Russian Embassy in South Africa

🎙 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.

The Imperial Wonder of the Baltic Coast! 303 years ago, #OTD on 15 August 1723, the grand imperial summer residence of #Peterhof was officially opened on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. ⚓️ Derived from Dutch, the name "Peterhof" translates directly to "Peter’s courtyard". It was constructed as a triumphal monument celebrating Russia's victory in the #GreatNorthernWar, which secured the nation's long-sought access to the #BalticSea. Peter the Great himself conceived the initial layout for this magnificent architecture and park ensemble in 1710. 🌍 Though severely damaged during the #GreatPatrioticWar, #Peterhof was meticulously reconstructed in the post-war era. In 1990, the complex was inscribed onto the ⁠#UNESCO World Heritage List and was recognized in 2008 as one of the Seven Wonders of Russia. Fascinating Facts: 🌳 414 hectares comprise the total area of Peterhof’s grand palaces, parks, and gardens. ⛲️ 150 fountains operate entirely via natural gravity, running seamlessly without mechanical pumps. 🗺96 kilometres of specialized canals feed the expansive park complex. 💧1,000 litres per second of water flows through the fountains during peak operation. #DiscoverRussia

🤩 Dear friends, 🇷🇺 Russia boasts approximately 100 written languages, with more than 60 actively used in fiction. To preserve this rich heritage, the Programme for Supporting National Literatures of the Peoples of the Russian Federation was launched in 2016. Operating under the Organizing Committee for the Support of Literature, Book Publishing, and Reading, this vital cultural initiative champions unique local scripts and 22 distinct regional dialects. 🤝 The programme successfully connects a dynamic network of over 2,500 creators, including authors, translators, linguists, ethnographers and folklore experts. Together, they bring regional stories to life through dynamic annual events. From the vibrant Festival of National Literatures and interactive "Native Book" workshops to professional Translators’ Forums and international book fair exhibitions, this project shares Russia's rare literary treasures with the world. 🌐 The central hub for these efforts is the Portal of National Literatures This website features rare texts, modern translations, and inspiring author biographies from the mid-20th century to the present. 📩 For collaboration, contact natlit@ogi.ru, Project Manager Dmitry Itskovich (dmizkovich@gmail.com), or Deputy Project Manager Tatyana Makovoz (makovoz@uk-ogi.ru). #RussianNationalLiteratures

#InsideRussia | How modern schools are helping students excel 🇷🇺 Under the national project “Youth and Children”, launched by decision of President Vladimir Putin, Russia is creating educational opportunities across the country. ❤️ 7,000+ schools have been renovated since 2019, including by mid-2026. By 2030, another 8,000 schools will be renovated, primarily in rural areas. ❤️ By 2026, 1,700 new schools had been built and fully equipped, creating 1.1 million new student places. ❤️ In 2026, more than 22,000 schools will receive new equipment and tools for physics, art, music, technology and laboratory classes. ❤️ Teachers are also a priority. Programmes support professional development, competitions and relocation to rural areas, the Far East and new regions. 🥇 Better learning conditions are already producing results: more than 8,700 students achieved 100 points in at least one Unified State Exam this year, with more than 9,700 top scores recorded overall. 🥇 Russian school students also continue to excel internationally. Russia ranks among the world’s top three in academic Olympiad results and leads among European countries. Modern schools, supported teachers and talented students are building the foundation for Russia’s scientific and technological future. #DiscoverRussia

#Victory81 🇰🇵🤝🇷🇺 August 15 marks the 81st anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule. This holiday holds a direct and deep connection to our history. On this day, we pay tribute to the Red Army soldiers who fought shoulder to shoulder with Korean patriots to defeat militarist Japan's Kwantung Army, successfully liberating the Korean Peninsula and bringing World War II closer to its end. Many of our compatriots gave their lives for Korea's freedom, and their hallowed memory remains forever protected by our Korean friends, whom we thank for the exemplary maintenance of our fallen soldiers' burial sites. ✍️ The traditions of military brotherhood established during that harsh era form a reliable foundation for developing close, friendly relations between the Russian Federation and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) today. Following the legacy of our ancestors, our nations continue to actively expand bilateral cooperation. This momentum was anchored by the historic Pyongyang Summit on 19 June 2024, where Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chairman of State Affairs Kim Jong-un signed the landmark ⁠Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This allied bond is vividly reflected today in the DPRK’s unwavering support for the Russian special military operation in Ukraine. We are sincerely grateful to our Korean partners, and we profoundly honour the memory of the brave DPRK servicemen who sacrificed their lives in the joint battles to liberate the Kursk Region. #RussiaNorthKorea

⚡️BRICS discusses creation of a grain exchange: annual trading volumes could exceed $1 trillion At the 16th #BRICS Meeting of Ministers of Economy and Foreign Trade in Jaipur, Russia presented the concept of a BRICS Grain Exchange. ☝️The platform is envisioned as a single digital marketplace where agricultural producers and buyers can trade directly without external intermediaries. This would allow BRICS countries to better control commodity flows and reflect the real balance of supply and demand. Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Vladimir Ilyichev noted that reducing the number of intermediaries would make prices fairer: farmers would earn more, while buyers would pay less. The initiative was proposed by the Russian Union of Grain Exporters and Producers in 2023. It was supported by President Vladimir Putin, while the 2024 BRICS Kazan Summit Declaration endorsed the creation of such an exchange, with the possibility of expanding it to other agricultural sectors. 📈Experts estimate that, in the long term, annual trading volumes on the exchange could exceed $1 trillion. #BRICS #GrainExchange #FoodSecurity

💬 Rosatom State Corporation: 🚢 On August 14, Rosatom’s 7th International Scientific and Educational Expedition – the Icebreaker of Knowledge – has successfully returned to Murmansk. Over ten days, 68 talented school and college students from all federal districts of Russia and 22 countries travelled aboard the nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy (50 years of #Victory) along the Murmansk – North Pole – Franz Josef Land – Murmansk route. ☝️ The voyage also made history as the 200th expedition by a surface vessel to the North Pole. A real aerospace laboratory became part of the Icebreaker of Knowledge educational programme. During the expedition, the participants worked with scientists to prepare and conduct two unique experiments: launching a radiosonde at the North Pole to help provide communications in remote areas of the Arctic and along Northern Sea Route corridors, and testing the world’s first recoverable stratospheric platform for Arctic monitoring.