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⚡️ On September 18, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the UK in Russia Danae Dholakia was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where a strong protest was conveyed over London’s continued expansion of supplies of UAVs and other weapons systems to the Kiev regime.
During the demarche, it was made clear that Britain’s deeply confrontational policy on Ukraine is plainly aimed at prolonging and escalating the armed conflict by every possible means, pushing the prospect of a political settlement further out of reach.
It was stressed that, by supplying long-range offensive weapons on a massive scale, London is making itself complicit in the Kiev regime’s heinous atrocities, which can only be described as terrorism and war crimes.
The British side was presented with a list of the international obligations it is violating through its support for Kiev. The wide-ranging risks arising from Britain’s destructive actions were explained, as was the futility of its efforts in the face of the superiority of the Russian Armed Forces, which retain the strategic initiative in the special military operation zone.
❗️ Particular emphasis was placed on the fact that, given the UK’s policy, Russia reserves the right to take the necessary measures in response, exercising its right to self-defence.
It was reaffirmed that any British military facilities in Ukraine used to launch strikes against Russian territory are legitimate targets. It was stressed that London bears full responsibility for any further deterioration of the situation.
The British side was urged to abandon its policy of escalation and bring its actions into line with its international obligations.
⚡️ Russian Foreign Ministry statement on retaliatory measures in response to the European Union’s twenty-first “package” of anti-Russian sanctions (September 18, 2026)
💬 The EU continues to pursue a policy of unilateral restrictive measures that is illegitimate under international law. On July 23, the EU Council approved its twenty-first “package” of anti-Russian sanctions aimed at inflicting damage on our country.
In response to the EU’s unlawful decisions, Russia has substantially expanded the list of representatives of EU institutions, EU member states and several other European countries supporting Brussels’ anti-Russian policy who are banned from entering our country under Federal Law No. 114-FZ of August 15, 1996, “On the Procedure for Exit from and Entry into the Russian Federation”.
🚫 The list includes individuals:
• involved in decisions to provide military assistance to the Kiev regime;
• engaged in activities aimed at undermining the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation;
• responsible for imposing anti-Russian sanctions;
• responsible for damaging Russia’s relations with third countries;
• responsible for obstructing maritime shipping serving Russia’s interests;
• involved in persecuting Russian citizens on fabricated grounds;
• involved in establishing pseudo-legal anti-Russian “mechanisms” within the Council of Europe;
• advocating the unlawful seizure of Russian state assets or the use of profits generated by them.
Russia has also imposed restrictive measures on “civil activists” and academics in European countries who take a hostile anti-Russian stance, as well as members of EU national parliaments and the European Parliament who voted for anti-Russian resolutions and legislation.
Despite Brussels’ destructive policy, Russia will remain firmly committed to its foreign policy course, aimed at defending national interests, safeguarding the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens, and helping shape a fair #MultipolarWorld.
❗️ Any further moves by the EU to expand its unilateral anti-Russian sanctions will continue to meet with an appropriate response from Russia.
🎙 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's statement on the note of protest issued to Japan on September 3 (September 18, 2026)
💬 On September 3, a note of protest was issued to the Japanese side in Moscow and Tokyo over the deployment on Kyushu of US Typhon ground-based missile systems designed to launch intermediate- and shorter-range missiles.
The note stressed that Tokyo had once again taken this step despite repeated Russian demarches explaining our concerns about the threats posed to national security, regional peace and stability by the deployment of these weapons on the Japanese archipelago.
The note emphasised that Japan’s forward deployment of these systems on its territory is unacceptable under any pretext, regardless of the duration or manner of their deployment.
☝️ The Japanese side was required to end this practice and remove the systems from its territory.
The note also stressed the need for the Japanese leadership to fully recognise the outcomes of World War II, including their territorial aspects relating to the Southern Kuril Islands, and abandon its policy of remilitarisation.
On September 16, during the meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Moscow Akira Muto, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Andrey Rudenko urged Tokyo to take the contents of the earlier note with the utmost seriousness.
Our Chinese partners recently delivered a similar note to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. They, too, have expressed concern over Tokyo’s policy of remilitarisation, including the deployment of Typhon systems on the Japanese islands.
🎙 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks on the 2026 elections to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (Moscow, September 18, 2026)
💬 Sergey Lavrov: Dear friends,
Voting is now underway to elect the ninth State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
🗳 On September 18-20, we are all called upon to make a choice of great importance to our country.
In his address to Russian citizens, President of Russia Vladimir Putin stressed the significance of these elections for Russia’s future, its continued development, and the protection of its security and sovereignty.
The President urged all of us to exercise our constitutional right and make a responsible choice, so that the election results demonstrate the maturity and resilience of Russian society.
👉 This will be our collective response to those who seek to weaken Russia and deny us the right to determine our own destiny.
#Elections2026
❓Question: NATO is under enormous strain, but far from broken. President Donald Trump has threatened US troop cuts and criticized allies over their defense spending and perceived lack of support for US war against Iran. Yet the U.S. continues to invest in key NATO military facilities and relies on them to project power globally. Many officials say transatlantic trust has slumped, weakening Article 5. How does Russia assess the situation?
💬Answer: Disagreements among the allies are strictly an internal NATO matter, and we do not consider it appropriate to comment on them. What we see is that the US makes Europe pay more and more on military needs regardless of the costs. NATO Secretary General M.Rutte is bragging almost every day about enormous military spending and boost in production of armaments and military equipment as if it were good for economies and societies. But the European statistics show that this is totally false – stagnation, public debt, rising prices, deindustrialization, bankruptcies and decline in the standard of living are direct consequences of this reckless policy.
For Russia the most important point remains that, at the Ankara summit, Alliance members once again identified Russia as a long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic stability and security, while all military planning and force development within NATO are geared toward confrontation with us and preparations for war against us. In other words, NATO has no will to learn any lessons from the crisis in European security that it created with its own hands, nor does it want to change its destructive course.
❗️Russia has no intention to attack NATO countries or threaten the Alliance but we will do everything to protect our national security and to counter threats emanating from NATO.
❓Question: Trump's anti‑NATO rhetoric may signal to President Putin that the West is divided and more vulnerable than it appears. A wave of sabotage incidents across the continent, which European countries blame on Russia – including an attempted drone attack on a German airport, a fire at a Polish factory, recent drone incursions into Romania – have heightened those concerns. What is Your reaction to these accusations?
💬Answer: With all its escalatory behavior the Alliance is deliberately spreading scare stories about a supposedly looming Russian attack on NATO countries. This is done in order to justify forced militarization to the detriment of the region’s peaceful development and the socio-economic well-being of its citizens. Unfortunately, due to years of NATO and EU ‘brainwashing’ and scaremongering over a so-called Russian threat many citizens find it difficult to realize that it is precisely the proponents of confrontation who are driving Europe into a dead end.
As for the incidents mentioned, we've repeatedly denied the baseless allegations of Russia's involvement. They are nothing more than dirty provocations in the interests of the bankrupt Kiev regime and the European "war party", who are seeking at any cost to drag NATO and the EU into a direct conflict with Russia, with all the ensuing catastrophic consequences. In the same time, these incidents are obviously used in the domestic political struggle, as it is the case in Germany where the current government is stirring up a scandal trying to divert attention of the public from the weakening economy and raise its sagging ratings.
❓Question: A European former arms procurement minister said that it would be a mistake for European countries to abandon buying U.S.‑made F‑35 fighter jets, arguing that "the thing Putin is most afraid of is the F‑35s". How can You comment on this?
💬Answer: These statements are a perfect example of how Russia's imaginary threat is being exploited for opportunistic purposes. This time the Russian bugaboo is used to persuade Europeans to continue purchasing extremely expensive US military equipment.
🔗Source: Reuters
⚡️ The International Public Tribunal on the Crimes of Ukrainian Neo-Nazis has published a report “Heirs of Goebbels: Falsification of the Events in Bucha and Bloody Staged Performances of the Kiev Regime”, presenting its findings on the Bucha hoax, and how the Kiev regime and its Western sponsors through mainstream media support falsified the events of what occurred in Bucha in 2022.
The Tribunal brings together civil society representatives from 35 countries. Drawing on Ukrainian media reports, memorial records and eyewitness testimony, the publication debunks the claim that the individuals commemorated at the Bucha memorial were civilians killed by Russia's Armed Forces.
Key findings:
▪️ Military personnel presented as civilian victims
The report identifies Ukrainian servicemen and combatants listed among the memorial’s “civilian victims”.
Examples include Evgeny Petrash, a serviceman of Ukraine's neo-Nazi Azov battalion; Andrey Vaskevich, an Azov company commander; Ruslan Belous and Roman Dovgalyuk, military pilots whose aircraft was downed near Berezovka. Other entries include a sniper of Ukraine's 80th separate air assault brigade Oleg Tsimbal, members of territorial defence units, airborne formations and military intelligence.
▪️ Discrepancies in the location and cause of death
A number of people commemorated at the Bucha memorial died elsewhere. Ukrainian sources place the deaths of a number of servicemen near Vorzel, Moshchun, Kopylov and other settlements.
The report also cites 68-year-old Galina Semenyuk, who died of cancer but somehow appears on the memorial. Such cases highlight the need to establish each person’s circumstances of death before presenting the entire list as “civilian victims killed by the Russian military”.
▪️ Witness accounts of shelling and manipulated coverage
The publication includes 16 witness accounts from Avdeevka, Ugledar, Dzerzhinsk and other towns and cities. Witnesses recount Ukrainian attacks on residential areas followed by the arrival of journalists, coverage blaming Russia, and pressure on residents to repeat that account.
***
The Tribunal’s conclusion is unequivocal: the material it has collected points to blatant falsification of events in Bucha by the Kiev regime with Western support, alongside a broader practice of killing civilians to produce footage blaming Russia.
☝️ The cases presented in this publication form only part of the evidence assembled by the Tribunal.
📄 Full report (PDF)
#BuchaHoax
🔴 #LIVE: News conference by Maxim Grigoriev, Chairman the International Public Tribunal on the Crimes of Ukrainian neo-Nazis, and Maria Zakharova, Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, debunking the Bucha hoax
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🔴 Russia's MFA Website
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🔴 #LIVE: Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks at the opening ceremony of the IV Congress of the International Russophile Movement
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🎙 Remarks and answers to questions by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the session “A New Global Architecture: An Open Dialogue with Sergey Lavrov” during the Federal Educational Marathon “Znanie. Pervye” (Yekaterinburg, September 16, 2026)
💬 Sergey Lavrov: The philosophy of equality, which is becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s world, is particularly characteristic of #BRICS, the latest Summit of which has just taken place in New Delhi.
The countries within this group represent a wide range of civilisations, yet demonstrate #unity in their pursuit of greater opportunities for shared development – to ensure their peoples’ prosperity and security, without harming anyone else or advancing at anyone else’s expense.
☝️ Russia is fully committed to this approach, which also characterises other groupings of a new type, including the #SCO, #CIS, #EAEU and #CSTO.
👉 Unfortunately, the objective process of strengthening multipolarity faces aggressive resistance from our Western colleagues and their elites.
They continue to view these developments as a threat to the dominance they enjoyed for five hundred years – through slavery and colonialism. They are trying to preserve their slipping supremacy by resorting to the most unscrupulous methods, including unlawful ones: unilateral sanctions, direct pressure, interference in domestic affairs and instigation of conflicts.
***
Key points:
• The adaptation of international relations to multipolar realities is an objective process. The #GlobalMajority wants it to succeed, although it will take time and may span an entire historical era.
• We envisage a #MultipolarWorld as one in which small and medium-sized countries are free from blackmail, threats and sanctions, where all such countries are respected and can choose their own partners.
• For us, the Ukrainian conflict resolution requires achieving the objectives set at the beginning of the special military operation, which are aimed at eliminating the root causes of the crisis. These include plans to bring NATO and its military infrastructure right up to Russia’s borders, as well as Ukraine's official state policy, enshrined in law, of eradicating everything Russian.
• I would welcome nationally minded political forces coming to power in European countries. What the Brussels bureaucracy is doing – appropriating powers and rights that essentially belong to national governments – violates, first and foremost, the EU’s own rules.
• We did not sever our relations with Europe – Europe did. We now have all the markets and partners we need. Despite the hybrid war against Russia, things are progressing as well as can be expected under the circumstances.
• As in previous years, we are seeing particularly pronounced attempts by the West to interfere directly in our citizens’ exercise of their voting rights and in the election campaign. This is especially evident abroad, but such attempts are also taking place within Russia.
• If and when European countries wish to resume a serious dialogue, we will first listen to what they have in mind and what they can offer, and then decide whether it is acceptable to us.
• If Europe, which speaks daily about preparing for war against Russia, attacks the Russian Federation, it will be an entirely different war. And it will be a very short one.
❗️ I hope this warning has been heard in European capitals and by the institutions now attempting to speak for a united Europe.
Read in full
🎙Weekly Briefing on foreign policy issues by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (Yekaterinburg, September 15, 2026)
#UNGA81
The high-level week of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly opens in New York on September 22. As is customary, the Russian delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The centrepiece of his programme will be his address to the General Assembly on Saturday, September 26.
Sergey Lavrov will also hold a series of bilateral meetings with representatives of friendly states taking a constructive approach.
An extensive programme of multilateral events is also planned.
#NATO
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has made yet more belligerent anti-Russia remarks: “Russia wants to divide us – but we are united. Russia wants to stop us helping Ukraine – but we are going to do more for Ukraine. Russia wants to act tough – but we, we are stronger”.
☝️We cannot make them hate one another any more than they already do.
Mark Rutte should have told the truth: Within their own community, they are prepared to interfere even in something as sacrosanct as elections. We have seen this in Romania, Hungary and elsewhere – wherever it takes to prevent the democratic expression of the people’s will and preserve a show of “solidarity”.
For that alone, they were willing to undermine the democratic process – and that is exactly what they did.
#Poland
On September 4, a monument of gratitude to Red Army soldiers was demolished in Bytom by decision of the Polish authorities. The memorial stood in a cemetery where Soviet soldiers and officers of the 21st Army of the First Ukrainian Front are buried. They fell in January 1945 during the fighting to liberate this part of Poland.
Warsaw takes “credit” for supposedly caring properly for military graves in the country and loudly proclaims its commitment to centuries-old Catholic Christian traditions. In practice, however, its barbaric behaviour demeans itself. In defiance of all moral standards, it continues its campaign against the memory of Poland’s liberation by the Red Army in 1944-1945.
#DialogueOnFakes
On September 22, the Fourth International “Dialogue on Fakes” Forum, also known as “Dialogue on Fakes 4.0”, will take place at the National Centre RUSSIA in Moscow.
🌐 The will bring together more than 2,000 participants from 80 countries.
The event has attracted considerable interest. This reflects the high regard in which the expert community holds the forum, which, since its launch in 2023, has already become one of the leading international platforms for fact-checking.
It was at the “Dialogue on Fakes” Forum in 2024 that the Global Fact-Checking Network was established. Today, it is among the leading organisations in this field, bringing together 130 experts from 55 countries.
Read in full
🔴 #LIVE: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks at the International Festival of Youth – 2026 closing ceremony
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#IYF2026
#Announcement
✈️✨ The highly anticipated Africa Aerospace and Defence (#AAD) Expo 2026 has officially kicked off its massive five-day run today at Air Force Base Waterkloof today.
🇿🇦 Celebrating a milestone 25th anniversary, this premier global exhibition is transforming the City of Tshwane, Pretoria, into the epicenter of aviation and defense industry from September 16 to 20. Over 30,000 international visitors, global delegations and 287 elite exhibitors are filling the base with incredible energy. The five-day event offers high-stakes business networking during the first three days, followed by a thrilling public air show over the weekend.
🇷🇺🤝 The Russian pavilion is a major highlight at this year's landmark event, bringing together a heavy-hitting lineup of independent corporate innovators. Leading state and private aerospace giants are actively showcasing their latest tactical hardware, advanced unmanned aerial systems (UAVs) and next-generation engineering. It offers a rare, hands-on opportunity to connect face-to-face with representatives and engineering teams from top-tier global powerhouses, including Rosoboronexport, Roscosmos Corporation, Eclipse Group, Aeroscan, Katod and Technodinamika.
Everyone is welcome to witness the future of flight!
#RussiaSouthAfrica
🎙 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s answer to a media question on foreign media insinuations regarding an allegedly deliberate strike by Russian forces on a passenger train that carried several former and current Western politicians and officials (September 15, 2026)
❓ Question: The Ukrainian and foreign media write that the Russian Armed Forces have allegedly intentionally attacked, as part of the September 13 strikes on targets in Western Ukraine, the trains in which former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former CIA Director David Petraeus and officials of several other Western countries travelled from Kiev. Could you comment on this situation?
💬 Maria Zakharova: Yes, we know about these reports, as well as about a rather strange reaction to them from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga and several European politicians and diplomats.
We would like to say in this connection that unlike the Ukrainian military, Russia's Armed Forces do not wage war on civilians, target civilian vehicles, or open fire on helpless people – women, senior citizens and children.
Regarding the strikes mentioned in the media, our military did deliver them on September 13, but they targeted exclusively military facilities and the Kiev regime’s transport and logistics infrastructure used for military purposes, including in Western Ukraine.
Judging by the monitoring data, these strikes were highly effective and resultative. We have issued numerous warnings that the railway junctions, depots and rolling stock, primarily train engines, which are being actively used to transport Western weapons for the AFU, are legitimate military targets.
We will not comment on the cheap publicity stunt involving certain political individuals who were in the vicinity of the targeted train with military cargo. The goal of this information ballyhoo to try to get more military supplies for Zelensky’s regime by intimidating ordinary Europeans with a mythical “Russian threat at the NATO’s gate”.
☝️ It should be noted that in May we repeatedly recommended – and even sent respective notes to the diplomatic corps in Moscow and through our embassies abroad – that foreign citizens, including diplomats and their families, leave Kiev in connection with the transition of the Russian Armed Forces to systematic and consistent strikes against Ukraine’s defence facilities and command and decision-making centres in the capital and other cities of Ukraine.
👉 I would like to remind you that such strikes are delivered in response to AFU’s terrorist attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Russia.
We have also long been drawing the attention of all kinds of Western “political tourists” and VIPs that Zelensky’s regime is cynically using them as a human shield for its military trains.
Read in full
🎙 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s response to a media question regarding the continuing Ukrainian attacks and provocations against the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant (September 15, 2026)
❓ Question: On September 11, Ukrainian forces carried out a series of strikes on tanker trucks transporting diesel fuel for the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant’s backup diesel generators. Two Russian servicemen were killed. Several others were injured, some seriously. How would you comment on this situation?
💬 Maria Zakharova: First and foremost, we extend our deepest and most sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed. We wish the wounded a speedy recovery.
Losing ground as persistent battlefield setbacks continue, Ukraine’s authorities and military are taking increasingly reckless and ruthless action, attacking Russia’s Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant (#ZNPP) and its satellite city of Energodar almost daily.
What makes these attacks and provocations particularly cynical is that they are taking place during the autumn meetings of the IAEA’s policymaking bodies, including the Agency’s landmark 70th General Conference. In effect, this is an open challenge to the international community.
Having long lost touch with reality and gripped by primal fear for its own survival, the Kiev regime continues to pile up crimes for which it will inevitably be held accountable.
Atrocities such as the September 11 strikes you mentioned are both a stark manifestation of Zelensky’s misanthropic ideology, which is leading him towards collapse, and a demonstration of the current Ukrainian leaders’ irresponsible attitude towards nuclear safety.
With Ukrainian forces carrying out intensive, targeted strikes on the infrastructure needed to maintain the ZNPP’s external power supply, replenishing diesel fuel stocks is an essential factor in ensuring the plant’s safe operation. By ignoring this, Kiev is literally playing with fire, putting the safety of all of Europe at stake.
***
Furthermore, on September 12, Ukraine deliberately carried out a series of UAV strikes on the ZNPP’s training centre, where plant personnel receive training. We regard the attack on this facility, which is directly involved in training nuclear specialists, as another step aimed at undermining nuclear safety.
At the same time, Ukrainian militants continue to strike Energodar’s infrastructure and residential buildings to exert psychological pressure on ZNPP personnel.
Russia has strongly condemned these reckless Ukrainian actions at the IAEA. We regularly distribute materials at the Agency about the real state of affairs at the Russian NPP.
❗️ Clearly, by shielding Ukraine’s lawlessness and violence, its Western sponsors are becoming ever more deeply entangled in the threats created by Zelensky.
We expect the IAEA Secretariat and Director General Rafael Grossi personally to give an unequivocal assessment of of these developments and declare the lawlessness of Ukraine’s current leaders unacceptable.
The AFU is targeting not only Russian professionals but also IAEA Secretariat employees, whom the Kiev regime is ready to sacrifice at any moment.
📆 On September 15, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov took part in a roundtable on “The Ukrainian Crisis: The West’s Legal Aggression”, organised by the Diplomatic Academy of MGIMO University of the Russian MFA.
The event brought together 100 heads of diplomatic missions of #GlobalMajority countries and international organisations accredited in Moscow.
In his remarks, Minister Lavrov presented facts on the blatant abuse of existing judicial and quasi-judicial mechanisms by Western countries for political purposes, as well as their distorted interpretation of universally recognised norms of international law.
☝️ He stressed that the numerous cases brought against Russia before international courts and arbitration tribunals have no factual or legal basis. Their primary purpose is to damage Russia’s reputation and legitimise flagrant breaches of international obligations by Western countries.
Russia has already secured decisive victories in a number of these proceedings.
Addressing the so-called International Criminal Court, Sergey Lavrov emphasised that this institution has thoroughly discredited itself through its double standards and unjust rulings. He called on countries to follow the example of those that have recently announced their withdrawal from this “kangaroo court”.
He also noted that other quasi-legal initiatives pursued without consensus, with the declared aim of “holding Russia accountable”, are legally null and void and doomed to fail.
Sergey Lavrov stressed that although Russia did not launch this “legal war”, it has no intention of remaining solely on the defensive and will bring its own substantiated claims against states that flagrantly violate their obligations under international law.
❗️ Russia reaffirmed its principled position that resolving the conflict around Ukraine requires addressing its root causes.
Participants of the event held an extensive exchange of views on the Ukrainian crisis and other pressing international issues.
At the close of the discussion, participants confirmed their readiness to continue substantive engagement through the ambassadorial roundtables on Ukraine.
#FacesOfVictory
🌟 On September 18, 1918, legendary #WW2-era Soviet flying ace Viktor Talalikhin was born.
#Talalikhin entered history thanks to his heroic feat during the #GreatPatrioticWar: flying an I-16 fighter, he was among the first ever in history of #WWII to carry out an aerial ramming attack, bringing down a Nazi Heinkel 'He 111' bomber.
During the fierce aerial battles over Moscow, the young pilot pursued an enemy aircraft, attempting to escape, and directed his I-16 towards a Nazi aircraft tail, opening fire on one of its engines and finally bringing it down. Despite sustaining an injury, Junior Lieutenant Talalikhin miraculously survived. All members of the Luftwaffe bomber crew were killed.
Talalikhin’s heroic deed forever inscribed his name in world history.
For his feat, the legendary Soviet ace was awarded the title of #HeroOfTheSovietUnion, the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. Soon afterwards, the pilot was promoted to a squadron commander — at just 22 years of age — and, later, to the rank of lieutenant.
Viktor Talalikhin distinguished himself repeatedly during combat missions, personally bringing down at least four Nazi aircraft and one more as part of a group. He was to destroy a fifth enemy aircraft in his final battle near Podolsk. Fighting in the skies over the city, Talalikhin was killed in action, yet, having managed to destroy two Nazi Me-109 fighters.
Against the backdrop of the fierce fighting in the summer of 1941, Talalikhin’s selfless act inspired millions. In total, during WW2, Soviet pilots carried out more than 600 aerial ramming attacks against the Germans.
🕯 Viktor Talalikhin was buried with full military honours at Moscow’s Novodevichy Cemetery. The legendary ace was forever enlisted in the 1st Squadron of the 177th Fighter Aviation Regiment — that very unit in which he had fought the Nazis in the skies over Moscow.
#Victory81 #WeRemember #WeAreProud
#RussiaHelps
💬 Russian Centre for Science and Culture “Russian House” in Belgrade:
Russia's EMERCOM Il-76 aircraft completes its mission in Serbia.
Since August 20, Russia's EMERCOM specialists had been working to tackle challenging wildfires across several municipalities in Serbia.
During their mission in Serbia, they carried out 65 flights, dropping a total of 2,730 tonnes of water on the fires.
📸 Sputnik Serbia
🇷🇺🇷🇸 #RussiaSerbia
⚡️ The Presidential Press and Information Office’s Department of Accreditation is now accepting applications for media coverage of the 8th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (#GECF), the third Russia–Africa Summit and the Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.
The accreditation badge grants access to the international press centre and is valid for the following events:
• October 27: Gas Exporting Countries Forum;
• October 28–29: Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum;
• October 28–29: Russia–Africa Summit.
Journalist accreditation is handled via the website www.kremlin.ru (президент.рф).
👉 To obtain an accreditation badge, applicants must complete the registration form.
Accreditation applications are accepted from Russian media outlets registered with Roskomnadzor and from foreign journalists.
❗️ The accreditation deadline is 12:00 pm Moscow time on September 30, 2026.
#KievRegimeCrimes #BuchaHoax
⚡️ On September 17, the International Public Tribunal on the Crimes of Ukrainian Neo-Nazis presented its report “Heirs of Goebbels: Falsification of the Events in Bucha and Bloody Staged Performances of the Kiev Regime”.
💬 Excerpts from the opening remarks by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:
• Let me stress once again: the Kiev regime’s Western sponsors stood behind this fabrication. They were dissatisfied with the Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul, which were progressing rapidly towards concrete agreements and an early end to the conflict. These Western countries – and, of course, Britain was at the heart of this little gang – were not merely unhappy with the talks. They needed to derail them, and that is exactly what they did.
• As the political talks were being derailed, dozens of bodies seemingly appeared in Bucha, a suburb of Kiev. What do I mean by “seemingly appeared”? They appeared when the media showed them. The first reports did not come from residents or neighbours unable to find their friends or loved ones at home or worried that they had not heard from them. Nothing of the sort happened. The story first emerged in the media – and from the outset, it was clearly framed to blame Russia.
• Over the years, in various forums, in person and in writing, the Russian Federation repeatedly appealed to the UN Secretary-General. He and his colleagues had visited Bucha on several occasions, at what they described as the crime scene. We demanded lists of the people to whom they had supposedly paid their respects. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres never provided them. Yet he repeatedly claimed – including while looking Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the eye – that an investigation had been conducted and that they held some confidential information. This further convinced us that this was more than a provocation by the Kiev regime – it was a global information campaign.
• The Ukrainian authorities built an entire memorial to what they call the “Bucha massacre”, yet never circulated a list of the victims of this proclaimed “tragedy” on which they had staked so much. The Ukrainian delegation routinely circulated all kinds of material as official documents: photographs, videos, lists and more. Yet in this case, no list was circulated.
❗️ This is unquestionably a fabrication.
📄 Full report (PDF)
📆 On September 2, a Russian woman who had been forcibly held at a scam call centre in Myanmar since June returned home with the assistance of the Russian Embassy in Thailand.
Despite the efforts of law enforcement authorities across South-East Asia, human trafficking for the subsequent involvement of victims in the activities of criminal organisations remains one of the most serious transnational threats in the region.
In this regard, we would once again urge Russian citizens to exercise caution when approached by strangers seeking to establish contact via social networks and messengers, as well as when responding to online advertisements for highly paid positions in tourism, administration, translation and modelling.
☝️ At the same time, we would like to stress that travelling to South-East Asian countries, including Myanmar and Thailand, for tourism purposes does not in itself pose a threat, provided that the above-mentioned security rules are observed.
✉️ On September 17, President of Russia Vladimir Putin sent a message to Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, extending heartfelt congratulations on his birthday.
✍️ Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on your birthday.
You rightfully command great respect among your compatriots and enjoy considerable standing on the world stage.
🇷🇺🇮🇳 Your personal contribution to strengthening the special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia can hardly be overstated.
I would like to express my gratitude for the cordial welcome and generous hospitality extended to me and the Russian delegation during our visit to New Delhi last week.
Our talks were undoubtedly substantive, frank and highly productive.
As always, I sincerely enjoyed our conversations, which once again affirmed your exceptional political wisdom and foresight.
We will, of course, continue working constructively together on pressing bilateral and international issues for the benefit of the friendly peoples of our countries.
🤝 I sincerely wish you, my dear friend, sound health, happiness, well-being and every success in your service to the nation.
VLADIMIR PUTIN
#RussiaIndia #DruzhbaDosti
🎙 Russia's President Vladimir Putin Address to the nation ahead of the 2026 State Duma elections
💬 Vladimir Putin: Friends, citizens of Russia,
I consider it important to address you now, when our big country is going through a significant and largely definitive election campaign.
In strict compliance with law and within the specified timeframe, we are electing members of the State Duma, legislative assemblies, governors of several regions, and members of municipal bodies.
This extensive election campaign is taking place as we continue the special military operation. Residents of Donbass and Novorossiya will be voting for State Duma deputies for the first time since their reunification with Russia.
I firmly believe that our soldiers and officers involved in this challenging work at the frontline will be among active voters. Their courage and loyalty to the Fatherland are exemplary for the entire nation.
We know what Russia is fighting for and what the duty of every citizen is. Our heroes are forging victory on the battlefield. Everybody who is honestly working for the benefit of the country – and understand their responsibility for its future – are bringing this victory closer. Participation in the upcoming vote that is taking place during the Year of the Unity of the Peoples of Russia is also a responsibility and contribution to the country’s strength.
❗️ Your choice and determination will show once again that millions of people are backing our fighters and that we stand together, united by shared values, our historical memory, love for our Motherland, and that nobody can divide or intimidate us, undermine our statehood, our public and political system.
Every vote matters. You and your personal choice will directly determine what political forces will represent people’s interests in the federal parliament, in the regions and in local governance.
I am certain that, with your support and trust, the most deserving and competent candidates, the true patriots of Russia will come out as winners. Those will be candidates who will not let you down and who have proved their loyalty to the Motherland and their readiness to serve our nation and protect our country from any threats.
Friends,
🗳 The voting will take place over three days, on September 18, 19 and 20.
I urge you to exercise your constitutional right and make a thought-out and responsible decision, so that the election results attest to the maturity and resilience of Russian society. This will be our collective response to those who seek to undermine Russia, slow down its development, or strip away our sovereignty or our right to determine our own future.
🇷🇺 Participation in the elections is our joint contribution to Russia’s victory.
🌐 Leadership in a Multipolar World: What Determines a Country’s Position in the New International Reality?
🟢On September 15, as part of the International Festival of Youth — 2026, MGIMO hosted a panel discussion titled “Leadership in a Multipolar World: What Determines a Country’s Position in the New Architecture of International Relations?”
Leading experts in international relations discussed the nature of leadership and the key factors shaping a country’s position on the global stage.
The panel brought together:
✅ Maria Zakharova, Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian MFA;
✅ Arno Gujon, Director of the Office for Public and Cultural Diplomacy of the Government of the Republic of Serbia;
✅ Dauren Abayev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation.
✅ Toufik Djouama, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to the Russian Federation.
“It is commonly believed that a leader is someone who is always ahead, someone who strives to take first place. This is a misconception. Leadership is not about competition or being formally first. Leadership is strength and confidence that become a source of support for others. Leadership is when you are targeted by a campaign against you, yet still find the strength to keep moving forward,” Maria Zakharova emphasized.
“We will not pursue a policy that treats Russia immorally. This is a principled position based on values, not political expediency.”
🗓 On September 16, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko held a meeting with Ambassador of Japan to Russia Akira Muto.
They had a frank discussion on the most pressing bilateral issues.
The Russian Side stressed that Tokyo’s continued anti-Russia policy, including the recent hysteria in Japan over President of Russia Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Southern Kuril Islands, as well as its expanding military assistance to the Kiev regime, pushes the prospect of normalising dialogue even further away, despite Japan’s publicly stated interest in doing so.
The Russian Side also highlighted the dangers of Japan’s remilitarisation, Tokyo’s increased military exercises with the US and Western allies near Russia’s Far Eastern borders, the deployment of intermediate-range missile systems on Japanese territory and other such steps.
☝️ All these actions pose a direct threat to Russia’s national security and to peace and stability in Northeast Asia. Should such activities continue, Russia will take the necessary counterbalancing measures to maintain an adequate level of defence capability.
🎙 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s response to a media question regarding statements by the US Secretary of the Air Force on possessing orbital weapons (September 15, 2026)
❓ Question: US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink recently stated that his country possesses “orbital weapons to control space”. How would you comment on this?
💬 Maria Zakharova: We have taken note of these remarks.
❗️ For the first time, US officials have thus confirmed that their country possesses space-based weapons capabilities.
These statements provide direct evidence that the US is putting into practice its policy of deploying weapons in outer space and using it for combat operations to secure its own dominance and superiority.
In pursuit of its narrow, self-serving interests, Washington is prepared to completely disregard the catastrophic consequences for humanity that any armed conflict in orbit would entail.
The long-term sustainability of space activities is being put at risk, as are the prospects for space exploration by all states without exception. Enormous risks are being created for numerous socioeconomic processes on Earth on which people’s well-being directly depends.
Troy Meink’s statements also demonstrate that US international initiatives on space security are aimed solely at diverting the international community’s attention from Washington’s own aggressive ambitions in outer space.
Washington’s absurd allegations that Russia supposedly intends to develop nuclear anti-satellite weapons are merely a pretext designed to create the conditions for implementing these hegemonic plans.
The moratorium on destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite missile testing promoted by the “collective West” is steeped in hypocrisy. In reality, it places no restrictions on the use of such weapons already in the US arsenal, nor does it cover other types of anti-satellite capabilities that Washington is interested in developing.
For many years, Russia has consistently drawn the international community’s attention to the grave consequences of Washington’s destructive policy for international security. We stress the need for urgent practical measures to prevent an arms race in outer space (#PAROS).
☝️ Troy Meink’s remarks only underscore the pressing need for Russia’s multilateral PAROS initiatives, which seek to launch negotiations as soon as possible on a multilateral, legally binding instrument prohibiting the placement of weapons in outer space and the threat or use of force against or by means of space objects.
The UN General Assembly resolutions “Further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space”, “No first placement of weapons in outer space” and “Transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities”, authored by Russia, also pursue this goal.
Read in full
🎙 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to questions at the roundtable discussion “The Ukraine Crisis: The West’s Legal Aggression” (Moscow, September 15, 2026)
Key points:
• The history of the Ukrainian crisis is a textbook example of how the West and its puppets consistently disregard their international obligations, to put it mildly.
• Even the most fundamental human right – the right to life – is not respected in Ukraine. You regularly see footage of “human catchers” rounding up young men, and also not-so-young men, on the streets of Ukrainian cities. I have no doubt that they will soon start going after women as well.
• The West is fond of interpreting the UN Charter, but only selectively and in its own interests, cherry-picking the specific principles and articles that suit its political plans at any given moment.
• “Legal aggression” against Russia has a long history. The European Court of Human Rights was regularly used for this purpose even before the events in Ukraine. Since 2014, however, this aggression has become systematic. It began with attempts to delegitimise the historic choice made by the people of Crimea, Donbass and Novorossiya.
• In January 2024, the International Court of Justice delivered its final judgment – it recognised that Russia had not financed terrorism; that the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics were not terrorist organisations; that there was no discrimination against Crimean Tatars or Ukrainians in Crimea; and that the ban on the extremist organisation Mejlis was lawful.
• Ukraine’s second case against Russia also failed. It was filed in February 2022, when Kiev accused us of abusing the Genocide Convention by defending the people of Donbass against genocide. In February 2024, the Court ruled that Russia’s actions had not violated the Genocide Convention. Full stop. All accusations against Russia were dismissed.
• In 2016, Ukraine initiated arbitration proceedings under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in an attempt to challenge Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea, restored in accordance with the freely expressed will of the peninsula’s residents. On June 15, 2026, the arbitral tribunal to which Ukraine had brought its case upheld Russia’s position in its final award.
• Ukraine lost every one of the said cases. They were brought in bad faith from the outset. Both the Kiev regime and its Western handlers knew that their claims were unfounded and, in some instances, had no connection whatsoever to the subject matter of the respective conventions.
• Russia is, of course, not the only country facing the West’s “legal aggression” – any country in the world could become a target. Any state’s gold and foreign exchange reserves held in Western depositories could be frozen.
☝️ Protecting the international justice system and international law as a whole from bad-faith politicisation serves the interests of all sensible states that have their national interests in mind.
Read in full
🔴 #LIVE: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks at the "New World Architecture: An Open Dialogue with Sergey Lavrov" session, held within the framework of the "Znanie. Pervye" Federal Educational Marathon
🔴 Ruptly
🔴 Russia's MFA Website
Embassy of Russia in Germany:
🇷🇺 On September 15, 2026, a ceremony was held to mark the official closure of the Russian Consulate General in Bonn.
The State Flag of the Russian Federation was lowered to the Russian national anthem, and the plaque bearing the Consulate General’s name was removed.
The ceremony was attended by Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechaev, Russian Consul General in Bonn Oleg Krasnitsky, diplomats from the Embassy and the Consulate General, compatriots and journalists.
💬 In his remarks, Ambassador Sergey Nechaev noted:
We are bringing our diplomatic presence on the Rhine to a close. As everyone knows, we have been here for 80 years.
Throughout this period, the efforts of Soviet and Russian Leaders, politicians and diplomats laid the foundations for new post-war relations with West Germany, which subsequently grew into good-neighbourliness, partnership and cooperation.
A course was set towards historical reconciliation – no easy undertaking for our people after all the suffering and sacrifices they had endured. Nevertheless, we extended a hand to the Germans. Our cooperation developed as it did with no other country.
⚡️ Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation:
The Press Bureau of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation (#SVR) reports that, according to information received by the SVR, many in the West are merely pretending to believe the German leadership’s unsubstantiated claims blaming Russia for the recent “drone incident” at Leipzig Airport.
In public, Germany’s allies voice their “full solidarity” with Berlin, supposedly the “victim of a Russian provocation”. Behind the scenes, however, the picture is very different.
According to reliable information available to the SVR, intelligence services in NATO countries that examined the circumstances of the incident informed their governments that there was not the slightest evidence of Russian involvement. On the contrary, they pointed to numerous indications of a “Ukrainian connection”. Government bodies were advised to refrain from unequivocal accusations against Moscow, particularly in public.
However, this cautious stance among Germany’s allies did not suit the German leadership. Despite warnings from NATO intelligence services, the German authorities chose to make sweeping accusations against Russia.
👉 Their main objective was to justify the “massive spending” on Germany’s militarisation envisaged in the 2027 budget.
Subsequent developments showed that German voters were not so easily deceived. The results of the September 6 elections in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt demonstrated that the authorities’ anti-Russian provocation had failed.
🗳 The upcoming September 20 elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin will be another test for Friedrich Merz.
🎙️Comment by Ambassador of Russia to Denmark Vladimir Barbin to the media regarding the incident involving a Russian frigate
The Russian side will thoroughly investigate all the circumstances of the incident.
However, this is not the first time that Danish Air Force helicopters have carried out dangerous manoeuvres near Russian warships, when they were at sea and outside Denmark’s territorial waters.
For example, in September 2025, during a conversation at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I had to draw the attention to the dangerous flyovers and low-altitude hovering carried out on 27 August by a Danish Air Force helicopter over the large anti-submarine vessel ‘Vice-Admiral Kulakov’, when it sailed east of the island of Fehmarn. Such manoeuvres by the Danish military helicopter posed a risk of collision and could also have interfered with the operation of the ship’s equipment. Furthermore, the helicopter’s crew rejected to establish radio contact with the vessel and failed to respond to warnings. In this regard, I demanded that the Danish side should take the necessary measures to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents in the future and handed a note.
This latest incident demonstrates that the communication problems lie not with the Russian Navy’s vessels, but with the Danish side. The Danish side’s attempts to explain the helicopter’s provocative actions against the Russian frigate as ‘routine practice’ give rise to serious concern about the possible consequences of such recklessness.
Regrettably, the Danish side has no interest – nor has it ever had any – to prevent the situation at sea from escalating and to implement confidence-building measures. Russia’s repeated proposals to explore the possibility of concluding an agreement on the prevention of incidents at sea covering the maritime space and the airspace above these waters have previously been firmly rejected by the Danish side.