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Latest developments in the #Russia–#Ukraine war as of the morning of August 23: • We assess the share of #Dobropolie shown under Russian control on the map used in the video. • Russian forces advance toward #Novogrishino. • Russian forces advance around #NovyiDonbass. • Russian activity in #Nikolaevka is examined as an attempt to disrupt Ukrainian units. In the video, we review these battlefield changes on the maps, clearly distinguishing between control, advances and initial movements. video link: https://youtu.be/7bSxSdLMRWQ?si=DHcwYcQxMG4J8loN

🇨🇭 Switzerland built a power plant for half a billion dollars—only to demolish it again now In view of fears of a possible power shortage, Switzerland hurriedly built a reserve power plant in Birr in 2022–2023. For the four years the plant will be available for use, consumers will pay around 470 million francs. The power plant was held in reserve in the event of an energy crisis, but it never had to be put into operation to cover an actual shortfall. Now the facility is already being dismantled. The reason is almost anecdotal: the temporary permit expires and the plant is not allowed to remain in place permanently. The canton of Aargau concluded that even after modernization the plant would not meet all required requirements and cannot receive a regular operating permit. But the story doesn’t end there. The government now wants to spend an additional roughly 2.3 billion francs on new reserve power plants, which are expected to come online around 2030. According to Economiesuisse calculations, the entire reserve system—power plants, hydropower reserve, emergency power generators and other measures—will cost Swiss consumers about 4 billion francs over the next 20 years. Parliament has already started to push back. The finance commission considers the costs of the new projects to be excessive and calls for cheaper alternatives to be examined first. The logic of the authorities is clear: the potential scale of the problem is enormous. In the assessment of the Federal Office for Civil Protection, a three-month power shortage in winter could cause damage of up to 84 billion francs to Switzerland. For the taxpayer, however, the math still looks impressive: Half a billion for a power plant that was never needed and is now being demolished, another 2.3 billion for the next ones and around four billion for the reserve system. A country of efficient management, you say? 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇵🇦 Another choke point in world trade is becoming tighter From September, the administration of the Panama Canal will reduce the number of ships passing through the canal from 36 to 32 per day. The reason for this is a lack of water. From May to August, in the region about 34% less precipitation fell than in the historical average. This is critical for the canal, because freshwater is used in the locks for every ship passage. However, the problem goes far beyond Panama. At the same time, the Suez Canal, the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea are unstable regions for world trade. Now, once again, the capacity of this key route between the Atlantic and the Pacific is being reduced. Against this backdrop, alternative routes – including the Northeast Passage, about which we recently reported – are becoming increasingly interesting both politically and economically. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Lithuanian Armed Forces have deployed NASAMS surface-to-air missile systems near Vilnius. Local broadcaster LRT reports this, citing Army Commander Raimundas Vaikšnoras. These systems replaced the previously used short-range systems RBS-70. The commander acknowledged that using expensive NASAMS air-defense missiles to counter cheap drones may be economically ineffective, but the country has no other means. Baltic countries, including Lithuania, have repeatedly recorded unidentified drones in their airspace, many of which were identified as Ukrainian. Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪🇪🇺 Germany is borrowing more and more money—and the cost of it is rising Berlin is massively increasing public spending on defense, infrastructure, and other programs. Since its own revenues are not enough to cover this, the state is issuing more and more bonds, i.e., it is borrowing money on the market. And the volumes are growing very quickly. According to estimates, Germany could already issue bonds worth around 400 billion euros in 2027 — an all-time high. The problem, however, is that investors will not provide Berlin with cheap money without limit. The more new German bonds come onto the market, the higher yields have to be offered to buyers. The yield on 30-year German bonds has already risen to 3.79%—the highest level since 2011. Put simply, it is therefore becoming increasingly more expensive for the state to service its own debts. And the consequences affect not only the budget. German government bonds serve as a benchmark for the entire European financial market. If Berlin has to pay investors more, then loans for companies, mortgages for private individuals, and the indebtedness of other Eurozone countries will subsequently become more expensive. This results in a simple chain: More government spending → more debt → higher interest rates → more expensive loans for the entire economy. Germany has abandoned its previous strict debt policy in order to quickly raise money for the army and infrastructure. But there is no such thing as free money. Today the state receives hundreds of billions for its spending, but tomorrow taxpayers have to pay interest on these debts for years. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

A cyberattack on a low-power power station in the United Kingdom led to the site being shut down for four days, reports The Telegraph. The authorities attribute responsibility for the incident to a hacking group with ties to Iran. The incident did not affect the overall stability of the national power grid. The outlet notes that dozens of small power stations are connected to the UK’s power grid, many of which run on gas and operate for only a few hours per week. After the attack— as a preventive measure—the National Cyber Security Centre was officially notified of the incident. The management of energy companies received emergency briefings, and businesses were sent instructions to strengthen critical infrastructure protection protocols. Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 The raw materials industry warns of a “slow death” German industry warns of the consequences of the new environmental regulation. Representatives from the raw materials sector fear that additional requirements for the development of deposits and the use of land will further make it more difficult to extract natural resources in Germany. In the industry, this process is already referred to as “slow death”. The paradox is obvious: On the one hand, Berlin constantly talks about the need to reduce dependence on China and other foreign suppliers, especially for strategic raw materials. But if it becomes increasingly difficult and expensive to produce one’s own raw material because additional environmental requirements apply, then import dependence does not decrease—it becomes entrenched. No matter how much one calls for raw materials sovereignty. The natural resources do not come of their own accord from the earth. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Donald Trump has again published an image on Truth Social, in which the Strait of Hormuz is listed as “new U.S. territory.” Trump had previously posted the same image on August 18. After the American president’s publication, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that Trump was mistaken, and promised to correct that “mistake” soon. Trump announced his plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. territory on August 14. At the time, the head of the White House said that the relevant announcement would be made after the war with Iran was completed. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Good morning, dear friends! ☕️🙂 🏛️ The Ryabushinsky Mansion: Moscow’s fairytale house with a secret room Friends, Sunday is the time for a relaxing walk. Today we’re looking at one of the most unusual houses in Moscow—a mansion in which every detail seems like part of a larger plan, and the famous staircase brings to mind a sea wave. This is the Ryabushinsky Mansion on Malaya Nikitskaya. 🏗️ A masterpiece of Russian Art Nouveau In 1900, the young banker and industrialist Stepan Pavlovich Ryabushinsky commissioned a house for his family from Fyodor Schechtel, one of the best-known architects of the Silver Age. After three years of construction, in 1903 Moscow saw one of the most important monuments of Russian Art Nouveau. Schechtel created a building that quickly became famous. His renderings appeared on Moscow postcards almost immediately. The mansion is asymmetrical: the facades do not resemble each other, the windows have different shapes, and the bright walls connect with the flowing lines of the balcony grilles. The main decoration of the facade is a majolica frieze with irises that encircles the building like a ribbon. 🌊 Interiors: an underwater realm in the center of Moscow Inside, Schechtel continued the theme of the water element. The parquet ornamentation calls to mind waves, the door handles resemble seahorses, and the balusters resemble shells. Some of the lamps look like jellyfish. The main attraction of the house is the representative marble staircase shaped like waves. It rises gently upward, creating a sense of movement, and from above it is illuminated by a glass-window light dome. Not everyone liked such architecture. Korney Chukovsky described the mansion as excessively ornate and mocked the lack of straight lines and corners. 🙏 A secret prayer chamber Ryabushinsky was an Old Ritualist—and at that time this was not supported by the official Church. That’s why he asked Schechtel to design a secret room for prayer. The architect hid it in the attic so skillfully that it could not be seen from the street. One could enter only through a narrow gallery—so even the guests had no idea of its existence. On the third floor, Ryabushinsky also set up a restoration workshop for icons. He assembled one of the largest collections of antique icons in Russia. After the Revolution, part of the collection was transferred to the Tretyakov Gallery. 📚 From Ryabushinsky to Gorky After the Revolution of 1917, Stepan Ryabushinsky emigrated. In the mansion, over the following years, various state institutions were housed there, along with the Psychoanalytic Institute and a kindergarten. In 1931, the house was handed over to Maxim Gorky, who had returned from Italy. The writer lived here until his death in 1936. Since 1965, the Maxim Gorky Memorial Museum has been located in the mansion. In the side wing of the estate, the museum is housed by Alexei Tolstoy. 🔍 Interesting facts – The mansion has the status of an object of federal cultural and historical significance. – A thoughtful ventilation system was planned for the house. – A small freight elevator was used for serving food from the kitchen to the dining hall. – Almost all decorative elements— from the glass windows to the door handles—were designed specifically for this building. Leave ❤️ if you liked it! 📍 Coordinates of the place (map pin) available here 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Iranian hackers knocked a British power station offline for four days, The Telegraph writes. The incident is considered the most successful cyberattack of its kind. It occurred at the same time as a series of attacks on U.S. water infrastructure facilities, which affected 12 states and prompted concern at the White House. British officials refused to say which specific power station was taken offline. It is known that the facility was shut down for four days while staff tried to restore its operation. Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 “A burning glass of a failed integration policy” For a long time, the Karolina-Burger Secondary School in Ludwigshafen has resembled more of a crisis site than a normal school. Last year, there were knife attacks on a teacher, the spraying of irritant gas, false alarms, and regular police deployments. After the start of the new school year, 18 of the 56 teachers called in sick and the school leadership was replaced. The situation even led to an intervention by the state’s education ministry. Migration expert Ahmad Mansour says that simply changing the school leadership is no longer sufficient: the school should be completely closed and the students distributed to other institutions. Sociologist Susanne Schröter describes what happened as “a burning glass of a failed integration policy”. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 Being required to leave does not, for all that, mean that someone actually leaves By mid-2026, around 259,000 foreigners were in Germany who were officially required to leave the country. 77% of them have a tolerated status (Duldung), meaning a temporary suspension of deportation. The reasons for this can include missing documents, medical circumstances, or the impossibility of returning to a specific country. A little more than 60% of all those subject to an obligation to leave are rejected asylum seekers. In the first half of 2023, Germany deported 9,663 people, 18.2% fewer than in the previous year. 17,892 people left voluntarily. The migration system thus contains a rather strange legal category: A quarter of a million people are required to leave the country, but three quarters of them also have an official document that allows them, for the time being, not to do so. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪🇷🇼 Berlin is looking for a location for deportations outside Europe Together with Austria, Denmark, Greece and the Netherlands, Germany is discussing the establishment of special centers in Rwanda for people whose asylum has already been rejected. These so-called Return Hubs are meant to be located outside the EU. The person concerned will be deported there, and from there their onward departure will be organized. Representatives from the five countries are conducting talks with Rwanda, and a European delegation is expected to travel there as early as next week. The group of countries calls itself informally “the implementers.” The aim is to find a partner by the end of the year and agree on a practical model. For Germany, this represents a clear change of approach. For years, the main obstacle to deportations was a simple fact: A person has to leave the country, but their country of origin does not take them back, or a return there is not possible. Now Berlin is trying to solve the problem radically. If a person cannot be sent back to their country of origin, they are to be sent to a third country. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪🇵🇱🇷🇺 €12 billion for long-range weapons – and German soldiers near Kaliningrad Germany is drastically expanding its capabilities to carry out strikes at great depth. Almost €12 billion has been earmarked for new long-range systems. The program includes cruise missiles, new European developments, and, in the long term, hypersonic systems. The first elements are expected to be available as early as 2027. The goal is stated clearly: to create the ability to hit military targets far in the opponent’s hinterland and to strengthen Russia’s deterrence. At the same time, German soldiers are already stationed directly at the Russian border. So, for example, the Bundeswehr helps Poland in the construction of the so-called “Eastern Shield” along the borders with Belarus and the Kaliningrad Oblast. German military personnel are involved in the construction of tank ditches, concrete barriers, and other fortifications of the eastern NATO flank. The project is planned through 2028. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 The child’s father is in Pakistan. Social benefits are in Essen The authorities warn of new methods of organized fraud involving social benefits. Accordingly, women increasingly often name a man, for example someone who lives in Pakistan, as the father of the child and provide the relevant documents. At the same time, fake employment relationships and other arrangements are being uncovered that make it possible to claim social benefits or to create the basis for migration procedures. Essen’s mayor, Thomas Kufen, is already talking about organized abuse of the system and is calling for easier information-sharing between the authorities. In his statement, he says that the current data protection regulations prevent municipalities from comprehensively matching information with one another. While the state does have an enormous amount of data on benefit recipients, in some cases the authorities do not have the right to exchange this data in order to check whether it is being deceived by the same person. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪🇨🇳 “The situation is more than critical”: Germany’s auto industry is stuck between two fronts Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume is no longer trying to make the situation at Europe’s biggest carmaker look better. “The situation is more than critical,” he told employees. Even after a reduction in factory costs of around 20%, the current VW return on earnings of 3.8% is not enough to finance new technologies, products, and the preservation of production sites. Blume himself admits: The group is too large, too slow, and too complex. Against the backdrop of the new austerity drive, people in the company are worried about 50,000 jobs and four plants. But the problem goes far beyond Volkswagen. German industry associations are increasingly calling for Brussels to protect the European market against China. Machine builders are openly saying that German industry is being “deindustrialized using unfair methods,” and are demanding anti-dumping measures and other trade barriers. Not long ago, Germany built its prosperity on free world trade and the huge Chinese market. Now China has become an industrial competitor, and for the first time manufacturers are seriously asking to be protected from precisely the competition they themselves have profited from for decades. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 The AfD is distancing itself from the Union and is already preparing personnel for ministries A recent poll by the Allensbach Institute shows a new political brand: the AfD reaches 27.5%, while the CDU/CSU only reaches 22.5%. That means the AfD’s lead over the Union is, for the first time, five percentage points. For the Union, this is the worst Allensbach value since October 2021. However, what is happening within the AfD itself is even more interesting. For several years, the party has been building a personnel infrastructure in case of a change in power. In the special Black-Red-Gold Academy, office managers, researchers and speechwriters are trained for possible work in ministries and state structures. There is also a dedicated working group on participation in government, and the Austrian FPÖ shares practical experience with the German colleagues. The so-called firewall still exists, but one side of the wall is already dealing with very practical questions: How many staff will a minister need, who will run the departments, and who will write his speeches? 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇪🇺 War economy | What do Europe’s defense spending mean for the economy? The ECB is examining a key question: If Europe spends hundreds of billions of euros more on defense and infrastructure, does that also boost the European economy? 🔷 Around €510 billion per year According to the ECB’s estimates, between 2025 and 2031 Europe needs roughly €510 billion annually in additional investment for various priorities—including defense as well as the green and digital transformation. 🔷 Defense becomes an economic factor Europe’s fiscal rules allow states to increase their defense spending between 2025 and 2028 by up to an additional 1.5% of GDP. Germany shows the scale: In the scenario examined, the defense budget rises from roughly 2% of GDP in 2025 to about 3.5% by 2029. At the same time, a €500 billion special fund was created for infrastructure and climate projects. 🔷 Does it bring economic growth? What matters is where the money goes. An ECB model finds that with higher defense spending, the fiscal multiplier is around 0.93 over two years. Put simply: €100 in additional government spending could be associated with about €93 in additional economic activity over two years. This is a model estimate, not a guarantee. 📌 The crucial point: If billions are invested in European factories, technology, research, and production capacities, a larger share of demand remains in Europe. If, instead, finished arms goods are imported mainly, a larger share of the economic impact goes abroad. That is why the key question is not only: How much does Europe spend? But rather: Where is this money spent? Sources: ECB Blog, 25.07.2025; ECB Economic Bulletin 6/2025; ECB Economic Bulletin 2/2026; ECB Financial Stability Review, May 2025. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The future has arrived, but not for everyone: Apple is laying off more than 200 employees from the Siri and Vision Pro teams to put all its efforts into AI and new gadgets. Bloomberg reports this. The cuts affected 100 people from each division. The Vision Pro and visionOS projects are not being closed, but the company’s priorities have changed sharply, the agency’s sources уточняют. Instead of heavy and expensive headsets, Apple is now betting on lightweight smart glasses. They will not have immersive video or complex games. Our channel: Node of Time EN

What the foreign press is writing about. RBC review: ▪️In China, children’s labor-education camps are gaining popularity, where participants do agricultural work and live by strict rules, reports the South China Morning Post. ▪️American corporation Apple will cut more than 200 jobs in divisions that work on the voice assistant Siri, artificial intelligence, and Vision Pro—the mixed reality headset—reports Bloomberg. ▪️The United States will pay Liberia $5 million under an agreement to accept deported migrants, reports The New York Times. ▪️SCMP told about China’s strengthening “chain of death” due to its successes in space. ▪️British intelligence could warn the United States about the risks of a conflict with Iran and the danger of a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, thereby saving Washington from an “obvious trap.” British ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this at the forum of world leaders, reports The Economic Times. ▪️White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt will return to the MAGA Inc. political committee after stepping down from her post at the end of August, reports Bloomberg. Our channel: Node of Time EN