News
- Libertarian Party of Russia suspends operations after being labeled 'foreign agent'The Libertarian Party of Russia (LPR) has suspended all political and educational activities after the Justice Ministry added it to the register of 'foreign agents,' citing the spread of 'fakes' about Russian authorities and opposition to the invasion of Ukraine.
- Yandex Market joins Wildberries and Ozon in disclaiming liability for drone strikesYandex Market updated its seller agreement on July 20 to exempt itself from liability for failing to fulfill obligations in the event of drone attacks and missile strikes, following similar moves by Wildberries and Ozon.
- Russia expands army recruitment to convicts of banditry and drug smugglingRussia's State Duma has approved a law allowing people convicted of banditry, drug smuggling, and organizing illegal migration to sign military contracts during mobilization and wartime.
- Prosecutors seek 14-15 years for 10 defendants in Baymak protest caseRussian prosecutors have requested prison terms of 14 to 15 years for ten defendants in the so-called 'Baymak case' over mass unrest following the conviction of an environmental activist.
- Russia passes law to freeze assets, block bank accounts of emigrants with political convictionsRussia's State Duma unanimously approved a law imposing sweeping restrictions on Russians living abroad who have outstanding political fines or convictions, including freezing bank accounts and blocking access to online banking.
- Kremlin hardens territorial demands, rules out talks until Donetsk region seizedRussia is no longer willing to return any occupied Ukrainian territory under a potential ceasefire deal and plans to keep captured areas as 'buffer zones,' Bloomberg reported, citing three sources close to the Kremlin.
- Russia slashes Moscow airport flight altitude by nearly half after drone attacksRussia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) has reduced the maximum flight altitude over Moscow's Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports from 8,250–8,550 meters to 4,900 meters — nearly halving it — and banned transit flights through the Moscow air hub, citing security concerns after a surge in Ukrainian drone attacks since spring 2026.
- Drone attack on Russian oil depot kills one, injures 10A massive drone attack on Russia's Krasnodar Krai and Stavropol Krai overnight on July 22 killed one person and injured 10, with fires breaking out at an oil depot and a Wildberries logistics center.
- Ukrainian drones hit two Wildberries logistics hubs, eight woundedUkrainian drones struck two Wildberries logistics centers in southern Russia overnight, sparking fires and injuring eight people, the company's founder said.
- Crimean human rights group shuts down after being labeled 'foreign agent'The human rights initiative 'Crimean Solidarity' announced it is ceasing operations after being designated a 'foreign agent' by the Russian Ministry of Justice.
- Russia to subsidize diesel imports as fuel crisis deepensRussia's State Duma approved a law introducing state subsidies for diesel importers, compensating the difference between export prices and domestic market costs, as the country faces a severe fuel crisis.
- Zelensky fires top general Syrsky, appoints 43-year-old Drapatyi as new commanderUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the dismissal of General Oleksandr Syrsky as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing him with 43-year-old Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi.
- St. Petersburg election commission loses documents of nearly half of Yabloko candidatesEleven of 25 candidates from the Yabloko party running for the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly received notices from election commissions that they had submitted incomplete registration documents, threatening their candidacies.
- Moscow region music festival Outline canceled two days before opening over drone threatThe Outline music festival in the Moscow region was canceled two days before its scheduled start on July 23 due to what organizers said was a ban by local authorities citing a 'drone threat.'
- Russia’s National Guard ordered to prepare for mobilization and martial lawRussia’s National Guard (Rosgvardia) is set to revise its civil defense rules for the first time to include preparations for threats during mobilization and martial law.
- Political prisoner Richard Rose faces new charges for praising ISIS and Nazi collaborators from prisonRussian political prisoner Richard Rose has been charged with justifying terrorism and rehabilitating Nazism based on statements he allegedly made inside his penal colony.
- Kadyrov's son gets personal Rosgvardia battalion that doesn't fightA personal Rosgvardia battalion created for Adam Kadyrov, son of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, has remained stationed in Grozny and not participated in combat since its formation in 2023, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported.
- 80 injured, 8 dead in Ukrainian drone attack on Wildberries warehouse in Russia's Tambov regionA Ukrainian drone strike on a Wildberries warehouse in Kotovsk, Tambov region, killed eight employees and injured 25, with 80 people hurt across two attacks on the company's facilities.
- Three killed in Russian airstrike on Zaporizhzhia residential areaThree civilians were killed and 13 wounded when Russian guided bombs hit residential quarters of Zaporizhzhia on Tuesday, Ukrainian authorities said.
- Kazakhstan halts oil transit via Novorossiysk after drone strikes on tankersKazakhstan has suspended oil exports through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal in Novorossiysk after Ukrainian drone attacks hit three tankers over two days.
- Russia bans crypto payments, limits retail investors to $3,300 a yearRussia's State Duma passed a law on digital currencies that bans using crypto for payments inside the country and caps annual purchases for unqualified investors at 300,000 rubles.
- Russia's fuel market 'partially stabilizing' after export ban, Novak says, as prices keep risingDeputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Russia's fuel market is 'partially stabilizing' due to government measures including an export ban, increased imports, and higher production, even as official data showed gasoline prices rose 2.3% in the week to July 13.
- Russia expands deportation grounds for foreigners to include 'discrediting' army, attending protestsRussia's State Duma has adopted a law that expands the list of administrative offenses for which foreigners can be deported from 22 to 45 articles, including for 'discrediting' the military and participating in unauthorized rallies.
- 80% of gasoline purchase bids remain unfilled as Russian refineries return to exchange tradingDespite some Russian oil refineries resuming trading on the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange, over 80% of gasoline purchase bids remain unsatisfied, with demand for high-octane grades reaching 92.9%.
- Russia's Supreme Court designates hacker groups Silent Crow and Cyber Partisans as 'extremist'Russia's Supreme Court has banned the hacker groups Silent Crow and Cyber Partisans BY, labeling them 'extremist organizations' for cyberattacks on Russian and Belarusian infrastructure.
- Vnukovo to buy 25% of Domodedovo airport from SheremetyevoMoscow's Vnukovo airport will acquire a 25.01% stake in the company that owns Domodedovo airport from Sheremetyevo for 16.5 billion rubles, according to sources cited by RBC.
- India summons Russian diplomat over missile attack that killed four Indian sailorsIndia summoned Russia's charge d'affaires on July 21 to express 'deep concern and unequivocal condemnation' after a Russian missile strike on a cargo ship in the Black Sea killed four Indian crew members.
- FSB kills 60-year-old man suspected of planning factory bombing in TyumenRussia's Federal Security Service (FSB) shot and killed a 60-year-old man in Tyumen on suspicion of plotting a bomb attack on an industrial plant, saying he opened fire with an assault rifle during his arrest.
- Large fire breaks out in Lipetsk after missile threat declaredA fire covering about 2,500 square meters broke out on the eastern outskirts of Lipetsk on the night of July 21 after a missile and drone threat was declared in the region.
- Drone strike damages Belgorod reservoir dam, flooding begins in ShebekinoA combined drone and missile attack on July 19 severely damaged the dam of the Belgorod Reservoir in Russia's Shebekinsky district, causing uncontrolled water release and flooding in the town of Shebekino, according to the local outlet Pepel.
- Zelensky considers replacing Ukraine's top commander, with Drapaty as leading candidateUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is reviewing candidates to replace Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky, with Joint Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapaty seen as the frontrunner, Bloomberg reported, citing two sources.
- Ukraine's top commander apologizes to ex-defense minister amid public feudUkraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi publicly apologized to former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who resigned last week amid nationwide protests, and denied accusations of mismanaging the army.
- Putin told highway to annexed Crimea is under 'full control' despite daily drone strikesRussian-installed official Yevgeny Balitsky told President Vladimir Putin that the R-280 Novorossiya highway linking Rostov region to annexed Crimea is 'under full control,' even as Ukrainian drones continue to strike the route daily.
- Russia's military trained only 8,000 drone operators in first half of 2026, a quarter of its targetRussia's Defense Ministry trained just over 8,000 drone operators in the first six months of 2026, only a quarter of the 34,400 it had planned to train by that point, according to calculations by the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT).
- Ukraine's drone forces knock out all five Kerch Strait ferriesCommander Robert Brovdi (call sign 'Madyar') said all five ferries of the Kerch Strait crossing have been disabled, with three destroyed beyond repair and two reduced to towed barges.
- Russia freezes assets of dozens linked to opposition events abroadRussian authorities have frozen bank accounts and real estate belonging to dozens of people who participated in opposition festivals and awards ceremonies outside the country, according to the independent outlet Agentstvo.
- Gulagu.net human rights project shuts down, citing pressure and risksThe Gulagu.net human rights project, founded by Vladimir Osechkin, has announced it is suspending operations, citing new realities and risks for its staff.
- Gulagu.net, prominent Russian prison rights project, shuts down citing pressure and harassmentGulagu.net, a project that documented torture and provided legal aid to prisoners in Russia, announced it is ceasing operations, citing pressure from all sides, blocked accounts, and internal infighting within the exiled community.
- Russian villagers told to 'understand, wait, endure' as fuel crisis deepensA fuel shortage caused by Ukrainian strikes on refineries has paralyzed life in rural Russia, with authorities telling residents to 'understand, wait, endure,' according to Radio Liberty.
- Six EU states demand softening of 21st Russia sanctions packageGreece, France, Italy, Germany, Austria and Portugal are refusing to back the European Union's 21st sanctions package against Russia unless exemptions are made, according to the Financial Times.
- Drone strike on passenger bus in Russia's Belgorod region kills fiveA Ukrainian drone struck a passenger bus in the town of Shebekino in Russia's Belgorod region, killing five people and injuring 23, the region's acting governor said.
- Russia to block online banking, property deals for emigrants who evade sentencesRussia's State Duma is set to consider amendments that would ban emigrants who have not served criminal or administrative sentences from using online banking and conducting property transactions.
- Russian region fines residents for hoarding gasoline amid fuel crisisAuthorities in Russia's Pskov region have begun fining residents for storing large quantities of gasoline, as a nationwide fuel shortage enters its fourth month.
- Number of convicts on terrorism charges in Russia doubles in 2025, hitting 30-year recordRussian courts convicted 2,078 people on terrorism-related charges in 2025, more than double the 1,021 convicted in 2024 and the highest number since the current Criminal Code took effect, according to a tally by the human rights project First Department and analysts at Parubets Analytics.
- App Store and Apple website accessibility plummets in Russia, data showsThe number of failed connections to Apple's App Store and website in Russia surged in mid-July, with the website's anomalous connections reaching 66-68%, according to data from the OONI research project.
- Moscow Exchange index falls below 1,900 for first time since October 2022The Moscow Exchange index dropped below 1,900 points during trading on July 20, its lowest level since October 2022, as the Russian stock market extended its decline to a fifth consecutive month.
- Four killed, around 30 wounded in drone attacks on three Russian regionsAt least four people were killed and about 30 wounded in drone strikes across Russia's Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions, according to local officials and independent sources.
- Russian urban activist halts city council campaign after breaking spine fleeing policeChelyabinsk urban activist and city council candidate Mikhail Popov has suspended his election campaign after breaking his spine while trying to escape from police who had come to his apartment.
- Brent crude tops $90 as US and Iran trade strikes for ninth straight nightThe US and Iran have exchanged strikes in the Middle East for a ninth consecutive night, pushing Brent crude oil above $90 a barrel for the first time since mid-June.
- Trump urges adding Iran sanctions to Russia sanctions bill co-authored by late Lindsey GrahamU.S. President Donald Trump called for expanding a sanctions bill targeting Russia to also include measures against Iran, citing the late Senator Lindsey Graham as the originator of the idea.
- Russian glide bomb strike on Zaporizhzhia kills three, including 11-year-old girlRussian forces struck Zaporizhzhia with guided aerial bombs on the evening of July 19, killing three people including an 11-year-old girl and wounding at least 42, local authorities said.
- Ukraine drone attack on Moscow region hits oil depot, warehouses; six woundedUkrainian drones struck the Moscow region overnight on July 20, hitting an oil depot and warehouses, injuring six people, including three foreign nationals, according to local officials and media reports.
- Russian strike on grain carrier in Black Sea kills five crew membersA Russian missile strike on the civilian cargo ship Golden Leo, which was carrying grain under the flag of Guinea-Bissau, killed at least five crew members and left five others missing, Ukraine's navy reported.
- Wildberries offers discounts and loans to sellers after warehouse fires, not compensationWildberries CEO Tatyana Kim said the company is not obligated to compensate sellers for goods destroyed by drone and missile attacks, offering instead discounts and preferential loans.
- Boris Nadezhdin halts State Duma campaign, citing 'exhausted' legal opposition avenuesRussian opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin has suspended his State Duma election campaign, saying legal avenues for opposition politics in Russia are exhausted.
- Fourth Stalin monument in two years unveiled in Cherepovets with governor and biker leader in attendanceA monument to Joseph Stalin and metallurgist Ivan Bardin was unveiled in Cherepovets on July 19, funded by the regional budget and attended by the governor and the leader of the Night Wolves motorcycle club.
- In occupied Crimea, payphones are being installed on streets due to communication disruptionsRussian internet provider Miranda-Media has begun installing payphones in annexed Crimea, citing the need for reliable emergency communication amid mobile network outages.