Events in Russia

[sToRmR1dR]

Russia does not believe in German authorities' fairy tales about Nord Stream sabotage probe.

 

[Ca.]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1960889548021567502

Russia’s reported discovery of 511 billion barrels of oil beneath the Antarctic seabed is quickly becoming a geopolitical flashpoint. According to documents presented to the UK House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee and detailed by Newsweek, Russian research ships located the massive oil reserve in the Weddell Sea—an area claimed by the United Kingdom but also contested by Chile and Argentina.

This find—if confirmed—could reshape the global energy map and test the limits of international treaties that have kept Antarctica off-limits to resource exploitation for over six decades.

A Deposit Larger Than Saudi Arabia’s Known Reserves​

At the heart of the controversy is the scale of the discovery. The 511 billion barrels reported is nearly double Saudi Arabia’s proven reserves and more than ten times the North Sea’s output over the last 50 years. This isn’t a minor find—it’s one of the largest oil reserves ever reported anywhere on Earth.

The discovery was made during recent expeditions by Russian research vessels operating in the Weddell Sea. While the stated purpose of these missions was scientific, officials and analysts in the UK and elsewhere are raising concerns that Russia is using research as a cover for resource prospecting—a move that would violate the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which bans mineral and oil extraction.

Antarctic Treaty Under Strain as Tensions Grow​

The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959 and now backed by 54 countries, designates the continent as a zone dedicated to peace and science, banning military activity and commercial resource extraction. Yet Russia’s activities have cast doubt on the treaty’s enforcement and relevance in a new era of geopolitical rivalry.

During a session of the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee, Professor Klaus Dodds, a specialist in geopolitics at Royal Holloway, University of London, warned that Russia’s data collection could be “construed to be prospecting rather than scientific research.” He added that this might be the early phase of “forthcoming resource extraction.”

Dodds also linked Russia’s Antarctic strategy to broader international tensions, especially after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. “There is widespread concern that Moscow’s worsening relationship with the West will spark strategic competition between countries that will be ever more explicit in Antarctica,” he said.

Russia Denies Mining Intent, but Seismic Data Raises Eyebrows​

Russian officials insist their missions are in compliance with the Antarctic Treaty. According to a statement relayed to the committee by UK Foreign Office minister David Rutley, Russia has “repeatedly given assurances that its surveying is purely for scientific purposes.” The Russian government maintains that it has taken no steps toward exploiting the oil reserve.

But experts remain skeptical, pointing to the nature of the seismic studies conducted by Russian teams. These surveys, often used in petroleum exploration, map underground structures in detail—raising legitimate questions about their intended use.

Notably, seismic data acquisition—while not explicitly banned by the treaty—has historically been limited to scientific endeavors. When the collected data begins to align with known petroleum-rich geological formations, it becomes difficult to argue that there is no commercial intent.

A New Front in Global Resource Competition​

The report comes at a time when major powers are quietly increasing their presence on the southern continent. Russia has established five research stations in Antarctica since 1957. China, another major player in the region, has opened its fifth Antarctic base in recent years.

Both nations have also blocked Western-backed proposals to expand marine protected areas in Antarctica, most notably in 2022, reinforcing fears that environmental protections are giving way to strategic interests.

This power dynamic signals a shift. As Arctic and offshore reserves decline and pressure grows on energy markets, previously untapped areas like Antarctica are attracting more attention—not just for oil, but also for natural gas, rare earth elements, and future strategic leverage.

A Legal and Diplomatic Challenge With No Clear Solution​

Legally, the situation is complicated by overlapping territorial claims. The United Kingdom asserts sovereignty over the British Antarctic Territory, including the Weddell Sea, but Argentina and Chile also claim the region. Most countries—including the United States and Russia—do not recognize any Antarctic claims at all.

This makes enforcement of the treaty even more difficult. While Russia can’t legally extract oil under current international law, the treaty has no formal enforcement mechanism. Countries are expected to hold each other accountable, but in an increasingly fractured geopolitical climate, that’s proving harder to do.

“The real test,” says Dodds, “is whether the international community is willing to defend the treaty framework in the face of quiet but deliberate erosion.”

https://twitter.com/x/status/1960687634029719983

https://twitter.com/x/status/1960732864971944117

https://twitter.com/x/status/1960327276307816905

 

[Evan]

511 billion barrels of oil? No wonder Exxon wants to make nice!

 

[sToRmR1dR]

"Holding meetings for the sake of meetings is a "path to nowhere"": Putin is ready to have a meaningful meeting with Zelensky in Moscow.

 

[Ca.]

"Piskarev said about the attempts of interference of Western countries in the elections in Russia".

Пискарев заявил о попытках вмешательства стран Запада в выборы в России

Само голосование прошло в соответствии с Конституцией, отметил он

www.vedomosti.ru

Main / Politics / 2 hours ago

Elections in Russia were held strictly in accordance with the Constitution and Russian laws, attempts to interfere in Western countries did not affect the will of citizens, said the Chairman of the State Duma Commission to investigate the interference of foreign states in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation Vasily Piskarev.

“Despite numerous attempts to interfere from the outside, thanks to the well-coordinated work of all branches of government and the CEC of the Russian Federation, today’s elections were held strictly in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and our laws,” приводитhe said.

At the same time, the West is already actively preparing for the elections to the State Duma of 2026, the goal of Russia’s opponents has not changed – they want to inflict a strategic defeat on the country, Piskarev is convinced. The elections, according to the West, are one of the convenient opportunities to try to destroy “our domestic unity,” the parliamentarian said.

According to the commission, the special services of a number of states “intensively collect” data on the situation in the regions of our country in order to ignite protests, and for this purpose, the corresponding instruction is regularly held in the European Parliament and the British Parliament with representatives of the “so-called Russian radical opposition”. But malicious actions will certainly receive an answer, said Piskarev.

A single voting day is held in 81 regions of the country from 12 to 14 September. In total, within the framework of the campaign, it is planned to replace about 47 000 deputy mandates and elected posts, including the election of 21 governors and new convocations of legislative assemblies in 11 subjects. On September 14, the chairman of the election commission, Ella Pamfilova, заявилаsaid at a briefing that the elections are held in the face of an unprecedented attack on the resources of the election commission. According to the head of the CEC, about 290 000 attacks were recorded during the vote.

Putin will contact the regional laboratory centers of Rospotrebnadzor

Путин свяжется с региональными лабораторными центрами Роспотребнадзора

Видеосвязь с президентом России состоится 15 сентября

tass.ru

Updated 14 September, 05:17

MOSCOW, September 14. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 15 will be released on video with a number of regions where new laboratory centers of Rospotrebnadzor begin their work. This is reported by the press service of the Kremlin.

"On September 15, on the Day of sanitary and epidemiological service workers, the president will be released on video communication with a number of regions where new laboratory centers of Rospotrebnadzor are starting their work," the report said.

In addition, the head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova will report to the head of state on the development and modernization of the infrastructure of the department, as well as on the implementation of the federal project "Sanitary Shield", which has been implemented from 2021 in order to strengthen the system of protection from epidemics, prevention and response to threats of biological security.

Infrastructure projects launched in Moscow

During his visit to the National Space Centre, Vladimir Putin took part, via videoconference, in the launch of medical and transport infrastructure facilities in the capital.

en.kremlin.ru

September 13, 2025
On City Day, 15 renovated outpatient clinics in Moscow received their first patients.

A new multi-purpose complex of the Children’s City Clinical Hospital of St Vladimir was opened which has 20 in-patient departments, including the leading ones: the departments of cranio-maxillofacial, thoracicand vascular surgery, neurosurgery and transfusionology. Additionally, a hemodialysis center will operate there.

In addition, Vladimir Putin inaugurated traffic on the new section of the Troitskaya metro line. The stations of Vavilovskaya, Akademicheskaya, Krymskaya and ZIL will connect the existing parts of the line with the Big CircleLine and the Moscow Central Ring.

* * *
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: As I greet Moscow on its City Day today, acknowledging medical professionals and transport workers, I would like to stress that all the developments in Moscow are undoubtedly related to the entire country because Moscow is Russia’s centre – a political, economic, industrial and logistical centre of Russia.

However, as I greet Moscow residents on this holiday,I would like to revisit the matter we began with here today: the space industry. It is a given that Moscow’s contribution to the development of the space industry is closely related to our entire country, as it marks a new stage in the development of the space industry and reaffirms Russia’s position as a centre and leader in this crucial area.

Yes, we are well aware, as is the Government –and even more so those present here – that we have many issues to address and tasks that must be set and accomplished. I believe that if we progress at this pace, all these issues will be resolved.

I would like to once again thank the Moscow government for the help they rendered in the construction of this centre. We can take pride in it, and we do; however, it is just one of the stages of our movement forward and in the progress of the space industry in Russia.

My congratulations, and I wish you all the very best.

Thank you.

The Prosecutor General’s office recognized as undesirable in the Russian Federation more than 60 foreign organizations

Генпрокуратура признала нежелательными в РФ более 60 иностранных организаций

Речь идет о периоде с начала 2025 года

tass.ru

MOSCOW, September 14. /TASS/. Since the beginning of 2025, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation has decided on more than 60 foreign organizations to recognize them as undesirable in Russia. This was reported by the representative of the department Alexei Zhafyarov.

"Since the beginning of 2025, a decision has been made against 62 organizations to recognize their activities as undesirable," he said, speaking at the CEC.

Tags: Russia

"Hackers attacked the services of the CEC, DIT Moscow and DEG"

Хакеры атаковали сервисы ЦИК, ДИТ Москвы и ДЭГ - АБН 24

АБН 24 - В воскресенье было зарегистрировано 99 DDos-атак на онлайн-платформы ЦИК, ДИТ Москвы и ДЭГ.

abnews.ru

14:52, 14 September 2025
On Sunday, 99 DDos attacks were registered on the online platforms of the CEC, DIT of Moscow and DEG, said the acting head of the Department of Permitting, Control and Supervision in the field of mass communications of Roskomnadzor Alexander Izhko

Their total duration was 3 hours and 40 minutes. A single voting day on September 14 takes place in 81 subjects of the Russian Federation.

As a result, about 47 thousand mandates will be allocated and the corresponding number of posts will be replaced. About 55 million citizens will be able to vote.

Earlier, ABN24 reported that the last day of voting is taking place in the regions of the Russian Federation. Russians elect heads of regions, deputies and other officials.

Ukrainian Drones Strike Russia’s Largest Baltic Oil Port, Suspending Operations

Ukrainian security service drones struck Russia's Primorsk oil port on the Baltic Sea overnight September 12, forcing the suspension of

www.sofx.com

End Snip:
The strike formed part of what Russian officials described as one of the largest Ukrainian drone attacks in months. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted 221 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions, including 85 over Bryansk Oblast, 42 over Smolensk Oblast, and 28 over Leningrad Oblast.

Ukrainian drones also targeted three oil pumping stations connected to the Ust-Luga port terminal pipeline system.

The assault also disrupted operations at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport, forcing temporary closure and affecting nearly 50 flights. Russian Telegram channels reported explosions in Moscow Oblast communities of Mozhaysk and Dedovsk, while Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin confirmed nine drones were shot down near the capital.

Oil prices rose nearly 2% Friday following news of the Primorsk suspension. Brent crude futures gained $1.02 to $67.39 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude increased $1.08 to $63.45, according to market data reported by Reuters.

The attack continues Ukraine’s strategy of targeting Russian energy infrastructure to reduce Moscow’s revenue from oil exports. Ukrainian strikes have previously hit the Druzhba pipeline, disrupting exports to Hungary and Slovakia, and disabled approximately 20% of Russia’s oil refining capacity during August, according to a statement from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Cutting edge Russian tank heads into battle after Middle East expo (VIDEO)

An upgraded T-90MS showcased in the UAE has been repainted and deployed to reinforce troops fighting Ukraine

www.rt.com

 

[ivanb]

I occasionally watch this charming citizen diplomat, Eli, as she warmly and curiously explores her native country of Russia—allowing a world audience to marvel at and enjoy it through her posted videos. In a world of animosity and ignorance, shining a light of humanity on the wonderful people of Russia is refreshing and uplifting.
This may not be her best vlog (included at the end of this post), but she is quite prolific and has produced many captivating vignettes.

https://youtu.be/PYmIabGGGPQ?si=uCPfClnrVzC11FlD