[85615] Putin announced Duma elections in September and extended financial arrangements with foreign companies

{"title": "Election announcement in Russia and economic measures", "digest": "Throughout the day, the Kremlin announced a series of official decisions by President Vladimir Putin. According to reports from pro-Kremlin sources such as [Readovka, RIA_Kremlinpool and RT на русском, Putin signed a decree officially ordering the holding of elections for the new session of the State Duma on September 20, 2026. The report was also confirmed by additional channels such as Москва 24 and Кирилл Фёдоров / Война История Оружие.\n\nParallel to the political move, President Putin extended until October 1 the permit allowing foreign companies to make payments for Russian gas through a variety of Russian banks, and not only through Gazprombank, as was customary in the past. According to RusNews, the move is intended to bypass the American sanctions imposed on Gazprombank in the fall of 2024. The Телега ONLINE channel noted cynically that this is a way \"to bypass sanctions comfortably.\"\n\nIn the military-technological arena, the Zone AP Telegram channel reported on the development of a Russian electronic warfare (EW) system called \"Volna Kupol Grant,\" which is designed to disrupt the operation of Starlink satellites. According to the channel, the system is already in operational use to protect traffic routes in the \"Novorossiya\" region from Ukrainian drones. The report, accompanied by a critical stance toward Ukraine, notes that there is a dispute regarding the system's effectiveness against artificial intelligence-based drones."}]