Moldova, which is seemingly the closest target for Moscow's "hybrid war”, is headed to parliamentary elections tomorrow. Meanwhile, unidentified aircraft circling in the skies of Europe are like menacing totems, evoking the Siberian-rooted shamanism that, in today’s Russia, is one of the most radical expressions of its “defence of traditional values” against Western depravity.

Despite announcements, Beijing continues to delay the construction of the gas pipeline that would represent a lifeline for Gazprom. Political and financial considerations are complicating the agreement on the terms of the contract to be concluded. Meanwhile, China is also looking to other suppliers to meet its needs, which are set to grow after 2030.

The Live Arena in Moscow hosted the latest edition of “Intervidenie”, the singing competition that brought together the countries of the Eastern Bloc during the Soviet era. Revived after Russian singers were excluded from the Western event due to the invasion of Ukraine, it brought together artists from 22 ‘friendly’ nations, with Dyk Fuk, a rapper from Hanoi, ultimately winning.

There is an essential and original link between the Orthodox faith and power, as already shown in the 11th century by Metropolitan Hilarion's “Discourse on Law and Grace”, the “manifesto” of the Russian faith. Apart from Philip II of Moscow, who rebelled against the massacres of the first Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible at the end of the 16th century and was suffocated in his monastic cell as a result, there are no known cases of other ecclesiastical opponents of the monarchs' holy wars.

The latest data from the International Energy Agency confirm the sharp decline in Moscow's revenues from gas and oil sales, due to the effect of heavy discounts imposed by China and India. According to economist Michael Bernstam, ‘the market is proving more effective than sanctions’.

Already 38 clerics linked to the Moscow Patriarchate have been found ‘guilty’ of treason by the courts in Kiev. Many are asking to be transferred to Russia, but there are no signs of a particularly favourable welcome there: in the ‘hybrid war’ of Ukrainian politics, the presence of ‘loyal’ metropolitans, bishops and priests in the country is a factor that cannot be ignored.