Meduza in English
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Breaking news in Russia, investigative reports, interviews, and opinions. In English. You’re welcome. https://meduza.io/en
Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, resigned from his post today. To learn more about Yermak’s rise to the top of Ukrainian politics, read Meduza’s July 2024 profile. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Zelensky’s right-hand man How Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak redefined his post to become the country’s second most powerful figure — Meduza
In the five years since Volodymyr Zelensky became president of Ukraine, former entertainment lawyer Andriy Yermak has built an impressive career. Less than a year after being appointed…
meduza.io
November 28, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, resigned from his post today. To learn more about Yermak’s rise to the top of Ukrainian politics, read Meduza’s July 2024 profile. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
⚡ Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff and Ukraine’s lead negotiator in peace talks, has resigned.
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Andriy Yermak resigns as head of Ukrainian president’s office — Meduza
Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office and the country’s lead negotiator in peace talks, has resigned, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday.
meduza.io
November 28, 2025 at 3:46 PM
⚡ Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff and Ukraine’s lead negotiator in peace talks, has resigned.
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Officers from Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies searched the home of Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office and the country’s chief negotiator in the peace process, this morning.
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Ukrainian anti-corruption agents search home of Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak — Meduza
Officers from Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) searched the home of Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s…
meduza.io
November 28, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Officers from Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies searched the home of Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office and the country’s chief negotiator in the peace process, this morning.
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Former Kremlin Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak wrote a letter to Putin condemning the war against Ukraine shortly before his resignation in September, Agentstvo Media reports.
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Former Kremlin deputy chief of staff reportedly wrote Putin letter condemning war in Ukraine before his resignation in September — Meduza
Former Kremlin Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin condemning Moscow’s war against Ukraine shortly before his resignation in September, Agentstvo…
meduza.io
November 28, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Former Kremlin Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak wrote a letter to Putin condemning the war against Ukraine shortly before his resignation in September, Agentstvo Media reports.
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Putin just signed a decree setting out Russia’s new “national policy strategy” through 2036, packed with warnings about “Russophobia” and foreign interference.
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Putin’s new national policy strategy targets ‘foreign meddling’ and aims to have 95 percent of citizens share a ‘Russian civic identity’ — Meduza
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree setting out Russia’s new “national policy strategy” through 2036.
meduza.io
November 28, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Putin just signed a decree setting out Russia’s new “national policy strategy” through 2036, packed with warnings about “Russophobia” and foreign interference.
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As the Trump admin fine tunes its peace plan, Putin sets out his own ceasefire terms for Ukraine: “Ukrainian forces will withdraw from the territories they occupy... If they don’t, we will achieve this by military means.” meduza.io/en/feature/2...
‘We will achieve this by military means.’ Putin calls Trump’s peace plan a ‘basis’ for future talks — and then demands Ukraine surrender territory. — Meduza
The Trump administration has laid out a possible “basis” for a peace deal with Ukraine, but signing an agreement with the current leadership in Kyiv is “legally impossible” in Russia’s view,…
meduza.io
November 27, 2025 at 9:11 PM
As the Trump admin fine tunes its peace plan, Putin sets out his own ceasefire terms for Ukraine: “Ukrainian forces will withdraw from the territories they occupy... If they don’t, we will achieve this by military means.” meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Russia has declared the global branch of the Anti-Corruption Foundation a “terrorist organization,” banning the activities of the New York-based nonprofit founded by the late Alexey Navalny to support his activism in Russia. This was their response.
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Russia just declared the late Alexey Navalny’s nonprofit a ‘terrorist organization.’ This was their response. — Meduza
On Thursday, Russia’s Supreme Court declared the global branch of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) a “terrorist organization,” banning the activities of the New York-based nonprofit founded…
meduza.io
November 27, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Russia has declared the global branch of the Anti-Corruption Foundation a “terrorist organization,” banning the activities of the New York-based nonprofit founded by the late Alexey Navalny to support his activism in Russia. This was their response.
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“What sustains these protests is a clear sense among Georgians that they won’t accept a Russian-controlled autocracy.”
Meduza talks to former defense minister and diplomat Vasil Sikharulidze about Georgia’s year-long political crisis. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Meduza talks to former defense minister and diplomat Vasil Sikharulidze about Georgia’s year-long political crisis. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
‘Georgians will not accept autocracy’: Former defense minister and diplomat Vasil Sikharulidze reflects on Georgia’s year-long political crisis — Meduza
Protesters in Georgia have been taking to the streets for 364 straight days. On October 26, thousands joined an anti-government march in central Tbilisi marking the anniversary of the country’s…
meduza.io
November 27, 2025 at 3:11 PM
“What sustains these protests is a clear sense among Georgians that they won’t accept a Russian-controlled autocracy.”
Meduza talks to former defense minister and diplomat Vasil Sikharulidze about Georgia’s year-long political crisis. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Meduza talks to former defense minister and diplomat Vasil Sikharulidze about Georgia’s year-long political crisis. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
A U.S. delegation is set to go to Moscow next week for talks on Trump’s “peace plan,” Putin told reporters.
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U.S. delegation to come to Moscow next week to discuss peace plan, Putin says — Meduza
A U.S. delegation is set to travel to Moscow next week for talks on President Donald Trump’s “peace plan,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
meduza.io
November 27, 2025 at 2:11 PM
A U.S. delegation is set to go to Moscow next week for talks on Trump’s “peace plan,” Putin told reporters.
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Leaked Kremlin calls expose U.S.–Russia backchannel talks on a Ukraine peace plan — but the real mystery is who leaked them and why. The leak raises questions about who’s steering the bus and what factions are up and down. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
What do the Witkoff–Ushakov and Ushakov–Dmitriev transcripts reveal about U.S.–Russian negotiations? Who leaked them — and why? — Meduza
On November 25, Bloomberg published an explosive report containing transcripts of two phone calls: one between top Kremlin advisers Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev, and another between Ushakov and…
meduza.io
November 26, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Leaked Kremlin calls expose U.S.–Russia backchannel talks on a Ukraine peace plan — but the real mystery is who leaked them and why. The leak raises questions about who’s steering the bus and what factions are up and down. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
A Russian neurotech firm says it has field-tested pigeons with brain implants that let operators steer the birds’ flight paths remotely. The “biodrone” pigeons supposedly follow uploaded directions and require no training. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Russian neurotechnology company says it can steer pigeon flocks with implanted brain chips — Meduza
The Russian neurotechnology company Neiry claims to have begun field testing a flock of pigeons with chips implanted in their brains, allowing researchers to steer the birds from the laboratory into…
meduza.io
November 26, 2025 at 6:11 PM
A Russian neurotech firm says it has field-tested pigeons with brain implants that let operators steer the birds’ flight paths remotely. The “biodrone” pigeons supposedly follow uploaded directions and require no training. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Leaked calls involving Putin’s advisers and Steve Witkoff add a new twist to the debate over Trump’s Ukraine–Russia “peace plan.” Here’s how people are reacting.
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Leaked calls between Steve Witkoff and Putin’s advisers raise new questions about Trump’s ‘peace plan.’ Here’s how the world is reacting. — Meduza
On November 25, Bloomberg published transcripts of two phone calls involving Yuri Ushakov, a top aide to the Russian president — one with Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and another with…
meduza.io
November 26, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Leaked calls involving Putin’s advisers and Steve Witkoff add a new twist to the debate over Trump’s Ukraine–Russia “peace plan.” Here’s how people are reacting.
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A 34-year-old Russian physicist is facing 25 years in prison after donating money to Ukrainian charities.
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Russian prosecutors seeking 25-year prison sentence for physicist who donated to Ukrainian charities — Meduza
A 34-year-old Russian physicist is facing 25 years in prison after authorities accused him of preparing a DDoS attack, planning a sabotage operation, and committing treason. The first two charges are…
meduza.io
November 26, 2025 at 4:39 PM
A 34-year-old Russian physicist is facing 25 years in prison after donating money to Ukrainian charities.
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According to a transcript published by Bloomberg, U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff advised Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov during an October call on how Putin could best approach the issue of Ukraine with Trump.
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Leaked recordings show Witkoff coached Kremlin advisers on how to approach Trump over Ukraine — Bloomberg — Meduza
U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff suggested to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov in October that Washington and Moscow work together on a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine, according…
meduza.io
November 26, 2025 at 11:46 AM
According to a transcript published by Bloomberg, U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff advised Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov during an October call on how Putin could best approach the issue of Ukraine with Trump.
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The biggest corruption scandal of Zelensky’s presidency collided with a U.S.-brokered peace push, but despite a bombshell probe and mounting political pressure, Zelensky has refused to sacrifice allies in his administration or agree to capitulate to Russia. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Why hasn’t the biggest corruption scandal of Zelensky’s presidency forced him into political or diplomatic concessions? — Meduza
Earlier this month, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) uncovered an embezzlement scheme at Energoatom, the state-owned operator of the country’s nuclear power plants. It is the most…
meduza.io
November 26, 2025 at 12:14 AM
The biggest corruption scandal of Zelensky’s presidency collided with a U.S.-brokered peace push, but despite a bombshell probe and mounting political pressure, Zelensky has refused to sacrifice allies in his administration or agree to capitulate to Russia. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
In a new joint investigation into the Russian Red Cross, we found that the organization has become even more deeply entangled in Russia’s military and propaganda apparatus while continuing to receive millions of euros in international funding.
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New investigation reveals the Russian Red Cross is expanding operations in occupied Ukraine as its international funding grows — Meduza
In 2024, Meduza published a joint investigation as part of the Kremlin Leaks project that revealed the activities of the Russian Red Cross (RRC) in Ukraine’s occupied territories. Among other…
meduza.io
November 25, 2025 at 8:11 PM
In a new joint investigation into the Russian Red Cross, we found that the organization has become even more deeply entangled in Russia’s military and propaganda apparatus while continuing to receive millions of euros in international funding.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested Moscow could reject the latest U.S. proposal to end the war in Ukraine if it diverges from the terms Putin and Trump discussed in Alaska earlier this year.
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Russian foreign minister suggests Moscow could reject Trump’s updated peace plan — Meduza
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested on Tuesday that Moscow could reject the latest U.S. proposal to end the war in Ukraine if it diverges from the terms Russian President Vladimir Putin…
meduza.io
November 25, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested Moscow could reject the latest U.S. proposal to end the war in Ukraine if it diverges from the terms Putin and Trump discussed in Alaska earlier this year.
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Last week, we asked our Russian-language readers what they think of the new peace plan proposed by the Trump administration to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. Here are some of the responses, translated into English.
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‘There is no such thing as a just peace’: Meduza’s Russian-language readers react to Trump’s Ukraine–Russia peace plan — Meduza
Last week, we asked our Russian-language readers what they think of the new peace plan proposed by the Trump administration to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. Hundreds of letters have come…
meduza.io
November 25, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Last week, we asked our Russian-language readers what they think of the new peace plan proposed by the Trump administration to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. Here are some of the responses, translated into English.
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Russia is reshaping monuments in occupied Ukraine — restoring Soviet-era sites, adding new symbols, and erasing Ukrainian memorials — to cast the invasion as the latest chapter in a shared “historic mission” and legitimize its rule. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Russia is remaking occupied Ukraine’s monuments to legitimize the invasion and propagate a shared history — Meduza
In occupied parts of Ukraine, Russia has been busy creating, rebuilding, and demolishing a large number of monuments. According to Ukrainian historian Yurii Latysh, this activity fits a clear…
meduza.io
November 25, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Russia is reshaping monuments in occupied Ukraine — restoring Soviet-era sites, adding new symbols, and erasing Ukrainian memorials — to cast the invasion as the latest chapter in a shared “historic mission” and legitimize its rule. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Young women across Russia’s regions are confronting the fallout of an increasingly pronatalist state and its tightening restrictions on reproductive rights. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
17-year-old college student gives birth in bathroom stall and leaves baby wrapped on floor. Hospitals in her region of Russia have stopped offering abortions. — Meduza
Students at a teachers’ college dormitory in Russia’s Zabaykalsky Krai found a newborn baby on the floor of a bathroom stall this weekend. The child’s mother, a 17-year-old pupil at the school, had…
meduza.io
November 24, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Young women across Russia’s regions are confronting the fallout of an increasingly pronatalist state and its tightening restrictions on reproductive rights. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
“People who work with Putin know that the main thing for him is always his image, and that in an effort to save face, he — the leader of a nuclear power — won’t stop at anything,” journalist @faridaily.bsky.social tells Meduza. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Journalist Farida Rustamova explains how Russia’s elites went from dreading war to fearing peace — Meduza
In his 2024 state-of-the-nation address, Vladimir Putin declared that the word “elite” had lost much of its credibility. “Those who have done nothing for society and consider themselves a caste with…
meduza.io
November 24, 2025 at 8:11 PM
“People who work with Putin know that the main thing for him is always his image, and that in an effort to save face, he — the leader of a nuclear power — won’t stop at anything,” journalist @faridaily.bsky.social tells Meduza. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Since Trump’s “peace plan” for Russia and Ukraine surfaced last week, the proposal has undergone revisions, stirred debate over who wrote it, and prompted a counterproposal from several European allies. Here’s what you need to know.
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U.S. push for a Russia–Ukraine deal shows progress as Thanksgiving deadline nears: the latest on Trump’s ‘peace plan’ — Meduza
In the days since the Trump administration’s controversial “peace plan” for Russia and Ukraine surfaced last week, the proposal has undergone revisions, stirred debate over who wrote it, and prompted…
meduza.io
November 24, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Since Trump’s “peace plan” for Russia and Ukraine surfaced last week, the proposal has undergone revisions, stirred debate over who wrote it, and prompted a counterproposal from several European allies. Here’s what you need to know.
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Russia has a new dictionary meant to reflect the country’s “traditional values.” Authoritarianism? The “most effective form of governance.” Limitrophe? A “buffer state” between Russia and Western Europe. See for yourself.
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Russia’s new state dictionary calls authoritarianism the ‘most effective’ form of government and bans the word ‘ass’ — Meduza
In April, Russia introduced a new Explanatory Dictionary of the State Language of the Russian Federation, compiled at St. Petersburg State University and immediately added to the official list…
meduza.io
November 24, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Russia has a new dictionary meant to reflect the country’s “traditional values.” Authoritarianism? The “most effective form of governance.” Limitrophe? A “buffer state” between Russia and Western Europe. See for yourself.
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After a month in custody, St. Petersburg street musician Diana “Naoko” Loginova was released over the weekend and has reportedly fled Russia.
November 24, 2025 at 3:11 PM
After a month in custody, St. Petersburg street musician Diana “Naoko” Loginova was released over the weekend and has reportedly fled Russia.
“I cannot call it a peace plan. It’s a reward to an aggressor, a reward to a dictator.” Pro-democracy activist Natalia Arno of the Free Russia Foundation weighs in on what Putin stands to gain from the latest peace proposal on the table. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
What does Trump’s peace plan mean for Putin? It’s ‘a reward to a dictator,’ says Free Russia Foundation’s Natalia Arno. — Meduza
Members of the Trump administration are sending mixed messages about the new, 28-point peace plan drafted by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev. On Friday, President Donald…
meduza.io
November 23, 2025 at 1:11 PM
“I cannot call it a peace plan. It’s a reward to an aggressor, a reward to a dictator.” Pro-democracy activist Natalia Arno of the Free Russia Foundation weighs in on what Putin stands to gain from the latest peace proposal on the table. meduza.io/en/feature/2...