Call to action!
"It is our responsibility to show the international community a clear antiwar stance that we as Russian citizens, free from the claws of Putin's regime and propaganda machine, are taking"
message from @rusdemsoc
"We cannot allow ourselves to get used to this criminal war, let alone remain silent when Putin claims that it is being waged on our behalf and with our support." @rusdemsoc
These banners speak volumes (Prague, 26.3.2022)
It's been nearly a year since Putin has started an atrocious war against Ukraine
On Feb 24-26 there will be massive rallies & demonstrations held by Russians all over the world to protest against this terrible war
Russians living abroad, join them!
📷 Russians in 🇨🇿 (26.3.2022)
📢 Save the Date
📣 Russians all over the world protesting against this terrible war
🗓 When? February 24-26
As Putin proposes "external administration" for Ukraine, he's not seeking territory—he's measuring how far he can go while America contemplates its role in the conflict.
The current stage of peace talks is revealing more than it seems.
🧵Here are 3 things that stand out—and what they mean going forward.
1. Escalation is deliberate, not reactive
Putin's announcement about external administration of Ukraine says one thing – he is being traditional about testing the sharp rise of stakes. Judging by the rules presented to the US and Trump in that same speech, there's an expectation that the current US administration favors increased pressure on the Ukrainian authorities.
2. Ukraine is caught in an economic and diplomatic vice
This coincided with the emergence of a new, more stringent version of the agreement on "rare-Earth metals". Ukraine has been caught in a vice and easing the pressure with French and German help won't be easy. But the prospects are cloudy, and not only for Ukraine.
Russia's secret fleet: How "floating scrap" tankers are evading sanctions and creating an environmental time bomb.
🧵@dossier_center investigation exposes the dangerous shell game playing out in international waters
Dossier tracked one such vessel, the Morpheus, which is anchored off Cyprus. It never leaves the area. Instead, it receives Russian oil from inbound tankers and offloads it to others, masking its Russian origin through a series of transfers
On Feb 19, Dossier filmed the Voula, a tanker from Novorossiysk, transferring 30,000 tons of oil products to the Morpheus off Limassol. The operation took place in neutral waters —beyond the legal reach of Cyprus or the EU
The Soviet regime couldn't break him with forced psychiatry. Now Putin's Russia has sentenced 67-year-old Alexander Skobkov to 16 years.
Skobov was twice sentenced to three years of punitive psychiatry in 1978 and 1985 because of his activism against the Soviet dictatorship. Now, his continued resistance to tyranny has landed him in prison
He was convicted by a St Petersburg court of ‘justifying terrorism’ over his prior participation in the democratic Free Russia Forum, as well as a Telegram post he made about the explosion on the bridge linking Russia to occupied Crimea
In 2022, Putin bombed Mariupol theater where women and children sheltered.
Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko wrote about it on Telegram, got 6 years.
🧵 But even that wasn't enough. Now she's on the verge of killing herself because of mistreatment when in prison
Maria was imprisoned over Telegram posts about the air strike on the Mariupol Drama Theater in 2022 – you will have seen images of the building with the word “children” spelled out on the ground outside in a desperate bid to deter attacks apnews.com/article/russia…
During her most recent court hearing, Maria showed her lawyers a cut on her arm, where she had cut herself out of desperation after being mistreated by prison staff. She is also on a dry hunger strike
And his response to the proposed ceasefire proves it.
🧵Read on to understand his real strategy and goals
Trump and Putin’s private talks have ended in an agreement on a 30-day pause on strikes against energy infrastructure. A dirty peace, but better than no peace at all.
It is a far cry from a full ceasefire, which Ukraine had already agreed to, under Trump’s pressure. Meanwhile, Putin keeps adding conditions
Putin has ruled Russia for 25+ years. One group has remained unshakably loyal: his bodyguards.
They protect him, secure his homes test his food for poison. FSB officers cook him food
@dossier_center reveals the extraordinary measures taken to protect Putin
The Presidential Security Service (SBP), part of the Federal Protective Service (FSO), is an elite, autonomous unit. It protects Putin, secures his residences, prepares his food, and even maintains his properties
SBP officers are expected to lay down their lives for Putin. They remained by his side even during the pandemic, when he isolated himself. They also guard his children and closest associates