The Real Russia. Today. Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Latest news

• 🪖 Russia’s Black Sea Fleet reportedly has a new commander
• ⚖️ Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska sues jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny over film about Sergey Lavrov
• 🇨🇳 Chinese troops to take part in upcoming Russian military exercises
• 🪖 Rights activists say Russia is recruiting remand prisoners to fight in Ukraine
• 📱Russian YouTube alternative bans iOS app downloads everywhere but Russia
• 💸 Roskomnadzor sets aside nearly $1 million for system to find banned content

Feature stories

• ⏺️ A Russian military recruiter’s pitch caught on tape
• 🪖 Russia’s war against Ukraine bogs down, risking escalation

Russia’s regions are forming volunteer battalions. Meduza obtained an audio recording of one military official’s recruitment pitch. (7-min read)

For several months now, Russian regions have been forming their own volunteer battalions to generate more troops for the war against Ukraine. Back in July, Meduza reported on the formation of “Sobyanin’s Regiment,” a company named after Moscow’s mayor (who, incidentally, has tried to distance himself from the war). By early August, more than 20 Russian regions had reportedly formed more than 40 volunteer units. In the Tomsk region, recruitment for the “Toyan Battalion” is ongoing. In an effort to reel in volunteers, the heads of military commissariats have been visiting enterprises across the region, dangling financial incentives, family pensions, and guaranteed university admission for their children. Meduza has obtained an audio recording of one of these recruitment meetings.

The war in Ukraine has reached a stalemate. Here’s why it’s unlikely to last. (9-min read)

In the 40 days since the Russian army captured the city of Lysychansk, it hasn’t gained more than seven miles of ground anywhere along the 620-mile front between Kharkiv and Kherson. Neither has Ukraine’s army — despite reports from Kyiv that it would launch a major counteroffensive over the summer. With both sides ostensibly unable to mount an offensive large enough to alter the course of the war, it’s safe to say the fighting has reached a stalemate. But it’s also clear that neither side is happy with the front line where it sits right now, taking even a tentative peace agreement off the table. That leaves two possibilities: a frozen conflict (effectively a loss for both sides) or an escalation.

⚡ We’re hiring again! Meduza is looking for a news editor to join the publication’s expanding English-language edition. You can find the job description here. Tell any interested colleagues that the application deadline is Sunday, August 21, 2022.