Andrei Popoviciu

Syria's Long Road to Recovery Western sanctions on Syria are being lifted, but the damage they inflicted on the country's healthcare infrastructure is long-term.

“At Aleppo University Hospital, the scars left by sanctions that once aimed to punish a dictator continue to punish a country.” As the US lifts sanctions on Syria, @andreipopoviciu.bsky.social investigates the devastation they’ve left behind @inthesetimes.com, with photos by @corcode.bsky.social.

Syria's Long Road to Recovery Western sanctions on Syria are being lifted, but the damage they inflicted on the country's healthcare infrastructure is long-term.

“If these tools are so brutal, why is their impact on civilians only acknowledged once an enemy becomes a friend?” As the US lifts sanctions on Syria, @andreipopoviciu.bsky.social investigates the lasting devastation they’ve left behind @inthesetimes.com, with photos by @corcode.bsky.social.

Syria's Long Road to Recovery Western sanctions on Syria are being lifted, but the damage they inflicted on the country's healthcare infrastructure is long-term.

Western sanctions on Syria were meant to punish the regime but mostly crushed ordinary lives. The healthcare system was hit hardest and will struggle to recover long after sanctions are gone. Read more in my report for @inthesetimes.com
inthesetimes.com/article/syri...

In Sudan, a bride and her village celebrate love in a time of war Still recovering from the worst hunger crisis in living memory, a community in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains gathers to celebrate a marriage.

In Sudan, @guypeterson.bsky.social and I attended a wedding that almost didn’t happen. A year ago, famine and war pushed this community to the brink. Thanks to their community, they made it happen. Our story for @csmonitor.bsky.social: www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa...

Aid blocked as “unimaginable suffering” grips Sudan’s Nuba Mountains The situation is worsening as the rainy season sets in amid aid funding cuts and an escalation in fighting.

Sudan’s war is now the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis—14M displaced, famine, war crimes committed with impunity. @guypeterson.bsky.social and I reported from the Nuba Mountains, where a rebel group just allied with the genocidal RSF. Our first dispatch www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature...

For @newlinesmag.bsky.social I wrote about a growing use of political bans to protect democracies and whether they might actually do more to damage it with examples from Romania, France and Germany.

Syria’s Missing Children Children of detainees disappeared in orphanages. As many remain unaccounted for, their relatives fear the worst.

In late January I went to Syria to report on what happened to the tens of thousands of children of detainees that disappeared in the bowels of Assad’s prisons. For @foreignpolicy.com I wrote about what I found. With photos by @corcode.bsky.social: foreignpolicy.com/2025/06/03/s...

Read our dispatch from a cholera ward in South Sudan, where a cholera epidemic is spiraling out of control as NGOs and aid organizations are cutting funds in a country that depends on them more than any other. With photos by @guypeterson.bsky.social

The shadowy warlord behind Romania’s wrecked election Romania’s 2024 presidential election was controversially canceled for suspected foreign interference. Horațiu Potra, an ally of banned candidate Călin Georgescu, is accused of plotting an insurrect…

Dans cette enquête, @andreipopoviciu.bsky.social et Ana Poenariu explorent les liens entre Calin Georgescu et Horatiu Potra, mercenaire franco-roumain, et leurs connexions russes.

Potra est accusé d'avoir planifié une "insurrection" en utilisant la "force létale" à Bucarest en déc.2024
#Roumanie

18 hours in the making of a president: Inside Nicușor Dan’s election win Romania’s new leader told POLITICO how he will approach international affairs and what he will do to rebuild trust in a democracy battered by corruption, economic strife and Russian meddling.

What did Nicușor Dan’s 9-year old daughter tell him when he said he would run for President of Romania? find out in this @politico.com portrait of the common sense candidate who bucked the trend of populism. @timross1.bsky.social @andreipopoviciu.bsky.social

www.politico.eu/article/nicu...

Romania might be about to make a Trump-admiring former football hooligan its president. This is why | Andrei Popoviciu The election of George Simion would be a troubling – but understandable – repudiation of the country’s pro-EU establishment, says Andrei Popoviciu, a Romanian investigative journalist

My take on Romania’s presidential election on Sunday for @theguardian.com

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A Goma, ces militaires roumains qui ont floué le gouvernement congolais En République démocratique du Congo, plus d’un millier de Roumains et Moldaves ont été recrutés pour former l’armée et sécuriser Goma. Une mission entachée par des dérives et des actes à la limite du ...

De la #RDC aux élections en #Roumanie :
Ces derniers mois, j’ai participé à une enquête avec @andreipopoviciu.bsky.social, Emmet Livingstone et Ana Poenariu sur +1000 sous-traitants militaires roumains en #RDC jusqu’à la chute de Goma

Publiée dans Le Soir, The Guardian, La Croix et PublicRecord 1/

The Romanian mathematician trying to stop Putin and Trump wrecking the West Elon Musk and JD Vance don’t know enough to judge the country’s election crisis, and Trump should be tougher on Putin, says Bucharest Mayor and presidential candidate Nicușor Dan.

Why Romania really matters, and one man’s mission to save it from the cynicism that Putin exploits. Interview with Bucharest mayor and presidential candidate Nicusor Dan. By @andreipopoviciu.bsky.social and me

www.politico.eu/article/roma...

Conexiunile unui mercenar. Horațiu Potra, vecin cu Ministerul Apărării, relații cu lumea Justiției. - Public Record Horațiu Potra a revenit în atenția publică zilele trecute, când Parchetul General l-a ridicat din trafic pe Călin Georgescu. La una din locuințele lui Potra, procurorii au descoperit încastrate în pod...

publicrecord.ro/2025/02/28/c...

En RD-Congo, les sombres affaires de militaires roumains De 2022 à la chute de Goma, fin janvier, plus d’un millier de Roumains ont été recrutés en République démocratique du Congo, officiellement comme instructeurs de l’armée. Derrière la façade de cette s...

www.la-croix.com/internationa...

Militaires roumains en RDC : de la société militaire privée au mercenariat Depuis plus d’un an, des sous-traitants militaires roumains et moldaves opèrent en RDC. Entre formation de l’armée, participation aux combats et liens avec des milices, leur rôle pose question.

www.lesoir.be/657160/artic...

A Goma, ces militaires roumains qui ont floué le gouvernement congolais En République démocratique du Congo, plus d’un millier de Roumains et Moldaves ont été recrutés pour former l’armée et sécuriser Goma. Une mission entachée par des dérives et des actes à la limite du ...

www.lesoir.be/657170/artic...

Supermarket guards, truck drivers and ‘very big mistakes’: the failed role of western mercenaries in the fall of Goma An investigation into the DRC’s use of hundreds of hired Romanian fighters reveals how a disorganised operation with untrained recruits became a deadly ‘circus’

www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Today we publish our findings with more to come in the next weeks:

We found out they were unprepared, they gave ammunition and money to militias accused of war crimes and fought actively in the conflict, violating international law and their contracts. Their leader is accused of plotting an insurrection with Romania’s far right politician Georgescu.

For the better past of last year we’ve been investigating Romanian mercenaries in DR Congo—who they are, their leader and his wealth, their operations and the mistakes that have led to the fall of the region whose army they were supposed to train and help protect.

In Romania, the far right has unleashed a tide of hate and resurrected our fascist ghosts | Andrei Popoviciu Economic uncertainty and polarisation are a potent cocktail that extremist politicians such as Cǎlin Georgescu thrive on, says Romanian investigative journalist Andrei Popoviciu

If you've seen the recent violence happening in Romania, I wrote in the Guardian about how we got here and how the discourse of the new wave of far right politicians is materialising into historical revisionism and violence. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

‘A dream come true’: Syrian twin actors return home after 14 years of exile in France For the 41-year-old brothers, returning to their flat is bittersweet. Their apartment was more than just a home. It was once a stage, a space where they performed original theatre plays away from the ...

The story of the Malas brothers, two twin actors we met in Damascus after 14 years of exile in France. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

Was very surprised a few months ago to hear that I was chosen as Friends of Europe’s european young leaders in the #EYLClassOf2025. I look forward to joining this community of very impressive people across Europe. #EYL40 🔗 bit.ly/EYLClassOf2025

Police raids, fleeing TikTokers and Romania’s cancelled election POLITICO Tech · Episode

Catch me on @politico Tech Podcast on the latest about Romania’s elections

open.spotify.com/episode/02tU...

Prosecutors raid properties of key Georgescu backer in Romania election probe Investigation focuses on money laundering, bribing voters and computer fraud in connection with Romania’s canceled presidential election.

Romanian authorities launched a series of raids as part of three investigations into Russian interference in presidential elections, the rise in use of fascist symbols and death threats to journalists and minority rights groups.

www.politico.eu/article/cali...

Romanian election: What the hell is going on? Here’s what you need to know after an alleged Russian hybrid attack prompted Romania’s Constitutional Court to cancel the presidential election.

Romanian presidential elections got cancelled yesterday. I’m sure everyone is wondering what happened. We gave it a go at explaining it for @politico.eu

www.politico.eu/article/roma...

Romania’s pro-Europeans fear Putin is pushing them back to dictatorship Far-right NATO-skeptic Calin Georgescu is on track to win the Romanian presidency, thanks to a Russia-influenced campaign.

Tonight at a pro-Europe rally in Bucharest with Tim Ross we heard from Romanians who are terrified as ultranationalist and Russia-backed Calin Georgescu tops the polls as the favorite for Sunday’s presidential run off.

www.politico.eu/article/buch...

Spoke on @europeanspod.bsky.social about Romania’s tense election season and why people paged the way for ultranationalist Calin Georgescu win the presidency.

My father voted for Romania’s ultra-nationalist. I am beginning to understand why | Andrei Popoviciu We need to hear out family and friends who feel mainstream parties have let them down. This was a cry for help, says journalist Andrei Popoviciu

Many were shocked by the results of Romania's presidential election. I wrote about how we could process the fact that people close to us have made different choices and how we can navigate that as a society. Dark times ahead if we don't listen to each other
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...