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‘I Couldn’t Stay Silent’: Anti-War ‘Flower Protests’ Spread to 60 Cities Across Russia

Russians continue to memorialize the dozens of Ukrainians killed in last month’s Russian missile strike on the city of Dnipro — one of the...

The Desperate Chechen Lawyer Offering Kadyrov a Human Swap

Human rights lawyer Abubakar Yangulbaev is no novice when it comes to standing up to Ramzan Kadyrov, the strongman leader of Russia’s republic of...

mercenary tales

Wagner Commander Who Fled Russia Details Summary Executions

An ex-commander with Russia’s notorious mercenary group Wagner who is currently seeking asylum in Norway described witnessing summary executions...

stream of letters

‘Not Forgotten’: Pen Pals Offer Solace to Russia’s Political Prisoners

YEREVAN, Armenia — At a recent event in Armenia’s capital, Olga Yelsakova was composing a letter to a longtime correspondent. That correspondent...

'Final Nail in the Coffin': Activists Lament Moscow Helsinki Group Closure

Russian and international human rights activists on Thursday condemned the dissolution of the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG), Russia's oldest independent...

ukrainian strikes

Fear and Frustration in Moscow as Air Defense Systems Deployed

The installation of air defense systems in the center of the Russian capital in recent weeks has been met with fear and anger by locals — as well...

‘not silent’

Russian Emigres Rally Worldwide in Support of Jailed Navalny

Thousands of Russian emigres in more than 60 cities, from Seoul and London to Yerevan, Vilnius and Belgrade, took part in solidarity rallies Saturday in...

difficult times

Russia’s Labor Migrants Struggle at Sharp End of Wartime Downturn

MOSCOW — “Last year was the worst in every sense,” taxi driver Valeriani said when asked what he thought of life in the Russian capital...

against all odds

Russia’s Local Journalists Struggle to Keep News Flowing – From Home and Abroad

Russian independent media outlet Zvezda in the city of Perm consistently uses the word “war” in its coverage of the fighting in Ukraine &mdash...

military composition

Glory Hunters or Gold Diggers? The Shadowy World of Russia’s ‘Volunteers’ Fighting in Ukraine

Alexander was quickly deployed to the frontlines in Ukraine after he joined a Russian unit for volunteer soldiers in October because he wanted to &ldquo...

As Russia Claims Win, Analysts Say Capture of Soledar Is ‘Pyrrhic Victory’

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that its forces had won a significant victory on Friday with the capture of the eastern Ukrainian town of Soledar...

In Russia’s Samara Region, A Steady Trickle of Funerals for Soldiers Killed in Makiivka

Russian families from the Volga region of Samara continue to bury loved ones who died in one of the most deadly single incidents of the Ukraine war as...

Choices Narrow in Russian Bookstores Amid Anti-LGBT Law, Wartime Restrictions

Ordinary Russians are unable to access an increasingly broad range of literature as bookshops and libraries pull titles from their shelves amid a wartime...

Seven Months On, Russia's Only Diplomat to Publicly Quit Over the Ukraine War Has Time on His Hands

Boris Bondarev, a former member of Russia's delegation to the United Nations in Geneva, now lives modestly in Switzerland with his wife and their kitten...

gradual decline

What Really Happened With Russia’s Economy in 2022?

While many analysts and observers expected the Russian economy to collapse under the weight of the Ukraine war and a flood of Western sanctions, the country...

2022's Top Eurasian Climate Stories in Review

The top climate stories of 2022: from the fallout of the Ukraine war to record temperatures in Central Asia.

7 Anti-War Street Artists Still Working Inside Russia

From the very first day of the invasion of Ukraine, anti-war art has spilled onto the streets and squares of Russian cities. And, despite detentions and...

assassinations to Covid-19

9 Deaths That Shocked Russia in 2022

2022 was defined by Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine, with the resulting violence leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians...

growing depression

Ukraine War, International Isolation Fuels Russian Mental Health ‘Crisis’

Boris started taking antidepressants for the first time in his life at the end of February, shortly after Russian tanks rolled across the border into Ukraine...

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