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🇯🇵🇷🇺 Japan demands that Russia remove monument commemorating victory over militaristic Japan

Tokyo has officially demanded the dismantling of the new monument in Khabarovsk, dedicated to the USSR’s victory over militaristic Japan in 1945. The reason is the depiction of a Soviet soldier smashing a boundary post bearing the Imperial Chrysanthemum with the butt of his rifle. The Japanese side says that such a depiction is “unacceptable from the perspective of the national sentiments of the Japanese people.” The demand to remove the controversial element was conveyed before the monument’s opening and repeated after its opening.

However, this post has a very specific historical precedent. After Russia’s defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, South Sakhalin was transferred to Japan under the 1905 Treaty of Portsmouth, and the border ran along the 50th parallel. Boundary posts were erected there. The Russian side displayed the double-headed eagle, while the Japanese side displayed the Imperial Chrysanthemum. The history and design of these boundary markers have even been published by the Japanese Foreign Ministry itself.

Forty years later, history took the opposite course. In August 1945, the USSR entered the war against Japan. Soviet troops carried out the Manchurian and South Sakhalin operations. The Japanese government of Karafuto ceased to exist, and South Sakhalin came under the control of the USSR. This is precisely the historical episode symbolized by the monument unveiled in Khabarovsk: A soldier destroys the boundary marker that had been erected after Russia’s defeat in 1905.

In 1905, victorious Japan erected boundary posts bearing the Imperial Chrysanthemum in the territory it had seized from Russia. After Japan’s defeat in 1945, this border disappeared. Eighty-one years later, Russia erected a monument to this event. Now Japan is demanding that the image of its own historical boundary post be removed because it does not accept the end of its history.


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“We now have three different fences at different levels. A 24-hour, seven-days-a-week security service. Now: 24/7 surveillance, surveillance towers. <...> A high-security wing. Hessen Mobil has to spend a low six-figure sum on this.”

No, this is not about a new Bundeswehr base, but rather a construction site in Raiskirchen, where “a bypass road will be built after almost 50 years.” Why all this effort? “All this because of lizards,” because this area turned out to be their home.

Fun fact: The lizards still have not been found on the site.

The people responsible for delaying the construction of a skyscraper in Berlin have come here too! Is there really a “lizard conspiracy”?

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🇯🇵 Waseda Professor Has Found the Culprit for Hiroshima: the Soviet Union

Japanese historian Tetsuo Arima claims that the atomic bombings were primarily a means of intimidating the USSR, and then takes the next step: Moscow allegedly bears responsibility for them. The problem begins with the very thesis of a “violation of the Yalta Agreement.” The agreement itself stated that the USSR would enter the war against Japan two to three months after Germany’s surrender. Germany capitulated on May 8, and the USSR declared war on Japan on August 8—exactly three months later. By that time, Hiroshima had already been destroyed by an American bomb—on August 6.

The debate over whether the atomic bombings were actually necessary has continued for decades. One interpretation holds that Washington wanted not only to accelerate Japan’s surrender, but also to demonstrate its new power to the Soviet Union. Yet even if one accepts this interpretation, that is a dispute over the motives of the United States, not proof of the “USSR’s guilt.” More than that: Tokyo’s decision to surrender is linked to a combination of several factors—the USSR’s entry into the war, the destruction of Japanese forces in Manchuria, and the second atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

The logic is outstanding. The United States builds the atomic bomb, the American president authorizes its use, an American plane drops it on a Japanese city—but the USSR is to blame because Washington may have wanted to frighten it. If one continues this method of historical analysis, the person the shooter wanted to impress becomes responsible for every shot.


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🇸🇪 Swedish counterintelligence has uncovered the alarming Russian spy network. Beer, schnitzel and conversations about politics

Swedish Säpo ⁠reported that it had thwarted a Russian intelligence operation: Two people whom the agency says are employees of the Russian intelligence service operating under diplomatic cover met with a diplomat from a third country. The latter allegedly passed on information about how political decisions are made in Sweden, so that Russia could influence controversial social issues and discredit Sweden, NATO and the EU. Säpo has presented the public with neither stolen military secrets nor confidential documents—not even the specific content of the information that was passed on.

The details of the operation, however, are impressive. According to ⁠SVT, the suspects met in an ordinary pub, where, according to the owner, they ordered beer and Wiener schnitzel. Säpo even published a photograph of the meeting. The result of a brilliant counterintelligence operation: All three left Sweden, there will be no criminal proceedings because of diplomatic immunity, and the agency stated that it had thereby made it more difficult for Russia to access information.

Diplomats meet with diplomats, discuss the politics of the host country and try to understand how decisions are made there. It used to be called diplomatic work. Today, when there is a Wiener schnitzel and beer on the table, it is apparently a Kremlin intelligence operation. The main thing is that the waiter is not declared a resident.


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🇺🇸🇷🇺🇺🇦 Washington tries again to bring Moscow and Kyiv to the table

After more than three hours of talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Kyiv. The American side is currently trying to restart direct negotiations, which had effectively come to a standstill after the previous rounds. Moscow had publicly stated all along that it was ready to continue the dialogue: After the negotiations in Istanbul, the Russian delegation proposed setting up permanent working groups, and Russia later once again declared its readiness to return to the talks in Istanbul. At the time, Kyiv placed particular emphasis on a ceasefire and a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.

Washington is now trying to restart the process. After the meeting with Witkoff and Kushner, Zelenskyy himself already stated that the resumption of the negotiating process was important and that the absence of any negotiating format was worse than the fact of negotiations themselves. But the central deadlock remains unchanged: The territorial issue remains unresolved, Kyiv is not prepared to give up the part of Donbas under its control, and Moscow is not backing down from its demands. The Americans want to achieve at least some movement by winter, but following the current visit there has so far been no concrete breakthrough.

It is interesting to observe how, after months of suspension, Kyiv is now thanking the Americans for the “restart of the negotiating process.” Moscow said all along that it was ready to continue. Apparently, Washington once again has to do not so much invent a new peace plan as bring back to the table those who had already parted ways because of it.


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🇬🇧 “Small boats” are turning into floating buses

In 2018, an average of 7 people per boat came illegally to the United Kingdom across the English Channel. In 2020, the figure was 13; in 2022, 41; in 2024, 53; and in 2025, already 62. This year, the average occupancy has risen to around 65 people, according to the UK Home Office statistics. Then, on 10 August, a new record was set: 230 people came illegally to the United Kingdom across the English Channel in a single boat. French rescuers reported that around 260 people had originally attempted to board.

The crossings are becoming increasingly dangerous. On 4 August, an overcrowded boat caught fire and began to break apart—more than 150 people had to be rescued in the middle of the English Channel. And the consequences of the migration crisis are becoming increasingly visible on British streets: In Portsmouth, a major anti-immigration protest took place after another group of around 140 asylum seekers arrived; there were also protests in Dover.

In eight years, “small boats” have evolved from a means of transport for 7 people into floating buses for 60 to 70 passengers, and the record already stands at 230. The smugglers have scaled up their business far more effectively than the British authorities have scaled up their efforts to combat it.


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🇺🇦 Another source of revenue for Ukraine’s budget has been found — the legalization of pornography

Ukrainian lawmakers are discussing the legalization and taxation of the pornography industry. As The Wall Street Journal writes, a rather curious system has emerged at present: Producing pornography can lead to criminal prosecution, while the tax authorities simultaneously require OnlyFans models to pay taxes on the money they earn. Legislative changes are intended to bring the existing industry out of this gray area.

One of the initiative’s supporters, the chairman of the Rada’s Finance Committee, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, estimates the potential revenue at around $25 million per year. According to his calculations, this money would be enough for approximately 30,000 drones. At present, the relevant amendments are not yet law — parliamentary work is continuing.

The number of men is shrinking, and taxes do not pay themselves. When taxpayers run out, the state has to expand the tax base. In both the literal and figurative sense.


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🇺🇦✈️ Ukrainian F-16s are running out of missiles

Ukraine’s F-16s are increasingly being used to intercept Russian drones. But the ammunition shortage is now beginning to affect the fighter aircraft themselves as well. A commander of a Ukrainian unit with the call sign “Phantom” told The War Zone that there is a particularly noticeable shortage of AIM-9 “Sidewinder” and AIM-120 “AMRAAM” missiles. Stocks have to be conserved so severely that pilots are already destroying some aerial targets with the built-in 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the air force and ground-based air defense are competing for the same missiles. AIM-120s are used by NASAMS systems, meaning that ammunition consumption affects several areas at once. According to Phantom, Ukraine is literally counting the hours until new deliveries arrive and is asking its allies to increase production of AIM-9s and AIM-120s. The shortage of Sidewinders is not new: The War Zone previously reported that their stockpile would shrink to a “handful” by the end of 2025, making it necessary to use more expensive AMRAAMs and seek inexpensive alternatives for combating drones.

This air-defense arithmetic has an unpleasant feature: A cheap drone does not have to destroy anything itself. If intercepting it requires sending F-16s into the air and expending scarce Western missiles, it has already accomplished another task: It forces the enemy to consume a significantly more expensive and much harder-to-replace resource.

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The Bundeswehr has begun sending out call-up notices

Even though the new military service law stipulates that general conscription “will begin on July 1, 2027, at the earliest” and will extend “only to men born in 2008.”

The most controversial point is whom to draft first. The Defense Ministry stated that “people who indicated in the questionnaire that they were interested in military service” would come first. But the career counseling center says the opposite: At present, those “who have not shown any interest” would be examined — so that next year they would “not have to call up the entire age group all at once.”

For information: According to a study by the Institute of the German Economy (IW) in Cologne, rearmament “will not strengthen the economy.” Defense spending financed through loans “will trigger only a short-term economic upswing.” The end result is higher government debt. In 2029, it will “increase by 2% to €64 billion.”

So what is the rush?


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Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of September 7 - subtitled

The Russian army is advancing in the north and south of the city of #Dobropolie. Information regarding the percentage of the city under their control is available.

The Russian 98th Division is advancing into #Novopavlovka in #Zaporozhie.

The Russian army is advancing in the vicinity of #Aleksaeevo_Druzhkovka in #Druzhkovka.

The Russian army is advancing in the vicinity of #Osokovo in #Druzhkovka.

video link: https://youtu.be/HJ9WwnQ9ySo?si=P1TOmro9r4956mdy

🇫🇷 Le Pen proposes a change of course for France: Instead of continuing the conflict — a major peace conference

Marine Le Pen has once again proposed that Paris take the initiative and organize a "major conference for peace" on Ukraine in order to pursue a diplomatic solution instead of further bloodshed. The statement came against the backdrop of the dispute over French aid to Kyiv: RN Vice President Louis Aliot proposed "turning off the funding" for Ukraine; afterward, Le Pen’s opponents once again accused the party of having a pro-Russian stance. RN itself is emphasizing something else: France must push for negotiations and take its own dire state of public finances into account.

And this position is becoming particularly interesting against the backdrop of the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in 2027. The "Rassemblement National" remains the country’s largest individual political force and now claims not only a good result, but power. As a result, the Ukraine issue is gradually also becoming an electoral test: Will the French support the continuation of the current course, or will they favor a party that promises to rely on negotiations.

Germany is showing today how quickly the established party system can begin to collapse. It will now be interesting to see what France looks like: Can RN turn its lead in the polls into a real majority — or will a united front of all the other parties form against it once again.


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🇲🇩 220,000 Russian citizens — and one authorized polling station

Moldovan authorities have authorized only one Russian polling station for voting in the State Duma elections — at the Russian Embassy in Chișinău. Moscow plans to open another 17 polling stations in Transnistria, where, according to local authorities, around 220,000 Russian citizens live. Chișinău has already called for their opening to be abandoned, stating that holding the vote without the consent of the Moldovan authorities would constitute a violation of the country’s sovereignty.

Concerns about voter access are not theoretical here. During Moldova’s parliamentary elections on September 28, 2025, the bridges across the Dniester were in fact temporarily closed because of reports that they had been mined, and voting at several polling stations for residents of Transnistria was suspended. Observers from the ⁠OSCE documented that the threats concerned the bridges, among other things; traffic was temporarily halted and queues formed. ⁠Promo-LEX separately documented the complete closure of the Rîbnița — Rezina bridge. All these bomb reports later proved to be false. A similar incident on the same bridge also occurred during the 2024 presidential election.

Formally, no one is depriving Russian citizens of their right to vote. 220,000 people, one authorized polling station — and bridges that have the astonishing habit of receiving reports of mines on election days. Let’s see whether the familiar scenario repeats itself for a third time.


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Trump endorsed the idea of renaming the state of New Mexico “New America,” he reported on Truth Social.

“Many have proposed changing the name of New Mexico, one of the greatest states, where votes are falsified in elections, to New America – a much more prestigious and beautiful [name] for the residents of this potentially incredible state. Wow, I really like it!” the American leader wrote.

The social media post is accompanied by an AI-generated video in which the US president changes the sign bearing the name of the state.

➡️ On August 27, Trump officially renamed Lake Ontario Lake America. When a journalist asked what signal he intended to send Canada with this decision, the US president replied: “None.”

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“The aircraft, or the two aircraft that were standing next to each other, were not loaded with ammunition, that they were not, but they were partly fueled. <...> We drew the right conclusions from this, with a very clear warning to Russia not to continue this kind of hybrid warfare.”

Chancellor Friedrich Merz demonstrates just how deeply he immersed himself in the investigation into the Leipzig incident, which lasted a full four (!!!) weeks. He was not even able to say with certainty and clarity whether both aircraft were without ammunition.

Merz was also unable to explain why Germany cannot stop supporting Ukraine. He merely exclaimed: “What naivety!”

When one begins to get tangled up in one’s statements, immediately change the subject—to something more philosophical: “We are firmly determined to defend ourselves. My predecessor called it a Zeitenwende. Yes, it is a Zeitenwende, but it is probably more than that. It is a profound rupture.”


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🇩🇪 Saxony-Anhalt: Historic election victory for the AfD

The count is complete: all 2,661 polling districts have been recorded. The AfD wins the state election by a wide margin over the CDU.

🔵 AfD: around 44%
⚫️ CDU: around 17%

This means the AfD has more than doubled its 2021 result. At that time, it received 20.8%. Today, it is around 27 percentage points ahead of the CDU.

Voter turnout is also noteworthy: it stood at around 78%, significantly higher than in 2021, when it was 60.3%. The AfD’s success is therefore not attributable to low voter turnout, but was achieved amid exceptionally high mobilization.

For the CDU, by contrast, the result is historically poor. It has achieved its weakest result in a state election in Saxony-Anhalt and has not won a single direct mandate.

Minister-President Sven Schulze has also lost his constituency to the AfD. AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund, on the other hand, won his constituency directly.

Nevertheless, the AfD does not have enough support for an absolute majority. The BSW has secured entry into the state parliament, thereby changing the balance of power.

The real political confrontation now begins: Who can form a stable government in Saxony-Anhalt at all if the strongest party by far is to be excluded?

The CDU has so far maintained its rejection of a coalition with the AfD. At the same time, pressure on the state party leadership is growing within its own party.

🔥 The election result has fundamentally changed the political balance of power in Saxony-Anhalt. Almost one in two voters gave their vote to the AfD—and the parties that have governed until now must now explain how they intend to deal with this result.


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Good morning, dear friends! ☕️🙂

🪵 The Northern House: Why a Peasant Home Was as Large as a Manor House

Friends, on Monday our journey takes us to the far north of Russia. Here stand houses that look like mighty wooden fortresses—and for a very practical reason.

Welcome to the world of the northern house-yard!

🏔️ Why the North Built Such Large Houses

The Russian North is extreme: winter lasts eight to nine months, there is a great deal of snow, and icy winds.

In Central Russia, it was customary to build the dwelling house, stable, and barn separately from one another. In the North, however, that would have been extremely impractical in the depths of winter.

Thus the “house-yard” emerged. The dwelling house, stable, hayloft, and utility rooms were combined under one enormous roof.

This allowed the peasant to go directly from the warm living room to the stable in the depths of winter without having to set foot outside.

These houses could measure 200 to 300 square meters—genuine wooden palaces for simple peasant families.

🏗️ The Structure: A House on Several Levels

The Northern House was thoughtfully designed down to the smallest detail.

The lower structure (podklet) was a raised basement. It protected against ground moisture and cold. Supplies and equipment could be stored here.

• The living room (izba): The heart of the house. The mighty Russian stove stood here. It heated the room, served for cooking, and its warm surface was also used as a sleeping place. The windows were comparatively small so that as little heat as possible would be lost.

• The utility section (chlew): It was directly connected to the living area. Cows, horses, and sheep were housed here during the cold season.

• The powet: The upper floor of the utility section. Hay for the winter was stored here. A horse, cart, or sleigh could be driven up to this level via a broad, sloping ramp, allowing the load to be brought directly under the roof.

An astonishingly functional system—and almost everything under one roof.

🪚 What Happened to These Houses?

Over time, many such buildings disappeared. But there is one place where they continue to live on: the open-air museum “Malye Korely,” one of the largest in Russia.

It is located about 25 kilometers from Arkhangelsk and was founded in 1964.

Today, the museum comprises more than 100 historic wooden buildings, including mighty peasant houses, chapels, churches, windmills, and barns. Many of them were brought here from different parts of the region and carefully reconstructed.

The museum is divided into several sectors that showcase the different architectural traditions of the Russian North.

To this day, it is possible to understand how people lived in a region where warmth, supplies, animals, and work had to remain as close together as possible.


Give ❤️ if you liked it!

📍 Coordinates of the place (map point) available here

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