1/ The Russian government has hidden a vast amount of data from the public in an apparent attempt to conceal the impact of the war in Ukraine. An analysis shows that almost 500 datasets have been removed since February 2022, covering everything from weather to state pensions. ⬇️
2/ The Russian publication 'To Be Precise' reports that at least 44 government bodies have stopped publishing data, with some statistical platforms being taken down entirely. The law was changed in February 2023 to allow the government to stop publishing state statistics.
3/ Much of the data that has been removed or suspended from publication relates to direct or indirect indicators of the war's impact. Such datasets were often used by independent Russian commentators and analysts. They include:
4/ 🔺 Data showing the impact of sanctions, including imports, exports, oil production and refining.
🔺 Information on companies subject to sanctions, companies involved in military production and companies workin on import substitution.
5/🔺 Government procurement and contracts, and budget expenditures.
🔺 Data relating to deaths and disabilities caused by the war.
🔺 Almost all data on prisoners, many of whom have died after being recruited to fight in Ukraine.
6/🔺 Monthly data on crimes committed with the use of firearms, ammunition and explosives, which had increased greatly in Russian regions bordering Ukraine.
🔺 Data on atmospheric altitude conditions was deleted following drone attacks on Moscow.
7/ 🔺 Data on potential strategic targets such as power plants, power lines, and radioactive waste storage sites, as well as regional offices of government departments.
🔺 Information on energy consumption, which could be used to infer the state of the economy.
8/🔺 Data on migration and the issuing of passports to residents of occupied regions of Ukraine.
🔺 At least 40 Russian government websites are now inaccessible to non-Russian IP addresses, likely in an attempt to prevent them being targeted by DDoS attacks from abroad.
1/ Russian soldiers are reportedly being punished by being sent into assaults with anti-tank mines strapped to their bodies, made to dig their own graves for complaining, and risk death delivering New Year's Eve alcohol and caviar for their commanders.
2/ Andrei Vladimirovich Shekhovtsev, a member of the Russian 60th Separate motorised rifle brigade (military unit 16871), says that his commanders are systematically abusing, extorting and killing the men under their command.
3/ He says that his evacuation group was ordered on the night of 1 January 2026 to deliver alcohol and red caviar to a command position for a celebration. He refused, citing the danger of Ukrainian attacks. The order was reissued to some Russian drone operators instead.
1/ A Russian general notorious for his incompetence is said to have been in charge of providing military advice to the former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. Russian warbloggers complain that failing generals are often sent abroad, to the detriment of their hosts. ⬇️
2/ Roman Saponkov writes that "it turns out that General [Oleg Leontyevich] Makarevich was an advisor in Venezuela at the time of the US operation."
3/ "If anyone didn't know, he's another one of our generals who turned out to be so incompetent that he was k̶i̶c̶k̶e̶d̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶a̶ ̶b̶r̶o̶t̶h̶e̶l̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶w̶h̶o̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ removed from command in the Armed Forces.
1/ Donald Trump should be assassinated and US ships sunk in revenge for the US seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker, say angry Russian warbloggers. Others worry that the episode shows Russia's weakness and inability to protect its own interests, just like in Venezuela. ⬇️
2/ 'Hard Blog' and others say that Russia needs to be ready to go to war, as mere words won't be a sufficient response to such a serious provocation:
3/ "The US has shifted from covert operations to demonstrations of force and provocations, seeking confrontation with us and China. When you've invested so much in the armed forces, what's the point of keeping them on a leash?
1/ False claims by Russian commanders to have captured Ukrainian towns and villages – a practice known as 'taking on credit' – have likely cost thousands of Russian lives through 2025. A Russian commentary highlights some of the most egregious claims. ⬇️
2/ The map above, published on the Russian Ministry of Defence's Telegram channel, claims control of settlements near Kupyansk that were never in Russian hands. Similar official maps show the Russian front line kilometres ahead of where independent observers place it.
3/ As discussed in the thread below, Russian commanders have many personal incentives to falsely claim captures. The result is that soldiers are often sent without support to (re)capture settlements that are already claimed to be under Russian control.
1/ Could Russia's special forces have carried out America's Venezuela operation? Almost certainly not, admit Russian warbloggers, as they say that the US SOF have capabilities, scale, a level of organisation, and effective management that their Russian equivalents lack. ⬇️
2/ The spectacular success of the US special forces in capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has led to some sober reappraisals among Russian warbloggers of the relative effectiveness of Russian and American special forces.
3/ 'Special-purpose channel' comments that the Venezuelan operation was "aimed at one specific target. This wasn't part of a large-scale invasion, but rather, our favourite 'in and out' strategy."
1/ Elon Musk faces a spiralling worldwide crisis and growing legal jeopardy over child pornography and nonconsensual sexual images being generated through his Grok AI chatbot. Multiple countries and jurisdictions have now announced investigations into X and xAI. ⬇️
2/ As reported by Reuters, many thousands of AI-generated sexual images have appeared on X over the Christmas and New Year period. They include images of real women being digitally undressed, repositioned in sexual poses, and covered in simulated semen ('donut glaze').
3/ The images created through Grok by X users have also reportedly included sexualised images of pre-teen children as young as four years old.