Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Katri Pynnöniemi @katri.bsky.social · 7h

Thanks a lot for reading, Keir!

Reposted by Katri Pynnöniemi

Keir Giles @keirgiles.bsky.social · 7h

"Understanding [Russia's] long-term patterns of strategic deception is essential in order to effectively counter" them. Important long read from @katri.bsky.social and @atolvin.bsky.social breaking down how Russia shapes outcomes through narratives over decades.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Reconstructing Kremlin strategic deception: the logic of disinformation narratives during the first phase of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Official Kremlin rhetoric about the ‘special military operation’ produces clashing, often contrasting interpretations of reality. This article applies perspectives from Soviet ideological language ...

www.tandfonline.com

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Reposted by Katri Pynnöniemi

Eugene McParland 🇺🇦 @eugenemcparland.bsky.social · 21h

Lawyers of the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group spoke with many #Ukraine warriors released from enemy captivity who have passed through several russian places of detention.

khpg.org/en/1608815159

Uncle Vanya, Bison, San Sanych — who tortures Ukrainian prisoners of war?

Ukrainians returning from captivity will undoubtedly never forget those who turned their lives in imprisonment into hell. Everything is known about some of the torturers. Others hide behind a call sig...

khpg.org

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Reposted by Katri Pynnöniemi

Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 1d

“The crimes of Jeffrey Epstein and those who participated in them is a decades long abdication of institutional and personal responsibility, brought to light by a handful of dedicated journalists and the breathtaking bravery of once isolated, ignored vulnerable women.”

slate.com/news-and-pol...

The National Failure at the Heart of the Jeffrey Epstein Story

It is a great challenge to pay sustained attention to any one of the onslaught of moral or legal indignities unfolding in this moment.

slate.com

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Robert Mackey @robertmackey.bsky.social · 2d

The Oregon Republican Party tried to help Donald Trump make the case for military intervention in Portland with an image of a fiery protest — but since Portland is calm, they had to fabricate one by merging old photos of police in Ecuador and protesters in Brazil www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Republicans post fake image of Oregon protest – using photos of South America

A federal judge had blocked Trump’s request to deploy California national guard to Portland

www.theguardian.com

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MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · 2d

⚡️ In recent days, Russia has destroyed 2 transformer substations that powered Kharkiv. And looking at the dynamics of the attacks, it is already clear that the coming winter will be the most difficult for Kharkiv in all the years of the war, — the mayor of the city.

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Katri Pynnöniemi @katri.bsky.social · 3d

Galeottin kirjan rinnalla, suosittelen lukemaan kotimaisen klassikon: Pertti Luntisen: Venäjä sodassa, sota Venäjällä. Siitä on vaikea laittaa paremmaksi...

yle.fi/a/74-2018560...

Maailmankuulun brittitutkijan viesti Putinille: Historialla ei voi perustella nykyisyyttä

Professori Mark Galeottin mukaan Putin joutuu perustelemaan Ukrainan sotaa historialla, koska hän on pettänyt lupaukset elintason nostamisesta.

yle.fi

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Reposted by Katri Pynnöniemi

Nicola @nicolataylor.bsky.social · 4d

“Russia has no interest in kinetic confrontation but is eager to weaken our collective ability to think, act and mount a defense.”

Andrew Chakhoyan 🇺🇦 @andrewchak.bsky.social · 4d

🇪🇺 keeps waiting for invasion, meanwhile, 🇷🇺 is already inside the house.
Not with conventional forces, but with: influence operations poisoning civil discourse, targeted assassinations, strategic corruption subverting politics, lawfare stalling 🇪🇺’s collective defense
open.substack.com/pub/chakhoya...

Three reasons Russia is poking NATO

Moscow can't beat the West on the battlefield. So it's waging a different kind of war.

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Katri Pynnöniemi

Anders Östlund @andersostlund.bsky.social · 4d

Good by Sweden's Minister of Finance, who battle propaganda about Russian economy.
Main points:
* RU inflation about 20%
* Liquid part of RU welfare fund not enough for deficit
* Intl inst (IMF et al) and media should not use data from RU
* All RU data likely false.
www.dn.se/debatt/vara-...

DN Debatt. ”Våra underrättelser visar sanningen bakom Putins siffror”

DN Debatt. Finansministern: Internationella finansiella institutioner hjälper Ryssland att sprida propaganda.

www.dn.se

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UNITED24 Media @united24media.com · 6d

⚡️ Greenpeace says Russia deliberately cut off power to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, raising fears of a disaster.
united24media.com/latest-news/...

Russia Deliberately Cut Power to Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, Greenpeace Finds

Greenpeace report concludes no military strikes near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, suggesting intentional disconnection from Ukraine's power grid.

united24media.com

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Reposted by Katri Pynnöniemi

Kevin Rothrock @kevinrothrock.me · 6d

Putin read a poem earlier today in Valdai. It was the first third of Pushkin's "Borodino Anniversary," which he published in 1831 as part of his pro-imperialist opposition to Poland's "November Uprising." The poem celebrates Russia's defeat of Napoleon as a warning to future European intervention.

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 6d

First time I’ve seen this reported in the press after rumours among experts: BILD reports/confirms there was a “mothership drone” over Germany which sent out smaller drones.
Which a) really points to a capable actor and
b) is concerning because it increases possible reach of these drones

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Reposted by Katri Pynnöniemi

Janne M. Korhonen @jmkorhonen.fi · 19d

What makes citizens willing to defend their country?

At least in Sweden & Denmark, "uncritical patriotism" has a *significant NEGATIVE* effect... and seeing one's country as *culture* has a significant POSITIVE effect.

Very interesting results here.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Defending the national identity: exploring the links between a multidimensional national identity concept and the willingness to defend one’s country

How does national identity affect the willingness to defend one’s country? In this paper, we demonstrate that in order to answer this question, we must take into account the multidimensionality of ...

www.tandfonline.com

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Reposted by Katri Pynnöniemi

Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 6d

DHS doing night raids to bring GWOT home.

Lynda Lopez @lyndab08.bsky.social · 7d

“It was heartbreaking to watch,” said Watson. “Even if you’re not a mother, seeing kids coming out buck naked and taken from their mothers, it was horrible.”

Massive immigration raid on Chicago apartment building leaves residents reeling: 'I feel defeated'

The Department of Homeland Security said federal agents with Border Patrol, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested 37 people in the raid.

chicago.suntimes.com

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Reposted by Katri Pynnöniemi

RUSI @rusi.bsky.social · 7d

'Partners will need to be prepared for the use of US military power in a way that is deeply uncomfortable' writes @mtsavill.bsky.social in the latest RUSI Commentary.

Not Business as Usual: Why Trump’s War Department Rhetoric Matters

Much of the language coming out of the gathering of US military leaders this week could be dismissed as political spectacle. But international partners of the US should take seriously the US Administr...

www.rusi.org

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The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 7d

⚡️Romania to develop joint drone production with Ukraine to protect NATO's eastern flank, Romanian FM says.

Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu confirmed on Sept. 30 Bucharest's plans to partner with Ukraine to produce drones intended to protect NATO airspace.

Romania to develop joint drone production with Ukraine to protect NATO's eastern flank, Romanian FM says

Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu confirmed on Sept. 30 Bucharest's plans to partner with Ukraine to produce drones under a European Union-funded defense initiative.

kyivindependent.com

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Anu Koivunen @anukoivunen.bsky.social · 8d

Varautuminen, päivän sana. Vaientamiseen pyrkivä ja mustamaalaava tutkijoiden häirintä ei ole marginaalinen ilmiö vaan kansainvälisesti tunnistettu uhka tieteen vapaudelle. 1/x suomenkuvalehti.fi/mielipide/an...

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Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 8d

Given today's speech, a reminder that POTUS has asserted a prerogative to use of the US military to kill outside the law—a prerogative without any clear limiting principles.

www.justsecurity.org/120568/carib...

Asserting a License to Kill: Why the Caribbean Strike is a Dangerous Departure from the “War on Terror”

An absence of credible legal basis for the Caribbean strike suggests the Trump admin is asserting a prerogative to kill outside the law.

www.justsecurity.org

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Reposted by Katri Pynnöniemi

Tereza Hendl @terezahendl.bsky.social · 8d

Speakers included French far right philosopher Alain de Benoist; French-Swiss conspiracy theorist and far-right thinker Alain Soral; and Alexander von Bismarck, who has publicly supported Germany’s far right. The event started with a minute of silence for Charlie Kirk… truly Far Right International

Kristian Kiehling @kristiankiehling.bsky.social · 8d

The fascists Konstantin Malofejev and Alexander Dugin hosted a neo-Nazi get-together in St.Petersburg. In a manifesto they promised to support each other in the fight to “combat globalism and protect traditional values.” The German fascist Robert Risch was also present. www.nation.be/2025/09/22/n...

German AFD politicians Robert Risch sitting among fellow neo-Nazis at a conference table in the MArinskii Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia

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Peter Sterne @petersterne.com · 8d

It really does not get more explicit than Trump telling top active-duty military generals that they will need to participate in occupations of large cities run by his political opponents as part of his "war from within"

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 8d

Trump: "The ones that are run by radical left Democrats -- what they've done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles. They're very unsafe places & we're gonna straighten them out one by one. This is gonna be a major part for some people in this room. That's a war too. It's war from within"

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Katri Pynnöniemi @katri.bsky.social · 8d

Next level.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 8d

Trump: "The ones that are run by radical left Democrats -- what they've done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles. They're very unsafe places & we're gonna straighten them out one by one. This is gonna be a major part for some people in this room. That's a war too. It's war from within"

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The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 8d

⚡️Kremlin plans record spending hike on law enforcement and security agencies.

According to Russian budget documents, federal spending on police, the National Guard, and other law enforcement and intelligence services is set to rise 13% year-on-year to a record 3.91 trillion rubles ($47 billion).

Kremlin plans record spending hike on law enforcement and security agencies

According to Russian budget documents, federal spending on police, the National Guard, and other law enforcement and intelligence services is set to rise 13% year-on-year to a record 3.91 trillion rub...

kyivindependent.com

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The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 8d

⚡️Europe 'no longer at peace' with Russia, Germany's Merz says.

"Let me put it in a sentence that may be a little shocking at first glance ... we are not at war, but we are no longer at peace either," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sept. 29.

Europe 'no longer at peace' with Russia, Germany's Merz says

"Let me put it in a sentence that may be a little shocking at first glance ... we are not at war, but we are no longer at peace either," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sept. 29.

kyivindependent.com

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Katri Pynnöniemi @katri.bsky.social · 9d

"our aim should be to create crippling inconvenience for Russia, planting uncertainty in the minds of Kremlin decision-makers. The more they worry about the duration, extent, scope, and frequency of our response, the more hesitant they will be."

Center for European Policy Analysis @cepa.org · 9d

False Alarms: and Real Ones | "Western scaremongering about the Baltics’ vulnerability is missing the real threat." @edwardlucas.bsky.social

False Alarms: and Real Ones

A Russian landgrab in Estonia in 2028 would destroy NATO. Western scaremongering about the Baltics’ vulnerability is missing the real threat.

cepa.org

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Steven Beschloss @stevenbeschloss.bsky.social · 10d

Alexander Hamilton could not more accurately describe Trump and the danger to liberty of such a man.

Watchdog Progressive @watchdogprg.bsky.social · 10d

Our current president is a such a man that Alexander Hamilton wrote of....

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