News
- Russia deploys drones with 40 kg shaped charge to cut power line supportsRussian forces have used a jet-powered drone carrying a 40 kg shaped-charge munition designed to destroy high-voltage transmission towers and metal bridge structures, according to an adviser to Ukraine's president.
- Peskov Says Russia Has No Political Prisoners. What the Cases and Numbers ShowOn 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.
- Russia's Supreme Court proposes bonuses of up to 200% of salary for judges' 'work intensity'Russia's Supreme Court has drafted a bill introducing monthly bonuses of up to 200% of salary for judges, citing 'complexity and intensity' of their work, with payments to start on January 1, 2027 if passed as proposed.
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
- St. Petersburg Prison Inmates' Foreign Books Seized for Furnace Destruction, Reader SaysA reader told Fontanka that foreign-authored books were collected from a St. Petersburg prison library and from inmates themselves to be burned in a furnace, with only the Bible and Russian classics allowed to remain.
- Arkhangelsk Region Diverts 63 Million Rubles From Social Support to War PayoutsThe Arkhangelsk regional government has redirected 63 million rubles from social support programs to one-time payments for soldiers, Rosgvardia officers, mobilized personnel and volunteers fighting in Ukraine, according to a decree found by The Insider.
- St. Petersburg Police Probe Kanye West Concert Organizer for FraudSt. Petersburg police are conducting a pre-investigation check into Say Agency, the organizer of Kanye West's canceled concerts, on suspicion of large-scale fraud, Kommersant reported, citing a source.
- Ukraine's air raid alerts cost $45 million an hour in lost businessAir raid alerts triggered by Russian attacks halt swathes of Ukraine's economy at a cost of about $45 million for every hour businesses stay shut, the country's economy minister said in an interview with The Guardian.
- Russia's Interior Ministry Puts Little Big Frontman Ilya Prusikin on Wanted ListThe Russian Interior Ministry has placed Little Big frontman Ilya Prusikin on its federal wanted list, a designation that indicates a criminal case has been opened against him.
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
- Kremlin Denies Discussing Sanctions Relief for Political Prisoners With WashingtonDmitry Peskov said Moscow never discussed easing sanctions in exchange for releasing political prisoners, insisting the Kremlin "categorically denies the existence of any political prisoners."
- Russia to Stop Funding Films About Corrupt Security Officers and Serial KillersRussian state financing will no longer go to films and series depicting police, prosecutors, FSB or Investigative Committee officers taking bribes or involved in criminal schemes, Kommersant reported, citing sources at major Russian film studios.
- Putin Loyalist Volodin Reelected Duma Speaker as New Parliament Opens With 46 War VeteransVyacheslav Volodin was reelected speaker of Russia's State Duma for a third consecutive term on Tuesday as the ninth-convocation parliament held its first plenary session in Moscow.
- Kremlin Plotted to Kill Kasparov and Ponomarev in the US, Opposition Figure in Vilnius, El Mundo SaysThe Kremlin prepared assassinations of Garry Kasparov and Ilya Ponomarev in the United States and of an opposition figure in Vilnius, the Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported, citing sources close to the politicians.
- German and Austrian Police Raid Two Businessmen Over Luxury Car Exports to RussiaProsecutors in Kaiserslautern say two businessmen exported 53 passenger cars and six semi-tractors to Russia in breach of EU sanctions, prompting raids in Germany and Austria and the seizure of assets worth about 7 million euros.
- Russian Missile and Drone Attack on Kyiv Kills Three, Including a ChildRussian missiles and drones struck Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight, killing three people, including a child, and wounding several others, Ukrainian officials said.
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
- Decorated PropagandistsOn September 29, Vladimir Putin awarded 51 Channel One employees. In a single month, 106 employees of the network received state honors. How orders, state recognition and parliamentary careers became part of Russia’s system for rewarding the propaganda machine.
- The War DumaThe ninth State Duma includes dozens of war veterans, military propagandists and politicians whose careers were built around the war in Ukraine. We examine who entered parliament, how the 2026 election was conducted, and what the new Duma says about Russia’s continued militarization.
- Russia Plans to Triple Beer Duty on 'Unfriendly' Countries to €5 a LitreRussia's draft budget for 2027–2029 proposes raising import duties on beer and spirits from 'unfriendly countries' to €5 per litre from January 1, 2027, according to materials seen by Reuters.
- Putin Awards State Orders to 51 Channel One Staffers, Including Host Under US IndictmentVladimir Putin signed a decree on September 29 awarding state orders and medals to 51 employees of Channel One, the third mass decoration of the state television network's staff in a month.
- Merz Pledges Additional Air Defense Systems to Ukraine Before WinterGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany will supply Ukraine with additional air defense systems ahead of winter, calling air defense the weakest point in Ukraine's defenses.
- UN Human Rights Committee Tells Georgia Not to Hand Furga's Aide Over to RussiaThe UN Human Rights Committee has asked Georgia to refrain from extraditing, deporting or otherwise returning Mikhail Timofeev, a former aide to ex-Khabarovsk governor Sergei Furgal, to Russia while it reviews his individual complaint.
- Perm HSE students launch petition against mandatory Max login for university servicesStudents at the Higher School of Economics campus in Perm have launched a petition demanding an end to mandatory authorization through the state messenger Max for access to university services, gathering more than 3,000 signatures in 11 hours.
- Russia to cut social spending, education and healthcare to fund record defense budgetRussia's draft budget cuts non-defense spending in nominal terms, with social policy, education and healthcare all reduced, while defense takes 35% of all expenditures, according to budget documents reviewed by Reuters.
- Notaries in Moscow, Samara and Krasnoyarsk Refuse Conscripts Powers of Attorney for Military CommissariatsNotaries in Moscow, the Samara region and the Krasnoyarsk region have refused to certify powers of attorney allowing relatives to represent conscripts before military commissariats, according to two draft-rights groups.
- Kremlin Seizes European Assets to Make EU 'Think' About SanctionsA Kremlin source told Reuters that Russia's takeover of European companies' assets is meant to force EU states to "think about what sanctions they impose."
- Russian Guided Bombs Hit Central Sumy, Killing Two and Wounding SixTwo people were killed and six wounded, including three children, when Russian guided aerial bombs struck the center of Sumy, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- Putin envoy holds 'constructive' Washington talks with US officialsA special representative of Vladimir Putin met with US Treasury and Energy Department officials in Washington to discuss ending the war in Ukraine and possible energy projects once it is over, according to Reuters.
- St. Petersburg Court Sentences Yegor Gulyayev to Six Years for Three Reposts of UNIANA St. Petersburg court has sentenced Yegor Gulyayev to six years in a general-regime penal colony for three reposts of Ukrainian news agency UNIAN materials, convicting him under the "fake news" about the army law.
- Six Killed as Military Aircraft Crashes in Russia's Amur RegionSix people died when a military aircraft crashed near the village of Krasnoyarovo in Russia's Amur Region, according to Telegram channels Mash and Baza, which are close to the security services.
- Kremlin Sends 120 Scholars Down the Volga to Invent Russia's Future ImageThe Kremlin has dispatched 120 researchers on a Volga river expedition to draft a vision of Russia's future, organized by an expert institute with backing from Rosmolodezh and the presidential platform "Russia — Land of Opportunities."
- Yabloko leader Rybakov faces hooliganism charge over ballot marked 'For peace'Police drew up an administrative hooliganism protocol against Nikolai Rybakov, head of the Yabloko party, over a ballot he spoiled with the words 'For peace', and the case is set for a St. Petersburg court.
- Russia Cuts Prison Bread and Potatoes to Pay for Butter, Eggs and ApplesThe Russian government has revised food norms for prisoners, raising meat, butter, eggs and fruit while cutting bread, potatoes, margarine and salt, with the changes to take effect in March 2027.
- Putin Caps Cash Ruble Exports to EAEU States at 1 MillionVladimir Putin signed a decree barring the export of more than 1 million rubles in cash to EAEU member states and three other former Soviet republics, cutting the previous threshold by more than eightfold.
- Moscow court orders in absentia arrest of YouTuber Yuri Dud on terrorism chargesThe Basmanny District Court of Moscow has ordered the in absentia arrest of journalist Yuri Dud on charges of publicly calling for terrorism, the latest in a series of criminal cases against the exiled YouTuber.
- Tajikistan's Humo Bank Tells Russian Cardholders to Fly In by September 30 or Lose AccessHumo Bank in Tajikistan has told Russian clients who opened cards remotely to travel to the country by September 30 for identification or face restricted service, according to Ostorozhno, Novosti.
- Estonia Accuses Russia of Arson at Milrem Robotics Drone FactoryEstonia's foreign minister says Russia was behind an August fire at the Milrem Robotics drone plant, based on information gathered by the country's Internal Security Service.
- Zabaikalye Woman Sentenced to 24 Years for Treason and SabotageA court in Russia's Zabaikalye region has sentenced Yekaterina Malovechkina to 24 years in prison after convicting her on charges of state treason, sabotage, participation in a terrorist organization and four other counts.
- Ten VPN services report new wave of blocking in Russia after Duma electionsAt least ten VPN services have reported a fresh wave of restrictions in Russia following the State Duma elections, with one of the largest saying outages peaked on September 25.
- Zelensky says North Korea preparing to send 10,000 more troops to RussiaNorth Korea is preparing to send an additional 10,000 troops to Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, citing a report from Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate.
- Russia Strikes Kyiv With Missiles and Drones; University Building Ablaze, Casualties ReportedRussian forces launched a combined missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight, setting a university building on fire and damaging residential and infrastructure sites across the city, Ukrainian officials said.
- Russia's Election Commission Still Withholds Data on 6 Million Voters a Week After VoteRussia's Central Election Commission has yet to publish complete precinct-level results for 21 regions and four annexed Ukrainian territories, leaving data on nearly 6 million voters missing a week after the vote.
- War at the front doorOn 26 September Varvara Kosheleva, who ran the State Duma campaign of Yabloko candidate Anna Shatunovskaya-Byurno, and her husband were beaten outside their home in Moscow. The attackers, she says, were drunk, called the couple "traitors to the Motherland" and claimed to have fought in Ukraine. Kosheleva suffered head and facial injuries. Their status is unconfirmed and an investigation is under way. An editor's column on how the war became an argument in a quarrel at the front door.
- Russia Sets Aside 17.1 Trillion Rubles for Defense in 2027, a Record Since the War BeganRussia plans to allocate 17.1 trillion rubles to national defense in 2027, a 32.2% increase over 2026 and the largest such figure since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, according to draft budget materials reviewed by Reuters.
- Fire at fireworks factory in Russia's Yaroslavl region kills 13A fire at a pyrotechnics plant in the Yaroslavl region town of Pereslavl-Zalessky killed 13 people, according to the outlet The Insider, after earlier tolls of five and ten.
- Putin expands Russian military by 15,500 troops in fourth increase this yearVladimir Putin signed a decree raising the authorized strength of the Russian armed forces to 1.55 million service members, the fourth such increase this year.
- Putin Classifies Data on Oil Buyers, Refineries and Fuel Exchange SalesVladimir Putin signed a decree restricting access to a broad range of data on Russia's fuel and energy sector, including information on oil buyers, refinery output and exchange sales of fuel.
- Four Moscow Universities Evacuated in Third Bomb-Threat Wave This WeekStudents and staff were pulled from four Moscow universities, the third wave of evacuations to hit the city's campuses in a week.
- FSB Calls Exiled Opposition 'Vlasovites 2.0' and Threatens ReprisalRussia's Federal Security Service announced a criminal case against a London-based Russian citizen and warned that exiled opposition supporters are known to counterintelligence by name.
- Wife Drives Husband Out of Russian Military Office Before He Signs Army ContractA woman in the Siberian town of Ust-Kut removed her husband from a military enlistment office before he could sign a Defense Ministry contract, after police allegedly held him for nearly a day, according to a complaint filed with prosecutors.
- EU sanctions Tatarstan leader Minnikhanov over deportation of Ukrainian childrenThe EU Council added 10 individuals and 17 organizations to its Russia sanctions list on September 28 over the systematic deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children, including Tatarstan head Rustam Minnikhanov.
- Putin Hands Metro's Russian Assets to Newly Created State-Linked ManagerA company registered in September 2026 has taken control of Metro Cash & Carry's Russian operations under a presidential decree, with its sole owner and director the man who has run the chain since 2023.
- OTP Weighs Exit From Russia Over Luminor Deal After Gazprom-Linked Clients SurfaceHungary's OTP Group is reviewing a possible full exit from Russia after documents showed its Russian unit held accounts tied to Gazprom-controlled companies and firms serving organizations linked to the SVR, Bloomberg reported.
- Ukraine's Azov Corps Says It Freed Five Villages, Took 250 Russian Prisoners in Donbas PushUkraine's 3rd Army Corps says its Vivaldi operation on the Lyman axis retook five settlements and captured more than 250 Russian service members, in what OSINT analysts call Kyiv's largest Donbas advance since 2022.
- EU sanctions Russian judges who barred Yabloko from Duma electionsThe EU Council has sanctioned ten people, including three Russian Supreme Court judges who took part in removing the Yabloko party from State Duma elections.
- Russian drone strikes Ukrainian Academy of Sciences building in KyivA Russian drone made a direct hit on the National Academy of Sciences building in central Kyiv, the academy's press service confirmed to Ukrinform.
- Political scientist Kynev beaten during arrest, suffered two shin bone fracturesPolitical scientist Alexander Kynev was diagnosed with two shin bone fractures after his arrest, according to the "Slovo Zashchite" project, which attributes the injuries to torture during detention.
- Colonel General Lapin to Become Tatarstan Deputy Prime Minister Overseeing War Veterans SupportColonel General Alexander Lapin, who was dismissed from military service in September, will become a deputy prime minister of Tatarstan and head a new government department for supporting participants of the war in Ukraine and their families, the republic's head Rustam Minnikhanov said.
- Individuum, Russian publisher whose staff faced extremism charges, closes after 11 yearsIndividuum, the Russian publishing house whose employees became defendants in an extremism case, has announced it is shutting down after 11 years.
- Substation failure leaves more than 650,000 without water in Russia's Primorye regionA failure at a 110 kV substation in Russia's Primorye region cut water to more than 650,000 people, affecting thousands of apartment blocks and hundreds of socially significant facilities, emergency officials said.
- Russia Bans Inspections of Businesses Damaged by Drone StrikesRussia's government has imposed a moratorium on inspections of facilities damaged by drone attacks since January 1, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko said.
- FSB Opens Case Against Russian Democratic Society Head Ksenia MaksimovaRussia's Federal Security Service has opened a criminal case against Ksenia Maksimova, head of the Russian Democratic Society, accusing her of organizing fundraising for Kyiv and ties to a group designated as terrorist.