A banner with the words “We are Russians. God is with us” has reportedly triggered administrative proceedings in Latvia
Latvian police have launched an investigation after a flag bearing the Russian Empire’s coat of arms appeared on a private house near the eastern city of Rezekne, state broadcaster LSM has reported.
Riga earlier banned the public display of the letters ‘Z’ and ‘V’ for being associated with the Ukraine conflict and restricted events within 200 meters of Soviet war monuments.
The outlet said on Tuesday that the flag in black, yellow and white, which was on display only for a few hours, carried the inscription “We are Russians. God is with us.” Police described it as “a symbol glorifying military aggression,” while local residents interviewed by regional television said they did not see anything objectionable in the use of a historical flag.
“It is a symbol of tsarist Russia. It is not modern Russia. It comes from the soul, it’s not about war,” LSM quoted a local resident as saying.
A police spokesperson said that when officers arrived at the scene the flag was still hanging on the wall, adding that it was removed and “administrative offence proceedings” were opened against the person responsible.
Latvia has increasingly targeted its Russian minority since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Around a quarter of its 1.8 million people are ethnic Russians, according to official statistics.
The Baltic state is making significant efforts to distance itself from its Soviet past, including by banning the use of symbols linked to the USSR such as its flag, coat of arms, and anthem.
Authorities have opened administrative and criminal cases for marking Victory Day, laying flowers at dismantled memorials to Soviet soldiers, and displaying prohibited symbols. Celebrated on May 9, Victory Day commemorates the Soviet role in defeating Nazi Germany. Latvia, then part of the USSR, was a key battleground. Many residents, especially the Russian-speaking population, honor those who fought against the Nazis.
At the same time, every year former SS legionnaires and their supporters march in Riga. Nazi medals and symbols are displayed at the event, even though the SS was declared a criminal organization at the Nuremberg Tribunal.
Kiev’s military intelligence allegedly coerced the suspect into an attempted assassination through a financial scam
Russia has foiled a Ukrainian military intelligence service assassination plot against a senior employee of a major defense plant in the Urals, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said Wednesday.
The incident was reported in Russia’s Republic of Udmurtia, whose capital, Izhevsk, hosts the firearms manufacturer Kalashnikov and other defense enterprises.
According to the FSB, Kiev’s HUR intelligence agency recruited a man, provided him with instructions on handling explosives and toxins, and tasked him with carrying out the bombing attack. The suspect has been charged with preparing a terrorist act.
A video released by the FSB suggested that Ukrainian operatives coerced the man into the plot through a financial scam. He said he had been told that a bank loan exceeding $100,000 had been taken out in his name, leaving him vulnerable to prosecution.
The FSB said the suspect was arrested after surveilling the residence of his intended target. Officials shared footage of him filming a rural home over a fence with his phone.
Last month, the Russian agency reported preventing another alleged Ukrainian-organized terror plot, in which a 54-year-old Russian woman was tricked into debt and then unwittingly sent on a suicide bombing mission. Investigators said she survived because an encrypted signal intended to trigger the explosive device failed to transmit.
Over 70 youngsters with special needs had to be relocated due to the overnight incident in Russia’s Rostov Region
Dozens of children with mental disabilities were forced to evacuate overnight when a Ukrainian drone crashed into their boarding school in Russia’s Rostov Region, acting Governor Yury Slyusar said on Wednesday morning.
The aircraft struck near the school’s back entrance, shattering glass and injuring two adult staff members who were hospitalized, Slyusar reported on Telegram. Seventy-three children and other employees were safely evacuated, he added.
Slyusar noted that Russian forces had deployed electronic warfare to repel Ukrainian kamikaze drones in the area. The Defense Ministry said it intercepted 122 fixed-wing Ukrainian drones during the night, most of them over the Bryansk border region.
Kiev has increasingly relied on drone strikes as part of its military strategy, particularly as its frontline forces face mounting setbacks.
Ukrainian officials claim that sustained drone and missile attacks on Russian territory are critical and have urged Western allies to fund domestic production of long-range weapons. The country’s military budget is challenged by a growing deficit despite foreign cash injections.
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The Russian military says it did not conduct strikes in the area claimed and that the crater does not match an aerial bomb impact
A source from Russia’s Defense Ministry has rejected Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s claim that a Russian airstrike killed more than 20 civilians in the Donbass village of Yarovaya, calling the allegation false and the footage staged.
Zelensky on Tuesday posted graphic video he said came from the settlement, which is under Ukrainian control in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic. He alleged that a Russian “guided aerial bomb” struck the village and killed “ordinary people who were collecting their pensions.”
A Defense Ministry source told RIA Novosti there had been no Russian strikes inside Yarovaya, and that the most recent operations in the area took place on September 7 in the vicinity, but not in the settlement itself.
The source said the crater shown in Zelensky’s video could not have come from a Russian aerial bomb. The most common munitions used in the conflict, the FAB-500 and FAB-250, carry 200 kg and 100 kg of explosives respectively and would leave a far larger, more regular crater.
“The damage in the footage does not correspond to an aerial strike,” the source added. “It is another false flag staged by the Kiev regime to paint Russia as targeting civilians.”
Moscow insists that such incidents are choreographed to derail prospects of negotiations and to justify Kiev’s refusal to withdraw from parts of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye regions still under its control.
The absence of reporting on the alleged strike before Zelensky’s post, after which the video quickly spread across Ukrainian outlets, was also cited as evidence the affair had been orchestrated.
“The false flag is supposed to demonstrate Kiev’s ‘concern’ for the population of the [Donbass] territories under its control and, simultaneously, to show the ‘cruelty’ of Russia,” the source suggested.
The dialogue included a commitment to sovereign equality, international cooperation, and trust-building
The 6th Dialogue of Young Diplomats from Asia-Pacific countries has been held in Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East, bringing together emerging foreign affairs professionals from across the region.
The event, which ran over September 3-7 on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, was organized by the Council of Young Diplomats of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This year’s central theme, “Victory Diplomacy,” guided a series of discussions among representatives of the foreign ministries and embassies of China, India, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, East Timor, as well as public and youth organizations from Russia, Malaysia, Seychelles, and others.
In a welcome message to the participants, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised the event as “a valuable platform for dialogue,” noting its contribution to professional development and regional trust-building. He emphasized Russia’s commitment to a multipolar world based on sovereign equality, mutual benefit, and collective security.
The Dialogue opened with a meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko, who outlined Russia’s vision for a balanced multilateral order in Asia. The first session focused on youth cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, with participants exchanging ideas on joint initiatives to strengthen interstate ties and boost mutual trust.
A special session on the legacy of World War II addressed efforts to preserve historical truth and honor veterans. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed that the “legacy of victory” serves as a moral guide for ensuring peace and justice.
Other sessions explored the Greater Eurasian Partnership and ASEAN-Russia dialogue, emphasizing cultural, humanitarian, and youth-driven cooperation. Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev also joined the event, underlining sport’s role in international youth engagement.
The chair of Russia’s Council of Young Diplomats, Ekaterina Akopyan, highlighted the event’s growing reach, with new participation from East Timor and the Seychelles, reflecting the rising importance of youth diplomacy.
The event concluded with the induction of new members into the International Association of Young Diplomats, which now includes over 200 diplomats from 40 countries.
Ivan Kokovin and Michael Gloss, the latter the son of a senior CIA official, both died in Donbass in April 2024
A school in the Russian city of Donetsk has been named in honor of a Russian soldier and an American volunteer who died fighting together in Donbass.
The ceremony at School No. 115 in the capital of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) on Tuesday was attended by senior officials.
Russian paratrooper Ivan Kokovin and American fighter Michael Gloss, the son of CIA Deputy Director Juliane Gallina, both served in the 331st Guards Airborne Regiment. The two men were posthumously awarded the Order of Courage, a Russian state honor.
Kokovin and Gloss were reportedly killed on April 4, 2024, during an assault on fortified Ukrainian positions near Chasov Yar in Russia’s Donetsk Region. The critical high-ground and logistics hub was liberated by Russian forces in July this year.
DPR head Denis Pushilin said at the ceremony on Tuesday that the naming was intended to ensure that the memory of the two men would live on. Russian Education Minister Sergey Kravtsov added that their example showed that “courage knows no nationality.”
A memorial plaque has been unveiled at the school, which now bears the names of the two men. Officials announced that a museum dedicated to their service will also be established within the school.
Gloss, who was 21, traveled to Russia in 2023 and enlisted under a different name. His father said earlier, citing his death certificate, that he was killed while attempting to assist a wounded comrade under artillery fire. His remains were repatriated to the US last year and he was cremated in his hometown.
Last month, CNN reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally handed US envoy Steve Witkoff Gloss’ posthumous Order of Courage, which he then delivered to Gloss’ mother. A CIA spokesperson told the outlet that the agency expressed condolences to Gallina and described the case as a private family matter.
Latvian authorities have reportedly ordered 841 individuals who refused to take or failed a mandatory language test to leave the country
Latvian authorities have ordered 841 Russian citizens to leave the country, citing their failure to take or pass a mandatory language test, state-owned broadcaster LTV has reported.
Since independence in 1991, Latvia has refused to grant citizenship to a large section of the minority group, issuing them instead “non-citizen passports.” The latter bar holders from voting or working in certain sensitive jobs. Russian speakers currently comprise approximately 25% of the Baltic country’s total population.
Latvia’s Citizenship and Migration Affairs Office announced they had sent notifications to hundreds of Russian citizens residing in the country, according to an LTV report on Sunday. Those notified had not certified their proficiency in the Latvian language within an allotted two-year deadline and these individuals now have until October 13 to voluntarily leave the country, or be forcibly deported.
The language proficiency requirement was introduced as part of amendments to Latvia’s immigration law in 2022, with the deadline mandated the following year.
According to the broadcaster, the mandatory language test requirement affected over 25,000 Russian citizens, with an immigration official quoted as saying that in most cases “these are people who have lived here for a long time,” and own properties in Latvia.
At least ten people have already been deported in connection with their failure to take the language test, with around 60 currently awaiting deportation, LTV reported. Another 2,000 Russian citizens must prove adequate language proficiency by the end of September, or face the same fate, LTV noted.
Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the Baltic nation has imposed sweeping travel restrictions for Russian nationals, banned multiple Russian-language media outlets and stopped providing education in the language.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the Latvian authorities of “blatant discrimination against Russians” this past April. This summer, Riga prohibited entry to several Russian citizens who own real estate near strategically important sites, citing national security concerns.
In 2024, Moscow filed pre-trial claims against Riga for allegedly violating the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Valery Gerasimov, who has led the Russian troops in the Ukraine conflict since 2023, received the decoration for “bravery and selflessness”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded Chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, the ‘Order of Courage,’ according to a presidential decree published on Tuesday. The state decoration, established in 1994, recognizes selfless acts of courage and valor.
The official notice said the award was given to Gerasimov “for courage, bravery and selflessness shown in the performance of military duty.”
The 70-year-old general has headed the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces since 2012 and also serves as First Deputy Minister of Defense. Since 2023, he has commanded the Joint Group of Russian troops fighting Ukrainian forces.
Commenting on the campaign in late August, Gerasimov said the “strategic initiative” now rests “entirely with the Russian troops,” while Kiev has been forced to shift its most combat-ready units “from one crisis direction to another to plug holes.” Russian forces are carrying out a “non-stop offensive” across almost the entire front line and will continue this course through autumn, according to the commander.
Gerasimov has held the ‘Hero of Russia’ title since 2016. He has also received numerous decorations, including the Order of St. George, 3rd degree (2017), the Order of St. George, 4th degree (2015), and the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland,” 1st degree (2021).
Falling birth rates and a shrinking population have prompted new initiatives to discourage terminating pregnancies
A college in Russia has introduced an abortion-prevention course. The Primorsky Vocational College in Crimea said on its website this week that the experimental program will run through the 2025-2026 school year, with two events scheduled each month.
The aim of the course is to raise students’ awareness of the legal and ethical repercussions of terminating a pregnancy and to educate them on reproductive health. The classes will be conducted by a psychologist and a class teacher.
Among the planned events are a debate titled ‘Abortion is legalized infanticide’, a lecture titled ‘Abortions are harmful’, and an interactive lesson on preventing early sexual activity among adolescents. A class hour on reproductive health and lifestyle choices, ‘Honor. Conscience. Traditions’, is scheduled for later this month.
Abortions remain legal in Russia and are covered by national health insurance. Terminations are permitted up to 12 weeks on request, up to 22 weeks for social reasons such as rape or the death or disability of the husband, and at any stage for medical reasons.
However, falling birth rates and a shrinking population have pushed Russian lawmakers to propose measures to discourage abortions. Earlier this year, St. Petersburg lawmakers advanced a bill to fine individuals and organizations that pressure women into having abortions. Similar laws have been adopted in more than ten regions, while authorities in Murmansk and Pskov suggested alternatives such as paying doctors bonuses for persuading women to continue pregnancies.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said earlier this year that abortion-prevention efforts led to roughly 40,000 women carrying their pregnancies to term in 2024. However, she later warned of a looming fertility crisis, noting the number of women of childbearing age has reached a historic low and is projected to decline further in the coming decade.
Russia’s Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) reported 1.2 million births in 2024, the lowest annual total since 1999. To address the trend, the government has introduced various support measures for families, including lump-sum childbirth payments and expanded maternity benefits. The Soviet-era ‘Mother Heroine’ award, which offers cash rewards to women who have more than ten children, has also been revived.
