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American Military News
18 hours ago
- Science
- American Military News
Tsunami Waves Hit Pacific Coastlines After Massive Earthquake In Russia's Far East
This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula early on July 30, triggering tsunami waves, widespread evacuations, and emergency declarations around the Pacific Rim. The quake, which originated 119 kilometers east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a shallow depth of 19.3 kilometers, is the strongest seismic event in the region since 1952, according to Russia's Geophysical Service of the Academy of Sciences. Tremors were felt across Kamchatka and as far away as the Kuril Islands. Witnesses described intense ground shaking as car alarms blared. Residents rushed into the streets as more than 30 aftershocks followed, including a powerful 6.9-magnitude jolt shortly after the main quake. Power outages were reported across Kamchatka and Sakhalin. Authorities say the power grid in Sakhalin sustained damage, and electricity remains shut off in several districts. The earthquake, initially measured at magnitude 8.0, was later upgraded to 8.8 by the U.S. Geological Survey. Its impact extended far beyond Russia, with tsunami warnings issued as far south as the Galápagos Islands and across the entire Pacific coast of the Americas. The seismic event triggered a series of tsunami waves that struck coastal areas, particularly the port town of Severo-Kurilsk in Russia's Sakhalin region. Sakhalin Region Governor Valery Limarenko said no deaths were reported and that most residential structures remained intact. However, Kamchatka's Health Minister Oleg Melnikov confirmed several injuries, though none serious. Tsunami alerts extended across the Pacific, prompting evacuations and warnings in Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Japan. In Japan, tsunami waves washed several whales ashore and caused minor coastal flooding. Waves as high as 1.8 meters (6 feet) were reported in parts of Hawaii. Emergency teams, rescue workers, and medical staff are working around the clock to assess damage, restore services, and assist displaced residents. The authorities have also taken steps to ensure the safety of the public, including issuing evacuation orders and providing emergency supplies. Russia's Emergencies Ministry confirmed no fatalities but warned that infrastructure inspections are ongoing. 'Our response operations are continuing across the affected zones. The priority is restoring critical systems and ensuring the safety of all residents,' the ministry said in a statement. The earthquake highlights Kamchatka's location in one of the world's most active seismic zones—the Pacific Ring of Fire—where tectonic movements frequently generate powerful earthquakes and volcanic activity. As regional recovery begins, scientists warn that further aftershocks are likely in the coming days. The long-term effects of the disaster, including potential changes in the local ecosystem and the need for continued support for affected communities, are also a concern.
American Military News
3 days ago
- General
- American Military News
Armenia Is About To Put Its Ancient Manuscripts Online For Free
This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. Among columns of exhausted ethnic Armenians fleeing the mass killings carried out by Ottoman Turks beginning in 1915, some hid books or ancient documents inside their clothing. For many survivors, the easily hidden manuscripts were the only remnant of their nation that they were able to smuggle to safety. Thousands of those books and documents eventually arrived in modern Armenia where today they are held in the purpose-built Matenadaran, a storehouse for the country's historic manuscripts. Many, however, remain in museums and private collections scattered throughout the world. Now experts at the Matenadaran are involved in a groundbreaking project to place all accessible Armenian manuscripts –- from ancient bibles to medieval cake recipes –- onto a searchable database. Emma Horopian, the head of public relations for the Matenadaran, told RFE/RL that the project — formally named the Armenian Manuscript Catalogue Access Platform — will 'store and present manuscript descriptions in a structured and searchable format.' Convincing all holders of Armenian manuscripts throughout the world to physically relinquish them to Armenia would be virtually impossible, so compiling a searchable database of the manuscripts in one place online is seen as the next best thing. Gurgen Gasparian, a staff member of the Matenadaran, told local media that the platform will allow 'any Armenologist, researcher, or scientist to find the information they are looking for within seconds,' once the database goes online. Thousands of manuscripts will become findable on the online platform with keywords that include physical descriptions and will be downloadable free of charge. The first stage of the project is planned to go live in early 2026. The online platform is being funded by a charitable institution set up by the late British-Armenian oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian. As the first nation to officially adopt Christianity, Horopian says, Armenia's manuscripts provide 'unique sources for the study of Christianity,' as well as 'medieval art, linguistics, and intercultural exchange in the Middle East and Caucasus regions.'
American Military News
3 days ago
- Politics
- American Military News
Russia Tones Down Naval Celebrations As Drones Fly Near Putin's Hometown
This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. Russia held subdued ceremonies honoring its navy on July 27 in St. Petersburg, citing security concerns, and authorities in the surrounding region reported that air defense forces shot down several drones they said were fired by Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia kept up its assault on Ukraine, where officials said the military shot down 78 of the 83 attack drones or decoys fired overnight and into the morning, including several whose fragments damaged buildings in the Poltava region, which lies between Kyiv and the front lines in the east. Russian President Vladimir Putin revived a Navy Day parade of ships on the Neva River in his hometown of St. Petersburg in 2017, part of continuing efforts to celebrate the military and whip up patriotic sentiment. But the naval parade was canceled this year, a decision announced by local authorities late last week. On July 27, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that 'it's linked to the overall situation, security reasons, which are above all else.' Russian officials said more than 10 drones were shot down in the morning in the Leningrad region, which surrounds St. Petersburg, and the governor said one woman was slightly injured by falling debris. Dozens of flights were suspended at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo airport. Almost 100 drones were shot down in various Russian regions overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Putin was in St. Petersburg and received reports on a four-day naval exercise that ended on July 27 and involved vessels from the Baltic Sea, off St. Petersburg, to the Pacific. He pledged to build more warships and step up naval training, saying that 'the navy's strike power and combat capability will rise to a qualitatively new level.' Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv's forces have sunk or damaged several Russian naval vessels in the Black Sea, hampering its operations there and chasing it from the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula to a base in Russia, Novorossiisk. While nothing like the large, unrelenting air strikes that Russia has been unleashing on Ukrainian cities nationwide and stepped up in recent months, Kyiv has harried Russia with drone attacks. In a social media post on July 26, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian strikes on cities, towns, and infrastructure 'certainly cannot be left without response, and Ukrainian long-range drones ensure one. 'Russian military enterprises, Russian logistics, and Russian airfields must see that Russia's own war is now hitting them back with real consequences,' he wrote. 'The precision of our drones, the daily nature of Ukraine's responses — are some of the arguments that will surely bring peace closer.' Russian and Ukrainian negotiators made no visible progress toward peace at a brief third round of direct negotiations in Istanbul on July 23. Russia has rejected calls by the United States, European countries, and Ukraine for a cease-fire, and Kyiv and Moscow remain miles apart on key issues such as territory and security. Among other things, Russia says Ukraine must cede four mainland regions that it baselessly claims are now Russian, including the portions that its forces do not hold, and accept strict limits on the size of its armed forces and foreign military President Donald Trump, who has been seeking to broker a peace deal since he took office in January, threatened on July 14 to impose new sanctions on Moscow – and secondary sanctions punishing countries that buy Russian petroleum products — if Russia and Ukraine do not reach a deal by early an interview with Fox News broadcast on July 26, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Trump is becoming 'increasingly frustrated' that despite having good interactions with Putin during phone calls, 'it never leads anywhere.' Trump is 'losing his patience. He's losing his willingness to continue to wait for the Russian side to do something here, to bring an end to this war,' Rubio said, adding that there was 'no way that Putin could have sustained this war without Chinese support, particularly buying his oil.'
American Military News
5 days ago
- Politics
- American Military News
At Least 6 Dead In Militant Attack On Courthouse In Southeast Iran
This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. At least six people were killed and 22 injured after three Jaish al-Adl militants attacked a courthouse in Zahedan, the capital of the restive province of Sistan-Baluchistan in southeast Iran. The Iranian judiciary in a statement on July 26 called the assault a 'terrorist attack.' Jaish al-Adl, a Baluch separatist militant group that is believed to be operating out of neighboring Pakistan, claimed the attack in a statement on its Telegram channel. The group warned the judiciary's personnel that Sistan-Baluchistan is 'no longer a safe place' for them. Iranian media said all three attackers were killed in the attack. This marks the militant group's deadliest attack in Iran since October 2024, when Jaish al-Adl militants ambushed a police convoy, killing 10 officers. Jaish al-Adl, which is designated as a terrorist group by both Iran and the United States, has repeatedly clashed with security forces and Iranian border guards in Sistan-Baluchistan Province, at times taking them hostage or killing them. Members of the Baluch minority, many of whom are Sunni Muslims in Shi'ite-majority Iran, have long faced disproportionate discrimination and violence at the hands of the authorities. The area has also long been a key transit route for narcotics smuggled from Afghanistan to the West and beyond.
Balkan Insight
6 days ago
- Politics
- Balkan Insight
A calculated gesture? The release of Siarhei Tsikhanouski and the future of the Belarusian democratic forces
July 25, 2025 - Hanna Vasilevich - Articles and Commentary Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya often campaigned for her husbands release. Photo taken in Vilnius in May 2025 by Michele Ursi / Shutterstock The symbolism and strategy behind the release In June 2025, the Belarusian authorities announced the release of fourteen political prisoners, including Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a 2020 presidential election candidate and husband of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. While international observers cautiously welcomed the gesture, the release is less a sign of a regime in retreat than a carefully choreographed diplomatic performance by Alyaksandr Lukashenka's government. Tsikhanouski's imprisonment in 2020 had become a catalyst for the largest protest wave in Belarus's modern history, and his sudden freedom comes at a time when the regime faces mounting geopolitical pressures and persistent domestic unrest. Tsikhanouski's release is profoundly symbolic but equally strategic. His name has become synonymous with the Belarusian struggle for democratic change, and his incarceration was a rallying point for opposition forces. Yet, the timing and selectivity of his release reveal the regime's intent to manage perceptions and extract maximum advantage from every concession. Lukashenka's government has long weaponized political prisoners as bargaining chips, releasing them not out of genuine reformist impulses but to signal flexibility to the West while maintaining an iron grip on power. This pattern, documented by the Viasna Human Rights Centre and extensively reported by such media outlets as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Belsat, underscores that releases are always conditional and instrumental to the regime's broader strategy. Importantly, while some political prisoners are freed, the regime continues to detain many others, underscoring that these gestures do not signal a systemic change in repression. Aliaksandr Klaskouski, one of the leading Belarusian political analysts, has illuminated how Lukashenka's regime has cultivated a deliberate construction of an ongoing narrative of existential threat to justify repression and consolidate power. Klaskouski argues that the selective release of prisoners like Tsikhanouski fits this framework. After all, it is a controlled concession designed to project an image of magnanimity without ceding real authority or undermining the regime's grip on society. Geopolitical calculations and diplomatic signalling Understanding this latest gesture requires situating it within Belarus's complex geopolitical position. The regime remains heavily dependent on Moscow's economic and security support but is increasingly aware of the risks of international isolation and sanctions. By releasing selected prisoners, Minsk attempts to signal a willingness to engage diplomatically, particularly with the United States and the European Union, without undermining its strategic alliance with Russia. This delicate balancing act reflects Lukashenka's broader survival strategy: to maintain authoritarian control while exploiting geopolitical rivalries to extract concessions and reduce external pressure. The release of the American lawyer and political activist of Belarusian origin Yury Ziankovich in April 2025, a move widely interpreted as a signal to Washington, and the subsequent discreet visit made by a US envoy in May, laid the groundwork for the June releases and exemplified this calculated approach. Some commentators note that these amnesties are often timed around symbolic dates, such as the Day of National Unity, to project an image of national reconciliation and regime generosity. Yet, they also argue that these gestures are carefully staged performances rather than genuine reforms, requiring public expressions of gratitude from those released and accompanied by ongoing repression. The 'revolving door' nature of political imprisonment in Belarus – where releases are balanced by new arrests – ensures continued control and intimidation. This strategy allows the regime to deflect international criticism while testing western willingness to engage diplomatically without demanding substantive change. Selectivity and opposition dynamics Valer Karbalevich, another prominent Belarusian political analyst, has emphasized that the choice to release Tsikhanouski but keep other high-profile prisoners detained is a deliberate tactic to sow uncertainty within opposition ranks while maintaining leverage over international interlocutors. The regime's selectivity in prisoner releases is particularly telling. While Tsikhanouski and several foreign nationals – citizens of Poland, Latvia, Japan, Estonia and Sweden – were freed, other prominent detainees remain imprisoned. Among them is Andrzej Poczobut, the Belarusian journalist of Polish ethnicity and a minority activist whose continued detention has become a major irritant in Minsk's relations with Warsaw. The refusal to release Poczobut signals the regime's unwillingness to appear weak in the face of Polish pressure, even as it seeks to unsettle the opposition by freeing Tsikhanouski. Equally revealing is the regime's choice to release Tsikhanouski but not other high-profile political prisoners such as Viktar Babaryka or Maria Kalesnikava. Babaryka, the former banker and presidential hopeful, commands broad appeal among the urban middle class and is seen as a technocratic alternative to Lukashenka. His continued imprisonment reflects the regime's fear of empowering a figure capable of rallying both domestic and elite support, potentially threatening Lukashenka's narrative of indispensability. Kalesnikava, by contrast, has emerged as a symbol of uncompromising resistance. Her defiant stance during her arrest and imprisonment has inspired both domestic activists and international supporters. Releasing her could reinvigorate the protest movement's moral core and international visibility. By contrast, Tsikhanouski's political profile is closely linked to his wife Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's leadership in exile, making his release a calculated move to introduce uncertainty within the opposition without immediately strengthening its organizational capacity or international standing. This selective clemency underscores the regime's ongoing strategy of dividing and weakening the opposition by manipulating the fates of its most influential figures. Opposition reactions and Tsikhanouski's intentions Within the democratic forces, Tsikhanouski's release has generated a mixture of relief and apprehension. Since becoming free, Tsikhanouski has publicly affirmed that he has no intention of interfering with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's leadership of the democratic movement in exile, emphasizing the importance of unity in the face of ongoing repression. He has also expressed a firm commitment to advocating for the release of 'many, if not all' political prisoners, signalling that his focus will be on supporting detainees and their families while helping to rebuild opposition networks inside Belarus. Though cautious about outlining a direct political role or challenging existing leadership structures, Tsikhanouski's renewed presence injects both hope and uncertainty into the landscape of the opposition, a dynamic the regime is likely to exploit. Some experts have already stressed that only sustained multilateral pressure and coordinated international advocacy can transform prisoner releases from mere symbolic acts into meaningful progress. The international community must resist the temptation to reward Lukashenka's calculated concessions and instead focus on comprehensive strategies that confront systemic repression and bolster Belarusian civil society Between gestures and genuine change The release of Siarhei Tsikhanouski is undeniably a moment of relief for many within Belarus and the international community. Yet, this gesture should not be mistaken for a genuine opening or a sign of the regime's willingness to embrace democratic reform. Instead, it fits squarely within Lukashenka's long-standing playbook of managing opposition and international pressure through carefully calibrated concessions designed to maintain his grip on power. By freeing Tsikhanouski but continuing to detain other key figures, the regime is not only manipulating perceptions abroad but also sowing discord within an opposition usually characterized by unity, which has been one of its few sources of resilience. This selective leniency risks fracturing the opposition's effectiveness at a critical juncture, playing into the regime's hands. Moreover, the ongoing repression of hundreds of political prisoners underscores that the fundamental structures of authoritarian control remain intact. From my perspective, the international community must recognize this release for what it is: a tactical move rather than a breakthrough. Western governments should welcome humanitarian progress but remain vigilant against allowing Lukashenka to use such gestures as leverage to weaken sanctions or legitimize his regime. The opposition, meanwhile, faces the urgent task of reaffirming its unity and strategic coherence to resist the regime's divide-and-rule tactics. Ultimately, in Belarus, freedom remains a contested and weaponized concept. The release of political prisoners like Tsikhanouski offers a glimpse of hope but also a reminder of the regime's enduring capacity for manipulation. Meaningful change will require sustained pressure, principled solidarity, and a refusal to be placated by symbolic gestures alone. Hanna Vasilevich holds a Doctoral Degree in International Relations and European Studies. Her research interests include state ideology and propaganda, identity issues, inter-ethnic relations, linguistic diversity as well as diaspora and kin-state relations. New Eastern Europe is a reader supported publication. Please support us and help us reach our goal of $10,000! We are nearly there. Donate by clicking on the button below. Alyaksandr Lukashenka, belarus, political prisoners, Sviatlana Tsikhanouksaya
