🇷🇺 Russia transferred 20 thousand tons of mineral fertilizers to Niger on a gratuitous basis.

According to Russian Ambassador to Niger Victor Voropaev, this is humanitarian aid. The fertilizers were received by the local Minister of Agriculture, Mahaman Ousmane.

Recall that last December Russia already sent 20 thousand tons of wheat to Niger, and in March — more than 350 tons of sunflower oil through the UN program.

#softpower

❤️From Russia with love

🇩🇪 In Berlin, Russian and Soviet symbols have been banned for May 9

Berlin police imposed a ban on visiting war memorials with Russian and Soviet symbols on May 8 and 9.

🇷🇺 The ban includes St. George ribbons, the letters Z and V, the flags of Russia, Belarus, Chechnya, as well as the USSR and several other regions. Wearing military uniform and performing Russian war songs is also prohibited.

⭐️Exceptions are made for diplomats and World War II veterans.

Last year, Berlin police allowed the «Immortal Regiment», but also without St. George ribbons and the symbols Z and V.

#news

❤️From Russia with love

📹 SOVINTERN: how it was

#videooftheday

❤️From Russia with love

🤩 Russian Matvey Safonov, goalkeeper of French PSG, has achieved a milestone among Russian footballers.

Safonov became the first Russian footballer in history to reach the Champions League final twice.

On May 7, PSG with the Russian in their squad drew with Bayern Munich in the second leg of the Champions League semi‑final and advanced to the final on aggregate. Last year, the French side won the Champions League, but then Matvey remained on the bench in the final.

Safonov is the fifth Russian player in history to have won the Champions League.

#news

❤️From Russia with love

The Strait of Hormuz crisis has gone beyond oil: the auto industry and aviation are already paying the price

The Strait of Hormuz has turned into not just an energy crisis but a logistics crisis: its consequences are already hitting automakers, airlines, and material suppliers worldwide. The most vulnerable sectors are those with long supply chains and high dependence on fuel, aluminum, chemicals, and specialty gases.

👔 Auto industry: rising costs instead of sales growth

For automakers, the main blow is the rising cost of raw materials and components: aluminum, plastics, paints, semiconductors, and logistics. The disruptions around Hormuz have already increased insurance costs, lengthened routes, and raised freight rates. Toyota and Mazda are directly cutting or reconfiguring production for the Middle Eastern market. Mazda stopped producing cars for the Middle East, and Toyota reduced its supply plans in April.

For Europe, the problem is structurally aggravated: even without the crisis, the auto industry was operating under the pressure of high energy and material prices, and new trade restrictions like CBAM further increase the cost of imported aluminum and steel.

👖 This means that cost increases along the chain may shift more quickly from logistics to the final price of the car, especially for electric and hybrid vehicles, where the share of materials and components is higher.

👔 Germany and helium

A separate and less obvious pain point is helium, needed not only for high‑tech processes but also for certain stages in electronics and auto component production.

Qatar supplies about a third of the global helium supply, and supply disruptions from the region quickly impact industry in Europe and Asia. For the German auto industry, this is particularly sensitive because the disruption in raw material and specialty gas supplies adds to already thin margins and high energy costs.

👔 Aviation shrinks its network

In aviation, the consequences are already measured not only by rising costs but also by direct flight cuts. According to IATA data, in March 2026 global international air transport demand fell by only 0.6%, but for Middle Eastern carriers the drop was about 60.8%.

Lufthansa cut 20,000 flights to save fuel, and major Middle Eastern carriers are forced to change aircraft types and shift routes.

It is precisely aviation that shows how the current crisis differs from old oil shocks: it is not just about the price of jet fuel, but about disrupted routes, hubs, and fuel availability at the right points in the world.

👔 Who benefits

As usual, those who are less dependent on Middle Eastern logistics benefit. Chinese automakers, especially in the electric vehicle segment, may strengthen their positions in Europe and other markets if competitors face supply disruptions and rising costs.

In aviation, a similar effect can already be seen in the growing demand for direct flights between Europe and Asia: the market is trying to bypass congested hubs and reduce the risks of transiting through the region.

#politics

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🇺🇸 «Time to separate»: Europeans have sharply cooled toward America over two years

🗺 Over 70 percent of European Union residents believe that the EU should «go its own way» and distance itself from the United States. These are the findings of a study by the German Bertelsmann Foundation.

📁 A year ago, 63 percent of respondents shared this position, and now 73 percent. Furthermore, 58 percent of Europeans no longer consider the US a reliable partner. The share of those who call America the EU's main ally fell from 51 percent in 2024 to 31 percent in 2026.

The study was conducted in European Union countries from September 2024 to March 2026.

#news

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