Week-ending 21 August 2026
Russia’s War against Ukraine
Nearly five years into the war, Russia is scrambling to find enough soldiers. (The Guardian, 14/8/26)
Vladislav Balgrabsky is on trial for treason for surrendering to the enemy. (Meduza, 14/8/26)
At least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured in Ukraine in July 2026. (Meduza, 14/8/26)
Ukraine struck industrial infrastructure in Russia’s Samara region. (The Moscow Times, 15/8/26)
Since 2014 Russia has seized and still holds at least 1,878 Ukrainian civilians. (Meduza, 15/6/26)
Russian pro-Ukrainian activists, Nikita Belov and his mother, Olga Belov, have won a court appeal in Finland and will have their case for asylum reconsidered. (The Guardian, 17/8/26)
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the anti-war Yabloko party against its removal from the September ballot. Police detained more than 80 people outside the Court. Yabloko demanded an end to the persecution of its supporters. (RFE/RL, 17/8/26; Meduza, 19/8/26; 19/8/26)
Yabloko politician Lev Shlosberg was sentenced to 11 years and one month in prison for “discrediting” and spreading “fake news” about the Russian military. (The Moscow Times, 17/8/26)
Andrei Klepach, chief economist at VEB bank, was fired after comments about the economy and warnings Moscow would not win a prolonged economic war with Ukraine. (The Guardian, 17/8/26)
The EU plans to expand sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine war. (The Moscow Times, 17/8/26)
Andy Burnham says the UK will continue to “support Ukraine 100%” after Russia threatened consequences after strikes by British-made drones. Russia’s UK embassy accused the UK of “deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis”. (The Guardian, 18/8/26; 18/8/26)
Schools and kindergartens across Russia are holding antiterrorism drills. (Meduza, 18/8/26)
Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery and a residential building in the republic of Bashkortostan, leaving at least one person injured. (The Moscow Times, 19/8/26)
Arseny Turbin, sentenced to five years’ imprisonment aged 15 in 2023 for criticizing President Putin and opposing the war, is facing new charges. (RFE/RL, 19/8/26)
Russia and Ukraine exchanged 103 prisoners of war each. (The Moscow Times, 19/8/26)
Russian drivers are facing more long waits and lines at gas stations. (RFE/RL, 19/8/26)
Idite Lesom reports a growing number of complaints from individuals who were forcibly detained and coerced into signing contracts with Russia’s Defense Ministry. (The Moscow Times, 20/6/26)
EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen criticised “an escalating campaign of threats” by Russia against the EU. (The Guardian, 20/8/26)
Yabloko has received 8,000 applications to join the party over the past two weeks. (Meduza, 20/8/26)
Eight people were arrested for plotting an attack on a defense enterprise and separately a foreign national for scouting government buildings. (The Moscow Times, 21/8/26)
Ukraine targeted Crimea and an industrial facility in Perm region. (The Moscow Times, 21/8/26)
Some Russian publishers have stopped printing new titles and are cutting print runs following Ukrainian drone strikes on Wildberries warehouses. (Meduza, 21/8/26)
Other news
Crossing Russia’s border has become a fraught experience in recent years. (Meduza, 17/8/26)
Police detained a German citizen for donating to the Anti-Corruption Foundation. (Meduza, 17/8/26)
An administrative case was opened against Sova Centre researcher Olga Sibireva because an “undesirable” organization quoted her published research. (Meduza, 17/8/26)
Russia deported Bakhtiyar Hasanov, head of an Azerbaijani diaspora organization. (Meduza, 17/8/26)
The diplomatic spat between Japan and Russia following Vladimir Putin’s visit to an archipelago of disputed islands north of Hokkaido continues to escalate. (The Guardian, 18/8/26)
Tatyana Smetanko was fined 10,000 rubles for an appeal against petrol shortages. (Meduza,18/8/26)
Boris Nadezhdin was fined 10,000 rubles for an interview he gave to Meduza. (Meduza, 18/8/26)
Communist Party activist Nikolai Bondarenko was arrested in Saratov. (The Moscow Times, 21/8/26)
