Adeliia Petrosian, an 18-year-old student of renowned coach Eteri Tutberidze, has secured an Olympic quota for the 2026 Beijing Games with a commanding victory. She significantly outpaced her primary rivals—Anastasia Gubanova, representing Georgia, and Loena Hendrickx of Belgium—notably achieving her win without incorporating the most challenging “ultra-C” elements into her program.
Sports commentator Andrei Zhurankov lauded Petrosian`s strong performance, highlighting her remarkable psychological resilience during what he characterized as an exceptionally tense competition. He specifically commended her ability to overcome intense pressure and deliver flawless performances in both her short and free programs, thereby cementing her status as the top skater in Russia. Zhurankov also observed that Petrosian`s full potential, including her triple Axel and quadruple jumps, was not entirely demonstrated. He suggested that if she can stabilize these high-difficulty elements by the Olympics, she could contend not only for a podium finish but potentially even for a gold medal. Furthermore, Zhurankov emphasized the importance of her performance in conveying her inner strength to the judges, effectively countering any potential biases in scoring. In total, five leading female skaters secured Olympic berths, with Gubanova, Hendrickx, Viktoriia Safonova (Belarus), and Ruoyang Zhang (China) also among the qualifiers. The Winter Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from February 6 to 22.
Makhachkala Faces Major Disruptions Following Torrential Rains
Makhachkala is currently grappling with the severe consequences of recent heavy rainfall, which has led to widespread power outages across parts of the city after a major electrical substation was shut down. The head of Dagestan, Melikov, acknowledged the situation as challenging but asserted it was under control, choosing not to declare a state of emergency. Due to concerns about potential contamination of the urban water supply system, residents have been strongly advised to boil tap water or use bottled water for all drinking and household purposes.
Jambulat Salavov, acting head of Makhachkala, confirmed that all municipal services have been shifted to a 24-hour operational schedule to address the crisis. Timur Aliyev, a correspondent for “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” in Dagestan, reported that while the rain has subsided and city streets are progressively returning to normal, the “Primorskaya” substation remains offline, impacting both Makhachkala and the nearby city of Kaspiysk. Aliyev praised the strong sense of community, noting numerous instances of citizens offering rides and volunteers utilizing ATVs to rescue vehicles stranded in flooded areas. Efforts to clear storm drains are ongoing, particularly along Peter I Avenue, which experienced the most significant flooding. Currently, there are no forecasts predicting similar heavy rainfall.
In a separate incident in Dagestan’s Kaitagsky district, torrential rains resulted in the destruction of a bridge over the Ulluchay River, effectively isolating 18 settlements from the district center of Madzhalis, according to district head Zapir Gasanov. Across Dagestan, a total of 73 settlements were affected by emergency power outages.
Russia`s Central Bank Advisor Suggests Possible Single-Digit Key Rate in 2026
Kirill Tremasov, an advisor to the Chairman of the Bank of Russia, has put forth the possibility that the nation`s key interest rate could decline to a single-digit figure next year. However, he stressed that this remains a potential, rather than a predetermined, outcome. The key rate currently stands at 17%, with the Bank of Russia`s average annual forecast for 2026 projected at 12-13%. Tremasov elaborated that if the rate continues its downward trend, potentially reaching 15% by the end of the current year, then a single-digit rate by the close of next year could be theoretically achievable.
Investment strategist Sergey Suverov of Aricapital Management, while acknowledging the theoretical possibility, views this scenario as rather unlikely in practice. He warned that aggressive rate reductions would risk reigniting inflationary pressures and could lead to a significant depreciation of the ruble, which would likely prompt the Central Bank to maintain a more cautious monetary policy. Suverov suggested that the Central Bank`s statement aims to reassure businesses and financial markets, which are anticipating rate cuts, by signaling that reductions are forthcoming, albeit at a potentially slower pace. He explained that achieving a single-digit key rate would necessitate a sustained deceleration of inflation and the attainment of the Central Bank`s 4% target, a scenario he believes does not currently appear realistic for the upcoming year.
The Central Bank`s baseline scenario currently forecasts an average key rate of approximately 19.5% for the current year, falling to 12-13% in 2026, and further to 7.5-8.5% in both 2027 and 2028. The Ministry of Finance bases its budget projections on this Central Bank scenario.
Lithuania Hints at NATO Retaliation for Russian Airspace Breaches; Ukraine Peace Talks Update
Dovilė Šakalienė, Lithuania`s Defense Minister, recently hinted at the possibility of NATO nations engaging in direct action, such as shooting down Russian fighter jets. She drew a provocative parallel to Turkey`s downing of a Russian Su-24 over Syria in November 2015. Her statement, made on the social media platform X, followed Estonia`s report of three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets allegedly violating its airspace. The Russian Ministry of Defense, however, unequivocally denied these claims, asserting that the MiGs were conducting a routine flight from Karelia to Kaliningrad and did not enter Estonian sovereign airspace.
Dmitry Kornev, a military expert and editor of “New Defense Order” magazine, noted that such flights are a common occurrence and that Estonian air defense forces would have had ample time to intercept the Russian aircraft. He interpreted Estonia`s measured response as an indication of a preference for diplomatic actions over direct military engagement. Concurrently, Czech President Petr Pavel urged NATO member states to respond decisively to any violations of their airspace by Russian combat aircraft. Separately, Poland`s Border Guard reported another incident in the Baltic Sea involving two Russian fighter jets flying over the Petrobaltic drilling platform, which is located outside Poland`s territorial waters but within its exclusive economic zone. In related news, Reuters, citing a Pentagon official, reported that the United States might reduce its military assistance to Baltic states and other NATO members bordering Russia, encouraging European nations to become more self-reliant in their defense capabilities.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky openly criticized allied nations for delays in support, stating his intention to urge Donald Trump to impose new sanctions against Russia during their upcoming meeting in New York. Zelensky also put forth the idea that a final peace treaty might not be a prerequisite for establishing security guarantees for Ukraine, advocating for discussions on such guarantees to proceed without waiting for the conflict`s conclusion. Artem Sokolov, a senior researcher at MGIMO Institute of International Studies, commented on Zelensky`s apparent shift, noting it deviates from Kyiv`s earlier position of prioritizing a ceasefire at any cost. However, Sokolov highlighted that this perspective diverges from Moscow`s expectation that the conflict should culminate in a comprehensive agreement establishing a new European security architecture. Zelensky also indicated preparations for a new prisoner exchange but acknowledged a lack of substantive progress in peace negotiations.
Russian Streaming Market Hits “Crisis” in Growth, Pivots to Retention and Cooperation
At the “New Season” festival in Sochi, leaders of Russian streaming platforms convened for a business program titled “Tomorrow Starts Today,” where they candidly addressed the current state of the industry. They collectively acknowledged that the era of explosive subscriber growth has concluded, marking what they described as a “crisis” within the sector. The immediate priority has now firmly shifted towards audience retention and the monetization of existing subscriber bases.
Anton Volodkin, General Director of Wink, expressed optimism for future market growth, predicting it will primarily be driven by users` increasing willingness to pay for content. Despite this positive outlook, the industry as a whole currently incurs higher expenses than it generates in revenue, with a reported deficit of 20 billion rubles. However, this figure is considered manageable within the broader market scale. A significant emerging trend is the transition from intense competition to increased cooperation, exemplified by platforms like Start acting as a content hub for projects from other services and numerous collaborations with television channels, with NTV leading the pack in production volume.
The festival also provided a platform to showcase several new projects:
“To Get on Your Feet” (Okko)
This inclusive dramedy tells the story of Stary, a former convict, and his adult daughter Olya, a wheelchair user, who are forced to cohabitate after twenty years of estrangement. Screenwriter Alexander Noskov and actor Gosha Kutsenko described the series as a “therapeutic, touching, and genuinely funny” narrative focused on rediscovering trust, acceptance, and mutual protection, rather than a conventional story of second chances. Kutsenko specifically highlighted his character`s journey of finding love and renewed purpose.
“Vampires of the Middle Lane” (Start)
The successful hit series returns for its third and anticipated final season. The central conflict in this installment revolves around the clash between the Smolensk vampire clan and their relatives from the Ural region. Notably, the character Zhenek is now portrayed by Timofey Kochnev, taking over the role from Gleb Kalyuzhny. Showrunner and director Aleksey Akimov confirmed that this would indeed be the concluding season, despite the rich world-building that could support numerous spin-offs.
“Heat” (Ivi and NTV)
This drama centers on an arrogant celebrity chef who, after being rejected by all prestigious Moscow restaurants and falling deep into debt with the Serbian mafia, is compelled to confront his fundamental flaws. Actor Daniil Vorobyov characterized his role as a “brilliant, talented chef but a terrible person” whose internal struggles symbolize a mythical hero breaking free from the confines of his ego. He elaborated that the show`s underlying message connects significant existential challenges to ultimately positive outcomes. However, early viewers noted that this specific message was not yet clearly conveyed in the initial two episodes of the series.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth