Week-ending 26 September 2025
Russia’s War against Ukraine
The IOC announced that athletes from Russia will once more be allowed to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics under a neutral banner if they meet strict conditions. (The Moscow Times, 19/9/25)
The US Senate has fast-tracked a bipartisan bill to label Russia a state sponsor of terrorism if it fails to return thousands of Ukrainian children. (RFE/RL, 19/9/25)
Russia filed an appeal with the International Court of Justice over a decision deeming Moscow responsible for downing a Malaysian jetliner over Ukraine in 2014. (The Moscow Times, 20/9/25)
Demand for new workers in Russia’s defense sector has dropped to its lowest level since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, according to Novaya Gazeta Europe.(Meduza, 22/9/25)
Russian authorities have subjected civilian detainees in Ukrainian areas it occupies to “widespread” and “systematic” torture, including sexual violence, the UN has said. (The Moscow Times, 23/9/25)
The return of Russian soldiers from Ukraine is straining families and communities, with violent crimes drawing headlines and neighbors on edge. (The Moscow Times, 19/9/25)
The human rights situation in Russia has “steadily deteriorated” since President Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Mariana Katzarova, special rapporteur on human rights in Russia, said in a new report. (RFE/RL, 22/9/25)
Russia has asked the UN’s aviation body to ease sanctions on spare parts and overflights that were imposed over the invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported Monday. (The Moscow Times, 22/9/25)
More than 200 flights were delayed or canceled in Moscow on Tuesday following a mass drone attack on the Russian capital. (The Moscow Times, 23/9/25)
Russia’s government has drafted stricter penalties for convicted criminals who desert the military after being recruited from prisons to fight in Ukraine. (Meduza, 24/9/25)
To reduce orphanhood, children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova said she has given “particular attention” to families of men fighting in Ukraine. (The Moscow Times, 24/9/25)
Western intelligence and law enforcement warn random people are being recruited to perform surveillance, arson, sabotage, and spreading disinformation. (RFE/RL, 25/9/25)
A growing number of officials, business executives and public figures died under strange or violent circumstances since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. (The Moscow Times, 25/9/25)
Other news
Taxi service Wheely vanished from Moscow’s streets this month after a court ordered its blocking for refusing to share passenger data with the security services. (The Moscow Times, 22/9/25)
WhatsApp remains Russia’s most widely used messaging app despite government restrictions and the push to promote the homegrown rival Max, the business newspaper. (The Moscow Times, 22/9/25)
State prosecutors are seeking to confiscate nearly 100 properties allegedly tied to Russian Supreme Court Judge Viktor Momotov in a corruption case. (The Moscow Times, 23/9/25; Meduza, 25/9/25)
The Federation Council unanimously approved Igor Krasnov, formerly prosecutor general, to head the Supreme Court. Alexander Gutsan was appointed as his replacement. (The Moscow Times, 24/9/25)
Maria Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova, director of Estonia’s Narva Museum, was sentenced to 10 years in absentia on charges of spreading ‘war fakes’ & ‘rehabilitating Nazism.’ (The Moscow Times, 25/9/25)
Russian lawmakers approved a bill that would allow law enforcement authorities to more easily bring charges against people or entities designated as “foreign agents.” (The Moscow Times, 25/9/25)
A court in Altai ordered the release pending trial of local activist Aruna Arna, a day after she was arrested on suspicion of inciting terrorism. (The Moscow Times, 25/9/25)
