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
In spring 2026, Peruvians traveled through Europe posing as tourists. Many had no idea they were being sent to fight in the war. IStories and La Encerrona journalists retraced their route and uncovered who was behind the recruitment operation 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
Lima – Donbas Express. How Russia Recruits Peru Nationals to Go to War
IStories and La Encerrona podcast retrace the route used to send people from Peru to fight in the war against Ukraine
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The Russian authorities have backed themselves into a corner — that’s where things stand today as Ukraine strikes Russian data centers. IStories explain what to expect from future attacks and why the situation won’t be fixed anytime soon 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
“Russia Has Backed Itself into a Corner”
Country’s “sovereign internet” proved vulnerable by Ukrainian attacks
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United Russia’s real election result is estimated at ≈35% of the vote, not 58% — about 60% of paper votes for the ruling party might be fabricated. IStories reports on the State Duma elections’ main results and anomalies 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
About 60% of Paper Votes for United Russia Might be Fabricated
Anomalies and statistics show that 18 of 30 millions of “paper votes” for United Russia in last week’s elections might actually be fabricated, which would…
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All of IStories sources in the Russian government say that holding the State Duma election was incredibly difficult. Officials and political strategists note fatigue and apathy. So, what can the election results actually tell us about current Russia? istories.media/en/opinions/...
No Miracles at the Elections, But Can We Declare Putin’s Triumph?
IStories’ Olga Churakova shares her opinion on the predictable election results in Russian State Duma
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For the first time, the new GAS Vybory 2.0 (‘Elections 2.0’) digital platform is being implemented at the federal level during the September 18–20 State Duma election. IStories examined the vulnerabilities, the issues and the creation process of the system 🔽 istories.media/en/stories/2...
Russia’s Digital Elections System Creation and Vulnerabilities Disclosed
An investigation by IStories
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Ivan Kirsanov had been working on a surveillance system project for the FSB. Then he left the country taking a copy of its internal documents archive. Why did he do it and what can we learn from the files? An investigation by IStories 🔽 www.istories.media/en/stories/2...
Unsafe Connections: the Classified Files Archive and the Philosophy Shared by an FSB Surveillance Project Ex-Developer
Ivan Kirsanov had been working on a surveillance system project for the Russian Federal Security Service. Then he left the country taking a copy of its…
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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…
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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…
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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
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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…
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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?
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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
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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
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❗ 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
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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...
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Независимое медиа. Расследования, репортажи, интервью и истории о том, что важно
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❗️ 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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...
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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