Francesca Ebel

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...

Live updates: Trump cancels news conference with Zelensky after contentious Oval Office meeting The latest news on President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and the new Congress.

'A senior Kremlin official told me yesterday that even Moscow is surprised by President Donald Trump; that they had expected change, but not “such tremendous change.”' www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

It’s not always clear to readers that the news and opinions sections are walled off. Hard news remains hard news, and in my 10 years at The Post, I’ve not seen any evidence of Bezos interfering with our hard news coverage. Believe me, if it happens, I will tell you about it. 1/

On the anniversary of Alexei Navalny’s death, people are coming to the Borisovskoye cemetery in Moscow, where he is buried. The line stretches for hundreds of meters.

Video: Mediazona

A cover of Victoria Amelina's book 'Looking at women, looking at war'

Viktoria Amelina was a Ukrainian writer who documented Russian war crimes - until she became a victim of one of them. A Russian missile killed her in 2023. Her unfinished book hits the stores today, just as the world is about to turn a blind eye to Russian war crimes and force a bad deal on Ukraine

Authoritarian leaders in former Soviet bloc seize on Musk’s USAid crackdown Region’s autocrats join in persecution of agency that provided aid and helped to build up civil society in 1990s

Across the former Soviet bloc, rightwing & autocratic govts have their knives out for USAid, demanding data on grant recipients from Elon Musk & threatening employees/grant recipients with investigations & prison

@rothandrew.bsky.social @pjotrsauer.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Ukrainians are vanishing into Russia. These people track them down. Thousands of Ukrainians have disappeared into prisons in Russia, and a network of Russians and Ukrainians are working together to find them.

Fantastic piece by @francescaebel.bsky.social on the “frozen” people, thousands of Ukrainian civilians being held in secret in Russian prisons and the activists in Ukraine and Russia fighting to get them out. Urgent story and brilliant storytelling. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

Ukrainians are vanishing into Russia. These people track them down. Thousands of Ukrainians have disappeared into prisons in Russia, and a network of Russians and Ukrainians are working together to find them.

The last time Nadezhda Yevdokimova saw her husband, he was dragged from their car by Russian soldiers at a checkpoint littered with burned-out tanks and corpses. Months later, she got a call from an unfamiliar number @francescaebel.bsky.social Natalia Abbakumova Anastacia Galouchka
wapo.st/4aQxwlq

Doge v USAid: How Elon Musk helped his acolytes infiltrate world’s biggest aid agency Takeover of USAid agency by Doge operatives seen as a pilot for a large-scale overhaul of the federal government

SCOOP: Elon Musk in multiple phone calls pressured USAID administrators and security to give the "Doge kids" access to personnel data and secure rooms. My insider piece on the tense meetings and chaotic standoffs at USAID as four young Musk acolytes shut it down. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...