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|April 25, 2022 – One of the most famous anti-war protesters in St. Petersburg is 77-year-old artist Yelena Osipova, who is known by many as “the conscience of the city.” Osipova openly expresses her views even though more than 15,000 people have already been detained in Russia for participating in peaceful protests.
September 8, 2022 – Warning: This film contains graphic images and descriptions of sexual abuse and violence. In 2021, a prisoner was released from Russia’s infamous Saratov Prison Hospital. Hidden on him was a hard drive with bodycam videos that he had secretly copied. These videos showed what appears to be some of the worst torture ever seen in Russian prisons. BBC Eye investigates the story behind this alleged prisoner abuse.
September 14, 2022 – Will Putin pose more of a threat to the West if he wins — or if he loses? Conflict Zone asked Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, who spoke to Tim Sebastian from Moscow. On Kyiv’s military gains, Kolesnikov said it was possible that the Kremlin’s response could be escalation – a “natural answer … given their thinking is very militarized and very aggressive.”
“[But] at the same time, they must find words for different groups of the population, because there are a lot of hopes among people who are supporting Putin, supporting the war. But the total indifference of the population saves right now Putin’s problem,” he went on to say. Conflict Zone is Deutsche Welle’s top political interview. Every week, our hosts Tim Sebastian and Sarah Kelly are face to face with global decision-makers, seeking straight answers to straight questions, putting the spotlight on controversial issues and calling the powerful to account.
00:00 Introduction
02:10 What are the chances of escalation by the Kremlin?
05:49 How serious for Putin are calls for him to resign?
09:23 Is full-scale mobilization coming in Russia?
12:20 Does Kolesnikov feel personally under threat?
13:41 “My country is not equal to Putin’s country”
16:06 “He’s whitewashing the Stalinist time”
20:10 “Russia is split”
22:24 “This nation must recreate itself”
24:49 Will Putin pose more of a threat to the West if he wins or if he loses?
September 21, 2022 – Warning: Distressing themes. On March 6th, huge anti-war demonstrations across Russia saw more than 5,000 protesters arrested. Twenty-nine were taken to Moscow’s Brateyevo Police Station for questioning. There, an unnamed police officer wearing black, subjected at least 11 young women to verbal and physical abuse, often amounting to torture. This included suffocation.
Two of the detainees recorded their ordeals, and on their release leaked the audio to the press. Despite international outrage and multiple calls for an investigation by a Russian politician, the authorities did not open a criminal case. In place of one, the victims set out to find the ‘man in black’ themselves. Using a leaked database from a Russian food delivery company called Yandex, archived social media accounts, and old dating profiles, BBC Eye Investigations tells the story of how these young women came together to expose the identity of their torturer and his commanding officer.
Meet some of the defiant Russians pushing back against President Vladimir Putin’s crackdown on critics of the war in Ukraine.
November 1, 2022 – FRONTLINE PBS tells the inside stories of activists and journalists risking arrest and imprisonment to protest and speak out about the Kremlin’s war effort — from a young woman whose TikToks have gone viral internationally, to an artist facing up to 10 years imprisonment after posting anti-war stickers in a grocery store, to a university professor whose parents live in Ukraine, to independent reporters seeking the truth about the war — including its death toll among the country’s soldiers, information that Russia has deemed a state secret.
As Russia’s war on Ukraine approaches its ninth month and evidence of potential war crimes continues to mount, “Putin’s War at Home” is a powerful look at the Russian leader’s efforts to stifle domestic criticism — and some of the people in his country who are speaking out anyway. “Putin’s Russia is based on fear,” one journalist says in the documentary, adding that, “we decided to continue without censorship, whatever the cost.”
December 5, 2022 – Day 285 of the War – I am a Ukrainian. My country has been invaded by Russia. In this video I will tell you what happened on the two hundred and eighty fifth day of the war. Today there was a series of huge explosions on Russian airfields, one of them very close to Moscow. Some speculate that the Russians suffered double digits’ losses of jets, and later we will see that this estimate is quite reasonable.
What makes the situation for the Russians even worse is that it happened a few hours before they wanted to conduct yet another massive missile strike on Ukrainian infrastructure. Many sources say that judging by the record-high number of jets on the airfields, the Russians were planning to make the biggest missile strike and cause a complete shutdown of the Ukrainian energy system for a week, if not more.
However, it seems like the damage done by the explosions was so substantial that after they still carried out the rest of their plan, it became clear that this was one of the weakest attacks we have seen. Today the Russians fired around 70 cruise missiles. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Ukrainian air defense managed to shoot down more than 60 of those rockets.
The footage of how the Ukrainian Air Force works is already circulating on the internet, showing how the Ukrainians shot down a cruise missile from a German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun Cheetah, better known as Gepard. Most of the rockets were launched from Crimea and the Rostov region.
The latest reports suggest that around 10 rockets were launched from Tu-22m3 long-range bombers from Crimea, around 20 Caliber cruise missiles were launched from the ships of the Black Sea Fleet, and around 40 rockets were launched from eight Tu-95ms strategic aircraft from the Caspian Sea and an airfield in Volgodonsk.
In its neighboring region, Volgograd, the Russians also have an airfield, which the Russians were intensely preparing for this missile strike. The satellite footage shows that prior to the explosions, the Russians gradually collected around 30 aircraft on this base.
The same concerns the second airfield in Dyagilevo. The Press Secretary for Putin told Putin during the call that it looked like it was sabotage. This sent a huge wave of discontent through the media because it suggested that the Ukrainians were operating more than 600 km behind the front line. And not only did they get so deep into the region, but they also managed to get onto the airfields of strategic importance because these airfields are used by the carriers of nuclear weapons.
They are obviously not standing there under the sun with nuclear warheads under their wings, so there was no risk of nuclear explosions, but it just exposes how bad Russian security measures are. But later, it turned out that it was not sabotage. It was something worse.
Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to conduct this attack by only using drones. The drones managed to fly more than 600 km without being detected and target strategic Russian airfields with carriers of nuclear weapons.
The Ukrainians reportedly used the jet drones Tu-143 Strizh and proved that they were able to attack objects in the deep rear, far behind the front line. Some Russian media sources slapped the Defense Ministry by noting that, ideally, Russian forces should be protecting such objects.
Some of them made a reminder that bombers Tu-95MS are not produced in Russia at all and that the construction of just one Tu-160 takes several years. With the loss of such bombers, it will simply not be possible to compensate. So far, there is no information regarding the damage to the bombers, however, depending on how many drones were launched, the losses can be substantial.
Rough estimates indicate that the Russians might have lost around 16 bombers. Overall, Ukrainian Intelligence and Air Force did a phenomenal job today and managed to shut down two strategic Russian airfields only 2 hours before the planned launch of the missile strike. As a result, the Russians used up their rockets, did not manage to overload air defense, and caused mild damage to the Ukrainian infrastructure.
December 5, 2022 – How Was Ukraine Able to strike 400 miles inside of Russia so easily? The answer is not even clear at this moment as several Russian strategic bombers have now been destroyed just outside of Moscow and Ukraine was able to shoot down 60 out of 70 Cruise missiles aimed inside their country according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
December 5, 2022 – Russia unleashed a new barrage of missiles on Ukraine on December 5, forcing people to seek bomb shelters. The Ukrainian Air Force said 60 out of the 70 missiles launched by Russia had been intercepted. Russian-installed officials claim 10 people were killed by HIMARS in the occupied city of Alchevsk in Luhansk.
Meanwhile, a large explosion reportedly occurred at a Russian military air base in the Saratov region, nearly 600 km east of Ukraine. Initial reports claim at least two Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers were damaged in the attack on the Engels-2 airbase. Putin drove a Mercedes across the Crimea Bridge and inspected damage to the structure due to an October 8 explosion.
0:00 – Introduction
0:33 – Putin Unleashes Another Missile Barrage on Ukraine
3:10 – Blasts Rock Two Strategic Bomber Airbases in Russia
4:51 – Uk Claims Russian Sorties Down From 300 to 10 Per Day
6:04 – Scholz Warns Against New Cold War
7:30 – Kremlin Warns Oil Price Cap Will Destabilise Global Markets
December 9, 2022 – One person died Friday in a massive blaze the size of a football pitch which broke out overnight in a sprawling shopping and entertainment center in a northern Moscow suburb.
“In the Moscow region, firefighters are putting out a fire the size of 7,000 square metres (75,300 square feet),” Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said on Telegram. Russian media later reported that one person had been killed in the fire at the Mega Khimki shopping centre, about seven kilometres from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.
December 9, 2022 – According to the reports, Russian firefighters are battling a fire of “7,000 square metres” that broke out overnight in a shopping center in a Moscow suburb.
December 11, 2022 – Author Owen Matthews tells CNN’s Fareed Zakaria what he noticed about the Russian people after a recent trip to the country’s capital.
December 23, 2022 – Dozens of Explosions and Serious Casualties: Russia Caught in the Crossfire! In the tense war between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian army continues to suffer huge losses. But despite these losses, it does not accept its defeat in the war! Russia is manipulating the figures, presenting false data and lying to the public. According to the latest information published, the Ukrainian army detected the losses in the Russian army!
99740 Soldiers
3002 Tank
5979 Armored Vehicle
1972 Artillery System
282 Airplane
267 Helicopter
1688 Drones
16 Vessel
It is clear that the Ukrainian army has gained a great advantage in this war. Russia, which claims to have the largest army in the world, was planning to take over the whole of Ukraine in a few days, relying on its army! Putin’s bold statements before the war started convinced everyone that Russia would be victorious.
The Russian media continued to spread false news, claiming that Ukraine would surrender very easily. According to the Russian military’s plans, the capital Kiev would be captured in just a few days. It was also thought that the President of Ukraine, Zelensky, and some of the state leaders accompanying him would be arrested.
From the moment the Russian army entered Ukraine, the whole world was very worried about this. European states called Zelensky and made some offers. They said that if he wanted to flee, he could be supported for a safe escape.
But instead of fleeing, Ukrainian President Zelensky chose honorable resistance! The attitude of the heads of state paved the way for the Ukrainian people to resist with great hope! By motivating his people and his army, Zelensky started the historic resistance that will soon be on the agenda of the whole world!
Ukraine’s honorable resistance was watched with interest and appreciation by the whole world. Russia suffered an unexpected defeat in a war it thought it would win easily. This defeat damaged Russia’s reputation in world politics and in the eyes of the peoples. This time, Russia tried even harder to win this war to protect its reputation. But again it failed. To hide the failure, the Kremlin decided to cover up their losses!
The Russian media continued to produce fake news at breakneck speed. Every day there was the irony that Russia was so close to victory. This effort only reassured the Russian people and for a long time they kept their hopes alive. In the end, they lost hope too, and the Russian people no longer believe Putin’s lies!
Especially the Russian withdrawal from Kherson was a big disappointment for the Russian people! Russia organizes funerals for hundreds of soldiers every day. However, these ceremonies are never reported in the media because it is forbidden to report on the deaths of soldiers in Russia! Therefore, it is not known how many funerals are held for soldiers in Russia in a day!
The Russian people, who could not stand what was happening, started to report the funerals of soldiers on their social media accounts. As a result, it turned out that hundreds of funerals were held every day. The anger of the Russian people is growing!
January 2, 2023 – When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, anti-Putin Russian partisans began to launch sabotage operations against Kremlin infrastructure inside their country. After almost one year of war, these cells in Russia have grown exponentially.
From Moscow to Vladivostok, there have been more than 80 confirmed anti-government attacks in the past 12 months. To document Russia’s anti-Putin underground firsthand, we met with two members of one of the most well organized Russian partisan groups.
February 5, 2023 – The success of an attack is directly proportional to the value of the targeted area and person. The destruction of military bases, ammunition depots, military convoys, and supply routes, and the killing of senior commanders are very important in this respect. Since the beginning of the war, the Ukrainian army has been targeting senior commanders of the Russian army and important military sites and has carried out many successful attacks against the invaders. The Ukrainian army’s attacks targeting strategic points belonging to the occupying Russian army caused the Russian army to be exhausted.
Recently, there has been a new development that will accelerate the depletion of the Russian army, the perpetrator was of course the Ukrainian army, which is getting stronger day by day! In the first days of February, the Ukrainian army hit the Druzhba oil pipeline, one of the most important sources of income for the Russian invaders! The hitting of this oil pipeline could cause Russia a huge economic problem in the long run! Because this pipeline, which was the target of the missiles, was transporting more than 33 million tons of oil per hour from Europe to many countries. Moreover, the Druzhba oil pipeline was one of the longest oil pipeline systems in the world! The Druzhba oil pipeline, located in the Bryansk region, generated billions of dollars in revenue for Russia.
The Ukrainian army’s targeting of this important source of income represents a major strategic success. At first glance, Ukraine’s attack seemed to harm the European countries, which have always come to the fore with their support and assistance to the Ukrainian army. But there was a much more important development underlying this attack! Since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the European Union has been working to reduce its dependence on Russia for natural gas and oil. Over the course of a year, the EU carried out a series of studies on this issue.
February 10, 2023 – A new exhibition of anti-war posters in St. Petersburg by the veteran Russian artist and activist Yelena Osipova has been closed the day after it opened after police confiscated all the works. Speaking to RFE/RL, she said her protests against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would continue.
February 21, 2023 – Sky News’ Russia Correspondent Diana Magnay speaks to Russians about their country’s war on Ukraine, one year on from the launch of Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation”.
February 23, 2023 – The invasion of Ukraine left Russians with a stark choice: carry on as normal or make a stand against the war. But speaking out in Russia carries huge risks. How is the opposition managing to resist the regime – and at what personal cost?
00:00 – One year on
01:37 – The first wave of protests
05:43 – Crackdown on dissent
10:04 – Individual acts of rebellion
13:51 – Partial mobilisation
16:20 – Russia’s mass exodus
23:06 – The future of Russian rebellion
February 23, 2023 – On the eve of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the propaganda war being waged by President Putin has become more extreme. Russian citizens are being repeatedly told that Ukraine is being run by LGBT Nazis and President Vlodomyr Zelensky is a drug addict and a sexual pervert. Independent Russian journalists forced to flee the country have found sanctuary in neighboring Latvia where they are now broadcasting factual news about the war into their former homeland via YouTube. On Foreign Correspondent, reporter Eric Campbell, also on Russia’s banned list, travels to Latvia to meet the journalists who have taken great risks to fight the propaganda war. In the capital Riga, Eric interviews Latvian President Egils Levits, one of Ukraine’s most ardent supporters. His government is allowing NATO troops to train in his country amidst fears Latvia too could suffer the same fate as Ukraine.
February 24, 2023 – When Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine, it sent shock waves through Europe. The West expected Russia would see mass protests against the war, but these never happened. The authorities have tightened their grip on dissent. Filmmaker Demian von Osten has lived in Russia for almost five years. He’s seen how people throughout the country have become increasingly silent about politics and the war, and how freedoms have been curtailed. Since the start of the war he has been accompanying four Russians, some of whom support Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine, and others who are critical of him. The documentary is a stark illustration of how life has changed for people in Russia and how they feel about the war.
March 8, 2023 – Protesters have taken to the streets of the Georgian capital Tbilisi to voice their anger over a controversial new draft law. The legislation, dubbed the ‘foreign agent’ bill, received initial backing from parliament earlier this week. Opponents say that if passed, the bill would limit free speech and mark a shift toward authoritarianism. On Tuesday, police detained dozens of people protesting against the legislation.
March 9, 2023 – The governing party of the nation of Georgia has decided to withdraw proposed legislation that would have require some organizations and independent media outlets to register as “foreign agents.” Stephen Jones, the director of the program on Georgian Studies at Harvard University, joined CBS News to discuss.
March 11, 2023 – Russia ‘watching with concern’ after Georgia drops ‘foreign agent’ bill.
March 16, 2023 – A Moscow resident wrote a denunciation for an 8-year-old first-grade schoolgirl for a pro-Ukrainian video on the social network. Young (and old) people set fire to military enlistment offices all over the aggressor state. Subsequently, Russia’s repressive law enforcement agencies continue persecuting citizens for their anti-war sentiments.
March 17, 2023 – In this video, we conducted an eye-opening survey of young Russians about poverty in their country. Despite being a global leader in oil and gas production, over 15 million Russians are living below the poverty line. We talked to young people about why this is happening and what can be done to improve the situation. We asked tough questions such as how to bring positive change to the country, and the responses we received were both insightful and inspiring. Join us as we delve into this important issue and uncover the voices of the next generation of Russians who want to see a brighter future for their country.
April 12, 2023 – New legislation in Russia makes it harder to dodge a military call-up and allows draft orders to be delivered by e-mail. As Ukraine is expected to launch a spring counteroffensive, there’s speculation Moscow is planning a second wave of mobilization.
May 6, 2023 – Life in Ukraine is unrecognizable since Russia invaded in February 2022. But how has life in Russia changed since the invasion? The BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg, who lives in Moscow, reports on the shift he has seen in the country from day-to-day life to how Russia portrays its history to its people.
May 9, 2023 – “It looks like an attempt to hide the losses that Russia has suffered with its catastrophic war in Ukraine.” Putin is “desperately” trying to hide that his attack on Ukraine has turned from “special military operation” to a “battle of survival” for Russia, assistant foreign editor for The Times Maxim Tucker tells TimesRadio.
May 9, 2023 – Putin embarrassed himself at the ‘victory parade’ – Russians showed only one tank
May 9, 2023 – Vladmir Putin has said that Russia must defend itself from ‘”international terrorism” as he blamed the West for sparking war in Ukraine in his annual Victory Day speech. The Russian president said a “real war has been unleashed against Russia” adding that the war in Ukraine has placed the global community “at a breaking point”. He said: “We have to defend ourselves against international terrorism. “A real war has been unleashed against Russia.” Watch above for live commentary from Dominic Nicholls, Associate Editor at the Telegraph, and Aliona Hlivco, former MP in Ukraine.
May 10, 2023 – “The question of prestige is no longer that relevant for Putin,” says Nina Khrushcheva. Speaking to DW’s Conflict Zone on the day of Moscow’s “subdued” Victory Day parade, the professor of international affairs – and great-granddaughter of Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev – says Russia’s approach is now matter of fact: “‘Russia is at war. And you take it or leave it,'” she says. But “those who are not agreeing with this kind of approach are going to be eliminated.” What hope does she have that Russia can move beyond Putin and Putinism?
May 11, 2023 – In Russia, it’s been dangerous for ordinary people to speak up against Vladimir Putin’s regime for years, but new censorship laws introduced since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 have made it tougher than ever. Despite huge risks, Russian filmmakers have been filming the impact of the war inside their country. Whilst many thousands have fled, those that stayed are having to choose – to oppose, support or stay silent about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
00:00 Intro
01:06 Russian State TV Channel
03:35 Meet Lyonya, from PSLCh Art Collective
07:44 Meet local councillor Nina
11:05 Meet YouTubers Alla & Misha
13:06 Meet artist Uliana
16:00 Vanya’s story
51:00 Update on the contributors
May 13, 2023 – Historic Uprising: Thousands of Russians are shouting for Putin’s resignation! The end is approaching!
May 15, 2023 – Prigozhin calls Russian people to revolt! | Ukrainians devastate Russian lines | Ukrainian update
May 16, 2023 – Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, has pulled the plug on Putin! Even the Kremlin Can’t Believe It!
May 17, 2023 – It’s been a difficult fortnight for Vladimir Putin. Russia has been losing ground in the key city of Bakhmut, the man in charge of the Wagner Group seems to be publicly criticizing him, and now there are even suggestions of betrayal.
May 23, 2023 – The Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps have crossed the border and launched a coordinated attack on military targets in the Belgorad region. The Freedom of Russia Legion has released videos to let the people of Russia know that they are coming to liberate Russia from the Putin regime. This war in Ukraine can only end once Putin is removed from power.
May 23, 2023 – In just the first two weeks of America’s Patriot Air Defense System being operational in Ukraine, a reported SEVEN Russian Kinzhal missiles were shot down over Kyiv. Now, as Russia rushes to shift the narrative around their supposedly “invincible missile,” a third Russian hypersonic scientist has been charged with treason… and it looks like Russian President Vladimir Putin is looking to pin Kinzhal’s failure on the nation’s leading scientists. Let’s talk about what this means for Kinzhal, and for the future of Russian weapons programs.
May 24, 2023 – What really happened in Belgorod? | Russian response to the Freedom Legion | Ukrainian update.
May 25, 2023 – The incursion into Russia by the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps ended after two days. The Russian rebel groups retreated back into Ukraine and they held a press conference to answer questions about the success of their mission. Meanwhile on Russian State TV they call for a mobilization of another 500,000 men to prevent a civil war and protect their own pre-war territory from future attacks.
May 27, 2023 – On May 22, 2023, the tables turned on Russia, with an invasion group crossing the Ukrainian border and entering Belgorod Oblast. What does this mean for the invasion? Today, we look at the long-term consequences, how Russia will have to adjust its deployments, and the vulnerabilities it will open up for a later Ukrainian counterattack.
May 30, 2023 – Today Ukrainians conducted a massive drone strike on Moscow. The target of the strike became the military base of an engineer battalion that is located in the southwestern suburbs. However, this particular military base was not chosen because it has a significant influence on the course of the war. This base was rather chosen because of its proximity to Moscow. This was a direct response to the recent massive drone strikes on Kyiv. As you remember, over the last several days, Russians were attacking it with dozens of Shahed kamikaze drones. Local residents released dozens of videos, and Russian military analysts quickly created a list of locations where the drones were spotted and reported that Ukrainians attacked Moscow with at least 32 drones, which is approximately the same number as Russians used yesterday.
Local residents also posted the result of air defense work. Some of them received critique, but because the Russian Ministry of Defense placed air defense next to a highway, it was obvious that thousands of cars would film it with their cameras. The Russian Ministry of Defense quickly released a report and claimed that there were only 8 drones and that all of them were destroyed. This statement was not well-received because there were multiple videos showing that plenty of drones reached their destination. The Russian defense minister said that 3 out of 8 drones were shot down with air defense systems, while 5 drones were neutralized by the Electronic Warfare Systems, which basically highjacks the GPS system of the drone and sends the drone in the opposite direction of the target. For this reason, there are multiple videos that show how drones hit the residential areas around the military base.
The President of the Russian Federation made a statement and said that Ukrainians conducted a terrorist attack against civilians as retribution for the successful Russian strike on Kyiv, referring to the results published by the Russian Ministry of Defense. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that yesterday they conducted a successful precision strike and eliminated one more Patriot system, and blew up the main center of Ukrainian Intelligence. The Defense Minister, Shoigu, also claimed that over the last month, they have shot down almost 200 HIMARS rockets and 30 Storm Shadow missiles. However, it turned out that the Russian public did not care about the strike too much anyways. Many of the civilians even cheered it. The reason why they had such a contradictory reaction is that the military site that Ukrainians targeted was located around 1 km away from Rublyovka.
Rublyovka is the most prestigious area in entire Russia, where all the wealthiest people – the so-called Russian elite – live. So, most of the houses that were damaged by the drones that the Russian Electronic Warfare Systems directed away from the base belong to the Russian elite. A famous Russian dancer made a video complaining about the explosions in her region, which sparked this wave of positive reactions. The positive reaction to the so-called bombing of Rubliovka became a serious issue that was even raised by the state media. One of the most prominent Russian news hosts said that this reaction is unacceptable because people who live in Rublyovka are also Russians, and laughing at it should be considered treason.
When it comes to the results of the strike, so far, the explosions on the military base were recorded and reported only by the local residents, and there is no information on whether any objects on the base were damaged or destroyed. From confirmed information, there was an explosion in an alcohol factory somewhere near the military base, which was highly likely caused by a drone strike. Apart from military objectives, the strike also demonstrated that the general population does not associate itself with the elite that rules the country. This also explains why Russia is struggling to implement drastic measures to ramp up its offensive effort – the social discontent is extremely high, and compelling the population to radically change their lives through general mobilization or wide industrial mobilization threatens the stability of the regime that the population barely tolerates.
May 31, 2023 – Explosions deep inside Russian rear | huge Russian casualties | Ukraine update.
May 31, 2023 – When asked by CNN about holding a press conference in Russia, Yevgeny Prigozhin, chief of Russia’s mercenary group Wagner, called for respect. CNN’s Erin Burnett has the details.
June 1, 2023 – The drone swarm that took place over Moscow two days ago does appear to have been conducted by Ukraine. No Russian civilians were injured and none of the drones appeared to be armed. The drone swarm was a message being sent to Russia’s elite. The Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion have once again pushed in to the Belgorod region of Russia and Russia proves yet again it cannot protect its own borders.
June 2, 2023 – CNN’s Sam Kiley reports from eastern Ukraine, where Russians are encountering attacks in territory held by them. CNN’s Alex Marquardt discusses with CNN contributor Jill Dougherty and CNN military analyst Ret. Gen. Cedric Leighton.
June 2, 2023 – The rise of the Belgorod People’s Republic! | Ukraine counter-attacked near Vuhledar.
June 4, 2023 – The Russian Volunteer Corps and Freedom of Russia Legion crossed into the Belgorod region again and are still there after four days. They have been making progress towards the city of Shebekino as the regular Russian military fires on their own city and civilians to try and eliminate the partisan forces. The Wagner Group has claimed they are going to Belgorod as they look for an excuse to leave Ukraine in advance of Ukraine’s upcoming counteroffensive.
June 6, 2023 – Large Russian conscript units dispatched to the border of Belgorod have been wiped out.
June 10, 2023 – Reports from within Russian society have become a rare thing lately. This documentary provides profound insights into the private lives of families whose menfolk are fighting in a war that can’t be described as such. It’s a conflict that’s driven by propaganda. “Pro-War / Anti-War – Voices Inside Russia” shows unpublished footage from a nation that’s become far less accessible to foreign media since Russian troops invaded Ukraine. The families interviewed in the documentary live in the regions of Tver and Pskov in northwestern Russia. They have been dragged into a war that — according to Russian state propaganda — cannot be described as such.
These families have sent their sons, brothers and husbands to fight in what is being officially described as a “fratricidal struggle with another Slavic people”. Their motivations vary: in some cases, they are financial and in others, ideological. Upon returning from the front, or between deployments, the soldiers relate their terrible experiences as part of the “military special operations.” Their mission, as presented to them by Putin, was the liberation of a populace supposedly repressed by the fascist regime of Ukraine. But on the ground, it quickly became apparent that the ‘mission’ was propaganda, and a lie. In addition, the army’s inadequate preparation soon became clear to the Russian soldiers.
They also witnessed war crimes committed against Ukrainian civilians, carried out on the orders of their superiors. The soldiers return from the frontline shocked and plagued with doubts over the legitimacy of Russia’s presence in Ukraine and how the war will end. “Frankly, I think we’re losing,” is the disillusioned view of a young soldier returning home to the garrison town of Pskov. While some admit to the failures of the Putin regime, others find justifications for this entrenched conflict and remain under the influence of the official propaganda machine. The documentary reveals a Russian society gripped by an identity crisis. The filmmaker has been following the fortunes of the families since 24 February, the start of the Russian invasion.
June 11, 2023 – Fires are increasing in Russia during the Ukrainian counter-offensive, fires are now in Moscow!
June 12, 2023 – Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has said his soldiers will not sign any contracts with Russia’s defense ministry. Prigozhin said the ministry might use the failure to comply with the order as a reason to deprive Wagner of supplies. His blunt refusal is a response to an announcement made by the Russian Ministry of Defense on June 10 that directed “volunteer formations” will be asked to sign contracts directly with the Ministry of Defense. Meanwhile, The Akhmat paramilitary group, considered to be a private army of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, has signed the contract.
00:00 – INTRODUCTION
01:52 – WHAT WAS THE RUSSIAN MINISTRY’S DIRECTIVE?
03:23 – CHECHEN GROUP SIGNS CONTRACT AMID TENSIONS WITH WAGNER
04:52 – WAGNER VS SHOIGU
05:50 – RECENT WAGNER-KREMLIN FLASHPOINTS
June 14, 2023 – Putin’s war in Ukraine is a massive failure. And while there are numerous military mistakes that Russia’s generals and armies have made, the mistakes begin at the top, with Putin himself. No surprise there. But you may be surprised at just how vast and crazy this sea of mistakes, dirty little secrets and even just basic stupidity really is. From sending soldiers to war without proper planning, hamstrung by poor logistics, and saddled with rampant thievery, to commanding an army from within an intelligence vacuum and relying on sycophants and toadies rather than on experts and veterans – our military experts are here to talk about these and all the other ways Putin has been embarrassing himself in the Ukraine war.
June 14, 2023 – Vladimir Putin has dismissed Ukraine’s counter-offensive, saying his forces are inflicting catastrophic losses on Ukrainian troops. The Russian president also claimed Ukraine would soon run out of weapons. But a prominent presenter on Russian state television has said Ukraine has achieved some successes – and warned of tough battles ahead. Vladimir Putin is downplaying what’s happening on the ground. Is he lying deliberately, is he not getting the full picture, or does he have more information about what’s going on?
June 27, 2023 – Saturday’s alleged coup attempt by Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner Group has been marked by uncertainty and a great amount of speculation. For Russian news outlets – used to sticking to the Kremlin’s script – interpreting the developing news posed a real challenge.
June 30, 2023 – New rebellion is starting in Russia! | Putin purges top generals.
July 10, 2023 – President Vladimir Putin met Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin in Moscow, five days after the mercenary chief led an armed rebellion in Russia, the Kremlin confirms. Moscow says it foiled Ukrainian attacks on Rostov and Kaluga, which are part of Russia, and on Russia-occupied Crimea. Kyiv says Ukrainian troops have made a ‘definitive advance’ on the southern flank of Bakhmut as part of the country’s counteroffensive. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he will discuss extending the grain deal set to expire next week, with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
July 11, 2023 – A mutiny in Russia by Wagner mercenaries exposed cracks in Vladimir Putin’s authority. The man behind the uprising, Yevgeny Prigozhin, used to be a trusted fixer in Putin’s inner circle, before defying the president. Richard Engel has been tracking Prigozhin for years and tells the story of his rise from his early days as a petty criminal in St. Petersburg, to becoming the head of a global private military company active in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa and even meddling in U.S. elections.
July 14, 2023 – Massive missile strike in Kursk! Ukrainian special forces in action.
July 18, 2023 – This video talks about: This video talks about how many Russian commanders have been moved off the battlefield since the counter-offensive began. It exposes the dysfunction within the Russian Ministry of Defense. Those at the top are incompetent or corrupt. We tend to think of the counter-offensive in terms of casualties and kilometers of territory gained, tanks destroyed, etc. But what if we used a different metric? This is what I do in this video. Russia is weaker than you think.
July 19, 2023 – In this video, Ben Hodges discusses the Ukraine crisis and how it is threatening the future of Russia. Ukraine is on the brink of an epic disaster, and Russia is largely to blame. Ben Hodges discusses the Ukraine crisis and how it is threatening the future of Russia, and provides an overview of the history of the Ukraine conflict.
July 22, 2023 – Igor Girkin arrested in Moscow! | Russian forces occupied new territory!
July 23, 2023 – Igor Girkin has finally been arrested and charged with extremism after being openly critical on Telegram and his webcasts of Putin and Russia’s failing war effort for almost the last year. First confirmed videos of cluster munitions donated from the United States are now being seen on the battlefield. The United States is stating they want to accelerate the training and delivery of F-16s to Ukraine and have them there by December.
July 31, 2023 – Fired, interrogated, killed. Where are Putin’s generals? Following the Wagner mutiny, it’s been a difficult few weeks for Vladimir Putin. He’s detained, interrogated or fired a number of his top soldiers – including generals – as infighting and discontent weakens Russia’s military. So who’s in, who’s out, and how serious is this for Russia’s President, and what does it mean for the war in Ukraine?
August 1, 2023 – “Putin thought it would be a three day war where he could shore up his popularity. I think this is the war that will end his power.” Putin is ‘scrambling to turn around’ Russia’s ‘hollowed out military’ as drone strikes on Moscow continue, says financier and campaigner Bill Browder.
August 1, 2023 – Civilian ships from Israel, Greece, and Turkey are defying Russia’s naval blockade threat and are choosing to sail up the Danube River to load Ukrainian grain from their smaller ports on the Romanian border. President Zelensky has made it clear that Ukraine’s only option is “victory or death” as there is no cease-fire or peace agreement that the Russians would ever honor. Russia is publicly bragging that they have illegally deported 700,000 Ukrainian children to Russia to eradicate their Ukrainian identity.
August 8, 2023 – By Ukraine’s estimates, over 250,000 soldiers fighting for Russia have so far been eliminated since Russia launched their full scale invasion of Ukraine last year. Ukraine over the weekend continued to strike and take out critical bridges that Russia uses to re-supply their front. Russia for the first time has suggested they might cancel their presidential election next year and allow Putin to remain President indefinitely.
August 9, 2023 – Russian security forces are among the clients of a factory rocked by an explosion near Moscow – Sky’s Defense and Security Analyst Michael Clarke assesses what could have caused the blast. At least 19 people were taken to hospital, and three were moved to intensive care units with serious injuries.
August 9, 2023 – Ukraine’s special forces are taking out Putin’s commanders inside Russian territory. The elite ‘Shaman’ forces have grown to the size of a battalion in the year since Maxim Tucker first revealed their existence.
August 9, 2023 – Dozens of people were injured in an explosion at an industrial plant northeast of Moscow, officials said. The blast took place at Zagorsk Optical and Mechanical Plant, in the town of Sergiev Posad, state news agency TASS reported. CNN’s Nic Robertson reports.
August 10, 2023 – A huge explosion occurred just outside of Moscow at the Zagorsk Optical-Mechanical Plant, possibly as a result of careless work while producing artillery shells. Ukraine has established another landing point across the Dnipro River to strike against Russian supply lines. The Kremlin is increasing cracking down on Russian military bloggers to prevent them from talking about Russia’s continuous failures on the battlefield.
August 13, 2023 – Another attempted strike on the Crimean Bridge occurred yesterday, with Ukraine choosing to test Russia’s air defense systems with their low value S-200 missiles rather than their more capable long range Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles. Russian soldiers are starting to hear from their leadership that the Kremlin is planning for three more years or war before Russia thinks they can win. Author John Sweeney has an alarming message based on what he is hearing in Kyiv from friends.
August 13, 2023 – Kerch Bridge was attacked, but perhaps not hit. Why would Ukraine waste resources? It wasn’t a waste. By firing missiles at the Kerch bridge, Ukraine gained at least three things. Hitting the Kerch bridge in Crimea would only have been icing on the cake.
August 15, 2023 – Russia continues their attacks on civilian targets in Odesa, this time destroying a local supermarket. Russia’s central bank has raised their interest rates to help prop up their failing currency, while all reports coming out of Russia show catastrophic failures of basic services for their people. A Russian warship also boarded a civilian ship in the Black Sea to film a video to hopefully scare away other merchant ships from sailing to Ukrainian ports to pick up agricultural exports.
August 15, 2023 – If Russia loses the war, is Putin done for? We have explored how that possibility affects the ongoing war, and many analysts suggest that such an outcome is obvious. But what are Putin’s weaknesses at home? And can he still politically survive a lost war? Also: a brief update on new polling regarding American support for the war.
00:00 War and Political Survival
01:32 Is Putin Doomed?
04:57 Popular Uprisings in Russia
09:55 Putin’s Coup Risks
12:15 Western Support for Ukraine
14:20 Putin: The Great Demographic Unifier
August 18, 2023 – We cannot ignore Kupyansk offensive anymore | Russian forces are on the offense.
September 3, 2023 – While the Ukrainian army has demonstrated that it’s capable of fighting Russian forces on the ground, the air-war in Ukraine has always been far more asymmetric. In this episode we look at the changing nature of that war, including the emergence of behind-the-lines strikes, and the upcoming arrival of the much awaited F-16s for Ukraine’s air force.