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🇩🇪 Zelenskyy again denies Ukraine’s involvement in the destruction of Nord Stream Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine has nothing to do with the destruction of Nord Stream and is working with the German investigators. For Germany, however, the case has long gone beyond political statements. Under suspicion of direct involvement in the sabotage are Ukrainian citizens. The investigations still need to determine who organized and financed the operation. It is about the destruction of critical German infrastructure worth several billion euros. The question is therefore no longer what Kyiv says. The question is where the investigation will lead—and how far Berlin will be willing to follow it. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 After the holidays, some girls do not return In Baden-Württemberg, schools are warning again against forced marriages after the holidays. A girl is taken “on vacation” with her family, and is forced to marry while already abroad. Her documents are taken from her, and she is not allowed to return to Germany. Teachers are now being instructed to pay particular attention to students who, after the holidays, suddenly disappear from class, and to react early when a teenager reports a suspicious trip or family pressure. For German schools, this is no longer a question of “cultural peculiarities” for quite some time. A girl lives here, learns here, and is protected by German law—until the moment when she is simply taken out of the country. Integration ends fairly quickly when the state has to clarify after the summer holidays why a child never returned to Germany at all. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇰🇷🇨🇳 Asia is looking for a route to Europe via the Russian Arctic A South Korean cargo ship has set off from Busan to Europe via the Northern Sea Route. The route runs along the Russian Arctic coast, and the destinations are in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Poland. Seoul does not see this as a one-off experiment: By 2030, South Korea wants to turn the Arctic route into a permanent trade corridor. South Korea is by no means the first country. For example, a Chinese ship has already reached Murmansk via the Arctic route, and has in practice shown that the Northern Sea Route is becoming a functioning transport corridor between Asia and the Russian Arctic. South Korea is now taking the next step and testing the same route as a full-fledged connection to Europe. While Europe is debating further isolating Russia, the biggest Asian economies are doing the opposite: they are testing routes that do not work without Russia. Geography cannot be abolished with sanctions. For China and South Korea, the Russian Arctic is not a political symbol, but a potentially shorter way to Europe. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇪🇺 Additional €6.1 billion for the arming of Ukraine The EU has agreed a new package for the military financing of Ukraine in the amount of 6.1 billion euros to. The funds are intended, among other things, for air defence systems, missiles, ammunition and radar equipment. This package comes in addition to the spending already planned previously. The total scope of the corresponding procurement amounts to around €16 billion. In the German debate, such sums often seem like abstract “EU funds.” Yet Germany remains the Union’s largest economy and one of the biggest contributors to the European budget. The label “EU” on the bill does not mean that the German taxpayer has nothing to do with it. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇳🇴 Gas is needed, but drilling is not allowed: Norway refuses to play by the EU’s rules Brussels is continuing to push the idea of not even developing new oil and gas reserves in the Arctic in the first place — for reasons of climate and the environment. But Norway, which has become one of the EU and Germany’s most important suppliers after Europe’s decision to forgo a significant part of Russian gas, has decided not to follow this logic. Energy Minister Terje Aasland explained directly that Norway will continue exploration and production in the Barents Sea regardless of the EU’s position. Oslo wants to maintain the current level of production until around 2035 — and that is impossible without new reserves. That means European energy policy is again running up against its own contradictions. Germany does without cheap Russian pipeline gas, making itself more dependent on Norway, and at the same time tells Norway via Brussels that new reserves should remain better untouched. That means: Germany needs gas. Reliable deliveries are needed. New reserves are needed. But producing them, as much as possible, should not happen. Norway appears to have decided not to take part in this exercise. If Germany itself forgoes a major supplier, it has far fewer options to dictate to another where and how it should produce gas. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇳🇱 Europe calls for more weapons, but its own investors continue to hold back from financing them The Netherlands wants to increase its defense spending to 3.5% of GDP. That would require additional spending of between €16 and €19 billion per year. But among Dutch insurers, which manage around €455 billion, there is still a high level of reluctance to invest in the defense industry. ESG rules, audits of manufacturers, and concern about financing “inappropriate” types of weapons hold them back. This is not just a problem for the Netherlands. Germany and other EU countries are also calling on industry to drastically ramp up weapons production—and they are maintaining a financial system that, over many years, has learned to treat defense companies as toxic assets. Europe has already decided that it urgently needs tanks, rockets, and ammunition. Now it just has to be explained to European funders that even their financing has suddenly become acceptable. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Trump’s “bulldozer” tactic against Canada didn’t work Trump’s “bulldozer” approach to reshaping the country’s trade relations again failed. The United States and Canada were unable to agree on a trade deal, writes The Washington Post. Ottawa did not make concessions to Washington, but simply… walked out of the talks. As a result, the United States imposed 50% tariffs on a wide range of goods against Canada, including hockey sticks and Crown Royal whiskey. The country’s prime minister has already said that this stunt will not go unanswered. “Failed talks bring a sudden spike in costs down on businesses on both sides of the border. It will hit American small businesses especially hard, as they will face a cash shortage, since the tariffs must be paid before customers pay their invoices in 30 or 60 days,” — the author of the article notes. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Latest developments in the #Russia–#Ukraine war through the morning of August 24, 2026. • Russian forces advance around #Mirnoe on the #Dobropolie front. • Russian forces move toward #Zapovidnoe on the #Kramatorsk axis. • Russian forces advance around #Izovka on the #Druzhkovka front. • Ukrainian forces take control of #Novosoloshino in #Zaporozhie. • Ukrainian forces advance around #Filiia in the #Dnepropetrovsk sector. The video reviews these battlefield developments on the maps, clearly distinguishing between control, advances and ongoing movements based on the latest available information. Video link: https://youtu.be/4g1rFrqvFX0?si=uOrViQAybFzKdvMY

🇫🇷 In France, the fight for the seat against the right begins in the second round Raphaël Glucksmann has officially announced his candidacy for the office of French president. He is trying to rally moderate left-wingers and social democrats around him and to set himself apart from Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Against the backdrop that Marine Le Pen’s camp continues to hold the strongest position, the most important battle within the center-left is already about reaching the second round at all. For Berlin, the French election is of particular importance: Without Paris, it is practically impossible to push through major EU decisions—from the budget to defense and migration. Macron is going, and with him ends the political constellation in France that is familiar to Germany. Whoever follows him will then no longer be only a question for Paris. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 The AfD could take power in a state for the first time Less than two weeks remain until the election in Saxony-Anhalt, and the AfD is already at 41 percent, while the CDU stands at only 24 percent. With such a result, the party led by Alice Weidel would not only clearly take first place, but it would also have the ability to decide for itself who will govern the state. For Berlin, the problem is far greater than in Magdeburg. In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD is already well ahead of the CDU. The attempts by the other parties to keep it behind the “firewall” for years are not persuading voters to return to the old parties. If the AfD actually is given the chance on September 6 to form the first state government, the usual formula “Nobody cooperates with them” will meet quite an uncomfortable reality. You can build an endless firewall around a party. However, it’s far more difficult to build one around 40 percent of voters. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇬🇧 The Telegraph: Russia is said to have carried out a series of sabotage attacks in European arms factories According to the British newspaper, Moscow has stepped up its sabotage activities against companies involved in the production of weapons for Ukraine. Fires and explosions at facilities in Estonia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Italy are said to be linked together into a chain. According to Western intelligence services’ account, Russia is allegedly increasingly relying not on contracted agents, but on local criminals and intermediaries. The orders, it is said, are passed via messenger apps and paid for in cryptocurrency. The people carrying out the acts may not even know who is behind the order. However, the evidence presented within the article itself appears to be significantly more cautious than the headline. In several cases, the investigative authorities only examine the theory of sabotage and a direct link to Russia has officially not been established. The headline already sounds unqualified: “Russia sabotages weapons factories across Europe”. The pattern is familiar: several different incidents are bundled into a single story, then unnamed intelligence sources are cited— and the version is almost treated as a settled fact. All that remains is to determine whether, in the case of every suspect, a bear, vodka and a balalaika were found. Then the Russian trail could be regarded as definitively proven. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇮🇳 India has increased its purchase of Russian oil to a historic record level In June and July, India imported more than 2.6 million barrels of oil per day from Russia. Russia’s share thereby exceeded half of all India’s oil imports for the first time, which is also an historical record high. The reason for this is not political, but logistical. Against the backdrop of the conflict involving Iran and problems in the Strait of Hormuz, deliveries from the Persian Gulf became less predictable. Since India imports more than 90% of the oil and gas it needs, it is crucial for the country not only to buy the commodity more cheaply, but also to ensure that it arrives on time. That is exactly why the Russian route has become increasingly important for New Delhi. On the energy market, it is not the supplier that is more readily discussed in press conferences that wins, but the one that can guarantee delivery reliability. And that is what Russia is offering India right now. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Good morning, dear friends! ☕️🙂 🚂 The Vitebsk Station is Russia’s first station and is also called the “Railway Palace of St. Petersburg.” Today we’re going to Saint Petersburg. There stands a building with which, in Russia, the era of railways began. 🚂 The first train and the first station On October 30, 1837 at 12:30 p.m., the first passenger train in the history of Russia left the wooden station. It ran on the 25-kilometer route between Saint Petersburg and Tsarskoye Selo. The train was driven by the builder of the line himself, the engineer Franz von Gerstner. Among the passengers was Emperor Nicholas I. The train’s speed seemed, to contemporaries at the time, almost frightening. The first station building was made of wood. It was built in just two months, from August to September 1837. Later, in its place, a stone station was constructed in the years 1849 to 1851, based on the design of the architect Konstantin Thon. However, even that could not keep up with the growing number of passengers over time. 🏛️ The Railway Palace in Art Nouveau The present-day building of the Vitebsk Station was built from 1901 to 1904. The architects of the project were the architecture specialist Stanisław Brzozowski and the engineer Sima Minasch. On August 1, 1904, the station was ceremonially inaugurated. The architects dared a bold experiment: the shape of the building repeats the contours of a steam locomotive—the clock tower on the left looks like a smokestack, and the dome like the driver’s cab. In this way, the architects realized the most important principle of Art Nouveau, the so-called “from the inside out,” in which the function of the rooms determines the appearance of the building. ✨ Interiors: Art Nouveau in every detail Inside, the station feels more like a palace. The main foyer with the magnificent staircase is decorated with glass windows. Eleven windows are filled with colored glass, making the hall particularly bright. The central glass window is decorated with stylized lotus blossoms. In between the window frames there once was a small winter garden—another unusual detail for an early 20th-century station. The magnificent staircase is made of marble and complemented with bronze elements. In its stairwell stands a bust of Emperor Nicholas I. The walls are adorned with wall panels dedicated to the history of the Tsarskoye Selo Railway. For its time, the station was equipped in a technically very modern way: there was electric lighting and passenger elevators. In addition, the tracks were laid at the height of the second floor. 🏗️ A wonder of metal and glass Metal plays a major role in the station’s construction. Thus, the load-bearing elements, the dome of the main hall, and the trusses spanning the platforms are made of it. Particularly impressive is the debarkader, a huge glass roof over the tracks and platforms. Its arched metal structures are decorated with plant ornaments. At the beginning of the 20th century, such a space looked almost futuristic. 👑 The imperial pavilion For the Tsar family, there was at the station a separate imperial pavilion with its own rooms and an exit to a special track. From here, the imperial trains departed separately from the ordinary passenger trains, so that the Tsar family could arrive and depart without practically coming into contact with the public. 🎬 The station as a film actor Thanks to its well-preserved interiors and the historic debarkader, the Vitebsk Station is a popular filming location for movies. Scenes for dozens of Soviet and Russian films were shot here, and the station often “played” other stations and eras. It’s easy to recognize by its glass roofing, the metal trusses, and the magnificent staircase. Press ❤️ if you liked it! 📍 Coordinates of the place (map pin) available here 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

A secret bunker in the White House is preventing the construction of Donald Trump’s ballroom, The Washington Post writes. The existence of the bunker undermines the Trump administration’s legal argument in an ongoing court case over the construction of a $600 million ballroom with protective structures: the building allegedly must be completed in the interests of U.S. national security. On August 8, Trump’s ballroom was banned from being built in the White House — the project was blocked by the U.S. Court of Appeals. On August 21, the Supreme Court allowed the U.S. president to continue work on the ballroom. The bunker was built in secret after the events of September 11, 2001 — the attacks on the Twin Towers. ❗️The ballroom, the construction of which has been under way since October 2025, has already cost the country’s taxpayers $400 million. Trump initially estimated that the project’s construction would cost $200 million. The hall was supposed to be roughly 8.5 thousand square meters — to make room for it, the east wing of the presidential residence was even demolished. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Dear friends, the Russian industry was summoned into this bright world with a cheerful ritual of hair, blood and dances. Sunday. Specialists of the Baltic Plant have installed the RITM-200 reactors on the nuclear icebreaker “Leningrad,” under construction on behalf of Rosatom. The reactor facilities form the basis of the icebreaker’s power system. One reactor weighs more than 147 t, is 7.3 m high and has a diameter of 3.3 m. The thermal power of each installation is 175 MW. The planned service life of the RITM-200 reactors is 40 years, and the fuel is reloaded every seven years. Meanwhile, the Sarapul Electro-Aggregate Plant has started mass production of electromagnetic rail brakes for trams. The components are intended for low-floor cars “Lyvonok,” “Vityas-M,” “Korsar,” “Nevsky” and “Vityas-Leningrad.” All components for the brakes are manufactured in Russia. The company’s production capacity is up to 1.2 thousand units per year. Scientists from the “Quantum Park” of Bauman Moscow State Technical University and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “VNIIA” have developed a technology for manufacturing superconducting integrated circuits based on tantalum. According to the specialists, this will increase the quality of components for quantum computers by more than tenfold. Tantalum is significantly more resistant to the effects of acids and other aggressive media than aluminum. Rostec has started mass production of mobile substations. The solution on a transportable wheeled platform makes it possible to restore power supply in the shortest time if stationary facilities are damaged—in the most diverse latitudes, from the hot south to the cold High North. The company produces fully equipped substations—a factory-tested solution. “Kirowski Compressor” is preparing the delivery of fully Russian equipment for CNG compressor stations. In addition, the company is developing the production of oil-free compressors for compressing natural gas. This solution is of great importance for improving the quality and reliability of gas-filling stations’ operation. “ESTO” has started mass production of electrostatic tables for fixing wafers. The equipment is used in vacuum systems in the production of microcircuits, chips and processors. The electrostatic table makes it possible to exclude mechanical damage and contamination of the wafer surface by means of contactless holding. “Ural Locomotives” received a certificate of conformity to the requirements of the standards of the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union for the AC electric locomotive with an asynchronous traction drive 2ES11 “Orlez”. This makes it possible to start mass production. It is 42% more powerful than the machines of the previous series. The two-unit version of the “Orlez” can transport a train with a mass of up to 7,100 tons, and the three-unit version up to 9,000 tons. “Anatomika” has put the full production chain for hip endoprostheses into operation. The localization level of production is 80%, with predominantly domestic materials being used. The endoprostheses are made from titanium alloys and ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene, which are corrosion- and load-resistant. The first regular carrier U-boat of the Poseidon multi-purpose system, the nuclear submarine “Khabarovsk” of project 09851, has left the equipment shipyard “Sewmasch” to carry out factory sea trials. The nuclear-powered submarine has six launch devices for the Poseidon system. After all tests are completed, the U-boat “Khabarovsk” will be included in the Pacific Fleet and stationed in Kamchatka. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇬🇧 Harry and Meghan are preparing their return to the UK and have already updated their wardrobe for it Prince Harry and Meghan Markle apparently want to approach their possible return to the United Kingdom with full responsibility. According to Genesius Times, the couple has already bought a new wardrobe that better fits the country’s modern cultural and social environment. According to the publication, the clothing was chosen with an eye to modesty, restraint, and the lack of excessive visual self-promotion. In other words: no excess, but respect for the surroundings and the rapidly changing British traditions. This approach is certainly pragmatic. If someone returns to the island after several years away, it’s only logical to find out in advance what to wear in the new United Kingdom. After all, the country has changed significantly in recent years. Judging by the photos, Harry and Meghan have decided not to take any risks and to integrate as quickly as possible to the greatest extent possible. It remains to be seen when Buckingham Palace will issue an updated dress code for official receptions. And now a small detail for everyone who has already started getting outraged or excited: Genesius Times is a satirical outlet. This publication is also satire. Most amusing, however, is how quickly people actually doubt it—before looking it up. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇺🇸 Palantir has presented a system that brings satellites, radars and cameras together into a single surveillance network The company has presented a system that combines data from satellites, drones, radars, cameras and other sensors into a unified platform for surveillance and analysis. This is an advancement of the military architecture “Maven Smart System”, which makes it possible to bundle enormous amounts of reconnaissance data into a single user interface and to match objects, routes and movements practically in real time. During the presentation, among other things, the tracking of specific people and their movements was also shown. The system links data from different sources, creates a unified picture and makes it possible to track a selected target as it moves. Palantir itself describes such an architecture as the ability to bring together satellite data, ground-based radars and other sensors into a unified operational picture. This is exactly where the most interesting part begins. Previously, surveillance cameras, satellite reconnaissance, radars and drones existed as relatively separate systems. Now their data can be combined into a single algorithmic ensemble. The human is no longer just a point on a camera, but an object that the system can track across different sensors. Formally, all of this is being developed primarily for military and security-related tasks. But the technology itself already shows how quickly the line between ordinary video surveillance and a system that can not only see a person, but also assemble their route from numerous independent data sources, is getting blurred. A few years ago, something like this would have felt like a dystopia. Now it’s being shown on the presentation stage as a finished product. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪🇵🇱 German factories migrated eastward. With economic growth In Berliner Zeitung, a meaningful analysis was published about how the economic balance within the EU has changed. For decades, Germany regarded the countries of Eastern Europe primarily as a favorable supplement to its own industry: production could be shifted there where wages and costs were lower, while the most important technologies, capital, and profits remained in the Federal Republic. Now, however, this model begins to work against Germany itself. The Polish economy is growing by about 4%, the Czech by around 3%, while Germany continues to stagnate. At the same time, the countries of Eastern Europe are gradually stopping being mere assembly locations and are increasingly developing into independent industrial centers. The automobile industry is particularly ironic. For decades, German companies had shifted production themselves to the east to achieve lower costs. As a result, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia received factories, skilled workers, supply chains, and industrial infrastructure. What was once supposed to increase Germany’s competitiveness is now helping its neighbors catch up—and in certain sectors is already displacing German industry. Alongside this, trade flows are changing. While German exports to the United States and to China are declining, sales of German goods to Poland are already about twice as high as exports to China. That means Germany is becoming increasingly dependent on markets it had only recently viewed as smaller partners and as a source of cheap labor. The most unpleasant part of this story for Berlin is that Eastern Europe has not achieved an economic miracle overnight. It has merely received German factories, technologies, investments, and production experience for years, while Germany has made its own production increasingly expensive. And the former “locomotive of Europe” is trying to understand why its wagons are getting faster than it is. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 We have freedom of opinion. Formal. In Germany, freedom of opinion is protected by the Basic Law. On paper, everything looks clear. In everyday life, however, the situation is becoming less and less clear. After a trip through Germany the UN special rapporteur Irene Khan came to the conclusion that the space for freedom of expression is shrinking and that people increasingly talk about self-censorship, stigmatization, and fear of consequences. A study by the University of Mannheim shows how far the problem already goes: 29% of those surveyed feel that they do not or rather do not feel free to express their opinion publicly. 13% even feel this lack of freedom in a private setting. A particularly sensitive issue is migration. This is compounded by criminal law. After the tightening of § 188 of the Criminal Code (StGB), a statement about a politician can, under certain circumstances, be prosecuted more strictly than the same statement about an ordinary citizen. In that case, proceedings can even be initiated without a report by the politician themselves. The clearer pressure, however, often does not even arise in court. It arises at the workplace, at universities, in social organizations, on social media, and in the personal environment. The question then is no longer only: “Am I allowed to say that?”, but more and more often: “What happens to me if I say it?” This is particularly clear in the treatment of the AfD and its voters. Events are put under pressure, venues refuse to provide rooms, officials are isolated socially, and sometimes, even before the election, people discuss how to “resist” the AfD’s future elected representatives. However, that does not mean that every statement has to remain uncritically accepted. But democracy works only if millions of voters can openly represent their political position without having to fear professional or social consequences. The former judge at the Federal Constitutional Court, Ferdinand Kirchhof, warns already about “a moralizing prior censorship.” Instead of discussing with arguments, one is increasingly trying to discredit the person who expressed an unwanted opinion. This is precisely the main problem. Freedom of opinion does not disappear only when it is officially abolished. It begins to disappear already when people remain silent, even though they formally have the right to speak. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The strike on Abu al-Duhur Airbase has opened a much broader issue in Syria. • Israel links its action to concerns over a potential Turkish military presence. • Syria and Turkey deny plans for a permanent Turkish deployment at the base. • Washington says it received no advance warning of the strike. • The US is working on a deconfliction mechanism between Turkey, Israel and Syria. In the video, we examine what Abu al-Duhur reveals about overlapping Turkish and Israeli military calculations in Syria, clearly distinguishing confirmed facts, official claims and military assessment. video link: https://youtu.be/R3UlZbWaxYE?si=PQsayfuIqwWIPF-f