Oreshnik Unveiled, Submarines Deployed

The day began with Russian media highlighting defensive successes against Ukrainian drone attacks and the repelling of British mercenaries near Kherson. Attention soon pivoted to US President Trump's criticism of the Kyiv strike, his tariff adjustments, and his envoy's anticipated visit to Moscow. The high-level meeting between Presidents Putin and Lukashenko in St. Petersburg and then Valaam, where security guarantees for Belarus were affirmed, became a central diplomatic narrative. In the early afternoon, President Putin's significant announcement of the mass production and deployment of the "Oreshnik" hypersonic missile system dominated headlines, alongside his positive assessment of past Ukraine negotiations and readiness for future talks. By evening, editorial focus intensified on Trump's order to deploy nuclear submarines, explicitly linked to Dmitry Medvedev's recent remarks, significantly escalating the diplomatic tension. Domestic reports also noted new laws and Rosstat concealing economic data.