INSIDE RUSSIA
Russia Sees West’s Line of Escalating Tensions, Including in Nuclear Sphere – Kremlin
Russia sees the West’s policy of escalating tensions, including in the nuclear sphere, and is monitoring the situation in order to outline tasks to ensure security, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
“We see a line towards escalation of tensions, towards militarization, including nuclear militarization. Our relevant departments are monitoring the development of events in this area and formulating tasks to ensure our security against the backdrop of what is happening,” Peskov told reporters, answering a corresponding question from Sputnik.
Today there is no basis for holding the summit of the leaders of the Nuclear Five countries, the spokesman added.
Moscow hopes that a new round of talks with Ukraine will take place this week, Peskov said.
“We hope that it [the third round] will be this week, as soon as we are ready, we will make a statement on the dates,” Peskov told reporters.
When asked about a timeframe for a possible agreement on the Ukrainian settlement, the official said that it depends on many factors.
Russia and Ukraine will have to discuss complex topics during the negotiations, including draft memoranda on the settlement, the Kremlin spokesman said.
“The topic of negotiations is quite complex. In addition to other issues, of course, it will be necessary to discuss those very draft memoranda that we exchanged during the second round,” Peskov told reporters.
The issue of the Ukrainian settlement is so complex that reaching an agreement on conducting exchanges of prisoners of war or returning the bodies of the dead soldiers is already a result, the spokesman added.
Kremlin responds to Azerbaijan’s position on Ukraine conflict
Azerbaijan’s support for Kiev should not impact relations with Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said
Russia disagrees with Azerbaijan’s stance on the Ukraine conflict but hopes that this divergence in views will not hinder efforts to restore bilateral ties in light of a recent rift, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. He added that Moscow wants to resolve the tensions in its relationship with Baku.
Azerbaijani President IlhamAliyev recently urged Ukraine to “never agree to occupation.” Speaking at the Shusha Global Media Forum, Aliyev encouraged Kiev to consider Azerbaijan’s approach to resolving its territorial dispute with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. The longstanding conflict between Baku and Yerevan over the breakaway region ended in 2023 after Azerbaijan retook it by force, prompting the departure of its remaining ethnic Armenian population.
Peskov acknowledged the differences in the positions of Russia and Azerbaijan on the Ukraine conflict, but insisted that this has not been an obstacle in relations. He added that Moscow seeks “to move past what we hope is a brief period of cooling in bilateral relations and avoid sacrificing mutually beneficial interests for the sake of a short-term situation.”
Tensions between Moscow and Baku have been rising following the deaths of two Azerbaijani nationals suspected of being gang members during a Russian law enforcement operation in Ekaterinburg last month. The Azerbaijani authorities rejected the conclusions of the Russian investigation and accused the police of unlawful killings.
In response, Azerbaijani police raided the local office of the Russian news network Sputnik, detaining two journalists along with several other Russian nationals. The government also suspended all Russia-related cultural events.
Despite the strain, Moscow has emphasized the historically cooperative nature of its relationship with Baku and voiced hope for a de-escalation of tensions.
OUTSIDE RUSSIA
Lavrov Issues Strong Warning Against Goading Ukraine Into Acts of Terrorism
All attempts to incite Kiev to commit terrorist acts will receive an adequate response, Moscow will achieve all its goals, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.
“Constant incitement of the Kiev regime to continue provocations, continue terrorist acts against civilian objects, against peaceful citizens of Russia … these actions do not stop. Of course, they will receive a worthy rebuff. Russia will achieve all those goals,” Lavrov told reporters following talks with his counterpart from Mozambique.
Key Lavrov’s statements after talks with the Mozambican Foreign Minister Maria Manuela dos Santos Lucas:
Trump’s reasonable approach, including his willingness to engage in dialogue, will not go unnoticed in Europe.
Europe has become rabid and part of the “international disgrace” toward Russia.
Incitement of the Kiev regime to carry out terrorist attacks will receive a fitting response.
Any threats from Germany toward Russia cause concern for any reasonable person.
Historical lessons must not be forgotten, but they have been poorly learned by the current generations of Germans and French.
The next session of the Russian-Mozambican intergovernmental commission will be held in 2026 in the Mozambique’s capital of Maputo.
Russia is ready to consider any requests from Mozambique regarding the republic’s defense capabilities in the field of counterterrorism.
The second Russia-Africa ministerial conference is planned for this year in Egypt.
Iran, Russia, China to Hold Trilateral Nuclear Talks Amid Rumblings of US Dialogue Resumption
A trilateral meeting is to take place on Tuesday between Iran, China and Russia to discuss Tehran’s nuclear programme, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson EsmailBaghaei said on Monday.
While the Iranian Foreign Ministry has not named the participants, the trilateral discussion in Tehran is expected to take place below the ministerial level.
The talks come as speculation mounts over a potential restart of indirect negotiations between Iran and the US, which were derailed in June by a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. Previously, five rounds of Oman-mediated discussions took place.
On June 13, Israel launched a military operation against Iran after accusing it of secretly pursuing a nuclear weapon. Airstrikes targeted nuclear facilities, military leadership as well as air bases and killed several military commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran rejected the allegations and retaliated. The United States conducted a one-time attack on Iranian nuclear sites on June 22. Tehran struck the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in response but said it had “no intention of further escalation.”
Adding further urgency, the Tehran meeting precedes renewed nuclear talks with France, Germany, and the UK scheduled for Friday in Istanbul.
🇮🇷 More than achievement, enrichment now = national pride – Iranian FM
💬 “We cannot give up our enrichment… it is a question of national pride,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Fox News.
Even in the face of an aggressor like the US, Iran stands by its… https://t.co/z7VQeGnkZg pic.twitter.com/NMgxjskcAB
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) July 22, 2025
The European trio has threatened to trigger the 2015 nuclear deal’s “snapback” mechanism, which would reinstate sanctions if Iran is found to be in non-compliance.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson EsmaeilBaghaei said Tehran is in “constant coordination” with Russia and China to avoid snapback sanctions or “mitigate their consequences.”
Still, he emphasized: “We have no plans for talks with America under the current situation.”
EU using Goebbels-style propaganda to fuel anti-Russia frenzy
The EU is locked in an anti-Russia frenzy and prioritizes militarization above everything else, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says
The EU has been locked in an anti-Russian “frenzy,” focusing exclusively on militarization instead of fixing domestic issues that plague the bloc, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
Lavrov made the comments on Tuesday at a press conference in Moscow following talks with his Mozambican counterpart, Maria Manuela Lucas.
He condemned the increasingly hostile rhetoric and actions of the EU, claiming that the “lessons of history” have been “poorly learned by the current generations of Germans, French, and representatives of other European countries.”
“Europe has gone into a frenzy… They are inciting their peoples in every way possible, instilling in them the spirit of Goebbels’ propaganda that Russia is… an existential threat, and that Russia is about to attack Europe, so they have to forget about social problems, about failures in the economy, and about the process of deindustrialization, which is observed in Germany and other European countries,” while focusing exclusively on “the militarization of Europe,” Lavrov said.
Last week, the European Commission unveiled a record-high long-term €2 trillion ($2.33 trillion) draft budget for 2028-34 – a €600 billion increase compared to the 2021-27 budget.
The draft envisioned a fivefold increase in defense-related investment, which reached €131 billion, as well as doubling the ‘Ukraine facility’, a dedicated fund, to €100 billion in loans and grants.
The proposed budget has faced criticism from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who claims that the draft prioritizes Ukraine’s potential entry into the bloc above everything else. Around a quarter of the sum would directly benefit Kiev in various ways, Orban said, adding that other areas such as agriculture are subject to cuts.
“This budget would destroy the European Union. I don’t think this budget will even survive next year,” Orban said, predicting that the proposal will be significantly watered down before member states consider approving it.
SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE
Russian Armed Forces Take Control of Novotoretskoye in DPR
Russia’s Tsentr group of forces have taken control of the settlement of Novotoretskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
“As a result of resolute actions, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Novotoretskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic),” the ministry said in a statement.
Russia’s Tsentr group of forces has eliminated up to 365 Ukrainian soldiers over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
“The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to up to 365 servicepeople, two combat armored vehicles, two cars, and six field artillery pieces,” the ministry said in a statement.
Russia’s Yug group of forces has eliminated up to 215 Ukrainian soldiers and the Zapad group has eliminated more than 210 Ukrainian troops, the ministry added.
INSIGHTS
Russian media shows ‘largest drone assembly plant in the world’ (VIDEO)
Built from scratch, the Alabuga plant produces thousands of Geran kamikaze UAVs, Zvezda reports
Russian TV channel Zvezda has offered a rare peek into what it describes as the “largest drone assembly plant in the world” in the central part of the country, which produces thousands of drones to be used in the Ukraine conflict.
The report which aired on Sunday shows a vast drone manufacturing facility in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan Region, more than 1,200km from the front line.
The plant focuses on producing Geran drones, described by Zvezda as “simple, cheap, and… mass-produced,” and highly accurate. Footage from the facility shows long rows of Geran airframes slightly taller than the height of an average person.
TimurShagivaleev, the general director of Alabuga, said the current output has far exceeded initial expectations. “At one time there was a plan to produce several thousand Gerans. Right now, we are producing nine times more than the original plan,” he stated, without specifying the timeframe.
Source: Zvezda TV channel https://www.rt.com/russia/621753-russia-largest-drone-plant-in-world/
The Geran is a long-range loitering munition with a delta-wing design and rear-mounted pusher propeller. It can carry an explosive payload of 40-50kg, has a cruising speed of around 180kph, and can travel over 1,000km on a single mission.
Most of the workforce at the plant are young people, many of whom come from a nearby college, which was set up by those who organized the Geran production, according to the report.
Zvezda said the plant was built from the ground up within the Alabuga economic zone. Before the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, it focused on attracting international technology and building import-substitution capabilities.
The report also featured a facility that assembles lighter reconnaissance and strike UAVs. Many of these drones are equipped with fiber-optic cables to withstand electronic jamming.
Russia has used mass-produced drones extensively in Ukraine to target expensive Western-supplied armored vehicles, troop concentrations, and military-related facilities, with Ukrainian officials saying recent strikes involved hundreds of drones.
Moscow maintains that it never targets civilians and that the drone strikes are a response to Kiev’s attacks on residential areas and critical infrastructure in Russia.
