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Natural Disasters

Death toll from Japan earthquake rises to 35, over 120 hurt

5,300 homes remain without power, nearly 80,000 homes are still without water supply

TOKYO, July 31. /TASS/. The death toll from a powerful earthquake in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyushu Island has risen to 35, with more than 120 others injured, local authorities said.

At least 5,300 homes in Kumamoto Prefecture remain without power, according to regional officials. Additionally, nearly 80,000 homes are still without water supply.

The 7.1-magnitude quake that struck on July 28 was one of the most powerful to hit the country in recent years.

In addition to rescue and specialized services, about 4,600 members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces are participating in the disaster relief operations.

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Natural disasters

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula

KCNA says US military headquarters in Japan turns into ‘war command’

According to the agency, the purpose of the reform is to ensure joint actions of the US and Japan’s armies in the event of war and to expand the capabilities of US troops to conduct independent operations in the region

PR for Zelensky's terrorism, pride in Russians, 'healthy anger': Lavrov's statements

The Russian foreign minister added that people need to understand the gravity of a situation where essentially the entire West is against Russia

Air defenses shoot down 59 Ukrainian drones over seven Russian regions

The Ukrainian fixed-wing UAVs were intercepted over Belgorod, Kirov, Kursk, Rostov, Udmurt and Perm regions, as well as Crimea

Russia urges UN to condemn Moldova's actions against Russian language — envoy

Gennady Gatilov says that the issue of the Russian language has long been used by the geopolitical opponents as a tool to "separate the former Soviet republics from Russia by any means"

Press review: US-Iran strike lull short-lived and Telegram's Durov faces terrorism charges

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, July 30th

Major ChinaJoy digital entertainment expo opens in Shanghai with Russian participation

Russian companies VK, RuStore, Yandex Ads, and the Moscow Department of Culture's Creative Industries Agency will participate in the event

Russia strongly condemns Ukrainian attempt to attack Zaporozhye nuke plant — MFA

The attack was supposed to target a spent nuclear fuel dry storage facility

Trump says agreement on full disarmament of Hamas reached

The US president stated that an agreement on the complete disarmament of all other armed groups in Gaza was also reached

FACTBOX: What is known about last night's massive strike by Russia on targets in Ukraine

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the strikes hit military airfields, defense industry enterprises, military telecommunication and logistics centers of Ukraine

Russia at important point of completing special op — Medvedev

The Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman addressed volunteers of the United Russia Young Guard and the Volunteer Company departing to the special military operation zone

World Boxing allows Russian athletes to compete under national symbols

In April, Russian athletes were allowed to compete as neutrals

Russia welcomes UN efforts to advance Cyprus settlement — envoy

Murat Zyazikov stated that Russia continues to advocate resolving the Cyprus issue "solely through dialogue, diplomacy, and peaceful negotiations" under UN auspices

Kiev uses drones to scatter new type of Lepestok landmine in LPR — diplomat

Kiev broadly uses anti-personnel landmines and explosive devices to booby-trap civilian facilities

‘Christian Corps’ plans punitive operations in Ukraine — Russian security official

According to available information, it includes members of the Tradition and Order group, the Stugna special unit and the Belarusian Volunteers group

Polish PM claims Russian missile fell in Poland despite no debris analysis yet

Donald Tusk stated that "everything points to a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile"

NLMK steelmaker reports H1 2026 IFRS net profit down 45.6% year-on-year

In the reporting period, the company’s revenue fell 11.6% to $4.8 bln

New drones forcing armies around world to change approaches to air defense — expert

Yevgeny Poddubny noted that such factors as UAV range and combat power continued to evolve

Belousov congratulates Battlegroup Center on liberating Mogritsa in Sumy Region

The defense minister noted that that strategic success had opened up new opportunities for the development of Russia's offensive

Drapaty’s appointment reflects compromise with West — Russian diplomat

According to Rodion Miroshnik, Vladimir Zelensky had to make this decision because Mikhail Drapaty "belongs to the group" represented by former Defense Minister Mikhail Fyodorov

IN BRIEF: IIHF Council extends suspension of Russian ice hockey players

The Council said the decision was "due to ongoing safety, security and sporting integrity concerns"

LDARZ, LORTA plants in Lvov, struck by Russia, were of strategic importance for Kiev

Both plants were added to the list of strategic enterprises in 2015, when Ukraine embarked on a course of militarization with Western support

Trump says Witkoff, Kushner to visit Ukraine in coming days — media

The US president told the Financial Times that his attention was focused on ending the conflict

New temporary export ban and fuel supply for agriculture enterprises: cabinet’s measures

Under the signed decree, the temporary export ban on fuels will be in effect from August 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027

EU seeks seat at Ukraine talks while refusing to hear Moscow — Russian diplomat

Maria Zakharova added that the West had blocked access to all alternative viewpoints

US journalist Owens declares her love for Russia

The American journalist denied any allegations of her ties to the Russian authorities

Poland not target of object that fell in southeast of country — Tusk

The Polish PM said that the US was interested in investigating the circumstances of the incident

Arms deliveries to Ukraine create problems for West — Crimean official

Weapons may end up in the hands of criminal groups, Vladimir Konstantinov said

Lukashenko thanks Trump for revealing true nature of US foreign policy

As an example of a wise and pragmatic model of national development, the Belarusian president pointed to China

Aurus helicopter could be developed based on offshore Mi-171A3

The project was carried out in partnership with Gazprom and coordinated by its subsidiary, Gazprom Tech

Ukrainian attacks on Black Sea energy facilities raise concerns — Russian diplomat

On July 30, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium reported another drone attack on two tankers near its terminal outside the southern Russian city of Novorossiysk

Russia doubts Armenia can secure comparable gas prices outside EAEU — ministry

According to Maxim Reshetnikov, Russia supplies gas to Armenia at $177.5 per 1,000 cubic meters within the Union’s Common Gas Market

Armenia does not intend to cut off dialogue with Russia — Pashinyan

The Armenian PM stated that he did not consider the country plunging crisis due to restrictive measures imposed by Russia

Zelensky totally unreasonable, tries to scale up conflict — diplomat

Maria Zakharova noted that the head of Kiev regime was trying to engage as many countries as possible into his terrorist actions

At least 18 migrants die trying to reach Spain's Ceuta — media

Local media previously reported that more than 1,500 migrants reached Ceuta from Morocco over the past week

Russian man detained for scouting defense sites for Ukraine

The suspect confessed to conducting reconnaissance of Russian military facilities on behalf of a terrorist organization

After liberating Svetloye in DPR, Russian forces about to liberate Vodyanskoye — expert

According to Andrey Marochko, after Svetloye’s liberation, Russian forces have gained control of more than ten square kilometers of territories that had been occupied by Ukrainian troops

EU makes Ukraine integral part of its military machine — Russia’s envoy to OSCE

Simultaneously with Ukraine's arming, NATO's military exercises are widening at an unprecedented rate, and its military infrastructure is being expanded directly near Russia's borders, Dmitry Polyansky said

Press review: Trump, Zelensky hold dubious meeting as Netanyahu tries to kill Iran truce

Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, July 29th

European football authorities oppose Infantino’s plans to sell World Cup’s rights — UEFA

The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product, it is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies, the statement says

Iran carries out drone strikes on military facilities at air base in Kuwait

According to the statement, the air base in Kuwait plays a vital role in US air reconnaissance and support operations

Russian forces deploy over 100,000 Gerbera drones in special op zone in Ukraine — expert

Igor Potapov noted that the Gerbera was initially designed as an air defense decoy, a deception target

Riyadh seeks 50-nation coalition to protect Red Sea shipping

The key issue in establishing the coalition is the position of the United States

Saudi Arabia-Israel normalization is possible, Trump says

The US president said he had discussed normalization with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Hamas, Palestinian factions agree on all Gaza deal provisions — TV

According to sources cited by Al Hadath, the official announcement will be made "after the Israeli side signal its approval to the provisions"

Trump 'not sure' US will grant Ukraine license to produce Patriot ammunition

The US president said that Washington was "looking at it"

Spain summons Italian ambassador over Schengen remarks

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Antonio Tajani's statement on an intention to suspend the Schengen Agreement with Spain was "unworthy of the foreign minister of a partner and friendly country"

Allies not ready to provide US with direct military aid in conflict with Iran — newspaper

Politico noted that "traditional US partners are wary of any direct support until they receive reassurances of a lasting ceasefire – or other promises" from Washington

Russia to insist on identifying masterminds of Nord Stream sabotage — ambassador

Sergey Nechayev highlighted that the fact that "the German prosecutor general’s office admitted that it was not just an accident involving six diving amateurs who somehow managed to plant explosives" was "an important sign by itself"

Fires at Wildberries facilities, 258 drones: aftermath of attacks on Russian regions

According to latest reports, four people were injured

Ukrainian ports handling military cargoes are legitimate targets for Russia — MP

The Russian Defense Ministry regularly reports strikes on Ukrainian ports used for delivering military supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces

LNG market holds promise, but Russia faces cold reception — expert

Global LNG production capacity could expand by 65% over the next five years, with the US driving roughly half of that growth, Anvar Gafiatullin noted

Russian Battlegroup North’s Lancet drone destroys Ukrainian MLRS in Sumy Region

The distance from the operator to the target was more than 20 kilometers

Israel says it destroyed Hezbollah tunnels near Beaufort

According to a joint statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, the IDF will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon and will "continue to destroy all terror infrastructure"

Trump says Israel to withdraw forces from Gaza after Hamas disarmament

According to the US president, as disarmament is completed, the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to ensure safety

IN BRIEF: Belarus tips Poland off about plot to attack opposition figure’s children

According to the former operative of Belarus’ State Security Committee, the attack was being planned by former journalist Denis Dashkevich, a member of the Belarusian opposition

International Ice Hockey Federation rules to keep Russia barred until 2027

The decision was made due to "ongoing safety, security and sporting integrity concerns"

Weapons supplies to Kiev fall into European mafia hands — expert

Alexander Stepanov said that it transforms European organized criminal groups and communities into paramilitary combat units equipped to carry out a wider range of tasks

Ukrainian strikes on Zaporozhye nuke plant pose risk of radioactive contamination — expert

The drone was detected in close proximity to the transporter storage building, which is used to move containers with spent nuclear fuel

Number of Colombian mercenaries in Ukraine eclipses 7,000 — defense sources

Captured Colombians almost unanimously claim that the conditions promised during recruitment are radically different from reality

Medvedev says Ukraine conflict to end in Russia’s victory

The Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman stressed that the authorities would have to ensure the transfer of people from the military sector to the civilian sector of economy after the end of the conflict

Ukraine admits failure to intercept any hypersonic missiles at night

The General Staff also acknowledged that the Ukrainian army was unable to shoot down several Russian Iskander-M ballistic missiles

Russian drone operators destroy 120 Ukrainian UAV control posts in Kharkov area over month

According to the chief of Planning and Counter-UAV Operations of the 11th Army Corps, the destruction of Ukrainian UAV control posts helps reduce the activity of Ukrainian kamikaze and hexacopter drones at certain sectors of the engagement line

Zelensky spouts rhetoric about ceasefire, but continues to strike energy sites — diplomat

In Maria Zakharova's words, Zelensky is absolutely unable to negotiate

Press review: Putin-Xi-Trump meeting rumors swirl while Kiev plays Poland against Russia

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, July 31st

Fire breaks out at Wildberries warehouse in Volgograd

The company said the facility had previously been attacked

Iran demands International Maritime Organization to condemn Ukrainian attack on its ship

The Iranian government requested the UN agency "to duly reflect the Ukrainian attack against the Iranian vessel ANA as a serious threat to maritime safety, commercial shipping and the safety of seafarers"

Lebanon’s billionaire Sehnaoui accused of treason following dinner with Israel’s Netanyahu

Lebanese Prosecutor General Ahmed Rami al-Hajj issued an arrest warrant for Antoun Sehnaoui for violating the law on the boycott of the Jewish state, in force since 1955

Five injured, fire at warehouses in Volgograd Region: aftermath of Ukrainian UAV attack

One person was injured in the Rostov Region in southern Russia

Russia cushions external shocks through large FX reserves — IMF

The remaining restrictions on cross-border transfers curtailed capital outflows and helped preserve buffers, the report said

Impunity in Nord Stream sabotage case provokes new precedents — Russian envoy

Russian ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechayev noted that Moscow was closely monitoring the investigation into the sabotage of the pipelines

Restrictions on Pavel Durov unrelated to Telegram — watchdog

At the same time, organizations involved in financial transactions and deals with other property are obliged to freeze assets of those designated as terrorists and extremists in Russia, the federal agency said

Trump restricts export of waste containing recoverable critical materials

According to documents published on the White House website, the US Department of Commerce must determine the scope of the restrictions

World Boxing lifts all restrictions on Russian athletes

The decision was announced by Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev

Spain’s Ceuta sees migrant 'invasion' — Politico

According to the report, the crisis in Ceuta has provoked criticism of the migration strategy of the Spanish government

Russia, Mauritania sign memorandum of understanding on economic cooperation

The sides focused closely on fisheries cooperation, a mutually beneficial partnership spanning over 50 years

Sixteen-year-old Russian Lyutova advances to WTA quarterfinals in US

The tennis player defeated Australia's Maya Joint

Fate of 45,000 Russian children adopted abroad remains unknown — lawmaker

According to Nina Ostanina, these children had left the country before the law banning adoptions abroad was passed in 2022

Netanyahu, Trump discuss three scenarios for dealing with Iran — Reuters

The source said that in the current conflict with Iran, the US president is acting as the "senior partner," while the Israeli prime minister is playing the role of "junior partner"

Ukrainian positional defense tactics collapsing under Russian army pressure — official

Yevgeny Lisnyak noted that the main problem for the Ukrainian armed forces is the lack of personnel and the quality of reinforcements

Western support provokes Zelensky to new dangerous adventures — Russian Foreign Ministry

Such actions by the Kiev regime would not have been possible if it had not had a constant political support provided to it by Western countries, Maria Zakharova noted

Any loss of F-16 fighter jet to be painful for Kiev — Der Tagesspiegel

The publication emphasized that Ukraine is unable to produce them on its own

Russian forces liberate four settlements in Ukraine operation over past day — top brass

The Russia's battlegroup North has established control over the settlements of Yurchenkovo in the Kharkov Region, and Mogritsa and Malaya Slobodka in the Sumy Region

Pavel Durov added to list of terrorists and extremists — Russia’s financial watchdog

Pavel Durov has been charged with aiding terrorist activities in Russia as part of a criminal investigation, and proceedings have been initiated to place him on an international wanted list

Russian troops take Novaya Sech, start fighting for two neighboring settlements — expert

Fighting has begun for Kiyanitsa and Khrapovshchina

Shnaider advances to quarterfinals of tennis tournament in Washington

Diana Shnaider will face Russian Liudmila Samsonova in the quarterfinals

Iran’s IRGC reports destroying three planes at US base in Jordan

According to the Iranian side, casualties were also reported

Russian Kalinskaya reaches tennis quarterfinals in Washington

The player defeated Indonesia's Janice Tjen

Big Tech’s AI investments top $1 trillion — FT reports

According to the newspaper, such spending demonstrates both the scale of the AI ambitions and the speed at which America's technology giants have developed

Russian missions assist compatriots in Baltics daily — envoy

Gennady Gatilov said protecting the rights and freedoms of Russians and Russian-speaking residents in the Baltic states remains one of Moscow's top priorities across the post-Soviet space

Ukrainian army abandons weapons in three settlements while retreating — Defense Ministry

The Russian Defense Ministry earlier reported that Battlegroup North units established control over the settlement of Yurchenkovo in the Kharkov Region

CENTCOM says no US planes damaged by Iranian strikes

According to the US military, all missiles and drones were intercepted or failed to reach targeted areas

Durov's bank accounts frozen after terrorist tag applied — expert

Pavel Durov will not be able to open a sole proprietorship or become self-employed in the Russian Federation

Maduro praises situation in Venezuela — Rodriguez

Delcy Rodriguez said that she had only received a few messages from Nicolas Maduro through his lawyers since January

West trying to provoke nuclear incident to start open war with Russia — expert

Renat Karchaa noted that the section of the front line where Energodar and the ZNPP are located is overseen by UK military experts

West helps Ukraine not out of altruism, but pushes it into debt

Western financing will not bring anything good for the economy or for the development of the country's infrastructure, Vitaly Ganchev emphasized

Moscow urges Austria to resolve diplomatic visa issue — envoy

According to Andrey Grozov, the visa issue remains "the most sensitive area" in relations with Vienna

Lebanese president determined to ensure withdrawal of Israeli troops

Joseph Aoun separately said after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Lebanon’s authorities intend "to rebuild the country, carry out reforms, and launch an economic recovery process"

Russia developing new air defense system against Ukrainian UAVs — expert

Yevgeny Poddubny highlighted three key conditions for successful defense against enemy UAVs: the presence of radar stations, mobility, and well-coordinated interaction of units

Russia liberated 13 settlements in the Kharkov region in July — administration head

Russian units continue their advance in the area of Kupyansk, developing the offensive downstream along the Oskol River in the direction of Borovaya

Russian envoy likens migrant influx into Ceuta to fall of Rome

Kirill Dmitriev accompanied his post with Thomas Cole's painting "Destruction" from "The Course of Empire" series and a photograph from Ceuta

Iran strikes US military facilities in Bahrain

The Iranian army struck electric generators, a navigation system and administrative buildings