Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 8h

These days, it's really hard to keep track of Russian narratives — one day it's fake news, the next it's the truth.
www.rferl.org/a/north-kore...

From Denial To Display: North Korea Glorifies Fight Against Ukraine

An art exhibition in Moscow has showcased North Koreans fighting Ukrainian troops, a facet of the Russian invasion which the Kremlin once dismissed as "fake news."

www.rferl.org

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 16h

A new report by GLOBSEC and the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) reveals that the Russians are commanding a state-sponsored army of criminals and terrorists, exploiting vulnerable people across Europe as disposable assets in a war waged against the continent from within.

www.globsec.org

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 17h

Oldman is a fantastic actor, but he seems to have very little understanding of politics. Otherwise, he would not be so ignorant of Eastern (central!) Europe and overlook Russia's resurgence as a fascist state, nor its wars of aggression against European countries since the dissolution of the USSR.

Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 19h

This is one good idea from the Russians that warrants full support.

Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 20h

overlandai.substack.com/p/mud-not-mi...

Mud, Not Missiles: The Real Threat to Unmanned Ground Vehicles

Byron Boots, Co-Founder and CEO | October 9, 2025

overlandai.substack.com

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 20h

Bogs against Russian fascism: Latvia’s military has revealed that the country’s extensive peat bogs could play an important role in its border defence strategy against Russia. Rather than missiles, it is the mud that poses the real threat to tanks, APCs and unmanned ground vehicles.

Peat bogs could be Latvia’s new border defense, says army

The biodiverse wetlands can make a formidable natural obstacle.

tvpworld.com

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 21h

Contrary to what the Russian opposition in exile says, it is precisely the 'ordinary Russians' who need to be sanctioned. Since the majority of Russians support their regime, it is the majority of Russians who must be pressured to abandon this support.
www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/10/09/h...

How the Kremlin Decided to Sacrifice Small Business to Pay for War - The Moscow Times

Opinion | Last week, the Kremlin rolled out the message: “VAT saves the budget — everyone must become a savior.” By making the easiest tax to collect the main revenue source — raising value-added tax...

www.themoscowtimes.com

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 21h

The Russians are continuing to provoke because they will not accept the borders unless they are shown where they are by force. "We are seeing constant testing and provocations from the Russian Federation — stealing of border markers, creating border queues, or jamming GPS signals,"

PPA: Armed Russian groups seen in Saatse Boot

A group of armed Russian personnel was seen standing on the road in Saatse Boot, a stretch of Russian territory that Estonians can drive through, which the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) temporar...

news.err.ee

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 1d

Ihr Kommentar ist geschmacklos. Fragen Sie doch einmal Menschen aus der Ukraine oder den anderen ehemals russischen Kolonien der UdSSR, was sie empfinden, wenn sie kommunistische Symbole wie Hammer und Sichel, rote Sterne o.ä. im Berliner Straßenbild sehen. Der Kommunismus war/ist Menschenfeindlich.

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Reposted by Kristian Kiehling

Toomas Hendrik Ilves @ilvestoomas.bsky.social · 2d

Nothing says East Europeans are nothing but untermenschen not to be listened to like this tweet,

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 1d

"Beyond boosting morale, the videos serve an educational purpose for foreigners who sometimes try to whitewash the Russians, instead showing viewers that Russian aggression stems from deep cultural attitudes, not just political leadership, not "just Putin's war."
euromaidanpress.com/2025/10/07/t...

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 1d

President Zelenskyy "Putin is clearly taking advantage of the moment while the world is almost entirely focused on the prospect of establishing peace in the Middle East... to intensify terrorist strikes at a moment like this, hitting the very lives of our people"
www.president.gov.ua/en/news/vidp...

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 2d

Meme of the day

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 2d

It is a crying shame that NATO allies don't station enough permanent troops in the region to repel fascist Russia, making such evacuation plans necessary.
newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/baltic-...

Baltic states prepare evacuation plans in case of Russian attack

newsukraine.rbc.ua

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 3d

Here's further proof that sanctions on 'ordinary Russians' work very well indeed: The little dictator badly needs gasoline and was therefore forced to sheepishly admit to his neighbor that his soldiers shot down the Azeri passenger plane. He claimed that he had 'only recently' found out about it.😂

Putin says Russian air defenses responsible for Azerbaijani jet’s crash last year, killing 38 | CNN

President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia’s air defense were to blame for downing an Azerbaijani jetliner in December that killed 38 people, his first admission of responsibility for the cras...

edition.cnn.com

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 3d

www.france24.com/en/live-news...

Navalny widow, media watchdog to launch TV channel

The widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and Reporters Without Borders will launch a television channel to "promote free speech in Russia", the press freedom advocacy group said on Friday...

www.france24.com

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 3d

How could the French allow this grifter—who pretends to be the opposition but spreads Kremlin propaganda—to launch a TV channel? What will she broadcast to her Russian-speaking audience? She will certainly continue to defend 'ordinary Russians', using the same logic as "it wasn't us, it was Hitler."

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 3d

www.derstandard.at/story/310000...

Orbáns Agenten in Brüssel: Recherche enthüllt ungarisches Spionagenetz

Ungarns Geheimdienst betrieb jahrelang ein Spionagenetzwerk in Brüssel. Recherchen zeigen erstmals, wie die Agenten vorgingen

www.derstandard.at

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 3d

"V. had ideas about how to get more Hungarians into important positions within the EU. He didn't say so, but it was obvious that he was interested in installing informants.
At some point, V. offered her money. The payment would not go directly through the secret service." (source: Der Standart)

Hungary's Viktor Orbán alleged to be spying on EU institutions

The operation allegedly began a decade ago, as tensions escalated between Orbán’s government and the European Commission.

www.brusselstimes.com

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 3d

Andrej Babiš, a former member of the Communist Party and agent for the Czechoslovak secret state security service (StB), is the latest example of why voting for corrupt right-wing populists who promote the Trumpian 'my country first' scam actually means that gullible voters are putting Russia first

Babiš: Not ‘a Single Crown’ From Czechia’s State Budget for Ukraine

The forerunner for Czechia’s next prime minister reverted to the “Czechia First” rhetoric that helped his party win votes on Wednesday.

www.kyivpost.com

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 3d

"Such 'raids' are another tool of total control and ideological pressure.The occupiers seek to eradicate any manifestations of Ukrainian identity.Checking schoolchildren's phones is not 'concern for security,' but a systematic attempt to intimidate children and impose loyalty to the Russian regime,"

In Crimea, schoolchildren’s phones are being inspected for «Ukrainian traces» | Центр протидії дезінформації

Activists of Ukrainian movements in the temporarily occupied territories report that in schools across Crimea, representatives of the occupation administrat ...

cpd.gov.ua

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 3d

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 3d

While the US continues to embolden Russian aggression through inaction, China is also becoming more emboldened to wage its own war of aggression. It has built a large-scale replica of Taiwan's central government buildings to conduct exercises simulating an attack on the capital's seat of power.

China builds Taiwan capital replica to train troops for potential war

China has expanded mock replicas of Taiwan’s government buildings at a major military training base to prepare for a potential takeover.

interestingengineering.com

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 3d

'Nobody wants to be provoked into escalation against a nuclear-armed superpower,' writes the Guardian's associate editor for Europe in her analysis,spreading Russian propaganda and failing to understand that people like her who are fooled,and who in turn fool their audience,are part of the problem.

Drone dilemma: How Russia’s ‘hybrid war’ is using fear to destabilise Europe

As Moscow’s suspected drone incursions threaten chaos, Europe faces a dilemma: respond and risk escalation, or face accusations of weakness

www.theguardian.com

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Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 4d

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