✝️ 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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✝️🇦🇲 Church vs state: why Pashinyan’s pro-West pivot threatens to tear Armenia apart

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan “is leading Armenia down a path that distances it from its historical past, geopolitical orientation and traditional ties with Moscow, which has always provided Armenia with protection and support, and pushing the country into the arms of the West,” Samer Abdallah, director of Lebanese University’s Center for Legal and Political Studies, told Sputnik.

🗣“The situation is being aggravated by the growing conflict between the government and influential religious institutions enjoying widespread popular support,” Abdallah said, referring to Pashinyan’s escalating conflict with the Apostolic Church.

“Fueled by discontent with Pashinyan’s West-leaning policies, the political crisis is having a negative impact on Armenia’s historical interests and position,” the observer said, emphasizing that Pashinyan’s efforts to enforce his will “by force” may “lead to even more serious internal problems with unpredictable consequences.”

Pashinyan, already teetering on the brink of political ruin over his “soft and overly accommodating” position on the Nagorno-Karabakh question, likely feels safe in the knowledge that “outside interference” helped bring him to power in 2018, Abdallah believes.

💬 “Any future elections in Armenia will have serious impact on his position, but if their results contradict Washington’s expectations, the Americans could increase pressure on Yerevan,” including using sanctions and “other levers of influence,” the analyst said.

🔍 The Lebanese observer suspects that events in Armenia signal that the US is “preparing to expand its influence in Asia, distracting the world’s attention with pressure on Iran and the conflict in Ukraine. Washington believes Russia will not defend Armenia – but for Moscow, the country is a strategic space that cannot be abandoned, as in Ukraine, and any other region with a Russian-speaking population.”

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❗️🇮🇱 Israel orders EVACUATION of diplomatic staff from UAE – reports

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has instructed most diplomats and their families stationed in the UAE to leave the country immediately, Ynet reported. The directive applies to staff at the embassy in Abu Dhabi and the consulate in Dubai.

The ministry declined to comment on the decision, stating: “We do not comment on security instructions given to our employees.”

Earlier that day, Israel’s National Security Council issued a travel warning for the UAE, citing increased threats from Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and other groups reportedly seeking to target Israeli interests abroad.

Ynet described the move as unusual and linked it to a potentially credible security concern.

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🏛 Museum or crime scene? Britain illegally holds Egypt’s cultural heritage

Many visitors to the British Museum in London have no idea that some of the ancient treasures they admire were looted and stolen.

🗣"During the period of British colonial rule in Egypt [1882–1956], the largest thefts of ancient Egyptian artifacts in history took place—amounting to a full-scale plundering of the Nile Valley and the tombs of the pharaohs," Zahi Hawas, Egyptian archaeologist and former Minister of Antiquities, tells Sputnik.

◻️ One of the most famous examples is the Rosetta Stone—the key to deciphering hieroglyphics—taken from Egypt by Napoleon Bonaparte’s troops

◻️ Equally scandalous was the looting of artefacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb by Lord Carnarvon, the sponsor of the excavation

Plundering Egyptian treasures under the guise of science

◻️ English archaeologist Howard Carter gifted part of treasures from Tutankhamun’s tomb to Lord Carnarvon and Egyptologist Alan Gardiner, and a Nefertum statue smuggled into the tomb of Ramses II is now in the museum

◻️ The Rosetta Stone, found by French soldiers in Rashid in 1799, was handed to Britain—along with other artifacts—under the 1801 Treaty of Alexandria after Napoleon’s defeat

💬 "None of the colonial powers had any right to dispose of Egypt’s heritage," the pundit stresses.

The British Museum dedicates seven entire halls to ancient Egyptian exhibits—from statues and mummies to jewellery and medical papyri.

British museums now hold more than 100,000 Egyptian artefacts. All of them were taken illegally, Hawas insists.

🗣 "Scholars and public figures are calling for an end to the silence surrounding this massive cultural theft," the expert says.

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🇸🇻 El Salvador lawmakers remove presidential term limits, paving way for Bukele to remain in power – reports

El Salvador’s Congress, dominated by President Nayib Bukele’s New Ideas party, passed a sweeping constitutional reform on Thursday that removes presidential term limits and allows indefinite re-election, Reuters reported.

The bill, approved by a 57–3 vote, also extends presidential terms from five to six years and eliminates run-off elections. It shortens the president’s current term to align all elections in 2027 — a move likely to benefit the ruling party.

Bukele remains highly popular, largely due to his aggressive anti-gang policies, according to Reuters.

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🚨✅Russian air defenses down 60 Ukrainian drones in overnight barrage

The Defense Ministry has provided this breakdown of downed UAVs:

▪️ 31 – over the Belgorod region
▪️ 12 – over the Rostov region
▪️ 5 – over the Krasnodar region
▪️ 4 – over the Black Sea waters
▪️ 3 – over the Voronezh region
▪️ 2 – over the Lipetsk region
▪️ 2 – over the Tula region
▪️ 1 – over the Azov Sea waters

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