0650GMT//Putin wears military uniform to watch wargames; Russia is in a recession, says Academy of Sciences; Kremlin snooping apps spurs old smartphone sales

PUTIN WATCHES WARGAMES: Vladimir Putin dressed in a military uniform for only the second time since the start of his invasion of Ukraine to watch the Zapad-2025 wargames in Belarus. He gave a short videoed speech at his seat in the command centre, saying the wargames were designed to protect "Union State from any aggression". (COMMENT: The Union State that Putin was referring to is Russia and Belarus. This is more Kremlin signalling that Putin is ready for more war. He rarely appears in military uniform, and he knows that the large-scale wargames, on the borders of the EU, Nato and Ukraine are being watched by the world. Western media and military observers have even been allowed to view the wargames.)

RUSSIA IN RECESSION: The Russian Academy of Sciences has warned that Russia is "balancing between stagnation and recession". This joins an increasingly large number of economists who have also warned that Russia is tipping into a recession. These warnings have angered Vladimir Putin, who has insisted that Russia's economy is growing. (COMMENT: The Russian Academy of Sciences is a heavyweight voice warning that the Russian economy is in trouble. It is a pro-Kremlin institution. Putin is the head of the board of its trustees.)

DODGING MAX: Online marketplaces in Russia are starting to offer cheap second-hand smartphones to install MAX, the new state-built messaging system. Since Sept. 1, MAX has been an obligatory install on new smartphones. Civil servants, teachers and doctors are also being checked for the MAX app on their smartphones. (COMMENT: The Kremlin has said that MAX was needed to improve smartphone security, but most Russians believe that it is a simple snooping device. Now, it's clear that Russians are buying a cheap second smartphone so that they can show officials that they have it installed, but also keep their main smartphone clear of the app.)

FLIGHTS RESUME FROM KRASNODAR: The first commercial flight from Krasnodar airport in southern Russia since the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 took off on Tuesday. The Aeroflot Airbus A321 flew to Moscow, a flight time of 3 hours and 35 minutes. (COMMENT: Krasnodar airport has been closed for more than three years because it was considered too much of a security risk. The reopening of commercial flights is another way for the Kremlin to project the "normalisation" of Russia.)

KIRK ASSASSINATION: Russian media are beginning to run stories emphasising that the suspect for the murder of Charlie Kirk last week was in a relationship with a transgender man. (COMMENT: The Kremlin has positioned Russia as a bastion against the soft transgender and woke agenda of the West. The assassination of Kirk plays into its propaganda.)