Vladimir Putin recently called for 134,500 new army conscripts. 

12 Russian soldiers were fired for refusing to fight in Ukraine. Now, they are trying to get their jobs back.

"This whole situation has clearly revealed good and evil." A powerful interview with Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov, whose Novaya Gazeta newspaper suspended publication today.

Two of Russia's biggest rappers are taking a stance against the war in Ukraine.

Today is International Women's Day, which traces its roots to 1917, when Russian women demanded "bread and peace." Four days later the tsar was forced to abdicate and the provisional government granted women the right to vote. What's going on today in Russia?

A letter from a friend, from the front lines in St. Petersburg.

In which we review two books: one full of poetry, another full of Putin.

An illustrated history that draws parallels between a potential invasion of Ukraine today and Catherine the Great’s occupation and annexation of Crimea in the late 1700s.
 

A Siberian zoo's mascot competition has ended in fraudulent activity, anger, and political outrage. 

In this week's Odder News: a propaganda failure, fishing robots, and a cross-dressing bandit.

The history of Russia since 2008 has been to repeatedly lop off appendages – nose, ears, digits – to spite itself. Obsessed by erroneous threats, it has invaded its neighbors, quashed all democratic activity, rigged votes, interfered in foreign elections, harbored and/or enabled international cybercrime… and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The government wants to close down Memorial, while at the same time not be seen as the sort of repressive state that brought about the need for a Memorial. Lose-lose balancing act.