But the unified front hailed by Putin and amplified by Russian state media is only part of the story. For a portion of Russian society, Victory Day is an excruciating annual reminder of the current war in Ukraine, which they see as tarnishing their country’s reputation and distorting its history, as well as that of … Read more
Ukraine launched a series of drone attacks against eight Russian regions overnight, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said on Saturday. The attacks appeared to target Russia’s energy infrastructure, according to an Associated Press report. An intelligence source told Reuters that long-range strike drones hit three power stations and set a fuel depot on fire. Reuters … Read more
The government says the move, which will apply to NGOs, campaign groups and media outlets that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad, is necessary to prevent undue influence over Georgian politics. Critics, however, liken it to Russia’s own foreign agent law that has been used to stifle dissent in the country, … Read more
Exhorting international leaders to take “every effort” to “prevent a further escalation” of the fighting in the Middle East, the Ukrainian leader argued that “Iran’s actions threaten the entire region and the world, just as Russia’s actions threaten a larger conflict.” And then he brought his point home: “Words do not stop drones and do … Read more
Germany’s government, however, presents its public with quite different logic for not sending the weapons. Scholz has steadfastly refused to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine, saying in public statements that such a move could lead to an escalation of the war and could even draw Germany into direct conflict with Russia. The Ukrainians want Germany’s … Read more
This debate should take place at the next plenary session, on April 10 in Brussels. “If sitting MEPs or candidates in the upcoming European elections have taken money from or been corrupted by the Russian Government or their proxies, they must be exposed,” Hayer wrote in the letter. Dutch Green EU lawmaker Bas Eickhout also … Read more
The messages won’t be read by Putin, but they will go through the hands of of thousands of election officials — and higher. “The main audience for the Kremlin is the elite, it is they that must be convinced that in the past six years, Putin’s position has not weakened, but has become stronger,” said … Read more
The “Noon Against Putin” initiative, supported by virtually all Russian opposition groups as well as the late Alexei Navalny, encouraged voters to go to polling stations, whether in Russia or abroad, at noon on Sunday and vote for any of the non-Putin candidates or spoil the ballot. It contributed to a backup at the embassy … Read more
Halfway through Friday, investigative outlet The Insider had already listed a hare, a beaver, a wild boar, a polar bear, two Father Frosts, and a herd of yaks showing up at various polling stations, as well as a Russian bogatyr warrior who, ironically, wished “peace” upon voters. But the prize for creativity goes to Buryatia … Read more
“We demand that Alexey Navalny’s body be handed over to his family immediately,” it said. It was unclear where his body was, as a morgue near the Arctic prison where he died said it had not received the body, according to his team. Prison authorities on Friday reported that Navalny, widely seen as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s … Read more
