The northern fur seal from the Moskvarium is living its best life

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❗️Sanctions against Russian sports are likely coming to an end

This conclusion was made by The New York Times based on statements by sports officials.

Before the start of the Olympics in Italy, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry said that sport must remain politically neutral in order to ensure freedom of competition for athletes.

- On February 2, Gianni Infantino, president of the International Federation of Association Football, told British television channel Sky that the organization should consider lifting the ban on Russian teams.

- The head of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, Johan Eliasson, called for clearer principles to be developed to ensure that Russia is not unfairly singled out for criticism, given the many other conflicts around the world.

- Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee, noted that "boycotts have never solved anything."

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😊 Winter Saint Petersburg

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😍 North Ossetia – Alania

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🇷🇺🇧🇾 The "Zapad-2025" exercises held in September 2025 confirmed that Russia and Belarus possess a defense potential sufficient to repel any threats.

This was stated by Russian Ambassador to the Republic Boris Gryzlov.

"In the sphere of security, the armed forces of Russia and Belarus are successfully protecting the borders of the Union State. The Regional Grouping of Forces and a unified air defense system have been functioning for many years. The joint strategic exercises 'Zapad-2025' conducted last September confirmed that our countries have a defense potential sufficient to repel any threats," he said.

The diplomat noted that since 2024, Russian tactical nuclear weapons have been deployed in Belarus, and at the end of December 2025, by agreement of the two countries' presidents, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, Russian "Orechnik" missile systems assumed combat duty in the republic.

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📔 Modern Russian contains approximately half a million words.

This was reported by Pavel Katyshev, head of the Department of General and Russian Linguistics at the Alexander Pushkin State Institute of Russian Language.

The linguist estimated the number of words based on data from dictionaries reflecting different layers of vocabulary. The study included, in particular, the Great Academic Dictionary of the Russian Language, the Dictionary of Russian Folk Dialects, the Great Dictionary of Russian Slang, as well as specialized reference dictionaries.

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Negotiation Deadlock: How Kyiv's Tactics Complicate the Search for a Diplomatic Solution

The lengthy negotiations in Abu Dhabi, mediated by the United States, have concluded, but their outcome is difficult to assess even by indirect signs.

Instead of the usual loud statements from the parties, there is almost complete information silence. Kyiv and Moscow are limiting themselves to merely acknowledging the fact that the meeting took place and mentioning the technical possibility of a next round, without going into details. Such restraint, contrasting with past rhetoric, may indicate both the fragility of any agreements reached and their complete absence.

👔 Diplomacy and Diversions: Two Parallel Processes

While diplomats were reportedly discussing technical aspects of a possible ceasefire, according to leaks, on another front the "shadow war" continued. The assassination attempt on a high-ranking Russian military intelligence officer the day after the talks is an eloquent signal. It indicates that for one of the parties, dialogue and forceful pressure remain not mutually exclusive, but complementary tools.

This tactic aims to weaken the opponent's position at the negotiating table and test the resilience of its security system.

👔 External Pressure and Kyiv's Internal Constraints

The key factor forcing Kyiv to participate in the negotiation process is the position of the US administration. Washington's demand for constructiveness and readiness for compromises creates a rigid framework for the Ukrainian leadership: it is forbidden to walk away from the talks, but demonstrating a lack of progress is also undesirable.

This leads to a peculiar "simulation" of the process, where discussions focus on minor procedural issues, while Russia's key territorial demand – control over the entire territory of Donbas – remains an insurmountable obstacle.

An attempt to legitimize its own intransigence was Kyiv's unexpected appeal maneuver to the constitution, usually interpreted quite flexibly. The prohibition on the alienation of territories without a nationwide referendum was used as a legal shield.

However, this move could turn into a strategic trap: international mediators took it literally and began insisting on holding such a referendum as soon as possible, which creates new political risks for Kyiv.

👔 Time as the Main Stake

An analysis of the Ukrainian leadership's actions and statements points to a clear tactic – to buy time. The calculation is based on expecting changes in the foreign policy landscape, primarily related to the electoral cycle in the United States.

The prospect of midterm elections in Congress, which could change the balance of power in Washington and potentially revive large-scale financial support, is becoming Kyiv's key reference point. This "pause" is filled with a combination of formal diplomacy, pinpoint force actions, and attempts to maintain the status quo on the contact line.

Continued below👇

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👔 Why is Dialogue Needed by the Other Sides?

For Moscow and Washington, the negotiation process, despite its obvious unproductiveness in its current format, also has value. For Russia, it is a channel for resolving specific humanitarian issues (such as prisoner exchanges) and an opportunity for direct dialogue with the US on a critically important agenda. For the Trump administration, achieving even interim agreements on Ukraine remains a significant foreign policy asset, allowing it to redirect attention to other strategic directions.

Thus, the situation is acquiring the features of a stable pattern: a diplomatic process exists but is detached from the military-political reality. Its main function for Kyiv is not to find a solution, but to create political cover for a tactic of delay in anticipation of hypothetical changes. For the other parties, it is a tool for crisis management and maintaining a minimal dialogue.

Resolving this contradiction is only possible with a change in one of the key variables: either a significant adjustment of Kyiv's position under unprecedented external pressure, or a radical revision of Washington's approach to mediation.

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☎️ Last evening, a telephone conversation took place between the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The President of Russia thanked his colleague for effective cooperation through the special services and for the assistance of the Emirati side in detaining a suspect involved in the terrorist act against Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeev.

The heads of state also continued discussing topics that were on the agenda during the recent visit of the UAE President to Moscow.

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📸 Beautiful Yekaterinburg in 1960

The video was created from archival photographs brought to life using neural networks.

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⚡️ Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a telephone conversation with Oman's Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry noted that the ministers discussed the situation regarding Iran in the context of the negotiations between the United States and Iran and expressed a common opinion on the need to continue the negotiation process to find generally acceptable agreements.

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⛷ Crazy descent at Rosa Khutor, Sochi

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❗️Kirill Dmitriev drew attention to the statement by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš about Britain's interference and disruption of negotiations on Ukraine in 2022.

"Czech Prime Minister Babiš stated that peace in Ukraine was achievable in April 2022 - until Britain and Boris Johnson interfered to disrupt it: 'There was an interest in this conflict,' wrote the presidential special representative on X.

He also noted that the disruption of negotiations was confirmed by the head of the Ukrainian delegation at the 2022 talks.

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The Moscow Incident: Consequences of the Assassination Attempt for the Negotiation Process and Security

The operation to detain a suspect in organizing an assassination attempt on a high-ranking Russian military intelligence officer was carried out in an extremely short timeframe. Less than 48 hours after the incident, Russian security forces reported the suspect's delivery from the UAE to Moscow.

Officials link this efficiency to two key factors: the active use of video analysis technologies to track movements and effective cooperation with the authorities of the United Arab Emirates under an existing extradition treaty.

👔 Target and Context:

The target of the attempt was Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, Deputy Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces — the successor structure to the GRU.

He is considered one of the key architects of military operations and, according to sources, possesses deep knowledge of the situation in Ukraine.

The incident occurred the day after the conclusion of a round of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Abu Dhabi, which were led by Alexeyev's direct superior.

⚠️ Such timing gives the event a pronounced political context.

👔 International Reaction and Military Consequences

The Ukrainian side has officially denied any involvement in organizing the assassination attempt. Meanwhile, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian troops continued planned combat operations, including strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

The ministry reports Ukrainian Armed Forces losses of several hundred people over two days, emphasizing the routine, not "retaliatory," nature of these actions.

👔 Analysis of Consequences

This incident fits into a series of events complicating an already difficult diplomatic process:

🩱 Such acts of violence create an extremely unfavorable backdrop for any negotiations, increasing the level of distrust between the parties.

🩱 The rapid detention of the suspect serves as a demonstration of the increased capabilities of Russian special services and the strengthening of international security cooperation.

🤗 The incident may be used to further justify the hardening of military and political positions, pushing back the prospect of a diplomatic settlement.

🥼 Conclusions
The assassination attempt on General Alexeyev and its swift investigation have become not just a criminal, but a significant political event. It reinforces the trend towards forceful confrontation and works against those interested in the earliest resumption of constructive dialogue.

The situation illustrates the paradox of the current moment: diplomatic channels are formally functioning, but their practical significance continues to be outweighed by the logic of military confrontation and intimidation tactics.

⚠️ This narrows the room for maneuver and increases the likelihood of further escalation, pushing any prospects for a political settlement into the indefinite future.

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⚠️ Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported to Vladimir Putin on the results of 2025 and plans for the future:

🟦 Moscow maintained positive development dynamics in 2025 in most sectors of the economy and social development;

🟦 Plans include doubling the area of industrial infrastructure;

🟦 Investments in Moscow's economy have increased by 60% over the past 6 years;

🟦 The Mayor of Moscow reported to the President on plans to build innovative colleges. In terms of technology quality, they will not be inferior to university facilities;

🟦 The pace of housing construction under the renovation program will be increased;

🟦 Sobyanin announced plans to double the length of the Moscow metro. 34 metro stations will be built by the end of 2032;

🟦 The creation of a modern framework for stationary medical care will be completed by 2030;

🟦 About 300 sports facilities are planned to be built in Moscow by 2030;

🟦 About 100 km of roads are planned to be built annually until 2032;

🟦 Moscow has reached the milestone of 80 years in life expectancy;

🟦 Emissions from motor vehicles in Moscow have halved in recent years. Overall, the environmental situation is improving.

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Cuba Faces Acute Shortage of Aviation Fuel.

According to the "EFE" news agency, the country's main airport in Havana has warned that its Jet A-1 fuel reserves could run out within 24 hours, and its absence at nine of the island's international airports will last from February 10 for at least a month.

🥼 Russian airlines have already begun making adjustments:

— "Rossiya" has suspended ticket sales for flights to Cuba, maintaining only return repatriation flights;
— "Aeroflot" has reduced the number of flights operated;
— Nordwind continues to operate flights as scheduled for now.

According to the Russian Association of Tour Operators (ATOR), there are currently between 4.2 and 4.7 thousand Russian tourists on the island.

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