Finland Warns of Possible Power Outages This Winter

"Finland may find itself in a pinch this winter after having Russian gas deliveries cut off
following a refusal to pay in rubles, as demanded by Moscow. According to power operator Fingrid, the Nordic country may face rotary power outages lasting a maximum of two hours each.

Amid towering fears of a historically difficult winter across Europe due to a combination of scarce deposits, bottlenecks in supplies, the absence of Russian fuels and the failure of the “Green switch”, Finland has warned of possible power outages." Sputnik

Wagner group fighting in Donbass

"RT’s Murad Gazdiev was granted a rare opportunity to embed with the Wagner Group, a secretive Russian private military company, as it fights in Donbass.

The contractors, who call themselves ‘the Orchestra of Wagner’ or ‘the Musicians’, conceal their identities. The name is thought to have come from the call sign of the unit’s founder Dmitry Utkin, a veteran of two Chechen wars. Richard Wagner was a famous 19th century German composer but the name has also been used for characters in literature, computer games, comic books, and even by a motorcycle manufacturer. 

Before Murad joined them, the unit had recently pushed Ukrainian troops out of the village of Klinovoe in the Donetsk People’s Republic.

The Wagner fighters fired mortars as Ukraine’s ultra-nationalist Aidar Battalion and the ostensibly elite 10th Mountain Assault Brigade were trying to hold them off. “Artillery and mortar duels here are deafening and endless,” Gazdiev said while reporting.

During their offensive, the Wagner troops came under fire from cluster munitions and had to deal with tripwire anti-personnel mines left by the Ukrainians. The Kremlin has denied any ties between the Wagner Group and the Russian government." RT

Ukraine to seek war-crime charges against Western banks

"Bosses at Western banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and HSBC are committing war crimes by continuing to indirectly finance the Russian state, an economic adviser to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Oleg Ustenko, claimed on Tuesday." RT

Germans warned of toilet paper shortage

"Germany may face shortages of such staples as toilet paper and cardboard if Russian gas
supply dwindles in the coming months, German outlet Zeit Online reported on Wednesday." RT

Pentagon approves plan for injured Ukrainian soldiers

"US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has greenlit plans to treat injured Ukrainian soldiers at a US military hospital in Germany....Ukrainian soldiers would be taken to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, not far from the French border. Up to 18 service personnel can apparently undergo treatment at the facility at any given time." RT

 

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