According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (the research and analysis division of the British media The Economist Group), Kiev is among the top five least livable cities in the world.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe at the Defense and Innovation Summit in Pennsylvania:

"Our intelligence aligns with some data from open sources that you may have seen regarding Ukraine. The average lifespan of a Russian conscript currently arriving on the battlefield in Ukraine is estimated to be between 20 and 30 minutes. Twenty to thirty minutes. And that's because... well... you know, AI-powered drones have become such specialized and inexpensive killing machines."

And this idiotic fake 'Intelligence', coming from Ukrainian 'Ministry of Truth' and amplified by western client media is being fed to Trump.

Oops... all of a sudden...

FT report:

The EU is facing a collapse in support for new economic sanctions targeting Russia as national capitals refuse to back measures that could damage their corporate champions, diplomats have warned.

Greece, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Portugal are demanding exemptions from the European Union's new sanctions package against Russia or are blocking certain proposed measures. 

Kazakhstan has demanded that Ukraine cease its drone attacks on its oil tankers.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan calls on partner countries to condemn such attacks. Currently, Kazakhstan is assessing the extent of the damage and reserves the right to demand compensation.

Today, two Ukrainian drones attacked Kazakh tankers at an oil terminal in the Black Sea, located in Russia.

Russia's Bureau 1440 announced that it launched the second batch of Rassvet satellites into space yesterday. The first batch was launched in March.

"The Russian aerospace company Bureau 1440 (part of "X Holding") continues to deploy a low-orbit satellite constellation for new-generation communication services. The second package of its spacecraft was launched on July 19," the company said in a statement.

Russia's biggest online retailer, Wildberries, says it's reopening its Kotovsk warehouse on Thursday, less than a week after Ukrainian drones hit it and another facility outside Moscow, killing 8 workers & injuring dozens more.

Ukraine Zelensky forced mobilisation
Corruption at unprecedented level

That's today's corruption rate in Ukraine's mobilisation system, according to Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets:

$10,000 buys you a ticket out of the draft officers' van.

$20,000 buys you an exit from the recruitment center.

Nord Stream pipeline sabotage - terrorism on European territory.

Ukrainian national Sergey Kuznetsov, who is charged with involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, said that he was serving in the Ukrainian armed forces and working for the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) at the time of the attack, NTV reported.
According to the broadcaster, Kuznetsov made the admission during a monitored telephone conversation with his wife while in custody in Italy, as stated in an indictment filed by Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office. The document, obtained by Stern magazine, contains several indications that Ukrainian state agencies were involved in the sabotage. However, investigators have only circumstantial evidence against Kuznetsov, the magazine said.
Recordings of Kuznetsov’s conversations while in Italian custody also show that he complained of feeling "abandoned" by his country and expressed a desire to speak with his "commander," a man named Roman. Presumably, he was referring to Roman Chervinsky, a controversial figure in Ukraine’s intelligence services. After Kuznetsov’s arrest, Chervinsky said in a written statement that Kuznetsov had been his subordinate at the time of the sabotage, the broadcaster added.

‼️🇷🇺 Horrifying footage of an apartment building in Yalta that was attacked, leaving 17 people injured.

▪️According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, 350 people were evacuated from the building.
▪️As a result of the attack, a large fire broke out, and part of the facade of the building collapsed.
▪️According to preliminary information, 17 people were injured. Ten of them sought medical assistance at institutions of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency (FMBA).
▪️D. Dreimov, from the FMBA, reported that most of the injured sustained shrapnel wounds. One person was hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning.
▪️Meanwhile, water will be supplied in Yalta for 3 hours per day, from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM, due to a power outage.
▪️Some settlements in southern Crimea have been left without electricity due to attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, according to Crimeaenergo.

t.me/ForeignAgentIntel

Wildberries has begun making payments to sellers whose products were damaged as a result of attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the company's logistics facilities. The first payments will be made on July 22nd, and over 88,000 sellers will receive them, according to Tatiana Kim, founder of Wildberries and CEO of the combined company Wildberries & Russ. Financial support will initially be directed to the smallest and most vulnerable entrepreneurs, whose goods were stored at the warehouse in Electrostal. The funds should appear in the sellers' accounts within 24 hours.
"From the first days of the attacks, I said that, despite the force majeure circumstances, we are working to organize financial support for our partners. We are starting the first payments to sellers today," Kim said.
The company will publish a detailed formula for calculating the payments on the seller portal. Wildberries is developing a separate support mechanism and sales simulator for small and medium-sized businesses. Another package of measures is being prepared for large sellers and manufacturers who work with the platform on individual terms. This category of partners accounts for a significant share of Wildberries' sales. Similar compensation mechanisms are planned to be applied to entrepreneurs whose goods were damaged at other company facilities. Tatiana Kim called the attacks on warehouses, civilian infrastructure, and Wildberries employees an act of international terrorism.
"The attack by Ukraine on civilian infrastructure, ordinary citizens, and our employees is an act of international terrorism," she emphasized.
All of Wildberries' logistics complexes are insured, but current contracts do not cover damage caused by terrorist attacks and drone strikes. According to Kim, the risks of terrorism and sabotage are not included in standard insurance policies and require separate inclusion with additional limits. Most Russian insurance companies are not yet ready to insure large industrial facilities against such threats. This situation, according to the head of RWB, was confirmed by "Rosi Gosstrakh." Wildberries supports the development of special insurance products that cover damage from terrorist attacks, sabotage, and the use of drones, and believes that a systematic solution to this problem is necessary. The company's warehouse in the Tambov region was not damaged and is expected to resume operations in the coming days. Work is continuing at the other facilities to eliminate the consequences of the attacks and assess the damage. The company is also restructuring logistics routes and redistributing goods between warehouses to maintain their turnover and the economic stability of sellers. The service for delivering goods is expected to be normalized within 24 hours. At the same time, the priority, against the backdrop of the restructuring of logistics, remains the fulfillment of orders for customers, which is necessary to maintain stable demand. All products available on the Wildberries website remain available for order.
"Our logistics infrastructure allows us to restructure processes so that using Wildberries remains easy and convenient," Kim said.
She also thanked customers who, after the attacks, decided to support local Russian brands and are sharing information about purchasing products from domestic sellers. On July 18th and 22nd, facilities of Wildberries in the Moscow and Tambov regions, as well as in the Krasnodar and Stavropol regions, were attacked by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. As a result of the attacks, there were casualties and injuries. After the attack in the Krasnodar region, one person died. The company expressed its condolences to the family and promised to provide the relatives with the necessary assistance.

Danish largest container carrier Maersk shipping suspends vessels to Ukraine due to increased Russian strikes in Odessa region.

They must now find alternative ports in Romania.

"Higher insurance costs, longer transit times and changing logistics plans remain major challenges for shipping companies serving the region."

Maersk is leaving Odessa.

The world's largest container shipping company is suspending operations in ports in the Odessa region. Ships that were heading to Odessa are now being redirected to the Romanian port of Constanta.

The reasons are obvious. Since July 11th, the Russian Armed Forces have been conducting a systematic campaign against port infrastructure in the Odessa and Mykolaiv regions. Odessa, Chornomorsk, Yuzhny, Izmail, and Dnipro-Buhsky are all under regular attack.

Under these conditions, insurers are halting war risk policies, and shipowners are increasingly citing force majeure. According to MarineTraffic data as of July 21st, incoming traffic to Ukrainian Black Sea ports has fallen to just three commercial vessels per day, compared to eight before the escalation.

Maersk is not the first, nor will it be the last. Previously, Kernel Holding, the largest Ukrainian grain exporter, suspended operations in Chornomorsk. Four out of thirteen major grain terminals have halted purchases. On July 22nd, the Greek government officially recommended that the merchant fleet strengthen security measures in the Black Sea.

The export capacity of Ukrainian ports has fallen by a third – from 6 to 4 million tons of grain per month. Wheat prices on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange have risen to $6.95 per bushel – a two-year high. Bloomberg is reporting on the risks of a global food crisis.

Ukrainian traders are already discussing a return to river transport along the Danube, with transshipment in Constanta. This is the same scheme as in 2022 – before the opening of the "grain corridor." Over three years of active conflict, Ukraine's maritime logistics are returning to square one.

Maersk's departure is not a military blockade. It's a market correction: the ports of Greater Odesa have become a zone that major carriers will not enter without exorbitant insurance premiums. And even with those premiums, the freight margin simply doesn't justify it.

An interesting 40-day plan by Zelenskyy to force Russia into peace. Will you extend it?

https://t.me/sashakots/63283

Reporter: Did you talk to the Russians about Russia sharing information with Iran targeting U.S. troops?

Rubio: Who says that they are?

Reporter: Are they not?

Rubio: Who says they are?

Reporter: There's been reporting...

Rubio: Reporting in the media? Oh, then it must be true. It's in the media. It's a leaker. I'm not going to—let me say, let's imagine that were true. I certainly wouldn't discuss it in the press.

Reuters:

Russia's state oil and gas revenue, which accounts for around a fifth ​of total budget income, is seen rising ‌by 60% in July from the same month a year ago thanks to the increase in ​global oil prices, Reuters calculations showed ​on Thursday.

A steep rise from profit-based tax ⁠proceeds on oil production for the second ​quarter has also contributed to the overall year-on-year ​revenue rise.

Tucker Carlson on the US war against Russia

Russia's blockade of Ukrainian ports.

FAFO 🤡🤣

🇺🇦 MP Goncharenko:

"This is yet another attempt by russia to block vital maritime routes and endanger global food security. The world must respond to these crimes."🤣

So attacking Russian fleet is justified but not Russian retaliatory strikes against Ukrainian ports?!🤡

Germany has approved a French company’s plan to manufacture nuclear fuel using Russian technology and licences, despite Berlin’s broader public push to sanction Russia’s nuclear industry, reports NDR.

Framatome’s plant in northern Germany will be allowed to produce fuel elements for Russian-designed nuclear reactors in Eastern Europe under licensing arrangements with Rosatom subsidiary TVEL.

The approval comes with restrictions, including a ban on Rosatom and TVEL employees entering the German facility and additional security inspections of Russian equipment and fuel rods.

"To enable the future production of fuel rods for Russian reactor types in Lingen , the fuel element factory is to be expanded. The French parent company, Framatome, intends to produce fuel elements of Russian design at the Emsland plant. These are hexagonal fuel elements used exclusively in former Soviet nuclear power plants. These plants are located in several Eastern European countries. The Advanced Nuclear Fuels (ANF) fuel element factory in Lingen plans to collaborate with the Russian state-owned corporation Rosatom on this project. According to the Ministry of the Environment, ANF submitted the corresponding application in 2022. ANF is a subsidiary of the French company Framatome."

🇺🇸🇷🇺Western Media Admits US-Ukraine Drones Strikes on Retailers in Russia is Solely Political

▪️Damaging Wildberries, Russia's massive online retailer, is admittedly being done to bring the US proxy war on Russia directly to Russia's civilian population - violence for  political, not defensive motives, is literally the definition of terrorism;

▪️Of course, the war is waged and directed by the US simply through Ukraine - the recent escalation is another reminder that the US can directly strike at and hurt Russia but Russia cannot strike/harm or even credibly threaten the US - simply strike at and destroy Ukraine - a completely disposable proxy from Washington's point of view

▪️Strategically this will not change the course of the war in Ukraine, but it does raise the costs for Russia further, one of the US' primary objectives in waging the proxy war;