13+ hour, 49+ min ago   (431+ words) If you like to read with your ears, catch this episode of the Times' Daily podcast, in which the author talks sources and methods. A great listen. Best quote from the author: "Japan has been known for years as a…...

1+ day, 21+ hour ago   (508+ words) Employees of one district in the Irkutsk region have adopted a four-day workweek as a temporary financial fix, not the progressive experiment a shortened week usually signifies. ​For the full the month of August, district administration employees of the Zalari…...

2+ day, 19+ hour ago   (727+ words) The independent outlet Vazhnye Istory reports that more than 4,300 people were admitted to 18 of Russia’s top universities in 2026 under quotas for participants of Russia’s War on Ukraine and their children — nearly 50% more than last year. For the first time, war…...

3+ day, 17+ hour ago   (427+ words) Ukrainian drone attacks on warehouses of Russia's ecommerce giant Wildberries continue: A source familiar with the Russian e-commerce market has concluded that Wildberries order volume has fallen by 40%. But it is worth considering the context of what happened in Ukraine…...

4+ day, 21+ hour ago   (487+ words) On August 6, the Russian media reported that a local head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) Vyborg, or Mormon Church, was detained for "financing terrorism." The cleric had, five years ago, donated to the late Alexey…...

5+ day, 20+ hour ago   (498+ words) A movie retelling of a Russian fairy tale is set to become a flop of legendary proportions. Reportedly, the movie has so far only made R3.6 million (about $44,000) vs. the R250-million ($3 million) it cost to make. The Russian review site Kinoafisha…...

1+ week, 19+ hour ago   (589+ words) Rumors of a new Russian mobilization abound. On July 25, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, citing intelligence reports, wrote that Russia was preparing for a new mobilization. Russian officials immediately responded with a wide range of arguments discrediting his remarks – for example,…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago   (301+ words) Ukrainian Telegram channels revealed that Russian online retailer Wildberries stopped displaying military products for searches such as "everything for the war" and "Special Military Operation" (SVO). Yet the products can still be found on the website under different search prompts....

1+ week, 2+ day ago   (825+ words) The independent outlet Verstka has published an analysis of Russian prosecutions for treason and espionage. It found that hundreds of Russians and Ukrainians have been detained each year since 2022, with many cases allegedly built on provocations by the FSB. Working…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago   (1708+ words) Text by Ivan Kozlov Originally published in Russian by Reporters' Stories Damn, a little boy ran up to me and said, looking at me: '"It's Optimus Prime! Nobody's ever called me that before!:) This tweet landed in my feed one…...