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IStories Media

@istories.bsky.social

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Independent newsroom focused on Russia. Investigating Russian war crimes in Ukraine, corruption, and life in the country. Support our journalism: https://istories.media/en/donations/?utm_source=blsk

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · Aug 5

Hi! We are IStories, an independent newsroom covering Russia, for the past 3,5 years – from exile.

We’ve specialized in investigations about corruption and data-driven stories about Russia. Now we investigate Russian war crimes as well.
istories.media/en/donations...

Support us!

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · 3d

Our independent investigations rely only on people like you. If you believe the truth must be told, please consider supporting our work with a monthly donation:
istories.media/en/donations...

Support us!

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · 3d

For the full AMA thread, go here
www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comme...

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · 3d

While working on the story, we found a mobilized martial-arts instructor’s public diary — an illuminating record of one person’s shift from pacifism to support for the war.

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · 3d

One in four mobilized soldiers died in the war during the first year

IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · 3d

The AMA was about our recent investigation of the outcomes of 3 years of Russian mobilization.

Here is the story itself:
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And here is the Charon Project Polina mentioned
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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · 3d

Behind every investigation is not only data and proof, but also journalists.

Polina Uzhvak, one of the team members working on the data-driven investigation about mobilization in Russia, hosted #AskMeAnything on Reddit.

Here are a few highlights from the conversation.

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · 8d

Putin’s wartime economy has reached its limit (this time for real). This is what we learned from 2026 draft federal budget data 🔽

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · 11d

How Spanish wine exports to Russia are linked to chemical smuggling and Russian intelligence services — a new investigation by OCCRP, IStories, and partners 🔽

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Tapas and Toxins

An investigation by IStories, OCCRP, All Eyes On Wagner, Slidstvo.Info, and Belarusian Investigative Center

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · 13d

Sanctioned Russian Sovcombank co-owner Sergey Khotimsky and his now ex-wife owned real estate in the United States worth about $60 million, and it evaded sanctions — read about it in our investigation with The Post and Courier and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 🔽

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Sovcombank Co-owner Sergey Khotimsky Invested Millions of Dollars in U.S. Real Estate, and It Evaded Sanctions

An investigation by The Post and Courier, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and IStories

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · 19d

How was this investigation done? How is IStories' Data Department finding data when everything is banned by the Russian government?

Polina Uzvak is hosting #AskMeAnything on Reddit. Join and ask a question! www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comme...

From the IAmA community on Reddit: I’m an independent journalist analyzing Russia’s military losses and investigating war crimes in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. Ask Me Anything.

Explore this post and more from the IAmA community

www.reddit.com

IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · 22d

Three years of mobilization: what one region — and the whole Russia — has endured.

We analyzed the full list of those mobilized from Tomsk Oblast and found that one in four was killed, went missing, or was wounded, and at least 11% were killed 🔽

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · 23d

The Russian Armed Forces have once again carried out an operation inside a gas pipeline. Why take such risks for an unclear outcome? IStories asked military experts about it 🔽

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Russian Troops Once Again Used an Underground Pipe. Is This Tactic Really Effective?

Passages through pipes have little impact on the course of combat operations, according to military experts

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · 24d

“We are investing in Spain.” Here are the details of the interrogation of Dmitry Artyakov, son of state corporation Rostec’s first deputy, who in the fourth year of the “war with the West” was detained at a villa in Spain in a money laundering case 🔽

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“My Father is a Highly Respected Person”

On the fourth year of Russian “war against the West” the son of the first deputy director of Rostec state corporation was detained in his villa in Spain in a money laundering probe. IStories got the v...

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · 25d

Russia continues to increase spending on programs for foreign influencers, IStories found out. Rossotrudnichestvo, which promotes Kremlin interests abroad and is considered a front for the FSB and SVR, has spent a record sum on this in 2025 🔽

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · 29d

For the first time in Russia, a foreign travel ban was enforced due to the military register — at Moscow’s airport, a man was barred from going on vacation just days after receiving a draft notice.

The draft notice register was launched in August 2025.

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Russia Implements First Travel Ban Due to Military Register

A man was barred from going on vacation just days after receiving a draft notice

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · Sep 11

Ivan Tkachev, head of FSB’s Directorate K, has been appointed the new chief of military counterintelligence, @istories_eng found out. In wartime, this position is considered doomed.

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · Sep 10

Kursk Oblast faces a gubernatorial election. The previous governor is under arrest, his predecessor shot himself, and acting governor Aleksandr Khinshtein has no real achievements — just a “pretty picture.” Here’s how he runs the region and why he was sent there 🔽

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“If You Can Handle It — You Can Handle It, If Not — We’ll Bury You.” How Alexander Khinshtein is Calming Kursk Oblast

Kursk Oblast will soon hold another gubernatorial election, the second in just over a year — the previous governor, Alexey Smirnov, was arrested on suspicion of fraud. Khinshtein has no real competito...

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · Sep 9

The Russian army is losing way less equipment now. What’s the reason?

There is little equipment left, and it is too vulnerable. Russian army may be stockpiling it for a major offensive, experts say 🔽

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · Sep 5

We’ve found dozens of job postings for people with HIV and hepatitis, offering them contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense — previously, there was no known targeted recruitment of those. Moreover, the current order prohibits this altogether.

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“A Hero Without Limits”

IStories has found dozens of job postings for people with HIV and hepatitis, offering them official contracts with the Ministry of Defense

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Reposted by IStories Media

Brut @hmmheh.bsky.social · Aug 25

Putin's Russia cannot attract new contract soldiers in the same numbers as before.

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · Aug 28

On September 1, many new laws and regulations will come into force in Russia, potentially affecting everyone’s life. IStories has compiled the main changes 🔽

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Patriotic Talks in Kindergartens, National Messenger on Every Phone, Paramedics Instead of Doctors

How life in Russia will change from September 2025

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · Aug 27

In Moscow and Moscow Oblast, migrants will be required to install an app transmitting their geolocation to the Russian Interior Ministry starting September 1.

As IStories has discovered, users complain that the app does not work 🔽

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In Moscow and Moscow Oblast, Migrants Will Be Required to Install an App Transmitting Their Geolocation to the Interior Ministry Starting September 1

As IStories has discovered, users complain that the app does not work

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Reposted by IStories Media

Szabolcs Panyi @szabolcspanyi.bsky.social · Aug 24

💥💰Important add-on to the Hungary–Ukraine spat over Russian oil and the Druzhba pipeline. "A secretive oil trader that supplies Russian crude to Central Europe is linked to Kremlin insiders and allies of Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán, according to an investigation by @istories.bsky.social." @occrp.org

Shadowy Oil Trader With Kremlin, Orbán Ties Supplied Billions in Russian Crude to Europe

A secretive oil trader that supplies Russian crude to Central Europe is linked to Kremlin insiders and allies of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, according to an investigation by iStories

www.occrp.org

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Reposted by IStories Media

madrykot316.bsky.social @madrykot316.bsky.social · Aug 19

The Russian website iStories has uncovered some very interesting information. In the first half of this year, 127,500 contract soldiers received payments for signing contracts with the Russian Ministry of National Defense, a significant drop compared to 2024. istories.media/en/news/2025...

In the Second Quarter of 2025, 37,900 Russians Signed Contracts with the Defense Ministry — 2.5 Times Fewer Than a Year Ago

The pace of contract recruitment has fallen to its lowest in two years

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IStories Media @istories.bsky.social · Aug 20

💃 How the owner of a modeling agency joined the board of directors of VSMPO-Avisma — Russia’s largest titanium producer and a key supplier to the defense industry. An investigation by IStories 🔽

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