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Meduza in English

@meduza.io

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Breaking news in Russia, investigative reports, interviews, and opinions. In English. You’re welcome. https://meduza.io/en

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Meduza in English @meduza.io · 31m

Kyiv wants to cash in on OnlyFans creators’ millions in unpaid taxes, but there’s a problem: making porn is illegal in Ukraine. Meanwhile, police reportedly exploit the legal gray zone surrounding adult content as a source of bribes and kickbacks.
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‘Turning me into a criminal’ Kyiv wants to cash in on OnlyFans creators’ unpaid taxes. There’s just one problem: making porn is illegal in Ukraine. — Meduza

Ukrainian OnlyFans creators owe nearly 385 million hryvnias (about $9 million) in back taxes, according to Ukraine’s State Tax Service (STS). This figure covers income taxes for just the years 2020…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 1h

Since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, thousands of Russian soldiers have fled the army. Here’s why so many contract soldiers and mobilized men are deserting — and when it leads to criminal prosecution.

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‘For the Defense Ministry, people are garbage’ Why thousands of Russian soldiers are deserting — Meduza

Since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, at least 50,000 Russian soldiers have fled the army, according to leaked Defense Ministry documents from 2024. Now, in the war’s fourth year,…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 4h

Astrakhan is famous throughout Russia for its watermelons and produce, but it could soon be known instead as a lifeless desert, thanks to climate change and local human activity like overgrazing.
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‘Another pointless interview’ A report from Russia’s Astrakhan region, where the climate crisis and government indifference are accelerating a once-lush ecosystem’s desertification — Meduza

Astrakhan is famous throughout Russia for its watermelons and produce, but it could soon be known instead as a lifeless desert. That prognosis might sound alarmist, but the once-flourishing region…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 22h

A Russian woman made headlines this summer after Indian police discovered her living in a cave near Goa with her two young daughters. “I didn’t want to live in a concrete apartment block in Moscow,” she told BBC in a new interview.
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‘I didn’t want to live in an apartment in Moscow’ Why did a Russian woman live with her daughters in an Indian cave for nine months? — Meduza

In early July, a Russian woman drew international attention after Indian police on a routine patrol discovered her living in a cave near Goa with her two young daughters. Because their visas had…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 1d

Putin has claimed Estonia’s and France’s detentions of Russian ‘shadow fleet’ ships are ‘piracy.’ But what does maritime law say?
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Arrr these inspections legal? Putin claims E.U. detentions of Russian ‘shadow fleet’ ships are ‘piracy.’ But what does the law say? — Meduza

In April 2025, Estonia detained the Kivala, a tanker linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet. On September 27, the same vessel — now renamed the Boracay — was intercepted by French authorities.

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 1d

Russian state nuclear power company Rosenergoatom says Ukrainian forces attempted a drone strike on the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant.
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Russia says Ukraine attempted drone attack on nuclear plant’s cooling tower — Meduza

The Russian state nuclear power company Rosenergoatom said Tuesday that Ukrainian forces attempted a drone strike on the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant the previous night, targeting one of its…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 1d

Worried that a "Franz Ferdinand moment" might trigger a full-scale conflict with Russia? Historian Alexey Uvarov reviews the events of 1914 and warns that the belief in the “inevitability” of war has a long and problematic history. meduza.io/en/feature/2...

Dangers of a self-fulfilling prophecy Historian Alexey Uvarov warns against looking for a ‘Franz Ferdinand moment’ in the Russian–Ukrainian war — Meduza

In late September 2025, European officials told Politico that the Russian–Ukrainian war threatens a “Franz Ferdinand moment,” where a sudden escalation drags the entire continent into direct military…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 1d

Meduza has updated its combat map of Ukraine, which shows Kyiv's success in slowing the Russian army’s advance in central Donbas, albeit at a steep cost that has left other sectors more vulnerable. meduza.io/en/feature/2...

A high-stakes gamble Ukraine has successfully slowed Russia’s advance in central Donbas — but at the cost of its defenses elsewhere — Meduza

Like our earlier reports on the combat situation in Ukraine, this article takes stock of the recent developments on the battlefield based on open-source information. Meduza has condemned…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 1d

Short on infantry, Ukraine is struggling to hold its defenses as Russian forces exploit weak spots along the front, advancing in small tactical groups through undermanned positions. meduza.io/en/feature/2...

As gaps widen along the front, Ukraine is reportedly struggling to hold back Russia’s advance — Meduza

Ukrainian troops are struggling to contain Russia’s advance as manpower shortages deepen and gaps widen between front-line positions, according to soldiers interviewed by Ukrainska Pravda. Short…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 2d

Georgia’s prime minister has vowed that “no one will go unpunished” after protesters attempted to storm the presidential palace on Saturday following local elections dominated by the country’s ruling party.
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‘No one will go unpunished” Georgian prime minister vows crackdown after protesters try to storm presidential palace over disputed election — Meduza

Georgia saw its largest protests in months on Saturday, sparked by local elections in which the ruling Georgian Dream party, widely seen as pro-Russian, claimed a sweeping victory.

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 2d

Russia is in the midst of a fuel crisis. At the height of the consumption season, gasoline production has dropped following Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries, and prices are climbing. Here’s what the situation looks like on the ground.
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Long lines and empty pumps. Russia’s gasoline crisis in photos. — Meduza

Russia is in the midst of a fuel crisis. At the height of the consumption season, gasoline production has dropped following Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries, and prices are climbing. Some gas…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 4d

Russia's Culture Ministry spent a reported $2.4M on a trashy propaganda movie that depicts Europe as a dystopic nightmareland overrun by liberal values, multiculturalism, and murderous refugees. The film failed spectacularly, grossing just $1,315 at Russia's box office. meduza.io/en/feature/2...

The terror of ‘Tolerance’ Russia’s government funded a propaganda film this summer that sold 192 tickets on its opening weekend. The movie presents Europe as a nightmare of liberal values. — Meduza

Close your eyes and feel yourself transported to mythical “Franglia,” where liberal values have triumphed over tradition, and human rights now reign. Gender identity is fluid, and refugees from the…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 4d

Another billionaire is behind bars in Russia. meduza.io/en/feature/2...

Russia arrests billionaire Ibrahim Suleymanov on suspicion of contract killings after alleged gunman dies in police custody — Meduza

On Friday, a Moscow court ordered the detention of billionaire Ibrahim Suleymanov on charges of organizing two contract killings from 1999 and 2004. The murders targeted Gennady Borisov, a Vnukovo…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 4d

In his annual Valdai speech, Putin spent plenty of time speaking directly to (and about) the U.S. and the E.U., whom he portrayed as aggressors and Moscow’s adversaries.
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European ‘hysteria,’ Trump’s ‘paper tigers’ comment, and MAGA values Putin’s messages for the West at this year’s Valdai Discussion Club Forum — Meduza

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for nearly four hours at the annual Valdai Discussion Club on Thursday, delivering a wide-ranging address followed by a Q&A session. Alongside commentary…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 4d

Putin’s jokes about drone incursions in the E.U. call to mind his denial of Russia’s ‘little green men’ in Crimea a decade ago.
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‘I won’t send any more’ Putin’s jokes about drone incursions in the E.U. call to mind his denial of Russia’s ‘little green men’ in Crimea — Meduza

Speaking at Russia’s annual Valdai Discussion Club Forum in Sochi on Thursday, Vladimir Putin joked about the E.U.’s suspicions that Moscow is behind the recent uptick in unidentified drone sightings…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 4d

Russian POW Yevgeny Kovtkov returned home yesterday in a prisoner exchange. His wife, who went to Ukraine after his capture and founded Our Way Out, a group that helps Russian prisoners of war, is staying in Kyiv.
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Russian activist who works with POWs stays in Ukraine as her husband returns in prisoner swap — Meduza

On October 2, as part of a prisoner exchange with Ukraine, Russian serviceman Yevgeny Kovtkov — the husband of Our Way Out movement coordinator Irina Krynina — returned to Russia, the organization…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 5d

Drones have rewritten the battlefield in Ukraine — and spooked the West. Meduza unpacks the so-called “drone revolution” and what it might mean for the future of warfare.
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The weapons of tomorrow The ‘drone revolution’ rewrote the battlefield in Ukraine. Will they upend the West’s way of war? — Meduza

Russia’s recent drone incursions into Poland and Romania set off alarm bells in Europe. For Brussels, it looked like a political signal of Moscow’s willingness to escalate. But the episode also…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 5d

Overnight, Russian forces carried out their biggest strike on Ukraine’s gas production infrastructure since the start of the full-scale invasion, according to a statement from the state-owned energy company Naftogaz.
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Russia launches largest strike on Ukraine’s gas infrastructure since start of full-scale war, inflicting ‘critical’ damage — Meduza

On Thursday night, Russian forces carried out their biggest strike on Ukraine’s gas production infrastructure since the start of the full-scale invasion, according to a statement from the state-owned…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 5d

There are men in Russia who try to avoid conscription into the military by applying for alternative civilian service. Draft boards are reluctant to grant it, however, and those who request it are liable to end up in court for draft evasion. meduza.io/en/feature/2...

Conscientious objection rejected Even legal applications for alternative civilian service can lead to criminal charges in Russia. Meduza spoke to three men targeted for draft evasion. — Meduza

Russia has initiated its autumn conscription campaign, meaning 135,000 men will be inducted into military service by January, under presidential orders. In recent years, Russian lawmakers have…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 5d

Meduza breaks down Moscow's apparent attempt to justify disconnecting the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from Ukraine’s power grid and connecting it to Russia's. A lingering question: will they turn it back on with the war still raging? meduza.io/en/feature/2...

Russia’s Zaporizhzhia savior scheme How Moscow could use an ongoing blackout to switch Europe’s largest nuclear plant from Ukraine’s grid to its own — Meduza

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine has been cut off from the country’s electricity grid for more than a week, forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators to keep its…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 5d

Russian assault troops fighting in Ukraine may soon find themselves on horseback. meduza.io/en/feature/2...

Send in the cavalry The Russian army plans to formalize its use of horses on the battlefield in Ukraine, media reports — Meduza

Russian assault troops fighting in Ukraine may soon find themselves on horseback. According to the newspaper Kommersant, the Russian army is attempting to revive full-fledged cavalry units.”

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 6d

Russia has likely modified the ballistic missiles it is using against Ukraine so they can evade the Patriot air defense system, the Financial Times reported, citing Ukrainian and Western officials.
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Modified Russian ballistic missiles now able to evade Patriot defense system — FT — Meduza

Russia has likely modified the ballistic missiles it is using against Ukraine so they can evade the Patriot air defense system, the Financial Times reported, citing Ukrainian and Western officials.

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 6d

In which historian Alexey Uvarov explains how radical “Tsar-worshippers” have kept the Russian Orthodox Church from recognizing the authenticity of the Romanov family’s remains. meduza.io/en/feature/2...

Putting the Romanovs to rest Why the Russian Orthodox Church refuses to recognize the remains of the Tsarist Empire’s last royal family — Meduza

Ten years ago, Russia’s Investigative Committee reopened the investigation into the 1918 murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family at the insistence of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). Federal…

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 6d

Multiple groups of unidentified drones were spotted in northern Germany in late September, Der Spiegel reports, citing an internal government report.
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Germany reports multiple drone groups spotted in northern regions, likely spying on infrastructure — Meduza

Unidentified drones were spotted in northern Germany in late September, Der Spiegel reported on Wednesday, citing an internal report from a German government agency.

Meduza in English @meduza.io · 6d

Viral hepatitis and HIV are spreading quickly in the Russian army. Here’s what’s happening inside the ranks — and how a wave of veterans with these conditions might affect the stigma faced by people in Russia living with these diagnoses.
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‘Branding people with a stigma’ HIV and hepatitis are spreading rapidly in the Russian army. What does that mean for the soldiers living with these diagnoses? — Meduza

Viral hepatitis and HIV are spreading quickly in the Russian army, according to both pro-war bloggers and researchers. In September 2025, reports surfaced that soldiers with these diagnoses were…