Russia — updates

NATO's Arctic ring around Russia is complete — Moscow is answering with troops

2026-07-29T12:00:00+02:00

NATO's Nordic expansion has encircled Russia's Arctic flank. Moscow is answering with a troop buildup that could reach 80,000 on the Finnish border alone.

The Middle Corridor is booming — its only European gateway is turning from the EU

2026-07-29T11:15:00+02:00

Middle Corridor cargo is surging as trade bypasses Russia — but it's still a fraction of the route it replaces, and Georgia is turning from the EU funding it.

Europe cut the gas off itself — and the shock came from Iran

2026-07-21T01:57:23+02:00

The EU legislated the end of Russian gas, and German gas prices fell 8% year-on-year. The spike that did arrive in March 2026 came from Iran, not Moscow.

Russia ships more to China than ever — and earns less

2026-07-21T01:57:23+02:00

Sanctions didn't stop Russia's pivot to China — they repriced it. Oil volumes hit records, trade value fell 6.9%, and payments are where sanctions bite.

Europe's migration politics hardened while the numbers fell

2026-07-21T01:57:23+02:00

Russia displaced 4.4 million people into the EU. Asylum claims then fell 19% to a four-year low — and Europe adopted its hardest migration framework anyway.

The front slowed sixteenfold — and the killing rose anyway

2026-07-21T01:57:23+02:00

Russia's advance in H1 2026 was under a third of 2025's. Civilian casualties rose 37% over the same six months. The war didn't slow — it moved off the map.