re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict.

Lavrov just lavroving away

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Highly anticipated talks between Putin and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in Alaska last week did not yield a ceasefire, giving Moscow, which would prefer to move straight to a peace settlement, a strategic boost, but a spending headache.
Russia's economy is cooling, with some officials warning of recession risks, and though interest rates are starting to come down from 20-year highs, its budget deficit has widened to 4.9 trillion roubles ($61 billion), suggesting Russia will struggle to fulfil its current obligations and keep financing the war at its current pace.
"Given the more pessimistic estimates of economic indicators and the decline in oil and gas revenues, we will need to urgently start fiscal consolidation," Anatoly Artamonov, head of the upper house of parliament's budget committee, said in late July.

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Aleksashenko said he expects tax rises and a spending cut in real terms by indexing expenditure on things like pensions below the inflation rate, which the central bank forecasts at 6-7% this year.
The government source said raising taxes was unavoidable: "Otherwise, we simply won't be able to make ends meet, even with a reduction in defence spending. Oil and gas revenues are falling and the economy cannot fully compensate for this."
Finance Minister Anton Siluanov hinted at austerity measures as early as April, advising government colleagues "to be modest in their desires" regarding spending.
Deputy Finance Minister Pavel Kadochnikov in July said spending on soldiers fighting in Ukraine and their families was the priority and that Russia should consider "eliminating" non-priority spending.
"PROLONGED PERIOD OF WEAK GROWTH"
Budget consolidation ultimately puts more pressure on Russia's economic growth, although a low net debt-to-GDP ratio of around 20% gives Moscow some wiggle room.
"Russia's economy is struggling under the weight of high interest rates and the ongoing war effort," said Liam Peach, senior emerging markets economist at Capital Economics. "A prolonged period of weak growth lies in store."
Analysts expect Russia's budget deficit, which exceeded the full-year target in January-July by over 1 trillion roubles, to be wider than planned.
The government source estimates this year's deficit at around 5 trillion roubles, or 2.5% of GDP.
CentroCreditBank economist Yevgeny Suvorov said the deficit could stretch to 8 trillion roubles as Moscow's spending would require an almost 20% year-on-year real-terms cut in August-December to meet the 2025 spending target of 42.3 trillion roubles.
"The central bank is in no hurry to lower the key rate, including because the budget deficit may be higher than planned," said a senior source familiar with finance ministry plans.
Last week, Putin called Russia's current budget situation stable.

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Russia set for austerity and tax hikes Reuters

How about some war related information instead of mud slinging!

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It looks like it’s up to Grump yo drop the hammer on possible sanctions, or give it up,

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Putin DID apparently give Grump (spelling mistake on your part, I'm sure, but I like it) the impression he was going to make a deal "for him," because of their bromance and all...

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From first light this morning.

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At night, drones attacked the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in the Rostov region.

Explosions were also heard in Sevastopol. There are reports of an attack on a military unit. The occupation authorities claimed it was a "drill," but people write that they are being treated like fools (4-6).

In the Voronezh region, drones attacked railway infrastructure. The governor reported damage to an energy facility. Currently, 19 trains are delayed (7-8).

The "Kovyor" plan was implemented at the airports of Volgograd and Kaluga.

Also, at night, Russians announced an alarm for the first time due to Flamingo missiles.

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Anti-aircraft systems destroy 546 Russian drones, one Kinzhal missile, and 30 cruise missiles

21.08.2025 09:57

Air Defense Forces neutralized 546 Russian drones, one Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missile, 18 Kh-101 cruise missiles, and 12 Kalibr cruise missiles.

According to Ukrinform, the Ukrainian Air Force reported this on Telegram.

As of 6:40 p.m. on Wednesday, August 20, the Russians had attacked Ukraine with 614 airborne weapons:

574 Shahed-type strike UAVs and various types of drone simulators from the sectors of Kursk, Bryansk, Millerovo, Orel, Shatalovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk (Russian Federation), as well as Hvardiiske (temporarily occupied Crimea);

Four Kh-47M2 “Kinzhal” aeroballistic missiles from the airspace of the Lipetsk and Voronezh regions;

Two “Iskander-M/KN-23” ballistic missiles from the Voronezh region;

19 Kh-101 cruise missiles from the airspace of the Saratov region;

14 Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea;

One missile of an unidentified type from occupied Crimea.

The air attack was repelled by the Ukrainian Defense Forces' aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare and unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups.

According to preliminary data, as of 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 21, Air Defense Forces shot down/neutralized 577 air targets:

546 drones;

One Kh-47M2 “Kinzhal” aeroballistic missile;

18 Kh-101 cruise missiles;

12 Kalibr cruise missiles.

Missile and strike UAV hits were recorded at 11 locations, with downed targets (debris) falling at three sites.

Ukrinform

Ukrainian man arrested in Italy over alleged role in Nord Stream explosion

Ivanna Kostina, Yevhen Kizilov — Thursday, 21 August 2025, 13:30

Italian police have arrested a Ukrainian national suspected of involvement in the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosion.

Source: European Pravda, citing German newspaper Spiegel

Details: Italian police arrested Serhii K., a Ukrainian national suspected of involvement in the Nord Stream gas pipeline explosion, in the Rimini area on Wednesday evening under a European arrest warrant.

According to Spiegel, Ukrainian special forces carried out the pipeline attacks in September 2022. Divers are believed to have been transported on a specially chartered sailing yacht to the pipeline area, where they planted explosives on the seabed.

Serhii K. is said to have been on board a vessel called Andromeda. Investigators from the German Federal Prosecutor's Office believe he was not among the divers but instead played a coordinating role.

When Spiegel spoke in 2024 with sources familiar with the events in Ukraine, they said the Ukrainian special forces unit responsible for the Nord Stream operation had no intention of committing a crime. For the service personnel of this unit, the pipeline explosion was considered an attack on a legitimate military target in the war with Russia. Profits from gas supplies to Germany, the sources argued, have contributed significantly to financing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

The investigation also allegedly found evidence that the operation had been authorised by the Ukrainian armed forces.

Politicians and media initially assumed that Russians were behind the explosions. German federal police and prosecutors eventually tracked a sailing yacht and uncovered links to Ukraine.

Last year, Federal Prosecutor Jens Rommel obtained the first arrest warrant against one of the suspected divers.

However, the suspect left his home in Poland before he could be arrested. According to reports, the Polish authorities warned the Ukrainian authorities in advance. The suspect crossed the border into Ukraine in a car bearing diplomatic plates.

Sources in law enforcement agencies told Spiegel that it is not yet known when Serhii K. will be extradited to Germany from Italy.

Ukrainska Pravda

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However, the suspect left his home in Poland before he could be arrested. According to reports, the Polish authorities warned the Ukrainian authorities in advance. The suspect crossed the border into Ukraine in a car bearing diplomatic plates.

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Ok, in my book, if accurate, that's a smoking gun.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.