Ever since Iran launched an unparalleled large-scale attack against Israel on 1 October, using a barrage of nearly 200 ballistic missiles, the Middle East has been holding its breath in anticipation of a swift and crushing Israeli retaliation. Iran said its long-awaited attack was in response to Israel’s assassinations of …

In today’s summary:Russian troops have made significant advances on the southern flank of the Pokrovsk direction and on the Ugledar salientUkrainian Armed Forces units defend on the left bank of the Oskol River and counterattack in Volchansk in the north of the Kharkiv regionIn the Kursk region, the Russian Armed …

The Russian budget has been in deficit since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the draft budget for 2025 also envisages a deficit of 1.1 trillion rubles (0.5% of GDP). For now, the hole is being covered by current borrowing, and the National Welfare Fund (NWF) account …