Politics
Putin edges up the nuclear escalation ladder Paid Members Public
While Volodymyr Zelensky was busy meeting Ukraine’s Western allies in the United States to push for fresh military aid, from halfway round the world in Moscow, Vladimir Putin was doing everything he could to make himself the elephant in the room. On the eve of Zelensky’s meeting with
Russia vs Darwin Paid Members Public
School education in Russia remains a key area for reform among the authorities and legislators, seeking to embed a deeper nationalistic and conservative identity among the next generation. Recent proposals include introducing“chastity” lessons and removing English language classes from the curriculum. Now the Russian authorities, encouraged by the Russian
Opposition financier accused of ordering attacks on Navalny allies Paid Members Public
Russia’s opposition in exile has been hit by a monumental scandal, the likes of which may never have been seen before. Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation has accused Leonid Nevzlin, the billionaire former business partner of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, of organizing a series of attacks on the group’s key
Russian army movie causes a scandal at Venice Film Festival Paid Members Public
At last week’s Venice Film Festival, Russian-Canadian director Anastasia Trofimova premiered her latest work, “Russians at War”, a documentary following the lives of Russian soldiers serving at the front. Its inclusion in the program caused a scandal, with Ukrainian politicians criticizing it as pro-Kremlin propaganda — claims dismissed by Trofimova
Russians calm in the face of Ukraine’s counter-offensive Paid Members Public
It has been more than a month since Ukrainian forces crossed the border into the Kursk region, launching a surprise offensive into Russian territory. In that time they have captured hundreds of Russian prisoners of war and occupied more than 1,000 square kilometers of land in the first invasion
‘Putin could fall if he loses the support of a few hundred people’ Paid Members Public
The Bell editor Viacheslav Dvornikov spoke to political scientist Marcel Dirsus, author of the acclaimed new book, "How Tyrants Fall," about what his study of dictatorships and autocrats suggests is in store for the Putin regime — and how his demise could come about. The full interview is available
Russians still tuning into YouTube despite block attempts Paid Members Public
Russia’s authorities are raising their game when it comes to blocking — or in their words “slowing” — YouTube. At the start of last week, users were complaining that it was almost impossible to watch clips on the platform in 4K resolution; by the end of the week several were finding
Repressive laws target immigrants, chatty soldiers and civil society Paid Members Public
Vladimir Putin last week signed more than 100 federal laws in a single day, several of which take Russia in an even more repressive direction, with new restrictions affecting migrants, servicemen, bloggers, individuals who work with foreign organizations and those who publicly report about protests. * Immigrants face a host of
