1/ At least 2,500 scientists are reported to have left Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022 and the number of published scientific papers has collapsed. This comes as the result of isolation due to sanctions, visa restrictions and state paranoia. ⬇️
2/ Novaya Gazeta Europe (NGE) reports on the outcome of a survey of the international ORCID database, which lists more than 20 million scientists globally. Registration in ORCID is mandatory for publishing employees of large Russian universities.
3/ The data indicates more than 130,000 scientists resident in Russia in October 2023. The share of these changing their residence from Russia to a foreign country was practically unchanged from 2012 to 2021, but jumped to 30% in 2022.
4/ NGE estimates that, based on the trendlines, around 2,500 scientists have emigrated since 2022. The number of foreign scientists choosing to come to Russia has also dropped by over two-thirds.
5/ Many of the emigrants are likely to be younger people, as older, more established scientists face more professional and personal difficulties from emigration. Younger men are also more likely to be subjected to mobilisation and have a bigger incentive to leave Russia.
6/ According to one university professional interviewed by NGE, "the best are trying to leave immediately after completing their bachelor’s, master’s and postgraduate studies." Unlike IT workers, scientists are not exempted from being mobilised to fight in Ukraine.
7/ While most emigrating Russian scientists left for the US, Germany and the UK before the war, since February 2023 other destinations have been prefered, in particular Uzbekistan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and the UAE with a 300% growth in Russian scientific immigration.
8/ The top three destinations are now Germany, the US and Israel – which has had a 175% increase. However, Russian scientific immigration to the UK, France and the US has fallen by more than 20%.
9/ The impact on Russian science is already visible, with a sharp fall in the number and quality of published papers. The share of global science attributed to Russia has fallen from 2-3% to only 1-2%. Russian participation in international scientific conferences has shrunk.
10/ The collapse has been particularly noticeable in the proportion of academic conference papers with a Russia-affiliated author. Around 35,000 had at least one Russia-based author in 2021 but this dropped to about 20,000 in 2022 and only about 11,000 in 2023.
11/ One publication, the UK-based Journal of Physics: Conference Series, illustrates this trend starkly: papers by Russian authors presented in the series fell from nearly 6,000 in 2021 to only 106 by November 2023, despite Russia traditionally being a leader in physics research.
12/ The reasons for this are not hard to find. Scientists are often physically unable to attend conferences due to visa restrictions and bans on direct flights between Russia and the West. Russian scientists were also removed from international collaborative programmes.
13/ Russian scientists report an growing atmosphere of fear and paranoia at home, as well as a shortage of equipment and scientific supplies due to sanctions. Contact and collaboration with foreigners is regarded with increasing suspicion by the authorities.
14/ In some instances, distinguished scientists working on hypersonics and quantum technology have been charged with treason and illegally sharing information in a number of high-profile cases, even though they are said to have had official permission to collaborate.
15/ The impact on Russian science is likely to last for decades. The losses are not all one way, however, as Russia's withdrawal from the global scientific community is likely to hinder collective efforts on issues such as climate change. /end
1/ Russia is said to be lagging far behind Ukraine in drone production, with as many as 40 to 100 Ukrainian drones for every Russian one. An angry commentary from a Russian warblogger complains of an ongoing failure by Russia to produce enough drones for the front. ⬇️
2/ 'Voenkor Kotenok' writes: "For those infinitely removed from the front line and who understand the war as a stream of official media reports, let me explain: at the moment, full-scale counter-attacks are taking place in many directions and sectors of the…
3/ …Special Military Operation, involving small units/groups/detachments. The fighting is fierce, with varying success, with individual terrain, positions, strongholds, and the ruins of populated areas changing hands four or five times.
1/ Russian convicts are refusing en masse to join the army, according to the jailed Igor 'Strelkov' Girkin. In contrast to Yevgeny Prigozhin's recruitment campaigns in 2022-23, which attracted tens of thousands of recruits, distrust of the army is now said to be universal. ⬇️
2/ Girkin, who was jailed last year, is reportedly being held in the IK-5 penal colony in Kirovo-Chepetsk in the Kirov region. The facility specialises in holding ex-security officials (Girkin is ex-FSB). As such it might normally be expected to provide plenty of army recruits.
3/ The reality is very different though, according to Girkin. Interestingly, he says that the imprisonment of deserters is causing the wider prison population to become more aware of how the army treats its men and makes them more resistent to recruitment efforts:
1/ The constant presence of drones has fundamentally changed the nature of the war in Ukraine, according to Russian warblogger Alexander Kharchenko. The only way to survive is to stay underground, and it can take days to travel just a few kilometres. ⬇️
2/ On his Telegram channel 'Witnesses of Bayraktar', Karchenko writes:
"Movement is life. In the Special Military Operation, this axiom has taken on new meaning. Just a year ago, you could zip into Novohrodivka on a motorcycle and be out before sunset."
3/ "Now, such a scenario resembles a Hollywood blockbuster about tough guys. In real life, the brave and courageous move from one shelter to another. It can take a week to walk ten kilometres.
1/ A truck crash in Ufa, in which 12 vehicles were struck and two people killed by a runaway Chinese-made construction truck, has highlighted concerns about Russia's widespread substitution of European vehicles with cheaper Chinese alternatives. ⬇️
2/ The accident took place on 15 October 2025 at the intersection of Ufa Highway and Novozhenova Streets in Ufa in the Republic of Bashkortostan. According to local authorities, 11 passenger cars and a cargo truck were struck, killing two people and injuring six more.
3/ The vehicle which caused the accident was a Chinese-made Shacman truck, made by the Shaanxi Automobile Group Co., Ltd.. The company operates in 140 countries worldwide, with manufacturing plants outside China in Mexico, Algeria, and Kyrgyzstan.
1/ Russian 'grey imports' to support the war effort are facing a crisis, following simultaneous crackdowns by Chinese, Kazakh and Russian customs officials. Thousands of truckloads of drone parts and medical supplies are said to be stuck at the border. ⬇️
2/ Much of the frontline Russian army's supplies comes from 'humanitarian aid' organised by volunteer groups, who purchase supplies from Chinese companies and ship it overland to Russia – either directly across the Chinese border or via Kazakhstan, which is cheaper.
3/ However, multiple Russian warbloggers say that the customs services of all three countries have cracked down on grey imports, for differing reasons. They warn that this threatens a crisis for the front lines, and the loss of many Russian soldiers' lives.
1/ The Russian warblogger Maxim Kalashnikov says that on parts of the front line, the ratio of killed and wounded is "almost 1:1 already". His friend Yuri Yevich blames Ukrainian drones for preventing evacuations at any time of the day or night. ⬇️
2/ In a video interview, Kalashnikov and Yevich discuss what Kalashnikov calls "a terrible problem":
3/ "I judge by what they write about evacuations and medical losses. That is, our wounded are not being transported for objective reasons and are forced to wait for help, sometimes for days, while wounded. It is very, very difficult to evacuate them.