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COMMENTARY: Paks Went Dark as Hungary’s Political Clock Kept Running
On August 2, 2026, the Hungarian government linked a drought-hit Danube and heatwave to the first full shutdown of Paks; three days later Tisza…
EDITORIAL: Poland Is Building the East While Washington Still Talks
On August 5–6, 2026, reporting by People’s Daily/Xinhua said Poland and the United States were in talks over possible permanent U.S. bases, while no…
DECODING: Berlin’s €109.7 Billion Defence Jump Comes With an €838 Billion Bill
The cabinet led by Friedrich Merz approved a draft 2027 budget on July 6, 2026 that raises German defence spending from €82.2 billion in…
OPEN LETTER: AUKUS Cannot Become a Paper Promise of Submarines
The Pentagon has proposed that Australia receive only Virginia-class attack submarines already in service, rather than the mix of used and newly built boats…
ANALYSIS: 450 Seats, 11 Occupied Districts, and a Duma Election Already Distorted
Russia’s September 18–20, 2026 Duma election will choose 450 deputies, including 11 constituencies created in occupied Ukrainian territories. The map creates a legitimacy problem…
OPEN LETTER: A Locked Duma Does Not Become Pluralist by Decree
On July 13, 2026, anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin was detained near Moscow after announcing a Duma candidacy, according to the BBC. The event sits…
PORTRAIT: The Geran-2 Is Adapting. Ukraine Says It Is Still Stopping 95%
Geran-2 The Russian Geran-2 is acquiring new electronic defences, mesh-radio control, and in one reported variant a terminal artificial-vision system. 12-element Kometa Ukraine is…
NARRATIVE: Ukraine Extends Mobilisation as Russia Raises the Price of Recruits
20th extension Ukraine’s parliament approved a twentieth consecutive extension of martial law and general mobilisation, effective from 2 August to 31 October 2026. 90…
COLUMN: 23,000 Russian Losses You Can See—And the Larger Count You Cannot
more than 23,000 A May 2026 account drawing on Oryx’s photo-and-video methodology put visually confirmed Russian equipment losses above 23,000 items. Oryx methodology The…