragement of national film industries and film markets. A major educational program, master classes, student exchanges, and joint projects have been planned. It will allow young filmmakers to better understand each other.”
At the moment, more than 20 countries have already applied to participate in the Academy. A total of 30 films have been submitted to date. The full list of participating countries and the names of the nominees will be known in October 2025.
All winners will be awarded the Diamond Butterfly. Each statuette is encrusted with almost 5,000 diamonds and designed by the famous artist Yuri Kuper who has exhibited his works in leading museums of Moscow, Paris, New York, Geneva and other cities.
OUTSIDE RUSSIA
Lavrov Holds Series of Meetings on Sidelines of UNGA Session
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed critical international issues during talks with representatives of 13 nations, as well as BRICS foreign ministers, at the UN General Assembly.
Lavrov held talks with his counterpart from Venezuela, Yvan Gil Pinto. The two sides outlined ways to deepen coordination between their countries, and stressed that using force against sovereign nations is unacceptable.
The Russian minister also met with India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. The parties discussed preparations for the Russia-India summit scheduled for the end of this year. In addition, Lavrov and Jaishankar tackled various global and regional issues, including conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine.
At a meeting between Lavrov and Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, a plan for political consultations between the countries’ foreign ministries for 2026-2029 was signed. Lavrov and Vieira also discussed the schedule of bilateral contacts within the UN, BRICS and the G20.
During a BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs meeting, implementation of initiatives made during the Russian and Brazilian BRICS presidencies was discussed, including the ideas of creating a new investment platform and starting grain exchanges within BRICS. The parties also touched on the issue of reforming the global governance system and the topic of peace and security.
Lavrov further held talks with Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Rashad al-Alimi. They discussed bilateral relations, the perspectives of the situation in Yemen, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
In a talk with his South Korean counterpart, Cho Hyun, Lavrov noted that the activity of the US and its allies on the Korean Peninsula against North Korea is provocative and stressed for both sides to return to mutually respectful dialogue.
Lavrov also held productive meetings with top officials from Jordan, Sudan, Nigeria, Burundi, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Russia imposes sanctions on British politicians, ‘experts’ — MFA
“The list includes individuals advocating for a tougher sanctions pressure on Russia and engaged in London’s subversive activities towards Russia,” the ministry pointed out
MOSCOW, September 26. /TASS/. Russia imposed sanctions on figures from the British political establishment and `expert’ community in response to London’s continued confrontational course, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“The list includes individuals advocating for a tougher sanctions pressure on Russia and engaged in London’s subversive activities towards Russia, including the fabrication of anti-Russia materials and the spreading of pseudo-expert reviews of our country,” the ministry explained.
Among other people, the sanctions affected James Byrne, co-founder and CEO of the Open Source Center think tank, Anna Deibel-Jung, Deputy Director of the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI) within the Department for Business and Trade, David Doogan, a member of the House of Commons from the Scottish National Party, and Max Petrokofsky, the head for Sectoral Sanctions (Trade) at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
In addition, a number of officials from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation at the Treasury were sanctioned, too.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, London “has not abandoned the hope of inflicting a strategic defeat on our country with the help of the Kiev regime under its sway. To extend the `Ukraine project’ which has suffered one defeat after another, Britain in recent days resorted to its tools of the manipulation of consciousness by launching yet another bout of anti-Russian spy fever and raising allegations about a `military threat’ being posed to Europe and a pompous announcement of economic restrictions that actually harm the British economy itself,” the ministry said.
Any attempts by London to discredit or `isolate’ Russia will be met with a firm and tough response, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned. “We would like to point out again that Britain’s efforts to discredit or isolate Russia on the international stage, including in the context of the special military operation, will inevitably meet with a firm and strong response,” the ministry noted.
Work on expanding the Russian stop list will continue, the ministry added, citing the UK’s “destructive policy of escalating tensions in Europe and worldwide.”.
Russia declares return of UN Security Council sanctions against Iran illegal
Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky pointed out that the UN Secretariat has no basis for renewing the relevant mandates
UNITED NATIONS, September 27. /TASS/. Any attempts to reinstate the UN Security Council’s sanctions against Iran that were in place before 2015, are unlawful and unviable, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky said.
“Any attempts to revive the UN Security Council’s anti-Iran resolutions in effect before 2015 are unlawful and unviable. I would like to emphasize separately that the UN Secretariat, of course, has no basis for renewing the relevant mandates [to monitor and implement sanctions against Iran]. Any attempts to do so would constitute a violation of Article 100 of the UN Charter and would force us to seriously reconsider our relationship with the Secretariat,” he said after the Security Council failed to adopt a resolution by Russia and China to extend the Iranian nuclear deal.
Moscow and Beijing have done everything possible to “prevent a negative scenario in the development of the situation around the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – TASS) and provide a chance for diplomacy,” Polyansky noted. “Now, all responsibility for any consequences and outcomes of today’s vote, both for the situation on the ground and for the future work of the Security Council, lies precisely with those states that did not support our project,” he concluded.
Earlier, the UN Security Council rejected a draft resolution proposed by Russia and China that would have extended UN Security Council Resolution 2231 adopted in support of the Iranian nuclear deal for six months.
SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE
Russia liberates Derilovo, Mayskoye in DPR, Stepovoye in Dnepropetrovsk Region — top brass
The combat mission was completed by units of the West, East, and South troop groups
MOSCOW, September 27. /TASS/. Russian servicemen have liberated Derilovo and Mayskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, as well as Stepovoye in the Dnepropetrovsk Region, the Defense Ministry reported.
“The battlegroup West liberated the settlement of Derilovo in the Donetsk People’s Republic. <…> The battlegroup South improved its frontline positions and liberated the settlement of Mayskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic. <…> The battlegroup East continued to advance into the enemy’s defenses and liberated the village of Stepovoye in the Dnepropetrovsk Region,” the statement said.
According to the ministry, the Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 1,535 servicemen in the special military operation zone over the past day. The statement said that Russia’s battlegroup North wiped out up to 175 Ukrainian servicemen, the battlegroup West eliminated up to 230 enemy troops, the battlegroup South wiped out up to up to 295 military, the battlegroup Center eliminated up to 475 servicemen, the battlegroup East destroyed up to 285 troops, and the battlegroup Dnepr wiped out up to 75.
Russian air defenses also shot down two Ukrainian guided aerial bombs and 131 drones in the past 24 hours, the Defense Ministry said. According to its statement, since the start of the special military operation, a total of 667 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 86,900 drones, 631 anti-aircraft missile systems, 25,261 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,592 multiple launch rocket systems, 29,985 field artillery guns and mortars, and 42,715 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed.
In addition, Russian servicemen destroyed Ukrainian substations used to provide rail transport of weapons and equipment to combat zones in Donbass over the past 24 hours.
“The Russian Armed Forces destroyed substations used to transport Ukrainian weapons and military equipment by rail to combat zones in Donbass, as well as storage and launch sites for long-range drones and temporary deployment sites for Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries in 138 areas,” the ministry said.
According to the statement, the Russian military liberated 1.1 square kilometers of territory near the Kleban-Byk reservoir in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past 24 hours, as well as defeated five Ukrainian brigades near Seversk, Konstantinovka, Dronovka, Berestok, Druzhkovka, Pleshcheyevka, and Fyodorovka.
Meanwhile, Russian assault units in Kirovsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic continue to destroy scattered groups of Ukrainian fighters, the Defense Ministry concluded.
NATO instructors now present in Ukraine for propaganda purposes — Kherson Region Governor
Kherson Region Governor said that the alliance doing everything it can to ensure that the conflict continues
GENICHESK, September 27. /TASS/. NATO instructors are now present in Ukraine for propaganda purposes, with the alliance doing everything it can to ensure that the conflict continues, Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo said in an interview with TASS.
“They have been sending their instructors to Ukraine for a long time. That is, these joint drills between the Ukrainian armed forces and NATO countries have been conducted regularly over the past ten years. And the main training grounds where they were held are in the Odessa and Nikolayev Regions, which are near Kherson. Now, they are giving this more of a propagandistic meaning. They have revealed that instructors from NATO countries have been sent there,” he said.
The governor clarified that the instructors primarily teach Ukrainian armed forces and mercenaries, who are increasingly present in Ukraine, how to use military equipment. “There are not enough Ukrainians to replenish the ranks. And they don’t want to fight. So with these are provocative actions, NATO is doing everything it can to keep the conflict going,” Saldo emphasized.
Earlier, the press office of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) reported that the EU intends to occupy Moldova while preparing to deploy NATO troops to the Odessa Region to intimidate Transnistria. According to available information, the first group of servicemen from France and the UK has already arrived in Odessa.
INSIGHTS
Why the West Trails Russia in Civilian Nuclear Tech
Russia’s civilian nuclear sector boasts 70+ years of world-firsts and accomplishments, and just shook things up again this week as President Putin announced the country’s plans to launch “the world’s first nuclear energy system with a closed fuel cycle.”
Developed under Project Proryv (lit. ‘Breakthrough’) and being built in Seversk, Siberia, the system promises to reuse 95% of spent fuel, solving both nuclear waste and fuel sourcing issues. It’s expected to come online by 2030.
The Soviet Union and Russia have a long history of peaceful atom world firsts, creating:
- the first nuclear power plant (Obninsk, 1954)
- the first nuclear icebreaker (the Lenin, 1957)
- the first road-mobile power plants (TES-series and PAMIR-630D, 1957, 1985)
- the first floating power plant (Akademik Lomonosov, 2019)
Rosatom’s Global Reach
Rosatom is the world’s largest civilian nuclear enterprise, building and maintaining plants and covering the complete fuel cycle, from uranium mining to waste management, for clients worldwide.
Its domain includes:
- 12 plants in Russia (40+ reactors).
- ~40 projects in 10 countries, from Egypt’s El-Dabaa and Turkiye’s Akkuyu to Rooppur in Bangladesh.
- servicing of plants including Ostrovets in Belarus, Paks in Hungary, Kudankulam, India, Iran’s Bushehr and Tianwan in China.
Cutting Edge Reactor Tech
VVER-1200: III+ gen pressurized water reactor with enhanced passive safety and 60-year lifespan.
BREST-OD-300: IV gen lead-cooled fast neutron reactor, scalable closed fuel cycle-ready.
BN-800: IV gen sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor; uses MOX reprocessed fuel.
Icebreaker Armada
8 modern nuclear icebreakers (3 Project 22220 ships, 2 Arktika-class vessels, 2 shallow-draught icebreakers (Taymyr, Vaygach).
5 under construction (3 Project 22220 vessels, plus the new Project 10510 Leader flagship).
Fuel Sovereignty
Russia is also the leader on uranium enrichment (40-46% of global capacity), with mining operations in Kazakhstan – the world’s largest uranium producer, through joint ventures.
Russia plans to ramp up domestic uranium output to 4k tons a year by 2030 (it’s about 2.7k tons today).
Russia’s Nuclear Game-Changer: Driving BRICS’ Energy Future
President Vladimir Putin has unveiled Russia’s nuclear breakthrough: a closed fuel cycle power system to tackle global uranium shortages.
Holy Grail of Nuclear Technology
“A closed-cycle reactor is the holy grail of nuclear energy,” energy expert Alexey Anpilogov tells Sputnik. “Scientists have pursued it since the dawn of the nuclear age.”
A conventional plant uses 0.7% of uranium, leaving 99.3% waste. This reactor reuses it, making uranium fuel last for thousands of years.
Rosatom’s fast reactor BREST-OD-300 will run on uranium-238 and convert it into reusable plutonium-239.
It is the world’s only сlosed-cycle nuclear system entering industrial phase, says Alexander Uvarov, director of AtomInfo-Center.
“The Russian president set 2030 as the launch date for the system, but I’d say it will start even earlier.”
Cost-Effective Solution
“If you load 1 kg of uranium into such a reactor, you’ll not only get electricity and heat, but also produce more than 1 kg of new plutonium,” Anpilogov explains. “It’s like a magic wallet where the money grows on its own.”
Hazardous Waste Recycling
During operation, BREST will also burn highly radioactive elements, such as cesium and strontium — known for causing severe radioactive contamination after the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters.
High-Safety Reactor
The BREST-OD-300’s lead coolant makes it safer than other reactors: radiation-resistant, with a high boiling point and inert to water and air.
Lead-cooled reactors are seen as a promising future for global nuclear energy.
No Competitors
“Do we have competitors? Not yet,” the experts say.
The US, Japan, and France have tried closed fuel cycles and built sodium-cooled reactors, but none have achieved a reliable, sustainable design like Russia’s BREST-OD-300.
Importance for BRICS
BRICS countries would be interested in BREST, Uvarov notes. Rosatom actively cooperates with India and China, both of which have huge plans for nuclear energy.
“Export prospects look very promising,” Uvarov concludes.
