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Yeltsin survives, boom times for Lockheed Martin, and street musicians unite Meduza breaks down today’s biggest Russia-related news stories, October 21, 2025
Source: Meduza
Below, you’ll find a digest of news reports from October 20, 2025, in Russian and English. As preparations for a Trump–Putin summit in Budapest stalled, Meduza tracked ongoing threats to European security, the latest developments in Russia’s civil rights (or lack thereof), and Russia-related trends in the global economy.
Do you enjoy daily news briefs? Are you starved for direct, hand-crafted, microbrewed stories and commentary about Russia? If you shouted “Yes!” to any of these questions, check this out:
Stories that affect European security
- 🇵🇱 “A Ukrainian citizen allegedly working for Russian intelligence services as part of a sabotage campaign was detained in Poland, while two others were arrested in Romania, prosecutors said Tuesday.” — The Associated Press
- ☢️ “NATO annual nuclear exercise ‘Steadfast Noon’ winds down in the Netherlands […] NATO officials would not say what kind of scenarios were used to test the 32-nation alliance’s nuclear readiness, but they insisted that it is not directed toward any particular country, nor does it relate to current international events.” — Euronews
- 📈 “The co-head of Europe’s most valuable defense startup [the German drone company Helsing] said the industry is in a bubble and some investors are going to lose money. […] ‘There will be consolidation’ […] “Among Europe’s defense startups, he added, ’80 percent of these companies probably won’t make it.’” — Bloomberg
Stories that affect Russians’ civil rights
- 🪖 The State Duma adopted the second reading of “year-round conscription” legislation, which will mean draft-age men could be summoned by enlistment boards at any time. Russia’s deployments will remain seasonal (in the spring and fall). Amendments to the bill place some limits on draft boards, namely, a 30-day expiration date for electronic notices and a deadline for reviewing deferment paperwork. — Meduza
- 👮 For the first time, the Moscow police have opened a criminal case against someone for illegally transferring a phone number. The suspect used forged powers of attorney to pose as representatives of different companies, signed mobile service contracts with various carriers, and then sold off the phone lines. Depending on the severity of the charges, he could face 2–3 years in prison. — Kommersant
- 🎶 A street musician in Yekaterinburg was arrested on Tuesday for performing in support of the jailed St. Petersburg band Stoptime, whose lead singer faces two counts of “discrediting the military.” Their Yekaterinburg champion, Yevgeny Mikhailov, is charged with public obscenity for the lyrics in his performances. Russia’s street musicians have courted celebrity — and trouble with police — by performing songs by blacklisted “foreign agents.” — Mediazona
- 🤳 “Russia Pushes a State-Controlled ‘Super App’ by Sabotaging Its Rivals: As the Kremlin throttles WhatsApp and Telegram, the new MAX messaging app is moving Russia closer to a restricted internet without foreign technology.” — The New York Times
- 🗳️ Russia’s livelier public politics of the 1990s seemed to return (briefly) on Tuesday, as the State Duma’s Communist faction squared off against United Russia deputy Sergey Soloviev. The two sides debated a Communist bill that would have shut down Yekaterinburg’s Yeltsin Center by barring official centers for presidents elected before 2020. The Communists argued that the Yeltsin Center represents a liberal-leaning foreign-influence effort to undermine Russia. Soloviev fired back that Stalin is another problematic historical figure, arguing that no decade in Russian history should be expunged from public memory. In the end, the measure failed to win enough votes to move to a second reading. — Kommersant
Stories that affect the global economy
- 🇯🇵 “Japan to act in national interest on Russian energy, says industry minister […] Japan continues to buy liquefied natural gas from the Sakhalin-2 project, which is vital to Japan’s energy security as it accounts for about 9 percent of its LNG imports.” — Reuters
- 💰 “U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin raised its 2025 forecast for revenue and profit on Tuesday […] Weapons makers are benefiting from surging demand for arms as a result of simmering conflicts in the Middle East and a protracted Russia-Ukraine war.” — Reuters
- 🇬🇧 “Russian tech workers rethink U.K. ties after settlement rules change: Digital entrepreneurs turn to U.S. in search of higher pay and opportunities in test of Labour plan to lure ‘global talent.’” — The Financial Times
- 🛢️ “Oil jumped following a report that the US and India are nearing a trade deal that could see the South Asian nation gradually reducing imports of Russian crude, which would boost demand for alternative grades.” — Bloomberg