Steve Gutterman
@sgutterman.bsky.social
📤 556
📥 282
📝 227
Russia, Ukraine, Belarus Editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
www.rferl.org/a/russian-pr...
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Investigation Reveals Identity Of Russian Prison Doctor Accused Of Abusing Ukrainian Captives
Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, has identified a Russian prison doctor whom dozens of Ukrainian former captives have accused of subjecting inmates to frequent physical a...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-prison-sexual-abuse-ukraine-torture/33801065.html
1 day ago
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www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-po...
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Rift Over World War II-Era Killings Rocks Crucial Ukraine-Poland Ties
Poland, steeped in bad memories of the 1939 Nazi-Soviet invasion and decades of dominance from Moscow after World War II, is a firm backer of Ukraine’s defense against Russia. But a flare-up over thei...
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-poland-bloody-history-volyn-volhynia/33800112.html
3 days ago
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www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-ru...
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Ukraine Gets A Green Light To Build Its Own Patriot Missiles. It’s Not a Game Changer, Experts Caution
If Trump follows through on his pledge to give Ukraine a license to manufacture the Patriot interceptor missiles, it will be a major boost for Zelensky and Ukraine’s air defense systems. Experts are s...
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-patriot-missile-defenses-zelenskyy-trump/33799530.html
3 days ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukr...
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Far From Ukraine War, Russia Fuel Crisis Consumes Local Worries
There’s no gasoline for ambulances in one region. In another, they’ve suspended garbage pickup because there’s no fuel for trucks. There’s a robust black market where you can pay someone to hold your ...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-fuel-gas-crisis-shortage/33792063.html
12 days ago
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www.rferl.org/a/war-viral-...
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In Viral Post, Russian Veteran Warns Putin Of Mutiny, Then Walks Back Threat
A veteran of Russia’s war against Ukraine sparked a stir with a viral video post, demanding a meeting with President Vladimir Putin and warning of a rebellion – before retracting the threat. The episo...
https://www.rferl.org/a/war-viral-post-putin-rebellion-threat-ukraine/33789561.html
16 days ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-ice...
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Raver, Monk, Millionaire: The Shape-Shifting Russian At The Heart Of A Hockey Arena Deal
A star of the rave scene in post-Soviet St. Petersburg, Gavriil Frolov dropped out of sight, adopted a new name, and became a monk. Now, he’s at the center of a deal that handed a billion-dollar ice h...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ice-hockey-arena-putin-petersburg/33787105.html
18 days ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-gas...
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'It's Come To This': Gas Shortages Hit Russia As Ukraine Hits Refineries
Pulling up at a gas station with no fuel for sale, a Russian woman is aghast: “What’s going on in this country?” What’s going on is that in the fifth year of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine is fighti...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-gasoline-fuel-crisis-refinery-attacks-ukraine/33784529.html
23 days ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukr...
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Putin's 'War Trap' And The Potential Price Of Peace
When he launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many warned Vladimir Putin that the offensive he claimed was meant to bolster Russia’s security would instead put it in jeopardy. Now, in a...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-invasion-peace-risks-putin/33783105.html
23 days ago
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Sometimes I suspect it's the other way around: Putin is the one allowed...
add a skeleton here at some point
24 days ago
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www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-gr...
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Exclusive: Wiretaps Show Suspects In Ukraine Corruption Case Discussed Enlisting Lawmaker
Two suspects in a corruption scandal that has shaken Ukraine and cut close to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of a prominent lawmaker as someone who could advance their interests and protect cash ...
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-graft-corruption-midas-war-energy/33779031.html
29 days ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-tec...
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Russia Wants To Build a State-Run VPN. What Could Go Wrong?
What’s the latest brick in Russia’s effort to build its Great Internet Firewall? A proposal to create a government-run Virtual Private Network, co-opting a tool that has been widely embraced by Russia...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-tech-internet-vpn-super-app-digital/33777612.html
about 1 month ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukr...
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‘No Way Out': Russia Sends Badly Wounded Men Back Into Battle In Ukraine
As Russia struggles to replace soldiers being killed in high numbers in the fifth year of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, these is mounting evidence of the military returning men to the war despit...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-war-casualties-wounded-return/33771000.html
about 1 month ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-kgb...
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The KGB's Man At State, Or A Double Agent? A Spy Mystery In A Smuggled Cold War Archive.
Frederick Flott, who died in 2006, was a longtime State Department diplomat around the world, as well as a CIA agent who worked under diplomatic cover. For years, the KGB tried to recruit him. Did it ...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-kgb-spy-espionage-mitrokhin-flott-secret-archive/33770150.html
about 1 month ago
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www.rferl.org/a/putin-purp...
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Working For A Secret Family: The Foreigners Raising Putin's Purported Sons
Over the past eight years, at least 20 foreigners have helped raise and educate two boys believed to be the sons of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his purported partner Alina Kabayeva, most of t...
https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-purported-sons-western-nannies-language-tutors/33767499.html
about 1 month ago
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www.rferl.org/a/putin-purp...
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Working For A Secret Family: The Foreigners Raising Putin's Purported Sons
Over the past eight years, at least 20 foreigners have helped raise and educate two boys believed to be the sons of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his purported partner Alina Kabayeva, most of t...
https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-purported-sons-western-nannies-language-tutors/33767499.html
about 1 month ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-chu...
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How The Russian Orthodox Church Targets Anti-War Priests
The patriarch of Russian Orthodox Church is a vocal backer of Moscow’s war against Ukraine. Systema, RFE/RL’s Russian investigative unit, examined how the country’s dominant religious organization goe...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-church-persecution-ukraine-war-prayer/33764424.html
about 2 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/belarus-fe...
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Exclusive: US Asks Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine To Allow Belarusian Fertilizer Exports
US officials have proposed that Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine lift sanctions on Belarusian potash to allow the transit of the agricultural product – a major source of hard currency revenue for Minsk ...
https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-fertilizer-potash-exports-us-sanctions-eu/33762526.html
about 2 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/belarus-ex...
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Attacked By The State And Fractured Within, Belarus Opposition Struggles In Exile
Poor turnout for an online election underscores the daunting challenges faced by the largely exiled Belarusian democratic opposition six years after a groundswell of popular protests raised hopes for ...
https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-exiled-opposition-bleak-shadow-election/33760941.html
about 2 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-che...
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Buried 'Like Dogs': In Chechnya, Oppression Doesn't End With Death
In Chechnya, defying authority or tradition can carry consequences beyond life. Activists say domestic violence victims, LGBT people, and political dissenters are increasingly denied Islamic burial ri...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-chechnya-killings-burial-opprssion-violence/33756653.html
about 2 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-...
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'Fused Together': Zelenskyy Faces Risks As Graft Probe Closes In On His Ex-Chief Of Staff
A corruption scandal closes in on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s former chief of staff Andriy Yermak. How badly could it hurt Ukraine’s wartime president?
https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-yermak-corruption-gray-cardinal-graft/33755369.html
2 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/putin-para...
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Vladimir Putin And Victory Day: A Scaled-Down Parade, A Diminished President?
For years, President Vladimir Putin has used Russia’s Victory Day parade to show off its weapons, accentuate his dominance, and deliver narratives on World War II and the present. This year is differe...
https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-parade-decline-weapons-ratings-slump/33752032.html
2 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-ru...
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Drone Strikes, Deep Strikes: How Ukraine's Long-Range Air Attacks Are Hurting Russia
Oil production cuts, plumes of smoke, altered plans for President Vladimir Putin: Ukraine’s strikes on oil facilities, military installations, and air defense systems are taking a toll on Moscow’s cap...
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-drone-deep-strikes-oil/33751182.html
2 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/years-of-p...
add a skeleton here at some point
2 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-dro...
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Czechs Demand Explanation After Russia's Medvedev Threatens Europe's Drone Factories
The Czech Republic demanded an explanation after Russia’s Defense Ministry published a list of companies it claimed are helping produce attack drones for Ukraine and bellicose former Russian President...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-drones-europe-czech-threat-medvedev/33733898.html
3 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-def...
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Knives Out 2.0. What's Going On At Russia’s Defense Ministry?
In its war on Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry is on the offensive in the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II. Internally, it’s plagued by corruption, political infighting, firings, and bi...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-defense-ministry-corruption-investigations-shoigu-putin/33732103.html
3 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-put...
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https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin-approval-ratings-popularity-falling-war-politics/33727746.html
3 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-ge...
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Everyone Wants Ukraine’s Drones. This German Joint Venture Is Trying To Get Ahead Of The Curve
In a non-descript warehouse on the perimeters of a Munich-area airport, a joint venture is marrying Ukrainian expertise with German capital, building drones for Ukraine’s military – and eventually glo...
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-germany-drone-production/33723276.html
3 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-ru...
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On Ukraine's Battlefield, Spring Weather, New Fighting Season, A Big Russian Assault
After a bitter winter, there’s been uptick in battlefield operations by both Ukraine and Russia in recent weeks. Ukraine says it defeated a major mechanized Russian assault last week – but it’s unclea...
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-battlefield-spring-offensive/33717112.html
4 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-mob...
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The Mess With Max, Telegram, And More: Russians' Patience Tested By Online Troubles
Authorities have spent years testing tools, building apps, trying to restrict how Russian use the Internet. Widespread Internet outages, and widespread confusion over messaging apps, is testing Russia...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-mobile-internet-outages-messenger-apps-telegram-whatsapp-max/33713633.html
4 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/putin-iden...
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Out Of Office: A New Twist In Kremlin Efforts To Conceal Putin's Location
In November, Systema revealed that the Kremlin was obscuring Putin's location by using three nearly identical offices in different parts of Russia. Until March 18, however, the Kremlin had posted no f...
https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-identical-offices-trickery-location-russia/33710019.html
4 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-ira...
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In The US War On Iran, Russia Is A Winner (Mostly)
The US-Israeli war on Iran has yielded some clear benefits for Russia: more oil revenues; fewer US weapons for Kyiv; a distraction from the Ukraine peace talks. But it isn’t all good for Moscow.
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-iran-war-intelligence-ukraine-benefits/33709955.html
4 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/iran-houth...
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Cartoons For Kids, Cash For Iran, Weapons For Houthis: A Web Woven In Moscow
The principals behind two Moscow-based animated film studios -- one an Iranian man, the other the son of a former Afghan diplomat -- appear to be involved shadowy business interests, and possibly espi...
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-houthis-moscow-cartoons-systema/33708887.html
4 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/mystery-nu...
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A Mysterious Signal Transfixes Radio Sleuths -- And Intelligence Experts
The mysterious Persian-language transmission began about 12 hours after the start of the US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. It was jammed five days later. Is it a coded message for US agents in...
https://www.rferl.org/a/mystery-numbers-station-persian-signal-iran-war/33700659.html
4 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/iran-turkm...
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For Iran's Isolated Turkmen Minority, War Brings Hope And Trepidation
Across Turkmensahra, a poor and isolated region in northeastern Iran along the Caspian Sea and the border with Turkmenistan, war brings tight security, price hikes, and a mixture of hope and concern a...
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-turkmen-minority-war-hope-trepidation/33700396.html
4 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/putin-cann...
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Exclusive: Kremlin Office Plants Prove Putin's Absence As Iran War Heats Up
On March 2-3, the Kremlin published videos showing him meeting with officials and indicated the footage was fresh. In fact, both meetings were recorded earlier, Systema, RFE/RL’s Russian investigative...
https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-canned-footage-kremlin-machinations/33695144.html
4 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russian-or...
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Air Defenses Add To Evidence Of Russian Oreshnik Missile Deployment In Belarus
An analysis of satellite images captured by Planet Labs suggests that six installations of systems designed to protect facilities against attacks from the air now ring a site where Russia may have dep...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-oreshnik-nuclear-capable-missile-belarus/33693310.html
4 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-...
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Zelenskyy Calls For Strong Security Guarantees Against 'Slave To War' Putin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered an impassioned plea for more Western weapons and for "real security guarantees," calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a "slave to war" who will th...
https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskyy-call-strong-security-guarantees-against-russia-putin/33678350.html
5 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/belarus-ru...
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Satellite Imagery Points To Possible Russian Oreshnik Missile Site In Belarus
A fresh satellite image obtained by RFE/RL shows that the development of a military installation is proceeding apace at a former Soviet airfield in Belarus. The image shows what may be vehicles from a...
https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-russian-missile-deployment-satellite-imagery/33675391.html
5 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-s-s...
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Russia's Starlink Setback: Will Moscow Snap Back From A New Battlefield Blow In Ukraine?
The loss of access to Starlink satellite Internet service comes at a crucial time in Russia's war on Ukraine. As Moscow scrambles for short-term fixes and longer-term alternatives for battlefield comm...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-s-starlink-setback-will-moscow-snap-back-from-a-new-battlefield-blow-in-ukraine-/33675248.html
5 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-hea...
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Seth G. Jones: Kremlin Trying Hard To 'Hide The Actual Number' Of Russian Troops Killed In Ukraine
The Kremlin has made "every effort" to hide the high number of deaths among Russian troops in Ukraine, where their slow advance has come at the cost of some 1.2 million casualties, Seth G. Jones of th...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-heavy-casualties-ukraine-slow-advance/33674170.html
5 months ago
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reposted by
Steve Gutterman
Meduza in English
5 months ago
Journalist
@mikeeckel.bsky.social
joins the Naked Pravda to unpack his investigation into Nomma Zarubina. Her Manhattan case highlights the blurry legal line between cultural networking and illegal foreign influence, amplified by a spiral of erratic behavior.
meduza.io/en/episodes/...
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What happens when you drunk-text the FBI about Russian spies and prostitutes at 4 a.m.? The curious case of Nomma Zarubina. — Meduza
In this week’s episode, host Kevin Rothrock sits down with RFE/RL senior international correspondent Mike Eckel to discuss his January 28 investigation into the bizarre case of Nomma Zarubina: The…
https://meduza.io/en/episodes/2026/02/06/what-happens-when-you-drunk-text-the-fbi-about-russian-spies-and-prostitutes-at-4-a-m-the-curious-case-of-nomma-zarubina
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reposted by
Steve Gutterman
Kevin Rothrock
5 months ago
Happy to welcome back to the pod
@mikeeckel.bsky.social
to discuss his recent Nomma Zarubina article. Her case is interesting for the sheer oddness of her meltdown, but it also raises some important questions about "cross-cultural promotion" in a world of FSB handlers.
meduza.io/en/episodes/...
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What happens when you drunk-text the FBI about Russian spies and prostitutes at 4 a.m.? The curious case of Nomma Zarubina. — Meduza
In this week’s episode, host Kevin Rothrock sits down with RFE/RL senior international correspondent Mike Eckel to discuss his January 28 investigation into the bizarre case of Nomma Zarubina: The FSB...
https://meduza.io/en/episodes/2026/02/06/what-happens-when-you-drunk-text-the-fbi-about-russian-spies-and-prostitutes-at-4-a-m-the-curious-case-of-nomma-zarubina
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-war...
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Strangled In Siberia: Deep Inside Russia, The Violent Echoes Of Moscow's War On Ukraine
A Russian man repeatedly convicted of violent crimes is accused of strangling a woman to death after returning from the war in Ukraine and stalking his wife as she sought shelter. The killing is a gri...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-war-veterans-violent-crime-impunity-ukraine/33666867.html
5 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-war...
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Strangled In Siberia: Deep Inside Russia, The Violent Echoes Of Moscow's War On Ukraine
A Russian man repeatedly convicted of violent crimes is accused of strangling a woman to death after returning from the war in Ukraine and stalking his wife as she sought shelter. The killing is a gri...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-war-veterans-violent-crime-impunity-ukraine/33666867.html
5 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/iran-prote...
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Faces Behind The Numbers: People Killed In Iran’s Protests
Thousands of Iranians lost their lives after taking to the streets. These are the people behind the statistics.
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protesters-killed-interactive-map/33666098.html
5 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-ru...
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'Ukraine Is Not Losing, Russia Is Not Winning': Amid Push For Peace, Here's How Things Look On The Battlefield
Weeks before the start of the fifth year of its all-out war, Russia is having more success obliterating Ukraine’s energy systems than it is securing any decisive battlefield victory. Ukraine’s exhaust...
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-battlefield-defenses-cold/33664826.html
5 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/chechnya-k...
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Game Of (Chechen) Thrones: With Kadyrov’s Health In Doubt, Succession Is On Everyone’s Mind
Moscow-backed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s health is in question, and speculation about succession is rife. The Kremlin wants to keep Chechnya quiet, especially amid the war on Ukraine. Kadyrov wan...
https://www.rferl.org/a/chechnya-kadyrov-kremlin-succession-risks-stability/33663761.html
5 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/russia-nom...
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The FSB, Lies, And Drunk Texting The FBI: The Curious Case Of Nomma Zarubina
Nomma Zarubina's case is one of several that has popped up in recent years: Russians building networks among think tanks, activists, politicians, journalists -- and then being charged by US authoritie...
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-nomma-zarubina-fsb-fbi-lying-spy/33661443.html
5 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/iran-prote...
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Friends Remember A Vibrant University Student Killed During Protest In Tehran
Zahra Bahlolipour, a 23-year-old student in Tehran, was fatally shot by security forces during a protest against Iran's authoritarian regime on January 8. Her classmates have been posting tributes to ...
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protests-student-victim-raha/33658519.html
6 months ago
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www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-ru...
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Prize Horses Face Growing Dangers Near Ukrainian Front Line Amid Deep Freeze
A stud farm in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya region is famous for breeding champion race horses, but it's now under regular attack from Russian shelling. The owners can't move their horses to safety because ...
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-shelling-horse-farm-stud-zaporizhzhya-roads-ice-drone/33654793.html
6 months ago
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