Russia.Post

Mobile internet in central Moscow was shut down for nearly three weeks. The costs rippled across the entire urban economy, affecting delivery, transport, subscriptions, retail, payments, and more. Why do these shutdowns matter? russiapost.info/internet-shutd…

📍 New research. How does the Kremlin decide which cultural initiatives deserve support — and which values that support should promote? ➡️ therussiaprogram.org/presidential-f…

Foreign firms are no longer rushing for the exit in Russia. The wave of departures has slowed to a trickle as Kremlin “countersanctions,” and budget payments make leaving difficult. Why many companies now stay quiet, hibernate, or remain stuck? russiapost.info/foreign-firms-…

The conflict in Iran could give Russia a temporary advantage — with serious long-term costs. Read the analysis russiapost.info/economy/war_in…

A new survey shows Russians still look to the state for security and certainty — not to themselves or civil society. russiapost.info/society/securi…

For Russia oil is becoming a problem, not a lifeline: output below OPEC+ quota, costs rising, and the budget increasingly financed by expensive domestic debt. Igor Lipsits on Russia’s economic “maelstrom”: russiapost.info/economy/maelst…

Repression in Russia isn’t “declining” — it’s mutating. OVD-Info says political cases are increasingly routed through treason/espionage and terrorism/extremism charges, making motives harder to prove. Read the analysis russiapost.info/society/ovd_in…

Why US–Russia “resets” keep collapsing? What does the mismatch between Trump’s deal-first diplomacy vs. the Kremlin’s ideological, revanchist war aims mean for Ukraine and Western strategy. russiapost.info/politics/trump…

📢 Join our digital methods training school! The next series of online trainings starts next week. We provide hands-on training to turn digital traces into reliable empirical evidence—without requiring specialized technical skills. therussiaprogram.org/school/

Cutting Russian oil revenues is harder than it looks: exports rerouted, discounts adjusted, logistics improvised. Pressure works—but slowly, via rising costs and falling investment. Read the analysis russiapost.info/economy/oil_se…

Russians are buying more antidepressants than ever — yet there’s still no real “Prozac culture.” Instead of identity-talk or self-exploration, the conversation is mostly pragmatic: what works, how to take it, how to survive. russiapost.info/society/no_pro…

Russia’s economy may be drifting into a quiet financial crisis. A pro-gov think tank (CMASF) says a moderate banking crisis and bad-debt crisis now meet formal criteria: ~10%+ “bad” bank assets (SMEs ~19%). Read the analysis: russiapost.info/economy/financ…

Kremlin memory politics, updated: “Holocaust remembrance” is quietly sidelined while the state elevates a new flagship narrative — the “genocide of the Soviet people” (now with an official commemorative date, April 19). Read the analysis russiapost.info/politics/genoc…

📍 How Returning Veterans Are Driving a Surge in Violent Crime in Russia ➡️ russiapost.info/society/war_co… A new CEDAR study for The Russia Program finds that nearly 8,000 veterans of Russia’s war against Ukraine have been convicted of civilian crimes since 2022 — a growing share of them for violence. 🔹 Scale: ~8,000 convictions linked to war participants since 2022; about 7,000 were veterans who had already returned home. 🔹 Rising yearly totals: roughly 350 cases identified in 2022, 2,500 in 2023, and 4,700+ in 2024 (2025 figures are incomplete so far). 🔹 Violence & domestic abuse: 900+ veterans prosecuted for violent crimes; 423+ victims killed (including fatal traffic cases). The dataset includes 52 domestic-violence cases targeting partners, children, and other relatives. 🔹 Disproportionate severity: veterans are prosecuted for murder/attempted murder 2.5× more often than men overall, and 2× more often for assaults causing grievous bodily harm. 🔹 Repeat offenders & pardons: at least 2,139 convicted veterans had prior convictions; 656 were pardoned by presidential decree after being recruited from jail to fight. 🔹 Leniency in courts: about one-third of veterans receive more lenient sentences than comparable civilians, often getting fines or labor penalties instead of prison. The report also stresses these are minimum estimates: not all cases reach court, not all verdicts are published, and data from occupied territories is largely unavailable. Read full analysis: russiapost.info/society/war_co…

“Chaos is normal now.” That’s the message from Kremlin-linked Valdai: less rules, more ad-hoc deals, constant crisis mode. And it’s not a warning—it’s a worldview that treats turbulence as a permanent feature states should learn to exploit, not overcome russiapost.info/politics/valda…

After February 2022, Russia’s billionaire class faced a choice: stay, move, or disappear (on paper). A new study follows 125 billionaires through Jan 2025 — and shows the mechanics of survival under sanctions. russiapost.info/economy/russia…

Older LGBTQ+ Russians are often overlooked — but they’re among the most vulnerable. Our new article on a generation shaped by repression, silence, and unfulfilled hopes. russiapost.info/society/genera…

Russia has rushed to back Iran’s authorities amid mass protests, blaming “external interference.” But behind the rhetoric, Moscow is careful not to get dragged into a conflict it can’t control. Read the analysis russiapost.info/politics/long_…

Russia’s economy remains deeply resource-dependent. The latest Top-500 ranking shows oil, gas, and state-controlled giants still dominating revenues, with diversification largely stalled over the past decade. Read the analysis russiapost.info/economy/resour…

Russia’s relationship with North Korea has quietly evolved from awkward diplomacy to strategic cooperation—driven by war, sanctions, and isolation. Read the analysis russiapost.info/politics/russi…