Putin Orders Advance to Continue After Russia Takes Ukraine’s Lysychansk

"Putin said that Russia will continue pressing forward in eastern Ukraine after Kyiv ordered its forces to retreat from the strategic city of Lysychansk and Russian officials claimed control over the entirety of Ukraine’s Luhansk region.

“Military units ... must carry out their tasks according to previously approved plans,” Putin said in a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu." MT

Latvia to reinstate compulsory military service

"Latvian Defence Minister Artis Pabriks on Tuesday said the Baltic state will reinstate
compulsory military service following growing tension with neighbouring Russia amid Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

“The current military system of Latvia has reached its limit. Meanwhile we have no reason to think that Russia will change its behaviour,” Pabriks told reporters." France24

Boris Johnson resigns as Conservative party leader, plans to leave PM role this autumn

"Despite desperate attempts to cling onto power, U.K. Prime Minister Johnson was forced to resign after a record 59 government aids and cabinet ministers resigned following the sexual impropriety scandal involving the PM’s former deputy chief whip Christopher Pincher, whom Johnson had promoted to the role despite previously being informed of sex pest allegations made against the then-Tory MP." Breitbart

Russia To Hit Gazprom With $20 Billion Windfall Tax

"Russia’s lower house of parliament approved on Tuesday amendments in the country’s tax
code that would slap a windfall tax on Gazprom of the equivalent of $20 billion between September and November, which will boost Russia’s tax revenue income.   

 Russia is said to be earning more than $100 million every day from the gas it sells to Europe despite the slashed deliveries to major EU consumers in recent weeks, according to data from Independent Commodity Intelligence Services.

Despite the EU embargo on Russian seaborne oil, to take effect by the end of the year, and the drastically reduced pipeline gas supply, Russia continues to benefit from the high oil and gas prices. Despite Western sanctions designed to hurt Russia’s oil revenues and war chest, Moscow is still getting a lot of additional billions of U.S. dollars in oil and gas revenues." ZeroHedge