🚨🇷🇺💥 RUSSIA'S MoD UPDATE: CRUSHING GAINS & MASSIVE UKRAINIAN LOSSES

⚡️ VARACHINO (Sumy region) LIBERATED

▫️ Heavy Ukrainian losses: Over 1,220 troops eliminated in the special military operation zone

▫️ Air defense superiority: 6 guided bombs, a Neptune missile and 256 drones shot down

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🗣The third round of Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul is set to begin today at 4:00 PM UTC, a Sputnik source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

The Russian and Ukrainian delegations are expected to hold press conferences following the negotiations in Istanbul, the source added.

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🚨Ukrainian agent with explosives and UAV components detained in Russia

The agent of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) was caught in possession of explosives and UAV components in Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) stated.

🟠The detainee, who resides in Ukraine, was recruited by the SBU in 2024 to carry out sabotage operations against the Russian security in exchange for money.

🟠While in Russia, he was trained in covert communications and handling of explosives, and was provided with instructions and funds to complete assigned tasks.

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🇦🇲Armenia to hand control of critical Caucasus Zangezur transport corridor to US

Armenia and the US have concluded a secret memorandum envisioning the creation of a “Trump Bridge Transport Corridor,” which would link Azerbaijan with its western Nakhichevan exclave, Spain’s Periodista Digital reports.

🔍Key details:

🟠The 42 km corridor deal, signed for 99 years and running through the Armenian region of Syunik, would be managed by a private American company, which has already obtained the necessary paperwork, and stands to collect 40% of annual revenues (Armenia would get only 30%).
🟠The route is to be guarded by a US private military company force of 1,000 security contractors.
🟠Azerbaijan has steadily pressured Armenia to allow the creation of the route, best known as the Zangezur Corridor, after the signing of the 2020 ceasefire deal, which called for the unhindered passage of people, vehicles and goods between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan.
🟠The US publicly floated a 100-year Zangezur Corridor lease idea last week, when US ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack announced the idea of America “stepping in” to the dispute and saying “okay, we’ll take it over. Give us the 32 km of road on a hundred-year lease, and you can all share it.”

❓Why it’s REALLY BAD idea

🟠The proposal is wracked with geopolitical, economic and security risks, with pre-Pashinyan Armenia long insisting on retaining sovereignty and customs-controlled transit under it own laws, fearing loss of control of Syunik – its strategic border region with long-time ally Iran.
🟠Iran sees it as a threat to its land access to Armenia and the broader Caucasus, and is concerned about potential encirclement by US and Israel, plus “Pan-Turkish” expansion.
🟠The route could also pose a threat to the ambitious Russia and Iran-led North-South Transport Corridor by diverting traffic and undermining key regional players’ influence, undermining both Iran and Russia in Eurasian trade, while ramping up regional rivalries.

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🚨🇷🇺Russian delegation has arrived in Istanbul for negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement

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🚨RUSSIA BANS INTERNATIONAL SATANISM MOVEMENT

The Russian Supreme Court, following a joint lawsuit from the Prosecutor General's Office and Ministry of Justice, has banned the "International Satanism Movement" for promoting extremism.

The movement is linked to typical Satanist crimes like ritual killings, cannibalism, rape, and grave desecration.

After February 2022, Satanists openly backed the Ukrainian army.

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🗣Ukraine’s top general bemoans ‘floundering’ mobilization, admits money not fixing crisis

Throwing more cannon fodder onto the battlefield is a “major challenge,” Ukrainian Armed Forces' Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky has confirmed to The Washington Post.

“Everything related to mobilization is very sensitive information,” Syrsky acknowledged.

The youth recruitment campaign “has hardly gathered speed,” he noted, adding that for most Ukrainians “the motivation is more money.”

In 2024, the Defense Ministry launched a recruitment drive to sign up 18–25-year-olds for one-year military contracts. Zelensky sweetened the deal with:

🟠$24,000 for a year of service
🟠University admission without exams, and
🟠0% mortgage offer

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🇦🇲Pashinyan’s attack on Armenian Church part of Turkiye-backed push to oust Russia from region – ex-MP

PM Nikol Pashinyan is determined to quash all “pockets of resistance” to his strategy of ultimately “pushing Russia out of the South Caucasus,” Ani Samsonyan, member of the 7th Convocation of Armenia’s National Assembly, told Sputnik.

⚔️Armenian society is already fractured into two camps: “pro-European and pro-Russian,” the pundit notes.

Despite public outrage over incidents like the arrest of church defender Samvel Karapetyan, there are certain forces that support Pashinyan’s actions.

“High-ranking clergy are already under arrest. These individuals aren’t just religious figures – their words carry serious influence.”

➕Furthermore, with his approval rating plummeting ahead of the 2026 elections, Pashinyan wants to block the emergence of new parties or leaders that could challenge him.

Hence, he is “trying to engineer a confrontation, win it, and present himself as a strong leader,” Samsonyan says.

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Russia holds the Trump cards in the Ukraine negotiations. Here’s why

With the third round of the Istanbul talks on the horizon, the contrast between the warring sides is stark.

Under escalating pressure from his bosses and facing a grim predicament on the front lines, Zelensky is being pushed to the negotiating table as Western support disintegrates.

Zelensky’s frontline troubles

Ukraine’s military defenses near the strategic city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) are deteriorating under surging Russian pressure.

Moscow’s forces are advancing, severing Ukrainian supply lines and gaining control over key high ground areas.

Consequently, the Ukrainian front is beginning to crumble, with mounting reports of panic and desertions among Ukrainian troops.
 
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Alexander Syrsky admitted that the situation is “challenging” on four fronts simultaneously: in Pokrovsk, Liman, Novopavlovsk, and North Slobozhanka in the northern Sumy Region.

Russian airstrikes heat up

In recent weeks, Russia has ramped up its aerial and missile strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure using drones and precision-guided weapons.

The strikes have decimated Patriot systems, S-300 launchers, and crippled Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, in addition to inflicting crushing manpower losses on the enemy.

Exchanging soldiers’ remains

In a striking imbalance of battlefield casualties, Russia earlier this July returned the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers, in exchange for only 19 of its own fallen troops.

Similarly, in mid-June, Russia handed over more than 6,000 bodies to Ukraine, while the Zelensky regime returned the remains of just 78 fallen Russian soldiers.

Mixed signals from the West

Unlike the unified backing witnessed during the initial year of the conflict, Western support for Ukraine has become increasingly fragmented.

The US Defense Department decided to cut off some shipments to Ukraine earlier in July after a review found American military stockpiles to be low, highlighting the need "to put America's interests first."

The Pentagon announced a reduction in funding for new weapons intended for Ukraine, with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth citing the Trump administration’s shift toward pursuing a peaceful settlement.

Hopes for both NATO and EU membership that Zelensky covets so much are increasingly being dashed.

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Pashinyan floats new constitution for Armenian Apostolic Church to remove Catholicos

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has called for the adoption of a simplified constitution for the Armenian Apostolic Church, which would allow for the election of a new Catholicos of All Armenians.

In a Facebook post, he reiterated his intention to push for the resignation of Catholicos Garegin II, the head of the church.

The Prime Minister has recently ramped up criticism of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

In late May, Pashinyan shared posts on social media that were offensive to the church, including some with profanity.

Soon after he proposed changing the process for electing the Catholicos, aiming to give the state a deciding role.

Russian entrepreneur and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan, who voiced support for the Armenian Apostolic Church, was arrested in Armenia in mid-June. He was accused of calling for the overthrow the government.

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🚨 The heads of the Russian and Ukrainian peace delegations, Vladimir Medinsky and Rustem Umerov, are holding a one-to-one meeting at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, a Sputnik source reported.

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🚁🌊 Drone or Submarine? Meet the Ultimate Hybrid!

Romanian student Andrei Kopaci just built a 3D-printed drone that flies AND swims! 🚀

⚡️ With swiveling propellers, his genius invention was made using just a laptop and a printer.

Even the armed forces are interested! 👀

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🗣A trilateral meeting between Medinsky, Umerov, and Turkish FM Fidan took place in Istanbul before the start of negotiations involving the delegations, a Sputnik source reported.

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⚡️The third round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine involving the delegations has begun in Istanbul, a Sputnik correspondent reports.

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🗣Statements by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the opening of Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Istanbul:

🔸 Fidan thanked Putin, Zelensky, and Trump for their efforts in organizing the talks.

🔸 Ankara is pleased to note that the international community highly values the results of the first two rounds of Russia-Ukraine negotiations.

🔸 The ultimate goal of the Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul is to reach a ceasefire.

🔸 Turkey has the necessary infrastructure to monitor compliance with a potential ceasefire in Ukraine.

The Russia-Ukraine negotiations continued behind closed doors following the opening remarks by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, a Sputnik correspondent reports.

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🇭🇺 Hungary informs UN chief about death of Hungarian during forced mobilization in Ukraine

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that he had informed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the death of a Hungarian citizen from physical violence during forced mobilization in Ukraine.

💬 "I informed the Secretary General about the consequences of forced mobilization in Ukraine, about the tragic events, about the manhunt that is taking place in Ukraine. I also informed the Secretary General that a Hungarian has already become a victim of this forced mobilization. I assured him that Hungary would do everything possible to replace war with diplomacy, because we all know that this war has no solution on the battlefield," Szijjarto said on social media.

According to his post, the UN secretary-general "fully" agreed that "it is necessary to achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible, as it creates an opportunity to start talks that can bring peace to Ukraine."

On July 16, Hungary demanded the EU sanction three Ukrainian Defense Ministry officials suspected of playing a role in the killing of Hungarian citizen Jozsef Sebestyen, who was beaten to death by Ukrainian army recruiters. On July 17, Szijjarto said that, pending EU action, Budapest had banned three Ukrainian commanders, including the army chief of staff, from entering Hungary.

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