In the russian subjects of chechnya and dagestan, the Telegram messenger has been blocked. Local authorities claim that the decision was made at the federal level because Telegram is “often used by russia’s adversaries.” The real reason behind the social media restrictions in russia is the fear of protests and defiance against the central government….

Huge payments are no longer so effective in motivating russians to go to war against Ukraine, so the russian authorities are inventing new ways to recruit soldiers. In particular, due to the introduction of payments to police officers who force marginalized citizens to sign a contract with the ministry of defense of the russian federation….

The number of rockets Russia launches into space has been declining since 2014, when sanctions were first imposed on the country, while other space powers have rapidly expanded their launch capabilities. In 2024, Russia launched only 17 rockets, falling back to 1970s levels. For comparison, the United States conducted 152 launches last year. At this…

Most russian companies are preparing for further economic decline. A survey among business representatives showed that 57% of enterprises expect a downturn by the end of the year. Only 28% hope for a recovery, while the rest see no clear prospects. ▫️Businesses admit that 90% of companies had to look for new partners and suppliers,…

▫️ For the holidays, russian schoolchildren received an updated list of “patriotic books” for extracurricular reading, issued under the personal order of vladimir putin. The overwhelming majority of these works are openly militaristic, celebrating the conquests of the russian empire, “great generals of Holy Rus,” the “great patriotic war,” and so on. ▫️ A separate…

The tariff hike is linked to a sharp rise in war expenses, budget deficit, and a general decline in state revenues. This creates additional financial pressure on the population, especially in depressed regions. The increase in tariffs is one way kremlin shifts the cost of maintaining its military machine onto the shoulders of ordinary citizens….