21 years in Russia's harshest prison. No trial. No justice.

Meet Alexey Pichugin, Putin's longest-serving political prisoner.

🧵Today’s his birthday — celebrate it by reading his story To provide context: In the 1990s and early 2000s, YUKOS was one of Russia's largest oil producers, which I led as CEO. In Putin's first term, he targeted the company with politically motivated charges of tax violations.

More on this: khodorkovsky.com/resources/dest…

Putin's Manufactured War Cheerleader:

Yaroslav Dronov, aka Shaman, is now under sanctions. Putin awarded him the top Russian arts title today.

Here's why his phenomenon might actually be a good thing 🧵 1/14 Shaman first gained minor fame on Russian versions of X Factor and The Voice a decade ago. But his big break came in February 2022, when he released the jingoistic song 'Rise Up' on the eve of Putin's invasion, which he claimed was "dictated from above". 2/14

In the shadow of Putin's war and a potential Trump return, France's economic decisions carry global consequences.

⬇️Here's why France's newly elected government must resist the temptation of the 90% tax trap The success of the French left during the last election came as a surprise to many. To me, it bears a striking resemblance to Mitterrand’s victory in 1981.

Lawyers have finally been allowed to visit @vkaramurza in the prison hospital. But there are still more questions than answers.

🧵Here's what I know from my personal experience with Russian prison hospitals

https://twitter.com/khodorkovsky_en/status/1810425690761875537

For 6 days, his family did not know what was happening with him. The Prison Service said he had been taken to the hospital, but did not allow any visits, even from lawyers, or phone calls.

This an update from his wife @ekaramurza:

The $1 billion Russian slush fund operating in the heart of London

🧵This startling investigation by

@dossier_center and @FT exposes a worrying relationship between Kremlin-linked tycoons, sanctioned state-owned Russian arms company, and British elite. The Gemcorp fund, worth $1bn, was established in 2014 Mayfair by two wealthy Russians with ties to the Kremlin – Albert Avdolyan and Sergey Adonyev

Vladimir @vkaramurza Kara-Murza is in a prison hospital. His condition is unknown.

After surviving poisonings and a 25-year sentence for opposing Putin, he may not survive this. 🧵1/8 Vladimir has been poisoned twice for his activism, and although he was strong enough to pull through on both occasions, his wife says the ordeals have left him suffering a neurological condition 2/8

Swiss authorities failed to investigate suspicious Russian millions tied to the Magnitsky case.

Here's what journalists found: 🧵 1/9 2/Sergei Magnitsky was a Russian tax lawyer who uncovered a massive $230M fraud scheme involving corrupt Russian officials. In 2008, he was arrested, tortured, and died in prison after exposing the crime.

Ilya Yashin turns 41 today.

But he'll spend it in a Russian prison, where he is serving an 8.5-year sentence for sharing the truth about war crimes in Bucha.

🧵You should know his story Yashin exemplifies the unbearable stakes of criticizing the war in Ukraine from inside Russia.

He received the longest sentence yet - 8.5 years - for a YouTube stream about Russian atrocities in Bucha.

Trump claims Putin wouldn't have invaded under him. Biden promises to stand firm.

🧵As someone who spent a decade in Putin's prisons, let me give you the reality check of their claims "Russia would've never attacked if I were president." - Trump

This is hypothetical and I don't see much evidence to support it, the state propaganda and Putin himself have been more sympathetic to Trump administration than the Biden administration.

Oceans and distance are not the reason to abandon Ukraine.

Make no mistake: NATO will be next if the U.S. abandons Ukraine.

🧵Here's why Putin needs war to achieve internal goals. A weak West is a perfect means for this. It's is how he consolidates support within the country. It is a justification for poverty, corruption, and lawlessness.

Putin and Kim Jong Un just signed a mutual defense pact that echoes Cold War-era alliances.

🧵Here's why this "anti-West alliance" should worry you: The visit to Pyongyang – his first since 2000, when Putin took power – has been lauded by Russian state media as proof that, despite the West's best efforts, he has not been isolated from world affairs

Western isolationism isn't just a retreat; it's an open invitation for tyranny to spread unchecked across the globe.

🧵Last week’s BRICS summit showed the extent of the challenge – and it needs to be met head-on Last week, BRICS foreign ministers gathered in Russia and reiterated their commitment to a ‘multipolar world’ – that is, one in which Western influence is limited, while dictators like Xi and Putin have free reign to cause instability

African students came to Russia seeking a better future — now Putin is using them as cannon fodder in his illegal war.

🧵Here's what you should know Why is this happening?

As much as Putin might want us all to believe that the war has majority support in Russia, whatever support does exist does not translate to people being willing to put their own lives on the line bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

The hard right is on the rise in Europe, with isolationist parties securing the largest share of votes in several countries.

1/15 🧵While respecting Europeans' choice, I'd like to caution newly elected representatives: While centrist and liberal parties are projected to retain a majority in the European Parliament, the hard right has increased its share of seats and may have greater influence on policy decisions

2/15

Russia's shell production: Separating fact from fiction

A recent report claimed Russia's shell production outpaces the West by 3-4 times.

1/10 🧵 While inaccurate, the real story is far from comforting A recent analysis by Bain & Company claimed that Russia produces shells at three times the rate and a quarter of the cost compared to the US and EU countries. However, this calculation was based on a flawed comparison



2/10news.sky.com/story/russia-i…

Putin, a bandit at his core, only understands the language of force.

The West's growing recognition of this fact could be pivotal in bringing the war in Ukraine to an end. 🧵 The majority of countries that supply weapons to Ukraine have, until recently, restricted Kyiv to deploy them only against targets within Ukrainian territory. They fear an escalation of the conflict.

The war in Ukraine reshaped the Russian military and forced it to adapt and modernize

1/16 🧵Uncover the hidden truths behind this transformation and its far-reaching implications in this eye-opening thread When Putin declared war, he was woefully unprepared. He based his decisions on misinformation from the FSB and pro-Russian figures in Ukraine like Medvedchuk. "

He genuinely believed it would be a brief police operation, and the initial deployment of riot police with batons and shields to a full-scale warzone is proof of it.

2/16

He prays for forgiveness, but actions speak louder than words

The email archive of Russia's new defense minister, obtained by my colleagues at @dossier_center, casts serious doubts on his character.

🧵1/15 - Read on and follow for more Dossier gained access to an archive of Belousov's emails and spoke to sources, which offers insight into the secrets of this low-profile public servant 2/15

Putin's entourage has left Beijing.

Secret weapon deals and failed agreements—here's what really agreed on and what it means for the future.

🧵(1/15) Putin brought his entire inner circle, including current and former defense ministers Belousov and Shoigu, foreign minister Lavrov, and prominent crony capitalists like Sechin, Timchenko, and Deripaska.

(2/15)

Putin is making gains in Ukraine.

Arming Kyiv is important, but it's not enough.

To truly hinder Putin's war effort, we need to get smart about sanctions and take real steps to undermine his regime.

1/12 🧵 Here are some concrete suggestions on how to do it right One important step would be to grant refugee passports to Russians whose passports have expired. This will allow them to act freely, safe from the need to return and subject themselves to repression

2/12

The West is losing the war: current efforts are insufficient to prevent the fall of key Ukrainian regions to Putin in the next 2 years.

1/16 🧵The facts you need to know

(Follow for a second part on good and bad sanctions) Putin spends about $120bn a year on the war – 5.4% of Russia’s $2.2 trillion GDP – with the most commonly used Russian shell costing about $500

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