Meduza in English
@meduza.io
Breaking news in Russia, investigative reports, interviews, and opinions. In English. You’re welcome. https://meduza.io/en
Russia says it’s arrested two people in connection with the attempted assassination of Vladimir Alexeyev, the first deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency. According to the FSB, a third suspect fled to Ukraine.
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Russia arrests two in failed hit on top military intelligence official, claims third suspect fled to Ukraine — Meduza
Russian authorities say they have arrested two people in connection with the attempted assassination of Vladimir Alexeyev, the first deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency. Alexeyev was…
meduza.io
February 9, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Russia says it’s arrested two people in connection with the attempted assassination of Vladimir Alexeyev, the first deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency. According to the FSB, a third suspect fled to Ukraine.
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Sergey Ivanov, once seen as a possible successor to Vladimir Putin, has left politics for good. Meduza looks back at the defining moments in the career of one of Putin’s closest allies.
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Sergey Ivanov spent decades as Putin’s most trusted man and then watched as that trust became a cage — Meduza
In early February, Vladimir Putin relieved Sergey Ivanov of his duties as the president’s special envoy for environmental matters. Ivanov, 73, is one of Putin’s oldest and closest allies — the two…
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February 9, 2026 at 12:11 PM
Sergey Ivanov, once seen as a possible successor to Vladimir Putin, has left politics for good. Meduza looks back at the defining moments in the career of one of Putin’s closest allies.
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Russian lawmakers want husbands to be told if their wives plan to have an abortion. Or ex-husbands, if the divorce was less than three months ago.
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Draft legislation in Russia would require women to notify their husbands — sometimes even their ex-husbands — before terminating a pregnancy — Meduza
In March 2026, the State Duma will consider a bill requiring a wife to notify her husband (including an ex-husband) if she plans to terminate a pregnancy.
meduza.io
February 9, 2026 at 8:11 AM
Russian lawmakers want husbands to be told if their wives plan to have an abortion. Or ex-husbands, if the divorce was less than three months ago.
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Ukraine asked SpaceX to shut down Russia's stolen Starlink terminals. The problem? Many of Ukraine's own devices are technically unauthorized, too. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Russia was never supposed to have Starlink, so why did SpaceX wait so long to cut it off? — Meduza
On February 4, pro-war military bloggers reported that Russia’s frontline troops had lost access to Starlink satellite Internet. While Ukrainian forces have had official access to Starlink since the…
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February 7, 2026 at 12:14 AM
Ukraine asked SpaceX to shut down Russia's stolen Starlink terminals. The problem? Many of Ukraine's own devices are technically unauthorized, too. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Can you criticize a 6-year prison sentence for a joke if you're living safely abroad? Russian émigré comedians grapple with that question — and with why no one inside Russia is speaking up. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
What do you say when one of your own gets six years for a joke? If you’re a comedian in Russia, nothing. — Meduza
In early February, a Moscow court sentenced stand-up comedian Artemy Ostanin to five years and nine months in prison for “inciting hatred” and “insulting the feelings of religious believers.”…
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February 6, 2026 at 10:11 PM
Can you criticize a 6-year prison sentence for a joke if you're living safely abroad? Russian émigré comedians grapple with that question — and with why no one inside Russia is speaking up. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
His last phone call was to her. Two days before, he'd rewritten his will. Now, six years after Jeffrey Epstein's death, a Belarusian dentist named Karyna Shulyak waits — caught between a fortune promised and justice owed. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Jeffrey Epstein tried to leave $100 million to a Belarusian dentist named Karyna Shulyak: Who is she? — Meduza
The release of files related to financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has revealed the names not only of his associates but also of the beneficiaries of his estate. A trust agreement drafted…
meduza.io
February 6, 2026 at 9:11 PM
His last phone call was to her. Two days before, he'd rewritten his will. Now, six years after Jeffrey Epstein's death, a Belarusian dentist named Karyna Shulyak waits — caught between a fortune promised and justice owed. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Russia’s Belogord region saw a record number of reported rapes in 2025 — three times more than the year before.
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Russian border region sees record spike in sexual violence cases. Is the war to blame? — Meduza
Russia’s Belogord region saw a record number of reported rapes in 2025 — more than any other Russian region. According to the data project To Be Precise, Belgorod police registered 199 such cases,…
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February 6, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Russia’s Belogord region saw a record number of reported rapes in 2025 — three times more than the year before.
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Journalist @mikeeckel.bsky.social joins the Naked Pravda to unpack his investigation into Nomma Zarubina. Her Manhattan case highlights the blurry legal line between cultural networking and illegal foreign influence, amplified by a spiral of erratic behavior. meduza.io/en/episodes/...
What happens when you drunk-text the FBI about Russian spies and prostitutes at 4 a.m.? The curious case of Nomma Zarubina. — Meduza
In this week’s episode, host Kevin Rothrock sits down with RFE/RL senior international correspondent Mike Eckel to discuss his January 28 investigation into the bizarre case of Nomma Zarubina: The…
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February 6, 2026 at 12:45 PM
Journalist @mikeeckel.bsky.social joins the Naked Pravda to unpack his investigation into Nomma Zarubina. Her Manhattan case highlights the blurry legal line between cultural networking and illegal foreign influence, amplified by a spiral of erratic behavior. meduza.io/en/episodes/...
Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, the first deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency, has been hospitalized after being shot multiple times in Moscow.
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Russian general shot in Moscow — Meduza
Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, the first deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency, was hospitalized Friday after being shot multiple times inside a residential building in Moscow,…
meduza.io
February 6, 2026 at 10:11 AM
Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, the first deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency, has been hospitalized after being shot multiple times in Moscow.
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What happens when an "energy truce" fails in the middle of a -20°C (-4°F) cold snap? For many Ukrainians, it means sleeping in subway stations. If you're looking for a way to help them survive Russia's winter attacks, consider "Warmth for Ukraine." meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Ukrainians are freezing inside their homes as Russia’s winter strikes intensify. Here is how you can help. — Meduza
By midday on February 4, roughly 1,100 apartment buildings in Kyiv remained without heating, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Nationwide rolling blackouts are now in effect, with…
meduza.io
February 5, 2026 at 11:11 PM
What happens when an "energy truce" fails in the middle of a -20°C (-4°F) cold snap? For many Ukrainians, it means sleeping in subway stations. If you're looking for a way to help them survive Russia's winter attacks, consider "Warmth for Ukraine." meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Following a second day of U.S.-led talks in Abu Dhabi, Russia and Ukraine agreed to their first prisoner exchange in months. Meanwhile, Russian state media hinted at a new demand from Moscow. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
U.S.-led talks end with first Ukraine-Russia prisoner swap in months as state media signals new demands from Moscow — Meduza
A second day of trilateral talks aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine concluded in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. The meeting, which involved representatives from Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv, marked…
meduza.io
February 5, 2026 at 10:11 PM
Following a second day of U.S.-led talks in Abu Dhabi, Russia and Ukraine agreed to their first prisoner exchange in months. Meanwhile, Russian state media hinted at a new demand from Moscow. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Zelensky says Ukraine has lost at least 55,000 soldiers to Russia’s full-scale invasion, but open-source data suggests a much higher toll. meduza.io/en/news/2026...
Zelensky says 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the full-scale war with Russia. Open-source data suggests a higher toll. — Meduza
At least 55,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed in Russia’s full-scale war, with many more considered missing, President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed on Wednesday.
meduza.io
February 5, 2026 at 8:11 PM
Zelensky says Ukraine has lost at least 55,000 soldiers to Russia’s full-scale invasion, but open-source data suggests a much higher toll. meduza.io/en/news/2026...
A recent wargame exposed a critical weakness in NATO’s defense. By feigning a humanitarian crisis in Kaliningrad, the "Russian" team confused European leaders long enough to mine the Lithuanian border and effectively block a counterattack. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
He played Putin and broke NATO in three days. Alexander Gabuev, the scholar behind an alarming wargame, tells Meduza how he did it. — Meduza
Last December, the newspaper Die Welt partnered with military researchers at Helmut Schmidt University to simulate a Russian invasion of NATO. The exercise involved 16 participants, including…
meduza.io
February 5, 2026 at 7:36 PM
A recent wargame exposed a critical weakness in NATO’s defense. By feigning a humanitarian crisis in Kaliningrad, the "Russian" team confused European leaders long enough to mine the Lithuanian border and effectively block a counterattack. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Last week, Kazakhstan deported a dual Ukrainian-Russian citizen to Russia, where he was immediately arrested on charges of “treason.” The case points to a new level of coordination between the Kremlin and Kazakh authorities.
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Deported in hours, a 25-year-old Crimean now faces life in a Russian prison. Rights experts warn his arrest reveals a chilling new extradition shortcut from Kazakhstan. — Meduza
Last week, Kazakhstan deported a dual Ukrainian-Russian citizen to Russia, where he was immediately arrested on treason charges. The 25-year-old IT specialist, Oleksandr Kachkurkin, moved from Crimea…
meduza.io
February 5, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Last week, Kazakhstan deported a dual Ukrainian-Russian citizen to Russia, where he was immediately arrested on charges of “treason.” The case points to a new level of coordination between the Kremlin and Kazakh authorities.
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Ukraine’s military says it conducted a series of “successful” strikes in January against Kapustin Yar, the launch point for Russia’s Oreshnik missile attacks. meduza.io/en/news/2026...
Ukraine strikes infrastructure at Russia’s Oreshnik launch site, military says — Meduza
Ukraine’s General Staff said on Thursday that its forces conducted a series of “successful” strikes in January against the Kapustin Yar test range, a launch site for ballistic missiles located…
meduza.io
February 5, 2026 at 4:39 PM
Ukraine’s military says it conducted a series of “successful” strikes in January against Kapustin Yar, the launch point for Russia’s Oreshnik missile attacks. meduza.io/en/news/2026...
Russia has opened a criminal case against Meduza special correspondent Andrey Pertsev on charges of participating in the activities of a designated “undesirable” organization. meduza.io/en/news/2026...
Russia launches criminal case against Meduza special correspondent Andrey Pertsev — Meduza
Russian authorities have opened a criminal case against Meduza special correspondent Andrey Pertsev on charges of participating in the activities of a designated “undesirable” organization.
meduza.io
February 5, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Russia has opened a criminal case against Meduza special correspondent Andrey Pertsev on charges of participating in the activities of a designated “undesirable” organization. meduza.io/en/news/2026...
Russia just passed a law giving the Russian Red Cross exclusive rights to its name. The twist? Enforcing it in occupied Ukraine would mean officially recognizing the very ties to local "imposter" groups that Moscow has spent years trying to deny. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Russia’s new law protects the Red Cross name, but enforcing it in occupied Ukraine would expose the very ties Moscow denies — Meduza
The Russian Red Cross (RRC) has long denied allegations of operating in occupied Ukraine, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. In a 2024 investigation, Meduza and its partners in the Kremlin…
meduza.io
February 5, 2026 at 1:11 AM
Russia just passed a law giving the Russian Red Cross exclusive rights to its name. The twist? Enforcing it in occupied Ukraine would mean officially recognizing the very ties to local "imposter" groups that Moscow has spent years trying to deny. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
The New START treaty didn't just cap warheads; it forced rivals to talk. Its expiration on Thursday kills the inspections and data exchanges that kept U.S.–Russian nuclear tensions predictable. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
The last nuclear guardrail falls this week, and the U.S. and Russia have chosen to fly blind — Meduza
The dangerous drift toward a new arms race between Russia and the United States crosses another major threshold tomorrow, February 5, with the expiration of New START — the last treaty limiting the…
meduza.io
February 5, 2026 at 12:14 AM
The New START treaty didn't just cap warheads; it forced rivals to talk. Its expiration on Thursday kills the inspections and data exchanges that kept U.S.–Russian nuclear tensions predictable. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
A St. Petersburg man is in custody after confessing to killing a nine-year-old boy. Here’s what we know about this missing person turned murder case.
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St. Petersburg man arrested for murder of missing nine-year-old after days-long search — Meduza
The body of a nine-year-old boy from St. Petersburg, who had been missing since late January, was found in a body of water in Russia’s Leningrad region after a suspect confessed to killing him,…
meduza.io
February 4, 2026 at 3:11 PM
A St. Petersburg man is in custody after confessing to killing a nine-year-old boy. Here’s what we know about this missing person turned murder case.
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The Epstein files have shed new light on the convicted sex offender’s connections with powerful people around the globe. Among those mentioned are Russian politicians, businessmen, and public figures — including Vladimir Putin.
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Who are the Russians named in the latest Epstein files? Vladimir Putin, for one. — Meduza
Last week’s release of roughly three million additional documents from the U.S. Justice Department’s years-long investigation into the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has shed new light on the late…
meduza.io
February 3, 2026 at 8:11 PM
The Epstein files have shed new light on the convicted sex offender’s connections with powerful people around the globe. Among those mentioned are Russian politicians, businessmen, and public figures — including Vladimir Putin.
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Russia launched an overnight strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure amid extreme cold. Thousands have been left without heat as temperatures drop well below freezing.
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Russia strikes Ukraine’s energy system in subzero cold, leaving thousands without heat — Meduza
Russian forces carried out a combined overnight attack on Ukraine on February 2–3, launching drones and missiles across several regions. Kyiv was among the targets, according to statements from the…
meduza.io
February 3, 2026 at 9:11 AM
Russia launched an overnight strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure amid extreme cold. Thousands have been left without heat as temperatures drop well below freezing.
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Georgy Avaliani was mobilized into the Russian army, survived a “torture basement,” and escaped abroad. Now, he’s wanted in Russia and Germany has rejected his family’s asylum application. According to Mediazona, his case is hardly unique. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Fleeing the front and wanted in Russia, deserters face deportation as Germany ‘churns out’ asylum rejections — Meduza
Georgy Avaliani, a 47-year-old father of three, was mobilized into the Russian army in the fall of 2022. He fled the front line as soon as he was deployed, only to be arrested, held in a “torture…
meduza.io
February 3, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Georgy Avaliani was mobilized into the Russian army, survived a “torture basement,” and escaped abroad. Now, he’s wanted in Russia and Germany has rejected his family’s asylum application. According to Mediazona, his case is hardly unique. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Russia’s parliament is moving to formally expand the FSB’s authority to shut down communications services across the country — while shielding telecom companies from any legal responsibility for the fallout.
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Russia is set to grant the FSB total control over communications shutdowns and ban citizens from suing for outages — Meduza
Russia’s parliament is moving to formally expand the Federal Security Service’s authority to shut down communications services across the country — while shielding telecom companies from any legal…
meduza.io
February 2, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Russia’s parliament is moving to formally expand the FSB’s authority to shut down communications services across the country — while shielding telecom companies from any legal responsibility for the fallout.
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Across Russia, prices for basic necessities have climbed sharply. We asked our readers there how higher prices are reshaping their daily lives — and what they’re bracing for next.
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As food prices surge, Russians stop buying fruit, ignore expiration dates, and brace for more hikes — Meduza
One of the biggest concerns for Russians at the start of this year is the rapid rise in the cost of basic necessities. Across the country, prices for vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy products, pet…
meduza.io
February 2, 2026 at 4:39 PM
Across Russia, prices for basic necessities have climbed sharply. We asked our readers there how higher prices are reshaping their daily lives — and what they’re bracing for next.
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A 16-year-old stands accused of murdering a high-level official at Russia’s censorship agency — and state media outlets haven’t said a word about it. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Teen arrested in killing of Russian censorship official as state media stays silent — Meduza
Authorities in Moscow have arrested a 16-year-old suspect in connection with the murder of a high-level official at Russia’s state censorship agency, Roskomnadzor. According to Meduza’s sources,…
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January 31, 2026 at 11:00 AM
A 16-year-old stands accused of murdering a high-level official at Russia’s censorship agency — and state media outlets haven’t said a word about it. meduza.io/en/feature/2...