Ukraine’s Zelensky and Wife Pose for Vogue While Their Country Is Invaded

"Zelensky and Zelenska were photographed by famed American photographer Annie
Leibovitz for the Vogue digital cover which has been promoted across the fashion magazine’s social media platforms.

The cover, featuring Zelenska, reads “Portrait of Bravery: Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska” on the steps of the presidential office compound in Kyiv, Ukraine. Zelensky, who posed alongside his wife, can be seen chatting with Leibovitz in a behind-the-scenes video posted by Vogue.

In one portion of his interview with Vogue, Zelensky shrugged off the crushing economic realities facing American taxpayers as they help fund his country’s war with Russia — plunging the U.S. further into inflationary pressures.

 “I will be very honest and maybe not very diplomatic: Gas is nothing … just try to imagine what I’m talking about happening to your home, to your country,” Zelensky said. “Would you still be thinking about gas prices or electricity prices?” ZH

Russia Fired On Israeli Jets Over Syria

"Israel's defense chief issued a surprise admission connected to the war in Syria, specifically
related to the literally hundreds of strikes Israel's air force has conducted on targets in Syria over the past few years.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz described an incident in May wherein Israeli military jets operating over Syria were engaged and fired on by a Russian anti-aircraft battery. He said the Russian missiles missed their target, downplaying it as a "one-off incident". ZH

Russia Unveils Large-Scale Military Exercises In East, Signaling Force Strength 'Unaffected' By Ukraine

"Russia has announced it plans to hold large-scale military exercises in a far eastern district
next month. As Reuters comments of the planned drills, they will be held "thousands of miles from the war it is waging in Ukraine."

A Tuesday defense ministry statement said the military's ability to conduct major drills remained unaffected by the "special operation" in neighboring Ukraine, a war which is now six months in." ZeroHedge

Cuba starts accepting Russia’s Mir payment cards

"ATMs in Cuba began to accept Russia’s Mir payment cards, Juan Carlos Escalona, adviser to the embassy of the republic on tourism, told the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) on Tuesday. He said that until the end of 2022 they will be accepted at all sale outlets in the country." Tass

IMF Cuts Global GDP, Raises Inflation Outlook, Warns "World Teetering On Edge Of Recession"

"The IMF slashed its global growth forecasts for the third quarter in a row, while raising its
projections for inflation (i.e., stagflation is here), warning that the risks to the economic outlook are “overwhelmingly tilted to the downside” and that the world "may soon be teetering on the edge" of recession." ZH

Ukraine on the Counterattack (Maybe)

"Ukraine might have begun a genuine counteroffensive against Russia.

The front line has remained essentially static since July 3, when Russia completed its conquest of Lysychansk. So the situation on the ground remains as follows:

• Ukraine is basically secure in the north, Kyiv, and Kharkiv.
• In the east, Russia holds most of the Russian-speaking areas in the vital Donbas region.
• Ukraine is testing Russian defenses in the south, around Kherson.

But unless Ukraine proves able to take back land in areas where Russia chooses to be strong, Moscow will take most of what it wants." PJMedia

Russia Eliminates Over 40 Foreign Mercenaries in DPR

"Russia's Ministry of Defense reported on Tuesday that some foreign mercenaries have been
eliminated in Ukraine in the past three weeks and another 240 have fled the country." Sputnik

Bellingcat confirms involvement in Ukrainian plot to steal Russian jets

"Christo Grozev, self-styled ‘lead Russia investigator’ with Bellingcat, confirmed on Monday his involvement in a Ukrainian intelligence plot to incite Russian military pilots to defect and hijack their planes." RT

Putin Turns The Screws: Gazprom Unexpectedly Halts Another Nord Stream Turbine Cutting Flows In Half; European Gas Prices Soar

"Gazprom unexpectedly announced it would halt one more Nord Stream turbine at its Portovaya compressor station from July 27, “taking into account the technical conditions of the engine,” the Russian company says in a statement." ZH

Ukrainian plot to hijack Russian warplanes exposed by Moscow

"Russian intelligence has claimed that it foiled a sophisticated plot from Ukrainian spies to hijack several military jets......added that a leading figure from the US-government funded investigative organization Bellingcat – which presents itself as a journalistic grouping – was also involved in the scheme, which it believes was "supervised by NATO intelligence agencies." The FSB specifically pointed the finger at British operatives." RT

Russians may face first war crimes case by year-end

"The International Criminal Court is aiming to put forward its first case over alleged
Russian war crimes in Ukraine as early as this winter." LuxembourgTimes

Russian Space Agency Planning to Deploy Glonass Station in Venezuela

"Russian space agency Roscosmos said that it plans to deploy a ground station for the Glonass
navigation satellite system in Venezuela." Sputnik

Erdogan’s photo with Putin branded ‘challenge’ to NATO

"German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has branded a recent joint photo of Vladimir Putin with Recep Tayyip Erdogan a challenge to NATO. The image was shot during a meeting between the Russian and Turkish leaders in Iran.  ." RT

Russia Informs Turkey It Had "Nothing To Do" With Odessa Port Attack

"While the White House and European allies, along with the Ukrainian government, were
lock-step in condemning as outrageous a series of reported Russian airstrikes on the port of Odesa the morning after the grain export deal was signed in Istanbul, the Kremlin is apparently denying it was behind the attack:

Turkey's defense minister said on Saturday that Russian officials had told Ankara that Moscow had "nothing to do" with strikes on Ukraine's Odesa port." ZH

Key Odesa port hit after grain deal

"Russian missiles have hit infrastructure in Ukraine’s port of Odesa, a day after Moscow and Kyiv reached a deal over grain exports. Thirteen Russian missiles have hit Ukraine’s central Kirovohrad region, according to the local governor." AlJazeera