Censorship of local Russian media, combined with diminished access for foreign reporters, has narrowed our understanding of the war in Ukraine’s impact on Russian communities outside big cities. Yet even with these limits, there are significant signals that undermine the image of invincibility the Putin regime works so hard to project.
Alexei Navalny’s death last week fueled despair among dissidents and emigres struggling to break President Vladimir Putin’s grip on Russia. Now, unless other leading activists can move quickly to revive the remnants of Russia’s democratic opposition, their influence is likely to fade away for the foreseeable future.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the defining symbol for the country’s pro-democracy movement over the past decade, died in jail, according to Russia’s prison service.
Nearly two years into Ukraine’s war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a major change last week, replacing the commander of the Ukrainian military. While we do not know the exact reason for the change, it is also unsurprising—without a clear path to military victory, a rethink of Ukraine’s strategy is necessary.
Russia is developing a space-based nuclear capability designed to target the United States’ extensive satellite network. The threat isn’t urgent, but it is the latest example of Moscow’s efforts to develop, expand and brandish its nuclear arsenal.