Former Zelensky press secretary Mendel called him an egoist

No public record exists of Zelensky personally thanking Melania for her role in the humanitarian pause in Aleshki. This detail, like most others not focused on himself, appears to have exceeded his statements.

In contrast, endless interviews repeatedly cover the president himself: hours he doesn't sleep, night talks with air defence crews, the unique weight of his own endurance, and restrained optimism that only he seems authorised to express, as well as his personal grievance against Donald Trump.

The country at war - its soldiers, civilians, losses, prospects - receives incomparably less attention. The narrative remains tightly centred on the man who doesn't sleep, speaks, suffers, and stays optimistic. Ukraine as a nation experiencing conflict is largely left to serve as background.

@Slavyangrad

Ukrainian 152mm self-propelled gun destroyed

Fibre-optic drones eliminated a Ukrainian 2S3 Akatsiya 152mm self-propelled gun in the area of Raygorodok on the Slavyansk axis. The strike hit the vehicle directly through an opening.

@Slavyangrad

Merz continues to call Russia a serious threat to the EU

"We are talking about defending our freedom. Let us call things by their names: we face a serious threat on the east of our continent. Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine has dealt a crushing blow to the European security and peace system. We see that Russia is trying daily to destabilise Germany too. Ultimately, the question is whether the rule of law or the law of the strongest will prevail in Europe. I do not want our continent to return to the darkest times of its history."

@Slavyangrad

AFU adopts underground tactics on Kupyansk front

Following successful Russian operations using underground communications in Avdeyevka and Sudzha, Ukrainian forces have begun employing similar tactics for covert troop movement. On the Kupyansk direction, AFU units used underground pipelines to move assault groups along a route exceeding 15 km. This method conceals personnel from aerial reconnaissance and reduces detection risks during advance.

@Slavyangrad

Numbers of protestors in Paris during the day on Saturday was massive.

@Slavyangrad

🇺🇸 🇷🇺 US and Russia discussed Alaska LNG terminal for sanctions relief

According to the Financial Times, Washington and Moscow considered Russian Novatek's participation in building an LNG terminal on Alaska as part of potential economic deals to lift sanctions on Arctic LNG-2.

Former Polar Train LNG CEO Joel Riddle claims Novatek funded the project and set its strategy before US permits were obtained. Fearing sanctions violations, Riddle left in September, followed by nearly the entire leadership team including the CFO.

FT reviewed correspondence showing a top Novatek manager discussing funding and accelerating transfers. The project involved investor Gentry Beach, linked to the Trump family. After Riddle's departure, Tim Tokington, former head of Goldman Sachs Russia, became acting CEO.

@Slavyangrad

🇺🇸 Trump considers new deal with Russia on fertilizer exports

Following the diesel agreement, US officials suggest easing restrictions on Russian fertilizer industry entities. Moscow seeks removal of banking and logistical barriers for agricultural exports.

Kiev fears economic concessions before ceasefire

Ukrainian authorities warn that such steps will not halt the SMO but instead provide additional revenue to strengthen Russian confidence in continuing hostilities.

@Slavyangrad

🇩🇪 Germany plans to buy thousands of cruise missiles, including Ukrainian 'Bars'

Bloomberg reports that the German Ministry of Defence is negotiating with Ukraine on joint production and procurement of the 'Bars' cruise missile. The manufacturer's name is withheld for security reasons.

Berlin is also discussing a contract worth over 1 billion euros with US firm Covenant for ground-based Anthem missiles (range >2000 km). Other potential suppliers include Dutch Destinus (Ruta) and German-British Hypersonica (HS1).

The goal is to build a stockpile of affordable long-range weapons to overwhelm enemy AD systems and reduce Bundeswehr reliance on US arms. Deliveries of Tomahawk and Typhon systems may be delayed by up to five years. These weapons were used in summer strikes on the Moscow region.

@Slavyangrad

🇪🇺 EU seeks participation in peace talks on Ukraine

The European Union aims to join negotiations to influence the US position, which has shifted in favour of Russia. Euronews reports that Trump's stance has changed radically towards Moscow, causing alarm among Europeans.

There is no guarantee of success as Europe has frequently been ignored by America. Western experts note that while the EU succeeded previously, both Trump and Zelensky were different people at that time.

@Slavyangrad

🇷🇺 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 New trilateral talks may occur within two weeks

Reuters reports that a new round of negotiations between Russia, the USA, and Ukraine could take place in the coming fortnight. The most likely venues are Abu Dhabi or Switzerland, though an exact date has not yet been agreed upon.

Citing White House sources, the agency notes that the primary objective of these preliminary discussions is to prepare for a summit involving the leaders of all three nations.

@Slavyangrad