Russia: Latest news, analysis, video interviews, video reports

Russia is the main power and, for many years, the main source of insecurity in the region monitored by Veridica journalists. News about Russia provides information about developments in real time and prominent leaders of Russia – from major decisions taken by president Vladimir Putin, to statements and actions of the main representatives of his regime, from Alexei Navalny’s case to the Wagner Group rebellion. Veridica is also monitoring Russia’s foreign policy, its relations with the collective West and with individual countries, as well as with client, allied or partner states across various fields of cooperation, such as China, Belarus, Iran or Turkey. Russia’s external operations, including the campaigns carried out by proxy organizations such as the Wagner Group, which is involved in theatres of operations Syria and several African countries, as well as the Kremlin’s energy policies, are equally followed by Veridica journalists. News about Russia also weighs in on narratives promoted by Russia, addressing both the public at home as well as external audiences, presented as part of fake news, disinformation or propaganda articles. Veridica’s newsroom staff, regional collaborators and Romanian experts are monitoring the impact of Russian policies and disinformation campaigns both in the region and beyond, in the main Western capitals. News about Russia provides a wide array of press articles, news, editorials, analyses, interviews and inquiries.

Dan Stoenescu, Chargé d'Affaires of the European Union to Syria: “The situation in Ukraine is also affecting Syria”
Dan Stoenescu, Chargé d'Affaires of the European Union to Syria: “The situation in Ukraine is also affecting Syria”

Syria remains a country ravaged by conflict and a deep humanitarian crisis, a place of conflicting interests of multiple state and non-state actors, says the Chargé d'Affaires of the European Union to Syria, Dan Stoenescu*. In an interview for TVR and Veridica, Dan Stoenescu explained that, although it doesn’t recognize the Assad regime, the EU keeps communication channels open in order to provide assistance to the Syrian people. The EU official also spoke about the link between the war in Syria and the one in Ukraine.

Marian Voicu
04 Nov 2022
The Republic of Moldova, targeted by Russian propaganda
The Republic of Moldova, targeted by Russian propaganda

While the Kremlin backs the criminal opposition in Chișinău, which is trying to destabilize the Republic of Moldova in order to take power and discard any criminal investigation against itself, Russian propaganda touts the protests staged by Shor Party, the anti-Western statements of the former Socialist party and criticizes the current head of state, Maia Sandu. Veridica has reviewed the main narratives advocated by the Russian government media with respect to the Republic of Moldova.

PROPAGANDA: Russia may recreate Stephen the Great’s Moldavia, to the detriment of Romania
PROPAGANDA: Russia may recreate Stephen the Great’s Moldavia, to the detriment of Romania

Romania intends to annex the Republic of Moldova, including Transnistria and part of the territory of Ukraine, which includes Odesa, but Russia will not allow this, writes a pro-Kremlin publication in an article entitled “Russia will take Moldova along with Iași”. The narratives are false given that, on the one hand, Romania has no territorial claims, and on the other hand, Russia is now mired in Ukraine and does not have the force to change the borders of the states to its liking.

Veridica
31 Oct 2022
The Russians who fled the mobilization pose a threat to Georgia’s national security
The Russians who fled the mobilization pose a threat to Georgia’s national security

Many Russians who have fled Putin’s partial mobilization have ended up in Georgia, and their presence in this country is creating demographic, economic, political and, obviously, social problems. Besides, Tbilisi authorities cannot be sure whether each of these migrants is a fugitive or if they are agents on Moscow’s payroll. All that is generating a national security predicament that must be managed in due time while the country is trying to maintain its European track, after failing to secure the EU candidate status this year.

WAR PROPAGANDA: Israel will not supply weapons to Ukraine lest they should be stolen or sold to Iran
WAR PROPAGANDA: Israel will not supply weapons to Ukraine lest they should be stolen or sold to Iran

Israel will not provide Ukraine with weapons lest they should be sold to Iran, according to Kremlin-linked media, which deliberately misquotes former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In fact, the Israeli politician’s statement is taken out of context, while Israel refused to supply weapons to Ukraine for different reasons.

Marin Gherman
26 Oct 2022
DISINFORMATION: Pro-Europeans in Chișinău are creating a military autocracy that will be impervious to democratic change
DISINFORMATION: Pro-Europeans in Chișinău are creating a military autocracy that will be impervious to democratic change

The Republic of Moldova is building up its military, and the pro-European government is creating a dictatorial regime that will be hard to oust by democratic due process, Socialist deputy Bogdan Țîrdea has told Pravda. The Moldovan politician in fact reiterates false claims that have been increasingly disseminated by Russian propaganda and pro-Moscow politicians in Chișinău.

Veridica
24 Oct 2022
Turkey continues to stir the pot in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East
Turkey continues to stir the pot in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East

In the first half of 2022, Turkey seemed to be trying to tone down its aggressive policies in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. Yet all these efforts were but a ruse. In fact, Ankara never renounced key elements underlying its aggressive strategy. It has recently actually dialed up its aggression in relations with Tripoli, which can further deteriorate the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.

WAR PROPAGANDA: Foreign diplomats are fleeing Kyiv for fear of the Russian offensive
WAR PROPAGANDA: Foreign diplomats are fleeing Kyiv for fear of the Russian offensive

Foreign diplomats are leaving Ukraine, knowing a large-scale attack from Russia is imminent, the Kremlin-linked media writes, referencing the example of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia. In fact, Serbian diplomats left Kyiv in the early stage of the war, in March, and have not yet returned. This war propaganda narrative is designed to sow panic and confusion at the level of Ukrainian society.

Marin Gherman
20 Oct 2022
FAKE NEWS: Russia withdrew from PACE because it didn’t want homosexuals in the State Duma
FAKE NEWS: Russia withdrew from PACE because it didn’t want homosexuals in the State Duma

Russia withdrew from PACE in March 2022 because it doesn’t have any gay MPs, which is something mandatory for all member states. This false narrative was fostered by the chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin. In fact, Russia withdrew because it was about to be excluded from PACE due to its invasion of Ukraine. The topic has been relaunched in the public sphere after PACE designated Russia a terrorist state.

Marin Gherman
18 Oct 2022
Serbia and Russia – a partnership for the future, or a dying relic of the past?
Serbia and Russia – a partnership for the future, or a dying relic of the past?

Serbia has been, for years, Russia’s closest ally in the Balkans. For Moscow, the relationship is a means to project an image of power and international relevance. Belgrade, on the other hand, plays the pro-Russian card to show that it has an alternative to a West that bruised its ego during the Kosovo war, but also for some pragmatic reasons, such as Russia’s support in the UN Security Council and its role as an energy provider. Belgrade’s real interests lie, however, with the EU, and the war in Ukraine may bring about a change – albeit a slow one – in its relationship with Russia.

Vuk Velebit
14 Oct 2022
Is Ukraine capable of withstanding a nuclear attack from Russia?
Is Ukraine capable of withstanding a nuclear attack from Russia?

Starting February 24, Russia has been using nuclear blackmail increasingly often, either via propaganda or in the discourse of various officials, from president Putin to the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. At first, Russia threatened only the West, but lately we have witnessed an increasing number of threats regarding the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Will Ukraine be capable of withstanding a possible nuclear attack and stay in the fight? Are Ukrainian authorities, the army and the people ready for this scenario?

Marin Gherman
10 Oct 2022
Yuri Felshtinsky: Putin wanted a Russian-Ukrainian-Belarusian army that he could use to conquer Baltic States and the Republic of Moldova
Yuri Felshtinsky: Putin wanted a Russian-Ukrainian-Belarusian army that he could use to conquer Baltic States and the Republic of Moldova

Vladimir Putin’s original plan was to subdue Ukraine without bloodshed and create a joint Russian-Ukrainian-Belarusian army that he could use to conquer Baltic States and the Republic of Moldova, the Russian-American expert Yuri Felshtinsky argues, adding that Moscow’s recent actions suggest, despite all the threats, that no nuclear weapons will be used against Ukraine.

WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukraine will use a radiological bomb in the south of the country
WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukraine will use a radiological bomb in the south of the country

Ukraine's president has ordered the use of a so-called “dirty” bomb, which contains radiological material, in the south of the country, according to a Russian state media propaganda narrative. In reality, Ukraine does not produce dirty bombs, nor does it intend to attack its own population, while nuclear blackmail is increasingly present in the speeches delivered by Russian politicians.

Marin Gherman
05 Oct 2022
FAKE NEWS: The UN Charter allows Russia to attack Ukraine in order to combat Nazism
FAKE NEWS: The UN Charter allows Russia to attack Ukraine in order to combat Nazism

Articles 106 and 107 of the UN Charter grant Russia, as the legal successor of the USSR, the right to take all measures, including military, against Germany, Hungary, Austria, Romania, Bulgaria, Finland, Croatia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Ukraine for attempts to revive Nazism. Strangely enough, the main allies of the Nazis, Italy and Japan, are missing from the list. In fact, it is another crude attempt to push a justification for the Russian invasion of Ukraine by falsely quoting and manipulatively interpreting several post-WWII treaties and documents.

Veridica
04 Oct 2022
DISINFORMATION: The Republic of Moldova is led by an anti-Russian dictatorship
DISINFORMATION: The Republic of Moldova is led by an anti-Russian dictatorship

The Republic of Moldova is ruled by an anti-Russian dictatorship that has taken grip of the power and state institutions, politnavigator.net writes. This Kremlin-linked media outlet also suggests that the current regime in Moldova, which is turning the country into a “small Ukraine”, could be ousted as the Russian army draws close to Moldova’s borders.

Veridica
02 Oct 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: Western observers confirm that the referendums in Ukraine met the democratic standards
WAR PROPAGANDA: Western observers confirm that the referendums in Ukraine met the democratic standards

International observers from Western states have confirmed that the referendums in Donbass and in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions met the democratic standards, Russian state media say. In reality, the Western states did not send observers to the so-called referendums, and the “experts” cited by the Russian media are born in the West, but have lived in Russia for many years and support the Kremlin's policies.

Marin Gherman
29 Sep 2022
FAKE NEWS: The Republic of Moldova wants to trade territories with Ukraine
FAKE NEWS: The Republic of Moldova wants to trade territories with Ukraine

The Republic of Moldova wants to trade territories with Ukraine, conceding Transnistria in exchange for southern Bessarabia and Bukovina, according to a Russian publication that reinterprets a statement made by an MP representing the Moldovan Parliament majority. The same source also picks up on a number of older false narratives about the Republic of Moldova and raises the question of Moscow recognizing the independence of Transnistria.

Veridica
26 Sep 2022
The Russian Connection in Poland
The Russian Connection in Poland

Polish conservatives have been among the most virulent critics of Russia in Europe for years. Beyond the rhetoric, however, their policies – and their ideology – are so similar to what Russia is promoting in EU member states that they seem to have been written in Moscow.

WAR PROPAGANDA: The referendums of the annexation of Russian-held territories in eastern and southern Ukraine observe the UN Charter
WAR PROPAGANDA: The referendums of the annexation of Russian-held territories in eastern and southern Ukraine observe the UN Charter

The population of Donbas, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson have a right to self-determination under the UN Charter, which makes the referendums in southern and eastern Ukraine legitimate, says Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov. In fact, Russia violated the UN Declaration on the Principles of International Law by invading Ukraine, and the international community will not recognize the referendums.

Marin Gherman
24 Sep 2022
Protests in Chișinău: the criminals’ swansong
Protests in Chișinău: the criminals’ swansong

The internal stability of the Republic of Moldova is threatened by pro-Russian politicians who are trying to stir the pot by capitalizing on the numerous crises facing this country. The most vocal of them are politicians who’ve had run-ins with the law, such as Ilan Shor, the mastermind behind the “billion-dollar theft”, as well as former Socialist leader Igor Dodon, indicted on five distinct charges. Aware of their schemes, Moscow uses energy exports as blackmail.

The Czech Republic: Pro-Russian movements are back
The Czech Republic: Pro-Russian movements are back

The Czech Republic has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters ever since Russia launched its large scale of the country, in February. However, pro-Russian groups are increasingly active in the Czech Republic, and they are trying to capitalize on the population’s financial and economic worries.

Michael Švec
20 Sep 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: The Government in Kyiv has voiced mistrust in its Western partners
WAR PROPAGANDA: The Government in Kyiv has voiced mistrust in its Western partners

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said it no longer trusts its Western partners, who don’t want peace in Ukraine, reads a propaganda narrative published by the Russian state media. Oleksii Reznikov’s statement was taken out of context. The Ukrainian official referred to a prospective multilateral peace agreement once Russia has surrendered and a constructive dialogue with the West.

Marin Gherman
16 Sep 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: Poland will launch a war against Russia in the next 10 years
WAR PROPAGANDA: Poland will launch a war against Russia in the next 10 years

The Polish Defense Ministry announced it would launch a war against Russia within the next 10 years, according to a propaganda narrative disseminated by the Russian government media. In fact, Poland’s Government adopted an endowment program also designed to increase the number of troops in the context of the war in Ukraine possibly spilling over into Poland’s territory.

Marin Gherman
15 Sep 2022
DISINFORMATION: Russia is not to blame for the energy and natural gas price surge
DISINFORMATION: Russia is not to blame for the energy and natural gas price surge

Russia is not to blame for the global rise in energy prices, it is the fault of an increasingly greedy Europe that has created “energy bubbles”. This false narrative, promoted in an online publication in Romania, repeats Russian propaganda and ignores Moscow's actions that actually led to the current situation.

How the Republic of Moldova distanced itself from Russia under the pro-European leadership and against the background of the war in Ukraine
How the Republic of Moldova distanced itself from Russia under the pro-European leadership and against the background of the war in Ukraine

The Republic of Moldova has increasingly distanced itself from Russia since the pro-European forces came to power in Chisinau following the early parliamentary elections of July 2021. The new government has taken a series of measures to reduce Moscow's influence and the dependence on it and sought, at the same time, to get in line, as much as possible, with the Western stands.

Why is Kharkiv so important for both Ukrainians and Russians. An outpost of the “Russian world” vs. a symbol of Ukraine
Why is Kharkiv so important for both Ukrainians and Russians. An outpost of the “Russian world” vs. a symbol of Ukraine

The successful counteroffensive of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Kharkiv region was not just the result of good tactical planning, but also a consequence of pro-Ukrainian sentiment at society level, determined by the country’s history, its invaluable cultural legacy and the positive experience of the first two phases of fighting off the Russian aggression.

Marin Gherman
13 Sep 2022
The Republic of Moldova is getting ready for a complicated autumn. Russia’s schemes
The Republic of Moldova is getting ready for a complicated autumn. Russia’s schemes

The Republic of Moldova could face a number of serious challenges this autumn, given that Russia wants to bring this country back into its orbit. At domestic level, Moscow is expected to use any leverage it has in the separatist region of Transnistria and in Găgăuzia. Adding to these pressure points will be the country’s energy concerns.

DISINFORMATION: Romania and Europe will freeze next winter
DISINFORMATION: Romania and Europe will freeze next winter

Romania, just like the other European countries, will suffer terribly because of the gas price and Russia's decision to partially halt gas supplies to Europe, but this is only the fault of the European leaders, who punished Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine. The false narrative ignores the fact that Russia needs the Europeans’ money, and the latter have taken steps to avoid a major energy crisis.

WAR PROPAGANDA: The IAEA mission praised the Russian army for defending the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant from Ukrainian bombing
WAR PROPAGANDA: The IAEA mission praised the Russian army for defending the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant from Ukrainian bombing

According to the pro-Kremlin media, experts with the International Atomic Energy Agency have allegedly praised the Russian army for defending the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant from Ukrainian bombing. In reality, there is no report or statement by IAEA experts expressing this point of view anywhere, the source cited being, in fact, the pro-Russian separatist leader Yevhen Balytskyi.

Marin Gherman
07 Sep 2022
DISINFORMATION: The Russian military presence in Transnistria is the “cornerstone” of security for the entire region
DISINFORMATION: The Russian military presence in Transnistria is the “cornerstone” of security for the entire region

The Russian military presence in the separatist region on the left bank of the Dniester is the cornerstone of security in the region, according to a pro-Kremlin publication. In reality, the Russian forces amplified the conflict by participating in it, and Moscow's refusal to withdraw them, as promised, led to its perpetuation.

Veridica
06 Sep 2022
The region of Găgăuzia in the Republic of Moldova – Moscow’s Trojan horse
The region of Găgăuzia in the Republic of Moldova – Moscow’s Trojan horse

Găgăuzia is perhaps the most pro-Russian region in the Republic of Moldova. A breakaway region since the early 90s, Găgăuzia eventually recognized Chișinău’s sovereignty, although it wants to break with this country in the event of a unification with Romania or even EU accession.

Veridica
05 Sep 2022
WAR PROPAGANDA: Anthony Fauci has confirmed that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was produced in Ukrainian labs
WAR PROPAGANDA: Anthony Fauci has confirmed that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was produced in Ukrainian labs

The former US chief epidemiologist has publicly admitted that US laboratories in Ukraine were involved in the production of the coronavirus, according to media in Russia and in the self-proclaimed Luhansk republic. The so-called news is a fabrication: there is no statement by Anthony Fauci regarding the production of viruses or other biological weapons in Ukraine.

Marin Gherman
05 Sep 2022