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“Attacks of this kind should be unacceptable”: Experts comment on Russian drone strike on nuclear research facility in Kyiv The risk of radioactive contamination from the reactor at the Institute for Nuclear Research is low, according to @russianforces.org.

“Attacks of this kind should be unacceptable”: Experts comment on Russian drone strike on nuclear research facility in Kyiv

Kyiv’s Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, which houses a research reactor, was struck by a Russian drone on Sept.…

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Russian tug Sarmat spent nearly a week operating around critical underwater cables off the coast of Denmark with seabed-capable equipment @StarboardIntel data showed the Russian ship operating between the island of Læsø and Denmark from Sept. 15 to 22.

Russian tug Sarmat spent nearly a week operating around critical underwater cables off the coast of Denmark with seabed-capable equipment

The Russian tugboat Sarmat spent nearly a week operating near critical underwater cables off the Danish coast, according to observations shared by open source…

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Satellite imagery reveals suspected hideout for ultra-secret Losharik submersible at Russian deep-sea research base The study comes amid reports of Russia’s increased activity near critical underwater infrastructure belonging to NATO countries.

Satellite imagery reveals suspected hideout for ultra-secret Losharik submersible at Russian deep-sea research base

A researcher at the Foreign Policy Research Institute analyzed satellite and declassified intelligence imagery of a base on the Kola Peninsula belonging to the…

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Russian diesel exports via the Black Sea fall to zero for the first time on record The drop coincided with rising risks to shipping in the area, which pushed war-risk premiums for loading oil at Black Sea ports to $2.90 a barrel by Sept. 21.

Russian diesel exports via the Black Sea fall to zero for the first time on record

Russian exports of diesel fuel and gasoil through the Black Sea fell to zero in the week ending Sept. 24, the first such occurrence since records began,…

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Russia and five CIS countries agree to share data on “extremists and terrorists” The agreement’s signing comes amid ongoing disputes over the extradition by Russia and other CIS countries of people prosecuted in extremism cases.

Russia and five CIS countries agree to share data on “extremists and terrorists”

On Sept. 30, the offices of the Prosecutors General of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan signed an agreement on countering…

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Penal colony in St. Petersburg confiscates books by foreign authors to burn them in a furnace Foreign literature was extracted from the prison library and from among the inmates’ belongings; only the Bible and Russian classics were allowed to remain.

Penal colony in St. Petersburg confiscates books by foreign authors to burn them in a furnace

On Sept. 29, the administration of Penal Colony No. 6 in St. Petersburg's Obukhovo district confiscated books by foreign authors from inmates, the city outlet…

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A useful ritual: Why authoritarian regimes still need elections — and why Russia’s model is weakening Putin’s Russia retains elections as a source of political legitimacy, but growing rigidity may soon make voting a liability for the system itself.

A useful ritual: Why authoritarian regimes still need elections — and why Russia’s model is weakening

From Sept. 18 to 20, Russia held its first State Duma elections since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The official results — nearly 58% in…

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U.S. levies sanctions on suppliers to Iran’s defense industry, including network tied to Shahed drone manufacturer HESA The package was imposed as part of Operation Economic Outcast, a broader U.S. campaign of sanctions on Iran announced in August.

U.S. levies sanctions on suppliers to Iran’s defense industry, including network tied to Shahed drone manufacturer HESA

The United States has imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and entities that, according to the U.S. Treasury Department, procured weapons and components for…

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German-owned Metro retailer in Samara supplied food to the Russian military — while the company’s Ukraine arm aided Kyiv’s forces The aid was provided to Russian soldiers for free in the second half of 2022. Vladimir Putin recently placed Metro’s Russian subsidiary under “temporary management.”

German-owned Metro retailer in Samara supplied food to the Russian military — while the company’s Ukraine arm aided Kyiv’s forces

A store belonging to German retailer Metro provided free food to Russian service members in the city of Samara on multiple occasions in 2022, according to the…

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Putin hands out state honors to 51 Channel One employees, including sanctioned propagandists and authors of fake news reports Dimitri Simes, charged in the U.S. with violating sanctions and money laundering, received the Order of Friendship.

Putin hands out state honors to 51 Channel One employees, including sanctioned propagandists and authors of fake news reports

Vladimir Putin has bestowed state honors on 51 employees of Russia’s state-run Pervy Kanal (Channel One), the result of a decree dated Sept. 29. Among the…

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Kanye West concerts in St. Petersburg will not take place, partner agency says The concerts, announced in August and planned for Oct. 10 and 11, reportedly drew criticism from the Kremlin due to the rapper’s statements in support for Adolf Hitler.

Kanye West concerts in St. Petersburg will not take place, partner agency says

Access Opera, a partner agency of the American rapper Kanye West, has officially confirmed — via Instagram — that the musician’s purportedly scheduled concerts…

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Chair of Russian opposition party Yabloko charged with “hooliganism” for spoiling his election ballot The Insider identified at least 13 similar cases since 2022 in which a message or drawing on a ballot served as grounds for administrative prosecution.

Chair of Russian opposition party Yabloko charged with “hooliganism” for spoiling his election ballot

A citation for petty hooliganism was filed against Russian opposition politician Nikolai Rybakov, chair of the Yabloko party, after he wrote slogans on four…

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“There’s no catch”: Russia’s Ministry of Defense rolls out recruitment drive for drone units at schools and universities nationwide At least 24 MoD posts about recruiting events were identified by OSINT analysts over the past six months, including 13 in June alone.

“There’s no catch”: Russia’s Ministry of Defense rolls out recruitment drive for drone units at schools and universities nationwide

Russia’s Defense Ministry is expanding a campaign to recruit students into its Unmanned Systems Forces. This past spring, the ministry mainly released…

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Tu-95 long-range bomber crashes in Russia’s far eastern Amur Region, killing six crew members The aircraft reportedly made an emergency landing shortly after taking off from the Ukrainka air base. One crew member survived and was taken to hospital.

Tu-95 long-range bomber crashes in Russia’s far eastern Amur Region, killing six crew members

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that a Tu-95 strategic bomber crashed in the Amur Region during a training flight earlier today.

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EU weighs NATO Article 4-style mechanism to coordinate response to hybrid attacks “The protocol can be compared to an alarm button: one country reports a threat, and the others coordinate a joint response,” EU policy expert Petar Tanev told The Insider.

EU weighs NATO Article 4-style mechanism to coordinate response to hybrid attacks

European Union defense ministers have discussed creating an emergency consultation mechanism in response to growing hybrid threats from Russia, according to a…

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Estonia accuses Russia of ordering arson attack on drone manufacturer Milrem Robotics “This act of sabotage is part of Russia’s broader campaign across Europe, aimed at intimidating us and weakening our support for Ukraine,” said foreign minister Margus Tsahkna.

Estonia accuses Russia of ordering arson attack on drone manufacturer Milrem Robotics

Estonian authorities have accused Russian intelligence services of ordering an arson attack that took place last month against a building in Tallinn belonging…

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Russia’s Kamchatka region is preparing for possible drone attacks — despite being 7,000 kilometers from Ukraine The local government recently said the region would buy radar equipment made in the western Russian city of Tula to protect energy and fuel facilities from drone strikes.

Russia’s Kamchatka region is preparing for possible drone attacks — despite being 7,000 kilometers from Ukraine

Authorities in Russia’s Kamchatka Region are building infrastructure to respond to possible drone attacks. The local governor has been tasked with supporting…

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At least 82 Russian regions have banned the publication of photos, videos and reports on Ukrainian drone strikes Detailed rules prohibit reporting a drone’s type, launch point, flight path, crash site, whether it hit a target and the damage caused.

At least 82 Russian regions have banned the publication of photos, videos and reports on Ukrainian drone strikes

Authorities in Russia’s Amur Region have banned the publication of information about Ukrainian drone attacks. Similar bans are now in force in at least 82 of…

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Oxygen Forensics, which supplied software to U.S. government agencies and Russia’s FSB, also worked with EU law enforcement The company’s tech was used in at least two EU-funded projects related to the collection, processing and sharing of electronic evidence, according to @politico.eu.

Oxygen Forensics, which supplied software to U.S. government agencies and Russia’s FSB, also worked with EU law enforcement

The Russian-American company Oxygen Forensics — which, as The Insider reported last week, supplied software to both U.S. and Russian security agencies — also…

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Russian state company looks to buy stakes in Chinese semiconductor plants for production capacity as domestic technology lags The most advanced process available in Russia domestically is 90 nanometers, a technology dating to 2003.

Russian state company looks to buy stakes in Chinese semiconductor plants for production capacity as domestic technology lags

Russia’s state-owned United Microelectronics Company (OMK) plans to acquire stakes in Chinese semiconductor factories, according to a report by the…

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