Russian Embassy in Australia

🎙 Comment by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova regarding plans by the United States and Türkiye to supply arms to Kiev (August 15, 2026) ❓ Question: There have been alarming reports lately on the possible delivery of a large shipment of US-made weapons and munitions to Ukraine, which are currently at the disposal of the Turkish Republic. What would be your comment in this regard? 💬 Maria Zakharova: Judging by the documents, which were recently released by the US Congress, this can be quite a considerable arsenal, including offensive weapons. In particular, these papers mention 12 multiple rocket launch systems and more than 2,500 non-guided cluster munitions for them, as well as 47,000 203-mm cluster shells and 70 ATACMS short-range missiles. What jumps to the eye are all the remaining contradictions and inconsistencies regarding the circumstances and terms for delivering such a big load of lethal products. It remains unclear who initiated this project to re-export weapons, how they will be transported and when this large lethal shipment will be sent to its receivers in Kiev. Finally, what were the parties involved in this deal thinking, namely the United States and Türkiye, when they decided to open yet another Pandora’s box to make the Banderite regime last longer in its agony while claiming more lives? Moreover, these are countries which have been aspiring to play a special role in settling the Ukraine crisis and which have been saying that finding a political and diplomatic solution was their priority. ❗️ Pumping the Zelensky junta full of weapons will do nothing to affect the course of the special military operation in any meaningful way in terms of diverting it from Russia’s righteous scenario. However, there will be no way to avoid damage across the board from these deliveries. This is not only a matter of victims and destruction and Kiev’s determination to cause harm at a larger scale, but also a matter of dealing with a severe blow to Russia’s bilateral relations with Washington and Ankara. Attempts to exploit a peace-making rhetoric while supplying the Ukrainian Nazis with weapons inevitably undermine mutual trust, especially considering the fact that the Turkish authorities have made multiple assurances that they were committed to refraining from delivering lethal weapons to Kiev. The Foreign Ministry has requested explanations from Washington and Ankara in connection with the information as announced by US Congress. 👉 There is still time to take a sober look at this whole situation.

🎙 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview with VGTRK broadcasting company (Moscow, August 14, 2026) Key points: • President of Russia Vladimir Putin made it very clear that we will respond in kind to Western maritime piracy. We will choose the targets ourselves. They will include vessels operating in the interests of countries that have made piracy and plunder part of their official policy. • We will not stoop to the level of the Ukrainian leadership, which celebrates on social media its terrorist strikes on beaches, dormitories housing young students and other civilian sites. ☝️ We will make our own methods far tougher, targeting everything that enables the West to fuel Kiev’s war machine. And we are already doing so. • Hostilities should stop only when there is a long-term, reliable and sustainable settlement. If we were suddenly to halt now along the line of contact, we would, in effect, allow the feat of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers who defeated Nazism to be erased. That is simply not an option. • As for the episode at the press conference of Aleksandar Vucic and Zelensky, where a question was asked about “how Europeans could help kill more Russians”, I saw that President Vucic was simply taken aback. Given Serbia’s enormous contribution to the Victory over Nazism, we would of course like to hear some reaction from our Serbian friends. • The metastases of Nazism continue to resurface in German society under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who openly speaks of the need to make Germany Europe’s leading military power again. Does he understand what the word “again” means in this context? 👉 I am not sure. • We do not refuse to talk with US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. If they come, they know that President Vladimir Putin is ready to receive them once again. The question is what they will bring with them. • We do not issue ultimatums. We have submitted a number of questions to the US State Department and asked for clarification, including regarding intelligence data and the fact that the US is much more deeply involved in organising and carrying out strikes deep inside Russia against civilian targets. We will await a response. • Our Turkish colleagues are once again saying that some arrangement should be reached to ensure that shipping is not targeted. ❗️ But we did not start this. When a Ukrainian drone strikes a Turkish bulk carrier, tanker or other civilian vessel, or hits ships linked to US companies Chevron and ExxonMobil, neither Turkiye nor the US publicly states that such actions by Ukrainian terrorists are unacceptable. Read in full

🎙 Из интервью Министра иностранных дел России С.В.Лаврова телекомпании ВГТРК (Москва, 14 августа 2026 года) Ключевые тезисы: #ПреступленияКиевскогоРежима После каждого террористического акта представители режима гордо в соцсетях и на других ресурсах бахвалятся, как «здорово» они нанесли удар по пляжу, по общежитию, где девочки учились на преподавателей, и по другим сугубо гражданским объектам. Мы не опустимся, но свои собственные методы сделаем гораздо более жёсткими для разрушения всего, что подпитывает военную машину Киева со стороны Запада. ❗️И мы это уже делаем. Они уже начинают стонать. Неслучайно всё больше и больше голосов из разных точек нашего общего пространства призывают немедленно остановиться. Так не получится. Останавливаться надо тогда, когда есть долгосрочное, надёжное, устойчивое урегулирование. Если мы сейчас вдруг остановились бы на линии соприкосновения, мы, по сути дела, позволили бы перечеркнуть подвиг наших дедов и прадедов, которые победили нацизм. Это невозможно рассматривать. И речь идёт не только о том, как кому-то комфортно живётся сегодня – у нас люди страдают, люди погибают от этих террористических актов. Речь идёт о нашей ответственности за тысячелетнюю историю российского государства. #Германия #Неонацизм Метастазы нацизма продолжают пробиваться наверх в немецком обществе под руководством канцлера ФРГ Мерца, открыто заявляющего о необходимости опять сделать Германию главной военной силой в Европе. ⁉️ Понимает ли он, что в этом случае означает слово «опять»? Я не уверен. Кстати, насчёт этой ситуации, когда на пресс-конференции Зеленского и Вучича этот вопрос прозвучал. Я видел, что Президент Сербии Вучич просто опешил. Конечно, мы бы хотели от наших сербских друзей, учитывая их огромный вклад в победу над нацизмом, услышать какую-то реакцию. #Сербия Президенту Сербии Александру Вучичу непросто. Он очень опытный политик. И он привержен курсу на евроинтеграцию. На данном этапе Евросоюз над ним издевается, просто его шантажирует. Они говорят: да, Сербия давно уже стоит в очереди, но мы будем ускорять переговоры, когда выполните два основных требования. Первое – признайте независимость Косово. И второе – присоединяйтесь ко всем действиям и решениям ЕС в отношении России. Он мужественно выдерживает это давление уже не один год. Мы Сербии продаём газ по очень выгодным ценам и никогда ничего не требуем от Сербии, кроме того, что будет неприемлемо, если наши сербские братья будут участвовать в вооружении киевского режима. Президент Вучич принял специальное решение, запрещающее подобные акции. Согласие на назойливые просьбы Зеленского быть принятым отразило, наверное, намерение Вучича немного ослабить давление Евросоюза. Давление это беспардонное, хамское. Они действуют так, как будто у них уже «четвёртый рейх». #США Если [С.Уиткофф и Дж.Кушнер] приедут, они знают, что Президент России В.В.Путин готов принять их в очередной раз. Другое дело, с чем они приедут. Потому что когда приезжал С.Уиткофф чуть больше года назад, он привёз предложения от Президента США Д.Трампа. Президент России В.В.Путин взял их в работу и, приехав на Аляску, он сказал: «Дональд, ты прислал нам предложения, я подумал. Есть вещи, которые требуют компромисса. Но твои предложения в том виде, в котором ты мне их прислал, я принимаю». Потом пауза. Потом санкции против ПАО «Лукойл» и ПАО НК «Роснефть». Параллельно в Вашингтон «метнулись» руководители Евросоюза и НАТО вместе с Зеленским, повисли на руках у Президента США Д.Трампа с главной целью отвадить его от каких-либо дальнейших инициатив. Впоследствии Госсекретарь США М.Рубио сказал, отвечая на вопрос журналиста о том, как быть с Анкориджем, что они подумали и, наверное, не могут быть посредниками, потому что поддерживают Украину. Пару недель спустя он сказал опять противоположную вещь: в любом случае только Президент США Д.Трамп способен посадить Украину и Россию за стол переговоров и найти урегулирование. То есть, вроде как, они и Украину поддерживают, и эти вооружения, и разведывательные данные. 👉 Читать полностью

🎙 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s answer to a media question regarding Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s statement on a proposal for Russia and Ukraine to introduce a moratorium on military activities in the Black Sea (August 14, 2026) ❓ Question: Has the Russian Side received Turkiye’s proposal to introduce a moratorium on military activities in the Black Sea, and is it prepared to consider such an option? 💬 Maria Zakharova: We traditionally give careful consideration to all peace initiatives put forward by our foreign partners, especially by Turkiye, which is an important regional player and our neighbour on the Black Sea. Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently said in a media interview that Ankara had conveyed proposals to the Russian and Ukrainian sides on introducing a moratorium on military activities in the Black Sea. ❌ The Russian Side has not received through official channels any formal Turkiye’s proposal setting out the specific terms of this initiative. If this refers to a one-sided arrangement along the lines of the 2022-2023 scheme, better known as the Black Sea Initiative, under which Moscow suspended military activities in the Black Sea – more precisely, retaliatory measures to protect Russian port infrastructure and energy facilities – then returning to that format would be inadvisable. ☝️ The arrangement was conditional on reciprocal measures by the other side. Those measures never followed. At the time, as you may recall, we agreed to the moratorium in exchange for access for Russian agricultural products to global markets. However, the West demonstrated a bad-faith approach: the humanitarian corridor we provided came to be widely used for terrorist attacks against Russian civilian and military facilities, while Russian agricultural products remained under sanctions. This ultimately led to the termination of the Black Sea Initiative. Today, we regularly face brazen acts of terrorism carried out by Ukrainian drones in the Black Sea against civilian vessels from coastal states, several times a month. We regard these attacks as a deliberate policy aimed at destabilising civilian shipping in the Black Sea region, further escalating tensions and prolonging the conflict, with the open acquiescence of neighbouring countries in the region. At the same time, we see no prerequisites for the situation to improve and, consequently, no grounds for half-measures that merely give the Kiev regime a temporary respite. We have recently seen a growing number of international calls for a ceasefire and for settling the situation around Ukraine through familiar short-term arrangements. Our position on these proposals and on the issue as a whole remains unchanged 👉 A sustainable and long-term settlement of the Ukrainian crisis is possible only if its root causes are eliminated. ❗️ First and foremost, this means removing the security threats created by #NATO’s eastward expansion and attempts to draw Kiev into the alliance. It is equally important to secure guarantees for the restoration and observance of the legitimate rights of the Russian and Russian-speaking population in the territories that remain under the control of the Kiev regime.

🏠Международный научно-просветительский форум молодых соотечественников «Траектория открытий» приглашает участников С 29 сентября по 4 октября 2026 года в Москве и Нижнем Новгороде пройдет Международный научно-просветительский форум молодых соотечественников «Траектория открытий». Участников ждет насыщенная образовательная программа, включающая знакомство с современными достижениями российской науки, посещение научных и технологических объектов, экскурсии, тематические лекции, интеллектуальные игры и встречи с экспертами. К участию приглашаются молодые соотечественники в двух возрастных категориях: 14–17 лет; 18–35 лет. Для участия необходимо заполнить регистрационную форму и до 25 августа (включительно) направить конкурсную работу и видеовизитку продолжительностью не более 3 минут на электронную почту mmds.helpdesk@yandex.ru с темой письма «Траектория открытий». Конкурсные задания: Для участников 14–17 лет — подготовить «Научный маршрут» по научным достопримечательностям Москвы и Нижегородской области для своих ровесников, проживающих за рубежом. Работа может быть выполнена в формате стенгазеты, брошюры, инфографики или постера и должна соответствовать требованиям, указанным в Положении. Для участников 18–35 лет — разработать серию из 7 карточек для социальных сетей по предоставленному брендбуку на одну из тем, указанных в Положении.

🎙 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's comment regarding the Ukraine crisis (August 13, 2026)   💬 With each passing day, the Kiev regime’s ability to withstand Russia’s special military operation diminishes. <...> The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), unable to deliver effective strikes against Russian military facilities, persist in their attempts to attack civilian infrastructure across various regions of Russia and to target civilian population. The following serve as illustrative examples 👇 ▪️ Belgorod Region. From August 5 to 11, as a result of AFU strikes, 12 civilians were killed and over 100 were wounded, including two boys, aged four and nine. ▪️ Bryansk Region. From August 5 to 11, two persons were killed and 12 were wounded by strikes perpetrated by Banderites. ▪️ Voronezh Region. On the night of August 11, a civilian was killed and two others were wounded as a result of an enemy drone attack on Voronezh. ▪️ Donetsk People’s Republic. From August 5 to 11, as a result of shelling and AFU drone strikes, four persons were killed and at least 31 were wounded, including a boy born in 2014 and a girl born in 2009. ▪️ Zaporozhye Region. On August 6, in the village of Dolina, a drone attacked a passenger bus as passengers were boarding at a stop, wounding six civilians. ▪️ Krasnodar Territory. In Novorossiysk on August 9, a civilian was injured by falling debris from a downed Ukrainian drone; whilst on the night of August 12, as a result of a large-scale drone attack, a child aged eight was killed and eight others were wounded, including a child aged six and a woman <...>. ▪️ Kursk Region. From August 5 to 11, as a result of AFU drone and artillery attacks, three civilians were killed and 14 others were wounded. Another civilian lost both legs and an arm after triggering a mine camouflaged as a box, which detonated in a forest belt. In the border districts of the region, explosive devices scattered by Ukrainian militants and concealed in juice cartons have been discovered. ▪️ Lugansk People’s Republic. From August 5 to 11, at least 12 local residents were affected by AFU attacks. ▪️ Republic of Tatarstan. According to updated data, as a result of Ukrainian drone strikes on Nizhnekamsk on August 10, 13 persons were killed, including a child; among them, eight were citizens of Uzbekistan and one was a citizen of Tajikistan. Seventy-five others were injured, including 20 foreign nationals. In regard to this incident, the Russian MFA issued a comment underscoring that the crime committed by the Kiev regime was perpetrated in an attempt to cause significant casualties among citizens of states friendly to Russia. ▪️ Republic of Crimea. On August 7, two civilians were killed and one other was wounded by a drone strike on an apartment building in Kerch. On August 12, one person fell victim to Ukrainian drones in the community of Novoselovskoye. ▪️ Kherson Region. On August 8, in the residential community of Novaya Mayachka, a Ukrainian drone attacked an ambulance that was en route to a man suffering a heart attack, wounding both the paramedic and the driver. <...> *** Russian law enforcement agencies continue to gather evidence with a view to holding the functionaries of the Kiev regime, militants and commanders of the AFU, and foreign mercenaries criminally accountable. <...> ❗️ The neo-Nazi Kiev regime is threatening the entire international community. It has repeatedly demonstrated that it is capable of conducting terrorist and sabotage operations and provocations under foreign flags. <...> The evidence of NATO countries’ direct involvement in the Kiev regime’s terrorist activity is mounting. The media has widely disseminated documentary proof — so-called hybrid threat specialists from NATO-affiliated bodies – in particular, a man named Bart De Wachter – provided the Security Service of Ukraine with data on “priority” targets on Russian territory, incl the coordinates of fuel and energy facilities and commercial ships carrying cargo in Russia’s interests <...>. Read in full

✉️ President of Russia Vladimir Putin sent a message of congratulations to Great Patriotic War veteran Yevgeny Znamensky, whose battle path stretched from the Battle of Moscow to the storming of Berlin, on his 101st birthday on August 13. 💬 The message reads, in part: A man of remarkable resilience, a front-line soldier, courageous and strong in spirit, you followed a glorious combat path, took part in the Battle of Stalingrad, the liberation of Europe from Nazism and met the victorious spring in Berlin. Following the Great Patriotic War, you devoted many years to honest service for the good of the Motherland. Thank you for your feats of arms and achievements in labour, for your deep sense of responsibility for the fate of the Fatherland, and for your contribution to the patriotic education of younger generations of Russian citizens. I wish you sound health and all the very best. *** 🥇 Yevgeny Znamensky was born in 1925. He was drafted into the Red Army in January 1943. He first took part in the defence of Moscow and, after completing basic military training, served as a submachine gunner and artillery scout. He fought in the Battle of Stalingrad and took part in the storming of the Reichstag, as well as operations to liberate Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Germany. ✍️ On May 2, 1945, he left his now-legendary inscription on the wall of the defeated Reichstag: “Znamensky. Serpukhov!” During the war, Yevgeny Znamensky crossed the Don, Vistula, Oder and Spree rivers, survived a wound and two severe concussions. His decorations include two Medals “For Courage”, the Order of the Patriotic War and medals for the liberation of European cities. #Victory81

🌐 From August 13 to 16, Krasnoyarsk is hosting the International Indigenous Peoples Forum – a unique platform for dialogue among representatives of Indigenous peoples from Russia and across the world, government bodies, experts and the business community. The Forum’s main theme is “Indigenous Peoples in the Context of Biodiversity and Climate”. 🤝 The event will bring together 700+ participants from 14 countries and 27 Russian regions, including representatives of Indigenous peoples from Russia, Asia, North and South America, the Arctic, Africa and the Pacific region. The Forum will be one of the key platforms of the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and will highlight the contribution of Russia’s Indigenous peoples to sustainable development, the protection of their rights and environmental conservation. 💬 From the message of greetings by President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Preserving the native languages, distinctive cultures and traditions of Indigenous peoples is an important issue on the global agenda that requires joint efforts by government agencies and international organisations. I would like to emphasise that Russia is committed to developing constructive cooperation in this area with all interested partners. ☝️ Key topics on the agenda include: • improving standards and legislation protecting the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples; • expanding their participation in decision-making processes; • preserving biodiversity and adapting to climate change; • integrating traditional knowledge and practices into modern environmental protection mechanisms; • the role of cultural heritage and traditional knowledge in the development of reindeer-herding, fishing and hunting communities. The meeting takes on particular significance ahead of the Conferences of the Parties to the three Rio Conventions – on biological diversity, climate change and combating desertification. The Forum will provide a platform for developing coordinated approaches and exchanging experience on key issues of the international environmental agenda. ℹ️ Krasnoyarsk Territory is the geographical centre of Russia and home to eight Indigenous small-numbered peoples. The region is actively implementing community initiatives and government support measures aimed at preserving their cultures and traditional ways of life, as well as promoting the sustainable development of their territories. 👉 LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FORUM

✉️ Президент России В.В.Путин направил приветствие участникам, организаторам и гостям Международного форума коренных народов (13 августа 2026 года) ✍️ Уважаемые друзья! Приветствую вас на открытии Международного форума коренных народов, собравшего в Красноярске участников из России и многих зарубежных государств. Считаю проведение вашей встречи важной и востребованной инициативой, серьёзным вкладом в укрепление гуманитарного взаимодействия в Евразии и мире в целом. Сбережение родных языков, самобытной культуры и обычаев коренных народов — одна из значимых тем глобальной повестки, требующая совместных усилий государственных структур и международных организаций. Подчеркну, Россия нацелена на развитие конструктивного сотрудничества в этом направлении со всеми заинтересованными партнёрами. В нашей стране поддержке коренных народов уделяется приоритетное внимание. В созидательном взаимодействии с общественными, волонтёрскими организациями, национальными объединениями проводится большая работа, направленная на сохранение уникального исторического, духовного наследия малочисленных народов, повышение качества их жизни, решение насущных социально- экономических проблем. Реализуются содержательные проекты в сфере образования, просвещения, воспитания подрастающего поколения. Уверен, что ваш форум пройдёт в творческом, деловом ключе, послужит выработке единых подходов к решению актуальных, востребованных временем задач. 🤝 Желаю вам плодотворной работы и всего наилучшего. Владимир Путин

🎙 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's statement on the Kiev regime’s attacks in the Sea of Azov and Black Sea undermining global food security (August 12, 2026) 💬 Throughout the summer, the Kiev regime has been stepping up attacks on coastal transport, logistics infrastructure and civilian vessels in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, using unmanned systems and intelligence supplied by NATO and EU countries. Key agricultural cargoes have come under attack, including grain and sunflower oil transported under foreign trade contracts. 👉 We would like to highlight several incidents involving casualties that illustrate Kiev’s criminal activity: – On June 5, Ukrainian drones struck the dry cargo vessels Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. Sailing under the flags of Belize and Palau, they were en route from Turkiye to the port of Rostov-on-Don to arrange the transportation of grain. Five people were killed and three were injured. – In July, at least 100 Ukrainian drone attacks were recorded against commercial vessels in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea carrying Russian agricultural products to global markets. • On July 18, the Marshall Islands-flagged commercial bulk carrier MV OMORFI, which was transporting grain, was attacked in Russian territorial waters. One crew member, an Indian national, was killed. • On July 25-27, Ukrainian attacks damaged an export grain terminal in Rostov-on-Don. • On July 30, the seaport of Taman was also damaged. – On August 3, Ukrainian drones targeted the Cameroon-flagged vessel Nadezhda, owned by a Turkish operator, some 30 miles off the Russian coast. The vessel was carrying fruit and vegetables from Samsun, Tгrkiye, to Novorossiysk. Four sailors were injured, the engine room was damaged and a fire broke out on board. • On August 3, Ukrainian drones also attacked another Turkish dry cargo vessel, Yaȿar. *** Apart from civilian casualties and material damage to international merchant vessels and port infrastructure, these AFU strikes, which serve no military purpose and violate international law guaranteeing the safety of civilian shipping, have disrupted the dispatch of prepared cargoes along established export routes. They have caused delays in deliveries of grain, oilseeds and feed crops to international importers, the needs of which are met to a significant extent by Russian companies. Against this backdrop, Russia's Armed Forces are taking steps to ensure the safety of navigation. They are carrying out precision strikes against facilities used by the AFU in the Black Sea to destabilise the maritime security environment, as well as infrastructure and vessels involved in delivering Western weapons and military equipment to the Kiev regime. This work will continue until the threats to security in the Sea of Azov and Black Sea are fully eliminated. ☝️ It is clear that the Kiev regime’s cynical military campaign aimed at sowing chaos on the global food market – despite Ukraine’s relatively modest share of global food production, however much the Kiev regime may try to claim otherwise – serves the interests of a number of Western countries. It goes hand in hand with illegitimate unilateral restrictions in the financial, economic and energy sectors imposed by the Kiev regime’s Western sponsors, who are acting according to the logic of imposing a neocolonial “rules-based order”. Taken together, these actions exacerbate shortages of grain and fertilisers, drive up global food prices and increase the burden on countries of the Global South and East, which are being held hostage to the irresponsible policies of these “players”. ❗️ We call on the international community and relevant multilateral institutions to provide an objective assessment of the Kiev regime’s crimes, use every available means to put an end to its unlawful activities and ensure the unhindered export of agricultural products.

💬 Russia's High Commissioner for Human Rights Yana Lantratova: Together with the Russian Defence Ministry and the relevant agencies, we regularly provide the Ukrainian side with lists of our citizens who are expected back home. ❌ Unfortunately, Kiev often rejects the proposals we put forward – it does not want to take back all of its own people and, most importantly, is in no hurry to return ours. That is precisely what has happened once again. It is necessary to set the record straight on a situation the Ukrainian authorities are trying to distort. The Ukrainian side has published lists of our people from the LPR, DPR and Republic of Crimea who have been held captive since 2014 and 2022, claiming that “Moscow refuses to include them in exchange lists”. I believe it is necessary to give a clear and principled assessment of the situation. For our part, we are ready for an exchange. In the past month alone, we proposed three different lists – including ordinary soldiers and individuals convicted in Russia under various criminal statutes. But Ukraine refuses to take back its own citizens. We have already agreed on a list of 224 people. These are Ukrainian nationals convicted of various crimes committed on our territory. We are ready to exchange them as early as tomorrow morning, with one goal in mind – to bring OUR people home – those from the DPR, LPR and Crimea who have been waiting to return since 2014 and 2022. But Ukraine refuses to take the mentioned 224 people. It needs PR, not people’s lives. 👉 The Ukrainian authorities, which refuse to take back their own convicted citizens, in reality treat them as expendable. They are the ones feeding them false hope through video appeals while refusing to approve an exchange. We are ready for a wide range of exchange formats. Our goal is to secure the release of our people held captive. We are publishing the list of Ukrainian citizens whom we are ready to exchange for ours. 📄 List of 224 Ukrainian citizens proposed by Russia for exchange

🎙 President of Russia – Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin took part in the final stage of the Russian Pacific Fleet drills (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, August 12, 2026) 💬 Vladimir Putin: Unfortunately, the conflict potential in the Asia-Pacific region is growing. NATO is pushing into the region, new military-political blocs are being formed, and new weapons systems that pose threats to our country are being deployed or planned for deployment here. Tensions are also being stoked in the neighbouring Arctic region, including over the use of the Northern Sea Route. Russia has always advocated cooperation in the Arctic and once again confirms its readiness to work together and make use of the advantages offered by the Northern Sea Route – naturally, within the framework of existing international maritime law. Those countries that want to work with us and show an interest in this are, first and foremost, our friends – China, India and other states. *** The situation in the Asia-Pacific region is complicated, and there are plenty of problems. We would also like to understand the position of Japan, our neighbour – a country that, under the pretext of the events in Ukraine and without looking into the causes of the conflict, imposed sanctions on Russia that were in no way provoked by us. ☝️ We do not threaten Japan. We have absolutely no claims against it. On the contrary, it is Japan that has territorial claims against our country – I am referring to the issue of the Kuril Islands. However, the realities that emerged as a result of World War II are enshrined in international documents. Even so, Russia was prepared to seek a solution with a view to concluding a peace treaty with Japan. Back in the mid-1950s, the Soviet Union signed a declaration with Japan that opened the way towards a peace treaty. Modern Russia accommodated the request of the Japanese Government and resumed – I repeat, at the request of the Japanese side – dialogue on ways to conclude a peace treaty. At that time, we developed constructive relations with a number of Japanese leaders, including the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose life was tragically cut short and who did a great deal to bring Japan and Russia closer together and narrow the differences between our positions. Russia stands ready – and I want to emphasise this – to cooperate with all its neighbours, including Japan and other countries in the region. *** We see that the authorities of certain countries, in violation of international maritime law, are attempting to restrict the peaceful passage of vessels operated by our companies. More recently, they have even contemplated seizing our vessels and selling off property stolen from us. ❗️ This is outright piracy and plunder. If such plans begin to be implemented in practice, we will be forced to respond in kind. And not necessarily in the waters where raids on our ships and vessels are being planned, but wherever we ourselves deem it necessary and appropriate – anywhere, including within the Pacific Fleet’s area of responsibility. Russia is strengthening its security both as a whole and in individual regions. At the same time, we are always ready to seek mutually acceptable compromises with all our neighbours and partners. And we are prepared to do so on the basis of due regard for each other’s interests. Read in full