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Estonian Orthodox Church declares independence from Moscow Patriarchate, adopts new charter
In a bold move signaling growing religious independence, the Estonian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate (EOC MP) has officially severed its ties with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and updated its charter, reports DW.
Under the revised charter, the church will gain full autonomy over religious affairs, economic activities, educational initiatives, and public church matters.
Earlier this year, on May 6, Estonia's parliament passed a resolution condemning the Moscow Patriarchate …
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Lithuania reports significant withdrawal of Russian troops from Kaliningrad amid Ukrainian offensive in Kursk region
Lithuanian Armed Forces Commander Raimundas Vaikšnoras has reported a significant reduction of Russian ground forces in the Kaliningrad region, Delfi reports.
Commander Vaikšnoras noted that this reduction is likely connected to the Ukrainian military's gains in the Kursk region of Russia. “As soon as the war in Ukraine began, equipment and personnel were massively relocated from Kaliningrad. After a rotation, the Russians returned, but now it’s noticeable—there is a substantial decrease in, …
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Czech Senate calls for investigation into Russian Orthodox Church over potential influence operations
The head of the Security Committee of the Czech Senate, Pavel Fischer, has called on the government to instruct security services to investigate the threat posed by the Russian Orthodox churches within the country. Fischer stated that these institutions could potentially be misused for Russian influence operations, reports ČTK.
Additionally, Fischer emphasized that the Czech Minister of Culture, Martin Baxa, should examine whether the Russian Orthodox Church in the Czech Republic and the …
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China shifts oil imports from Russia to Middle East
In a significant shift, China has increased its purchases of oil from the Middle East, seemingly at the expense of Russian imports. This development follows Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to Beijing. According to Chinese customs data cited by The Moscow Times, the trend of declining Russian oil imports into China accelerated after the trip in May.
Russian oil companies are grappling with a stark drop in demand from China. In July, Russian oil exports to China fell by 7.4% year- …
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Russia summons U.S. diplomat over American journalists' coverage in Kursk region
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called in Stephanie Holmes, the Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Russia, to express a formal protest regarding the activities of American journalists in the Kursk region, where heavy fighting with Ukrainian forces has been ongoing since August 6th. The Ministry described the journalists’ actions as provocative and purely propagandistic.
The Russian government made it explicitly clear that all foreign "specialists" and mercenaries illegally crossing …