News
- US House to vote on 500% tariff bill targeting Russian exportsThe US House of Representatives plans to vote next week on a Russia sanctions bill the Senate approved in July, according to a source familiar with the plans cited by Bloomberg.
- Russia's Interior Ministry Puts Ex-Communications Minister Nikolai Nikiforov on Wanted List in Finiko Pyramid CaseRussia's Interior Ministry has placed former communications minister Nikolai Nikiforov on its wanted list in connection with the Finiko financial pyramid case, according to the ministry's database.
- 12 Killed as Timber Truck and Minibus Collide on M-8 Highway in Arkhangelsk RegionTwelve people died when a timber truck, a minibus and a passenger car collided on the M-8 highway in the Kholmogorsky district of the Arkhangelsk region, with about 20 others injured.
Persecution
- Pavel Syutkin: Six Years in Prison Over a Post About Bucha
A Moscow court sentenced culinary historian Pavel Syutkin to six years in a penal colony over posts about Bucha. The case involved raids, a closed trial and a disputed expert report. His defense has appealed.
- Alexander Skobov: From Soviet Psychiatric Hospitals to a 16-Year Prison Sentence
A Soviet-era dissident twice subjected to compulsory psychiatric treatment, Alexander Skobov is now serving a 16-year sentence in Russia. His case spans decades of opposition activism, terrorism-related charges and renewed punishment behind bars.
- Pavel Syutkin: Six Years in Prison Over a Post About Bucha
- EU Commission Clears Ukraine to Buy PAC-3 Missiles for Patriot Systems With EU LoanThe European Commission has given final approval for Ukraine to use a 6.1 billion euro EU loan to buy PAC-3 missiles for Patriot air defense systems, EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said.
- Yekaterinburg Court Jails Yabloko Candidate for 12 Days Over Memorial SymbolA Yekaterinburg district court sentenced Yabloko candidate Vladimir Sobyainin to 12 days in jail for displaying what it called extremist symbols, a term that will keep him behind bars through the end of the election.
- Russian Police Detain Bloggers Over Workout Video Near WWII MemorialSecurity officers from four agencies raided a couple's home near Volgograd and opened a criminal case accusing them of desecrating a symbol of Russian military glory over a fitness video filmed at a World War II memorial.
- St. Petersburg Court Rejects Prosecutor General's Bid to Seize 45% of Petersburg Oil TerminalA St. Petersburg court has refused a request by the Prosecutor General's Office to invalidate 2022 transactions and seize a 45% stake in Petersburg Oil Terminal, a ruling that came as a surprise even to the defense.
- Russia's Justice Ministry Removes Historian Yevgeny Ponasenkov From 'Foreign Agent' Registry, Adds Five New EntriesRussia's Justice Ministry has removed historian and blogger Yevgeny Ponasenkov from its 'foreign agent' registry, citing the 'loss of the characteristics of a foreign agent,' while adding five new entries to the list.
Editor's Column
- When an Outage in Russia Disrupts Taxi Service in Kazakhstan
Drone strikes damaged three Yandex data centers in four days. The disruption reached Kazakhstan, where users' personal data is stored locally, according to officials. The episode exposed the difference between keeping data inside national borders and keeping a digital service running independently.
- Peskov Says Russia Has No Political Prisoners. What the Cases and Numbers Show
On September 30, Dmitry Peskov said Russia “categorically denies” that it holds political prisoners. FACTUM’s political persecution database listed 6,794 people at the latest count; 2,163 were imprisoned, while 1,404 had been recognized as political prisoners by human rights organizations. This column looks at what those figures mean and at several criminal cases behind them.
- When an Outage in Russia Disrupts Taxi Service in Kazakhstan
- At Least 80 Russians Punished for Posting About Drone Strike AftermathAt least 80 people across 14 Russian regions and annexed Crimea have been fined or penalized for publishing or forwarding material about the aftermath of drone attacks, according to a tally by Verstka based on court databases.
- Russia Labels 'Perm-36' Museum Support Group and Journalist Yekaterina Mereminskaya 'Foreign Agents'Russia's Justice Ministry added the support group for the Perm-36 museum of political repression history and The Insider economics editor Yekaterina Mereminskaya to its 'foreign agents' registry.
- Anthropic: Russian-Linked Hackers Used Claude to Target Ukraine's Drone Industry and European AgenciesHackers linked to Russia's foreign intelligence service used Anthropic's Claude AI to run a spy campaign against more than 20 organizations, most of them in Ukraine and Europe, the company said in a report.
- Daughter of Woman Jailed for Treason Dies in Crimea After Court Denied Sentence DeferralLera, the infant daughter of Alexandra Strilets, sentenced to 12 years for treason, died in Crimea after a court refused to defer her mother's prison term.
- European Commission revives plan to move €200bn in Russian assets out of Belgium's jurisdictionThe European Commission has resumed work on a plan to seize Russian central bank assets, with roughly €200 billion to be moved out of Belgium's jurisdiction, after four EU states urged Brussels to return to the issue.
- Officials and State Employees Now Make Up 59% of Russia's Regional Election CommissionsThe share of officials and state-funded employees on Russia's regional election commissions has risen from 50% to 59%, according to research by the independent election monitoring project Atlas of Elections.
Analytics
- Yandex After the Drone Strikes: What Is Back Online, What Was Damaged and How Long Recovery Could Take
By October 16, Yandex had brought most everyday services back online, but cloud operations and advertising tools remained restricted. What is known about the three damaged data centers, the fate of its supercomputers and the competing timelines for a full recovery?
- Vladislav Surkov: From Managed Politics to the Kremlin's Donbas Liaison
Vladislav Surkov began his career in advertising and some of Russia's largest businesses before spending almost two decades helping shape the Kremlin's domestic political system. His name is associated with the emergence of the ruling party, pro-Kremlin youth movements and the doctrine of “sovereign democracy.” From 2013 onward, he became an important intermediary in Moscow's dealings with the conflict in Ukraine. FACTUM.press examined his career, political decisions, leaked office correspondence and intercepted conversations presented in the MH17 investigation, asking what these records establish—and what they do not—about his personal responsibility.
- Yandex After the Drone Strikes: What Is Back Online, What Was Damaged and How Long Recovery Could Take
- Lukashenko Orders Army Shake-Up 'Up to Mobilization' at Brest Training GroundBelarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said he has ordered the army to be shaken up 'up to mobilization,' speaking at a combined-arms training ground in the Brest region.
- Canada and Ukraine sign century-long partnership declaration, pledging drone production and air defense fundsCanada and Ukraine signed a declaration on a century-long partnership in Calgary, with Ottawa committing to meet Ukraine's "urgent military needs" and to co-produce drones and munitions.
- Courts Remove Four of Five Yabloko Candidates in Chelyabinsk Region, Party List in TomskThe Chelyabinsk Regional Court removed Yabloko's Oksana Boyarskaya from the State Duma race, the fourth of the party's five single-mandate candidates barred in the region, while the Tomsk Regional Court struck down the party's list for the regional legislature the same day.
- Russia's Central Bank Halts Rate Cuts, Holds Key Rate at 14%The Bank of Russia kept its key rate at 14% on Friday, ending a run of ten consecutive cuts as inflation pressures intensified.
- Russia launches 5G in 16 cities using frequencies left over from militaryCommercial fifth-generation networks have gone live in Russia for the first time, with MTS, Beeline, MegaFon and T2 offering service to about 10 million people, the Digital Development Ministry said.
- Drones Hit Uralkali's Azot Plant in Berezniki, Halting ProductionDrones attacked the Azot chemical plant in Berezniki, halting its technological cycle, according to monitoring channels and Astra, with no official confirmation of the damage.
- Ukrainian Drones Hit Saratov Oil Refinery and Ozon WarehouseUkrainian drones struck the Saratov oil refinery owned by Rosneft and a logistics center operated by the marketplace Ozon, triggering fires at both sites, according to the regional governor and analyses of local footage.
- Russia Labels 15 Groups Backing Ukraine and Journalists 'Undesirable'Russia's Prosecutor General's Office added 15 organizations that support Ukraine and journalists to its 'undesirable' register, including the Institute for War & Peace Reporting and three of its branches.
- Russian Courts Remove 16 Yabloko Candidates in a Month as Party's Ballot Slate ShrinksCourts have stripped Yabloko of 16 previously registered single-mandate candidates in a month, leaving 119 of the 135 it nominated, after the Supreme Court removed the party's federal list from the State Duma elections on August 10.
- St. Petersburg Metro Seeks Contractor to Convert Nine Stations Into Bomb SheltersSt. Petersburg's metro has issued a tender for a contractor to assess converting nine stations and other infrastructure into civil defense shelters.
- Russian strike on Pavlohrad kills four, injures more than 60A Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad killed four people and injured 62, including three teenagers, according to Ukrainian officials.
- Moscow Court Orders In-Absentia Arrest of Leonid Gozman's WifeA Moscow court has ordered the in-absentia arrest of Marina Yegorova, the wife of exiled Russian politician Leonid Gozman, on a charge of interfering in the work of investigators.
- Ex-Rosnano executive Kushnarev sentenced to 9 years for embezzling 7.5 billion rublesA former top manager of the state nanotechnology corporation Rosnano has been sentenced to nine years in prison for embezzling 7.5 billion rubles earmarked for a memory-chip project that never went into production.
- Ukraine's General Staff says three Russian Black Sea Fleet ships hit in NovorossiyskUkraine's General Staff said it has confirmed damage to at least three Russian Black Sea Fleet vessels in Novorossiysk and a strike on the Caspian port of Makhachkala, while Russia has not commented on the losses.
- United Russia deputy fined 5,000 rubles for assaulting journalist in IvanovoA magistrate in Ivanovo fined United Russia deputy Artyom Potapenko 5,000 rubles for insulting a journalist during a July assault, according to the editor who filed the complaint.
- Houthis Seize Mocha, Advance Toward Bab el-Mandeb StraitHouthi forces have captured the western Yemeni city of Mocha, less than 80 kilometers from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, after a week of fighting that has killed more than 500 people and displaced 18,500, according to Yemeni authorities and AFP.
- Azerbaijani sailors killed as Russian drones strike tug TEDY near OdesaTwo Azerbaijani citizens died when drones struck the tug TEDY in the Black Sea near Odesa, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said, with two more Azerbaijani crew members hospitalized with burns.
- NATO Blocked Russian Test of Technology to Sever Undersea Cables Near SvalbardRussian military vessels attempted in April to test a new technology for disabling undersea communications cables in the North Atlantic, and NATO forces moved to disrupt the operation, two Western officials told Reuters.
- Drones Strike Makhachkala and Sochi: Port, Theater and Seafront Ablaze, 28 InjuredDrone attacks hit Makhachkala and Sochi overnight, setting the Caspian port and a seafront ablaze and injuring 28 people, including two children.
- Russia restricts aircraft refueling at least 26 airportsRestrictions on aircraft refueling have been introduced at a minimum of 26 major Russian airports, with durations ranging from one to seven months, according to notices in the aeronautical information system.
- Russian film set designer arrested for treason over online postsAlexander Kondratov, a 52-year-old production designer who won a Golden Eagle and a TEFI for the 2007 detective series "Liquidation," has been accused of state treason over "at least six" online publications.
- Wildberries sellers shift to own warehouses after drone strikes on logistics hubsThe share of Wildberries sellers using their own warehouses for storage and shipping rose to 97.4% by late August from 55.1% two months earlier, according to calculations by Tochka bank and data from the analytics service Mpstats.
- FSB Detains British Embassy Guard on Treason ChargesRussia's Federal Security Service says it has detained a guard at the British Embassy in Moscow on state treason charges, accusing him of gathering information on diplomats for Ukraine.
- Drone attack on Sochi sets embankment ablaze, one person injuredUnmanned boats attacked Sochi, sparking a fire on the city's embankment and injuring one person, according to the Krasnodar region operational headquarters.
- Russian Draft Offices Block Passports for Conscripts, Citing Exit BansA 25-year-old Russian man registered in Yakutia but living in another region was refused a foreign passport after the military commissariat imposed a temporary travel ban, according to the School of a Conscript.
- Russian Drone Hits Shopping Center in Sumy, Killing TwoA Russian drone struck a shopping center in Sumy, killing two people and injuring 20, according to Ukrainian officials.
- Norwegian PM says Zelensky's plane nearly collided with a drone leaving MoldovaNorwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Volodymyr Zelensky's aircraft nearly collided with a drone as it was due to take off from Moldova, according to the Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
- Moscow Court Orders In-Absentia Arrest of TV Rain Founder Sindeyeva and CEO TenA Moscow court has ordered the in-absentia arrest of TV Rain founder Natalya Sindeyeva and CEO Mark Ten, the press service of the capital's courts said.
- CIA Director Ratcliffe Poised to Take Over US-Russia Talks as White House Weighs Sidelining Witkoff and KushnerThe White House is considering scaling back the roles of special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in US talks with Russia and Ukraine, with CIA Director John Ratcliffe preparing to take a more active part, according to the Financial Times.
- Russia Charges Anarchist Sidiki, Already Serving 29 Years, With TreasonRussian investigators have opened a treason case against anarchist Kirill Sidiki, who is already serving a 29-year sentence for sabotage attacks, according to the prisoner support group Freedom Lights.
- Ukrainian Drones Hit Gas Plants in Yamal, 2,800 km From BorderUkrainian drones struck industrial sites in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the first known attack on the region some 2,800 km from the Russian-Ukrainian border, with Kyiv claiming two gas condensate plants were hit.
- Drone attack alert declared in Khanty-Mansiysk region, 2,500 km from Ukraine borderAuthorities in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug declared a "drone attack threat" regime for the first time, suspending operations at six airports and telling residents to stay indoors.
- Yabloko Candidate Kudelkin Jailed for 10 Days Over Facebook PostsA court in Yekaterinburg has jailed Yabloko candidate Dmitry Kudelkin for 10 days over three Facebook posts, a ruling that bars him from contesting the upcoming regional election.
- EU court rejects Abramovich sanctions appeal for third timeThe EU General Court dismissed Roman Abramovich's challenge to his sanctions listing and his claim for damages, upholding the asset freeze and travel ban extended to March 2026.
- Russian General Kuznetsov Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison over 80 Million Ruble BribeThe 235th Garrison Military Court sentenced former Defense Ministry personnel chief Yuri Kuznetsov to 12 years in a strict-regime colony on bribery charges, in a closed hearing.
- Russia’s Exit Ban Has Reached the Passport OfficeSince 2023 a travel ban can take effect without a court and before any draft board has ruled — generated automatically in a database the day a summons is issued. In September 2026 the mechanism reached the documents themselves: men on the military register began being refused foreign-travel passports.
- Yabloko candidates in Kaliningrad threatened over election runUnknown individuals threatened Yabloko candidates Roman Morozov and Dmitry Mamaev in Kaliningrad, demanding they withdraw from regional elections.
- Russia's tax service to get IP, MAC addresses for digital ruble transfersRussia's Federal Tax Service will be able to obtain IP and MAC addresses of devices used for digital ruble transactions starting July 1, 2027.
- FSB arrests three in Crimea over dating-site chats with alleged Ukrainian spyRussia's Federal Security Service has detained three men in annexed Crimea on treason charges over messages exchanged with a woman it says worked for Ukrainian military intelligence on a dating website.
- Brent tops $100 a barrel for first time since July after US and Iranian strikes on tankersBrent crude futures exceeded $100 per barrel on September 9, the first time since July 24, after US and Iranian strikes on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Russian Orthodox Church sends Dmitry Donskoy's relics to front lines to 'strengthen warriors' spirits'The Russian Orthodox Church is sending a reliquary with a fragment of Prince Dmitry Donskoy's right hand to the front line in Donbas, saying the saint will 'invisibly stand in battle formation with our defenders.'
- In Yakutsk, monument to soldiers replaces memorial to exiled PolesA monument to two Russian soldiers who died in Ukraine has been erected in Yakutsk on the site of a demolished memorial to Poles and Lithuanians exiled to Siberia in the 19th century.
- US expects Ukraine peace plan within weeksUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a plan to resume Russia-Ukraine talks could be ready within weeks after weekend visits by US envoys to Moscow and Kyiv yielded 'new ideas'.
- Russia systematically destroys Ukraine's food warehouses, Kyiv faces shortagesKyiv is experiencing shortages of some products after a series of Russian strikes on food warehouses and logistics centers, with the agriculture minister saying the current wave is the largest since the full-scale invasion began.