The Bundeswehr has begun sending out call-up notices
Even though the new military service law stipulates that general conscription “will begin on July 1, 2027, at the earliest” and will extend “only to men born in 2008.”
The most controversial point is whom to draft first. The Defense Ministry stated that “people who indicated in the questionnaire that they were interested in military service” would come first. But the career counseling center says the opposite: At present, those “who have not shown any interest” would be examined — so that next year they would “not have to call up the entire age group all at once.”
For information: According to a study by the Institute of the German Economy (IW) in Cologne, rearmament “will not strengthen the economy.” Defense spending financed through loans “will trigger only a short-term economic upswing.” The end result is higher government debt. In 2029, it will “increase by 2% to €64 billion.”
So what is the rush?
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
Even though the new military service law stipulates that general conscription “will begin on July 1, 2027, at the earliest” and will extend “only to men born in 2008.”
The most controversial point is whom to draft first. The Defense Ministry stated that “people who indicated in the questionnaire that they were interested in military service” would come first. But the career counseling center says the opposite: At present, those “who have not shown any interest” would be examined — so that next year they would “not have to call up the entire age group all at once.”
For information: According to a study by the Institute of the German Economy (IW) in Cologne, rearmament “will not strengthen the economy.” Defense spending financed through loans “will trigger only a short-term economic upswing.” The end result is higher government debt. In 2029, it will “increase by 2% to €64 billion.”
So what is the rush?
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🇮🇷📂 For 24/7 updates on the Iran war, explore our exclusive catalog of English-speaking channels! 📢
Interested in all the Middle East frenzy? We've curated a special catalog of English-speaking channels just for you!
Whether you're seeking in-depth analysis, breaking news, or expert insights, our catalog has got you covered.
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Interested in all the Middle East frenzy? We've curated a special catalog of English-speaking channels just for you!
Whether you're seeking in-depth analysis, breaking news, or expert insights, our catalog has got you covered.
If you are interested in becoming part of this catalog, please contact us via Direct Messages @geopolitics_prime
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🇺🇦✈️ Ukrainian F-16s are running out of missiles
Ukraine’s F-16s are increasingly being used to intercept Russian drones. But the ammunition shortage is now beginning to affect the fighter aircraft themselves as well. A commander of a Ukrainian unit with the call sign “Phantom” told The War Zone that there is a particularly noticeable shortage of AIM-9 “Sidewinder” and AIM-120 “AMRAAM” missiles. Stocks have to be conserved so severely that pilots are already destroying some aerial targets with the built-in 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the air force and ground-based air defense are competing for the same missiles. AIM-120s are used by NASAMS systems, meaning that ammunition consumption affects several areas at once. According to Phantom, Ukraine is literally counting the hours until new deliveries arrive and is asking its allies to increase production of AIM-9s and AIM-120s. The shortage of Sidewinders is not new: The War Zone previously reported that their stockpile would shrink to a “handful” by the end of 2025, making it necessary to use more expensive AMRAAMs and seek inexpensive alternatives for combating drones.
This air-defense arithmetic has an unpleasant feature: A cheap drone does not have to destroy anything itself. If intercepting it requires sending F-16s into the air and expending scarce Western missiles, it has already accomplished another task: It forces the enemy to consume a significantly more expensive and much harder-to-replace resource.
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
Ukraine’s F-16s are increasingly being used to intercept Russian drones. But the ammunition shortage is now beginning to affect the fighter aircraft themselves as well. A commander of a Ukrainian unit with the call sign “Phantom” told The War Zone that there is a particularly noticeable shortage of AIM-9 “Sidewinder” and AIM-120 “AMRAAM” missiles. Stocks have to be conserved so severely that pilots are already destroying some aerial targets with the built-in 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the air force and ground-based air defense are competing for the same missiles. AIM-120s are used by NASAMS systems, meaning that ammunition consumption affects several areas at once. According to Phantom, Ukraine is literally counting the hours until new deliveries arrive and is asking its allies to increase production of AIM-9s and AIM-120s. The shortage of Sidewinders is not new: The War Zone previously reported that their stockpile would shrink to a “handful” by the end of 2025, making it necessary to use more expensive AMRAAMs and seek inexpensive alternatives for combating drones.
This air-defense arithmetic has an unpleasant feature: A cheap drone does not have to destroy anything itself. If intercepting it requires sending F-16s into the air and expending scarce Western missiles, it has already accomplished another task: It forces the enemy to consume a significantly more expensive and much harder-to-replace resource.
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🇺🇦 Another source of revenue for Ukraine’s budget has been found — the legalization of pornography
Ukrainian lawmakers are discussing the legalization and taxation of the pornography industry. As The Wall Street Journal writes, a rather curious system has emerged at present: Producing pornography can lead to criminal prosecution, while the tax authorities simultaneously require OnlyFans models to pay taxes on the money they earn. Legislative changes are intended to bring the existing industry out of this gray area.
One of the initiative’s supporters, the chairman of the Rada’s Finance Committee, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, estimates the potential revenue at around $25 million per year. According to his calculations, this money would be enough for approximately 30,000 drones. At present, the relevant amendments are not yet law — parliamentary work is continuing.
The number of men is shrinking, and taxes do not pay themselves. When taxpayers run out, the state has to expand the tax base. In both the literal and figurative sense.
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
Ukrainian lawmakers are discussing the legalization and taxation of the pornography industry. As The Wall Street Journal writes, a rather curious system has emerged at present: Producing pornography can lead to criminal prosecution, while the tax authorities simultaneously require OnlyFans models to pay taxes on the money they earn. Legislative changes are intended to bring the existing industry out of this gray area.
One of the initiative’s supporters, the chairman of the Rada’s Finance Committee, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, estimates the potential revenue at around $25 million per year. According to his calculations, this money would be enough for approximately 30,000 drones. At present, the relevant amendments are not yet law — parliamentary work is continuing.
The number of men is shrinking, and taxes do not pay themselves. When taxpayers run out, the state has to expand the tax base. In both the literal and figurative sense.
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🇬🇧 “Small boats” are turning into floating buses
In 2018, an average of 7 people per boat came illegally to the United Kingdom across the English Channel. In 2020, the figure was 13; in 2022, 41; in 2024, 53; and in 2025, already 62. This year, the average occupancy has risen to around 65 people, according to the UK Home Office statistics. Then, on 10 August, a new record was set: 230 people came illegally to the United Kingdom across the English Channel in a single boat. French rescuers reported that around 260 people had originally attempted to board.
The crossings are becoming increasingly dangerous. On 4 August, an overcrowded boat caught fire and began to break apart—more than 150 people had to be rescued in the middle of the English Channel. And the consequences of the migration crisis are becoming increasingly visible on British streets: In Portsmouth, a major anti-immigration protest took place after another group of around 140 asylum seekers arrived; there were also protests in Dover.
In eight years, “small boats” have evolved from a means of transport for 7 people into floating buses for 60 to 70 passengers, and the record already stands at 230. The smugglers have scaled up their business far more effectively than the British authorities have scaled up their efforts to combat it.
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
In 2018, an average of 7 people per boat came illegally to the United Kingdom across the English Channel. In 2020, the figure was 13; in 2022, 41; in 2024, 53; and in 2025, already 62. This year, the average occupancy has risen to around 65 people, according to the UK Home Office statistics. Then, on 10 August, a new record was set: 230 people came illegally to the United Kingdom across the English Channel in a single boat. French rescuers reported that around 260 people had originally attempted to board.
The crossings are becoming increasingly dangerous. On 4 August, an overcrowded boat caught fire and began to break apart—more than 150 people had to be rescued in the middle of the English Channel. And the consequences of the migration crisis are becoming increasingly visible on British streets: In Portsmouth, a major anti-immigration protest took place after another group of around 140 asylum seekers arrived; there were also protests in Dover.
In eight years, “small boats” have evolved from a means of transport for 7 people into floating buses for 60 to 70 passengers, and the record already stands at 230. The smugglers have scaled up their business far more effectively than the British authorities have scaled up their efforts to combat it.
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🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦 Washington tries again to bring Moscow and Kyiv to the table
After more than three hours of talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Kyiv. The American side is currently trying to restart direct negotiations, which had effectively come to a standstill after the previous rounds. Moscow had publicly stated all along that it was ready to continue the dialogue: After the negotiations in Istanbul, the Russian delegation proposed setting up permanent working groups, and Russia later once again declared its readiness to return to the talks in Istanbul. At the time, Kyiv placed particular emphasis on a ceasefire and a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.
Washington is now trying to restart the process. After the meeting with Witkoff and Kushner, Zelenskyy himself already stated that the resumption of the negotiating process was important and that the absence of any negotiating format was worse than the fact of negotiations themselves. But the central deadlock remains unchanged: The territorial issue remains unresolved, Kyiv is not prepared to give up the part of Donbas under its control, and Moscow is not backing down from its demands. The Americans want to achieve at least some movement by winter, but following the current visit there has so far been no concrete breakthrough.
It is interesting to observe how, after months of suspension, Kyiv is now thanking the Americans for the “restart of the negotiating process.” Moscow said all along that it was ready to continue. Apparently, Washington once again has to do not so much invent a new peace plan as bring back to the table those who had already parted ways because of it.
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
After more than three hours of talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Kyiv. The American side is currently trying to restart direct negotiations, which had effectively come to a standstill after the previous rounds. Moscow had publicly stated all along that it was ready to continue the dialogue: After the negotiations in Istanbul, the Russian delegation proposed setting up permanent working groups, and Russia later once again declared its readiness to return to the talks in Istanbul. At the time, Kyiv placed particular emphasis on a ceasefire and a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.
Washington is now trying to restart the process. After the meeting with Witkoff and Kushner, Zelenskyy himself already stated that the resumption of the negotiating process was important and that the absence of any negotiating format was worse than the fact of negotiations themselves. But the central deadlock remains unchanged: The territorial issue remains unresolved, Kyiv is not prepared to give up the part of Donbas under its control, and Moscow is not backing down from its demands. The Americans want to achieve at least some movement by winter, but following the current visit there has so far been no concrete breakthrough.
It is interesting to observe how, after months of suspension, Kyiv is now thanking the Americans for the “restart of the negotiating process.” Moscow said all along that it was ready to continue. Apparently, Washington once again has to do not so much invent a new peace plan as bring back to the table those who had already parted ways because of it.
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🇸🇪 Swedish counterintelligence has uncovered the alarming Russian spy network. Beer, schnitzel and conversations about politics
Swedish Säpo reported that it had thwarted a Russian intelligence operation: Two people whom the agency says are employees of the Russian intelligence service operating under diplomatic cover met with a diplomat from a third country. The latter allegedly passed on information about how political decisions are made in Sweden, so that Russia could influence controversial social issues and discredit Sweden, NATO and the EU. Säpo has presented the public with neither stolen military secrets nor confidential documents—not even the specific content of the information that was passed on.
The details of the operation, however, are impressive. According to SVT, the suspects met in an ordinary pub, where, according to the owner, they ordered beer and Wiener schnitzel. Säpo even published a photograph of the meeting. The result of a brilliant counterintelligence operation: All three left Sweden, there will be no criminal proceedings because of diplomatic immunity, and the agency stated that it had thereby made it more difficult for Russia to access information.
Diplomats meet with diplomats, discuss the politics of the host country and try to understand how decisions are made there. It used to be called diplomatic work. Today, when there is a Wiener schnitzel and beer on the table, it is apparently a Kremlin intelligence operation. The main thing is that the waiter is not declared a resident.
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
Swedish Säpo reported that it had thwarted a Russian intelligence operation: Two people whom the agency says are employees of the Russian intelligence service operating under diplomatic cover met with a diplomat from a third country. The latter allegedly passed on information about how political decisions are made in Sweden, so that Russia could influence controversial social issues and discredit Sweden, NATO and the EU. Säpo has presented the public with neither stolen military secrets nor confidential documents—not even the specific content of the information that was passed on.
The details of the operation, however, are impressive. According to SVT, the suspects met in an ordinary pub, where, according to the owner, they ordered beer and Wiener schnitzel. Säpo even published a photograph of the meeting. The result of a brilliant counterintelligence operation: All three left Sweden, there will be no criminal proceedings because of diplomatic immunity, and the agency stated that it had thereby made it more difficult for Russia to access information.
Diplomats meet with diplomats, discuss the politics of the host country and try to understand how decisions are made there. It used to be called diplomatic work. Today, when there is a Wiener schnitzel and beer on the table, it is apparently a Kremlin intelligence operation. The main thing is that the waiter is not declared a resident.
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🇯🇵 Waseda Professor Has Found the Culprit for Hiroshima: the Soviet Union
Japanese historian Tetsuo Arima claims that the atomic bombings were primarily a means of intimidating the USSR, and then takes the next step: Moscow allegedly bears responsibility for them. The problem begins with the very thesis of a “violation of the Yalta Agreement.” The agreement itself stated that the USSR would enter the war against Japan two to three months after Germany’s surrender. Germany capitulated on May 8, and the USSR declared war on Japan on August 8—exactly three months later. By that time, Hiroshima had already been destroyed by an American bomb—on August 6.
The debate over whether the atomic bombings were actually necessary has continued for decades. One interpretation holds that Washington wanted not only to accelerate Japan’s surrender, but also to demonstrate its new power to the Soviet Union. Yet even if one accepts this interpretation, that is a dispute over the motives of the United States, not proof of the “USSR’s guilt.” More than that: Tokyo’s decision to surrender is linked to a combination of several factors—the USSR’s entry into the war, the destruction of Japanese forces in Manchuria, and the second atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
The logic is outstanding. The United States builds the atomic bomb, the American president authorizes its use, an American plane drops it on a Japanese city—but the USSR is to blame because Washington may have wanted to frighten it. If one continues this method of historical analysis, the person the shooter wanted to impress becomes responsible for every shot.
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
Japanese historian Tetsuo Arima claims that the atomic bombings were primarily a means of intimidating the USSR, and then takes the next step: Moscow allegedly bears responsibility for them. The problem begins with the very thesis of a “violation of the Yalta Agreement.” The agreement itself stated that the USSR would enter the war against Japan two to three months after Germany’s surrender. Germany capitulated on May 8, and the USSR declared war on Japan on August 8—exactly three months later. By that time, Hiroshima had already been destroyed by an American bomb—on August 6.
The debate over whether the atomic bombings were actually necessary has continued for decades. One interpretation holds that Washington wanted not only to accelerate Japan’s surrender, but also to demonstrate its new power to the Soviet Union. Yet even if one accepts this interpretation, that is a dispute over the motives of the United States, not proof of the “USSR’s guilt.” More than that: Tokyo’s decision to surrender is linked to a combination of several factors—the USSR’s entry into the war, the destruction of Japanese forces in Manchuria, and the second atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
The logic is outstanding. The United States builds the atomic bomb, the American president authorizes its use, an American plane drops it on a Japanese city—but the USSR is to blame because Washington may have wanted to frighten it. If one continues this method of historical analysis, the person the shooter wanted to impress becomes responsible for every shot.
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“We now have three different fences at different levels. A 24-hour, seven-days-a-week security service. Now: 24/7 surveillance, surveillance towers. <...> A high-security wing. Hessen Mobil has to spend a low six-figure sum on this.”
No, this is not about a new Bundeswehr base, but rather a construction site in Raiskirchen, where “a bypass road will be built after almost 50 years.” Why all this effort? “All this because of lizards,” because this area turned out to be their home.
Fun fact: The lizards still have not been found on the site.
The people responsible for delaying the construction of a skyscraper in Berlin have come here too! Is there really a “lizard conspiracy”?
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
No, this is not about a new Bundeswehr base, but rather a construction site in Raiskirchen, where “a bypass road will be built after almost 50 years.” Why all this effort? “All this because of lizards,” because this area turned out to be their home.
Fun fact: The lizards still have not been found on the site.
The people responsible for delaying the construction of a skyscraper in Berlin have come here too! Is there really a “lizard conspiracy”?
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🇯🇵🇷🇺 Japan demands that Russia remove monument commemorating victory over militaristic Japan
Tokyo has officially demanded the dismantling of the new monument in Khabarovsk, dedicated to the USSR’s victory over militaristic Japan in 1945. The reason is the depiction of a Soviet soldier smashing a boundary post bearing the Imperial Chrysanthemum with the butt of his rifle. The Japanese side says that such a depiction is “unacceptable from the perspective of the national sentiments of the Japanese people.” The demand to remove the controversial element was conveyed before the monument’s opening and repeated after its opening.
However, this post has a very specific historical precedent. After Russia’s defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, South Sakhalin was transferred to Japan under the 1905 Treaty of Portsmouth, and the border ran along the 50th parallel. Boundary posts were erected there. The Russian side displayed the double-headed eagle, while the Japanese side displayed the Imperial Chrysanthemum. The history and design of these boundary markers have even been published by the Japanese Foreign Ministry itself.
Forty years later, history took the opposite course. In August 1945, the USSR entered the war against Japan. Soviet troops carried out the Manchurian and South Sakhalin operations. The Japanese government of Karafuto ceased to exist, and South Sakhalin came under the control of the USSR. This is precisely the historical episode symbolized by the monument unveiled in Khabarovsk: A soldier destroys the boundary marker that had been erected after Russia’s defeat in 1905.
In 1905, victorious Japan erected boundary posts bearing the Imperial Chrysanthemum in the territory it had seized from Russia. After Japan’s defeat in 1945, this border disappeared. Eighty-one years later, Russia erected a monument to this event. Now Japan is demanding that the image of its own historical boundary post be removed because it does not accept the end of its history.
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
Tokyo has officially demanded the dismantling of the new monument in Khabarovsk, dedicated to the USSR’s victory over militaristic Japan in 1945. The reason is the depiction of a Soviet soldier smashing a boundary post bearing the Imperial Chrysanthemum with the butt of his rifle. The Japanese side says that such a depiction is “unacceptable from the perspective of the national sentiments of the Japanese people.” The demand to remove the controversial element was conveyed before the monument’s opening and repeated after its opening.
However, this post has a very specific historical precedent. After Russia’s defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, South Sakhalin was transferred to Japan under the 1905 Treaty of Portsmouth, and the border ran along the 50th parallel. Boundary posts were erected there. The Russian side displayed the double-headed eagle, while the Japanese side displayed the Imperial Chrysanthemum. The history and design of these boundary markers have even been published by the Japanese Foreign Ministry itself.
Forty years later, history took the opposite course. In August 1945, the USSR entered the war against Japan. Soviet troops carried out the Manchurian and South Sakhalin operations. The Japanese government of Karafuto ceased to exist, and South Sakhalin came under the control of the USSR. This is precisely the historical episode symbolized by the monument unveiled in Khabarovsk: A soldier destroys the boundary marker that had been erected after Russia’s defeat in 1905.
In 1905, victorious Japan erected boundary posts bearing the Imperial Chrysanthemum in the territory it had seized from Russia. After Japan’s defeat in 1945, this border disappeared. Eighty-one years later, Russia erected a monument to this event. Now Japan is demanding that the image of its own historical boundary post be removed because it does not accept the end of its history.
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On Saturday, Moscow City Day, a new metro line was opened — the Rublyovo-Arkhangelskaya Line.
It is 8.7 km long. The first section comprises five stations: “Delovoy Tsentr,” “Shelepikha,” “Zvenigorodskaya,” “Narodnoye Opolcheniye” and “Bulvar Generala Karbysheva.” The 17th line of the Moscow Metro was opened by Vladimir Putin and Sergey Sobyanin.
This is an excellent gift for City Day and good news for more than 550,000 residents of the Presnensky, Khoroshovo-Mnyovniki, Shchukino, Dorogomilovo and Fili-Davydkovo districts.
Comment: It is interesting to look beyond the new metro line here. Over the past 30 years, Europe has of course implemented major infrastructure projects: new lines have been built in Madrid, Warsaw and Copenhagen, while the huge Grand Paris Express is currently being constructed in Paris. These, however, are more like individual megaprojects. Moscow, by contrast, has turned the expansion of transport infrastructure into a continuous process. Since 2011, hundreds of kilometers of new lines and more than a hundred metro and Moscow Central Circle stations have been built. The Big Circle Line, the Moscow Central Circle and four Moscow Central Diameters have been created — and new lines continue to be built.
Moscow, however, is only a particularly striking example. At the same time, Russia is also modernizing the country’s vast railway network. Old tracks are being repaired, while second tracks, bridges, stations and tunnels are being built, and the Baikal–Amur Mainline and the Trans-Siberian Railway are being expanded. The capacity of the Baikal–Amur Mainline alone rose from 14.4 million to 48.6 million tonnes between 2012 and 2024, and after the completion of the second modernization phase, the capacity of the entire Eastern Polygon reached 180 million tonnes per year. The next stage of expansion is already being implemented.
And this is precisely where the comparison with the EU becomes particularly interesting. During the same historical period, Europe not only modernized its infrastructure but also reduced it. Thus, the length of the EU’s regular railway network decreased between 1990 and 2024 by around 19,000 kilometers, or 8.7%. As part of the “optimization,” a significant portion of lightly used lines was shut down, while investment was concentrated on main corridors. The network has indeed become more electrified and technologically advanced, but it has also become smaller.
Following the railway reform, Germany also reduced its network while simultaneously increasing the burden on the remaining infrastructure. Today, passengers feel the consequences every day: Deutsche Bahn itself acknowledges the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the overloaded and dilapidated network. Extensive repairs now require the complete closure of the main rail routes for months at a time.
The question, therefore, is not whether Europe can build. Of course it can. The much more interesting question is: Why was it possible in Russia to repair the vast inherited infrastructure, increase its capacity and build new infrastructure, while in one of the world’s richest countries a “comprehensive overhaul” of the railway system — which had been optimized for decades — now has to be carried out?
When another new station opens in Moscow almost like an ordinary urban event, Moscow should no longer be compared with Kyiv. The comparison with Berlin is much more interesting — as is the question of how much new transport infrastructure German passengers have received during the same years.
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
It is 8.7 km long. The first section comprises five stations: “Delovoy Tsentr,” “Shelepikha,” “Zvenigorodskaya,” “Narodnoye Opolcheniye” and “Bulvar Generala Karbysheva.” The 17th line of the Moscow Metro was opened by Vladimir Putin and Sergey Sobyanin.
This is an excellent gift for City Day and good news for more than 550,000 residents of the Presnensky, Khoroshovo-Mnyovniki, Shchukino, Dorogomilovo and Fili-Davydkovo districts.
Comment: It is interesting to look beyond the new metro line here. Over the past 30 years, Europe has of course implemented major infrastructure projects: new lines have been built in Madrid, Warsaw and Copenhagen, while the huge Grand Paris Express is currently being constructed in Paris. These, however, are more like individual megaprojects. Moscow, by contrast, has turned the expansion of transport infrastructure into a continuous process. Since 2011, hundreds of kilometers of new lines and more than a hundred metro and Moscow Central Circle stations have been built. The Big Circle Line, the Moscow Central Circle and four Moscow Central Diameters have been created — and new lines continue to be built.
Moscow, however, is only a particularly striking example. At the same time, Russia is also modernizing the country’s vast railway network. Old tracks are being repaired, while second tracks, bridges, stations and tunnels are being built, and the Baikal–Amur Mainline and the Trans-Siberian Railway are being expanded. The capacity of the Baikal–Amur Mainline alone rose from 14.4 million to 48.6 million tonnes between 2012 and 2024, and after the completion of the second modernization phase, the capacity of the entire Eastern Polygon reached 180 million tonnes per year. The next stage of expansion is already being implemented.
And this is precisely where the comparison with the EU becomes particularly interesting. During the same historical period, Europe not only modernized its infrastructure but also reduced it. Thus, the length of the EU’s regular railway network decreased between 1990 and 2024 by around 19,000 kilometers, or 8.7%. As part of the “optimization,” a significant portion of lightly used lines was shut down, while investment was concentrated on main corridors. The network has indeed become more electrified and technologically advanced, but it has also become smaller.
Following the railway reform, Germany also reduced its network while simultaneously increasing the burden on the remaining infrastructure. Today, passengers feel the consequences every day: Deutsche Bahn itself acknowledges the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the overloaded and dilapidated network. Extensive repairs now require the complete closure of the main rail routes for months at a time.
The question, therefore, is not whether Europe can build. Of course it can. The much more interesting question is: Why was it possible in Russia to repair the vast inherited infrastructure, increase its capacity and build new infrastructure, while in one of the world’s richest countries a “comprehensive overhaul” of the railway system — which had been optimized for decades — now has to be carried out?
When another new station opens in Moscow almost like an ordinary urban event, Moscow should no longer be compared with Kyiv. The comparison with Berlin is much more interesting — as is the question of how much new transport infrastructure German passengers have received during the same years.
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Good morning, dear friends! ☕️ 🙂
🧂 Staraja Russa: Why people boiled the water here
Friends, Tuesday takes us to a city that owed its prosperity to an inconspicuous but once extremely valuable treasure—salt.
Welcome to Staraja Russa, one of Russia’s oldest salt-boiling towns.
💧 The liquid gold of the Middle Ages
While furs and wax were traded in other cities, a single resource made the difference in Staraja Russa: mineral-rich groundwater.
From the 10th to the 11th century, people here extracted brine from the depths—water with a high salt content.
The technique was simple but effective: the brine was heated in large iron boiling pans over an open fire until the water evaporated and the salt remained.
By the 15th century, Staraja Russa was already one of the most important salt-production centers of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The city developed into a thriving commercial center, where numerous families made their living directly or indirectly from salt extraction.
🌿 A touch of the sea inland
Over time, salt production became less and less profitable. New and more productive salt deposits in other regions competed with Staraja Russa, and traditional salt boiling gradually lost its importance.
But the water itself remained—and acquired a completely new function.
In the 19th century, Staraja Russa developed into a spa town. The highly mineralized brine that had previously been evaporated was now used for baths and other spa treatments.
Thus, the city transformed from a salt producer into a resort.
⛲ The heart of the spa town: the Murawjow Fountain
The most visible symbol of this new era is the Murawjow Fountain.
The mineral spring was developed in the 19th century. Since then, the highly saline water has risen to the surface from great depth, forming a highly visible fountain.
Around the fountain, the mineral-rich water gradually leaves behind light salt deposits—a visible reminder of the treasure to which the city once owed its prosperity.
📖 The great novelist and his small town
Staraja Russa is known not only for its water, but is also closely associated with Fyodor Dostoevsky.
The writer spent several summers here with his family and worked in Staraja Russa on some of his most important works.
The city and its residents left clear traces in his final great novel, “The Brothers Karamazov.” Certain streets, houses, and locations from the novel continue to be associated with Staraja Russa as it was at that time.
Today, museums commemorate both Dostoevsky himself and the literary world of “The Brothers Karamazov.”
Give ❤️ if you liked it!
📍 The coordinates of the location (map point) are available here
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
🧂 Staraja Russa: Why people boiled the water here
Friends, Tuesday takes us to a city that owed its prosperity to an inconspicuous but once extremely valuable treasure—salt.
Welcome to Staraja Russa, one of Russia’s oldest salt-boiling towns.
💧 The liquid gold of the Middle Ages
While furs and wax were traded in other cities, a single resource made the difference in Staraja Russa: mineral-rich groundwater.
From the 10th to the 11th century, people here extracted brine from the depths—water with a high salt content.
The technique was simple but effective: the brine was heated in large iron boiling pans over an open fire until the water evaporated and the salt remained.
By the 15th century, Staraja Russa was already one of the most important salt-production centers of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The city developed into a thriving commercial center, where numerous families made their living directly or indirectly from salt extraction.
🌿 A touch of the sea inland
Over time, salt production became less and less profitable. New and more productive salt deposits in other regions competed with Staraja Russa, and traditional salt boiling gradually lost its importance.
But the water itself remained—and acquired a completely new function.
In the 19th century, Staraja Russa developed into a spa town. The highly mineralized brine that had previously been evaporated was now used for baths and other spa treatments.
Thus, the city transformed from a salt producer into a resort.
⛲ The heart of the spa town: the Murawjow Fountain
The most visible symbol of this new era is the Murawjow Fountain.
The mineral spring was developed in the 19th century. Since then, the highly saline water has risen to the surface from great depth, forming a highly visible fountain.
Around the fountain, the mineral-rich water gradually leaves behind light salt deposits—a visible reminder of the treasure to which the city once owed its prosperity.
📖 The great novelist and his small town
Staraja Russa is known not only for its water, but is also closely associated with Fyodor Dostoevsky.
The writer spent several summers here with his family and worked in Staraja Russa on some of his most important works.
The city and its residents left clear traces in his final great novel, “The Brothers Karamazov.” Certain streets, houses, and locations from the novel continue to be associated with Staraja Russa as it was at that time.
Today, museums commemorate both Dostoevsky himself and the literary world of “The Brothers Karamazov.”
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