Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The enemy has amassed nearly a hundred troops in the city. The Defense Forces are currently conducting counter-sabotage operations.
Since the beginning of the month, the Russian army has increased the intensity of its attacks in the Kupyansk direction. The weather has contributed to the enemy's increased activity. Today, it was officially announced that the enemy has amassed approximately 80 troops in Kupyansk itself, and counter-sabotage operations are currently ongoing there. SEARCH AND STRIKE OPERATIONS
"Regarding the situation in the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region: counter-sabotage operations by the Ukrainian Defense Forces are continuing there. As of October 14, the enemy has amassed just over 80 troops in the city. Our soldiers are preventing this number from increasing by eliminating enemy infantrymen attempting to break into Kupyansk," Dmytro Likhovoy, an officer with the Main Communications Directorate of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, told Ukrinform on October 16.
According to him, our defenders are conducting search-and-strike operations in various parts of the city. They are also striking any enemy positions they have identified. Thus, on October 15, the Defense Forces neutralized three occupiers.
"Ukrainian defense forces are doing everything possible to clear Kupyansk of Russian invaders," Likhovoy added.
WEATHER FOR COVER
The intensity of Russian attacks in the Kupyansk direction has indeed increased. Three to six attempts to attack Ukrainian positions are recorded daily. The assault methodology has not changed: small groups advance.
"They keep coming, their numbers have grown. The weather contributed to this for a while, because when it rains, aerial reconnaissance doesn't work as well. They took prisoners, and their level of training remains unchanged. This is what used to be called 'meat.' The only thing is, they have these thermal cloaks that allow them to move more or less undetected at night. Otherwise, it's the same old infantry that arrives, takes a ton of bullets, and dies," said Valery Kiselev, a communications officer with the 116th Separate Mechanized Brigade, according to ARMY.INFORM.
The enemy is also actively using ground-based robotic systems for transport. Specifically, they are used to deliver ammunition closer to positions.
"We haven't encountered any combat vehicles with machine guns yet. But I understand it's just a matter of time, because the number of transports is growing, so they'll probably try using machine guns after a while. The problem on their end is that the terrain opposite Kupyansk is quite rugged. It's sandy soil, and it's not easy to use," Kiselev added.
THERE IS STILL A LONG WAY TO GO BEFORE FULL OCCUPATION
In turn, the head of the Kharkiv OVA, Oleg Sinegubov, notes that while Kupyansk remains under the control of the Defense Forces, the evacuation from the city continues under difficult conditions.
At the same time, military observer Bogdan Miroshnikov believes that the Russians' use of small infantry groups in Kupyansk is a distinct tactic. If reinforcements can reach the city and consolidate their position, Moscow will gain control. But for now, the Russian groups are being eliminated, and the reinforcements are being isolated.
"The situation in the city is very difficult. But the city is still far from being fully occupied. The Ukrainian Armed Forces need to be supported, not criticized. The guys involved in defending the city are doing so out of moral and willpower," Miroshnikov wrote.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Russian occupation army concentrated its main efforts on the Pokrovsky and Aleksandrovsky directions.
Since the start of the day, Russian troops have attacked Ukrainian defenders' positions 61 times. The number of assaults has decreased by a third compared to yesterday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in an operational update on Thursday, October 16.
Thus, in the Severo-Slobodskoy and Kursk directions, the Russian army twice stormed the positions of the Defense Forces.
In the Yuzhno-Slobodskoye direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled seven attacks near Vovchansk and Vovchanskiye Khutors, in the direction of Kolodezne, Bologovka, and Kutkovka. Two more clashes are ongoing.
In the Kupyansk direction, seven enemy attacks were recorded in the areas of Petrovpavlivka, Peschanoye, and Boguslavka. Two clashes are ongoing.
In the Liman direction, our defenders are repelling two attacks in the direction of Druzhelyubovka and Liman.
In the Konstantinovka direction, Russian forces launched seven assaults in the areas of Shcherbinovka and Rusiny Yar, and towards Stepanovka and Sofiyivka. Two clashes are ongoing.
In the Pokrovsk direction, the invaders launched 18 attacks in the areas of Shakhovoy, Dorozhny, Krasny Liman, Novoekonomichesky, Rodinsky, Pokrovsk, Zverovy, Kotlinoy, and Filiya, and in the direction of Belitsky and Balagan. Thirteen of these assaults have already been repelled.
In the Oleksandrivka sector, Russian troops have attempted to advance on Defense Force positions near Zelenyi Gai, Novokhatske, Sichneve, Sosnovka, Verbovoye, Novomykolaivka, and Novohryhorivka 13 times. Five clashes are still ongoing.
In the Orekhovsky direction, the Russians launched one unsuccessful attack in the Stepovoye area.
Two enemy attacks were repelled in the Dnieper direction.
The invaders have not yet carried out offensive operations in the Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and Gulyai-Pole directions.
As a reminder, during the Dobropillya operation in the Pokrovsky district of the Donetsk region, units of the Defense Forces recaptured 412.9 square kilometer. In the Dobropillya area, the Russian army lost nearly 14,000 soldiers killed, wounded, and captured.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 22:11 The Russian Armed Forces took up positions west of Predtechino in the Konstantinovsky direction, map. 21:10 RIA Novosti war correspondent Ivan Zuevdiedin the Zaporizhzhia region as a result of a strike by a Ukrainian UAV.
Another war correspondent, Yuri Voitkevich, was seriously wounded.
20:49 Posted Infographics of the balance of power in the Zaporizhzhia direction.
Over the past week, Russian paratroopers have made progress in this area. The dachas are gradually being cleared, and Russian Armed Forces troops have also begun fighting for two major strongholds west of Stepnogorsk.
19:51 Soldiers of the North group of forces burned American self-propelled gun "Palladin".
19:40 Military personnel of the "East" group of forces told details of the liberation of the village of Alekseevka in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
19:03 Servicemen of the Center group of forces received a batch of motorcycles and UAVs from United Russia.
18:23 In the period from 14:00 to 17:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed three Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
Two UAVs were flying over the Kursk region, and
One UAV was flying over the Belgorod region.
17:14 Our troops are in Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) are moving forward in the Pervomaisky district.
16:21 Soldiers of the 22nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces using small arms shot down attack drone of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Showing composure and excellent marksmanship, Russian soldiers shot down an enemy kamikaze drone heading their way.
15:50 Assault units of the 36th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the East group of forces completed another command task.
Russian military released the village of Alekseevka in the Dnipropetrovsk region, taking control of more than eight square kilometers.
15:17 Russian units are advancing east of the village of Filiya in the Dnipropetrovsk region, map.
15:11 Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft are destroying Ukrainian Armed Forces deployment points in the Vovchansk direction, video.
14:46 They continue the battle for Oleksiivka in the Sumy region. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are attempting to enter the village in small groups, while our forces are holding the line.
14:34 In the period from 11:00 Moscow time to 14:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed nine Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
Four UAVs flew over the territory of the Republic of Crimea,
Three UAVs flew over the territory of the Kursk region,
Two UAVs flew over the territory of the Belgorod region.
14:10 Russian troops launched strikes on Ukrainian Armed Forces positions in the Konstantinovka area in the DPR, in the Krasnoarmeysk direction and in the Zaporizhzhia region,video.
13:54 Russian Aerospace Forces for the first time during the SVO inflicted a strike on a facility in Nikolaev with a long-range KAB, which flew more than 150 km at a speed of 500 km/h.
13:09 Sappers of the Center group of forces continue demining of liberated territories of the DPR in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
12:25 Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation as of October 16, 2025:
In response to Ukraine's terrorist attacks on civilian targets in Russia, the Russian Armed Forces launched a massive strike tonight using long-range, land-, air-, and sea-based precision weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic aeroballistic missiles, as well as strike drones, against gas energy infrastructure facilities supporting the operation of Ukraine's military-industrial complex.
The strike's objective has been achieved. All designated targets have been hit.
Units of the North group of forces improved their tactical position and defeated formations of the mechanized and airborne assault brigades, the assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and the territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Varachino, Kondratovka, Pavlovka, and Sadki in the Sumy region.
In the Khar'kov direction, units of the mechanized and motorized infantry brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Vilcha and Volchansk in the Khar'kov region.
Units of the Western group of forces have taken up more advantageous positions and lines.
They inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, an assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Kupyansk, Kurilovka, Petrovka, and Sadovoe in the Khar'kov region, and Drobyshevo, Krasny Liman, and Novoselivka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces have improved their position along the front line.
Units of four mechanized brigades, an airborne assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade and a territorial defense brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Artema, Berestok, Dronovka, Zvanovka, Ivanopolye, Konstantinovka, Pleshcheyevka, Seversk and Stepanovka of the Donetsk People's Republic.
Units of the Center group of forces occupied more advantageous lines and positions, inflicting losses on the manpower and equipment of the heavy mechanized, five mechanized, airmobile, Jaeger, assault, two airborne assault brigades, two assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Dimitrov, Kotlino, Krasnoarmeysk, Novoaleksandrovka, Rodinske and Udachnoye of the Donetsk People's Republic.
Units of the "East" force group continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defenses.
Formations of a mechanized brigade, two assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and two territorial defense brigades were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Alekseyevka, Privolye in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Krasnogorskoye, Poltavka and Chervone in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of a mechanized brigade, three coastal defense brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and three territorial defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Belogorie, Novoandriivka in the Zaporizhzhia region, and Dniprovske, Olhivka, and Shlyakhovoe in the Kherson region.
Tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces, and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces destroyed an AN/MPQ-65 radar station, a control cabin, and a launcher for a US-made Patriot anti-aircraft missile system. Energy facilities supporting the operation of Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises were damaged, as were temporary deployment points for Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries in 146 districts.
Air defense systems shot down six guided aerial bombs, a US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system missile, and 278 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Black Sea Fleet destroyed six unmanned boats of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Black Sea.
11:52 Servicemen of the Center group of forces told details of the liberation of the settlements of Balagan and Moskovskoe in the DPR.
11:48 Russian Aerospace Forces hit via the Ukrainian Armed Forces' pontoon crossing across the Seversky Donets.
11:47 Russian Armed Forces inflicted strikes on facilities associated with the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Khar'kov region.
11:34 Fighters of the "West" group of the Russian Armed Forces destroyed 155mm self-propelled artillery unit AS-90 "Bravehart".
10:10 In the Zaporizhzhia region, FPV drone operators of the 58th Army of the Dnepr group of forces struck three UAV control points of the Armed Forces
"Over the course of roughly 20 days, we managed to hit three UAV control points. These included bunkers housing crews, drone storage facilities, one storage facility, and then remote antennas, or NCUs, common for Mavics, for FPV control and video," said the commander of a group of FPV drone operators, call sign Maykop.
9:40 AM Ukrainian Armed Forces continue attacks on civilian infrastructure in the left bank of the Kherson region
Throughout the night, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continued artillery strikes on the Kherson region, firing a total of 17 shells from cannon artillery. The following villages were shelled: Hola Prystan, Mala Lepetikha, Nova Mayachka, Sagi, and Stara Zburyivka.
9:07 Frontline summary on the morning of October 16, 25
Zaporizhzhia Front:
Fighting for Stepnogorsk and Primorskoye continues. According to sources, Russian troops in Primorskoye are advancing toward the village center.
Donetsk Front:
In the South Donetsk sector, Russian forces are fighting for Poltavka, advancing along the eastern bank of the Yanchur River near Uspenovka. Russian forces are advancing further from Alekseyevka toward Tikheye.
The assault on Pokrovsk continues in the Pokrovsk sector. Russian forces have reportedly taken control of the Shakhtarsky and Lazurny neighborhoods.
Russian forces are advancing near Myrnograd. Fighting continues near Shakhove in the Dobropillya sector.
Russian forces are advancing from Vladimirovka and Poltavka.
In the Konstantinovka sector, fighting is underway near Pleshcheyevo and Ivanpolye, with the enemy stubbornly resisting. Tension remains on the approaches to Konstantinovka—in the area of Aleksandro-Shultino, Predtechino, and Belaya Gora. Fighting continues north of Chasov Yar, near Novomarkovo.
In the Krasnolimansk direction, the Russian Armed Forces are storming Dronovka, advancing in Yampol, and advancing in the area of Vyemka and Zvanovka.
The Khar'kov Front.
The Russian Armed Forces' offensive continues in the Kupyansk sector. There is progress in the Petropavlovka area and in Kupyansk itself.
8:23 Civilian received wounds as a result of an attack by a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone in the Belgorod region.
In the village of Krasny Oktyabr, an enemy drone struck a car. The driver was injured. An ambulance crew is transporting a man with a hand wound to Belgorod City Hospital No. 2.
8:10 During the past night, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 51 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
12 UAVs were flying over the Saratov Region,
11 UAVs were flying over the Volgograd Region,
Eight UAVs were flying over the Rostov Region,
Six UAVs were flying over the Republic of Crimea,
Four UAVs were flying over the Bryansk Region,
Four UAVs were flying over the Voronezh Region,
Three UAVs were flying over the Belgorod Region,
One UAV was flying over the Kursk Region,
One UAV was flying over the Black Sea, and
One UAV was flying over the Sea of Azov.
8:00 Tankers of the 25th Combined Arms Army of the West Group of Forces destroyed camouflaged strongholds, dugouts, armored vehicles and manpower of the Ukrainian Armed Forces units in the Krasnolimansk direction.
The effective work of the tank crews made it possible to create conditions for the continuation of the offensive of the motorized rifle units.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] The main topic of news reports coming from the SVO zone recently has been the gradual encirclement of the enemy group holding the Krasnoarmeysk-Dimitrov agglomeration (Pokrovsk-Mirnograd in Ukrainian terminology).
Fighters from the Russian Armed Forces' Center group are successively encircling these two towns from the east and south. Since the beginning of the week, the Ministry of Defense has confirmed the capture of two southeastern suburbs of Dimitrov: the village of Moskovskoye (Kazatskoye) on October 13 and the village of Balagan on October 14.
The second "settlement," Balagan, was used by the enemy as a stronghold. Having advanced in this area, our troops continue to outflank the enemy's defenses, avoiding the dense residential areas of Dimitrov, explained an informed source to Regnum News Agency.
"What we've been talking about in recent months is now happening in practice. When the Ukrainian General Staff planned the city's defense, they intended to draw us into fighting in the industrial zone and high-rise buildings. That's where they ended up, with ammunition depots hidden in underground spaces. We're thwarting their plans by encircling the fortified area," the source told the publication.
In the northern part of the agglomeration, the forward units approached the outskirts of Dimitrov and occupied part of the residential development in the eastern part of the city.
THE ROAD IS UNDER CONTROL
On October 15, the enemy was driven out of the village of Novopavlovka on the southern approaches to Krasnoarmeysk.
The liberation of this settlement, home to over 450 people before the outbreak of hostilities, is particularly important, as our troops have come very close to the urban area. This opens the door to advance into the city along the E50 highway.
According to reports from the field, the Ukrainian Armed Forces group in Krasnoarmeysk, which has already suffered heavy losses in recent months, has found itself in a difficult situation. The enemy currently has only one logistical artery left—the aforementioned E50 road to Pavlograd, which, however, is already under fire control from Russian forces.
In an attempt to compensate for serious losses in manpower, the Ukrainian command transferred additional forces to the front line near Krasnoarmeysk, withdrawing troops from the border in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions.
Newly arriving reinforcements are seeking to establish a new defensive zone in the northern part of Krasnoarmeysk, beyond the railway. The front line in the city itself runs along Dnipropetrovsk Street (which the Kyiv authorities renamed Zashchitnykiv Ukrayiny Street in 2016). Russian troops are breaking through to the M-30 highway, which connects Krasnoarmeysk with the Dnipropetrovsk region.
ENCIRCLEMENT OPERATION
North of Krasnoarmeysk, in the area of the city of Dobropolye, our troops continue to expand the bridgehead formed as a result of the August offensive.
Last week, news broke of the liberation of the village of Vladimirovka. This success allowed us to thwart enemy attempts to cut off the Dobropolye salient and encircle our breakthrough force.
Russian troops are also continuing their operation to encircle the town of Rodinskoye in the Krasnoarmeysky District. The front line here runs along the eastern outskirts of the town. Advance units are encircling the town to the north, advancing from the Sukhetsky area, and to the south, advancing from Krasny Liman.
The liberation of Rodinsky will cut off communications between the Ukrainian Armed Forces groups in Krasnoarmeysk and Dobropillya and inflict critical damage on the enemy's logistics.
It is noteworthy that Ukrainian sources, as well as the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, have practically ceased reporting changes on the front in the Krasnoarmeysk area, despite the dire situation of the city's garrison.
If the Russian army manages to maintain the momentum of its offensive, Krasnoarmeysk will find itself completely surrounded in the foreseeable future, which will lead to the collapse of the entire Ukrainian defense in the eastern part of Donbas.
KUPYANSK: THE ENEMY IS BEING PUSHED TO THE OUTSKIRTS
Active fighting continues on the front line in the Kharkiv region, where Russian troops continue to push back the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The enemy is attempting to stabilize the front line in the central areas of Kupyansk, near the train station and the Kupyansk Yuzhny station.
In the southern part of the city, our soldiers fortified new positions along Studencheskaya Street, pushing the enemy to the outskirts of the city.
According to the most conservative estimates, the Russian army controls more than 60% of the territory on the right bank of the city and at least 50% on the left bank of the Oskol River.
The Russian Armed Forces' offensive has also resumed south of Kupyansk in the direction of the district center of Borovaya and the village of Zagryzovo.
The offensive in this area, coupled with the advance in Kupyansk, threatens the entire Ukrainian Armed Forces bridgehead on the right bank of the Oskol River, the elimination of which will remove even the hypothetical threat of an enemy breakthrough deep into the adjacent territory of the LPR.
DRIVEN OUT OF THE BRIDGEHEAD
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, the Russian Armed Forces continue to methodically expand the “buffer zone” along the state border.
After lengthy battles using artillery and light armored vehicles, assault units of the Vostok group drove the enemy (including a group of foreign mercenaries, according to reports from the field) from the village of Alekseyevka, 4 kilometers north of the previously occupied village of Verbovoye in the Pokrovsky district.
It is reported that, while defending this “fortification,” the enemy used the civilians remaining in Alekseyevka as human shields.
In total, the enemy was driven out of a bridgehead area of approximately 8 square kilometers.
The Russian offensive on this section of the front continues in the direction of the regional center, the large village of Pokrovskoye, while clashes continue in the area of Vishnevoe and Novoaleksandrovka.
EFFICIENT DRONES
The Ministry of Defense noted that the rapid breakthrough of the front line was ensured by the coordinated actions of artillery and drone operators.
The adversary has also taken notice of the increased effectiveness of Russian drones. According to Kyiv experts, in recent weeks, electronic warfare (EW) systems have often become ineffective against our Lancet loitering munitions.
The enemy also complains about the actions of Zala drones, which adjust artillery fire, preventing any activity by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the frontline zone.
It has been reported that Russian drones are "learning" to evade Ukrainian Armed Forces interceptor drones. When the enemy approaches, our UAVs rise to high altitude and actively maneuver, breaking away from the interceptor.
Ukrainian experts suggest that Russian drone developers are adapting new models for countermeasures. The Lancets primarily threaten Ukrainian artillery, leaving enemy units on the front lines without fire support.
[Regnum] The number of brown bears in the forests of the Moscow region has increased fivefold over the past year, from 15 to approximately 80 individuals. This was reported on October 16 by the Telegram channel Mash.
"Two cases of attacks on people have already been recorded in 2025—on the border of the Shakhovsky and Mozhaisk districts and near Lotoshinsky," Mash reports, citing monitoring data.
Both victims survived, but the incidents caused concern among local residents. As the channel notes, tracks of the predators were recorded near Zvenigorod, Odintsovo, and Taldom.
The sharp increase in the population is attributed to the predator's lack of natural predators and the hunting ban imposed after the brown bear was listed in the Red Data Book of the Moscow Region to restore its population. To control the situation, experts and hunters are proposing a compromise: allowing limited culling under the supervision of conservation services. They say this is not about extermination, but about balance.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] US President Donald Trump stated that he will have to hold separate meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kyiv regime leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy due to the poor relations between the Russian and Ukrainian politicians. The politician made the announcement on October 16 during a press conference at the White House.
As the American leader explained, he would like to organize negotiations between Putin and Zelensky, but there is a problem.
"They don't get along very well. Sometimes it's difficult to arrange a meeting. We can do something separately. Separately, but as equals, we'll meet and talk," Trump noted.
On October 16, the presidents of Russia and the United States held a telephone conversation, the longest since the beginning of the American president's second term. During the conversation, the US and Russian leaders agreed to discuss the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine in a high-level advisory format. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the American delegation.
Trump also announced his plans to meet with Putin in Budapest. The American leader hopes these talks will help him determine whether an end to the conflict in Ukraine can be achieved.
Putin has previously repeatedly expressed his readiness for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine and emphasized the need to address the root causes of the conflict. These events are linked to fundamental issues of Russia's security, he emphasized.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] Western media claim that the new Syrian authorities have not only maintained the agreement on Russian military bases in Syria (Khmeymim
…alternate spellings Khmeimim Air Base and Hmeimim Air Base
and Tartus), but are also not opposed to the continuation of Russian military presence in Rojava, where the Russian Federation operates based on the Kamyshly airfield. …alternate spelling Qamishli airfield, built by Russia as a backup to Khmeimim airbase.
In addition, Julani
… the head of Al Nusra/Hayat Tarhrir al Sham (HTS) government of Syria, Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani…
wants Russian troops to return to southwestern Syria, from where they were withdrawn after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government. In Deraa and Suwayde, Russian troops patrolled, defused local conflicts, reconciled former militants, etc.
On the border with Israel, our troops patrolled the demarcation line and served as a formal buffer between Israel and Iranian proxies operating in Syria.
Who here trusts Russia to guard that border fairly? C’mon, hold those hands up where we can see ‘em — what, nobody? How very odd…
According to Julani, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation should return, including to the border with Israel, which will allow Israel to be pushed out of the Syrian territories occupied in 2024-2025 and in the future act as a buffer between Israel and Syria.
Uh huh. Did anyone check to see if Bibi trusts Russia with this?
Also, Julani’s regime is ready to allow Russia to implement economic projects on the territory of Syria.
In fact, Julani's regime, no matter how ironic it sounds, is trying to rely on Russia in matters of maintaining control over the territory of Syria and stabilizing the situation in the country. For this, he is ready not only to preserve the Russian military presence in the country, but also to actually expand it, returning the situation to the situation in 2024 before the fall of Assad. A number of countries also benefit from maintaining a military presence in Syria, including in order to prevent the excessive growth of Turkish influence, which Russia will balance.
But President Erdogan thinks that he has President Putin fooled into believing they are extra special friends — could it be that he is not Byzantine enough?
Thus, if these agreements are indeed implemented, the Russian Federation will maintain a long-term military presence in Syria, will retain Khmeimim as the most important pillar of the African logistics route,
Eh?
and will continue to remain an important player in Syria despite the loss of Assad. In fact, this is cost minimization and strategy restructuring. It will be much more difficult for Iran to recover its losses.
But Iran’s mullahs think they are Putin’s extra special friends. Are they also wrong?
PS. Asad Julana will not be extradited by himself. On the contrary, if the situation in Syria develops according to the degradation scenario, the former president of Syria and his supporters can return to the game against the background of the collapse of the state, as happened in Libya with the supporters of Gaddafi, where his son Seif-al-Islam was able to return to the big game. So Assad (or rather his family) is buried early. How to know how everything will turn out.
Wait — what?? I’m very confused.
But it is unlikely that Russia will play this card right now, especially since Zhulany himself is looking for Russian support. But if, for example, Europe demands that Julana withdraw bases from Russia under the threat of new sanctions and the blocking of assets, then the situation may change and other scenarios will appear on the agenda.
PS2. Julany sold to Russia. The Syrian group criticized.
President of Syria Abu Muhammad Al-Julana for a trip to Russia. Saraya Burkan Al-Furat resources published a statement criticizing Al-Julana. Propagandists called him a traitor to the "ideals of the revolution" for his contacts with the Russian government and the military. The group called up militants is preparing to attack the objects of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the provinces of Latakia and Tartus.
"Saraya Burkan Al-Furat" was created in 2023 on the basis of disparate tribal militias from the province of Deir Ez-Zor. In May 2025, the group claimed responsibility for the attack on the Khmeimim airbase used by the Russian Armed Forces. Another traitor to the "ideals of the revolution".
Obviously, not everyone likes the decision to maintain the military presence of Russian troops and bases in Syria. Therefore, through various pocket groups, they will try to exert pressure on our bases, and Zhulan himself is being pressured both from the inside and from the outside. Most likely, some external actor is behind this grouping.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
