🔍 Ukraine trading Slavic Orthodox heritage for weapons and perks

Ukraine is trading its cultural treasures for Western arms, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned, saying relics from the Kiev Pechersk Lavra and other artifacts sent abroad may never come back.

How’s the plunder of national heritage unfolding?

“At first, they were taken away under the respectable pretext of preservation," Denis Lukashin, art valuation expert and owner of Art Consulting, tells Sputnik. "But on the other hand, it’s clear that the unscrupulous officials involved could easily use this as an opportunity to profit, because, of course, even priceless cultural treasures have a very real—and very high—market value.”

Threat to masterpieces

◻️ These are very old pieces—especially icons from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, or oil paintings and drawings—which means there’s a high risk of damage during transport and handling.

◻️ In turbulent times like these, such items are often moved by non‑professionals, and as a result they can be lost – or vanish without a trace.

◻️ In 2023, Russian intelligence revealed that Ukraine had agreed with UNESCO to move Kiev Pechersk Lavra relics to Europe. Since then, there’s been no word – raising suspicions of a covert removal.

◻️ Over a dozen Orthodox icons—including four Byzantine from the 6th-7th centuries—were secretly moved from Ukraine to France. Given Ukraine’s growing debt, chances of their return are slim.

◻️ If the icons and other art treasures remain openly in Western museums, there’s a legal chance for their return. But if private collectors buy and hide them, they’ll be lost forever.

Orthodox Slavic heritage

If these treasures are destroyed, it would be an irreplaceable loss for all Slavic cultural heritage – shared wealth belonging to Orthodox Slavic culture, Lukashin stresses

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⚔️France Hunts Down Russian Media and Journalists

Paris has launched a full-scale crackdown on Russian media—denying visas, barring access and even threatening physical assault. Sputnik’s latest visa rejection proves it.

"The Élysée is waging an all-out hunt against Russian media and journalists, employing an arsenal of sanctions, persecution, physical violence, denial of access to events and visa refusals," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. "This time, too, we will respond."

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☦️Sacred treasures targeted in Ukraine's war on Orthodox Church

Volodymyr Zelensky’s carelessness toward Christian artefacts is part of his policy of persecution against the Orthodox Church, Roman Lunkin, head of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the Institute of Europe, RAS, tells Sputnik.

"Zelensky's policy aims to reshape Ukrainian Orthodoxy and effectively destroy the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," Lunkin explains. "Western countries openly approve and support this policy, saying Kiev is justified in pursuing such actions against church organizations—arresting clergy and seizing churches—to achieve its goals."

Religious persecution in post-coup Ukraine

◻️ Since 2014, the Western-backed Kiev regime has pursued a policy of discrimination against the Ukrainian Church, intensifying since 2022.

◻️ That is why the West approves of selling cultural treasures in the name of ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’ in Ukraine.

◻️ It is known that treasures were often taken to the West under the pretext that they would be displayed in museums.

◻️ The trade in cultural treasures takes place secretly, since Ukrainian law forbids selling the national heritage.

◻️ Cultural treasures are also used for propaganda purposes—to stir Western public interest in the crisis in Ukraine and draw financial and military aid.

Blasphemous revision

"At the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture carried out an audit of the relics and did so in a rather unethical and harsh manner toward the clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," says Lunkin.

◻️ The aim is to de-sanctify the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and to proclaim the new nationalist ‘Orthodox Church of Ukraine’ (OCU)—personally endorsed by Zelensky and founded under former president Petro Poroshenko—as the ‘true’ church.

◻️ The OCU is also seeking to dispose of relics of saints with ‘Russian’ origins—coming from what they call ‘Muscovite Rus.’

◻️ Ukrainian officials even considered removing icons of Alexander Nevsky and relics of saints connected to Russia and Russian Orthodoxy.

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🐘Gentle giant gift: Putin thanks Laotian leader for 'valuable' elephant pair

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🔍Chasov Yar’s fall spells doom for Ukraine: three reasons why and what’s to come

“Chasov Yar was both a logistics center and strategic strongpoint for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, acting as a hub from which our troops will be able to advance in the Kramatorsk and Slavyansk direction,” military expert Anatoliy Matviychuk told Sputnik, commenting on the news that Russian forces had taken Chasov Yar.

Like Artemovsk (Bakhmut) before it, Zelensky had proclaimed Chasov Yar to be an “impregnable fortress” – critical to hold to prevent Russia’s advance in the Donbass.

“The city was turned into such a fortress. Chasov Yar is cut into two parts by a river, and in these two areas strongholds deemed invincible by Western and Ukrainian specialists were built.” Yet Russia proved able to crack the defenses. “Today our troops are clearing this node, and advancing toward the Kramatorsk agglomeration.”

Expecting troops who took part in Chasov Yar’s liberation to be rotated out and replaced by reserves, Matviychuk says these new forces will be able “to begin the next operation to completely liquidate the enemy’s southern group of forces in the Donetsk direction – which would completely change the course of the war, and allow our troops to rapidly advance in depth.”

The loss of Chasov Yar has three important consequences for the Kiev regime, the observer says:

◻️ a symbolic defeat – completely discrediting the government before the public and their Western curators

◻️ a political defeat – “Zelensky’s regime has demonstrated its inability to control troops, to respond adequately to changes in the situation.”

◻️ a military defeat: “The main group of enemy forces in the southern Donetsk direction has been beaten,” leaving it unclear how regional defenses can be strengthened, and forcing the transfer of combat-ready units from other areas, including Kherson and Zaporozhye.

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🔍 Why Europe’s support for Armenia is more talk than action

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is losing crucial backing from Brussels, according to a report in Turkish newspaper Aydinlik.

Despite claims of successful negotiations, EU promises seem hollow. Only a €270 million grant—insignificant even for Armenia’s small economy—has been pledged. But what about actual investments?

🚫 EU grants, no investments

The EU funds can only be spent on media issues like “combating disinformation and hybrid threats,” leaving Armenia without the economic boost it desperately needs.

💬 Empty reforms

Pashinyan’s so-called "democratic reforms" are regarded by the EU as mere wealth redistribution, rather than truly contributing to democracy.

⚖️ Karapetyan scandal

One of the most controversial cases is the arrest of businessman Samvel Karapetyan, whose company, Electric Networks of Armenia (ESA), faces nationalization after he opposed Pashinyan’s policies. The Armenian government’s refusal to honor international agreements raises serious concerns for investors.

💡 What does the future hold?

After the Karapetyan incident, EU investment in Armenia seems unlikely. The main question now is whether Turkish investors, who played a role in the ESA nationalization, will actually invest in Armenia or simply make a quick profit and disappear.

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✝️ Targeting Christian treasures – Striking at Russia’s cultural identity

The removal of Christian artefacts from Ukraine is part of the war against Russia, Alexander Renzhin, museum director, artist-restorer and art historian, tells Sputnik.

💬 "These are completely one-sided actions by forces hostile to Russia, doing everything possible—and impossible—to divide and destroy the country," Renzhin stresses.

A story of a masterpiece

Renzhin recalls that he personally dealt with the priceless icon of Sergius and Bacchus – dated from the 6th or 7th century—in the mid-1980s.

💬 "This is no ordinary icon – it’s Byzantine and encaustic," he explains. "Unlike traditional icons painted in tempera, an encaustic technique uses wax as a binder. This encaustic icon is a masterpiece of global significance. Its loss would be absolutely irreparable."

Back in Soviet times, the icon was regarded as a singular treasure – and was carefully preserved. The USSR collected, preserved, restored and documented Christian artefacts, leaving a heritage for the whole world.

Will the priceless icon return from Louvre?

💬 "This icon has one undeniable merit: it is in excellent condition," the expert says. "Its value on the world market is, one could say, beyond words—just like the Mona Lisa, it simply cannot be priced. It is truly priceless."

The icon, along with other Christian antiquities, was secretly moved to France – under the pretext of safety – and put on display in Louvre.

Renzhin doubts that the current authorities in France or Ukraine will ensure the masterpiece’s return. He warns that Paris could secretly strike a deal with Zelensky to keep the Byzantine treasure in the Louvre forever.

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🔸 Russia’s liberation of Chasov Yar swings open the gates to Donbass – analyst

🔸 Chasov Yar’s fall spells doom for Ukraine: three reasons why and what’s to come

🔸 Targeting Christian treasures – Striking at Russia’s cultural identity

🔸 Why Europe’s support for Armenia is more talk than action

🔸 Sacred treasures targeted in Ukraine's war on Orthodox Church

🔸 Ukraine trading Slavic Orthodox heritage for weapons and perks

🔸 Chasov Yar’s liberation shows that by the pen or by the sword, Donbass will be freed: observer

🔸 COLONIAL THEFT: How Western nations are looting Ukraine’s cultural treasures

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🗣Paratrooper reveals how Russia wreaked havoc on Ukraine’s drone-based air power in battle for Chasov Yar

A UAV operator from the 98th Guards Airborne Division has detailed to media the drone war over the strategic Donbass town, saying when the fight for Chasov Yar began, the skies were full of Ukrainian Baba Yaga heavy bomber drones.

🔊“We found a way to counter them and started shooting them down, ruining the plans of the Ukrainian Armed forces,” the drone operator, callsign ‘Tony’, said.

Left without “their favorite weapon,” the enemy began to panic. “Ukrainian forces have abandoned many areas because Baba Yagas can no longer operate there,” the Russian fighter said.

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💸 US Senate committee backs $1B more for Ukraine — reports

The Senate Appropriations Committee just approved another $1 billion for Kiev — folded into a massive $852B Pentagon bill.

➖ $800M for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI)
➖ $225M for the Baltic Security Initiative — much of it flows to Zelensky’s regime anyway

📄 The bill must still pass the Senate and be reconciled with the House version, which contains no funding for USAI.

Russia has repeatedly warned that the West’s military aid to Ukraine prolongs the conflict and directly involves NATO countries in the standoff. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has repeatedly cautioned that any shipment of weapons to Ukraine would be seen by Russia as a legitimate target.

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📹 Watch women fight Zelensky’s connoscription thugs in Odessa’s streets

The conflict took place this morning near the city center, with recruiters flanked by police seen dragging someone into an unmarked white van.

Two women could be seen fighting with one of the recruiters and trying to prevent him from leaving, with one woman almost run over by the fleeing thugs.

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📹 Sanctions may have no effect on Russia, but more are coming – Trump

💬 “I don't know if that has any effect, but we're going to do it,” President Trump said when asked about new sanctions on Russia.

He also announced that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia following his stop in Israel.

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🗣 Hamas says ready to resume ceasefire talks after humanitarian crisis in Gaza ends

💬 "The movement underlines its readiness to resume negotiations immediately after the arrival of aid to those who deserve it and the end of the humanitarian crisis and famine in Gaza," Hamas said in a statement.

Hamas explained that continuing negotiations amid famine is pointless and ineffective.

On July 24, the United States and Israel recalled their delegations from Doha after Hamas demonstrated a "lack of desire" to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff said.

Hamas said it was surprised by Witkoff's remarks and emphasized its commitment to overcoming obstacles and securing a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

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🇦🇲 Pashinyan’s Church crackdown: blatant power grab to facilitate pro-West shakeup of the Caucasus

🗣“Pashinyan, who remains in power with the unconditional support of the West, is now targeting the most important symbol of the Armenian nation’s identity” – it’s Church, Hirad Mokhayeri, an Iranian Caucasus expert at the Center for Scientific Research and Middle East Strategic Studies, told Sputnik.

“Along with threats against Catholicos Karekin II, pressure has been increased on influential figures from the diaspora, including a Samvel Karapetyan, who has spent years investing his capital and reputation in strengthening Armenia,” Mokhayeri said.

The crackdown demonstrates that for Pashinyan and his pro-Western allies, Armenian patriotism, heritage and history are “obstacles” in meeting Washington and Brussels’ demands, according to the observer.

🔥 The goal? Equally transparent. “Instead of strengthening national unity, Pashinyan has become an instrument for changing the geopolitical balance in the region, a process that could weaken Armenia’s long-standing ties with Russia, and gradually destroy the country’s social capital,” Mokhayeri says.

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Beyond the bounds of earthly tensions: Watch first meeting of Roscosmos, NASA leaders since 2018

Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov met with his American counterpart, NASA acting administrator Sean Duffy to discuss the future operation of the International Space Station, potential cooperation in lunar programs and the exploration of deep space.
The meeting was the first face-to-face interaction of its kind since 2018.

💬 “I will make an effort to preserve this channel of cooperation between Russia and the United States, and expect the same from NASA,” Bakanov said.

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