Anton Shekhovtsov
@shekhovtsov.substack.com
PhD UCL SSEES, visiting professor at CEU, director of the Centre for Democratic Integrity, author of books "Russia and the Western Far Right" and "Russian Political Warfare", columnist for EUObserver @euobserver.bsky.social, outdoor research fellow
Pinned
I’m honoured to announce the release of the volume "Russia against Ukraine: Russian Political Mythology and the War on Ukrainian Identity", a multi-author study that examines the politically driven hostility towards Ukraine deeply rooted in Russian geopolitical chauvinism: buff.ly/obr8I30
Europe is wilfully blind. Iran’s uprising is not about prices but regime collapse. By hiding behind “economic unrest”, Europe ignores a strategic rupture that affects its security, energy and Russia policy. Hesitation now is negligence. euobserver.com/opinion/arb5...
Why the Iran uprising is Europe's strategic blind spot
The protests that began in December 2025 are not about prices alone. They represent a sustained challenge to a political system widely perceived as irreparable. Recognising that reality is not radicalism....
euobserver.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Europe is wilfully blind. Iran’s uprising is not about prices but regime collapse. By hiding behind “economic unrest”, Europe ignores a strategic rupture that affects its security, energy and Russia policy. Hesitation now is negligence. euobserver.com/opinion/arb5...
Today, I begin publishing, in no fixed rhythm, parts of a longer work-in-progress, “Russia’s Immortality Civil War”, which I hope will become a chapter in a new, yet untitled book. The first part is “The terrifying weight of the dead upon the living”: buff.ly/doPvgTm
January 10, 2026 at 12:40 PM
Today, I begin publishing, in no fixed rhythm, parts of a longer work-in-progress, “Russia’s Immortality Civil War”, which I hope will become a chapter in a new, yet untitled book. The first part is “The terrifying weight of the dead upon the living”: buff.ly/doPvgTm
Dear friends and colleagues, if you have ever considered supporting my research and analysis directly, I invite you to subscribe, or upgrade your subscription, to my Substack, "Towers of Europa" (shekhovtsov.substack.com), now moving to paid subscriptions. Thank you for reading.
January 7, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Dear friends and colleagues, if you have ever considered supporting my research and analysis directly, I invite you to subscribe, or upgrade your subscription, to my Substack, "Towers of Europa" (shekhovtsov.substack.com), now moving to paid subscriptions. Thank you for reading.
Anton Šehhovtsov: lääs pisendab Läänemere kaablite lõhkumisi hirmust. Sest Kremli käsutuses on märksa ohtlikum armaada buff.ly/ZUUBAZ8
Anton Šehhovtsov: lääs pisendab Läänemere kaablite lõhkumisi hirmust. Sest Kremli käsutuses on märksa ohtlikum armaada
Ajal, kui Venemaa korraldab halli tsooni jäävat sõda Euroopa Liidu ning tema Läänemere-äärsete liitlaste vastu, näib, et Euroopa võimud pisendavad või koguni vaikivad maha Venemaa läänes toime…
arvamus.delfi.ee
January 5, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Anton Šehhovtsov: lääs pisendab Läänemere kaablite lõhkumisi hirmust. Sest Kremli käsutuses on märksa ohtlikum armaada buff.ly/ZUUBAZ8
Ayatollah Khamenei plans to flee to Moscow if Iran unrest intensifies www.thetimes.com/world/middle... The republic’s supreme leader has plotted an exit route out of Tehran should his forces fail to quell dissent, an intelligence report reveals.
Ayatollah Khamenei plans to flee to Moscow if Iran unrest intensifies
The republic’s supreme leader has plotted an exit route out of Tehran should his forces fail to quell dissent, an intelligence report reveals
www.thetimes.com
January 5, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Ayatollah Khamenei plans to flee to Moscow if Iran unrest intensifies www.thetimes.com/world/middle... The republic’s supreme leader has plotted an exit route out of Tehran should his forces fail to quell dissent, an intelligence report reveals.
Reposted by Anton Shekhovtsov
Orbán hat Ungarn seit 2010 autokratisiert. Mit Magyars Tisza droht bei der Parlamentswahl 2026 erstmals echte Konkurrenz. Wie plant Fidesz, die Kontrolle zu behalten, und welche Rolle spielen EU und Russland dabei? Gastkommentar von @shekhovtsov.substack.com.
Wie Orbán 2026 zu überleben gedenkt - Materie
Orbáns Macht gerät ins Wanken: Péter Magyar wird zur ersten echten Bedrohung für Fidesz. Kann Orbán seine Macht bei den Wahlen 2026 retten?
materie.at
January 4, 2026 at 8:32 AM
Orbán hat Ungarn seit 2010 autokratisiert. Mit Magyars Tisza droht bei der Parlamentswahl 2026 erstmals echte Konkurrenz. Wie plant Fidesz, die Kontrolle zu behalten, und welche Rolle spielen EU und Russland dabei? Gastkommentar von @shekhovtsov.substack.com.
Let’s not lament the death of the old international order. Yes, it was good for liberal democracy, bad for totalitarianism, and so-so for autocracies. But what’s dead is dead. 1/2
January 4, 2026 at 12:26 AM
Let’s not lament the death of the old international order. Yes, it was good for liberal democracy, bad for totalitarianism, and so-so for autocracies. But what’s dead is dead. 1/2
Finland is investigating suspected sabotage after a cargo ship found with its anchor chain lowered near a damaged undersea cable to Estonia was detained. 1/3
January 1, 2026 at 8:35 AM
Finland is investigating suspected sabotage after a cargo ship found with its anchor chain lowered near a damaged undersea cable to Estonia was detained. 1/3
U.S. Finds Ukraine Didn’t Target Putin in Drone Strike www.wsj.com/politics/nat... Disclosure of the findings comes as Trump appeared to play down the Russian claim of an attempted drone attack.
www.wsj.com
December 31, 2025 at 11:29 PM
U.S. Finds Ukraine Didn’t Target Putin in Drone Strike www.wsj.com/politics/nat... Disclosure of the findings comes as Trump appeared to play down the Russian claim of an attempted drone attack.
Russian Political Technologists, Spies, and Proxies: Drawing on the arrest and confessions of a pro-Russian propagandist, I further analyse how a network connecting Russia’s Presidential Administration, FSB, and political technologists conducts operations targeting Europe. buff.ly/p8PYUCQ
December 31, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Russian Political Technologists, Spies, and Proxies: Drawing on the arrest and confessions of a pro-Russian propagandist, I further analyse how a network connecting Russia’s Presidential Administration, FSB, and political technologists conducts operations targeting Europe. buff.ly/p8PYUCQ
US NATO envoy casts doubt on Russian claim that Ukraine attacked Putin’s residence www.reuters.com/world/europe...
www.reuters.com
December 30, 2025 at 11:12 PM
US NATO envoy casts doubt on Russian claim that Ukraine attacked Putin’s residence www.reuters.com/world/europe...
The Russian fake news story about Ukraine’s alleged attack on Putin’s residence near Lake Valdai appears to have been a spontaneous response to reports of a positive outcome from the Trump–Zelensky meeting at Mar-a-Lago last Sunday. 1/6
December 30, 2025 at 10:37 AM
The Russian fake news story about Ukraine’s alleged attack on Putin’s residence near Lake Valdai appears to have been a spontaneous response to reports of a positive outcome from the Trump–Zelensky meeting at Mar-a-Lago last Sunday. 1/6
Europe's top security conference has re-invited lawmakers from the far-right German AfD party, while denying it did so under US pressure. euobserver.com/eu-and-the-w...
Far-right German MPs invited to EU's top security event
Europe's top security conference has re-invited far-right "extremists", while denying it did so under US pressure.
euobserver.com
December 30, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Europe's top security conference has re-invited lawmakers from the far-right German AfD party, while denying it did so under US pressure. euobserver.com/eu-and-the-w...
The latest trick of Russia’s Trump Management Department: To sabotage US-UA-EU progress in the so-called “peace talks”, Putin complained to Trump that Ukraine allegedly attacked his residence with drones, yet offered no proof, no evidence of damage, and refused to say whether he was there.
December 29, 2025 at 8:18 PM
The latest trick of Russia’s Trump Management Department: To sabotage US-UA-EU progress in the so-called “peace talks”, Putin complained to Trump that Ukraine allegedly attacked his residence with drones, yet offered no proof, no evidence of damage, and refused to say whether he was there.
Slovak-made Grand Power weapons remain on sale in Russia because they are produced at a licensed factory in Nizhny Novgorod. The licence predated the 2022 invasion, but some weapons also reached Russia in breach of sanctions. vsquare.org/russian-fact...
Russian Factory Produces Weapons of a Slovak Brand Favored by Fico's Government - VSquare.org
Slovak-made Grand Power weapons are still available in Russian stores despite sanctions because they are manufactured by a factory in Nizhny Novgorod, about 420 km east of Moscow.
vsquare.org
December 29, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Slovak-made Grand Power weapons remain on sale in Russia because they are produced at a licensed factory in Nizhny Novgorod. The licence predated the 2022 invasion, but some weapons also reached Russia in breach of sanctions. vsquare.org/russian-fact...
On the Death of Denis Kapustin, Commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps. War, paradox, and the limits of political judgement.
On the Death of Denis Kapustin, Commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps
War, paradox, and the limits of political judgement
open.substack.com
December 29, 2025 at 9:18 AM
On the Death of Denis Kapustin, Commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps. War, paradox, and the limits of political judgement.
Denis Kapustin’s death is a reminder that war does not merely destroy; it generates anomalies that defy conventional political and moral frameworks. shekhovtsov.substack.com/p/on-the-dea...
December 28, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Denis Kapustin’s death is a reminder that war does not merely destroy; it generates anomalies that defy conventional political and moral frameworks. shekhovtsov.substack.com/p/on-the-dea...
The death of Denis “WhiteRex“ Kapustin, commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, brings into sharp focus how war bends political reality, creating outcomes that resist easy or convenient judgement. shekhovtsov.substack.com/p/on-the-dea...
On the Death of Denis Kapustin, Commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps
War, paradox, and the limits of political judgement
shekhovtsov.substack.com
December 27, 2025 at 12:35 PM
The death of Denis “WhiteRex“ Kapustin, commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, brings into sharp focus how war bends political reality, creating outcomes that resist easy or convenient judgement. shekhovtsov.substack.com/p/on-the-dea...
On Tuesday, the Trump regime imposed visa bans on a former EU commissioner and anti-disinformation activists, alleging censorship of US social media. 1/6
December 24, 2025 at 7:35 AM
On Tuesday, the Trump regime imposed visa bans on a former EU commissioner and anti-disinformation activists, alleging censorship of US social media. 1/6
“Voices in the shadows have long decried MI6’s shackling by a risk-averse, politically correct bureaucracy. A new more swashbuckling style would be welcome”, writes Edward Lucas @edwardlucas.bsky.social : www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
December 23, 2025 at 7:58 AM
“Voices in the shadows have long decried MI6’s shackling by a risk-averse, politically correct bureaucracy. A new more swashbuckling style would be welcome”, writes Edward Lucas @edwardlucas.bsky.social : www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
Russian elites are obtaining Serbian passports with visa-free access to the EU during the war. Among them are an FSB special forces member, a friend of Nikolay Patrushev, nuclear weapons manufacturers, a close associate of Ramzan Kadyrov, and dozens of others. storage.googleapis.com/istories/en/...
Belgrade Syndicate
Russian elites are obtaining Serbian passports with visa-free access to the EU during the war. Among them are an FSB special forces member, a friend of Nikolay Patrushev, nuclear weapons manufacturers,...
storage.googleapis.com
December 22, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Russian elites are obtaining Serbian passports with visa-free access to the EU during the war. Among them are an FSB special forces member, a friend of Nikolay Patrushev, nuclear weapons manufacturers, a close associate of Ramzan Kadyrov, and dozens of others. storage.googleapis.com/istories/en/...
How Putin Got His Preferred U.S. Envoy: Come Alone, No CIA www.wsj.com/world/putin-...
https://www.wsj.com/world/putin-witkoff-russia-envoy-04da229d
www.wsj.com
December 21, 2025 at 6:52 AM
How Putin Got His Preferred U.S. Envoy: Come Alone, No CIA www.wsj.com/world/putin-...
Following Russia’s fullscale attack on Ukraine, UK lord Richard Balfe framed the war as a Western “proxy conflict”, echoing Russian lies. Not surprising; his path into the pro-Kremlin sphere began in 2015, via the same people who’d later bribe Nathan Gill. shekhovtsov.substack.com/p/richard-ba...
Richard Balfe’s Path to Pro-Kremlin Alignment
From fake election observation to a decade of Moscow-friendly narratives
shekhovtsov.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Following Russia’s fullscale attack on Ukraine, UK lord Richard Balfe framed the war as a Western “proxy conflict”, echoing Russian lies. Not surprising; his path into the pro-Kremlin sphere began in 2015, via the same people who’d later bribe Nathan Gill. shekhovtsov.substack.com/p/richard-ba...
Finally. Germany’s foreign intelligence agency is set to gain powers to disrupt and sabotage enemies of the state as Berlin tightens its security strategy.
December 19, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Finally. Germany’s foreign intelligence agency is set to gain powers to disrupt and sabotage enemies of the state as Berlin tightens its security strategy.
Europe’s digital sovereignty won’t be secured by scolding oligarchs alone. It requires firm enforcement, transparency, and support for non-oligarchic platforms. Otherwise, social media remains governed by opaque algorithms and unaccountable power. shekhovtsov.substack.com/p/beyond-the...
Beyond the €120 Million Fine on X
Unresolved DSA concerns and the EU’s digital sovereignty
shekhovtsov.substack.com
December 18, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Europe’s digital sovereignty won’t be secured by scolding oligarchs alone. It requires firm enforcement, transparency, and support for non-oligarchic platforms. Otherwise, social media remains governed by opaque algorithms and unaccountable power. shekhovtsov.substack.com/p/beyond-the...