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Black Rain, Toxic Air and Bird Deaths: Russian Black Sea Town Reels From Refinery Strike

The scene in Tuapse has turned apocalyptic in recent days after strikes on a local oil refinery sparked major fires and caused an oil spill.

Novaya Gazeta’s Dmitry Muratov: ‘Cruelty Has Become a Form of Patriotism’

The Nobel Peace Prize winner continues to reside in Moscow despite mounting pressure and attacks on him and his newspaper.
8 Min read

At 15, He Became One of Russia’s Youngest Political Prisoners. He Now Faces New Charges.

“I’m afraid for my child’s life,” Arseny Turbin's mother has said.
5 Min read

Dagestan Was Already Facing an Infrastructure Crisis. Then Came the Floods.

Known globally for its tough-guy wrestler memes, the North Caucasus republic is struggling with its worst flooding in over a century.
5 Min read

‘Admission Is Now a One-Way Ticket’: Kremlin Escalates Crackdown on Western Universities

Thousands of Russian students are studying at foreign universities deemed “undesirable” by the authorities in Moscow.
5 Min read

As Kremlin Cuts Off the Internet, VPNs Become a Way of Life

Moscow has ramped up efforts to block VPNs as they have become more popular — but the number of users continues to grow.
5 Min read

‘A Lot of War in Society’: Violent Student Attacks Rock Russian Schools

A rash of stabbings, shootings and other violent incidents involving students in Russian schools has spread across the country. What is going on?
6 Min read

He Researched Public Health in the Arctic. Russia Says It Was Treason.

What really led to the imprisonment of a respected scientist?
7 Min read

‘Are You All Cowards?’: Russian Universities Pressure Students to Fight in Ukraine

Russia has increasingly turned to universities as a fresh source of recruits as enlistment numbers dwindle and war casualties soar.
5 Min read

Pavel Talankin Was a ‘Nobody Against Putin.’ Now He Has an Oscar.

Speaking after the Academy Awards, Talankin said he believes the debate around the film is already changing Russian society.
7 Min read

‘Putin, Come Out!’: Why Artist Pavel Krisevich Challenged the Russian Leader to a Duel

The provocative performance artist and activist speaks to MT about how he stays engaged with Russia's domestic discourse from exile.
7 Min read

‘Tomorrow They Might Come for Others’: In Russia’s Arctic, a Lone Lawmaker Defies the System

Alexander Ivanov’s candor about Sakha’s diminishing political autonomy, economic agency and Indigenous rights have made him a target.
5 Min read

‘When You Fly a Drone for the First Time, It’s Cool’: Drone Operation Enters Russia’s School Curriculum

Schoolchildren are being taught drone skills as Moscow deepens what analysts describe as the militarization of education.
4 Min read

Laurent Vinatier Studied Russia. Then the Country Imprisoned Him.

“I could disappear,” the French researcher and conflict mediator, who was freed last month, thought during his first night in prison.
8 Min read

Russia’s Exiled Anti-War Movements Are Learning to Play the Long Game

While grassroots anti-war groups were energized and driven to resist the war at its outset, a litany of challenges has reshaped their work.
5 Min read

‘Systemic Degradation’: How 4 Years of Occupation Have Devastated the Economy of Eastern Ukraine

In a region already torn apart by war, the lack of means to put food on the table only heightens day-to-day hardship, experts and locals say.
5 Min read

After 80 Years, Russia and Japan Still Can’t Agree on Who These Islands Belong To

Tokyo is “patiently urging” Moscow to come back to the negotiating table, but Kremlin officials appear uninterested.
7 Min read

On Russian TV, Family Feuds Over War Death Payouts Become Fodder for Primetime Drama

Disputes over state payments for fallen soldiers’ families are now unfolding on state television, turning private grief into spectacle.
5 Min read

‘The Motherland Is Catching Up’: Russians in Kazakhstan Feel Moscow’s Reach in String of Expulsions

Kazakhstan's reputation as a safe haven for Russian exiles has been upended by a string of planned expulsions of dissidents.
6 Min read
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