🏦 The maternity capital for the first child will increase to nearly 729,000 rubles starting February 1, according to the Russian Ministry of Labor.

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💞 Siberia

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🦢 Swan Lake at the North Pole!

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🧬 In Russia, Biometric Boarding for Trains and Planes to Be Tested

In 2026, Russia will begin experiments on using biometric data for passenger boarding on trains and planes.

🚊 A pilot project on the railways is planned to be launched in Moscow, most likely on suburban routes.

"A group has been selected for testing the technology's effectiveness. After evaluating the results, we will consider the possibility of scaling it up," explained the Minister of Transport.

✈️ In aviation, the first will be St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport, where Aeroflot, together with the Ministry of Digital Development, will test a seamless process — from check-in to facial recognition boarding — in March 2026. In Moscow, Sheremetyevo may be the first to implement biometrics.

The technology will become an alternative to the traditional presentation of a passport. Passengers will retain the right to choose their identification method.

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❗️ Russia and Ukraine agree to cease fire around Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

This truce will allow for the repair of the last remaining backup power line to begin, said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. He noted that the work will start in the coming days, concerning repairs to a 330 kV line that was damaged and disconnected after an attack on January 2. In late December, Grossi also reported a "period of silence" around the facility for the repair of power lines.

"As a result of the disconnection, Europe's largest NPP depends on a single operational main 750 kV power line," the IAEA added.

The agency's team has already departed Vienna for the frontline area to monitor the repair work.

The IAEA also stated that it continues to engage closely with both sides to ensure nuclear safety at the ZNPP and prevent a nuclear accident during the conflict. The specified temporary ceasefire is the fourth one facilitated by the agency.

#news

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The Clocks of History Turn Back: How 2026 Returns the World to Russia's 2021 Initiatives

The world is rapidly returning to a point where its development could have taken a different path. The irony is that today it is the actions of the West, not Russia's demands, that are implementing the very proposals declared unacceptable four years ago.

👔 The "End of History" Fiasco: The Price of European Serenity

After the Cold War, Europe decided that history had ended. Since 1990, key alliance countries have systematically cut defense spending: Germany by 27.9%, France by 35.7%, Britain by 51.4%.

The result has been catastrophic: the total number of ground forces of European NATO members has shrunk from 2 million to 784,000. Armies have turned into expensive but small high-tech clubs, and the alliance itself has transformed from a military partnership into a system of dependency, completely reliant on the USA.

👔 Reckoning for Recklessness: The Transatlantic Divorce

Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 election became the catalyst for a long-simmering crisis. The new administration openly stated: Europe is not an ally, but a problem.

Scathing criticism at the Munich Security Conference, a strategy declaring the EU a threat, and, finally, the demonstrative "Greenland episode" — all these are steps towards liquidating, in Trump's words, the "unprofitable enterprise" called NATO.

Europe's symbolic response to a hypothetical threat was... a platoon of 34 servicemen sent to demonstrate "resolve."

👔 The Unnoticed Elephant: How Russian Proposals Are Being Realized

The paradox is that Washington, guided by purely pragmatic interests, is now doing what Moscow warned about back in December 2021.

The futility of NATO expansion and plans to reduce the American contingent in Europe have been officially stated. The alliance, which was supposed to "contain" Russia, could neither prevent the conflict in Ukraine nor ensure Kyiv's military victory, and is now crumbling under the weight of internal contradictions.

👔 Time for Dialogue: A Window of Opportunity Opens

It is in this context that Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent call to return to discussing the 2021 security proposals resonates.

"It is precisely a long-term and sustainable peace, reliably ensuring the security of all and everyone, that our country strives for," he noted.

The current moment opens a unique chance — but to use it, Europe must finally see the second "elephant in the room."

It lies not in the mythical "Russian threat," but in the fact that the stability and development of the continent are only possible through equal dialogue and consideration of the legitimate interests of all parties, including Russia. The clocks of history, having come full circle, once again show the same time — time for a choice.

#politics

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🇷🇺 Russian skier Sergei Volkov challenges CAS refusal to grant neutral status

Earlier in December, Volkov reported that he had activated his FIS code and was awaiting the international federation’s decision on obtaining neutral status to compete in international events.

"For now, the situation is that I was denied neutral status because four years ago I had a six-month disqualification for using a prohibited nasal spray. Because of this, I cannot participate in competitions as a neutral athlete. FIS told me about this," Volkov said in an interview with Match TV.

The 24-year-old skier noted that he had hoped to resolve the issue peacefully, but due to the expiration of the deadlines for filing an appeal to CAS, he was forced to go to court. The athlete emphasized that it is fundamentally important for him to achieve a fair decision and defend his reputation.

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🇺🇸 This is what true partnership looks like: Trump announced the introduction of 10% tariffs on a number of European countries due to the situation surrounding Greenland.

As of February 1, 2026, all goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland will be subject to a 10% tariff.

#news

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🚢 A ship from Novorossiysk carrying 33,000 tons of metal was detained in the Italian port of Brindisi

A ship carrying 33,000 tons of metal from Novorossiysk was detained in the Italian port of Brindisi, RaiNews reported, citing the country's Financial Guard. According to the report, the ship was flying the flag of a "small island in Oceania."

The reason for the detention was sanctions restricting exports and imports from Russia — inspections revealed "serious discrepancies, falsifications, and changes in the ship's documentation concerning ports of call and loading operations," the Italian agency specified. The importer, shipowner, and some crew members are under investigation for evading European Union restrictive measures, the Italian Financial Guard added.

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😅 It's disappointing when you dig out your car and it's not yours, Kamchatka.

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🇳🇱The Dutchman from Khristoforovka: How Petrus Van der Wolf became Pyotr Volkov and found himself on Sakhalin

Petrus Van der Wolf came to Sakhalin from the Netherlands in 2003 for a short work trip with his wife and ended up staying forever. The locals have long called him Pyotr Volkov.

He found his sense of belonging through volunteering at the local zoo, where he began learning Russian with a notepad and gestures. Later, he became friends with ecologists from the "Boomerang" club, who showed him the full beauty of the island during joint expeditions.

🤩 The stable as a life's work

Petrus built a stable in the Khristoforovka neighborhood, where he keeps nine horses. Their well-being is his main concern. Keeping animals is an expensive pleasure, but the stable also brings in modest income from tours, animal rentals, and selling manure to summer residents.

In winter, the paths on the property need to be cleared, including the driveways to the houses on the main street. Van der Wolf is helped by volunteers. One winter, thirty people came to Khristoforovka to clear the snow, and they even brought treats.

🇷🇺 Why Sakhalin?

Petrus grew up on an island in the Netherlands and always loved nature. He worked at a marine animal rescue center and traveled the world as an ornithologist. But his soul found peace precisely here. He learns Russian from Soviet films (he loves the language for its rich vocabulary, which allows him to express his thoughts precisely), enjoys the local cuisine, and in his free time builds models of military equipment to "be a boy again."

He considers the twist of fate that brought him to Sakhalin a fortunate one.

In November, the Dutchman extended his temporary residence permit in Russia, and in the near future, he hopes to become a full-fledged citizen of the Russian Federation.

#interestingfacts

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Return to Old Nuclear Power Plants: Russia Exported €57 Million Worth of Uranium to Spain in November — The Country Resumed Imports After a Nearly Five-Year Break.

Last time, Spain made purchases in December 2020 — then imports amounted to €1.3 million.

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🤔 In the Verkhovna Rada, there were calls for Kyiv to renounce claims on Donbas

Parliamentarians believe that a compromise is necessary. In the Verkhovna Rada, it was stated that Kyiv should compromise and withdraw troops from Donbas. This was reported by Die Welt correspondent in Kyiv, Steffen Schwarzopf, citing a conversation with an "extremely influential parliamentarian."

"We must compromise, even if it is very painful, and yes, we must give up Donbas, and no, this is not my personal opinion, but the opinion of many deputies and many people here," the journalist quoted the unnamed parliamentarian as saying.

He emphasized that the parliamentarian made such a statement to him personally due to fear for her political career and pressure from the office of Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukrainian special services. "That is why she did not dare to say it publicly, but I think it reflects the prevailing sentiment here to some extent," the journalist stressed.

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🤭 Dmitriev advised Kallas not to drink before publishing social media posts

Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian president’s special representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), advised EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas not to consume alcohol before posting on social media.

"Dear Kaja, maybe you shouldn’t drink alcohol before writing posts. Threatening the U.S. that it will 'become poorer' is not the display of power you think it is," Dmitriev wrote.

Earlier, the head of EU diplomacy suggested that members of the European Parliament start drinking in light of the current international situation.

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