🇷🇺 Strategic bomber Tu-22M3 crashes in Irkutsk region

A Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber has crashed in the Irkutsk region, according to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense. The crew managed to eject, but tragically, one pilot did not survive. The crash was caused by a technical malfunction.

The aircraft went down in an uninhabited area, and there was no damage reported on the ground.

The Tu-22M3 is a long-range supersonic bomber developed during the Soviet era. It is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons, making it a key component of Russia’s strategic aviation forces.

🇧🇦 - Reports that Interpol is refusing to issue an international arrest warrant citing Article 3 of its statute which prohibits involvement in cases of a political, military, religious, or racial nature.

🇮🇷🇺🇸⚡️Iran will face "the end" by September if it does not agree to a nuclear deal and begin dismantling its nuclear program, claims The Daily Express, citing sources close to Trump's team.

🇷🇺 KamAZ can go bankrupt amid Chinese competition and lack of modern technologies

Russian truck manufacturer KamAZ has voiced frustration over its Eastern partners' unwillingness to share technology. According to deputy CEO Mikhail Matasov, Russia’s automotive development strategy overly relies on cooperation with Asian partners, expecting a transfer of technologies that is simply not happening. Matasov noted that these partners are not interested in deep technological collaboration, partly due to their dependency on the U.S., which he referred to as a "non-partner."

KamAZ previously had a long-standing partnership with Germany’s Daimler (Mercedes-Benz Group), which held a 15% stake since 2008. However, this ended after the start of the war in Ukraine, when Daimler withdrew from the Russian market and eventually sold its shares in 2024.

🔥 The company is now facing a sharp decline in profits, which fell 28-fold in 2024 compared to the previous year—from 20.4 billion rubles down to just 731 million rubles. The reasons include rising interest rates, increased profit taxes, and intensified competition from Chinese truck manufacturers. KamAZ’s sales dropped by a third to 17,254 units, while Chinese brand Sitrak overtook the market lead with 19,409 trucks sold.

The situation highlights the growing challenges for Russian industry in the absence of Western partners and the limited support from new Eastern alliances.

🇺🇸U.S. Secretary of State Rubio stated that at the meeting in Brussels, he will demand that each NATO country commit to increasing military spending to 5% of GDP.

🇩🇪🇺🇸 For Germany, Trump's tariffs are an "economic disaster," German economists told Bild.

According to calculations by the German Economic Institute in Cologne, over four years the tariffs could cost Germany 200 billion euros, and the GDP could drop by 1.5% by 2028.

"For Germany, a 20% tariff is an economic disaster," said the authors of the study, Jürgen Matthes and Samina Sultan.

The total damage for the EU could amount to around 750 billion euros.

🇩🇪 - German car manufacturing giant Porsche is holding internal talks to re-enter the defense industry after a multi-decade hiatus.

🇺🇦 Zelensky hints at compromise on lost territory

While Ukraine will never recognize the lost territories as part of Russia — “that’s a red line” — Volodymyr Zelensky says Kyiv is open to waiting and eventually reclaiming them through diplomatic means.

The President emphasizes Ukraine’s stance but hints at a possible shift in strategy — if diplomacy can yield results.

🇮🇷🇺🇸 U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iran has requested direct talks on the "nuclear deal."

🇺🇸 Market reforms come with pain

The U.S. stock market lost around $3 trillion yesterday. Donald Trump, meanwhile, stated that “everything is going very well, and the market will thrive.” At the same time, the press notes that American financial markets are experiencing their worst day in the past five years.

🇷🇺🇺🇲 Loud scandal during negotiations: Russian negotiators couldn’t share a chair in front of the Americans

The outlet Agentstvo, citing its sources, reported on a comical incident that took place during negotiations between Russian and American delegations in Saudi Arabia on February 18. It turns out that Putin entrusted the talks with the U.S. to two rival teams.

Initially, only Foreign Minister Lavrov and Putin's aide Ushakov were supposed to represent Russia. Later, Putin's special envoy Dmitriev was added to the delegation — but Lavrov wasn't informed about this.

Lavrov threw a fit and refused to give Dmitriev a chair.

The Russian Foreign Minister pushed the chair away from the table, saying: “If he wants to participate, let Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin) tell me personally.” After that, Dmitriev left the room and went into the hallway to speak with journalists. All of this unfolded in front of astonished American delegates.

"Everyone goes to Putin one-on-one, and he tells each person something different. That’s part of the reason why no one can clearly articulate Russia’s demands in the negotiations," a source told Agentstvo.

🇬🇪 - Bipartisan U.S. Congressional Body Helsinki Commission members expressed concern about Georgian Dream awarding Anaklia port development rights to chinese conglomerate.

🇷🇺☪ Russia: number of people killed by gangs of underage migrants sees shocking rise - declares the Investigative Committee of Russia

The criminal behavior of underage migrants is causing serious concern, with the number of especially grave crimes committed by them increasing by 82% over the past year, according to Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Investigative Committee.

At the same time, the number of murders committed by migrant teenagers has increased sevenfold.

They often commit crimes "as part of a well-organized group," attacking passersby, beating them, and bullying and humiliating peers of Slavic appearance. These acts are often recorded on mobile phones and posted online. “The phenomenon of youth ethnic crime has become a negative trend of our time, raising concern among the native population and posing a threat to public stability,” Bastrykin emphasized.