• Political convictions in Putin's Russia surpass USSR levels under Khrushchev and Brezhnev

    In Russia, the number of individuals convicted on political grounds during President Vladimir Putin’s most recent term has surpassed that of the USSR under Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev, reports the Russian publication Proekt (Project).

    Proekt highlighted that the total number of those persecuted in Russia under criminal and administrative charges for the period from 2018 to 2023 is estimated to be around 116 thousand people. According to Proekt, from 2018 to February 2024, 5,613 …

  • Ukrainian missile strike kills dozens of Russian soldiers at Donetsk training range

    According to reports by Ukrainian journalist Denis Kazansky, BBC Russian Service correspondent Ilya Barabanov, and DPR military Egor Guzenko, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a missile strike at a training ground near the village of Trudovske in the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk region. As a result, dozens of soldiers from the Russian 36th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade (military unit 06705) from Zabaikalsky Krai were killed.

    The strike, carried out by two HIMARS rockets in the middle of …

  • Russian military blogger, who wrote about large Russian army losses in Aviivka, commits suicide amid harassment by Kremlin propagandists

    Andrey Morozov, the author of the Telegram channel "Letters from Yania," has taken his own life following harassment by official Russian propagandists, employees of Vladimir Solovyov, Yulia Vityazeva, and Armen Gasparyan. Morozov's death has been noted by Miroslava Reginskaya, the wife of the former "Defense Minister of the DPR," Igor Strelkov, who is convicted in Russia for "inciting extremism", and lawyer Maxim Pashkov.

    A suicide note was published on Morozov's channel. In it, he explained …

  • Putin gifts Kim Jong-un domestic car ‘to signify special friendship’

    Russian President Vladimir Putin has presented North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with a domestically manufactured car as a personal gift, signifying the special friendship between the two nations, Voice of America reports.

    Details regarding the brand of the vehicle and the method of delivery were not specified. Analysts suggest such actions could contravene UN resolutions prohibiting luxury goods from entering North Korea. These sanctions aim to pressure the country to abandon its nuclear …

  • Kremlin debates withholding Navalny's body to avoid political unrest ahead of elections

    Sources close to the Kremlin report that Russian authorities are discussing options to delay the release of Alexei Navalny’s body to his family. There are concerns within the Kremlin that the funeral of the opposition politician could overshadow the upcoming presidential elections and Vladimir Putin’s inauguration, transforming it into a significant political event, reports he news outlet Agenstvo.Novosti.

    Bloomberg cites that the news of the politician’s death came as a surprise to the …

  • Media: Germany likely wants to transfer Taurus missiles to Ukraine

    The governing coalition parties in Germany have prepared a proposal for arms supplies to Ukraine which include the provision of long-range weapons systems, reports the newspaper Bild, citing the German Press Agency. The Taurus cruise missiles were also considered but are not explicitly listed.

    The coalition has reportedly crafted a non-public proposal aimed at delivering more ammunition to Kyiv. The assistance is also said to encompass the provision of transport vehicles and weapons systems. A …

  • Sweden set to announce largest military aid package to Ukraine

    On Tuesday, the Swedish government is set to announce its largest military aid package to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, reports the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter. The package, valued at 7.1 billion Swedish crowns (approximately 700 million dollars), will include military equipment, but the details remain undisclosed.

    The upcoming 15th assistance package will be presented at a press conference on Tuesday, with both the defense minister and the prime minister in …

  • Russian Defense Ministry starts recruiting female prisoners for war in Ukraine

    The Russian Ministry of Defence is reportedly recruiting convicted women from Correctional Colony No. 2 in the Leningrad Region to fight in the war in Ukraine, reports the investigative news outlet "Vazhnye Istorii" (Important Stories), citing accounts from former inmates of the Ulyanovka settlement facility.

    Journalists explained that their sources acquired information from friends still detained at the colony. The names of two women who agreed to participate in the conflict have been …

  • Ukraine proposes a way for Musk to disconnect Russians from Starlink

    Ukrainian Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said his ministry had proposed an algorithm to SpaceX designed to prevent Russian troops from using Starlink satellite communication systems without compromising the capabilities of Ukraine's Defense Forces.

    "We looked at and analyzed the case that just happened in Israel when the conflict in Gaza escalated. We found the corresponding algorithm, proposed it to SpaceX, and we are now in clear communication about how to prevent such …

  • Lithuanian Foreign Minister urges EU to find creative solutions to support Ukraine

    Ahead of an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis called on allies to devise a creative solution to support Ukraine.

    "Although I am heading to another Council meeting today, I do not believe it should be business as usual. We have to recognize that there is nothing normal about the situation Europe finds itself in, and if we fail to acknowledge this fact, we may end up in even worse circumstances, with the most immediate concerns …