Stories about Russia
‘You'd better not wake up!': How Twitter users remember the day of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Global Voices translated some of the responses about the memories of the day of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 24th 2022
Those who are in these coffins will no longer hear Putin's chatter about ‘everything is going according to plan’
Global Voices gathered some of the social media commentary in Russian with reactions to Putin's speech.
Interview with Romanian anti-disinformation activist reveals disinformation campaigns often target refugees from Ukraine
The position of Romania regarding the war in Ukraine remains in line with the EU and NATO, despite pro-Russian destabilizing efforts. However, at general level, disinformation had become part of political discourse.
Can China act as a peace broker in the Russian-Ukraine war?
China is attempting to rebuild ties with the EU and is blaming the US for taking advantage of the Russia-Ukraine War ahead of a meeting between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin.
Malian government expels UN Representatives in targeted move
Malian authorities expel UN representatives, underlining their refusal to accept any national and international criticism of their human rights record
Man accused of setting fire to military draft office in Transnistria faces 30 years in jail
Unlike many other similar human rights violations in Transnistria, the incident with the arrest of Alexander Dimov and his alleged record prison term did not cause a wide public reaction
Every Friday, Russia labels new citizens and organizations as ‘Foreign Agents’
Labeling people and organizations as 'foreign agents' resembles Stalin's repressive regime. It is now being used to push dissenting voices out of the country.
The main effort of Russian propaganda language is to give the impression that there is still no war
What does Russian propaganda do? It replaces the associations of words so that we perceive the world as better and safer, as a world in which there is no war
Ukrainian linguistic battlefields
A recent Facebook dispute about gendered names of professions in the Ukrainian language is about far more than gender.
First victims of anti-LGBTQ+ law in Russia are trans persons and books
Openly trans Tiktokers, a publishing house, movies and TV shows feel the weight of the Russian anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda law.
Georgia facing backlash over possible flight resumption with Russia
Flights between Georgia and Russia have been banned since 2019, on President Putin's orders. After Russian lawmaker, Sergey Gavrilov, visited the country in June 2019, and a bout of violence followed.
‘We are asking for forgiveness that we know we will never receive': In Russia, people are bringing flowers to monuments of Ukrainians
In at least 17 cities of Russia, people are bringing flowers and photos of the destroyed house in Dnipro, Ukraine, hit by a Russian missile on January 14, 2023, to spontaneous memorials.
In Russia, video games are unsafe for kids. But not for the usual reasons
Nikita Uvarov, a teenager from Siberia, is serving a five-year jail sentence for planning to build the FSB building and blow it up in Minecraft.
“I will forever be the enemy of the Russian regime” says TikToker in Moldova
This is the first case of a TikToker formerly based in Russia openly standing against the Russian regime and supporting Ukraine.
Tensions over Lachin Corridor linger with no breakthrough in sight
Azerbaijan's government denies any involvement in the blockade. Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of orchestrating the protest, while authorities in Karabakh accuse Azerbaijan of forcing remaining Karabakh Armenians into submission.
Relatives of drafted soldiers in Russia do not know if they are dead or alive
In the Russian region of Samara, a petition to publish names of mobilized soldiers who died after the shelling of Makeevka on the 31st of December, 2022, gathered 50,000 signatures. The army officials refused.
Infrastructural content moderation: the case of Mariupol
In addition to the obvious humanitarian consequences that internet shutdowns in a war zone bring, infrastructural content moderation is a potent and dangerous approach to spreading disinformation.
Will a yurt in Ukraine cause a diplomatic row between Kazakhstan and Russia?
Kazakh yurts offering humanitarian help are popping up in Ukraine. Perceiving this as official support of Kyiv, Moscow is reacting by putting pressure on the Kazakh authorities.
Rights organization OVD-Info gives an overview of repression in Russia in 2022
In 2022 in Russia, there were more than 21,000 arrests and at least 370 defendants in criminal cases for anti-war statements and speeches. More than 200,000 Internet resources have been blocked including 11 sentences in cases of state treason.
Popular Russian singer answers ‘Glory to Ukraine’. Now they want to revoke his citizenship
Singer Valerii Meladze has been openly against the war since February 2022. Now he may face harsh consequences for the words he said off-the-record in Dubai in support of Ukraine.
Undertones in Russia: War, Propaganda, the West
Researchers share some of the strongest narratives that are circulating in Russia and what we can expect in 2023
