July 17, 2025 5:45pm

Ben Borges

Editor’s Note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only.

POKROVSK, Donetsk Oblast – Light rain and the dying light of a cool summer evening accompany the Ukrainian drone team’s preparation

July 17, 2025 5:42pm

Ben Borges

U.S. President Donald Trump gave a 50-day ultimatum to Russia to end the war in Ukraine, promising to impose harsh sanctions otherwise.

Experts who spoke with the Kyiv Independent, however, say that Russia can take advantage of the once again extended deadline and scale up its summer offensive, ongoing

July 17, 2025 5:20pm

Ben Borges

“The people of America need this technology, and you need to have it in your arsenal,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

July 17, 2025 4:31pm

Ben Borges

“The U.S. wants to strengthen its support to Ukraine… The U.S. has therefore decided to reprioritize the delivery of Patriot ground-based air defense systems,” the Swiss Defense Ministry said in a statement.

July 17, 2025 3:33pm

Ben Borges

A modernized Ukrainian An-124 Ruslan cargo aircraft was relocated from Ukraine to Germany last week in a rare wartime flight, the Antonov company confirmed.

July 17, 2025 3:03pm

Reading Time: 10 minutes

Ben Borges

Around the same time several Ukrainian families were learning their loved ones had been killed in a massive Russian aerial attack in late May, nearly a dozen American college students were gathered to watch a Kremlin propaganda film.

They weren't studying in Russia—they were actually in the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C.

Students from East Central University in Oklahoma were pictured smiling as they visited the American Russian Cultural Center, where they were shown the film ‘The Big Three – Leaders of the Second World War' by Kremlin-controlled state broadcaster Russia Today.

But not only is this Russian propaganda operation able to operate on U.S. soil freely – it even gets to do it tax free.

A State Department spokesperson told The Counteroffensive that the Russian Cultural Center in the American capital is an “annex of the Embassy of the Russian Federation,” which entitled it not only to stay open but to be exempted from real estate taxes.

Events like these are alarmingly common: While Vladimir Putin's army routinely kills Ukrainian civilians, Russia abuses its diplomatic status to operate its propaganda machine in democratic societies – and the United States is not the only example.

The Russian House in Berlin has repeatedly tried to discredit Ukraine. In October 2022, this Russian House showed the film 'Holocaust: Threads of Memory,' which portrayed Ukrainians as Nazis and was produced by the Russian state broadcaster Russia Today (RT) – which is otherwise blocked in Germany.

Such events are attended by children and teenagers, according to the Russian House in Berlin’s social media posts.

Rossotrudnichestvo, the Russian government agency which runs Russia Houses around the world, is under EU sanctions. But Germany is in no hurry to close this center down, as it would violate a joint agreement.

According to that deal, the Goethe-Institut, the German center of culture, operates in Moscow, and the Russian House in Berlin. In addition, the German federal government continues to pay property tax for the Russian cultural center: a total of about 70,000 euros.

"The agreement is binding on both contracting parties... There is no provision which would allow either party to unilaterally terminate the agreement," the German Foreign Ministry told The Counteroffensive.

The activities of the Russian House in Berlin have caused outrage among Ukrainian activists, who have held protests calling for the center’s closure.

Iryna Shulikina, a Ukrainian woman who has lived in Germany for over 10 years, has been running Vitsche, a Berlin-based NGO that amplifies Ukrainian voices, since 2022.

On June 25, she organized a demonstration against the Russian House in Berlin.

"While missiles rain down on Ukrainian cities, and torture and deportations persist, Germany is effectively subsidizing an instrument of Russian imperial policy," Shulikina told The Counteroffensive. “This is not a cultural center, but a propaganda platform that openly violates EU sanctions.”

In 2023, German Green Party politician Volker Beck filed a complaint against the Russian House for spreading Russian propaganda.

But investigations initially launched against the diplomats of the Russian House were suspended due to Russia’s diplomatic status, the Berlin Prosecutor General's Office told The Counteroffensive.

At the same time, the prosecutor's office said it is investigating other possible violations of the Russian House in Berlin.

"The Public Prosecutor’s Office continues to investigate unknown individuals as well as the tenants of the Russian House. The alleged offenses concern violations of the Foreign Trade and Payments Act," the Berlin Prosecutor General's Office said.

The scale of global Russia Houses:

These Russian centers currently operate in about 71 countries, according to Rossotrudnichestvo, the organization that runs them, including Washington, D.C, New Delhi, Beijing, Tokyo.

According to Rossotrudnichestvo, Russian Houses in North Macedonia, Croatia, and Montenegro have completely ceased operations, while in Romania and Slovenia, they have suspended operations indefinitely. The Russian House in Azerbaijan has also ceased its work, and the center in Moldova is preparing for closure.

Despite being sanctioned by the EU in 2022, Rossotrudnichestvo continues to operate many of its centers, hosting various events to push Kremlin narratives among young Western students.

The Russian House in Paris, for example, sent four of its French visitors aged 15-17 to a state camp in Russia in the wake of the full-scale invasion.

The hidden goal behind such programs is to cultivate a sense of positivity towards Russia. After returning home from these exchange programs, young students are likely to echo pro-Russian narratives, including justifications for the war against Ukraine.

In this way, Russian Houses work quietly to lend legitimacy to Russia's invasion, even as more and more Ukrainian civilians are indiscriminately killed every day.

The Counteroffensive took a deep dive into Russian Houses’ propaganda activities and identified their directors, revealing that they are trained personnel acting as part of the Kremlin's general apparatus.

The Rossotrudnichestvo is a federal executive agency subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The head of Rossotrudnichestvo is Yevgeny Primakov Jr., the grandson of Russia’s Kyiv-born former Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov.

Primakov Sr. served as Director of Foreign Intelligence for half a decade in the 1990s. Like his grandfather, Primakov Jr. has shown strong loyalty to the Russian leader, acting as a campaign surrogate for Putin in 2018.

The purpose of the Russian Houses, according to Rossotrudnichestvo, is to "strengthen Russia's humanitarian influence in the world." In reality, these centers are a display of soft power, a strategy of influence through cultural, ideological and informational appeal rather than direct coercion.

Primakov said as much late last year:

"It is our honor to deliver information [abroad] about the special military operation [what Russia calls the invasion of Ukraine in 2022], its goals, objectives, what we want to achieve in Ukraine."

Despite the sanctions, Russian Houses in the EU have managed to stay open because in some countries, the center is part of a diplomatic mission, and in others, the center is operating under a joint agreement. The activities of the Goethe-Institut in Moscow and the Russian House in Berlin are classic examples of such agreement.

The Kremlin sinks its teeth into youth under the guise of cultural exchange

Russian Houses specifically target youth, though they also aim to reach other age groups.

The Russian House in Paris offers children courses in the Russian language, fine arts, gymnastics, and singing, which at first glance seems innocuous. But the list of songs rehearsed by the students’ choir includes, for example, ‘The Last Fight:’

This song glorifies the act of dying in war for Russia and was written by Russian poet Mikhail Nozhkin, who supported Putin's invasion and called the Ukrainian military "fascists":

One last time, tomorrow, we'll face hand-to-hand combat.

One last time, we'll get to serve Russia.

And it's not scary at all to die for her,

Though deep down, everyone still hopes to live through it!

"Such events, in particular, legitimize Russian aggression against Ukraine and hostility towards Western countries, emphasizing Russia's exceptionalism, which allows it to violate international norms," said Dmytro Zolotukhin, founder of the Institute of Post-Information Society, a Ukrainian NGO, engaged in sanctions policy against Russia.

A striking example of Russia’s soft power program is the ‘People of Artek’ program organized by the Russian House of Science and Culture in Paris.

This free, three-week trip to the Artek children’s camp in occupied Crimea was offered in 2024 to children aged 12-17.

Although references to this program have been removed from the pages of the Russian House in Paris, The Counteroffensive found archived versions of the announcement. Among the selected participants were 18 children from Australia, Germany, Turkey, and France.

The itinerary of this trip included a thematic ‘Day of Russia,’ a concert by Denis Maidanov, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Culture. Teenagers also participated in the ‘Multinational Palette of Russia’ event, which promoted the ideas of ‘friendship between peoples.’

While ostensibly offering kids a fun vacation, the program effectively links them to Russia and spreads narratives favorable to the Kremlin.

"We are especially grateful that at Artek we were able to be part of a policy of peace and mutual understanding… Schools in Germany will hear about this," said one of the girls after visiting Artek in the summer of 2024, ten years after the invasion of Ukraine began.

"We are united by the Russian language, love for Russia, maybe even the Russian soul," said another visitor from France about his expectations for the camp.

These responses suggest that Russian propaganda is having the desired effect. The peninsula they visited was forcefully seized from Ukraine by Russian troops.

The students from East Central University in Oklahoma who visited the Russian Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. this past spring were shown a film which makes a series of dubious claims about Soviet dictator Josef Stalin and Western leaders of the time.

Young people are also susceptible to influence through social media, where the same Russian Cultural Center in the United States publishes Russia Today videos justifying the occupation of Crimea and praising the 'defenders of the Donbas,' the Kremlin’s preferred term for Russian soldiers who kill Ukrainians.

"Such information processing can help destabilize the political situation inside the host countries where Russian Houses operate," Zolotukhin told The Counteroffensive.

Thus, under the guise of 'culture,' the Kremlin is able to use soft power to advance its strategic interests and influence members of the younger generation – and at the expense of you, the taxpayer.

NEWS OF THE DAY:

By: Sofia Konoplytska

Good morning to readers; Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands.

GERMANY UNAWARE OF PATRIOT SHIPMENTS: Germany’s Defense Ministry denied that the shipment of Patriot systems to Ukraine has already begun, despite earlier claims by Trump. However, the delivery is expected to be addressed at the upcoming Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting next week.

According to NATO’s Alexus Grynkewich, they are coordinating closely with Germany and have an order to act “as quickly as possible”.

UKRIANE CABINET RESHUFFLE: Ukraine’s Parliament has officially dismissed Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and his cabinet as part of an ongoing major government reshuffle. He is the longest-serving PM in the history of Ukraine, and will now take up the role of the new Defense Minister.

Yulia Svyrdylenko, who previously helped negotiate the mineral deal with the U.S., took his position. She formally served as the Minister of Economy and the First Deputy Prime Minister. Approval of other cabinet members by the parliament is anticipated now. This reshuffle is following the shifting dynamics in Ukraine’s relationship with the U.S.

UK, GERMANY TO SIGN A MAJOR SECURITY DEAL: Germany and the UK are expected to sign the most significant bilateral treaty since 1945 today.

The agreement will focus on “security and defense, trade and business”, according to German Chancellor Merz — amid the growing threat from Russia. The deal includes a mutual assistance clause, meaning that an attack on one would be seen as an attack on both – and also aspirational projects like collaboration on AI and a future rail link between the UK and Germany.

This is a part of the UK's Prime Minister Starmer’s effort to restore Britain’s influence in Europe after Brexit.

DOG OF WAR:

During her vacation, Mariana met this adorable dog with a Barbie tail. The owner was struggling to keep it from playing in the mud.

Stay safe out there.

Best,
Liza

July 17, 2025 2:59pm

Ben Borges

Last week, the Belarusian democratic opposition was torn apart by a particular question — should the West isolate and pressure Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko with tougher sanctions, or offer diplomatic engagement and, possibly, sanctions relief in exchange for the release of over 1,100 political prisoners?

The arguments reignited after

July 17, 2025 2:47pm

Ben Borges

Despite signals that Rustem Umerov may be nominated as the new ambassador in Washington, his candidacy for that role is no longer on the table, as former Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna was appointed Ukraine’s special envoy to the U.S.

July 17, 2025 2:33pm

Ben Borges

Behind closed doors, some of Russia’s biggest banks worry that far more of their loans could go sour than official figures indicate, Bloomberg reported.

July 17, 2025 1:39pm

Ben Borges

As of June 1, 2025, at least 8,625 troops had been killed in combat, 10,491 were listed as missing in action, and another 7,846 had deserted, the documents claim.

July 17, 2025 1:30pm

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Ben Borges

As Russia braces for next year's budget, new calls for of austerity is sweeping through the Kremlin. In the face of deteriorating financial conditions, officials are openly admitting the severity of the economic crisis.

Valentina Matviyenko, Speaker of the Federation Council, in a statement relayed by Russia's Interfax, urged the nation to prepare for stringent austerity in its budgeting. Matviyenko emphasized that "severe austerity" should be the guiding principle of the upcoming budgets, highlighting plans to scrutinize regional budgets and all government spending down to "every ruble."

Anatoly Artamonov, head of the upper house's committee on budget and financial markets, has suggested cutting back on certain national projects. Amid worsening macroeconomic forecasts and declining oil and gas revenues, Artamonov calls for urgent fiscal consolidation, proposing the postponement of some national project expenditures for a couple of years.

Even as the economic crisis looms, the Russian regime appears determined to continue funding its wartime expenses. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov assured Artamonov that military needs would remain the budget's top priority, whereas infrastructure projects may indeed be sidelined.

This year's Russian budget earmarked a staggering 13.2 trillion rubles for defense spending and weapons procurement, with an additional 3.45 trillion rubles allocated for "national security," a category that includes funding for the secret services and other security agencies.

A Bloomberg report earlier hinted at discussions among Russian authorities about possibly slashing expenditures due to plunging oil prices and dwindling funds from the National Welfare Fund (NWF). Adjustments to the budget rule parameters are under consideration, with discussions about lowering the Urals oil price threshold—from $60 to $50 per barrel—for NWF utilization starting in 2026.

A sharp 17% drop in oil and gas revenues was noted in the government’s reports for the first half of 2025, with total budget revenue up by only 3%. Expenditures increased by 20%, culminating in a budget deficit of 3.7 trillion rubles, six times more than the same period last year.

July 17, 2025 12:22pm

Ben Borges

Olha Stefanishyna, a seasoned diplomat and expert in European and Euro-Atlantic integration, has held top government roles since 2020.

July 17, 2025 11:54am

Ben Borges

The news was also announced by Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation in Istanbul, who further claimed that Ukraine handed over 19 bodies of Russian soldiers as part of the exchange.

July 17, 2025 11:14am

Ben Borges

The shooting occurred at a training ground operated by the Ukrainian Ground Forces. The motive for the attack remains unknown, and the cadet was detained under Ukraine’s Criminal Procedure Code, police said in a statement.

July 17, 2025 11:08am

Ben Borges

The agreement, described by Bloomberg as part of a broader reset in ties, reflects growing concerns across Europe over Russian military aggression and doubts about U.S. commitment to NATO under President Donald Trump.

July 17, 2025 10:50am

Ben Borges

Svyrydenko, a 39-year-old economist who previously served as the first deputy prime minister and economy minister, was tapped by President Volodymyr Zelensky to replace Denys Shmyhal after his five years in office.

July 17, 2025 9:49am

Ben Borges

Keith Kellogg has “been in the ascendancy lately” and is helping drive a shift in Trump’s approach, alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Telegraph reported, citing sources.

July 17, 2025 8:56am

Ben Borges

Ukraine’s Air Force reported on July 17 that Russia launched 64 drones overnight, mostly Shahed-type drones. Air defenses shot down 36 of them.