Shoigu is ready to suffer, tourists are running from Crimea, 'I killed'
Horrible News with Kirill Martynov
A Russian soldier confessed to murder and looting while stationed near Kyiv in a conversation with IStories*. Another row of explosions hit Crimea where the air defence system had to be activated several times, however, the authorities are claiming the events to be accidents and diversions. Two people were murdered over arguments about war in the Rostov region; Russian regional journalists’ places are being searched by the police.
The UK's Defence Minister came to Moscow in February to try to convince the Russian government not to start the war in Ukraine. Russia’s Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu replied: “We can withstand suffering like no others”.
The Russian propaganda proposes Russia invade the Baltic countries and organises formulaic events.
Every Saturday, Kirill Martynov, editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta. Europe, comments on last week’s news from Russia and the world.
Russia’s drone pipeline
How Iran helps Moscow produce an ever-evolving unmanned fleet for use against Ukrainian civilians
Alone, together
While Volodymyr Zelensky appears upbeat about US security guarantees, Davos only demonstrated Trump’s unreliability
Neighbourhood watch
With NATO and the EU unsuited to meet Europe’s evolving security needs, it’s time to formalise the coalition of the willing
Going to cede
Restitution of lost territory can take decades and is only realistic in certain geopolitical circumstances
The race for the Arctic
Trump’s outlandish threats to seize Greenland risk ushering in a new world order based on spheres of domination
A grave miscalculation
Putin’s attempt to re-enact World War II in Ukraine has gone horribly wrong
A frozen war is not peace
Why a premature peace deal in Ukraine could just be kicking the can of Russian revanchism down the road
Just 10% from peace
Novaya Gazeta Europe’s Kyiv correspondent reflects on another year of war and muses on what 2026 may bring
The year that could be
Even without cause for optimism about the state of the world, we mustn’t allow hope to die