🛥 Fair wind and calm sea: Russian Navy celebrates its main holiday

On July 28, Russia celebrates Navy Day, honoring the sailors, naval aviation, and coastal troops of the Russian Armed Forces. President Vladimir Putin attended the main naval parade in St. Petersburg, saying that Russia continues to provide its naval forces with top-notch equipment.

In 2024, up to 200 ships and vessels of various classes, as well as 100 units of military equipment and some 15,000 servicemen are involved in the celebration events.

Naval parades are held at the main bases of the Russian Northern, Baltic, and Pacific Fleets, as well as the Caspian Flotilla and at the base of the permanent operational unit in the Mediterranean Sea.

⚡️ Among the most powerful Russian warships are the Kirov-class battlecruiser Petr Velikiy, the Slava-class missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov, and the corvette Gremyashchiy.

⚡️ Russian nuclear submarines the Condor of Project 945A and the 885M Yasen-M are among the best deep-sea attack submarines. Project 945A submarines are equipped with a titanium hull, allowing them to dive to great depths and making them even less detectable.

⚡️ Russian frigates, nuclear submarines, and Project 20385 corvettes are armed with cutting-edge nuclear-capable Zircon hypersonic missiles. Flying at a speed of up to Mach 9, the missile can't be stopped by air defenses. The frigate Admiral Gorshkov first fired a Zircon in January 2020.

⚡️ Russia’s icebreaker fleet holds a special place among the naval forces. Earlier this week, the newest military icebreaker, the Evpatiy Kolovrat, which is able to overcome ice more than 1.5 meters thick, joined the Pacific Fleet.

⚡️ Russian Navy ships are involved in the special military operation in the Black Sea area. Ships armed with Kalibr missiles have struck more than 200 enemy targets since the beginning of the operation. Naval aviators have carried out over 11,000 sorties, destroying more than four hundred targets, including 50 aircraft.

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Protesters gathered to oppose the construction of a high-speed railway in the Italian region of Piedmont. Police officers used tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators.

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The Syrian port of Tartus hosted a parade of warships and support vessels from the Russian Navy's permanent operational formation in the Mediterranean Sea, as Russia celebrates Navy Day.

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Olympic transport chaos in Paris

The transport system at the Olympic Games in Paris is still not up to scratch. Videos have been shared on social media showing how members of the Greek water polo team had to get off the bus and move cars that were parked in a dangerous position blocking their way.

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🇻🇪 Venezuela kicks off voting in presidential election

Polling stations officially opened in Venezuela on Sunday for a presidential election that will shape the nation's political trajectory for the next six years.

Voting is taking place from 6 a.m. (10:00 GMT) to 6 p.m. local time, with the possibility of extended hours based on voter turnout.

The National Electoral Council is expected to announce the initial official results late Monday night once the counting trend becomes irreversible. Candidates need a simple majority of the votes to win.

Incumbent President Nicolas Maduro was among the first to cast his ballot in the presidential election. He arrived at the Simon Rodriguez ecological school polling station in Caracas shortly after it opened, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

This year's election day coincides with the birthday of former President Hugo Chavez. Maduro's supporters, following Chavismo, are expected to back him for continued economic recovery despite sanctions. Meanwhile, the opposition seeks to return to a liberal market system, hoping for US support in the event of a victory.

The president-elect will assume office on January 10, 2025 and serve a six-year term.

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