West frustrated by Russia sanctions – WaPo

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Western countries have grown increasingly disillusioned with the impact of sanctions on Russia, according to the Washington Post editorial board. The piece on Saturday echoed recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, who questioned the effectiveness of the restrictions.

The West has imposed an unprecedented number of sanctions aimed at crippling the Russian economy since February 2022, when the Ukraine conflict escalated. Moscow has consistently affirmed that the measures have failed to destabilize its economy or isolate it from the global financial system. The Kremlin says the sanctions have backfired on the very states that implemented them.

“The inability of Western sanctions to cripple Russia’s economy has been one of the most persistent frustrations” of the conflict, the editorial states, noting that the country’s GDP grew by over 4% last year and is projected to slow, but continue expanding in 2025.

Moscow has managed to withstand the pressure by redirecting trade from Western partners to Asian markets, with China and India emerging as its principal customers, according to The Washington Post.

Last week, Trump acknowledged that new US sanctions on Russia may ultimately prove ineffective but confirmed that his administration would proceed with imposing them unless a deal to end the Ukraine conflict is reached soon.

The pledge came shortly after the president reduced the original 50-day window for Moscow and Kiev to reach a peace settlement to just ten days, warning that failure to do so would trigger sweeping penalties, including 100% tariffs and secondary sanctions targeting Russia’s trade partners.

The president has announced that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will visit Moscow midweek as part of a diplomatic push to broker a ceasefire. At the same time, Trump again conceded that the Russian authorities “are pretty good at avoiding sanctions.”

Moscow considers the sanctions illegal, claiming they violate international trade rules and harm global economic stability. The Kremlin also views the Ukraine conflict as a Western-orchestrated proxy war, and argues that continued arms shipments to Kiev only serve to prolong hostilities.

Last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov downplayed Trump’s threat of new restrictions, explaining that Russia has developed “immunity” after years of enduring the measures.

Musk claims ‘major’ US Democrats in Epstein docs

X owner Elon Musk. © Apu Gomes/Getty Images

Senior members of the US Democratic Party and their benefactors are listed in the Epstein documents, X owner Elon Musk has claimed.

On Friday, Bloomberg reported that the FBI agents reviewing the files on the convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein had identified numerous references to US President Donald Trump, as well as dozens of other high-profile figures. The agency stressed that the appearance of any name “is not evidence of a crime or even a suggestion of wrongdoing.”

Responding to the report, one X user suggested that “when a Democrat becomes president, they’ll un-redact these names.”

Musk, however, did not agree, saying, “They won’t, because major Dems and their donors are on the list too.” He did not offer any evidence or elaborate.

In 2019, a spokesman for former President Bill Clinton confirmed that he had flown on Epstein’s private aircraft multiple times, while stressing that the ex-US leader had never visited Epstein’s notorious private island.

Alan Dershowitz, Epstein’s former lawyer, has named two Democrats – former Senator George Mitchell and former UN Ambassador Bill Richardson – as appearing in the documents, stressing that that alone did not indicate any wrongdoing.

In June, Musk – who had a falling-out with Trump over his legislative agenda – claimed that the president was in the Epstein files, suggesting, “that is the real reason they have not been made public.” He later deleted his post, acknowledging he “went too far.”

Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges involving minors, with some of the abuse occurring on his private island, Little St. James, located in the US Virgin Islands. The financier later died in jail in what was ruled a suicide. The case has fueled intense public scrutiny, driven by Epstein’s ties to powerful figures across politics, finance, royalty, and media, as well as rumors of a potential cover-up.

On the campaign trail, Trump pledged to release all documents related to Epstein if elected. However, in July 2025, the US authorities concluded that Epstein did not keep a so-called “client list” that could implicate his high-profile associates, sparking widespread public uproar.

‘No defense against’ Russia’s Oreshnik missile – ex-Pentagon analyst

Neither Ukraine nor its Western backers have any means to counter Russia’s newly deployed intermediate-range Oreshnik missile, Michael Maloof, a former senior Pentagon security analyst, told RT in an interview on Friday.

Maloof noted that the Oreshnik could “easily shift the balance of power overwhelmingly in favor” of Russia in any conflict, including the ongoing hostilities with Ukraine.

“Having a hypersonic [missile] for which there’s no defense currently… is astonishing. It absolutely alters that balance of power dramatically, for which the Ukrainians have no defense,” he said.

He noted that while the US is working to adapt missile defense systems such as THAAD to counter hypersonic threats, these programs remain under development. “There’s no operational ability at this point to deal with a hypersonic missile,” Maloof said, adding that the Oreshnik could reach its targets within mere minutes.

The former analyst added that the missile also travels at a speed of over 7,000 miles (11,000km) an hour. “There’s no defense against that,” he said.

The missile system, Maloof stated, has already been tested successfully in Ukraine in battlefield conditions. He was referring to a strike on Ukraine’s Yuzhmash military industrial facility in the city of Dnepr in November 2024.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said afterward that the missile’s warheads flew at speeds exceeding Mach 10 and could not be intercepted by existing air defenses. The missile could also carry conventional and nuclear payloads and travel up to several thousand kilometers.

According to Putin, the Oreshnik strike on Ukraine was a response to the country’s decision to use Western-supplied long-range missiles for attacks deep into Russia.

On Friday, the Russian president said that the first serially produced Oreshnik missile system had entered service with the armed forces. He also noted that the question of supplying the weapons to Belarus, Russia’s key ally, will likely be resolved by the end of the year.

Tsunami hits Russia’s Kuril Islands - Video

A tsunami wave struck the northern Kuril Islands early Wednesday following a powerful earthquake in the Pacific Ocean, prompting the evacuation of residents from the Russian coastal town of Severo-Kurilsk, regional officials have confirmed.

The first wave hit the shoreline of Severo-Kurilsk shortly after a magnitude 7.9 quake was registered near Kamchatka Peninsula, according to Sakhalin Region Governor Valery Limarenko.

The authorities ordered the evacuation of the town’s population, estimated at just over 2,500, to elevated areas away from the coast.

“Residents remain safe on high ground until the tsunami threat is completely lifted,” Limarenko said. Emergency services are working in high-alert mode, he added, and “all necessary measures are being taken to ensure public safety and restore normal life in the area.”

Footage shared by local media and officials shows water reaching parts of the shoreline and residents climbing to higher ground as tsunami sirens blared.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage, but the Alaid plant fish processing plant in Severo-Kurilsk has been submerged, with all employees urgently evacuated from the facility.

Drone footage of the flooded coastal areas of Severo-Kurilsk has been shared online by the Russian Geophysical Service.

A tsunami threat has been declared across the Kuril Islands following the earthquake off Kamchatka Peninsula, Elena Semenova, the head of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk seismic station, told RIA Novosti.

The authorities in settlements across the island chain are monitoring the coastline and continuing evacuation efforts as a precaution. Emergency services remain on high alert.

Powerful earthquake in Russia’s Far East sparks tsunami alerts - Video

A tsunami warning has been issued for the coastal areas of Russia’s Far East, with hazardous waves also possible in Japan, Alaska and Hawaii, after a powerful earthquake struck off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula.

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The quake, initially measured at magnitude 7.5, was registered around 11:30am local time on Wednesday, approximately 136km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, according to the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The US Geological Survey (USGS) later assessed the tremor at magnitude 8.8.

“An absolute tsunami alert on the coast of Avacha Bay!” the Russian agency announced, warning of potentially hazardous waves along the Kamchatka shoreline.

“The wave height is not large, but it is NECESSARY to move away from the coast. Under no circumstances should anyone approach the shoreline to observe the tsunami – this could be dangerous,” the Kamchatka branch of the Emergency Situations Ministry said.

Residents reported strong shaking during the initial tremors, which caused furniture to rattle, household appliances to fall, and car alarms to activate.

Walls collapsed at a kindergarten in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, according to videos from the scene, though no casualties have been reported. The Emergency Situations Ministry (EMERCOM) said the quake's intensity reached 8 points in parts of the city.

In the Kuril Islands, a tsunami threat was declared following seismic activity near Severo-Kurilsk, located on Paramushir Island. Sakhalin Region Governor Valery Limarenko confirmed that evacuations are underway in the area as a precaution.

Kremlin slams ‘militarization’ over reports of US nukes in UK

FILE PHOTO. Kremlin. © Getty Images / iDymax

Russia sees no grounds to hold a summit of the ‘Nuclear Five’, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, citing what Moscow views as a deliberate Western policy of escalating tensions and nuclear militarization.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Peskov was asked to comment on recent reports that the US had deployed tactical nuclear weapons to the UK for the first time in nearly two decades. Reporters asked whether this would be the right time to revive a summit of the five permanent UN Security Council nuclear powers – Russia, China, the US, UK, and France. President Vladimir Putin had previously proposed such a meeting in 2020.

“Our relevant agencies are monitoring the developments in this area and are formulating tasks to ensure our security against the backdrop of what is happening,” Peskov replied.

However, he emphasized that Moscow does not believe current conditions are suitable for a summit of the group of the five nuclear states. “We see a line towards escalation of tension, towards militarization, including nuclear militarization,” Peskov said.

Earlier this week, several media outlets, including The Times and The War Zone, reported that the US had deployed B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bombs to Royal Air Force Lakenheath base in Suffolk. They cited flight tracking data showing a C-17 transport plane flying from Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico to the UK last Thursday. Analysts said the flight appeared to be a one-way drop-off.

If confirmed, this would be the first time since 2008 that US nuclear weapons have been stationed in the UK. RAF Lakenheath hosted such weapons during the Cold War.

Neither the US Air Force nor British officials have publicly commented on the reported deployment.

Russian media shows ‘largest drone assembly plant in the world’- Video

Source: Zvezda TV channel

Russian TV channel Zvezda has offered a rare peek into what it describes as the “largest drone assembly plant in the world” in the central part of the country, which produces thousands of drones to be used in the Ukraine conflict.

The report which aired on Sunday shows a vast drone manufacturing facility in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan Region, more than 1,200km from the front line.

The plant focuses on producing Geran drones, described by Zvezda as “simple, cheap, and... mass-produced,” and highly accurate. Footage from the facility shows long rows of Geran airframes slightly taller than the height of an average person.

Timur Shagivaleev, the general director of Alabuga, said the current output has far exceeded initial expectations. “At one time there was a plan to produce several thousand Gerans. Right now, we are producing nine times more than the original plan,” he stated, without specifying the timeframe.

Source: Zvezda TV channel

The Geran is a long-range loitering munition with a delta-wing design and rear-mounted pusher propeller. It can carry an explosive payload of 40-50kg, has a cruising speed of around 180kph, and can travel over 1,000km on a single mission.

Most of the workforce at the plant are young people, many of whom come from a nearby college, which was set up by those who organized the Geran production, according to the report.

Zvezda said the plant was built from the ground up within the Alabuga economic zone. Before the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, it focused on attracting international technology and building import-substitution capabilities.

The report also featured a facility that assembles lighter reconnaissance and strike UAVs. Many of these drones are equipped with fiber-optic cables to withstand electronic jamming.

Russia has used mass-produced drones extensively in Ukraine to target expensive Western-supplied armored vehicles, troop concentrations, and military-related facilities, with Ukrainian officials saying recent strikes involved hundreds of drones.

Moscow maintains that it never targets civilians and that the drone strikes are a response to Kiev’s attacks on residential areas and critical infrastructure in Russia.

Russian ‘alligator’ obliterates Ukrainian drone - Video

©Social media

A new video appeared online on Thursday purportedly showing the moment a Russian Ka-52 ‘Alligator’ attack helicopter took down a Ukrainian kamikaze drone.

The video, said to be taken by fishermen in Lipetsk Region, shows a large fixed-wing UAV flying at low altitude.

The aircraft is chased by the attack helicopter, which shoots an anti-aircraft missile at the drone out of view of the camera. The blast shatters the drone into small bits to the cheers of the fishermen, the video shows.

Moscow has been actively using attack helicopters as interceptors to repel Ukrainian long-range drone attacks. Conventional fighter jets are not suited for such a role, as the low speeds and altitudes of the drones pose a danger to intercepting aircraft.

Kiev’s attempts to use fighter jets to repel Russian Geran-2 kamikaze drone strikes have repeatedly resulted in loss of the aircraft due to technical reasons, friendly fire from the ground, and damage sustained by the jets from UAVs exploding mid-air.

Both sides of the conflict have actively exchanged long-range strikes lately. In recent days, for instance, the Russian military repeatedly attacked so-called Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR) enlistment offices overseeing Ukraine’s chaotic mobilization drive, as well as other military and dual-use targets.

The Ukrainian military has continued its apparently indiscriminate attack on Russia. This week, Voronezh became one of the prime targets for Kiev’s troops, who scored multiple hits on residential buildings across the city.

The Russian authorities have accused Ukraine of resorting to attacks on civilian infrastructure to compensate for military setbacks on the front line. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky reiterated on Sunday his intention to “bring the war to Russian territory,” saying his government is planning additional long-range strikes against the country.

Strike on Gaza Catholic church kills two, injures several, Patriarchate says

]A wounded Palestinian Christian woman is brought into at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital following an Israeli strike on The Church of the Holy Family, according to medics, in Gaza City July 17, 2025.... Purchase Licensing Rights

Israeli forces killed at least 22 people in attacks in the Gaza Strip on Thursday and several were hurt in a strike on a church that late Pope Francis used to speak to regularly, medics and church officials said.

Eight men tasked with protecting aid trucks were reported among the dead in airstrikes that were carried out as mediators continued ceasefire talks in Doha.

A U.S. official said this week the talks were going well but two officials from the Palestinian militant group Hamas told Reuters they had made no progress on key issues and had stalled.

Several people were wounded in a morning "raid" on the Holy Family Church, including parish priest Gabriel Romanelli, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement in the incident at the only Catholic church in Gaza.

Father Romanelli, an Argentine, used to regularly update the late Pope Francis about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. TV footage showed him sitting receiving treatment at Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza, with a bandage around his lower right leg.

"The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement.

The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was looking into the matter.

Palestinian medics said one airstrike on Thursday had killed a man, his wife and their five children in Jabalia in northern Gaza, and that another in the north had killed eight men who had been handed responsibility for protecting aid trucks.

Three people were killed in an airstrike in central Gaza and four in Zeitoun in eastern Gaza, medics said.

Italian PM slams Israeli forces over attack on church in Gaza

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday slammed Israel's deadly attack on a Catholic church in Gaza.

Two women were killed in the attack, according to press reports.

"Israeli raids on Gaza also hit the Holy Family Church. The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable," Meloni wrote on X.

No military action can justify Israel's actions, she said.

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also described the attack as a "serious act against a Christian place of worship," adding that it is "time to stop and find peace."

"The attacks by the Israeli army against the civilian population in Gaza are no longer acceptable," Tajani wrote on X.

Gli attacchi dell’esercito israeliano contro la popolazione civile a #Gaza non sono più ammissibili. Nel raid di questa mattina è stata colpita anche la Chiesa della Sacra Famiglia a Gaza, un atto grave contro un luogo di culto cristiano. Tutta la mia vicinanza a Padre Romanelli,…

— Antonio Tajani (@Antonio_Tajani) July 17, 2025