Arctic Ocean Area Closures for Russian Navy Missile Launches Scheduled for 18-20 August 2025

On 11 August 2025, the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense filed three maritime closure areas that encompass the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Kara Sea, and Cheshskaya Guba to ensure safe lanes for missile launches from 18 to 20 August, with a local time window of 1300-2100 GMT each day. While the Russian-issued advisory offered noContinue reading "Arctic Ocean Area Closures for Russian Navy Missile Launches Scheduled for 18-20 August 2025"

Russia and Ukraine, 1991: Declassified Phone Conversations Between Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow – Part 2

The question of the dissolution of the USSR was decided in the last four months of its existence, after the August coup and before the meeting of the heads of the USSR republics in Alma-Ata in December. Some historians feel that one of the key reasons for the collapse of the Union was the relationsContinue reading "Russia and Ukraine, 1991: Declassified Phone Conversations Between Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow – Part 2"

Russia and Ukraine, 1991: Declassified Phone Conversations Between Washington and Moscow – Part 1

On December 26, 1991, the Council of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a declaration ending 69 years of the existence of the Soviet Union. This was the result of the Belovezh Accords of December 8, when the leaders of the RSFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, and the Belarus SSR signed aContinue reading "Russia and Ukraine, 1991: Declassified Phone Conversations Between Washington and Moscow – Part 1"

Offshore Tug Under Construction for Russian Navy Sinks at Shipyard: Photos

10 August 2025: Translating History has received news that on August 9, 2025, in St. Petersburg, near the wall of Baltic Shipyard (part of United Shipbuilding Corporation), as a result of an accident, the Project 23470 offshore tugboat Kapitan Ushakov (factory number 414), which was being fitted out for the Russian Navy, capsized on itsContinue reading "Offshore Tug Under Construction for Russian Navy Sinks at Shipyard: Photos"

Russian Briefing Sheds Light on Locations, Radioactivity Levels of Submerged Submarines and Nuclear Waste in the Arctic and Far East

The Russian Academy of Science and the Russian Federation Ministry of Science and Higher Education hosted the three-day conference “Modern Methods and Means of Oceanological Research” from 13 to 15 May 2025 in Moscow and the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology. The conference is held every two years, and is devoted to a number of disciplinesContinue reading "Russian Briefing Sheds Light on Locations, Radioactivity Levels of Submerged Submarines and Nuclear Waste in the Arctic and Far East"

On This Date: 1942 Message on Red Army Cowardice on the Stalingrad Front

In a 1942 message written to the Military Councils of the Armies of the Stalingrad Front, Commander of Troops General-Lieutenant Vasiliy Gordov voiced his frustrations over the fact that individual soldiers, and sometimes even entire units, were known to retreat from battle without authorization, only to face no punishment from higher headquarters. Pointing out thatContinue reading "On This Date: 1942 Message on Red Army Cowardice on the Stalingrad Front"

On This Date: 1942 Report from Zhukov on Early Days of Rzhev Offensive Operation

The summer 1942 Battle of Rzhev was one of a number of fierce and bloody battles that began the previous January, and would not let up until the following March. There is still heated debate regarding the entire campaign's toll to the Red Army and the Wehrmacht - many suggest the numbers of Red ArmyContinue reading "On This Date: 1942 Report from Zhukov on Early Days of Rzhev Offensive Operation"

New Patrol Craft with Chinese Engines Complete Sea Trials, Part of 2.7 Billion Ruble Contract for Russian Emergency Services

Kingisepp Machinery Plant (KMZ) has successfully completed sea trials with the RPK-640 and PK-500 patrol craft, based on a large contract for the Russian Emergency Services worth a total of 2.76 billion rubles. A press release published by KMZ noted that the vessels are part of a large contract for the construction of 199 multipurposeContinue reading "New Patrol Craft with Chinese Engines Complete Sea Trials, Part of 2.7 Billion Ruble Contract for Russian Emergency Services"

On This Date: 1944 Report from Beria on Security Operations to Destroy Armed Ukrainian Partisan Formations

Special Folder Top Secret Copy No. 1 5 August 1944                According to the NKVD-NKGB of the Ukrainian SSR, recently, in connection with the advance of the Red Army units to the West and the departure of individual units of the NKVD troops stationed in the areas of the Rivne region, the OUN (Organization ofContinue reading "On This Date: 1944 Report from Beria on Security Operations to Destroy Armed Ukrainian Partisan Formations"