IStories Media
@istories.bsky.social
Independent newsroom focused on Russia. Investigating Russian war crimes in Ukraine, corruption, and life in the country. Install our app: onelink.to/istoriesapp Support our journalism: https://istories.media/en/donations/?utm_source=blsk
Brian Sutton, accused of masterminding one of the largest fraud schemes ever uncovered in the U.S., is living freely in Russia. IStories found he owns luxury cars, a villa near Moscow, and a stake in an MMA club tied to a Russian parliament member 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
American Fraudster’s Luxury Life in Russia
Brian Sutton, accused of masterminding one of the largest fraud schemes to ever be unraveled in the United States, is living freely in Russia. Among his…
istories.media
The Russian state security service — FSB — has been trying to implement AI in its anti-opposition operations for at least two years. IStories investigated how the development of the Pauk (“Spider”) system went — and why it was stopped (at least for now) 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
AI at the (Federal Security) Service
The Russian state security service — FSB — has been trying to implement AI in its anti-opposition operations for at least two years. IStories investigated how…
istories.media
A family of Russian Duma deputy close to the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov supports Russian militaries in the war against Ukraine while investing millions of euros in Luxembourg and Germany. Here’s what we’ve found thanks to the #OpenLux project data 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
One Powerful Family, Different Sides of the War
A Russian Duma deputy’s family supports Russian militaries in the war against Ukraine while investing millions of euros in Luxembourg and Germany — Stories
istories.media
Nuclear threats have become a permanent feature of Russian rhetoric since the start of the war against Ukraine. But do they signal a genuine willingness to use nuclear weapons — or are they merely a bluff? Here’s how Russia’s nuclear policy has evolved under Putin 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
Putin and the Bomb: History of Russian Nuclear Blackmail
IStories unfold the Russian president’s path from discussing “getting rid of extensive weapons” back in 2000 to being ready to “employ all available means” in…
istories.media
Tensions among Russia’s elite are rising, and the power structures created by Vladimir Putin, made of various clans, are beginning to falter. Here are the most powerful clans, who will likely participate in the inevitable Russian “Game of Thrones” 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
The Mapping of Power: Russia’s “Game of Thrones”
Who is likely to participate?
istories.media
After being released from prisons in Russia, Ukrainian citizens are indefinitely kept in practical captivity — in prison-like conditions, without proper medical care and with no possibility to return home. IStories managed to talk to them 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
Never-ending Prison
After being released from prisons in Russia, Ukrainian citizens are indefinitely kept in practical captivity
istories.media
Vladimir Putin has dubbed the Russo-Ukrainian war veterans “the new elite,” but they’ve actually become a problem for the Kremlin, as they are unwanted as a genuine political force. Why do these “heroes” not fit into Russia’s existing political machinery? istories.media/en/opinions/...
No Time for “Heroes”
Russia’s war veterans do not fit into the existing political machinery
istories.media
❗ The critical vulnerability in Telegram messaging app, exposed by IStories in an investigation into the its ties with the FSB, poses a genuine threat to the privacy of all the app’s users, independent cybersecurity experts have found 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
Independent Review Confirms Critical Telegram Vulnerability Previously Exposed by IStories
The privacy of hundreds of millions of users is at risk, experts say
istories.media
6 years ago, IStories started reporting on what those in power would rather keep hidden: corruption, sanctions evasion, war crimes, and internals of the Russian state. We’re still here despite the Kremlin’s attempts to stop us — help us reach year 7! istories.media/en/donations...
Support us!
Независимое медиа. Расследования, репортажи, интервью и истории о том, что важно
istories.media
❗️ Roskomnadzor, Russia’s state censoring agency, has sent demands to Apple and Google to remove the IStories mobile app from their stores, claiming that the app “destabilizes the socio-political situation” in Russia 🔽 istories.media/en/news/2026...
Roskomnadzor Demands Removal of IStories App From App Store and Google Play
The state censoring agency believes that the app “destabilizes the socio-political situation” in Russia
istories.media
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated Russia is once again attempting to drag Belarus into the war. Is it possible? How could it look and how would it affect Ukraine? IStories have requested experts to comment on this 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
Might Belarus Join Russia in the War?
IStories have requested experts to comment on how probable it is
istories.media
The Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development’s new initiatives will effectively leave people with only the state-run internet. Here’s what regional internet service providers say about this 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
New Reforms Will Leave Some Areas of Russia without Internet, Internet Providers Warn
Essentially, only the state-run internet will remain in the whole country
istories.media
Mathew Kyle Dubron is a former American and Israeli military serviceman. He went to army recruitment offices in both Moscow and Kyiv and told IStories about what he saw in Russia and Ukraine amid the war 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
On March 30, the Tribunal de Paris was holding the first hearing of Dmitry Klyuev’s case, IStories found out. He is the alleged mastermind behind the 2007 tax fraud scheme that had been uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky 🔽 www.istories.media/en/news/2026...
Alleged Magnitsky Case Fraud Mastermind Tried in Absentia in France
This is the first investigation on Dmitry Klyuev’s activity to reach the trial stage
istories.media
A plant in Ireland owned by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska turned out to be part of a supply chain for missile production in Russia — yet it is not under sanctions. An investigation by IStories, OCCRP, The Irish Times, and partners 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
From Irish Alumina to Russian Rockets
An investigation by IStories, OCCRP, The Irish Times, and partners
istories.media
How the daughter of a Russian intelligence officer gained access to some of the world’s most powerful people — @istories_eng tells the story of Lana Pozhidaeva, who was involved in Jeffrey Epstein’s network and recruited women for him from the former USSR 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
How the Daughter of a Russian Intelligence Officer Became a Recruiter for Epstein’s Trafficking Network
Important Stories tells the story of Lana Pozhidaeva — an MGIMO graduate, model, and daughter of career intelligence officers — who for many years was involved in Jeffrey Epstein’s network and recruit...
istories.media
In 2022, a new trend emerged in the Russian segment of Telegram messenger: public channels that exclusively post videos of brutal executions from the war in Ukraine, known as sn*ff. IStories found out who created them and profited from them 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
The Russian War Snuff Videos Industry: “Welcome to the Real Murders Channel”
Who makes money off videos of brutal war executions published on Telegram channels
istories.media
By early 2025, North Korean munitions had become vital for the Russian military effort in Ukraine, accounting for 75–100% of all daily artillery fire. How the DPRK armed Russia — an investigation by IStories and Open Source Centre 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
Since December 2025, a coercive campaign has been underway in Russian universities and colleges to make students enlist in the military. Here’s what we know about the student recruitment campaign and how to avoid it 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
Students Recruited to War in Universities and Colleges All Over Russia
What we know about the student recruitment campaign and how to avoid it
istories.media
Russia’s military aims to recruit 80,000 contract soldiers for its drone forces by the end of 2026, IStories found in Defense Ministry documents that were publicly accessible. The campaign includes recruiting students and conscripts 🔽 istories.media/en/news/2026...
Russia Aims to Recruit 80,000 Contract Soldiers for Unmanned Systems Forces by Year’s End
Effort involves targeting students and moving conscripts to professional contracts
istories.media
How Wagner’s Yevgeny Prigozhin’s network kept operating in Africa and Latin America after his death (with Russian intelligence’s help) — an investigation by IStories, The Continent, Forbidden Stories, Dossier Center, All Eyes On Wagner, and openDemocracy 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
“The Central African Republic Supports Trump”
How Wagner’s network operated in Africa and Latin America after Prigozhin’s death
istories.media
IStories now has its own app for iPhone and Android! You can read and watch investigations without a VPN, even in Russia — the app bypasses censorship and disguises itself 🔽 onelink.to/istoriesapp
🔴 #PropagandaMachine: An unprecedented data leak shared by our partner @thecontinent.org has helped us uncover new findings on Russian influence operations.Tomorrow, Forbidden Stories will reveal more. @istories.bsky.social @opendemocracy.net @aeowinpact.bsky.social Dossier Center
Ramzan Kadyrov’s health is deteriorating, and speculation has resurfaced over who could become Chechnya’s next leader. Here’s how Chechnya and the Kremlin are preparing for a change of power in the region after Kadyrov’s death 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
How Chechnya and the Kremlin Are Preparing for the Death of Ramzan Kadyrov
The successor will be the one who can guarantee the Kadyrov family’s security and keep Chechnya under Kremlin control
istories.media
In France, prosecutors have seized assets belonging to the head of Gazprombank Andrey Akimov and his deputy totaling more than €100 million. IStories previously published a joint investigation with Le Monde about Akimov’s European assets 🔽 istories.media/en/news/2026...
What we learned about Russia’s Unified Military Registry: how it was hacked, its security flaws, preparations for mobilization (and who is shielded from it), the key figures behind it, and the developers’ opinions. An investigation by IStories 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
What We Learned from a Hacker Attack on the Russian Military Registry Developer
Over the past three years, Russia has almost completed the development of a digital registry that can be used for a new and more effective war mobilization campaign, storing data on 25 million citizen...
istories.media
❗ Roman Anin, the publisher and former editor-in-chief of IStories, has been stripped of his Russian citizenship after a Russian court found him guilty of “spreading fake news” about the actions of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine 🔽 istories.media/en/news/2025...
IStories Founder Roman Anin Stripped of Russian Citizenship
The decision is linked to the publication of an investigation by Ekaterina Fomina about the mass shootings of civilians in Bucha
istories.media
Authorities evict Chechen Alternative for Germany party member Murad Dadaev (Noah Krieger) from his villa in Hanover following investigation by IStories and @correctiv.org. The article established Dadaev’s connections with Ramzan Kadyrov’s people in Europe. istories.media/en/news/2025...
How did a Grozny native whose brother participated in the assassination of Ramzan Kadyrov’s opponent become a prominent figure in the AfD party and gather German far-rightists around him — an investigation by @correctiv.org and IStories 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
The First Chechen of German Nationalism
How did a Grozny native whose brother participated in the assassination of Ramzan Kadyrov’s opponent become a prominent figure in the Alternative for Germany party and gather German far-rightists arou...
istories.media
Hackers breach the infrastructure of key Unified Military Register developer. They gained access to data on the development of the register. Soon we’ll reveal how the registry works and break down its main components. istories.media/en/news/2025...
Hackers Breach Infrastructure of Key Unified Military Register Developer
They gained access to data on the development of the register
istories.media