The military bloc is not hiding the fact that it is gearing up for a conflict by 2030, the defense minister has warned

The Russian military is making preparations for a possible attack by NATO members, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said on Wednesday during a government meeting.

Actions by NATO countries – including increasing their military spending and the strength of their armies, as well as the deployment of medium-range missile systems and streamlining logistics for rapid movement of troops to Eastern Europe – confirm that the bloc is preparing for a confrontation with Russia, Belousov said.

“Plans of the alliance set the early 2030s as the deadline for their readiness for such actions. NATO officials repeatedly made statements to that extent. We are not threatening, but we are being threatened,” the minister said.

The improvement of Russia’s nuclear forces is a key priority to ensure credible deterrence against possible aggression, Belousov added. This year, the Russian Navy commissioned a new Borey-A-class strategic nuclear submarine, with two more boats of the same type currently in the works. The air force has deployed two additional Tu-160M strategic bombers, while the Strategic Missile Troops is rearming its units with Yars systems.

Also, the newly-developed road-mobile medium-range Oreshnik missile system is set to enter service this year, Belousov noted, reiterating an announcement made earlier during the same event by President Putin.

READ MORE: Russia’s Oreshnik missile system to enter service this year – Putin

Other measures named by Belousov are directed at improving the war-fighting capabilities of Russian conventional forces and making the military service more prestigious and effective through better education opportunities, healthcare services, and social benefits.

Western officials claim that their military build-up is a response to a “newly-assertive Russia” and the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Moscow maintains that it poses no threat to the bloc and denounces allegations to the contrary as fear tactics meant to pressure domestic populations into compliance with the militarization agenda.

The military bloc is not hiding the fact that it is gearing up for a conflict by 2030, the defense minister has warned

The Russian military is making preparations for a possible attack by NATO members, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said on Wednesday during a government meeting.

Actions by NATO countries – including increasing their military spending and the strength of their armies, as well as the deployment of medium-range missile systems and streamlining logistics for rapid movement of troops to Eastern Europe – confirm that the bloc is preparing for a confrontation with Russia, Belousov said.

“Plans of the alliance set the early 2030s as the deadline for their readiness for such actions. NATO officials repeatedly made statements to that extent. We are not threatening, but we are being threatened,” the minister said.

The improvement of Russia’s nuclear forces is a key priority to ensure credible deterrence against possible aggression, Belousov added. This year, the Russian Navy commissioned a new Borey-A-class strategic nuclear submarine, with two more boats of the same type currently in the works. The air force has deployed two additional Tu-160M strategic bombers, while the Strategic Missile Troops is rearming its units with Yars systems.

Also, the newly-developed road-mobile medium-range Oreshnik missile system is set to enter service this year, Belousov noted, reiterating an announcement made earlier during the same event by President Putin.

READ MORE: Russia’s Oreshnik missile system to enter service this year – Putin

Other measures named by Belousov are directed at improving the war-fighting capabilities of Russian conventional forces and making the military service more prestigious and effective through better education opportunities, healthcare services, and social benefits.

Western officials claim that their military build-up is a response to a “newly-assertive Russia” and the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Moscow maintains that it poses no threat to the bloc and denounces allegations to the contrary as fear tactics meant to pressure domestic populations into compliance with the militarization agenda.

Kiev can no longer replenish its troops through forced mobilization, Moscow has said

Ukraine has lost almost 500,000 servicemen this year alone, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov has said.

Speaking at a Defense Ministry Board meeting attended by President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, Belousov said Ukraine’s combat capability had been reduced by about a third over the past year, stripping Kiev of the ability to replenish its forces through forced mobilization of civilians.

“Ukraine’s forces have lost nearly 500,000 servicemen, as a result of which Kiev has lost the ability to replenish its groupings through the compulsory mobilization of civilians,” Belousov said.

According to the minister, Ukraine has lost more than 103,000 weapons and pieces of military equipment this year, including about 5,500 of Western manufacture – almost double the total recorded the previous year.

READ MORE: US issues ultimatum to Ukraine – Telegraph

Ukraine announced general mobilization shortly after the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, barring men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country. Last year, it lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 while tightening mobilization rules.

The forced conscription campaign has triggered repeated violent clashes between reluctant recruits and draft officers.

Kiev’s recruitment drive has grown increasingly brutal as Ukrainian forces confront setbacks and manpower shortages. Hundreds of incidents have been documented online in which enlistment officers assaulted potential conscripts, chased them through the streets, and threatened bystanders who tried to intervene.

Even with increasingly harsh measures, Ukrainian officials and frontline commanders have complained that the mobilization campaign is falling short of targets, contributing to the continuous Russian advance.

Kiev can no longer replenish its troops through forced mobilization, Moscow has said

Ukraine has lost almost 500,000 servicemen this year alone, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov has said.

Speaking at a Defense Ministry Board meeting attended by President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, Belousov said Ukraine’s combat capability had been reduced by about a third over the past year, stripping Kiev of the ability to replenish its forces through forced mobilization of civilians.

“Ukraine’s forces have lost nearly 500,000 servicemen, as a result of which Kiev has lost the ability to replenish its groupings through the compulsory mobilization of civilians,” Belousov said.

According to the minister, Ukraine has lost more than 103,000 weapons and pieces of military equipment this year, including about 5,500 of Western manufacture – almost double the total recorded the previous year.

READ MORE: US issues ultimatum to Ukraine – Telegraph

Ukraine announced general mobilization shortly after the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, barring men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country. Last year, it lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 while tightening mobilization rules.

The forced conscription campaign has triggered repeated violent clashes between reluctant recruits and draft officers.

Kiev’s recruitment drive has grown increasingly brutal as Ukrainian forces confront setbacks and manpower shortages. Hundreds of incidents have been documented online in which enlistment officers assaulted potential conscripts, chased them through the streets, and threatened bystanders who tried to intervene.

Even with increasingly harsh measures, Ukrainian officials and frontline commanders have complained that the mobilization campaign is falling short of targets, contributing to the continuous Russian advance.

The president stressed that Moscow has always strived to find diplomatic solutions to conflicts

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Western claims of an imminent attack by Moscow as “lies and nonsense,” stressing that such deliberate statements are meant to raise the level of hysteria on the continent.

Speaking at an expanded Defense Ministry Board meeting on Wednesday, Putin noted that the global geopolitical situation remains “tense” and “downright critical” in some regions. He accused NATO countries of “preparing for a major war” by building up and modernizing their offensive forces while “brainwashing” their population with claims of an inevitable clash with Russia.

“I have repeatedly stated that this is a lie, nonsense, pure nonsense about some imaginary Russian threat to European countries. But this is being done quite deliberately,” Putin said, adding that EU officials have “forgotten their responsibility” and are being guided by short-term personal or shared political interests.

He went on to stress that throughout its history, even in the most difficult circumstances, Russia has always strived to find diplomatic solutions to conflicts and contradictions, so long as there was even a slight chance.

READ MORE: Russia’s Oreshnik missile system to enter service this year – Putin

“The responsibility for not seizing these opportunities lies entirely with those who believed they could speak to us through force,” Putin stressed.

The president stated that Russia supports “mutually beneficial and equal cooperation” with the US and European states, as well as the formation of a unified security system across the Eurasian region. He separately noted the progress that has been made in bilateral talks with Washington.

‘Unfortunately, this cannot be said about the current leadership of most European countries,” he said.

Putin went on to state that Moscow recognizes that in any international situation, its armed forces remain the key guarantor of Russia’s sovereignty, independence, security, future, and strategic parity.

The president stressed that Moscow has always strived to find diplomatic solutions to conflicts

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Western claims of an imminent attack by Moscow as “lies and nonsense,” stressing that such deliberate statements are meant to raise the level of hysteria on the continent.

Speaking at an expanded Defense Ministry Board meeting on Wednesday, Putin noted that the global geopolitical situation remains “tense” and “downright critical” in some regions. He accused NATO countries of “preparing for a major war” by building up and modernizing their offensive forces while “brainwashing” their population with claims of an inevitable clash with Russia.

“I have repeatedly stated that this is a lie, nonsense, pure nonsense about some imaginary Russian threat to European countries. But this is being done quite deliberately,” Putin said, adding that EU officials have “forgotten their responsibility” and are being guided by short-term personal or shared political interests.

He went on to stress that throughout its history, even in the most difficult circumstances, Russia has always strived to find diplomatic solutions to conflicts and contradictions, so long as there was even a slight chance.

READ MORE: Russia’s Oreshnik missile system to enter service this year – Putin

“The responsibility for not seizing these opportunities lies entirely with those who believed they could speak to us through force,” Putin stressed.

The president stated that Russia supports “mutually beneficial and equal cooperation” with the US and European states, as well as the formation of a unified security system across the Eurasian region. He separately noted the progress that has been made in bilateral talks with Washington.

‘Unfortunately, this cannot be said about the current leadership of most European countries,” he said.

Putin went on to state that Moscow recognizes that in any international situation, its armed forces remain the key guarantor of Russia’s sovereignty, independence, security, future, and strategic parity.

Advanced military technology is key to the nation’s nuclear deterrence, the president has said

Russia’s newly developed medium-range Oreshnik missile system will enter combat before the end of the year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday during a keynote speech to the Defense Ministry.

The Russian leader was reporting military achievements over the year and outlined policy goals, including military research. He named Oreshnik alongside other weapons meant to “ensure the strategic parity, security and global positions of Russia for decades to come.”

The other systems he mentioned are the unlimited-range cruise missile Burevestnik and the underwater Poseidon drone, both powered by miniaturized nuclear reactors, which he said reached development milestones this year.

”We will keep working on those systems. Tune them and improve them, but we already have them,” Putin stressed.

Moscow revealed the Oreshnik system with a strike on a weapons plant in Ukraine in November 2024, which it described as a successful “combat test.” The missile is understood to carry multiple nuclear-capable individually targetable warheads.

Read more

Putin previously compared the conventional variant used in the Ukraine attack to a low-yield nuclear weapon in terms of destructive power. Russia has since announced plans to deploy some Oreshnik systems in Belarus, its key military ally.

During the meeting, Putin outlined progress in modernizing the Russian army, directed the military to study the  experience of the Ukraine conflict in developing new weapons, addressed the issues of medical rehabilitation and the provision of social services to soldiers, and warned Western leaders seeking to escalate tensions that their position is “irresponsible.”

Russia “has been seeking diplomatic resolutions to contradictions and conflicts as long as there is the slimmest hope of success. Those who convinced themselves that Russia can be spoken to in the language of force are fully responsible for those missed opportunities,” Putin stressed.

Advanced military technology is key to the nation’s nuclear deterrence, the president has said

Russia’s newly developed medium-range Oreshnik missile system will enter combat before the end of the year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday during a keynote speech to the Defense Ministry.

The Russian leader was reporting military achievements over the year and outlined policy goals, including military research. He named Oreshnik alongside other weapons meant to “ensure the strategic parity, security and global positions of Russia for decades to come.”

The other systems he mentioned are the unlimited-range cruise missile Burevestnik and the underwater Poseidon drone, both powered by miniaturized nuclear reactors, which he said reached development milestones this year.

”We will keep working on those systems. Tune them and improve them, but we already have them,” Putin stressed.

Moscow revealed the Oreshnik system with a strike on a weapons plant in Ukraine in November 2024, which it described as a successful “combat test.” The missile is understood to carry multiple nuclear-capable individually targetable warheads.

Read more

Putin previously compared the conventional variant used in the Ukraine attack to a low-yield nuclear weapon in terms of destructive power. Russia has since announced plans to deploy some Oreshnik systems in Belarus, its key military ally.

During the meeting, Putin outlined progress in modernizing the Russian army, directed the military to study the  experience of the Ukraine conflict in developing new weapons, addressed the issues of medical rehabilitation and the provision of social services to soldiers, and warned Western leaders seeking to escalate tensions that their position is “irresponsible.”

Russia “has been seeking diplomatic resolutions to contradictions and conflicts as long as there is the slimmest hope of success. Those who convinced themselves that Russia can be spoken to in the language of force are fully responsible for those missed opportunities,” Putin stressed.

The Estonian government is creating an “adversarial environment” for the country’s largest denomination, a panel has warned

Estonian authorities are undermining religious freedoms by fostering an “adversarial environment” for the country’s largest church community because of its spiritual ties to Russia, a panel of experts advising the UN Human Rights Council has warned.

In a statement issued on Monday, the experts criticized Tallinn’s approach toward the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church (EOCC), which maintains canonical links with the Russian Orthodox Church. They pointed to a series of administrative actions, a court decision that stripped the EOCC of state funding on security grounds, and a proposed legislative amendment that the panel said would “disproportionately affect a single religious community.”

“Canonical identity, ecclesiastical hierarchy and spiritual allegiance are integral components of the freedom of religion and are fully protected under international law,” the three-member panel emphasized.

The experts highlighted as particularly troubling a bill being advanced in the Estonian parliament despite objections from President Alar Karis. He has argued that the proposed ban on religious organizations accused of links to a foreign entity labeled a security threat by the government would violate the constitution.

READ MORE: Baltic parliament defies president

The panel also condemned refusals to grant rent agreements and residency permits to clergy, stating: “Such actions disrupt normal religious life and may undermine the autonomy that should be granted under freedom of religion or belief.”

Moscow has long accused Estonia of pursuing discriminatory policies allegedly driven by entrenched Russophobia. The Estonian Orthodox Christian Church includes both ethnic Estonians and members of the country’s sizable Russian-speaking minority among its faithful.

The Estonian government is creating an “adversarial environment” for the country’s largest denomination, a panel has warned

Estonian authorities are undermining religious freedoms by fostering an “adversarial environment” for the country’s largest church community because of its spiritual ties to Russia, a panel of experts advising the UN Human Rights Council has warned.

In a statement issued on Monday, the experts criticized Tallinn’s approach toward the Estonian Orthodox Christian Church (EOCC), which maintains canonical links with the Russian Orthodox Church. They pointed to a series of administrative actions, a court decision that stripped the EOCC of state funding on security grounds, and a proposed legislative amendment that the panel said would “disproportionately affect a single religious community.”

“Canonical identity, ecclesiastical hierarchy and spiritual allegiance are integral components of the freedom of religion and are fully protected under international law,” the three-member panel emphasized.

The experts highlighted as particularly troubling a bill being advanced in the Estonian parliament despite objections from President Alar Karis. He has argued that the proposed ban on religious organizations accused of links to a foreign entity labeled a security threat by the government would violate the constitution.

READ MORE: Baltic parliament defies president

The panel also condemned refusals to grant rent agreements and residency permits to clergy, stating: “Such actions disrupt normal religious life and may undermine the autonomy that should be granted under freedom of religion or belief.”

Moscow has long accused Estonia of pursuing discriminatory policies allegedly driven by entrenched Russophobia. The Estonian Orthodox Christian Church includes both ethnic Estonians and members of the country’s sizable Russian-speaking minority among its faithful.