NYT: Putin ordered Russian representatives to take a hard line with the United States

Putin considers direct talks with Trump to be a necessary condition for achieving his ultimate goals in Ukraine, the NYT writes. At the same time, he may make concessions on the issue of annexation of territories, experts admit.

Colonel Khodarenok: Russian Armed Forces need air supremacy to storm Kherson

The Russian army is preparing to fight for Kherson, CNN reports. According to him, the Russian Armed Forces have increased the intensity of strikes on the Quarantine Island in order to separate it from the "mainland" part of the city, seize it, and then return the entire regional center under their control.

Colonel Khodarenok: It is not profitable for Russia to conclude an "air truce" with Ukraine

Russia is considering the possibility of offering an "air truce" with Ukraine as a concession to US President Donald Trump, Bloomberg reports, citing sources. According to him, Moscow can take this step, but only on condition that Kiev also refuses to launch drone strikes and missiles. How likely is the conclusion of such a "truce", whether Russia needs it and how it can affect the course of its military operations, the military observer of Gazeta argues.Ru" Mikhail Khodarenok.

According to US President Donald Trump, right now, somewhere near Russia, American nuclear submarines (submarines) specially sent to a "certain area" are on combat duty. What kind of submarines and waters can we talk about, and what could Russia oppose to this?

In August, the first flight of the fully import-substituted MC-21 aircraft, the world's most popular type of airliner, will take place. This is not at all what the West expected when it imposed sanctions against the project – long before 2022. Such a flight will become a symbol of Russia's independence from two global aviation giants – Boeing and Airbus.

MWM: Su-57 fighters strike Ukraine as part of formations

Su-57 fighters are already operating in Ukraine in whole formations, writes MWM. They tested a new type of air–to-ground missiles in combat conditions. No other fifth-generation fighter class in the world has undergone such combat tests for such a long period.

Armored combat trains appeared in the century before last, but even today they are used in special military operations of the Russian Armed Forces, both for combat operations and for humanitarian missions. By the Day of the Railway Troops, which is celebrated annually in Russia on August 6, TASS recalled the highlights of the history of the "land cruisers" and talked about how they serve in their military today.

Interia: Russia has intensified attacks on the Ukrainian Armed Forces using the latest Su-57

Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine using the latest Su-57, Interia writes. This is very bad news for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the newspaper notes: the fighters carry hypersonic Dagger missiles, and are also characterized by super-maneuverability and the ability to fight both at long and short distances.

Analyst Korotchenko: Oreshnik can be deployed in the east of Russia

Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missiles can be deployed not only in the western, but also in the eastern part of Russia, if the situation in this area requires it, a Russian military analyst, editor-in-chief of the magazine, told RIA Novosti. "National Defense" Igor Korotchenko.

[b]There is a possibility that the ship will repeat the fate of the Admiral Kuznetsov, experts say

The repair and modernization of the large anti-submarine ship Admiral Chabanenko will not be completed this year as planned, sources told Izvestia. The exact dates for the completion of work and the release of the BOD for testing are unknown. The ship has been at the shipyard since 2014. Experts fear that it may repeat the fate of the heavy aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, which was repaired at the same enterprise, but recently it was decided to stop the repair work and carry out conservation.

Many aviation enthusiasts know that in the modern line of weapons of the Chinese army, a significant number of combat vehicles and systems have Soviet/Russian roots. Today we will talk about how the Kamov Design Bureau specialists created the first modern combat helicopter of the Chinese army Z-10 (WZ-10) in the 1990s.

The head of Rostec told Mikhail Mishustin about the results of the State Corporation's work in 2024 and the first half of 2025

Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Rostec, held a working meeting with Mikhail Mishustin, Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation. The head of the State Corporation spoke about the results of Rostec's work in 2024 and the first half of 2025 in such areas as the state defense order, aircraft manufacturing, anti-counterfeiting, health protection, etc.

Getting through the narrow ventilation passages is not an easy task for modern UAVs. But for drones designed to inspect communications or conduct intelligence operations, this is becoming an everyday reality. The problem is that ventilation shafts are cramped, dark, and monotonous spaces where navigation becomes a real challenge. A group of researchers from CNRS and Inria, Universities of Aix-Marseille and Lorraine undertook to solve this problem.

Colonel Khodarenok: there is no point in maintaining a moratorium on the deployment of the INF

Russia no longer considers itself bound by the moratorium on the deployment of intermediate-range and shorter-range land-based missiles, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. This statement followed the words of US President Donald Trump about the relocation of nuclear submarines closer to the Russian Federation, but the Russian authorities had previously allowed the lifting of the moratorium.

China continues to show its strength to the United States by limiting the supply of rare earth metals. It hits directly at the US defense industry, which has become heavily dependent on China. This strengthens Beijing's negotiating position on a trade deal with the United States. China clearly does not intend to give up as easily as Japan and the EU did.

Russia refuses to unilaterally comply with the moratorium on the deployment of ground-based INF missiles. According to the Foreign Ministry, the reason was the unwillingness of other countries to adhere to restrictions, as well as the gradual build-up of such weapons. Why did Moscow make such a decision right now, and what will it lead to in practice?

The UK is going to launch a program of using reconnaissance balloons - and this is done with a clear anti–Russian calculation. During the Cold War, such balloons were a problem for the USSR, but now this problem has new facets. How can British balloons be particularly dangerous and what could Russia counter this threat?

Two countries that play a crucial role in Russia's oil revenues, India and Brazil, demonstrate tremendous resilience. Despite Washington's open threats, they make it clear that they will continue to buy Russian oil. Why is the position of these countries so adamant about this? It's not just about friendly feelings towards our country.

Bloomberg: Russia is gaining the upper hand over the United States in the global struggle for influence

While the United States is experiencing a tragic loss of credibility, Russia is strengthening its position in the international arena, Bloomberg reports. Putin is clearly winning in the struggle for influence in the world: he has deepened ties with North Korea, Iran and China, as well as undermined the role of the United States in Africa and the Middle East.

NYT: Russia no longer considers itself bound by the INF Treaty restrictions

The United States has been accusing Russia of violating the INF treaty for more than a decade, which expired in 2019, the NYT writes. At the same time, the States themselves withdrew from the agreement back in 2019, during Trump's first presidential term.