Geopolitical Digest by Mikhail Azhgirevich - June 13, 2026!

Геополитический дайджест от Михаила Ажгиревича за 13 июня 2026!

Gabbard declassifies the biolabs - and names Fauci as a liar

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard published declassified documents on U.S.-funded Ukrainian biolaboratories conducting research on anthrax, Ebola, plague and Marburg fever - with virtually no oversight. Gabbard directly accused Fauci and Biden's national security team of lying to the American people about the programme's existence. Notably, Gabbard leaves office on June 30 - the documents appeared in her final days. On her way out, Gabbard put on the table what others spent years hiding. A farewell gift with biological contents.

Iran deal - tomorrow, or maybe not

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry announced the U.S.-Iran memorandum would be signed electronically on Sunday, only for Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman to clarify it "won't be Sunday, but possibly within days." The text sits with Khamenei, the IRGC commander objects, and an Iranian MP calls the terms "more damaging" than previous drafts. Every "tomorrow" in the Middle East is just a polite way of saying "unknown."

Fuel crisis spreads - from Crimea to St. Petersburg and Tatarstan

Tatneft has introduced limits across its entire network - 20 litres of petrol or 40 litres of diesel per visit. Rosneft and Lukoil in Moscow set

Geopolitical Digest by Mikhail Azhgirevich - June 12, 2026!

Геополитический дайджест от Михаила Ажгиревича за 12 июня 2026!

Deal on the finish line - but the IRGC objects and Khamenei stays silent

Pakistan's prime minister announced the finalisation of the U.S.-Iran memorandum text, and Qatar's delegation achieved a breakthrough with Araqchi and Qalibaf present - but IRGC Commander General Vahidi, also in the room, disagreed with several terms. The text has been sent to Khamenei for final approval, which has not arrived. An Iranian MP already called the new version "more damaging" to Iran than previous drafts. Agreement agreed by everyone except those who decide. Classic Iranian diplomacy.

UAE unfreezes up to $20 billion for Iran - the price of neutrality revealed

Reuters reports the UAE will unlock at least $10 billion in Iranian oil revenues, with the total potentially reaching $20 billion - part of it paid in exchange for Iran's commitment not to attack the Emirates during the war's final weeks. Three billion has already arrived in cash by plane. UAE neutrality cost Tehran one withheld strike - and earned $20 billion. Expensive restraint, but rational.

Iran strikes Bahrain air base - fuel depots hit during peace talks

Iranian missiles struck fuel storage and a newly built hangar at ISA Air Base in Bahrain, hitting American

Geopolitical Digest by Mikhail Azhgirevich - June 8, 2026!

Геополитический дайджест от Михаила Ажгиревича за 8 июня 2026!

EU warships to seize tankers - the shadow fleet is now a target

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that Operation IRINI in the Mediterranean has been granted new rules of engagement, allowing European warships to intercept and detain tankers suspected of carrying Russian oil. Originally designed to block arms shipments to Libya, IRINI has been quietly repurposed into a naval enforcement tool for energy sanctions.  Kallas rewrites the rules in the Mediterranean - Russia will rewrite its shipping routes in response.

The European trio arms Ukraine - and integrates its defence industry

Britain, France and Germany announced after their London summit the production of long-range weapons and air defence systems for Ukraine, with a commitment to formally integrate Ukraine's defence sector into Europe's military-industrial base. Notably, every single British nuclear submarine is currently out of service for maintenance, with none expected to return for several years.  London is producing weapons for someone else's war while its own nuclear fleet sits in dry dock - a curious set of priorities.

Israel promises to retaliate against Iran - Trump begs it not to

Iran struck back after Israel bombed Beirut, Israel vowed to respond, and Trump called Netanyahu personally: "We

Geopolitical Digest by Mikhail Azhgirevich - June 3, 2026!

Геополитический дайджест

Netanyahu thanks America, Trump reminds everyone who saved whom

Netanyahu addressed the American public with a rallying cry: "When we fight Iran, we're fighting for you" - a transparent attempt to keep Washington on side as Trump's patience visibly wears thin. Trump, meanwhile, claimed that his decision to launch operations against Iran personally saved Israel from annihilation: "If it weren't for me, there would be no Israel." Two allies publicly trading gratitude while privately trading insults - the special relationship, 2026 edition. Netanyahu fights for America, Trump saves Israel. Both claim the debt - neither plans to pay it.

Araqchi draws the line: Lebanon and Iran rise or fall together

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi delivered Tehran's position with unusual bluntness: the war ends simultaneously in Lebanon and Iran, or it ends in neither. Any strike on Beirut, he warned, means an immediate return to full-scale war - a red line stated publicly, without qualifications. Israel's ground advance beyond the "Yellow Line" in southern Lebanon has now been formally equated by Tehran with a direct attack on Iran itself. One front, one fate. Those who missed the memo are invited to re-read it.

Trump says Hormuz can stay closed until September

The

Geopolitical Digest by Mikhail Azhgirevich — June 2, 2026!

Geopolitical Digest by Mikhail Azhgirevich — June 2, 2026!

Trump screams at Netanyahu — the 'unbreakable' bond cracks

According to Axios, Trump erupted at the Israeli Prime Minister over reports of a planned strike on Beirut: "You're f**ing crazy. You'd be in prison if it weren't for me. Now everyone hates Israel because of you." A sitting U.S. president publicly humiliating his closest Middle Eastern ally — rare under any circumstances, explosive in the middle of Iran negotiations. Trump saved Netanyahu from prison — Netanyahu thanked him by planning to bomb Beirut.*

Kazakhstan to store Iran's uranium — Russia's fingerprints on the deal

Astana announced readiness to accept Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile as part of a broader agreement, breaking the deadlock that had stalled nuclear talks for weeks. Reports suggest Rosatom is embedded in the arrangement, positioning Moscow once again at the centre of Middle Eastern diplomacy. Iranian uranium travelling to Kazakhstan via Russian hands — the Kremlin is back in the room.

FSB exposes Cloudflare surveillance op — IT infrastructure as spy infrastructure

Russia's FSB revealed that foreign intelligence services used software linked to Cloudflare's reverse proxy technology to wiretap senior Russian officials, describing it as one of the largest foreign espionage operations ever conducted against

Geopolitical Digest by Mikhail Azhgirevich — May 28, 2026

US and Iran Sign Memorandum — Hormuz Set to Reopen

Washington and Tehran have reached a 60-day memorandum of understanding: Iran will clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days and guarantee "unrestricted" passage for vessels — the document now awaits Trump's signature. The nuclear program has been deliberately placed on a separate track: Tehran successfully decoupled the two agendas, securing a ceasefire without making its central concession. Sixty days of quiet have been purchased at the price of deferring the nuclear question — possibly indefinitely.

Russia Bans Armenian Produce — The Tomato War Continues

Russia's agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor will restrict imports of Armenian tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and strawberries starting May 30 — a transparent response to Zelensky's visit to Yerevan and Armenia's announcement of a visa-free regime with the EU. Prime Minister Pashinyan appeared unfazed: Armenia is betting on becoming a "crossroads of peace" bankrolled by European funds, and pressure from Moscow is no longer a deterrent. Rosatom, meanwhile, has offered Yerevan a new nuclear power plant — the proverbial carrot following the stick, though the order of courses seems conspicuously reversed. A strawberry ban is a weak argument against a French visa.

Sweden Delivers 16 Gripens

Geopolitical Digest by Mikhail Azhgirevich — May 26, 2026

Геополитический дайджест от Михаила Ажгиревича за 26 мая 2026!

Israel crosses the "Yellow Line" — 70 airstrikes in 12 hours

The Israel Defense Forces have launched a ground incursion beyond their self-declared buffer zone in southern Lebanon, simultaneously unleashing a barrage of over 70 airstrikes in a 12-hour period. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly declared that the Israeli government will not allow Donald Trump to broker what he called a "bad deal" with Iran — effectively asserting an Israeli veto over American diplomatic efforts in the region.

EU digs in at Kyiv — Brussels dismisses Moscow's evacuation warning

European Commission spokesperson Anita Hipper rejected Russia's Foreign Ministry recommendation to evacuate diplomatic personnel from Kyiv, stating that the EU intends not only to maintain but to reinforce its diplomatic presence in the Ukrainian capital. Brussels is projecting defiant confidence in the face of Russian pressure.

Bortnikov lays out his hand: Ukraine is Europe's largest arms bazaar

FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, speaking at a CIS intelligence chiefs meeting, alleged that Ukraine has become the continent's largest arms trafficking hub and a testing ground for military AI development under third-party cover. He also claimed that the United States and Israel had eliminated senior Iranian officials by exploiting software backdoors embedded in

Geopolitical Digest by Mikhail Azhgirevich — May 24, 2026

Геополитический дайджест от Михаила Ажгиревича за 24 мая 2026!

 

"Oreshnik," "Kinzhal," "Zircon" — Russia's Strike of Retribution Against Ukraine

Russia launched a massive strike against Ukrainian military targets, deploying its full hypersonic arsenal: Oreshnik, Iskander, Kinzhal, and Zircon missiles struck the command centers of the Ground Forces' supreme headquarters, the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) headquarters, air bases, and defense industry facilities. Russia's Ministry of Defense explicitly emphasized that strikes on civilian infrastructure were neither planned nor carried out — residential buildings in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district were hit by Ukraine's own Patriot air defense missiles, which burned through more than 70% of their ammunition stockpile overnight. When air defense destroys homes instead of missiles, that's not a malfunction — it's a systemic failure.

 

Oreshnik Strikes Bila Tserkva — The Target Raises More Questions Than Answers

The deployment of an Oreshnik missile against the Bila Tserkva cargo aviation complex has sparked sharp debate among military analysts. The facility, which conducted 45–70 aviation operations annually before the war, has never featured prominently in any serious analysis of the conflict. Its Soviet-era aircraft repair capabilities were largely sold off to private owners by 2019, while drone assembly — Ukraine's primary military value-add — relocated long ago to Kyiv basements and European

Geopolitical Digest by Mikhail Azhgirevich for May 8, 2026

Геополитический дайджест от Михаила Ажгиревича за 8 мая 2026!

Trump Declares Victory Day – A Truce Is On

Secretary of State Rubio has publicly hinted that the U.S. might walk away from the Ukraine negotiations, stating that Washington "does not want to waste time." That single sharp signal proved enough: within hours, Zelensky announced agreement to a truce on May 9, 10, and 11, a move Moscow immediately backed. On the same day, Trump proclaimed May 8 as "America's Victory Day in World War II" – a gesture both historical and diplomatic, designed to give Kyiv political cover for the pause. Traffic jams on the roads leading out of the Ukrainian capital suggest the people of Kyiv have far less faith in the prospect of quiet than the official statements would have you believe. Zelensky's performative unpredictability has clear limits – the first sharp rebuke from Washington laid them bare.

Putin Calls Rostov Strike a Terrorist Act – Air Traffic Controllers Saved Lives

At a Security Council meeting, Putin labeled Ukraine's strike on the Rostov aviation center a terrorist act that endangered civilian aviation. He specifically praised the professionalism of the air traffic controllers who averted a catastrophe. In a conversation with Trump, the Russian president emphasized joint efforts

Geopolitical Digest by Mikhail Azhgirevich for May 6, 2026

Геополитический дайджест от Михаила Ажгиревича за 6 мая 2026!

Moscow Demands Diplomatic Evacuation from Kyiv – The Threat Becomes Official

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has urgently called on foreign states to evacuate their diplomats from Kyiv, warning of strikes against “decision-making centers” in the event of Ukrainian provocations during the Victory Day celebrations. Maria Zakharova specifically underscored the inevitability of a retaliatory strike, framing the warning as a direct response to Zelensky’s statements. A warning carries more weight when accompanied by an evacuation list.

Beijing Pressures Tehran – China Tired of a Closed Strait of Hormuz

During Araghchi’s visit to Beijing, China demanded the “rapid and complete” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, making it clear that the economic toll of the blockade has become painfully high for the Celestial Empire as well. The atmosphere of the talks, despite outward friendliness, was tense: Beijing directly called on Iran to avoid further escalation and not restart the war. The 1,500 vessels — which, according to Iranian state TV, are already waiting for permission to transit the strait — offer a stark illustration of how costly this blockade has become for the world.

Israel Strikes Beirut – Iran Sends Urgent Message

The Israeli Air Force, for the first time in several weeks