Employee of Austria’s largest energy company suspected of spying for Russia, Profil reports OMV's now-former employee repeatedly met with and passed along sensitive information to a Russian diplomat who is believed to be an FSB agent.

Russia’s Justice Ministry labels pro-war blogger Roman Alekhin a “foreign agent” amid money laundering probe He is the second pro-war figure to receive the designation in recent weeks after “Kremlin insider” Sergei Markov was listed on Aug. 22.

Poland and Estonia report separate airspace violations by Russian military aircraft Two Russian jets flew low over Poland’s Petrobaltic platform and violated its "safety zone" the same day three MiG-31s entered Estonian airspace for 12 minutes in a "brazen" incursion.

Complicity in terror: Why recognizing a Palestinian state will not lead to peace As more countries push for a two-state solution, Dan Diker of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs argues that “diplomatic complicity” with jihad and justification of terrorism won't end the bloodshed.

Two peoples, two states: How recognizing Palestinian statehood could help resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict @rusi.bsky.social fellow Dr. Julie Norman examines the potential impact of countries like France and the UK moving to recognize Palestine.

From Lima to the world stage: The remarkable rise of Peru's universally despised president Boluarte’s approval rating has plunged to a record low of 2%. Peruvians openly hate her, and memes on social media have made Boluarte a global laughingstock

"To prison? Well, alright": Lukashenko confirms Belarus takes back dissident Mikola Statkevich, family still unable to locate him "We couldn’t just leave him there," Lukashenko commented, without specifying where Statkevich was taken or on what grounds.

Suspects linked to Russian military intelligence detained in Lithuania over European parcel bomb attacks The suspects are accused of using DHL and DPD to ship four explosives-laden packages concealed in cosmetics containers from Vilnius.

Rzeczpospolita reports Polish home hit during Russian drone incursion was struck by F-16 missile, not UAV "All responsibility for the damage to the house rests with the perpetrators of the drone provocation, that is, Russia," tweeted PM Donald Tusk.

Yale report shows Russia used over 100 state-run sites to hold and “re-educate” deported Ukrainian children, some involved in drone assembly At no fewer than 39 of these sites, children as young as eight years old have undergone military training.

17% of Russia’s biggest companies struggling with debt, The Bell says affected firms include VK, Ozon, UAC, Rusal, and Mechel The firms’ combined net debt came in at nearly 3.5 trillion rubles ($41.7 billion), about 1.7% of Russia’s 2024 GDP.

Independent labs in two countries conclude Alexei Navalny died from poisoning Samples of the politician's biological materials were collected and smuggled out of Russia for analysis in Western labs in February 2024, according to his widow Yulia Navalnaya.

❗Our Jan in Moscow: The secret Russian life of Europe's most notorious fugitive-turned-spy Wirecard’s fugitive ex-COO Jan Marsalek has stepped up his cooperation with the FSB — and found a girlfriend from Putin's favorite security service.

Russian courts leave one-third of political convicts in August unnamed, over half of politically motivated sentences hushed up The courts concealed data on 129 convicts in cases of “justifying terrorism,” “financing extremists,” and “treason.”

Family values: FSB chief’s nephew tied to corrupt businessmen including Putin’s old judo partners A new investigation by @ezhovs.bsky.social digs into the commercial activities of Dmitry Bortnikov, who unsurprisingly enjoys protection in high places.

Caught in the “Spiderweb”: Ukraine’s successful June operation has driven the Russian bomber fleet into the Far East For Moscow, using long-range aircraft to launch missile strikes at Ukraine has become more complex logistically — and far more expensive.

Belarusian opposition figure Mikola Statkevich reportedly returned to the same prison he was released from last week The 69-year-old broke out of a bus carrying other former prisoners into Lithuania on Sept. 11, declaring he wanted to stay in Belarus. 52 people were released in total.

Members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot sentenced in absentia for “war fakes” and urinating on portrait of Vladimir Putin The group was found guilty of spreading "false information" about the Russian army. The terms ranged from eight to 13 years.

Russian drones violate Romanian airspace almost every week, defense minister says On Sept. 13, the Romanian Air Force was close to shooting down a Russian drone before the UAV changed its flight path, heading back toward Ukraine.

Speaking up for the voiceless: Russian activists struggle to defend the rights of migrants amid wartime conditions The state is intensifying its repressions — not only against the migrants themselves, but also against the NGOs helping them.

Starlink outage along front lines disrupts Ukrainian military operations for a second time since July Even though the previous outage forced the AFU to postpone several combat operations, Starlink remains key to Ukraine's war effort.

Russia goes retro: New car sales in the country continue to fall The average age of a car on Russia’s roads has reached 16 years.

The SCO’s coming of age: China stakes claim to a central role in a new global order Twenty years ago, the SCO could have been dismissed as a marginal regional forum. Now, it is a stage to show off Beijing's vision of global governance.

Spies, banquets, and embezzlement: The inner workings of Putin's “cultural ties” directorate Run by former career spies, the unit sought to project Russia's “soft power” across the post-Soviet space, with lavish spending but lackluster results.

Researchers uncover an American botnet supporting the Trump administration outside of the election cycle The botnet has focused on swing states, promoting key points of the 2024 Republican platform, reports the Bot Blocker Project @antibot4navalny.bsky.social.

Russian-backed nuclear energy project in Hungary rejected by EU court The resulting dependency could leave Budapest unable to make policy decisions without taking Russia’s position into account for decades.

Russia adds exiled writer Dmitry Bykov, once targeted in FSB poison attempt, to “terrorists and extremists” list Bykov, who has taught in several U.S. universities since leaving Russia in 2022, was previously declared under arrest in absentia.

Former political prisoner Mikola Statkevich returns to Belarus after spending several hours in “neutral zone” on border with Lithuania The veteran dissident, sentenced to 14 years in 2021, was the only one of the 52 people released that chose to stay in the country that threw him behind bars.

Belarus frees 52 political prisoners after appeal from Trump as U.S. eases some sanctions on Minsk, lifts restrictions on airline Belavia Notably absent from the list were opposition figures Maria Kalesnikava, Viktar Babaryka, and Ales Bialiatski.

Poland closes airspace along eastern border for three months after Russian drone raid Warsaw announced that a no fly zone will be enforced along the country's borders with Belarus and Ukraine. Latvia has imposed similar measures for a shorter time.

Court denies Navalny lawyer permission to attend mother’s funeral In January, Alexei Liptser was sentenced to 5 years on charges of "extremism" relating to "participating in an extremist community.” Namely: Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation.

Moscow in denial as Poland shoots down Russian drones after “unprecedented” breach of airspace overnight in “act of aggression” The strike marked the first time a NATO member downed Russian targets during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russian pro-war blogger accused of laundering funds intended for frontline troops Hidden-camera footage circulating on Telegram shows Roman Alekhin discussing how to pocket 50 million rubles ($600,000) through medical aid intended for Russian soldiers.

“We were ordered to escort migrants straight to the EU fence.” Belarusian border guards detail how Lukashenko turned migration into a weapon with Moscow’s backing. 🎥 Watch the clip ↘️ Full film: youtu.be/DOnFl2nKmTQ?...

Ukrainian media report oil pipeline sabotage in Penza, Russian outlets dismiss explosions as “exercises” At least four blasts occurred, damaging several pipes that supplied Russian military facilities with fuel.

A coalition of the hesitant: The allies’ meeting in Paris offers Ukraine support but no guarantees While some specific promises were made to Ukraine, genuine guarantees still appear to be a long way off, explains political scientist Georgy Chizhov.

Billionaire Roman Abramovich under investigation in Jersey over claims of corruption and money laundering Documents tied to Swiss bank accounts are now available to Jersey investigators looking into the former Chelsea FC owner's Sibneft billions.

Czech, Romanian, and Hungarian special services smash Belarusian espionage network, Moldova’s former counterintelligence chief arrested The Czech MFA is set to expel a Belarusian intelligence officer operating under diplomatic cover. theins.press/en/news/284782

At least 21 killed in Russian strike on the village of Yarova, Donetsk Region Russian forces dropped an aerial bomb on the village of Yarova. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, locals were receiving pensions at the time of the attack. Video: Volodymyr Zelensky’s Telegram channel

“Even if the war in Gaza ends tomorrow, this hatred isn't going anywhere”: Soviet-born émigré Jews speak out on the rise of antisemitism in the U.S.

Exiled opposition politician Ilya Yashin announces his Russian citizenship has been revoked “The new case materials state that I have been assigned the status of a stateless person who is banned from entering Russia,” Ilya Yashin wrote on X.

Latvia to expel 841 Russian nationals before Oct. 13 According to the Latvian Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA), those slated for deportation failed to submit the documents to obtain a residence permit in line with a 2024 policy change.

Russian spy agency disinfo campaign targets German Chancellor Merz, claims Nazi family ties fuel “obsession” to send Ukraine Taurus missiles The Insider unpacks the SVR’s latest attempt to smear a European leader — by tying them to Hitler.

Russia launches over 800 drones at Ukraine in record attack, hits government building in Kyiv for the first time At least 5 people were killed in the Sept. 7 attack, including a mother and her infant son, and 44 were injured, as per the latest data.

A final countdown: At the current rate, the Kremlin will exhaust its financial reserves within a year To continue waging war, Putin may resort to what he has avoided doing throughout his rule: turning on the printing press and building a debt pyramid.

Cartel federation: How Mexico has come under the shadow rule of organized crime Political assassinations remain at record highs. And corruption reaches all the way into the ministerial ranks.

Russia systematically using chemical weapons in Ukraine, Skhemy investigation finds An institute outside Moscow is helping make toxic RG-Vo grenades for the Russian army, using components from unsanctioned firms and red phosphorus from China.

Bulgaria disputes reports of Russian GPS jamming during top EU official’s flight PM Rosen Zhelyazkov reportedly dismissed claims Russia disrupted the GPS on Ursula von der Leyen’s plane, saying the interference did not target her aircraft specifically.

Sweden reports sharp rise in GPS disruptions over the Baltic The Swedish Transport Agency said it now receives reports of interference affecting the navigation of civilian aircraft from the area “almost daily.”

“Сontained” Black Sea oil spill drifting from Russia’s Novorossiysk toward occupied Crimea The volume of oil spilled while it was being loaded onto the Turkish tanker T. Semahat on Aug. 29 could be anywhere from 430 to 43,000 cubic meters.