Francesca Ebel

Russia Needs Men To Fight in Ukraine in 2026. Where Will They Come From? - The Moscow Times Russia’s regions and ethnic republics have borne a disproportionate share of the burden in supplying manpower for the front lines in Ukraine since the onset of Moscow’s full-scale invasion.  With no p...

With no peace deal in sight, MT spoke to a leading researcher of regional and ethnic disparities in Russia’s war losses to understand how and where Moscow will search for fresh manpower in 2026.

As Russia’s war grinds on, its society is fraying The Kremlin paints a picture of a society united by war, but underneath, frustration is festering as all avenues of creativity and dissent or controlled or blocked.

The Kremlin presents the country as strong, united and on an inevitable path to victory, but as peace negotiations drag on, Russian society is deteriorating.

Important and insightful piece by @francescaebel.bsky.social:
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...

🗞️ My final 2025 story from #Russia for @washingtonpost.com is on A1 today.

The Kremlin is working hard to present Russia as strong, united & on an inevitable path to victory. But as peace negotiations drag on, Russian society is corroding from within.

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...

🗞️ My final 2025 story from #Russia for @washingtonpost.com is on A1 today.

The Kremlin is working hard to present Russia as strong, united & on an inevitable path to victory. But as peace negotiations drag on, Russian society is corroding from within.

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...

As Russia’s war grinds on, its society is fraying The Kremlin paints a picture of a society united by war, but underneath, frustration is festering as all avenues of creativity and dissent or controlled or blocked.

Inside Russia, fatigue and resentment are festering beneath the suppression of dissent.

The Kremlin presents the country as strong, united and on an inevitable path to victory, but as peace negotiations drag on, Russian society is deteriorating.

Statement from Post Guild Leadership: The Washington Post Guild condemns the unjust firing of columnist Karen Attiah

😂

Anas al-Sharif, prominent Al Jazeera correspondent, among five journalists killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza — The Guardian Israel admits deliberate attack on the journalist, known for frontline coverage, in a strike on a tent outside al-Shifa hospital

Israel, which does not allow foreign journalists into Gaza…has killed 237 journalists since the war started, according to Gaza’s government media office.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said at least 186 journalists have been killed in the Gaza conflict.

apple.news/At7CSM72NQWe...

Russians cheer Putin’s Alaska invitation, envision no concessions on Ukraine Ukrainian and European officials met with Vice President JD Vance to coordinate a response to Russia’s proposal.

Putin gets his first U.S. visit since the Bush administration, offers nothing in return Catherine Belton and @francescaebel.bsky.social report

He's wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and continues to attack Ukraine

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

Derk Sauer, an independent force in Russian media, dies at 72 The Amsterdam native became a media magnate in Russia, where he founded the English-language Moscow Times and was later harassed by the authorities.

Derk Sauer, a Dutch journalist, publisher & entrepreneur who became an independent force in Russian media, founding the English-language Moscow Times and owning the Russian editions of major magazines including Cosmopolitan, Esquire & Playboy, died July 31

www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2...

On a purely transactional level, the lesson from Armenia, Syria and now Iran is surely that being a Russian ally is a really bad thing to be.

Fundraising for Hajar Help Reem Akkad raise money to support My Child My Friend

Our beloved colleague Hajar Harb has been the beating heart of our Gaza coverage. Devastatingly, she has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. We are raising money to help her family with medical bills for a truly special person. All money goes to them directly. www.justgiving.com/team/hajarharb

A lot of work and patience. As I wrote in the piece, the school visit was organized by the local administration in belgorod, the rest was through local contacts.

In Russian schools, the war on Ukraine is a noble mission inherited from WWII to rescue historically Russian lands from fascist invaders.

Francesca Ebel visits the children Putin is training to fly drones, launch RPGs and storm enemy positions to restore the nation to its Soviet-era greatness

Today marks three years since an Israeli soldier shot and killed US citizen and journalist Shireen Abu Akleh while she was wearing her press vest and covering the news.

The IDF has continued to target journalists with impunity. No one has been held accountable for Shireen's killing.

Support for Hajar Harb and Her Family Help Reem Akkad raise money to support My Child My Friend

Our courageous and beloved Gaza colleague Hajar Harb is fighting stage four cancer. Our excellent colleague @reemakkad.bsky.social has organized this fundraiser to help Hajar and her family with expenses.

Please read and consider. Just sharing helps.

www.justgiving.com/page/hajarharb

In wartime Russia, schools prepare the next generation of fighters Since the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian education system has cranked the patriotic themes into overdrive, seeking to mold the soldiers of tomorrow.

Set out to report this story & truly didn’t expect Kremlin’s militarization of education to be as intense as reported. But it was quite shocking to see it first-hand

My latest fr @washingtonpost.com on how classrooms & libraries are becoming training grounds

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

In wartime Russia, schools prepare the next generation of fighters Since the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian education system has cranked the patriotic themes into overdrive, seeking to mold the soldiers of tomorrow.

Set out to report this story & truly didn’t expect Kremlin’s militarization of education to be as intense as reported. But it was quite shocking to see it first-hand

My latest fr @washingtonpost.com on how classrooms & libraries are becoming training grounds

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

⚡⚡ At least nine people have been killed and dozens wounded in a Russian missile strike on Kyiv, one of the deadliest attacks on the Ukrainian capital since Russia launched its invasion more than three years ago.

Read more: www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/04/24/r...

The czar’s gambit: How Putin uses chess Troubling links exist between Moscow’s war machine and the leadership of the iconic strategy game.

Big feature from Politico on how Russia is using chess to further its occupation of Ukraine

“FIDE has turned a blind eye,” @phchess.bsky.social
added. “This is not about children playing chess; it’s about Russia institutionalizing occupation through sport.”

www.politico.eu/article/how-...

Russia frees American Ksenia Karelina as diplomatic talks begin Karelina, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, was sentenced to 12 years in a prison colony for treason. Her lawyer said she was freed as part of a prison exchange.

An American citizen jailed in Russia, Ksenia Karelina, is returning home to the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

Karelina, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, was sentenced to 12 years in a Russian prison colony for treason after she donated about $50 to a U.S.-based Ukrainian charity.

‘I am not who you think I am’: how a deep-cover KGB spy recruited his own son The long read: For the first time, the man the KGB codenamed ‘the Inheritor’ tells his story

Ahead of my book on the history of Russia's Illegals programme coming out next week, here's a taste in Guardian Longread form.

‘I am not who you think I am’: how a deep-cover KGB spy recruited his own son

www.theguardian.com/news/2025/ap...

“When the middle brother fights with his older brother, as younger brothers, we naturally do everything possible to ensure that the family is in order and that there is no discord”

Dispatch from a recent rare assignment to Belarus —

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

If peace comes, Putin could face the ire of his most hard-line backers Vladimir Putin convinced many in Russia that there was an existential battle against the U.S. Now they have to deal with a thaw in U.S.-Russian relations.

A senior Kremlin official admitted that there will “definitely be those who are unhappy” with Russia’s normalization of a bilateral dialogue with the US. “This is a very, very convinced part of the society.”

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

ICE arrests Palestinian activist who helped lead Columbia University protests, his lawyer says A prominent Palestinian activist who helped lead last spring's protests at Columbia University has been arrested by federal immigration agents.

A U.S. greencard holder of Palestinian origin, active in Columbia's student encampment, was arrested by ICE yesterday from his home, separated from his 8-month pregnant wife, told his greencard would be revoked, and taken into custody.

America today. apnews.com/article/colu...

How far will Trump’s embrace of Russia go? – podcast The US has suspended all military aid to Ukraine. What does this mean for European security? Andrew Roth reports

Spoke with @theguardian.com Today in Focus about Trump's embrace of Russia and the cutoff in aid to Ukraine. “Trump is such a singular political force right now that he’s managing to repaint many aspects of the argument over Ukraine in American political life." www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2...

Washington now ‘largely aligns’ with Moscow’s vision, Kremlin says Tension between the United States and Ukraine, laid bare in the Oval Office meeting of Trump and Zelensky, is seen in Moscow as a “gift.”

I’ve been back & forth to Russia a fair bit the last few months, and I could never have imagined some of the convos I’ve had this week in Moscow. Even a month or two ago this rhetoric would have seemed totally far-fetched and fanciful. Things shifting fast here.

wapo.st/3QGplPj

Washington now ‘largely aligns’ with Moscow’s vision, Kremlin says Tension between the United States and Ukraine, laid bare in the Oval Office meeting of Trump and Zelensky, is seen in Moscow as a “gift.”

KREMLIN SAYS WASHINGTON NOW LARGELY ALIGNS WITH RUSSIA Sees tension between the United States and Ukraine, laid bare in Trump-Zelensky meeting, as an unexpected, potentially transformative "gift" @francescaebel.bsky.social reports from Moscow

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

At Least Now We Know the Truth It’s ugly, but necessary to face.

‘We’re witnessing the self-sabotage of the United States. “America First” always meant America alone, a predatory America whose role in the world is no longer based on democratic belief.’ www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...