IN BRIEF: Patrushev’s comments on preserving war memory, destruction of Slavs by Europe According to the presidential aide and Maritime Board chairman, Russia's position at sea needs to be strengthened so that the country remains great and is a true center of powerRussian Presidential Aide and Chairman of the Maritime Board Nikolay Patrushev© Peter Kovalev/TASSMOSCOW, June 15. /TASS/. Europe is again involved in the extermination of the Slavic population, this time by the hands of Ukrainian neo-Nazis, Nikolay Patrushev, presidential aide and Maritime Board chairman, said in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta. He said that the task of every Russian is to fight for the preservation of the memory of the Great Patriotic War uncompromisingly. According to him, Russia's position at sea needs to be strengthened so that the country remains great and is a true center of power. TASS has compiled the key statements of the presidential aide. Russia's position at sea Russia's position at sea needs to be strengthened so that the country remains great and is a true center of power: "There will be as many poles in the world as there will be great maritime powers. If we want Russia to remain great, to be a true center of power, we must strengthen our positions at sea." The experience of recent years shows that maritime trade and the security of Russia's maritime borders are the primary condition for the country's prosperity and stability. "And I am convinced that Russia was, is and will be a great maritime power." Russia is simultaneously facing the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans, and has access to the Indian ocean through the Caspian Sea and the developing North-South corridor: "No one in the world has such a unique geography. This is why we can and should become a link in maritime trade between the four oceans." Attempts by the West to block the Baltic and the Black Sea for Russia Russia must not allow the West to block its key maritime destinations - the Baltic and the Black Sea: "This must not happen again. We must not allow the blockade of our key maritime destinations." The West is not just preparing a blockade of the Baltic and the Black Sea, scenarios of pre-emptive strikes on the Russian bases are being worked out there: "Judging by the incoming information, scenarios are being worked out up to pre-emptive strikes on our bases. This is why it is important to ensure timely deployment and combat readiness of the fleet, the ability to withstand the full range of threats, including drones, cyber attacks and, of course, sabotage." Merchant ships with magnetic mines fixed on the bottom, that is, turned into floating bombs, regularly arrive at Russian ports: "We detect and neutralize these mines, but the fact itself is obvious. By the way, there are suspicions that mines are being laid in European ports." The destruction of the Slavs by Europe Europe is again consciously participating in the extermination of the Slavic population, "this time by the hands of Ukrainian neo-Nazis." Russia is fighting for the future of the Ukrainian people, who are "on the verge of survival": "The population has decreased from 52 to 22 million. Most Ukrainians do not want to fight and do not see Russia as an enemy, but they do not have the right to vote." "Sponsored by London and Brussels," neo-Nazi gangs intimidate the population of Ukraine and completely control Vladimir Zelensky: "Of course, the heirs of Goebbels habitually turn everything upside down and tell tales that Moscow is allegedly leading the conquest of Ukraine." Preserving the memory of the Great Patriotic War Preserving the memory of the Great Patriotic War is "the best antidote to the new wars that are being unleashed on the globe today." "It is the task of every Russian to fight uncompromisingly for the preservation of this memory," he said. "The Great Patriotic War is the cornerstone of the national historical memory, an integral part of our culture. It is impossible to imagine a normal Russian citizen of any nationality who would not consider the memory of the war sacred." The Soviet Union provided peace and stability to Europe: "The USSR brought peace and stability to Europe. Moreover, many countries of the socialist camp lived much better than the USSR, which helped them, among other things, to build modern industry." Europe’s war against the USSR in the Great Patriotic War The whole of Europe consciously fought against the Soviet Union: "In general, it should have been learned long ago that the whole of Europe consciously fought against the USSR. Almost half of the SS divisions were made up of representatives of other countries - Italy, Romania, Hungary, Finland, Slovakia, France, Croatia, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands and some others." Eleven states participated in the siege of Leningrad, "together with the Germans and Finns, Italians, Norwegians, Spaniards, Romanians, Belgians, Dutch, and natives of the Baltic States tried to destroy the Leningraders": "Now their descendants hypocritically help Kiev to attack St. Petersburg with drones." Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal and Ireland only formally maintained neutrality in Europe during the WWII: "The Swedes supplied the Germans with strategic raw materials and industrial products, the Portuguese sold tungsten. The Swiss neutrality is a separate issue. Gold bars from jewelry and dental crowns of murdered concentration camp prisoners are still stored in the vaults of Swiss banks. And Irish Prime Minister Eamon de Valera arrived at the German embassy in May 1945 and expressed his condolences over the death of [Adolf] Hitler." During the WWII the Soviet Union used force "only in response to terror." The Europeans' commitment to Hitler's ideas People in the West would recoil from their governments, which support neo-Nazism, if they knew the truth about the atrocities of Adolf Hitler: "I am sure that if people in the West were deeply immersed in the history of WWII, knew the whole truth about the atrocities of Hitlerism, they would recoil in horror from their governments, which today they support neo-Nazism." The number of European citizens loyal to the Nazis and their active supporters was much greater than the participants in the resistance: "Out of 40 million French, approximately 3.5 [million] served the occupiers. I emphasize that they did not sympathize, but actively served. About 250,000 French participated in the Resistance. The numbers are incomparable." This is "not an opinion, but a fact" that "even European historians recognize." The future of Europe Pragmatists will either be found in present-day Europe, or "Europe will come to a catastrophe": "So far, events are developing according to the second scenario, and some European countries are in trouble." Neo-Nazis in Europe are making every effort to turn the European Union into a "fourth Reich." The Lithuanian authorities calling for an attack on Kaliningrad are "pathologically abnormal people." Ordinary Europeans "do not hate Russia," despite the policy of the European Union. 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Bank of Russia set official dollar rate at 72.45 rubles for June 16
• What happened: The Bank of Russia set the official dollar exchange rate at 72.4513 rubles for June 16, 2026, marking an increase of 54.36 kopecks, while the e...