NEWS FROM RUSSIA: March 4, 2024
Edward's weekly Russia-related news roundup & open thread
Welcome to Edward Slavsquat’s weekly Russian media news roundup and open thread-thing. Feel free to share your own URLs in the comments section.
Edward’s internet appearances
I was honored to chat with Luke Dodson about Russia-related things (and why everyone should come hang out with me in my village). I also had the privilege of discussing the Putin-Tucker talk with Cecílie Jílková.
Would you like a puppy? Of course you would
Tosha the Novgorod village dog is about to give birth! (Because her owner is a dummy and didn’t spay her in time.) Tosha is smart, friendly, and knows how to handle livestock. Her puppies will obviously have all of mom's good qualities. And we're giving them away for free! You know you want one. In addition to the lifetime of doggie love and kisses, you will also receive: 2 kilograms of farm cheese, a free subscription to the best English language substack about Russia, compensation for doggie spaying/neutering when your puppy grows up, and free delivery to Moscow, St. Petersburg, and anywhere in between. 100% puppy satisfaction guaranteed. Contact: riley (dot) waggaman (at) gmail (dot) com
The quote of the week
The sad thing is that Russia is choosing the same peripheral model in relations with China as it did with the West. We have become a raw material appendage and a sales market for the Celestial Empire. […]
To bring our relations to a new level, Russia needs to make a turn neither to the West nor to the East, but to itself.— Military Review (Russia’s most popular military news portal), February 26, 2024
And now for some news. (Sorry, it’s been a hectic seven days—so less Hot News than usual.)
Economy & Society
Real wages in 2023 were lower than in 2013, according to economist and former Kremlin advisor Sergei Glazyev. According to official figures, real wages increased by 7.8% last year. [gazeta.ru]
US President Joe Biden extended for a year the sanctions imposed against Russia, the White House announced on March 4. [regnum.ru]
Security forces detained Chelyabinsk billionaire Yuri Antipov in a case involving the illegal privatization of state assets. [74.ru]
Moscow continues to develop “genetic passports” for the Russian population. [katyusha.urg]
The wealth of Russia’s richest businessmen has increased by $11.084 billion since the beginning of 2024. [nakanune.ru]
Moscow held a test vote ahead of the presidential elections later this month. 713,000 of the 716,000 ballots were submitted electronically. [regnum.ru]
Putin outlined Moscow’s foreign policy agenda for the next six years during an address to the Federal Assembly. “We strive to unite the efforts of the world majority to respond to global challenges, including the rapid transformation of the world economy, trade, finance, and technology markets, when many former monopolies and the stereotypes associated with them are collapsing,” he told Russian lawmakers. [ura.news]
79.6% of Russians trust Vladimir Putin, according to a recent survey conducted by the state-owned All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM). [tass.ru]
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on March 1 calling up reservists for military training. [fontanka.ru]
The poor condition of roads in Rostov-on-Don is associated with many factors, including import substitution of asphalt concrete mixtures, the city’s mayor claimed in an interview. [lenta.ru]
Experts predict that the labor shortage in Russia will reach 2-4 million people by 2030. [nakanune.ru]
In January 2024, the dollar savings of Russians increased to 8.7 trillion rubles compared to 6.9 trillion a year earlier, according to the Bank of Russia. [stalingrad.life]
Ukraine
In February, the average daily volume of Russian gas pumped to Europe through Ukraine reached levels not seen since November 2022. [svpressa.ru]
If requested to do so by the EU, Ukraine is ready to continue the transit of gas from the Russian Federation through it territory after 2024, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said at a press conference. Presently, Kiev has no plans to extend the deal, he added. [nakanune.ru]
Canada will transfer more than eight hundred SkyRanger R70 multi-role drones to Ukraine as part of an additional military assistance package, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair announced. [regnum.ru]
A drone attack hit a residential building in St. Petersburg. Unconfirmed reports suggest the drone may have been launched from inside Russia. [fontanka.ru]
The head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office, Andriy Ermak, said that Kiev expects to receive an invitation to join NATO in the summer. [nakanune.ru]
The T-14 “Armata” is unlikely to see combat in Ukraine because of the tank’s high price tag, Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov said. [regnum.ru]
Ukraine has lost 440,000 military personnel since the start of the SMO, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed at the end of February. Shoigu did not comment on Russian casualties. [nakanune.ru]
An Abrams tank was spotted and reportedly destroyed for the first time in Ukraine at the end of February. [lenta.ru]
Public Health
The Gamaleya Center has received permission to test an updated composition of Sputnik V on children ages 6-11, Alexander Gintsburg said. [tass.ru]
Russian regions are reporting a shortage of measles vaccines. [nakanune.ru]
Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said that the Russian Federation has all the capabilities and high intellectual potential to replace imported drugs and medical equipment. [RIA Novosti]
Gamaleya Center director Alexander Gintsburg said mRNA technology could be successfully used to treat cancer. [tass.ru]
Have a restful Monday,
— Riley
Same, same in Australia. Our federal government is determined to keep pushing the boosters on a now very leery population. Everybody knows somebody dead, nobody admits it's the mRNA poisons but NOBODY is gonna take another! Cognitive dissonance... it smells like... 5th gen warfare...
"To bring our relations to a new level, Russia needs to make a turn neither to the West nor to the East, but to itself."
EVERY NATION needs to turn their attention toward HOME - IMHO.
All this looking here and there for advantages, while our national interests and our people's welfare are negated and undermined.
Internationalism isn't a vision for world peace and prosperity.
It is a globalist tool for a NWO and OWG.
Pay attention to international/global affairs - forget what is happening at home.
Pay attention to what is happening at home - forget what is happening elsewhere.
Our focus is being deliberately focused outside our nations, while the wolves increasingly savage our people, with the help of not-our governments.
We focus on non-wars abroad, while the real undeclared wars at home, are destroying our national and personal, identity and sovereignty.
National cultures are being weakened to make way for multi-cultural identity.
National economies are being destroyed and placed in the OWG basket.
Moral values are being eroded and being replaced by non-moral non-values.
We can awaken with a bucket of cold water or something far worse.