Sam Breazeale

Now seems as good a time as any to spread this message: If you speak English as well as Russian or Ukrainian + are interested in helping asylum seekers through translation, please join Respond Crisis Translation’s Russian team by filling out this form: respondcrisistranslation.org/en/get-involved

Friday was my last day at Meduza. I'm still figuring out what's next, but I fully intend to keep my focus on Russia’s war against Ukraine. If you need a writer or editor for a project, don’t hesitate to reach out here or on LinkedIn! linkedin.com/posts/eilish-h…

putin doesn't seem to be doing too well -- so what can he get from Trump's ongoing destruction of Nato and the liberal order? I had a good conversation with Sam Breazeale from Meduza, take a listen: meduza.io/en/episodes/20…

Venezuela looks like a defeat for Moscow, but is it actually a gift to Putin’s worldview? The Naked Pravda asked political scientist Seva Gunitsky and Russian oil-industry expert Craig Kennedy about "spheres of influence" and Moscow's money problems. meduza.io/en/episodes/20…

Or if you prefer to read: meduza.io/en/feature/202…

For The Naked Pravda, I spoke to @TheAtlantic’s @shustry about Andriy Yermak’s resignation, Trump’s latest push for Russia–Ukraine negotiations, and Zelensky’s transformation and future. Take a listen! meduza.io/en/episodes/20…

Latvia has the highest femicide rate in Europe — ranking above Russia. Its parliament just voted to exit a treaty protecting women from violence. Meduza spoke to @beajonite about what this withdrawal would mean and whether it might still be avoided. meduza.io/en/feature/202…

My report on the NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels last week, now in Russian:

Support @meduza_en . They do fantastic work.

.@meduza_en calls for immediate support, otherwise they are going to crash. I got to say - they are the best independent Russian media that does extensive coverage of everything that you need to know about Russia. meduza.io/en/feature/202…

And there you have it: Putin came all the way to Alaska just to give the same spiel he’s been repeating since starting the full-scale invasion of Ukraine — just from a bigger podium. meduza.io/en/live/2025/0… @meduza_en

Yours truly and company are live-blogging the Alaska summit today. meduza.io/en/live/2025/0…

It’s long been too dangerous for our readers in Russia to support us financially. Luckily, we have more than 3 million readers abroad — but only 2 of every 1,000 donate monthly. Unless that changes, we won’t last much longer. meduza.io/en/short/2025/…

Excerpts in Russian: meduza.io/feature/2025/0…

You’ve heard of the Chicago Pope — now meet the Philly Lama. I spoke to someone I’d been wanting to interview for years: Telo Tulku Rinpoche, who served as the head of Buddhists in Russia’s Kalmykia for decades until he denounced the war in 2022. meduza.io/en/feature/202…

Our father, Derk Sauer, has passed away. It’s an immeasurable loss, and no words can truly capture what a remarkable father and husband he was. He dedicated his life to defending independent Russian media. In his final days, he asked that people continue to support the free press

⚡ Former Kursk Governor Roman Starovoit, who was dismissed by Putin earlier today as Russia’s transport minister, has reportedly been found dead in his home in an apparent suicide. meduza.io/en/news/2025/0…

A 35-year-old woman in Siberia on Russia Day vs. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Russia Day

My report from NATO defense ministers’ last meeting in Brussels before the Alliance’s annual summit in The Hague later this month.

"And then I’d sit in on yet another [online] safety training for journalists, listening to exiles telling me how important it is to 'follow safety protocols' — and it would drive me up the wall." More invaluable reporting from @lilia_yapparova. meduza.io/en/feature/202…

On Tuesday night I was barred from entering Georgia, my home for the last three years. Official reasons were given as “other,” but from the circumstances surrounding my departure in April it’s clear the refusal is in fact directly tied to my work covering the country as a journalist. 1/ rsf.org/en/between-har…