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State Secrets: Inside The Making Of The Electric State

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The Secret To Getting Inspired: Millie Bobby Brown & Chris Pratt Go Behind The Scenes 21:04

4 days ago21:04

21:04

Step into the mysterious and visually stunning world of The Electric State as host Francesca Amiker takes you behind the scenes with the creative masterminds who brought Simon Stålenhag’s dystopian vision to life. In this premiere episode, directors Joe and Anthony Russo, stars Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and producers Angela Russo-Otstot and Chris Castaldi reveal how they transformed a haunting graphic novel into an epic cinematic experience. Watch The Electric State coming to Netflix on March 14th. Check out more from Netflix Podcasts . State Secrets: Inside the Making of The Electric State is produced by Netflix and Treefort Media.…

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Every day we bring you the most important news and feature stories from hundreds of sources in Russia and across the former Soviet Union.

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63 episodes

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Every day we bring you the most important news and feature stories from hundreds of sources in Russia and across the former Soviet Union.

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63 episodes

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All the king’s horses and men. Why the Kremlin’s reported plan to pack Russia’s State Duma with veterans is both realistic and business as usual

2 hours ago

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On March 6, the Telegram channel Faridaily reported that the Kremlin plans to add roughly 100 Ukraine War veterans to the 450-member State Duma when Russia holds its next parliamentary elections in the fall of 2026. Veterans with the Kremlin’s endorsement will reportedly run as candidates from the political party United Russia, though Faridaily’s sources noted concerns that soldiers-turned-politicians could prove unpredictable and out of step with the legislature’s incumbents. At the same time, other sources speculated that the veterans tapped for Duma seats will be familiar politicians (for example, deputy governors and other regional figures) who served only briefly in the war (if at all). Last year, large numbers of Ukraine War veterans sought public office in regional assemblies, but almost none of them passed United Russia’s primaries. In Moscow, all 14 military candidates failed to advance. Meduza podcast host Vladislav Gorin spoke to special correspondent Andrey Pertsev for more insights into Russian veterans’ role in electoral politics. That conversation is summarized below. However ambitious the Kremlin decides to be with its integration of veterans in electoral politics, it’s doubtful that unpredictable, undereducated outsiders will be permitted any real power. Both to date and according to the plan reported by Faridaily, veterans would be kept from the executive branch, “where the money is,” and relegated to “the powerless representative branch.” Pertsev argued that flooding the State Duma with veterans wouldn’t require major innovations in elections; Russia is already grooming future political elites by sending them on brief tours of duty (far from combat), and there’s still plenty of time to add some military sheen to a politician’s reputation, if need be. He cited the examples of acting Tambov Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov and acting Jewish Autonomous Region Governor Maria Kostyuk — two established politicians whose superiors proclaimed their military credentials before their latest appointments. (Pertsev said Pervyshov’s new job in Tambov could be viewed as a demotion from his mayorship in Krasnodar, while Kostyuk apparently owes her position to past work with a foundation run by Putin’s niece, Anna Tsivilyova.) Since Putin has signaled his interest in seeing more former soldiers enter politics, the veterans who have reached public office are typically the same local elites whose careers were already on this trajectory. “And I’ve heard that they try to place them somewhere without significant financial resources, where they can’t really mess up, fail in their role, or cause major problems,” Pertsev told Meduza, explaining that outsiders tend to rock the boat, especially at the local level, when learning how little is left to municipal governments once federal and regional officials have taken their cut of public revenues. (In the town of Sosnovka, officials even threatened to redeploy a veteran who became mayor after he spoke out too loudly against local corruption.) Further reading ‘Everyone is afraid’ The Kremlin says it wants Russian soldiers who fought in Ukraine to take up ‘leading positions’ in government — so where are they? Vladislav Gorin suggested that sources speaking to the media about the Kremlin’s alleged State Duma plans so far ahead of the next elections could mean that the initiative is doomed. Maybe the Putin administration will decide not to “buy into” the idea? Gorin disagreed, saying that the plan is appealing to the Kremlin (Putin and First Deputy Chief of Staff Sergey Kiriyenko are both infatuated with “round, impressive numbers”) and easy to implement (given that many existing elites already present themselves as veterans). The State Duma’s incoming “veteran class” could even materialize as a performance staged for Vladimir Putin. “They could create a separate little world for Putin,” explained Pertsev: He clearly imagines that this engages the entire country, that everyone is caught up in it, whereas in reality, it’s just a set of props built around him. They could stage some kind of simulation of career advancement for participants in the “special military operation,” while nothing of the sort is actually happening. For instance, they could pass off so-called volunteers in this process. They could even stuff the quota with bureaucrats working in the so-called new territories — the annexed regions. In other words, Putin’s personal fixations and grasp of Russians’ priorities — not any genuine popular demand — likely drive the Kremlin’s veterans’ initiative in the State Duma, Pertsev told Meduza. Despite the president’s current preoccupation with soldiers, Gorin said he thinks Putin expects veterans to accept business as usual once the war in Ukraine subsides. “I assume [his] task after the war will be precisely to sweep its consequences under the rug and create the illusion that it’s all in the past. ‘Yes, of course, we respect you, but, dear citizen, please don’t get distracted — don’t bother your compatriots.’” Summary by Kevin Rothrock…

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‘Next time, you’ll know better’. Women say doctors at a Russian hospital performed gynecological surgery on them without anesthesia

4 hours ago

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Patients at a public hospital in Surgut, Russia, say doctors performed abortions and other gynecological surgeries on them without anesthesia — ignoring their pain and mocking their suffering. The hospital’s chief physician has denied the allegations. The regional health department says it’s launched an investigation, though it claims no official complaints have been filed. Meduza summarizes what we know about the allegations so far. Two women told the independent news outlet Dozhd (TV Rain) that doctors at a public hospital in the Russian city of Surgut performed surgical procedures on them without anesthesia. Both told their stories on condition of anonymity. One of the patients said she was admitted to the hospital for an abortion at seven weeks of pregnancy. She was told she would receive local anesthesia, but the medication failed to take effect. Though she immediately informed the doctor, obstetrics and gynecology specialist Mikhail Kurnosikov — who also serves as the hospital’s chief physician — that she was in “searing, unbearable pain,” he ignored her agony and continued the procedure, she said. “He told me, ‘That’s what you deserve. Next time, you’ll know better than to get an abortion,’” she recalled. “I was in shock from the pain for a full hour afterward.” The other woman told Dozhd that she was admitted to the same hospital in 2018 for a gynecological surgery. “Normally, they administer anesthesia and wait for it to take effect. In my case, everything happened very quickly. But when it started, I thought I was going to black out from the pain,” she said. The woman said she only realized she hadn’t been given any local anesthesia after she was later readmitted. “I went through the entire procedure fully conscious, feeling everything,” she said. Surgut’s public hospital When Dozhd reached Kurnosikov for comment, the doctor first asked the reporter where she was calling from. Upon hearing she was in the Netherlands, he refused to discuss the allegations. “We don’t talk to Nazi subjects,” he said. Speaking to the Russian news outlet Podyom, Kurnosikov denied any wrongdoing. “Everything was done in strict accordance with the law,” he said, dismissing the allegations as harassment. “This is a smear campaign. It’s just foreign agents writing this. It’s a targeted attack from abroad.” Meduza’s survival is under threat — again. Donald Trump’s foreign aid freeze has slashed funding for international groups backing press freedom. Meduza was hurt too. It’s yet another blow in our ongoing struggle to survive. You could be our lifeline. Please, help Meduza survive with a small recurring donation. Reports of abortions being performed without anesthesia at Surgut’s public hospital surfaced in early March, when a patient shared her experience with the news outlet Ura.ru . “I was sent for a vacuum abortion for medical reasons, but they didn’t give me any anesthesia at all. They just started the procedure while I was in the chair, fully conscious. I screamed in pain, and they told me to shut my mouth and stop putting on a circus show,” she said. The regional Health Ministry has not commented publicly on the matter. However, Mediazona noted that the official account of the region’s health department responded to a post about the case in a local VKontakte group. The comment stated that no official complaints had been filed against hospital staff but that the department had initiated a review of the allegations. Mediazona also noted that reports of abortions performed without anesthesia appear in reviews of the hospital on the Russian online mapping service 2GIS. “I was admitted with a missed miscarriage,” one review reads. “They administered anesthesia but didn’t wait for it to take effect, so the procedure was performed while I was fully conscious. When I screamed in pain, they just said, ‘What, like you’ve never given birth?’” rebranding teenage motherhood As Russia targets abortion and ‘childfree propaganda’ to raise birth rates, ‘Pregnant at 16’ reality show rebrands to make motherhood more appealing…

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Ukrainian troops in Kursk region ‘not at risk of encirclement yet,’ top commander says

7 hours ago

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There is currently no imminent threat of Ukrainian troops being encircled in Russia’s Kursk region, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said . “For now, our units in the Kursk region are not at risk of encirclement. They are taking timely measures to establish more advantageous defensive positions,” he said. Syrskyi added that some of the settlements “mentioned in Russian propaganda reports” have, in reality, been completely destroyed by Russian forces. He also said Ukrainian troops have been successfully “eliminating” Russian sabotage groups attempting to infiltrate Ukrainian territory. Moscow launched an aggressive push in the Kursk region late last week, after Washington stopped sharing military intelligence with Ukraine. On March 8 and 9, Russian forces retook nine settlements, followed by five more on March 10. On March 8, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Russian assault units had attempted to reach Sudzha by crawling through a gas pipeline. According to Ukrainian military officials, the raid did not catch them by surprise, and Russian units were targeted with missile and artillery strikes. pipeline to nowhere Russian troops reportedly spent days crawling through gas pipeline to slip behind Ukrainian lines in Kursk region…

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‘Especially problematic’. Blinded by Trump’s intelligence-sharing pause, Ukraine loses ground in Russia’s Kursk region

8 hours ago

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Russian troops in the city of Pogrebki in the Kursk region, March 9, 2025 The suspension of U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine has reportedly contributed to Russia’s recent successful offensive in the Kursk region. Ukrainian soldiers speaking from the front by telephone told The New York Times that the lack of American intelligence in the region has been “especially problematic.” Meduza reviews how the increasingly rocky relationship between Washington and Kyiv is affecting events on the battlefield inside Russia. A high-ranking U.S. military official told the New York Times that the suspension of intelligence sharing has "hurt Ukraine’s ability to detect and attack Russian forces in Kursk and hampered its ability to strike high-value targets.” A source in the Zelensky administration told TIME magazine that the absence of U.S. intelligence had primarily affected Ukraine’s ability to conduct military operations inside Russia. “Not only Kursk — in all Russian territory there are problems now,” the source said. Russian forces launched a major offensive in the Kursk region late last week. On March 8-9, troops recaptured eight settlements : Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, Kositsa, Lebedevka, Viktorovka, Nikolayevka, and Staraya Sorochina (by comparison, Russian forces regained control of only five towns in the entire month of February). According to calculations by the news agency TASS, based on the Defense Ministry’s statements, Russian forces had liberated 32 towns in the Kursk region as of the evening of March 9. On Monday, March 10, the “Sever” military grouping announced that “the Russian flag had been raised” over four more towns, though Meduza has not yet verified this information. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on March 10 that he has “no doubt” that Russia will reestablish full control over the Kursk region, but he again refused to speculate on when this might happen. “Regarding the Kursk region: of course, there are no deadlines. Our military is doing everything possible to clear our land of militants as quickly as possible,” Peskov told reporters. A day earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said his office had “ just about ” restored intelligence sharing with Ukraine, indicating that the policy depends on the results of upcoming talks with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia. “We just about have. We just about have,” Trump told Reuters when asked if he plans to resume intelligence sharing with Kyiv.…

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Russian law enforcement reportedly struggling with a shortage of smartphone hacking equipment

8 hours ago

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Russian law enforcement agencies are facing a shortage of specialized equipment used to hack smartphones, RBC reported , citing sources with knowledge of the matter. According to those sources, the issue has worsened since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, due to sanctions and the withdrawal of foreign companies. In recent years, Israel’s Cellebrite, Sweden’s MSAB, and Canada-based Magnet have all left the Russian market, said Igor Bederov, head of information and analytical research at T.Hunter. Cellebrite had reportedly already ended its cooperation with Russian security agencies in 2021. As a result, the market is now left with Russia’s Mobilnyy Kriminalist, China’s Forensic MagiCube, and products from the Russian company Elcomsoft. Dmitry Boroshchuk, a cybersecurity researcher and head of BeholderIsHere Consulting, said Russia lacks a well-developed market for forensic smartphone investigation tools. “These tasks rely on software suites or sets of interfaces for different functions,” he said. “But there are no complete packages specifically designed for field forensic work.” Experts say another challenge in hacking smartphones is the increasing security of Android and iOS operating systems. The human rights group Department One previously reported that Russian security forces hack mobile devices at border checkpoints using both Cellebrite and Mobilnyy Kriminalist. While Cellebrite has officially ceased operations in Russia, rights activists note that its UFED system — a forensic hardware and software suite capable of hacking many mobile devices and extracting various types of data — remains in use at border crossings. The UFED system is also available on the black market.…

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‘Vile and inhumane’. See the aftermath of Russia’s deadly attack on Dobropillia, which came days after Washington stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine

9 hours ago

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A man covers a window of his apartment that was blown out during a Russian strike. Dobropillia, Ukraine. March 8, 2025. On the evening of March 7, Russian forces launched a missile attack on the small frontline city of Dobropillia in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. The strikes killed at least 11 people and wounded 50 others, including at least seven children, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin. President Volodymyr Zelensky later said Russian forces had struck the same site twice, launching a second ballistic missile to target rescue workers arriving at the scene, a tactic he described as “vile and inhumane.” “The strike was deliberately calculated to inflict maximum damage,” Zelensky said , adding that a rescue worker was among the dead. “Every day, Russia’s brutality proves that nothing has changed for them in Moscow. They aren’t thinking about how to end the war — they’re focused on destroying and seizing as much as possible as long as the world continues to let them wage [it].” The attack on Dobropillia comes as Ukraine faces worsening battlefield conditions following the U.S. decision to halt intelligence sharing. The move has hindered Ukraine’s ability to track Russian aircraft and strike targets deep inside Russian-held territory, Time reported , citing officials and military sources. After Russia's attack on Dobropillia, the Donetsk region declared March 8 a day of mourning. Meduza shares photos of the aftermath of the deadly strikes. People stand near an apartment building struck by a Russian missile. Dobropillia, Ukraine. March 8, 2025. An apartment building hit by a Russian missile. Dobropillia, Ukraine. March 8, 2025. People comfort a woman near a damaged residential building. Dobropillia, Ukraine. March 8, 2025. A person gathers belongings inside a damaged apartment in Dobropillia, two days after a Russian attack. March 9, 2025. Vitalina, 21, collects some belongings from her damaged house in Dobropillia. March 9, 2025. A woman carrying flowers walks past an apartment building damaged by a Russian strike. Dobropillia, Ukraine. March 8, 2025. A woman stands by a window with its glass blown out. Dobropillia, Ukraine. March 8, 2025. Meduza has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from the very start, and we are committed to reporting objectively on a war we firmly oppose. Join Meduza in its mission to challenge the Kremlin’s censorship with the truth. Donate today . People carry items out of a damaged apartment building. Dobropillia, Ukraine. March 8, 2025. People stand near the rubble of an apartment building destroyed by a Russian strike on Dobropillia. March 8, 2025. Burned-out cars and damaged buildings in Dobropillia. March 9, 2025. A man with a bicycle stands near burned-out cars following a Russian strike on Dobropillia, Ukraine. March 8, 2025. Help Ukrainian civilians One year of Let’s Help Here’s how your $800,000 in donations helped support Ukrainian civilians affected by Russia’s war…

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Russian troops reportedly spent days crawling through gas pipeline to slip behind Ukrainian lines in Kursk region

12 hours ago

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On Saturday, reports emerged that Russian troops had taken an unusual approach to trying to get behind Ukrainian lines in Russia’s Kursk region — crawling through a defunct section of a pipeline that once carried Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine. Soon after, the Ukrainian side confirmed the attack but said its forces had detected the movement “in time” and launched strikes as Russian troops tried to emerge. While many pro-Russian outlets have portrayed the ongoing offensive near Sudzha as a success, some pro-war bloggers and propagandists have criticized the pipeline strategy as poorly planned. Here’s what we know so far about this unusual raid. Russian forces crawled through a gas pipeline in an attempt to ambush Ukrainian troops near the Ukrainian-held city of Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk region. They used a branch of the Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhhorod pipeline, which has been out of operation since January 1, 2025, to slip behind Ukrainian lines. Reports of the operation quickly spread across Russian pro-war Telegram channels. On the evening of March 8, Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed the raid. According to Russian war bloggers and propagandists, a unit of up to 100 soldiers traveled nearly 16 kilometers (about 10 miles) through an underground gas pipe measuring 1.4 meters (about four and a half feet) in diameter. The troops reportedly crawled through the pipe for two days and then waited inside for four more before emerging. The raid was allegedly carried out by fighters from the Veterans private military company (PMC), the Akhmat special forces unit, and Russia’s 30th Motorized Rifle Regiment. The Veterans PMC had previously used a similar tactic in January 2024 during an assault on the southern outskirts of Avdiivka in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Reactions among Russian pro-war commentators were mixed. Self-styled “war correspondent” Vladimir Romanov and propagandist Anastasia Kashevarova criticized the operation as poorly planned, citing a lack of water, supplies, and ventilation. According to their accounts, several soldiers died underground from methane poisoning. Meanwhile, Russian serviceman and pro-war blogger Yegor Guzenko argued that the premature publication of photos and videos showing soldiers crawling through the pipe had tipped off the Ukrainian side and that forces would have needed an additional week to secure a foothold. Meduza’s survival is under threat — again. Donald Trump’s foreign aid freeze has slashed funding for international groups backing press freedom. Meduza was hurt too. It’s yet another blow in our ongoing struggle to survive. You could be our lifeline. Please, help Meduza survive with a small recurring donation. The Ukrainian military said they weren’t caught off guard by the underground raid. According to Ukraine’s General Staff, reconnaissance units from the Air Assault Forces detected the Russian troops “in time,” allowing Ukrainian forces to target them with missile and artillery strikes. The Ukrainian military released a video purportedly showing strikes on Russian positions at a railway crossing along the pipeline, about two kilometers (just over a mile) northeast of Sudzha. “At present, Russian special forces are being located, blocked, and destroyed. Enemy losses near Sudzha are very high,” Ukraine’s General Staff said. However, Russian pro-government media offered a different version of events. According to the Telegram channel Shot, Russian forces are advancing on Sudzha from multiple directions. On the morning of March 9, Russian troops reportedly cleared the villages of Cherkasskoye Porechnoye and Kositsa, while fighting was ongoing in Martynovka and Malaya Loknya. Russian forces also claimed to have retaken Lebedevka, a village 10 kilometers (about six miles) from Sudzha. Russia’s Defense Ministry has not commented on the underground raid or the reported offensive near Sudzha. Photos from the region Back in Russian hands Photos from a Kursk region village that spent more than six months under Ukrainian control…

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U.S. to hold separate talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia this week — CNN

16 hours ago

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Officials from Donald Trump’s administration will meet this week in Saudi Arabia not only with a Ukrainian delegation but also with Russian representatives, CNN reported , citing a source familiar with the plans. According to the source, the meeting with the Russian delegation will be held separately from the talks with Ukraine. The source did not specify who would take part in the discussions. The exact date of the Washington-Moscow meeting was also not disclosed. Update: Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denied the reports, telling TASS that no new round of talks between Russia and the United States is planned in Saudi Arabia this week. She added that “no such information has been received from the American side either.” Talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials are scheduled for March 11 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.…

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Ukraine to propose partial ceasefire in U.S. talks as Washington assesses Kyiv’s willingness to cede territory to Russia, media report

17 hours ago

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Ukrainian representatives plan to propose a partial ceasefire with Russia during talks with a U.S. delegation scheduled for March 11 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, The Financial Times reported on March 9, citing sources familiar with the matter. The proposal would reportedly include a ban on drone and long-range missile strikes, as well as a halt to hostilities in the Black Sea. Meanwhile, the U.S. delegation intends to assess whether Ukraine is willing to make territorial concessions to Russia to end the war, Reuters reported on March 10, citing two American officials. “You can’t say ‘I want peace,’ and, ‘I refuse to compromise,’” one U.S. official said ahead of the talks. Another added, “We want to see if the Ukrainians are interested not just in peace, but in a realistic peace. If they are only interested in 2014 or 2022 borders, that tells you something.” One of Reuters’ sources said the U.S. delegation also aims to assess whether Ukraine is serious about improving relations with Washington following the contentious February 28 meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. The U.S. delegation will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio and, reportedly, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. The Ukrainian delegation will be led by Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president's office, and will also include Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha‎, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Pavlo Palisa, the deputy head of the Ukrainian president's office. On March 9, Trump said he expected “a lot of progress” in the negotiations. Zelensky, for his part, expressed hope that the talks would yield results. In recent days, the Trump administration has halted arms shipments and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, a move that news reports say is intended to pressure Kyiv into negotiations. Amid these developments, Moscow claimed it has retaken several settlements in Russia’s Kursk region. NBC News reported on March 9 that the United States would be prepared to resume military aid and intelligence sharing if Zelensky agreed to territorial concessions, took steps toward holding elections in Ukraine, and possibly stepped down as president. Meanwhile, Trump remarked that Washington has “just about” ended the freeze on intelligence sharing with Kyiv.…

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Trump says U.S. has 'just about’ resumed intelligence sharing with Ukraine

18 hours ago

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Washington has “just about” ended the freeze on intelligence sharing with Kyiv, President Donald Trump said on Sunday, according to Reuters and Bloomberg . “We just about have,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked whether he would lift the pause on intelligence exchanges, Reuters reported. Trump said he wanted to do “anything we can to get Ukraine serious about getting something done.” He added that he expected “good results” from talks between American and Ukrainian delegations set to take place in Saudi Arabia later this week. “I think we’re going to make a lot of progress I believe this week,” he said. Washington’s suspension of intelligence sharing with Kyiv was first reported on March 5 by The Financial Times and Sky News . CIA Director John Ratcliffe later confirmed the halt, calling it a “pause” that would “go away” once progress was made toward a peace agreement Trump was pursuing.…

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Man in St. Petersburg will face felony charges for spray painting slogan ‘I don’t want to get used to war’ on fence

3 days ago

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A judge in St. Petersburg has jailed Alexander Arsenyev on misdemeanor charges of “politically motivated” vandalism and felony charges of “discrediting” the Russian army. Though the court has not revealed what Arsenyev allegedly spraypainted on a public fence, reporting by Fontanka , Bumaga, and Mediazona indicates that it was the pacifist phrase: “I don’t want to get used to war.” Police reportedly arrested Alexander Arsenyev, 38, at his home in Moscow, where officers say they found spray paint cans and a gray acrylic marker in a plastic bag.…

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Russian State Duma speaker threatens to confiscate British property in retaliation for frozen asset revenue transfers to Ukraine

3 days ago

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State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin warned on Friday that the Russian authorities “have every reason to respond in kind and confiscate British property,” following Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal’s announcement earlier in the day that Kyiv has received roughly $971 million from the U.K., funded by revenues from frozen Russian assets. “The transfer of funds belonging to Russia by England to Ukraine is a blatant violation of international law. They will have to return to Russia what they are now so generously distributing,” Volodin stated, arguing that the transfers “will permanently undermine trust in the British financial system.”…

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Film review: Vera Krichevskaya’s ‘Connected’. Anton Dolin on the ‘unmistakable hope’ of a new documentary on businessman, scientist, and philanthropist Dmitry Zimin

3 days ago

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The 2025 Artdocfest documentary film festival concludes in Riga this weekend. The pictures in the main competition program include Vera Krichevskaya’s “ Connected ,” which tells the story of entrepreneur Dmitry Zimin, the founder of VimpelCom (which operated the Beeline brand) and the Dynasty Foundation (which supported science and education efforts until its “foreign agent” designation in 2015). Krichevskaya filmed “Connected” shortly before Zimin’s death in December 2021, “capturing the closing scenes of a life and a time of peace.” Anton Dolin reviews this last look at one of Russia’s great philanthropists. Krichevskaya’s film, which describes the life of businessman, scientist, and philanthropist Dmitry Zimin, uses familiar techniques to achieve something that’s neither a biopic nor a “ceremonial portrait.” There’s the typical series of interviews with the main character and his associates, the archival footage, old photographs, and narration with biographical details, but the film’s unconventional nature (whether planned from the start or crafted in the editing process) is evident even in the title, which doesn’t name Zimin. In Russian, it’s called Blizkie (which means “Close Ones”), while in English (the film is officially a U.K. production), it’s titled Connected . “Close ones” in this case refers to business partners and friends, namely Zimin, who transformed during Perestroika from an engineer and researcher into an extraordinarily successful entrepreneur, and his American partner at VimpelCom, Augie Fabela. Their partnership symbolized the Iron Curtain’s collapse and the beginning of a new era in U.S.-Russia relations — an era that, unfortunately, ended much sooner than the film’s protagonists had hoped. Fabela remained a close friend even after Zimin left the business world and devoted himself entirely to philanthropy, supporting science and the arts. In Krichevskaya’s film, Augie becomes the narrator — a simple but clever choice that broadens the story’s potential audience, offering an outsider perspective on Zimin’s remarkable career for those who don’t know him. Fabela, a man from a different world and yet still “close,” was among those with whom Mr. Zimin (“Dim’” to his friends) shared the final weeks of his life. Connected also explores others in Zimin’s life, focusing first and foremost on his family — his wife, Maya, and his son Boris, who continues his legacy. There’s also the filmmaking team, which was granted access to document Zimin’s last days. Alongside Krichevskaya are cinematographer Heiko Gilberto and sound designer Daniel Goldan, who also served as the second cameraman. The scene unfolds on a yacht, where Zimin gathered friends for a farewell voyage. We know from the start of the film that he is preparing for an assisted death. You might even say the title includes all of us — everyone for whom the film is meant. We are “connected” through the thoughts, words, and ideals of a man who modeled his business strategy on bringing people together. This message is especially vital in today’s dreary times of atomization and division. The details of Zimin’s biography come into focus only by the film’s end. The 88-year-old complains about his memory, which seems to cause him more pain than the cancer eating him away. As if mimicking the selective nature of memory itself, Krichevskaya first focuses on Fabela, the energetic and accomplished son of American emigrants, and their shared journey through Russia’s new business landscape before exploring Zimin’s past. We learn about his ancestors, from the Pale of Settlement to his father, who was branded an “enemy of the people.” We get his childhood and education, his academic interests, and his transformation into a researcher. There’s Zimin’s gutsy move to “reset” his life, and then his gradual disillusionment with the hopes of the 1990s and disappointment in the 21st century. On screen, we see Gorbachev and Reagan, Yeltsin and Clinton, Nemtsov, and then Putin-Putin-Putin. “He seems like a decent guy, but isn’t he a Chekist?” Zimin muses in one archival recording. Told alternately by Augie and Dim’ himself, the story of how the “American dream meets Russian fate” unfolds in under two hours into a family chronicle — a snapshot or cast of the entire 20th century. Albeit in broad strokes, the film finds time for the century’s most defining events: revolution and war, repressions, the Thaw, tanks in Prague, dissidents, and Perestroika. It’s an unexpectedly inspiring spectacle about the significance of a single life amid the devastating purges of Grand History. Zimin’s strategy was not mere survival but defending his dignity with every step and every word. The main twist is revealed in the opening credits: This is not a film about life but about death. Zimin’s magnificent voyage, surrounded by friends and like-minded people, is a final farewell before heading to a Swiss clinic to end his life on his own terms. “Live long? How much longer? For what? Why?” Zimin asks with a good-natured bewilderment. He requests to be buried in ski boots, with an epitaph that reads: “The person you are calling is currently outside the coverage area.” A self-described native of Moscow’s storied Arbat alleys who liked to quote the poet Sergey Yesenin, Zimin could not bear the humiliation of seeing his Dynasty Foundation declared a “foreign agent.” In the film, he predicts a major war, which ultimately unfolds in Ukraine two months after his death. The overused cliché “the end of an era” becomes literal with Zimin — an entirely accurate description of his passing. The film opens with an epigraph — a passage from a letter written by Alexey Navalny from prison, where he calls Dmitry Zimin a role model. Both these men are gone today, yet seeing their names together on screen evokes an illogical, irrational, yet unmistakable sense of hope. Review by Anton Dolin Translated by Kevin Rothrock…

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Putin willing to discuss temporary truce in Ukraine — Bloomberg

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Russia is ready to discuss a temporary truce in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the situation in Moscow. According to the sources, the Kremlin wants to have a clear understanding of the key principles of a final peace agreement before halting hostilities. Moscow will insist on defining the parameters of a potential peacekeeping mission in advance, including a list of countries that could potentially send peacekeepers to Ukraine, one source told Bloomberg. U.S. and Ukrainian delegations are set to meet in Saudi Arabia next week to discuss a potential ceasefire deal between Kyiv and Moscow. Earlier on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened “large scale” sanctions against Russia if Moscow doesn’t agree to take part in ceasefire negotiations.…

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Back in Russian hands. Photos from a Kursk region village that spent more than six months under Ukrainian control

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On February 28, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that its troops had retaken the villages of Orlovka and Pogrebki in the Kursk region. These settlements, located in the Sudzha district, had been under Ukrainian forces’ control since their initial incursion into the region in August 2024. Russian authorities have accused Ukrainian troops of committing crimes against civilians in Pogrebki. Meduza shares photos published by Russian state media that were reportedly taken in Pogrebki on March 2 — just days after the village returned to Russian control. Meduza has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from the very start, and we are committed to reporting objectively on a war we firmly oppose. Join Meduza in its mission to challenge the Kremlin’s censorship with the truth. Donate today .…

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Trump threatens Russia with ‘large scale’ sanctions in response to latest attacks on Ukraine

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U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Russia with “large-scale” sanctions if Moscow refuses to halt military operations in Ukraine and engage in talks with Kyiv. Trump wrote the following on his social network, Truth Social: Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely “pounding” Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED. To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!! Immediately after Trump’s post, the Moscow Exchange index dropped by almost 1.5 percent. A day earlier, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington was willing to go “all in” on sanctions against Moscow if necessary, warning that they would “be used explicitly and aggressively for immediate maximum impact.”…

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Bulgarian museum visitors drive Russian ambassador out of exhibit with shouts of ‘Murderer!’

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Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria Eleonora Mitrofanova was forced to leave an exhibition at the country’s National Gallery in Sofia when other attendees began shouting phrases including “Murderer!” and “This is not Moscow — this is Europe!” at her. A video of the incident, which occurred on March 6 at an exhibition by the New York-based feminist art group Guerrilla Girls, was published by RFE/RL’s Bulgarian service, Svobodna Evropa. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Свободна Европа (@svobodnaevropa) (function () { function processInstagramEmbeds() { if (!window.instgrm) { setTimeout(processInstagramEmbeds, 300); } else { instgrm.Embeds.process(); } } function loadInstagramScriptIfNeeded() { if (window.MdzInstagramLoaded) { processInstagramEmbeds(); } else { window.MdzInstagramLoaded = true; var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://www.instagram.com/embed.js'; script.onload = function () { processInstagramEmbeds(); }; document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(script); } } loadInstagramScriptIfNeeded(); })();…

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Russian disinformation network flooded training data to manipulate Western AI chatbots, study finds

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A Russian disinformation network called Pravda (“Truth”) has influenced leading AI chatbots’ output by publishing numerous articles that made their way into the bots’ training data, a new report from the analysis group NewsGuard reveals. According to researchers, this wasn’t just a side effect of Moscow flooding the web with false narratives — it was the initiative’s main goal. Here’s how the scheme worked. A “well-funded” online Russian disinformation network called Pravda put out 3.6 million articles last year, many of which were processed by popular chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4o, Claude (Anthropic), Meta AI, Gemini (Google), and Copilot (Microsoft), according to a new report from the watchdog group NewsGuard. These chatbots reportedly reproduced narratives spread by Pravda in 33 percent of their responses. The researchers’ findings align with a February report from the American nonprofit organization American Sunlight Project (ASP), which found that manipulating AI technologies, rather than reaching human users, was likely the Russian network’s primary goal. This method of influencing large language models (LLMs) has been termed “LLM grooming.” According to NewsGuard, Pravda “is pursuing an ambitious strategy by deliberately infiltrating the retrieved data of artificial intelligence chatbots, publishing false claims and propaganda for the purpose of affecting the responses of AI models on topics in the news rather than by targeting human readers.” The bitter truth is that events in Russia affect your life, too. Help Meduza continue to bring news from Russia to readers around the world by setting up a monthly donation . Pravda does not produce original content but amplifies material from pro-Kremlin sources, including Russian state media, through a network of various websites. The NewsGuard study identified 150 sites in this network, around 40 of which publish content targeting Ukraine, 70 focus on Europe, and 30 target audiences in Africa, the Pacific region, the Middle East, North America, the Caucasus, and Asia. The rest are divided by topic. The sites in the Pravda network publish content in a range of languages. Many of their domain names include names of cities and regions in Ukraine, such as News-Kiev.ru, Kherson-News.ru, and Donetsk-News.ru. Over the three years of Russia’s invasion, Pravda has spread at least 207 disinformation narratives, including claims about “secret U.S. biolabs in Ukraine” and accusations of “Zelensky’s misuse of U.S. military aid,” according to NewsGuard. ASP experts have warned of serious long-term risks associated with attempts to manipulate artificial intelligence. The more false narratives circulate in online media, the greater the likelihood that language models will begin to treat them as credible and incorporate them into their responses. Axios noted that NewsGuard’s study comes just as Washington has reportedly halted the U.S. Cyber Command’s activities against Russia. How Moscow uses influencers in occupied Ukraine ‘Thanks, Uncle Vova’ Moscow invests in pro-Russian influencers to spread propaganda in occupied Ukraine…

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Dispatch from Perloja. How the shattering of empires after WWI turned one tiny Lithuanian village into a ‘republic’

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Story by Will Mawhood for The Beet . Edited by Eilish Hart . This story first appeared in The Beet , a monthly email dispatch from Meduza covering Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Sign up here to get the next issue delivered directly to your inbox. Among the quirkier sights in Lithuania’s capital is the tiny self-declared Republic of Užupis, located in a historically bohemian, though now increasingly gentrified, neighborhood caught in a meander in the River Vilnelė. Established in 1997 by a group of artists , the republic marks its independence on April Fools’ Day and boasts an absurdist 41-clause constitution posted on a public wall. Translated into many languages, it reminds citizens that “everyone has the right to appreciate their unimportance” and “a cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in times of need.” The surrounding region has a reputation for small, eccentric “republics” seemingly held together by nothing more than the force of an appealing idea. Not far from Vilnius are the ruins of the 18th-century Republic of Paulava . Created by an idealistic Polish nobleman on his estate, this republic gained state recognition and lasted for 26 years (motivated by utopian principles, the nobleman set up a peasants’ parliament for his serfs, who duly elected him president for life). The Republic of Užupis in Vilnius The constitution of the Republic of Užupis And just off the main highway running southwest from the capital, where the roadside patches of forest start to turn deeper and darker, you’ll find another erstwhile republic: the small settlement of Perloja. A carved wooden sculpture in the UNESCO-recognized Lithuanian traditional style marks the entrance to the village, which is home to a little under 500 souls today. Notched into the sculpture’s spindly but sturdy frame are scalloped shapes resembling ears of corn, an open book, and a miniature gable roof. A short walk away is the central square, lined with timber-framed and brick houses, most in gentle shades of yellow. Here, a redbrick Neo-Gothic church faces a sword-brandishing statue of the medieval ruler Vytautas the Great , under whose reign the Grand Duchy of Lithuania came to reach as far as the Black Sea. The text below declares: “You will live as long as at least one Lithuanian is alive.” Sleepy Perloja certainly doesn’t look like a capital, and with its deep-Lithuania signifiers, it doesn’t seem like it ever could have aspired to a separate status, even by happenstance. But the story of the so-called Republic of Perloja is perhaps even more peculiar (and certainly more action-packed) than its equivalents in and around Vilnius. The wooden sculpture at the entrance to Perloja The Perloja Church of Holy Mary and Francis of Assisi Perloja’s statue of medieval ruler Vytautas the Great ‘Let them guard the gates’ Perloja lies somewhere in the center of the loosely defined ethnographic region of Dzūkija: a thickly forested and deeply impoverished stretch of land with few natural borders, where speakers of Lithuanian, Polish, and Belarusian had lived alongside one another for centuries. Though never a large settlement, Perloja found itself in a significant location, on a road that could lead travellers from Vilnius to Prussia, the now-Belarusian city of Hrodno, or even to Kraków, the then-capital of Poland, which formed a union with Lithuania in 1385. The village has a history of proud intransigence. According to 15th-century records, the people of Perloja made a direct appeal to Alexander Jagiellon , Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, against the local administrator’s high-handed treatment and expectation of hitherto undemanded services — namely, transporting wood and grain to the nearby town of Trakai, and demanding food — and invoking historic privileges. The monarch upheld their complaint, ruling, “Let them serve us in road service, let them guard the gates, and let them give tribute according to the old customs, as they used to serve and give tribute before.” The Republic of Perloja — or, perhaps more accurately, the self-governing territory of Perloja — was declared on November 13, 1918, two days after the armistice that ended World War I. Asserting the need to protect themselves, leaders from the village and surrounding hamlets elected a five-member autonomous parish committee and chose local lad Jonas Česnulevičius as their leader, a 21-year-old veteran of the Russian military who served on the Galician and Romanian fronts during the war. But who were they seeking protection from, exactly? As the months that followed would show, more or less everyone. The Republic of Perloja’s coat of arms on display at the Perloja History Museum A Perlojan’s passport on display at the Perloja History Museum Timber floating on the River Merkys In the aftermath of the armistice on the Western front, the immediate danger came primarily from German troops streaming westward from Vilnius and other cities in the region they had occupied since 1915. With the loose discipline of the defeated, some behaved like marauding bands, terrorizing the rural population and stealing animals as they went. On a trip to Vilnius earlier that month, Česnulevičius had spotted heavily armed members of the Samoobrona — paramilitary “self-defense” formations loyal to the Polish state only just resurrected in Warsaw — and observed increasing communist agitation. The collapse of the central government in a part of the world with overlapping national aspirations and growing ideological ferment was sure to lead to very complicated conflicts. In many places, it simply led to chaos. Governing the parish Despite Česnulevičius’s military experience, a man named Juozas Lukoševičius was appointed head of both Perloja’s army and police force. A local, Jokūbas Vasieta , had buried a cache of weapons and ammunition during the war years — and duly equipped, the Perlojan armed forces came to consist of around 80 men, some only teenagers. At this point, Perloja’s military strength outnumbered the country it seemed to identify with. At the tail end of 1918, Lithuania had no army of its own, and its very existence as a state was amorphous and questionable. A body of local notables known as the Taryba (Council) had declared independence in Vilnius that February, but strict wartime censorship meant that few people were even aware of this. Moreover, it was unclear what territory, if any, this revived Lithuanian state realistically controlled and what it laid claim to: Though medieval Lithuania had been vast, the area predominantly populated by native Lithuanian speakers was much smaller. Perlojan soldiers, 1920 The leader of the first national government, Prime Minister Augustinas Voldemaras , initially held that as Lithuania would be a neutral state, it had no need for military capabilities — although he did call for the formation of militias in the countryside. Meanwhile, Perloja got on with the business of governing the parish, with locals taking up not only military posts but also other official positions, indicating aspirations to something like a civilian administration. Česnulevičius became head of the local courts, which began to hear cases, including a murder that was never solved and an adultery case that reportedly saw a defendant threatened with a pistol brandished from the bench. The local hospital’s basement served as a prison for wrongdoers. The tiny Perloja cabinet also boasted a sanitation minister, a title that had never existed in any Lithuanian government. Its bearer, Zigmas Krivas , was tasked with ensuring general cleanliness. The Perlojan government also paid special attention to securing the surrounding woodland’s safety (and productivity), with two officials assigned to forestry. ‘The Perlojan people never trusted strangers’ Fifty-odd miles away, multiple countries and aspiring state formations were laying claim to Vilnius; by one calculation, the city changed hands seven times in the years immediately after World War I. Perloja generally experienced these shifts in power with a short delay, as the new order filtered out slowly to the forests of Dzūkija. In December 1918, local communist Vincas Mickevičius-Kapsukas declared Lithuania a Soviet Socialist Republic. The Red Army entered the city early the next month, granting the revolutionary government muscle and authority. A backwoods town in a country with a tiny industrial working class could hardly have seemed a hotbed of Marxist revolution. And yet, when they arrived in Perloja, the Bolshevik revolutionaries faced little resistance (apparently due to the fact that they were fighting the Perlojans’ stated enemies, the Poles and Germans). READ MORE FROM THE BEET Disappearing coast As the Baltic Sea erodes Latvia’s shoreline, locals grapple with what’s lost to the advancing tide The Reds, in turn, did remarkably little to interfere with Perloja’s de facto autonomy, demanding only that the parish administration change its name to revkom (short for “revolutionary committee”). Perlojan officials complied, though the army hid their weapons. Of all the multiple factions feuding for control of the region, the Perlojans seem to have been partisan towards independent Lithuania. According to Marija Lūžytė , the director of the Perloja History Museum, this was because the area was Lithuanian-speaking and “there were no noblemen” (Polish language and identity in Lithuania was disproportionately associated with the landed classes); memories of the ancient privileges granted by the Grand Duke may have played a role, too. Nonetheless, Vladas Aravičius , a Lithuanian rifleman from elsewhere who worked with the Perlojan defence forces in the early 1920s, observed in his memoirs that “the Perlojan people never trusted strangers, even if they were Lithuanians.” This spiky suspiciousness may have proved their undoing. Jonas Česnulevičius By April 1919, the Bolsheviks had withdrawn from the district, and the freshly constituted Lithuanian army was marching along the nearby highway when they came under fire from Perloja, which received no notice of the troop movements. Taken by surprise, the army retreated to the town of Varėna a few miles away, then returned and shelled Perloja. Česnulevičius and Lukoševičius were captured and taken to the temporary capital of Kaunas, 50 miles to the north, where they were interrogated and released a month later. These events marked the end of Perloja as a fully autonomous entity. ‘A separate state at every railway station’ The shattering of empires across Europe in 1918 produced some shards that were very small indeed. Some were even slightly comical: in western Germany, the so-called Free State of Bottleneck ( Freistaat Flaschenhals ) emerged due to the literal spheres of French and American occupation failing to meet up completely. (Bottleneck based its economy largely on smuggling, at one point hijacking a French coal train to provide heating for its isolated population.) But micro-states and quasi-states were overwhelmingly a phenomenon of the continent’s eastern half. “As many municipalities as there were, that’s how many republics there were in Poland; indeed, a separate state at every railway station,” remembered the country’s second prime minister, Jędrzej Moraczewski . Within this context of uncertain governance and widespread chaos, what was so remarkable about Perloja? “The case of paramilitary self-rule in Perloja is exceptional for its longevity. From November 1918 to May 1919, the armed Perloja band (made up of local Lithuanian Catholics) was totally independent and autonomous,” explains Tomas Balkelis , a researcher at the Lithuanian Institute of History in Vilnius, who has written about the variety of quasi-states that popped up across Lithuania after World War I. As for Perloja’s legacy today, it continues to be a source of intrigue among Lithuanians. It’s been the subject of many newspaper articles, one novel (written by a Lithuanian living in exile in the U.S. after World War II), and an hour-long documentary by the state broadcaster LRT. In a cheeky touch, one 2009 article pointedly mentions that Perloja declared its independence several days before neighboring Latvia. Perlojan riflemen pose at the grave of Vinco Kaminsko, who died during the attack on the Polish side of the village The Perloja cemetery Perloja comes up frequently in compendiums of weird and wonderful worldwide statelets, too, although the relative lack of information about the village in languages other than Lithuanian has bred mistakes and myths. For instance, many English-language sources wrongly claim that it had its own currency, the Perloja litas . According to Lūžytė, it’s not even entirely clear that Perlojans ever used the word “republic” to describe their de facto government: initially, it was merely thought of as a parish committee. The museum director says that outsiders were the first to apply this term. In the interwar period, nationally minded journalists saw Perloja’s defiant stance against Lithuania’s enemies as fodder for a patriotic narrative, although they usually glossed over the village’s clash with the Lithuanian army. ‘For Perloja and all Lithuania’ Shortly after Perloja’s effective absorption into Lithuania in 1919, the entire village came under Polish control. Though the two militaries had collaborated to drive the Soviets from Lithuania, they soon clashed over overlapping territorial claims (Česnulevičius would be arrested again, this time by the new authorities, after Perlojans looted a Polish weapons store). Even after the uneasy peace reached in 1920, the de facto border followed the shallow River Merkys that flows off-center through Perloja, leaving a few houses and outlying farms in Poland. Locals referred to the slice of the village across the border as anošalis , meaning “the other land.” A border checkpoint on the bridge over the River Merkys The River Merkys A bridge over the River Merkys So bitter was the interwar dispute between Lithuania and Poland (primarily over Vilnius) that there was no postal service across the border, and railway tracks were torn up. But in Perloja, locals were allowed to cross the river, usually to attend mass at the church on the Lithuanian side — and some took the opportunity to smuggle in their underclothes information about Polish troop movements. If their attack on Lithuanian troops cast doubt over their patriotism, Perlojans made up for it in the following years. In 1920, the Perloja self-defense forces were converted into a unit of the šauliai (riflemen), a state-sponsored paramilitary force akin to a home guard. Nevertheless, they still seemed to march to the beat of their own drum: After several Perlojans returned from a successful covert mission in 1923 to extend Lithuanian sovereignty over the League of Nations-administered port city of Klaipėda, they mounted a unilateral attack on the Polish side of Perloja that left two villagers dead. Despite the troubles of the decades that followed, Perloja managed to maintain a strong Lithuanian identity. Beginning at the outset of World War II, the Soviet occupation of the Baltic countries saw symbols of their previous independence banned throughout the region. Perloja’s statue of Vytautas, however, was the only one of its kind to survive the occupation, despite attempts to destroy it. The colorful frescos in the local church, painted during the war and prominently featuring Lithuanian flags and national symbols, somehow evaded removal, too. As did the village’s unofficial but enduring motto, Už Perloją ir visą Lietuvą —“For Perloja and all Lithuania.” A fresco in the Perloja Church that reads, “For Perloja and all Lithuania” The Perlojans’ pugnacious reputation seems to have stood the test of time, as well. Balkelis, the historian, grew up in nearby Varėna and says he remembers hearing residents of Perloja referred to as “people who carry knives in their pockets.” It’s not hard to understand why Česnulevičius’s daughter, Petronėlė Česnulevičiūtė , penned a non-fiction work in the 1990s titled, Fighting Perloja . Hello, I’m Eilish Hart, the editor of The Beet. Thanks for taking the time to read our work! Our newsletter delivers underreported stories like this one to subscribers once a month. Like all of Meduza’s reporting, it’s free to read but relies on support from readers like you. Please consider donating to our crowdfunding campaign . Story by Will Mawhood for The Beet Edited by Eilish Hart…

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‘We won’t apologize for a mistake that didn’t happen’: Zelensky advisor Podolyak on Oval Office incident

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The Ukrainian authorities “will not apologize” for the contentious exchange between Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office last week, senior Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said in an interview with Le Point that published on Friday. In Podolyak’s view, Zelensky was “absolutely right, both in terms of form and substance,” in trying to convey to Ukraine’s American partners the “key message” that “without pressuring Russia, nothing will work.” “It’s impossible to achieve positive results by counting on voluntary concessions from Moscow. Without pressuring Russia, no peace talks are possible,” Podolyak said. “Our president tirelessly explains to our partners what this war is and who provoked it… So we won’t apologize for a mistake that didn’t happen.” Podolyak denied that the incident was a “humiliation” for Zelensky, saying instead that it was an “emotional discussion between political leaders.” “As paradoxical as it may sound, this meeting was useful in some ways. By emphasizing our differences, we can clarify our views. Unlike us, the U.S. still believes that Russia is a country with which negotiations are possible,” Podolyak added. Read more about Trump and Zelensky Behind the president’s back Trump team reportedly holding talks with Zelensky’s political rivals to discuss possible early elections in Ukraine Trump wants to tie Ukraine minerals deal to demand for quick ceasefire — Bloomberg Trump administration held backchannel talks with Zelensky’s team in effort to resume negotiations after Oval Office meeting — CNN ‘You’re gambling with World War III!’ Trump and Vance ambush Zelensky in shouting Oval Office meeting…

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Russia’s ruling party gifts actual meat grinders to mothers of soldiers killed in Ukraine

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March 8 is International Women’s Day, and in the Far Northern town of Polyarnye Zori, members of Russia’s ruling party marked the holiday by gifting local mothers of soldiers killed in Ukraine an unusual present: actual meat grinders. The move sparked a predictable backlash, but the party members defended it, claiming the women had specifically requested the appliances and accusing critics of spreading “provocative interpretations.” Here’s how the scandal unfolded. In the town of Polyarnye Zori in Russia’s Murmansk region, members of the country’s ruling United Russia party marked International Women’s Day by giving flowers and meat grinders to the mothers of soldiers killed in the war against Ukraine. According to the local party branch’s social media account, the gifts were part of a campaign called “Flowers for the Mothers of Heroes.” The gifts were presented by Anna Makhunova, the local party branch secretary, and the town’s mayor, Maksim Chengayev. Activist Violetta Grudina noted that after social media users criticized the gifts as inappropriate, the party disabled comments on the post. Shortly afterward, United Russia’s Murmansk regional branch published a video of one of the mothers thanking the party for the meat grinder, saying she “actually needed one.” Chengayev said that the campaign included a variety of household appliances. “The meat grinder wasn’t part of the standard set, but the woman requested it, and of course, we couldn’t refuse. We provide full support and individual assistance to the families of participants in the special military operation with great respect and understanding,” he said. The party claimed its gesture was being misrepresented and urged the public “not to support inhumane and provocative interpretations.” In 2023, Miroslava Reginskaya, the wife of former Russian intelligence officer and internationally convicted war criminal Igor Strelkov, posted a video that appeared to show 21 military widows from the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic” receiving fur coats from Moscow. After the video shoot, however, at least three of the women reportedly had to return the coats and were told they had received them by mistake.…

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Russia carries out massive missile and drone attack on energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine

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Russian forces launched a massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s energy and gas infrastructure on Friday morning, Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko reported. “Russia continues its energy terror,” Halushchenko wrote on Facebook. “Where possible, emergency services and energy workers are working to mitigate the consequences — all necessary measures are being taken to stabilize electricity and gas supplies,” the minister added, urging citizens to remain in shelters and follow official updates. Air raid alerts were declared in all of Ukraine’s regions. The Ukrainian Air Force Command reported the launch of Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea and the deployment of Tu-95 strategic bombers from the Olenya air base on the Kola Peninsula. At the time of this writing, a civilian infrastructure facility in Kharkiv had been hit, with five people injured , according to city and regional authorities. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that a residential building near the infrastructure site was damaged, and all residents were evacuated. Authorities in the Ternopil region reported a strike on a “critical industrial facility” and warned of potential disruptions to gas supplies. No casualties were reported, according to the regional military administration, as cited by RBC-Ukraine. In the Poltava region’s Myrhorod district, a gas pipeline and two private homes were damaged, injuring one child and one adult. Regional authorities said they were still determining the number of households left without gas supply. In the Odesa region’s Podilsk district, debris from a downed cruise missile ignited a fire in a private residential house, and four other houses were damaged, regional administration head Oleh Kiper reported . He added that the fire had been extinguished.…

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Trump wants to tie Ukraine minerals deal to demand for quick ceasefire — Bloomberg

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U.S. President Donald Trump wants to link his proposed minerals deal with Kyiv to a demand that Ukraine commit to swiftly reaching a ceasefire with Russia, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the situation. Washington has indicated that Trump is prepared to finalize the minerals agreement on the condition that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agrees to “a tangible path for a truce and talks with Moscow,” Bloomberg wrote. Some of the outlet’s sources said the deal could progress next week, when U.S. and Ukrainian delegations plan to meet for talks in Saudi Arabia. However, others noted that the U.S. position could shift, as Trump is known for frequently changing his mind. Trump’s Ukraine policy Behind the president’s back Trump team reportedly holding talks with Zelensky’s political rivals to discuss possible early elections in Ukraine Trump administration held backchannel talks with Zelensky’s team in effort to resume negotiations after Oval Office meeting — CNN Minerals agreement with Ukraine still not finalized because Trump is seeking ‘bigger, better deal’ — CBS News In speech to Congress, Trump says he’s received ‘strong signals’ that Russia is ready for peace…

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‘Thanks, Uncle Vova’. Moscow invests in pro-Russian influencers to spread propaganda in occupied Ukraine

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The Russian government has been investing in a powerful propaganda tool in Ukraine’s occupied territories: video bloggers. These pro-Russian influencers film upbeat reviews of cafes in the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic,” praise “Uncle Vova” (Vladimir Putin) for “saving the locals,” and produce travel TV shows in war-torn Mariupol. They portray life under Russian rule as steadily improving — and they’re training young content creators to spread the message even further. The independent outlet DOXA recently explored what these vloggers are producing and which Russia-backed organizations are helping them grow. Meduza shares an abridged translation of the report. Normalizing occupation A man in a dark gray hoodie and sweatpants sits on a bench painted in the colors of the Russian flag. Off-camera, a voice asks, “What would you do if Vladimir Putin were standing in front of you right now instead of me?” The man replies, “I’d kiss his hands. For all the years we lived in Ukraine, we were always just… existing. There was no pride. But today, when you watch his [Putin’s] speech, your hands start shaking and tears come to your eyes.” The man featured in this TikTok clip is 28-year-old Maksim Stadnik from Melitopol. He runs a Telegram channel with over 27,000 subscribers, and his TikTok account has more than 100,000 followers. On social media, Stadnik posts about politics, calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “a tiny drug Führer,” shares content from Russian pro-war channels, and claims that occupied Melitopol is thriving under Russian control. In one video, Stadnik praises the reconstruction of buildings at Melitopol University. “Strength and power! Everything is being repaired, guys — everything! It’s beautiful,” he says. In another, he showcases a renovated medical center and a newly paved sidewalk in front of it, calling it an example of “rich Russian life,” and emphasizes the social benefits that local residents enjoy. Meduza has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from the very start, and we are committed to reporting objectively on a war we firmly oppose. Join Meduza in its mission to challenge the Kremlin’s censorship with the truth. Donate today . Stadnik says the greatest benefit of living under Russian rule isn’t any material possession — it’s “freedom; a normal, measured life; the children’s future.” He also dismisses reports of repression against locals as fake. Stadnik isn’t the only blogger promoting the idea that life in the occupied territories is improving. Kirill Sazonov, known online as “Kirill Sirius,” is a popular blogger from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR). He describes Putin as “just a straightforward guy,” shares videos showcasing locals’ supposed satisfaction with Donetsk’s reconstruction efforts, and reviews newly opened shops and cafes. He also uses his platform to advertise apartments for rent in Donetsk, which is fitting, given his day job as a realtor. Even while promoting local real estate, Sazonov can’t fully ignore the realities of living under occupation. In one video, he shows an apartment fitted with water storage — a necessity since water is supplied only every other day. Nevertheless, this doesn’t prevent him from urging Russians to invest in Donbas properties. Although Sazonov’s content primarily focuses on real estate and lifestyle reviews, his social media also features interviews with other pro-Russian bloggers. One of these bloggers, Yevgeny Vasilyev from the DNR, has had his accounts blocked several times, yet he still has hundreds of thousands of followers. Unlike Stadnik and Sazonov, Vasilyev focuses more on his personal life and charity work. He also sells personalized video greetings (charging 3,000 rubles a pop — about $30), though he offers them for free to Russian soldiers. A former separatist fighter, Vasilyev insists that “the war was started by the Ukrainian side” and credits Putin with “saving the local residents.” “Uncle Vova — thanks to him for not staying on the sidelines,” he adds. Vasilyev supports Russian troops in more active ways, as well. Once, when another blogger donated 4.5 million rubles ($50,000) for his dental treatment, Vasilyev chose instead to use the money to purchase vehicles for the Russian army. The destruction that Russian occupation brings Avdiivka, one year later Looking back on the battle that left a longtime Ukrainian stronghold in ruins and under Russian occupation Follow the money The Russian authorities are actively rolling out initiatives in the so-called “new regions” through their “autonomous nonprofit organization” (ANO) named “Russia Is a Country of Opportunities.” The ANO oversees at least two projects focused on developing blogging activities. The first, the “New Media Workshop,” is intended for “media specialists, journalists, bloggers, content creators, and social media professionals who want to launch impactful projects in new media.” Workshop alumna Kristel Nean says she created the website Donbas Insider to “bring the voice of Donbas to a French-speaking audience.” The site publishes articles with headlines like “ FBK, Navalny’s Corrupt Anti-Corruption Foundation ” and “ Just as There Are No Nazis in Ukraine, There Are No Pedophiles in the West. ” Vladimir Putin has expressed support for the project. The second blogging-focused project funded by “Russia Is a Country of Opportunities” is called “TOPBlog.” This initiative targets residents seeking to “unleash their potential in the media industry and master modern tools for self-realization.” It features a competition for aspiring bloggers and offers free online courses on content creation. One of the winners of the 2023 TOPBlog competition was Darya Verba, a 16-year-old from the DNR who was recognized for having the “best blog about the new regions.” Verba has said she started her blog “to showcase Russia’s cities, promote activism, and highlight the many opportunities available to young people for self-realization.” In practice, her content serves as a PR platform for Moscow-sponsored youth initiatives — from a summer camp in annexed Crimea to the World Festival of Youth in Sochi. At the local level Blogging support projects exist not only at the Russian federal level but also locally. In August 2024, the Donbas Media Center (DMC) opened in Luhansk, providing a platform for young people, 16–25, who “want to get involved in blogging.” Similar centers subsequently opened in Mariupol, Donetsk, and Melitopol . According to the DMC, more than 200 individuals have already completed its training. The DMC is a project of Donbas Media, a network of regional social media pages with tens of thousands of followers and a large Telegram channel . These platforms publish both pro-Russian political posts and entertainment content . The instructors at the media center include Donbas Media staff and pro-Russian bloggers. Among the latter are the aforementioned Kirill Sazonov , as well as Yevgeny Lebedev and Pavel Karbovsky , both of whom have been featured on Myrotvorets , a controversial and unofficial Ukrainian online database of individuals accused of colluding with Russia or participating in pro-Russian separatist movements. Russia’s ‘reconstruction’ of occupied Russia’s eastern Ukraine reconstruction work relies on sketchy job recruitment and exploitative labor practices In addition to claiming on social media that “Russia is the best country” because “Putin protects the whole world in the Kremlin,” Karbovsky has also helped create a knockoff version of the popular Ukrainian show Oryol i Reshka (“Heads or Tails”). While the original highlights travel destinations around the world, Karbovsky’s version focuses on occupied Ukraine. He and his fellow DMC instructor, Alina Bannikova, have filmed episodes, visiting Berdyansk , Mariupol , Yalta, the Belosaraisk Spit, and Urzuf and promoting the narrative that life in the “new regions” is improving. In the Mariupol episode, Bannikova says locals continue to be “joyful” and listen to music at the beach “despite everything.” Karbovsky encourages viewers “not to think of this as a completely destroyed place.” In a video about Berdyansk, the bloggers argue that “everything is being restored” and invite people to vacation there. “Girls, why go to Turkey and the Maldives? It’s better at home,” Bannikova says. On the Donbas Media Center’s social media, Karbovsky shares tips for aspiring content creators. He advises them to “hook” viewers in the first three seconds — for example, “by falling into water or getting hit by a car.” He suggests sparking controversy to encourage comments: “Say ]the iPhone is better than other brands, and Android users will attack. Call the Donbas “Russian,” and the armchair warriors from the neighboring country [Ukraine] will come for you.”…

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U.S. and Ukrainian delegations to meet for talks next week, Zelensky says

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Delegations from Ukraine and the U.S. will meet for talks next week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday. “Ukrainian and American teams have resumed work, and we hope that next week we will have a meaningful meeting,” he wrote on social media. I am grateful for all the support, and Ukrainians really appreciate that in a time of such great emotions in global politics, European integrity is preserved and Europe is truly trying to do the right thing. Meanwhile, Ukrainian and American teams have resumed work, and we hope… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 6, 2025 Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich reported that the meeting will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. According to her, the U.S. delegation will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, will reportedly be representing Kyiv.…

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Ukrainian troops try to seize initiative from Russia. For first time in months, invasion forces find themselves on backfoot in some areas

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While the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. continue to argue about and expound on their readiness for negotiations, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying to seize the initiative from the Russian army for the first time in months. Ukrainian troops have managed to eliminate the threat to their foothold in Russia’s Kursk region, halt the Russian advance west of Pokrovsk, and re-enter the center of Toretsk, which Russian forces captured just a month ago. However, Russian troops now threaten Ukraine’s main supply route in the Kursk region and continue their offensive in the southern Donbas. Meduza has created an overview — illustrated with animated maps — of what’s happening on the front lines as politicians prepare to discuss potential peace terms. We also explain how many soldiers Russia has lost in three years of full-scale war. This is a video version of our latest military briefing. Meduza has been publishing these war reports since the start of Russia’s invasion.…

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Behind the president’s back. Trump team reportedly holding talks with Zelensky’s political rivals to discuss possible early elections in Ukraine

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As the Trump administration continues to push for a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine by pressuring Kyiv to make major concessions, top allies of the U.S. president have reportedly met secretly with key opponents of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the possibility of early elections in Ukraine. Trump’s pursuit of the idea comes despite the fact that Ukrainian law forbids elections during martial law, which has been in effect in the country since February 2022 due to Russia’s full-scale invasion. Four senior aides to U.S. President Donald Trump have held secret talks with top political opponents of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Politico reported on Thursday, citing Ukrainian lawmakers and an American foreign policy expert. The sources claim the Trump allies met with two prominent Ukrainian parliament members: Yulia Tymoshenko, leader of the Batkivshchyna party and former prime minister, and Petro Poroshenko, leader of the European Solidarity party and Ukraine’s fifth president. During the talks, Politico writes, the parties discussed the possibility of holding early presidential elections in Ukraine. Such a vote would reportedly take place after a temporary ceasefire agreement but before full-scale peace negotiations begin. Additionally, sources told Ukrainian outlet Strana.ua that Trump’s representatives have met with former Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, and Verkhovna Rada deputy Davyd Arakhamia, head of the ruling party’s faction in parliament. Trump and Zelensky’s rocky relationship Zelensky reiterates commitment to peace, says Ukraine’s ready to work with Trump after U.S. military aid freeze Trump and Zelensky exchange social media posts after Oval Office shouting match. Trump bars Ukrainian president from White House until he’s ‘ready for peace,’ while Zelensky thanks POTUS for visit. ‘You’re gambling with World War III!’ Trump and Vance ambush Zelensky in shouting Oval Office meeting Politico notes that Trump’s cabinet officials have repeatedly suggested Zelensky should step down if he doesn’t fully support Trump’s plan to end the war quickly at the potential cost of major concessions from Ukraine. Trump’s team reportedly believes that Zelensky would almost certainly lose in an election. A survey of Ukrainian voters conducted in early March by the British polling firm Survation found that 44 percent of respondents would vote for Zelensky. Zaluzhnyi, his closest rival, trailed the incumbent president by more than 20 percentage points. Poroshenko had the support of 10 percent of respondents, while only 5.7 percent said they would vote for Tymoshenko. Earlier in March, Zelensky argued that removing him from office would be hard due to his popularity. “Replacing me won’t be easy because it’s not enough just to hold elections. You’d have to prevent me from participating — and that would be a bit more difficult,” he wrote on X. Under Ukrainian law, no elections can be held while the country remains under martial law. Throughout the war, Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly extended martial law, most recently until May 9, 2025.…

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Trump administration to revoke legal status of 240,000 Ukrainian refugees — Reuters

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The Trump administration is planning to revoke the legal status of approximately 240,000 Ukrainians who arrived in the U.S. after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Reuters reports, citing sources familiar with the situation. The decision could take effect as early as April, according to Reuters, potentially leading to the expedited deportation of those affected. The move to end programs for Ukrainian refugees began before Trump's public dispute with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the sources said, and is part of a broader effort by the administration to revoke the legal status of about 1.8 million migrants who entered the U.S. under humanitarian temporary asylum programs launched by the Biden administration. The Trump team also reportedly plans to cancel the legal status of around 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans as soon as March, two sources added. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security declined to comment, and neither The White House nor the Ukrainian Embassy responded to Reuters’s request.…

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U.S. pause on intelligence sharing with Ukraine affects info about incoming Russian strikes — NYT

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Washington’s pause on sharing military intelligence with Ukraine has affected information that was used to warn of Russian drone and missile strikes on military and civilian targets, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing U.S. sources. A senior Ukrainian official told the Times that the suspension would also make it harder for Ukraine’s military to strike Russian forces, but added that Kyiv still has access to other satellite imagery. The former head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, Valeriy Kondratiuk, said that “everything coming from the Department of Defense has stopped.” He added, “This mostly concerns the exchange of imagery. This isn’t critical because European companies have their own satellites, but not all these are focused on military dislocation and movements, which is important.” The Times notes that the CIA maintains a “sizable presence” in Ukraine, where its officers work alongside their Ukrainian counterparts to help identify targets. The agency has also helped set up at least three secret bases used by the Ukrainians to intercept Russian communications, which reduces Ukraine’s reliance on U.S. intelligence. Earlier, journalist Oliver Carroll reported that the U.S. had cut off a “key intel link” and stopped providing targeting data for HIMARS, as well as real-time information for long-range strikes inside Russia. A Ukrainian military officer familiar with the country’s HIMARS operations told The Washington Post that targeting data had stopped coming through even before the contentious meeting between the Ukrainian and U.S. presidents at the White House last week. According to the source, at least one of the groups responsible for launching the missiles had not received targeting coordinates for strikes beyond about 40 miles behind the contact line in recent weeks. Background U.S. stops sharing intelligence with Ukraine — Financial Times Trump and Zelensky exchange social media posts after Oval Office shouting match. Trump bars Ukrainian president from White House until he’s ‘ready for peace,’ while Zelensky thanks POTUS for visit. ‘You’re gambling with World War III!’ Trump and Vance ambush Zelensky in shouting Oval Office meeting…

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Rubio says U.S. is engaged in ‘proxy war’ with Russia by helping Ukraine

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday that the United States, by helping Ukraine, is engaged in a “proxy war” with Russia. “It’s been very clear from the beginning that President Trump views this as a protracted, stalemated conflict. And frankly, it’s a proxy war between nuclear powers – the United States, helping Ukraine, and Russia – and it needs to come to an end,” Rubio said, responding to a question about his thoughts on the dispute between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance at the White House on February 28. Rubio added that “no one has any idea or any plan” on how to end the war. According to him, the Russian side has “made some progress,” but there are no signs that Russia is winning, so the conflict has reached a stalemate. “All the President is trying to do here is figure out if there’s a path towards peace. We have to engage both sides, the Russians and the Ukrainians,” Rubio said.…

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