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/ A leaked list of casualties from a Russian battalion taking part in an offensive suggests a killed/wounded ratio of 1:36 to 1. According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, losses stand at over 100,000 dead this year alone. ⬇️
2/ A reported list of the losses of the Russian 3rd Motorised Rifle Battalion of the 9th Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade (military unit 71443) lists 163 casualties in only a month. Daily casualties are stated to be between 5 and 10 per day.
3/ This is almost certainly an underestimate, as commanders often underreport losses to make themselves look better or to exclude those who have been executed or tortured to death by their own side. The brigade is known for cruelty towards its men.
1/ FOOL'S GOLD IN UKRAINE, PART 3: The Russian government promises bonuses to soldiers who destroy Ukrainian tanks and seize positions – but it's unlikely that they will long enjoy the benefits. Former Russian soldier Igor S. explains more about the illusory riches of the war. ⬇️
1/ FOOL'S GOLD IN UKRAINE, PART 2: Former Russian soldier Igor S. from Chuvashia was invalided out of the Russian army after sustaining injuries at Chasiv Yar. This thread continues his account of how the riches promised to Russians fighting in Ukraine are illusory. ⬇️
"How did our "Ministry of Finance" work? Very simple: we handed over cards with a PIN code, they were at the base in Berdiansk [in the occupied part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region]."
1/ Russian warbloggers say that the message from Donald Trump is clear: Russia is free to do anything it wants in Ukraine over the next 50 days. They advise the Russian government to "wreck Ukraine" in "the promised, bloodiest period" ahead. ⬇️
2/ 'Military Informant' asks, "Where did the unusual 50 days come from for Trump, who previously liked to measure everything in two weeks?" It comes up with the same answer as many Western commentators – that it matches Putin's timeframe for completing his conquests:
3/ "▪️Today, Axios published an article stating that Vladimir Putin, during a phone call with Trump, said that Russia would attempt to establish control over all entities included in the Russian constitution [i.e. taking control of all annexed regions] within the next 60 days.
1/ Most Russian soldiers go to Ukraine hoping to earn life-changing amounts of money. As one ex-soldier from Chuvashia describes, however, the reality is very different: the only things that are free are "ammunition and body bags", and soldiers have to buy everything else. ⬇️
2/ 46-year-old Igor S. from Chuvashia survived the Ukraine war at the cost of an eye and many fragmentation injuries. He has described his experiences with the Russian army from his mobilisation in September 2022 to his discharge following injuries sustained in January 2024.
3/ A participant in the Chechen wars, he went to Ukraine "not because I am a super-patriot or because I want to conquer Ukraine. It’s just that there is no one to take to war from our village – young people and old people. The men left because there is no work or prospects."
1/ A Russian soldier with cancer and two broken legs was sent to the front lines in Ukraine to fight in a wheelchair, even though his chronic condition meant that he was ineligible to serve. After his cancer was deemed terminal, he was sent home to die. ⬇️
2/ 42-year-old Vitaly Anisimov suffered from a rare and usually fatal condition, gastric arteriovenous malformation, for which he had a complex operation in 2019. Despite still being chronically unwell, in 2022 he was abruptly mobilised into the Russian army.
3/ His daughter Anastasia said that despite the family's protests, the recruitment officers told him, "We don't care about your diagnoses - according to our papers, you are suitable." He fell a few days later and broke both his legs. Despite this he was declared fit.