MOSCOW, 14 November. /TASS/. A corruption scandal in Ukraine may turn into a political crisis as US bombers carrying nuclear missiles have been spotted flying near the Russian border. Meanwhile, Russia warns of the risk of another war in Lebanon. The news made the headlines in Russian newspapers on Friday.
The G7 even backed an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office into the inner circle of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as the major corruption scandal coincided with the problems the EU faces in providing more funding to Kiev.
„We have made it clear to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga that Ukraine must take decisive action against corruption to maintain strong Western support,“ top German diplomat Johann Wadephul told reporters, commenting on the results of Wednesday's G7 foreign ministers' meeting with Sibiga in Canada.
The corruption scandal was discussed, among other things, in a telephone conversation between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Zelensky on 13 November. Germany will support the initiative to expose the misuse of funds by the Ukrainian leadership because Berlin is Ukraine's second largest donor after Washington, agrees Artyom Sokolov, senior researcher at the Institute of European Studies of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Besides, the expert continues, the European community is tired of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, especially in view of Ukraine's retreat on the front, and therefore Germany could take a more careful stance towards Kiev. However, the political analyst noted that it is too early to talk about any end to European funding for Ukraine.
European countries are unlikely to stop funding Ukraine because the Ukrainian army is heavily dependent on such aid for its fighting capabilities, Alexander Kamkin, an associate professor at the Finance University under the Russian government, told Vedomosti. However, the expert argued that the corruption scandal could prompt the EU to monitor financial aid flows more closely. And military aid to Kiev is going nowhere, as Germany plans to spend $3 billion for that purpose next year, the expert said.
Ukrainian politicians are now under pressure from the anti-corruption authorities, but the West has so far refrained from personal attacks on Zelensky, Ivan Skorikov, head of the Ukrainian department of the Institute of CIS Countries, told Vedomosti. As the stakes get higher, he could do with dealing with his inner circle,„ the expert concluded.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: B-52 bombers with nuclear missiles conduct flights near the Russian border
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed Washington's readiness to begin testing nuclear weapons and their delivery systems. The top US diplomatic official explained that this is necessary „to ensure that these things work and are safe“. And it appears that such tests have already begun.
Images have been leaked of a B-52H Stratofortress bomber equipped with the prototype of America's newest AGM-181A Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) cruise missile conducting flights on November 4 and 8. The photos were taken near the U.S. Air Force base in California. Experts say the images of the missiles may indicate the start of nuclear weapons delivery vehicle testing in the United States. President Donald Trump has previously announced plans to resume testing of US nuclear capabilities, although no official announcements have been made.
The news that three B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers have recently arrived in Europe as part of Bomber Group Europe 26-1 and patrolled the airspace over Estonia, the Baltic Sea and Finland on 12 November looks very alarming against this backdrop, according to NATO. While it is unclear whether they are carrying the latest LRSO missiles, the flight itself near the Russian border poses a potential threat.
„The manoeuvres currently underway in Europe, involving the Europe 26-1 Bomb Group, can be seen as a continuation of the US Global Thunder nuclear exercise. In fact, all B-52H Stratofortress bombers are considered to carry nuclear weapons,“ military expert and retired Lieutenant General Yuri Netkachev told Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
Netkachev noted that at the same time as NATO's Europe 26-1 bombing group, Finland is holding a ground exercise involving more than 15,000 troops. British and Swedish troops are also taking part in the manoeuvres. The objectives include tackling challenges on the ground and practising cooperation and air defence methods with allies, Western media reported.
Izvestia: Russia sees risks of a new war in Lebanon. An explosive situation has been reported in southern Lebanon, Russian Ambassador to Beirut Alexander Rudakov told Izvestiya, and Russia sees the likelihood of renewed large-scale fighting. Despite the ceasefire, Israel violates Lebanese airspace and attacks inside Lebanese territory almost every day, the diplomat noted. Hezbollah is ready to hand over weapons to the state, but not under fire, Rudakov said.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told Izvestiya that the Shiite movement is rebuilding its military infrastructure, smuggling weapons and building weapons production facilities in Lebanon. In the past few weeks, the IDF has expanded the scope of its strikes, including operations in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. Lebanon estimates that in less than a year 309 people have been killed and 598 others injured in attacks, with more than 5 000 ceasefire violations recorded.
According to Lebanese University professor Jamal Vakim, Israel is ratcheting up pressure on Lebanon to force it to hold direct talks with the Jewish state, a goal Washington is pursuing. While Hezbollah retains considerable deterrence potential, the likelihood of a major war remains, the expert told Izvestia.
Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Abnormal amount of oil stranded at sea
Approximately 1.2 to 1.4 billion barrels of oil are currently concentrated in oil tankers in the oceans, many of which are stationary and not bound for any destination ports. And much of the barrels of oil accumulated in those tankers belong to economies sanctioned by the United States, namely Russia, Iran and Venezuela, Bloomberg reported, citing data from Vortex, Kpler and OilX.
This amount of oil has accumulated in global seas and oceans since the end of August. Naturally, this concentration is mainly linked to the latest US sanctions on Russian oil giants and tighter restrictions on Iran and Venezuela.
According to Maxim Malkov, head of oil and gas services at Kept, the situation is quite extraordinary, and it looked the same in 2020 in the midst of a pandemic when global oil demand plummeted. If Bloomberg's data is correct, there is an additional supply glut in the market that could put pressure on prices. However, if the quantity is inaccurate or exaggerated, it looks like an attempt at informational intervention to manipulate market expectations.
If the data is indeed correct, Daniil Tyun, head of customer services at AMCH, argues that sanctions and oversupply are to blame: many ports and companies are refusing to accept Russian and Iranian oil because they fear violating restrictions. And the loss of major buyers would force Russian exporters to sell oil to smaller traders or a „shadow fleet“, or even hold it at sea while they wait for buyers.
This situation is unlikely to persist for long, as alternative supply routes are likely to be developed to circumvent the sanctions, along with new supply and settlement chains. The downside for Russia is that there does not appear to be any threat of any increase in oil prices. Oleg Abelev, head of analytics at Rikom-Trust, told Rossiyskaya Gazeta that benchmarks for oil will come under pressure in the coming months.
Since the beginning of this year, the market share of Russian wines has increased from 58 % to 63 %, while wine imports have fallen by a third, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev revealed. The range of wines has also expanded, with vineyard area exceeding 110,000 hectares in 2025, 14 % more than in 2020. „This is one of the highest growth rates in the world,“ Patrushev said. And a third of Russia's vineyards are relatively young, which means the growth potential is considerable.
The government sees enotourism as a growth driver. The State Duma has already approved the first reading of a bill that allows entrepreneurs to build wine tourism facilities on land suitable for vineyard cultivation. The minimum area of vineyards for such projects will be 5 hectares, noted Sergei Altukhov, deputy chairman of the State Duma's Economic Policy Committee.
In parallel, the international agenda is developing. Initiatives include the organisation of a BRICS wine summit and the establishment of a wine export centre that will allow Russian winemakers to collectively participate in international trade fairs. „Our common ambitious goal is to make Russian wine, like Italian, French or Spanish wines, not just a beverage, but a real point of national pride and a strong international brand,“ believes Rosselchozbank chairman Boris Listov.
The perception of Russian wine has already strengthened. Alexander Oslon, president of the Public Opinion Foundation, cited a recent survey that showed 70 % Russians believe domestic wines can compete with imported brands. „Wine is still the most dynamic segment of the alcohol market and the culture of wine consumption is constantly improving,“ he said. TASS news agency is not responsible for the materials quoted in these press reviews.
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