☝️ We have noted an article in The i Paper on Kaliningrad, which suggests, among other things, that NATO could blockade the region or “de-recognise Russian sovereignty”. The prospect of a hypothetical strike is also explored in Sky News’ recent mini-series The Wargame.
Those advocating plans to blockade or strike Kaliningrad should have no illusions about the consequences. Any British or NATO military action against Russian territory would be met with a response using all means at Russia’s disposal, including nuclear weapons.
Russia has repeatedly made clear that it neither seeks confrontation with NATO and Europe nor intends to attack them. But should anyone choose to unleash such a conflict, they must be under no illusion that Russia will respond accordingly.
🎙 Highlights from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement at the General Debate of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly (New York, 26 September 2026)
• The Western minority, which has dominated for five centuries by exploiting the resources of others, persists in its attempts to retain its privileges and impose its “rules” on everyone else. The West increasingly resorts to the use of brute force, acts unpredictably and recklessly, and jeopardises the lives and well-being of millions – if not billions – of people on our shared planet.
• For the sake of the utopian goal of containing Russia, the West has destroyed the European security system with its own hands and nurtured the Russophobic regime in Kiev. Now, realising the futility of their efforts, Europe is doing everything to prevent a peaceful settlement and to derail negotiations – a process many are interested in, including the Trump administration.
• The West continues the endless flow of weapons into Ukraine and helps the regime target drones and missiles at civilians and civilian infrastructure.
• The Ukrainian regime is openly overriding such cornerstones of the UN Charter as respecting human rights and freedoms for all with no discrimination as to race, gender, language or religion. There is no other country in the world but Ukraine where the law prohibits a language.
• It is only possible to secure a lasting peace by ending the dangerous rivalry between the largest global players. We can only achieve this by strictly adhering to the UN Charter and the principle of equal and indivisible security. Let me remind you that this principle means refraining from ensuring the security of one state at the expense of others; that it is unacceptable for any country or a group of countries or an organisation to claim dominance in security. This mainly applies to NATO, which seeks to spread its destructive influence far beyond the geography of its domain.
Read in full
🎙 Excerpt from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks to the media following the 23rd meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club (Moscow Region, 29 September 2026)
❓ Question: We hear Russia and the West accuse each other. The West is increasingly accusing Russia of waging hybrid warfare against European countries. You recently accused the West of resorting to brute force. Do you acknowledge that Russia is waging a covert hybrid war against European countries? If so, to what end?
💬 Sergey Lavrov: Are you talking about us destroying drones and missiles that Britain and continental Europe supply to Ukraine, which it then fires at us? Is that what you are talking about?
❓ Question: This may be one example of what I’m talking about.
💬 Sergey Lavrov: If you acknowledge that your weapons are being used to attack us, and we shoot them down, call it whatever you like. I have no doubt, though, that this is a war that Europe is waging against us. We’ve been making this point for a long time now.
❓ Question: What about brute force? You accuse the West of resorting to brute force.
💬 Sergey Lavrov: I do not remember ever using the collocation “brute force.”
❓ Question: You said not long ago that the West resorts to brute force.
💬 Sergey Lavrov: Was what they did in Venezuela soft power or brute force? What they did to the Nord Stream pipelines was that soft power or brute force? Bombing and destroying the Iranian leadership and their families, including children, was that brute force or not?
❓ Question: Does Russia not resort to brute force in Ukraine on a daily basis?
💬 Sergey Lavrov: If you mean destroying the infrastructure that is being used by the Nazi regime, with Western support, to wage war against the Russian Federation, then we do resort to brute force to suppress direct threat.
🗓 On September 30, 2022, following referendums, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions officially became part of the Russian Federation.
✍️ Looking back at #HowItHappened (Signing of the treaties on the accession of the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions to Russia)
In the referendums held on September 23-27, 2022, residents of the four regions made a historic decision that determined their future. International observers from Italy, Germany, Venezuela, Latvia and other countries (133 in total) who monitored the voting recognised the results as legitimate.
In 2014, the Kiev regime unleashed full-scale hostilities against the civilian population of Donbass, while neo-Nazis and radicals intimidated and attacked people in Zaporozhye and other regions as well. For eight long years, people endured relentless shelling, terrorist attacks and persecution.
Despite shelling and numerous provocations by the Kiev regime, people went to the polls and expressed their will.
🗳 Four years ago, the people voted in favour of joining Russia:
• DPR – 99.23%, with a turnout of 97.5%;
• LPR – 98.42%, with a turnout of 92.6%;
• Zaporozhye Region – 93.11%, with a turnout of 85.4%;
• Kherson Region – 87.05%, with a turnout of 76.9%.
Behind these figures are the lives of millions of people and their hopes for safety, for the freedom to speak their native language, to honour their ancestors – true heroes of the Great Patriotic War (instead of Hitler’s henchmen) – to preserve their culture and raise their children without fearing for their lives.
❗️ Russia’s position remains unchanged: the people of Donbass and Novorossiya exercised their legitimate right to self-determination, enshrined in the UN Charter, the 1966 International Covenants on Human Rights and the 1975 CSCE Helsinki Final Act.
💬 Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s address at the General Debate of #UNGA81 (New York, September 26, 2026):
Having launched the special mili
🎙 Excerpt from President Vladimir Putin's address at the first meeting of the ninth State Duma
💬 The State Duma's first meeting is taking place on a significant date: exactly four years ago, the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions became full-fledged constituent entities of the Russian Federation, reuniting with Greater Russia.
I am pleased to congratulate all citizens of our country on Unification Day. This holiday embodies our people’s unwavering aspiration to restore historical unity and the righteous struggle of the Russian people, our entire nation and the people of Donbass and Novorossiya for freedom and justice.
It commemorates the heroic deeds of the 2014 militias and the heroes of the special military operation who stood up to defend the Motherland and our people. The will and dreams of our brothers and sisters – our compatriots – who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Despite the most challenging conditions close to the front line, millions of people took part in referendums, and I would like to emphasise that they did so in strict compliance with international law. Their choice was absolutely clear and unequivocal: to reunite with Russia and its people.
Today, we are fighting together, and together we are rebuilding and reviving Donbass and Novorossiya.
Read in full
#Victory81
8️⃣5️⃣ years ago, on 30 September 1941, the #BattleOfMoscow commenced — the largest defensive operation carried out by the Red Army during the initial stage of the #GreatPatrioticWar to defend the capital of our Motherland against the Nazi invaders.
The Nazi troops, which sought to seize the city within the shortest possible timeframe, were completely destroyed by the Red Army.
One of the key battles of #WW2 ended in a major and decisive victory for our people. Despite their considerable superiority in manpower and military hardware, the Nazi invaders suffered a crushing defeat, which played a major role in paving the way for the eventual collapse of the Third Reich.
❗️ It was precisely near Moscow that the myth of the invincibility of the Nazi war machine was shattered once and for all.
Hitler’s blitzkrieg strategy, which had previously been successfully employed by the aggressor in the occupation of a number of European countries (Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, France and Belgium), completely failed on the Soviet soil.
***
By the end of September 1941, the Nazis had occupied the entire Baltic region, Belarus and Moldova, as well as large parts of Soviet Ukraine; they had sieged Leningrad and reached the approaches to Moscow. Given the strategic and political importance of the Soviet capital, Hitler committed a powerful force — 1.8 million Wehrmacht soldiers and officers, 1,700 tanks and around 1,000 aircraft. The Nazi command planned to seize Moscow within the first three to four months and completely destroy its population.
The situation on the Eastern Front in September 1941 was extremely difficult. Nazi troops attacked Red Army positions along several axes simultaneously. In just two days, Guderian’s tank group advanced 80 kilometres, breaking through the front and encircling a considerable number of Red Army units in the areas of Bryansk and Vyazma.
In these circumstances, a state of siege in Moscow and the surrounding areas was put in e
💬 Russian MFA Spox Maria Zakharova: Europe has set a course for total militarisation.
The size of its armed forces is being increased, while defence spending by NATO member states bordering Russia is reaching unprecedented levels. The Alliance's military infrastructure is being expanded. New defence industry facilities are being built, while civilian innovations and dual-use technologies are being integrated into the defence sector, all at an accelerated pace.
Aggressive military exercises by NATO member states are being held in close vicinity of our borders, involving the rehearsal of offensive scenarios against our country. These include a possible blockade of the Kaliningrad Region, the isolation of Russian ports in the Baltic, and the deployment of NATO troops through the Suwałki Gap.
Close cooperation has been established with Ukraine in order to adopt its experience of real combat operations against the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Some European leaders allow themselves to muse publicly about the possibility of "razing Russian air defence and missile bases to the ground" in the Kaliningrad Region.
Certain EU countries bordering Russia flaunt their readiness to host nuclear weapons on their territory and are making corresponding changes to their national legislation [...]
Russia poses no threat to European nations and has no intention of doing so. However, there should be no doubt that Russia has all the means necessary to prevent any aggression and defeat any aggressor.
❗️ If Europe attacks Russia, it will be a very different kind of war – and a very short one.
Read in full
🎙 Highlights from Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Second CIS Department Aleksey Polishchuk's interview with Interfax News Agency (30 September 2026)
• We remain open to resolving the Ukraine crisis politically and diplomatically, including negotiating the removal of its root causes and the security threats involved. We reiterate that the special military operation was launched as a forced response to the actions of NATO and the Kiev regime.
• Throughout the negotiations in Belarus, Istanbul, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Geneva and Alaska, Russian diplomacy has consistently demonstrated a constructive approach aimed at achieving a comprehensive, lasting and just peace.
• Peaceful resolution of disagreements is always preferable to military action. However, Kiev and Europe have thus far torpedoed all realistic options for a settlement. If the Europeans had not sought to 'bury' the 2025 Anchorage understandings, peace would have been achieved a year ago. If Boris Johnson had not forced the Ukrainians to abandon negotiations on a peace treaty in 2022, we would all have been living in peace for the past four years.
• The countries of the Alliance openly admit that they are preparing for a direct military confrontation with Russia and Belarus. Their militaristic rhetoric is backed up by practical measures. Industry is being placed on a war footing, the number and scale of military exercises are increasing, and the range of hybrid threats is expanding. In this context, the Ukraine crisis is nothing more than a pretext.
❌ Лондон продолжает свои бессмысленные санкционные упражнения в отношении нашей страны. На этот раз незаконные ограничения введены против торговых судов, а также российских граждан и организаций, которых британские власти бездоказательно обвиняют в нарушениях прав украинцев и «милитаризации» детей.
Особенно цинично разыгрывается «детская тема» – теперь под предлогом того, что Россия якобы индоктринирует «миллионы несовершеннолетних» в новых регионах и лишает их идентичности. Эти утверждения не выдерживают критики.
Достаточно взглянуть на саму Украину, где запрещают русский язык, на котором говорят миллионы людей, преследуют каноническую церковь, уничтожают памятники и переименовывают улицы. Что это, как не попытки стереть историческую и культурную идентичность со стороны Киева?
Ставка британского правительства на давление и эскалацию вместо диалога лишь свидетельствует о его незаинтересованности в политико-дипломатическом урегулировании конфликта.
Наивно полагать, что очередное закручивание «санкционных гаек» что-то изменит: Россия спокойно адаптируется к ограничениям и продолжит добиваться целей СВО. Между тем антироссийский курс Лондона и поддержка киевского режима имеют вполне ощутимые последствия для рядовых британцев. Рекордные цены на дизельное топливо в Соединённом Королевстве – наглядное тому подтверждение.
❌ London continues its pointless sanctions policy against our country. This time, illegal restrictions have been imposed on commercial vessels, as well as on Russian nationals and organisations whom the British authorities baselessly accuse of violating the rights of Ukrainians and of “militarising” children.
The “children’s issue” is being exploited with particular cynicism – now under the pretext that Russia is allegedly indoctrinating “millions of minors” in the new regions and stripping them of their identity. These claims do not stand up to scrutiny.
One need only look at Ukraine itself, where the Russian language, spoken by millions of people, is banned, the canonical Orthodox Church is persecuted, monuments are destroyed and streets are renamed. What is this if not an attempt by Kiev to erase historical and cultural identity?
The UK government’s reliance on pressure and escalation instead of dialogue merely demonstrates its lack of interest in a political and diplomatic settlement of the Ukraine conflict.
It is naive to believe that yet another tightening of sanctions will change anything: Russia is calmly adapting to the restrictions and will continue to pursue the goals of the special military operation. Meanwhile, London’s anti-Russian course and its support for the Kiev regime have tangible consequences for ordinary Britons. Record diesel prices in the UK are clear evidence of this.
🩰 On this day in 1956, the ballet company of the Bolshoi Theatre made its first appearance in London, opening a landmark season at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 3 October.
The troupe's first major tour outside the Soviet Union took place against the backdrop of the Cold War. Performances of Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Giselle and other works captivated audiences, showcasing the continuity of the Russian ballet school and the exceptional skill of Soviet dancers. Galina Ulanova, in particular, received an extraordinary ovation for her portrayal of Juliet.
The season ran until 29 October and marked a significant chapter in cultural exchange between our nations. Since then, the Bolshoi Ballet has visited the United Kingdom on more than twenty occasions.
Notably, the company’s British tours over the decades were organised by English husband-and-wife impresarios Victor and Lilian Hochhauser.
⚡️ Foreign Ministry statement reiterating warnings to foreign nationals and diplomatic personnel against remaining in Kiev or near military facilities in Ukraine (October 3 , 2026)
The Russian Foreign Ministry reiterates that, in response to terrorist attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine against Russia’s civilian population and infrastructure, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to carry out systematic and sustained strikes against military targets in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities.
The Russian side has previously called on foreign nationals and diplomatic personnel located in Kiev to leave the city and refrain from travelling to Ukraine. Russian authorities have also urged Ukrainian residents to stay away from military and administrative facilities.
These warnings were conveyed in the statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry on May 25, 2026, as well as through diplomatic notes addressed to foreign partners. They were also reiterated by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin during a briefing for members of the diplomatic corps on May 27, 2026.
The authorities of a number of countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, European Union member states, Norway, and Switzerland, have repeatedly advised their citizens against travelling to Ukraine, most recently in August of this year.
We note with concern that not everyone has taken these warnings into account and that some individuals are knowingly placing themselves in mortal danger. A number of foreign embassies continue to operate in Kiev, and foreign officials continue to visit Ukraine.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will continue to carry out large-scale retaliatory strikes.
❗️ The Russian Foreign Ministry once again urges foreign nationals, including personnel of diplomatic missions, to refrain from remaining in or travelling to Ukraine.
Responsibility for any possible adverse consequences lies entirely with those who choose to disregard this warning.
🎙 Highlights from President Vladimir Putin's remarks at the plenary session of the 23rd annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club
• As the world moves away from Western hegemony, the international situation will gradually improve leading to a more stable, democratic, and free multipolar international order.
• A narrow grouping of Western countries wields an unproportionally large influence in the United Nations [...] We advocate a UN structure that fully reflects the diversity of the world, with countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East playing a far more significant role.
• If it comes to a direct attack on the Russian Federation – in this case, Kaliningrad, although it could potentially involve other territories as well – the question of Russia using all the weapons at its disposal would inevitably and immediately arise.
• We are not threatening anyone. We have no intention of attacking anyone, whether in 2029, 2030 or 2050. But if we are subjected to aggression, we will have no choice but to respond. People in European countries need to understand this clearly and distinguish between our position and that of their current political leaders.
• Now the major European countries are taking a far more aggressive stance toward Russia than the US is [...] Faced with adverse economic trends at home, an increasingly precarious position for their ruling political classes, and changing public sentiment, they now seem to be provoking confrontation with Russia.
Read in full
🚀 On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union opened humanity’s path to the stars!
#OTD, the Space Age officially began: the world’s first artificial satellite – Sputnik 1 – entered Earth’s orbit.
At 10:28 pm Moscow time, an R-7 launch vehicle, developed under the leadership of the outstanding Soviet rocket engineer Sergey Korolev, lifted off from the Tyuratam launch site (later named Baikonur). Just over five minutes later, the satellite separated from the rocket and transmitted its world-famous signals: “Beep! Beep!”
📰 On October 5, 1957, Soviet newspaper Pravda reported:
On October 4, 1957, the USSR successfully launched the first satellite.
The satellite is currently following an elliptical orbit around Earth, and its flight can be observed in the light of the rising and setting Sun using the simplest optical instruments.
Updates on the movement of the first artificial satellite, launched in the USSR on October 4, will be broadcast regularly by radio stations.
🛰 An aluminium sphere 58 centimetres (~23 inches) in diameter, weighing 83.6 kilograms (~184 pounds), with four antennas and two radio transmitters – this was humanity’s first envoy in orbit. Behind its simple exterior lay the immense efforts of Soviet scientists, engineers and workers.
Sputnik completed an orbit around Earth roughly every 96 minutes, and radio enthusiasts worldwide picked up its famous signals.
Its radio transmitters operated for about three weeks, while the satellite itself remained in orbit for 92 days. During that time, it completed 1,440 orbits around Earth, travelling some 60 million kilometres (~ 37.3 million miles). Its flight ended on January 4, 1958, when it entered the dense layers of the atmosphere and burned up.
The historic launch validated the calculations and technical solutions needed to reach space. Observations of the satellite gave scientists new data on the density of the upper atmosphere and the propagation of radio waves through the ionosphere.
🌐 Sputnik 1 was a t
💬 Russian MFA Spox Maria Zakharova: It is noteworthy that there are significant differences in the figures quoted by representatives of the Zelensky regime when speaking to international organisations about the alleged number of Ukrainian children "abducted by Russia".
These figures range from 16,000 to 1.6 million.
If you are voicing such accusations and citing such figures, kindly back them up with documents: provide named lists of the "abducted" children and the relatives who are allegedly searching for them.
The only official document that Kiev provided us with was a list of 339 minors.
Russian children's commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova and her team conducted a thorough examination of the list and found that approximately half of the information it contained was inaccurate.
The list turned out to include more than 70 adults; some of the children are in Russia with one of their parents; some left our country long ago; others flatly refused to travel to Ukraine.
By handing over this list, the Kiev regime effectively acknowledged that it had misled the international community by claiming to be seeking to trace tens or even hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian children.
Many of the children have, in fact, been located in Western countries, yet the Kiev regime remains silent on this matter.
❗️ There are no abducted or deported children.
There are family members who, for various reasons, have lost contact with one another. Efforts are being made to help them reunite – without politics or PR.
Read in full
📚💐 Сегодня в России отмечается День учителя – профессиональный праздник всех преподавателей и педагогов нашей страны.
2 октября в школе при Посольстве России в Лондоне состоялось мероприятие, приуроченное к этой дате.
Временный поверенный в делах России в Великобритании Василий Цыганов поздравил преподавателей, отметив ответственную и благородную миссию учителей в воспитании подрастающих поколений.
Учащиеся разного возраста выступили для своих педагогов: они исполнили песни, стихи и миниатюры. Праздничную атмосферу дополнили музыкальные композиции приглашенных артистов.
#Announcement
On October 2-26, 2026, media representatives and bloggers can apply for accreditation to cover the “Peoples of Russia” International Week.
ℹ️ The “Peoples of Russia” International Week is held annually pursuant to Presidential Executive Order No. 382 of June 1, 2026, declaring 2026 the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia. Its central theme is “Solidarity among States through the Unity of Peoples and Traditional Values”. The events are coordinated by the Executive Office of the Security Council of the Russian Federation and organised by the Roscongress Foundation.
Russian and foreign media outlets, as well as bloggers, may apply in accordance with the accreditation rules published in the “Media” section of the Week’s official website.
📄 Programme Overview of the “Peoples of Russia” International Week
Stay tuned for updates on the official website and via email newsletters.
✉️ For media accreditation enquiries, please contact: [email protected]
📚💐 Today, Russia celebrates Teachers' Day, a professional holiday for everyone working in education across the country.
On 2 October, the Russian Embassy School in London held a special event to mark the occasion.
Chargé d'Affaires Vasily Tsyganov congratulated the teaching staff and emphasised the important and noble mission they fulfil in bringing up the younger generation.
Pupils of different ages performed for their teachers, presenting songs, poems and short sketches. Musical pieces by guest artists added to the festive atmosphere.
🎙 Excerpt from President Vladimir Putin's remarks at the plenary session of the 23rd annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club
💬 The truth is that we did not want and were not the ones who started to fight. In fact, they started to fight against us.
They should have refrained from encouraging aggressive nationalism and Russophobia in Ukraine so as to turn it into a tool for fighting Russia.
NATO should not have embarked on an effort to make our historical territories part of its military space in its own interests and should not have planned setting up its bases there.
Radicals in Kiev should not have been pushed to a government coup while the de facto illegal regime should not have been pumped full of all kinds of offensive weapons after that.
The list of these do-nots goes on.
I am convinced that this was an intentional effort to place Russia in a situation when it was simply forced to defend itself with arms in hand to respond to this obvious act of aggression. They pushed us to this brink knowingly and intentionally.
Overall, Russophobia, oppressing and killing Russian people and destroying Russia should not be turned into state ideology while striving to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.
Read in full