Week-ending 12 June 2026
Russia’s War against Ukraine
Major Russian insurance companies have begun offering individual policyholders coverage for “acts of war,” the Russian business daily Kommersant reports. (Meduza, 5/6/26)
Russia and Ukraine exchanged 185 prisoners of war each following mediation from the United Arab Emirates, the Russian Defense Ministry said. (The Moscow Times, 5/6/26)
The European Commission has pledged to tighten visa rules for Russian citizens following a formal request from 11 Schengen Zone countries, Euronews reported. (Meduza, 8/6/26)
A judge in Moscow sentenced Mikhail Khodorkovsky to 10 years in prison in absentia after finding him guilty of spreading “fakes” about the war in Ukraine. (The Moscow Times, 8/6/26)
The EU hopes to ban Russian soldiers from entering its territory as part of further sanctions against Moscow that also target banks, crypto firms and the Kremlin’s oil revenues. (The Guardian, 9/6/26)
A car bomb killed Damir Davydov, head of Russia’s missile forces. (Meduza, 9/6/26)
Colonel General Alexander Chayko, named the new commander in chief of Russia’s Aerospace Forces, led Russia’s forces that carried out mass killings of civilians in Ukraine. (Meduza, 10/6/26)
At least 24 Russian regions introduced rationing measures at local gas stations amid Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries. Fuel prices rose across 73 regions over the past week. (The Moscow Times, 11/6/26)
FIDE has suspended Russia for violating Ukraine’s sovereignty. (The Moscow Times, 11/6/26)
President Putin signed a law empowering the government to confiscate property and bank funds of Russians living abroad accused of acting “against Russia’s interests.” (The Moscow Times, 11/6/26)
Brigade commander Colonel Ramil Faskhutdinov, accused of running a torture camp and ordering troops to execute their own comrades, has been named a Hero of Russia. (Meduza, 11/6/26)
At least 200 Russian soldiers no older than 18 have died since February 2022. (Meduza, 12/6/26)
A State Duma deputy from Russia’s Communist Party (KPRF), Vyacheslav Markhayev, has warned that Russia is “on the brink of a social explosion.” (Meduza, 12/6/26)
Other news
Telegram has become more difficult to use in Russia without a VPN. (The Moscow Times, 5/6/26)
Andrew Tate, a self-professed misogynistic influencer, has appeared in Russia. (The Guardian, 6/6/26)
Russia printed 57.3 million books and brochures in the first quarter of 2026, down 26% from the 77.5 million printed in the first quarter of 2025. (Meduza, 8/6/26)
A St. Petersburg court dismissed the criminal case against poet Kirill Yakovlev on charges of “suicide propaganda,” freeing him after nearly a year in pretrial detention. (Meduza, 8/6/26)
Marie-Laetitia Garric is one of dozens around the world pushing for the release of Azat Miftakhov, serving a prison sentence seen as a retaliation for his activism. (The Moscow Times, 9/6/26)
A district court in St. Petersburg banned three films for LGBT propaganda. (Meduza, 9/6/26)
Russia’s State Duma passed legislation that will fine website owners who allow users to log in using foreign services such as Google and Apple. (Meduza, 9/6/26)
The State Duma passed a law tightening oversight of “foreign agents” in Russia. (Meduza, 9/6/26)
Tommy Robinson has met Elon Musk’s father, Errol, in Moscow. (The Guardian, 9/6/26)
Roskomnadzor has reportedly proposed creation of a government-run VPN. (RFE/RL, 10/6/26)
The supreme courts of Russia and Belarus signed an MoU. (The Moscow Times, 10/6/26)
Russia’s State Duma approved a bill raising fees for immigration-related services. (Meduza, 10/6/26)
Russia is banning all imports subject to quarantine controls from Armenia. (Meduza, 11/6/26)
Users have been abandoning Telegram, now only accessible via VPN. (Meduza, 11/6/26)
A court in Rostov-on-Don issued a fine for an online comment about the Taliban. (Meduza, 11/6/26)
Iran scholar Nikita Smagin has been fined 15,000 rubles on an administrative charge of cooperating with an “undesirable organization,” he announced in his Telegram channel. (Meduza, 11/6/26)
Russian authorities have taken into state ownership assets worth 550 billion rubles ($7.59 billion) linked to jailed billionaire Vadim Moshkovich. (The Moscow Times, 12/6/26)
12 ‘false information’ charges have been filed in Moscow against media outlets. (Meduza, 12/6/26)
