Mikhail Khodorkovsky
@khodorkovsky.com
A leader of the Russian opposition, reformer. Ex-political prisoner (2003–2013). Follow for insights on current events in Russia and beyond.
My book 'How to Slay a Dragon: Building a New Russia After Putin' is available here — https://a.co/d/ai95jkW
My book 'How to Slay a Dragon: Building a New Russia After Putin' is available here — https://a.co/d/ai95jkW
We were taught that truth is the best weapon.
That if people have access to facts, they'll figure it out.
🧵This turned out to be completely, dangerously wrong
That if people have access to facts, they'll figure it out.
🧵This turned out to be completely, dangerously wrong
February 6, 2026 at 8:44 PM
We were taught that truth is the best weapon.
That if people have access to facts, they'll figure it out.
🧵This turned out to be completely, dangerously wrong
That if people have access to facts, they'll figure it out.
🧵This turned out to be completely, dangerously wrong
The Abu Dhabi talks won't end the war—but they're far from pointless. Here's what they could actually achieve, and why Putin may be forced to soften his demands within months:
[1/8]
[1/8]
February 4, 2026 at 5:48 PM
The Abu Dhabi talks won't end the war—but they're far from pointless. Here's what they could actually achieve, and why Putin may be forced to soften his demands within months:
[1/8]
[1/8]
A Bangladeshi janitor arrived in Russia expecting a cleaning job. Within weeks, he was sent to the front lines in Ukraine with a rifle in his hands.
Read on to learn how Putin is avoiding another round of mobilization:
[1/12]
Read on to learn how Putin is avoiding another round of mobilization:
[1/12]
February 3, 2026 at 8:08 PM
A Bangladeshi janitor arrived in Russia expecting a cleaning job. Within weeks, he was sent to the front lines in Ukraine with a rifle in his hands.
Read on to learn how Putin is avoiding another round of mobilization:
[1/12]
Read on to learn how Putin is avoiding another round of mobilization:
[1/12]
An IT specialist was deported back to Russia at the weekend after being detained for jaywalking in Kazakhstan. The moment his plane landed in Russia, he was arrested for treason.
🧵 The walls are closing in for those fleeing the Putin regime [1/10]
🧵 The walls are closing in for those fleeing the Putin regime [1/10]
February 2, 2026 at 8:06 PM
An IT specialist was deported back to Russia at the weekend after being detained for jaywalking in Kazakhstan. The moment his plane landed in Russia, he was arrested for treason.
🧵 The walls are closing in for those fleeing the Putin regime [1/10]
🧵 The walls are closing in for those fleeing the Putin regime [1/10]
For years, the West didn't know what to do with Russians who reject Putin. Engage them? Ignore them? Sanction them anyway?
That confusion just ended. PACE has launched a formal platform for Russian democratic forces.
🧵Here's why this matters [1/14]
That confusion just ended. PACE has launched a formal platform for Russian democratic forces.
🧵Here's why this matters [1/14]
January 29, 2026 at 6:38 PM
For years, the West didn't know what to do with Russians who reject Putin. Engage them? Ignore them? Sanction them anyway?
That confusion just ended. PACE has launched a formal platform for Russian democratic forces.
🧵Here's why this matters [1/14]
That confusion just ended. PACE has launched a formal platform for Russian democratic forces.
🧵Here's why this matters [1/14]
He traveled to visit his elderly parents. Instead, he was arrested for his wife's social media posts.
🧵A Russian-Irish man now faces terrorism charges because he married a Ukrainian citizen [1/6]
🧵A Russian-Irish man now faces terrorism charges because he married a Ukrainian citizen [1/6]
January 29, 2026 at 6:06 PM
He traveled to visit his elderly parents. Instead, he was arrested for his wife's social media posts.
🧵A Russian-Irish man now faces terrorism charges because he married a Ukrainian citizen [1/6]
🧵A Russian-Irish man now faces terrorism charges because he married a Ukrainian citizen [1/6]
This Russian soldier deserted, was tortured with electric shocks in a literal military dungeon, escaped twice, fled the country.
Germany denied him asylum because... Russian military officials announced mobilization was "over" in 2022.
theins.ru/en/news/288770
Germany denied him asylum because... Russian military officials announced mobilization was "over" in 2022.
theins.ru/en/news/288770
Germany denies asylum to Russian deserter, citing ex-Defense Minister Shoigu’s claim that mobilization had “ended”
Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has denied asylum to a Russian man who was mobilized into the armed forces, fled from the front, and was tortured after being detained. The b...
theins.ru
January 28, 2026 at 3:46 PM
This Russian soldier deserted, was tortured with electric shocks in a literal military dungeon, escaped twice, fled the country.
Germany denied him asylum because... Russian military officials announced mobilization was "over" in 2022.
theins.ru/en/news/288770
Germany denied him asylum because... Russian military officials announced mobilization was "over" in 2022.
theins.ru/en/news/288770
I spent 10 years in Putin's prisons. In 2025, I was labeled a 'terrorist' for opposing the war.
🧵Now leaked Interpol files prove what I've long understood: the Kremlin has weaponized international policing into a worldwide dragnet for those who oppose Putin. [1/14]
🧵Now leaked Interpol files prove what I've long understood: the Kremlin has weaponized international policing into a worldwide dragnet for those who oppose Putin. [1/14]
January 28, 2026 at 3:22 PM
I spent 10 years in Putin's prisons. In 2025, I was labeled a 'terrorist' for opposing the war.
🧵Now leaked Interpol files prove what I've long understood: the Kremlin has weaponized international policing into a worldwide dragnet for those who oppose Putin. [1/14]
🧵Now leaked Interpol files prove what I've long understood: the Kremlin has weaponized international policing into a worldwide dragnet for those who oppose Putin. [1/14]
What does it look like when a government can silence 90 million people while keeping itself online?
Iran just showed us. Russia is next.
(🧵Read on 1/17)
Iran just showed us. Russia is next.
(🧵Read on 1/17)
January 27, 2026 at 6:49 PM
What does it look like when a government can silence 90 million people while keeping itself online?
Iran just showed us. Russia is next.
(🧵Read on 1/17)
Iran just showed us. Russia is next.
(🧵Read on 1/17)
"When will you finish this bs?"
A Russian sergeant risks his life to deliver a brutal message directly to Putin.
A Russian sergeant risks his life to deliver a brutal message directly to Putin.
January 17, 2026 at 11:57 AM
"When will you finish this bs?"
A Russian sergeant risks his life to deliver a brutal message directly to Putin.
A Russian sergeant risks his life to deliver a brutal message directly to Putin.
A Russian schoolteacher secretly filmed his own workplace as it was turned into a war propaganda machine. That footage is now part of a documentary shortlisted for an Oscar.
Here’s the story behind ‘Mr Nobody in Russia’:👇
[1/12]
Here’s the story behind ‘Mr Nobody in Russia’:👇
[1/12]
January 16, 2026 at 9:21 PM
A Russian schoolteacher secretly filmed his own workplace as it was turned into a war propaganda machine. That footage is now part of a documentary shortlisted for an Oscar.
Here’s the story behind ‘Mr Nobody in Russia’:👇
[1/12]
Here’s the story behind ‘Mr Nobody in Russia’:👇
[1/12]
Putin promised a 2-day operation.
It's now outlasted Soviet involvement in WWII. The death toll has reached 10x the Soviet losses in Afghanistan.
🧵Even Russia's war hawks are furious — (Read on)
It's now outlasted Soviet involvement in WWII. The death toll has reached 10x the Soviet losses in Afghanistan.
🧵Even Russia's war hawks are furious — (Read on)
January 15, 2026 at 8:46 PM
Putin promised a 2-day operation.
It's now outlasted Soviet involvement in WWII. The death toll has reached 10x the Soviet losses in Afghanistan.
🧵Even Russia's war hawks are furious — (Read on)
It's now outlasted Soviet involvement in WWII. The death toll has reached 10x the Soviet losses in Afghanistan.
🧵Even Russia's war hawks are furious — (Read on)
Ukraine struck a Russian tanker in the Mediterranean last month. Cutting off oil profits is the obvious motive.
🧵 But what @dossier_center found in the crew records hints at why these ships might matter beyond sanctions
[1/14]
🧵 But what @dossier_center found in the crew records hints at why these ships might matter beyond sanctions
[1/14]
January 13, 2026 at 8:02 PM
Ukraine struck a Russian tanker in the Mediterranean last month. Cutting off oil profits is the obvious motive.
🧵 But what @dossier_center found in the crew records hints at why these ships might matter beyond sanctions
[1/14]
🧵 But what @dossier_center found in the crew records hints at why these ships might matter beyond sanctions
[1/14]
I’ve just joined Threads!
Follow here to keep up with everything I’m sharing across platforms:
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Follow here to keep up with everything I’m sharing across platforms:
www.threads.com/@khodorkovsk...
Mikhail Khodorkovsky (@khodorkovsky_en) • Threads, Say more
0 Followers • 0 Threads • A leader of the Russian opposition, reformer. Ex-political prisoner (2003–2013). Follow for insights on current events in Russia and beyond. See the latest conversations...
www.threads.com
January 9, 2026 at 7:17 PM
I’ve just joined Threads!
Follow here to keep up with everything I’m sharing across platforms:
www.threads.com/@khodorkovsk...
Follow here to keep up with everything I’m sharing across platforms:
www.threads.com/@khodorkovsk...
Russian soldier to his sister: "They send us as cannon fodder while commanders sit in bunkers shouting 'Forward!' They shake us down for money, fill their pockets, then send us to die so we can't come back for what's ours"
January 9, 2026 at 7:07 PM
Russian soldier to his sister: "They send us as cannon fodder while commanders sit in bunkers shouting 'Forward!' They shake us down for money, fill their pockets, then send us to die so we can't come back for what's ours"
The newest punishment in Putin’s army: burying soldiers up to their necks when they refuse to die on command.
Two cases from a paratrooper unit show clearly how commanders are treating their own wounded men.
Two cases from a paratrooper unit show clearly how commanders are treating their own wounded men.
January 6, 2026 at 6:50 PM
The newest punishment in Putin’s army: burying soldiers up to their necks when they refuse to die on command.
Two cases from a paratrooper unit show clearly how commanders are treating their own wounded men.
Two cases from a paratrooper unit show clearly how commanders are treating their own wounded men.
Let’s call things by their proper names: Maduro’s capture is not a victory for international law. It is a demonstration of Western — above all American — power, and of a readiness to use that power in international politics. [1/3]
January 5, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Let’s call things by their proper names: Maduro’s capture is not a victory for international law. It is a demonstration of Western — above all American — power, and of a readiness to use that power in international politics. [1/3]
Putin now admits what the Kremlin has denied for months: Russia's war-driven growth is over.
Labor reserves are exhausted, unemployment — at record lows, and no solutions in sight.
Key takeaways from his annual Direct Line broadcast: [1/13]
Labor reserves are exhausted, unemployment — at record lows, and no solutions in sight.
Key takeaways from his annual Direct Line broadcast: [1/13]
January 5, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Putin now admits what the Kremlin has denied for months: Russia's war-driven growth is over.
Labor reserves are exhausted, unemployment — at record lows, and no solutions in sight.
Key takeaways from his annual Direct Line broadcast: [1/13]
Labor reserves are exhausted, unemployment — at record lows, and no solutions in sight.
Key takeaways from his annual Direct Line broadcast: [1/13]
2025 in review: Remember the Crimean Bridge bombing?
8 men who were likely innocent got life sentences for it.
🧵(Read on)
8 men who were likely innocent got life sentences for it.
🧵(Read on)
December 30, 2025 at 3:23 PM
2025 in review: Remember the Crimean Bridge bombing?
8 men who were likely innocent got life sentences for it.
🧵(Read on)
8 men who were likely innocent got life sentences for it.
🧵(Read on)
Russia's "import substitution" policy is a cruel joke and has created a catastrophic dependence on China.
How the promise of independence led to a humiliating reality of isolation and decline. 🧵 [1/18]
How the promise of independence led to a humiliating reality of isolation and decline. 🧵 [1/18]
December 29, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Russia's "import substitution" policy is a cruel joke and has created a catastrophic dependence on China.
How the promise of independence led to a humiliating reality of isolation and decline. 🧵 [1/18]
How the promise of independence led to a humiliating reality of isolation and decline. 🧵 [1/18]
As the year draws to a close, a chilling question hangs over Russia's literary realm: If Dostoevsky isn't immune, who is?
The Kremlin's censorship reached unprecedented levels in 2025, and the trend is ominous.
🧵Here's what you need to know: [1/13]
The Kremlin's censorship reached unprecedented levels in 2025, and the trend is ominous.
🧵Here's what you need to know: [1/13]
December 23, 2025 at 7:10 PM
As the year draws to a close, a chilling question hangs over Russia's literary realm: If Dostoevsky isn't immune, who is?
The Kremlin's censorship reached unprecedented levels in 2025, and the trend is ominous.
🧵Here's what you need to know: [1/13]
The Kremlin's censorship reached unprecedented levels in 2025, and the trend is ominous.
🧵Here's what you need to know: [1/13]
If you think Russia’s nuclear weapons are constrained by procedure, you are dangerously wrong.
There is no "Red Button." There is just one man, and a room full of people too afraid to stop him, latest investigation by @dossier_center shows:
[1/20]
There is no "Red Button." There is just one man, and a room full of people too afraid to stop him, latest investigation by @dossier_center shows:
[1/20]
December 12, 2025 at 11:48 PM
If you think Russia’s nuclear weapons are constrained by procedure, you are dangerously wrong.
There is no "Red Button." There is just one man, and a room full of people too afraid to stop him, latest investigation by @dossier_center shows:
[1/20]
There is no "Red Button." There is just one man, and a room full of people too afraid to stop him, latest investigation by @dossier_center shows:
[1/20]
In 2012, this man ran the campaign of Putin’s “rival.”
Today, he supports Putin and the war — yet is still afraid to speak openly.
You can’t support Putin and claim to support free speech. End of story.
Today, he supports Putin and the war — yet is still afraid to speak openly.
You can’t support Putin and claim to support free speech. End of story.
December 12, 2025 at 11:39 PM
In 2012, this man ran the campaign of Putin’s “rival.”
Today, he supports Putin and the war — yet is still afraid to speak openly.
You can’t support Putin and claim to support free speech. End of story.
Today, he supports Putin and the war — yet is still afraid to speak openly.
You can’t support Putin and claim to support free speech. End of story.
While Brussels argues about frozen funds, Putin’s goal is simple: have sanctions lifted so Russia's industry stops decaying.
Because this is where China can't — and won't — replace Europe.
Because this is where China can't — and won't — replace Europe.
December 11, 2025 at 8:20 PM
While Brussels argues about frozen funds, Putin’s goal is simple: have sanctions lifted so Russia's industry stops decaying.
Because this is where China can't — and won't — replace Europe.
Because this is where China can't — and won't — replace Europe.
The most dangerous moment in dealing with the Kremlin is when Putin opens his mouth.
He guaranteed Prigozhin’s safety weeks before blowing him out of the sky; promised peace in Ukraine days before launching an invasion.
🧵 We may have to deal with him, but we must never trust him
He guaranteed Prigozhin’s safety weeks before blowing him out of the sky; promised peace in Ukraine days before launching an invasion.
🧵 We may have to deal with him, but we must never trust him
December 8, 2025 at 5:01 PM
The most dangerous moment in dealing with the Kremlin is when Putin opens his mouth.
He guaranteed Prigozhin’s safety weeks before blowing him out of the sky; promised peace in Ukraine days before launching an invasion.
🧵 We may have to deal with him, but we must never trust him
He guaranteed Prigozhin’s safety weeks before blowing him out of the sky; promised peace in Ukraine days before launching an invasion.
🧵 We may have to deal with him, but we must never trust him