Week-ending 13 February 2026
Russia’s War against Ukraine
Russia’s Belogord region saw a record number of reported rapes in 2025 — more than any other Russian region. (Meduza, 6/2/26)
Kazakh comedian Nurlan Saburov was banned from Russia for 50 years after law enforcement authorities accused him of criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (The Moscow Times, 6/2/26)
Two top Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) officials said Friday they had paid the first visit to Moscow since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The OSCE’s acting head, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, and OSCE Secretary General Feridun Hadi Sinirlioglu met Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. (The Moscow Times, 6/2/26)
Thousands of men from Central Asia are believed to have joined Russian forces in Ukraine. A small number of Central Asian women have also enlisted. (RFE/RL, 8/2/26)
Russia’s military is scrambling to find alternatives to Starlink satellite internet after access to the network was curtailed. (The Guardian, 9/2/26)
Russian prosecutors launched criminal proceedings against exiled comedian Semyon Slepakov after he was accused of violating the country’s laws on “foreign agents.” (The Moscow Times, 9/2/26)
The casualty count in the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine could reach 2 million by spring, with nearly 1.2 million Russian forces killed, wounded. (RFE/RL, 10/2/26)
After years of maintaining that Chechen troops fighting for Russia against Ukraine do not and should not surrender, Ramzan Kadyrov has softened his stance on POWs. (Meduza, 10/2/26)
‘War-hero’ Yevgeny Korobov is seeking political asylum in Kazakhstan having shot himself in the leg to escape a war he did not believe in. (RFE/RL, 10/2/26)
Kenya’s Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi said he planned to travel to Moscow in a bid to prevent the further recruitment of Kenyans to fight for Russia. (The Moscow Times, 10/2/26)
Russian theater director Konstantin Bogomolov, reportedly viewed by the Kremlin as a “young, talented and patriotic director” after his transformation from opposition-minded liberal to loyalist intellectual, said he would step down as acting head of MKhAT. (The Moscow Times, 11/2/26)
A bipartisan coalition of US lawmakers is introducing legislation to designate the Kremlin’s rebranded proxy forces as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). (RFE/RL, 11/2/26)
The FSB said its combined national and regional “Telephone of Trust” received almost 147,000 calls last year, a 33% increase since 2024. (The Moscow Times, 11/2/26)
On 5 February, 157 Ukrainian prisoners of war returned to Ukraine. (The Guardian, 12/2/26)
Prosecutors in Moscow asked Russia’s Supreme Court to designate the Russian Anti-War Committee as a terrorist organization. (The Moscow Times, 13/2/26)
Other news
A former Spanish university professor wanted in his home country for alleged acts of cyberterrorism said he has received political asylum in Russia. (The Moscow Times, 6/2/26)
The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the final remaining bilateral agreement limiting US and Russian nuclear arsenals, expired on February 5. (RFE/RL, 6/2/26; The Guardian, 8/2/26)
Moscow police raided and shut down a concert by Russian metal band Nechist for allegedly featuring symbols banned as “extremist.” (Meduza, 9/2/26)
Four Indian students were injured in a knife attack at a medical university dormitory in the republic of Bashkortostan this weekend. (The Moscow Times, 9/2/26)
Media regulator Roskomnadzor said it had imposed additional restrictions on the messaging app Telegram. (The Moscow Times, 10/2/26; The Guardian, 11/2/26; The Moscow Times, 11/2/26)
Russian authorities will start checking films released without official distribution permits for content that may “discredit traditional values,” the Culture Ministry said. (The Moscow Times, 10/2/26)
In March 2026, the State Duma will consider a bill requiring a wife to notify her husband (including an ex-husband) if she plans to terminate a pregnancy. (Meduza, 10/2/26)
Tens of thousands of Russians with psychiatric diagnoses are currently confined in state institutions and denied basic rights. (Meduza, 10/2/26)
Indigenous peoples’ advocates around the world called on President Putin to release Daria Yegereva, a Siberian Indigenous climate activist awaiting trial for terrorism. (The Moscow Times, 11/2/26)
On February 11, Roskomnadzor deleted WhatsApp, from Russia’s National Domain Name System, Russia’s domestic directory for all websites. (RFE/RL, The Moscow Times, 12/2/26; 12/2/26)
President Putin signed a decree establishing a General Staff within the National Guard (Rosgvardia), expanding the force’s role in operational planning and intelligence. (The Moscow Times, 12/2/26)
