Steve Rosenberg: Swan Lake and a Coup: Russian Papers Remember August 1991

Aug 19, 2026 | 35 years ago today there was unscheduled Swan Lake on Soviet TV…and a coup by hardliners in the USSR. How are today’s Russian papers remembering the August 1991 coup?

Steve Rosenberg: Russia: “Tense Situation with Fuel Supply" Russian Newspapers Report

August 18, 2026

Steve Rosenberg: Russia: Petrol Queues, Pickles and an Anti-war Party Barred from the Election

August 16, 2026 | A look at how the Russian papers have covered the Supreme Court's decision to remove the anti-war Yabloko party from the ballot ahead of the parliamentary election. Plus, petrol queues return to Moscow. And biting social comment from the joke pages of the newspapers.

Why Are Westerners Moving to Russia? | BBC News

August 5, 2026 | A group of prominent, controversial influencers made a visit to Russia this summer. They included Andrew Tate, Candace Owens and British far-right anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson.

They argue that Russia is upholding the traditional conservative values they fear are in decline at home. It is certainly an image Vladimir Putin is keen to project.

Two years ago Russia set up a special “shared values” visa, which makes it easier for Westerners to move to the country if they align with its supposed ‘traditional spiritual and moral beliefs’. Russia claims thousands of Westerners have applied.

We speak to the BBC’s Dan Hardoon, whose documentary The Russian Dream follows Westerners who have moved to Russia, and to Russia expert Mark Galeotti, host of the podcast In Moscow's Shadows.

Victory No Longer Possible for Putin, Dmitry Muratov Tells Steve Rosenberg | BBC News

August 13, 2026 | In an exclusive interview, BBC Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg sits down with Dmitry Muratov, the Nobel Prize-winning Russian journalist.

Muratov co-founded Novaya Gazeta, a newspaper that became the flagship media outlet for independent journalism in Russia. He and his colleagues have faced threats for their work and six of the paper’s journalists were murdered, including Anna Politkovskaya, who investigated human rights abuses in Chechnya.

Soon after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, under pressure from the authorities Novaya Gazeta halted operations and its licence was subsequently revoked.

In the Novaya Gazeta offices that were raided earlier this year by police, Muratov talks to Rosenberg about public perception of Russia’s war on Ukraine, increasing repression inside the country, and the man who has ruled Russia for more than a quarter of a century – Vladimir Putin.

Voices from the Streets of Moscow...Plus, a Review of the Putin 2027 Calendar.

August 9, 2026 | In Reading Russia Weekend Extra I ask Russians for their reaction to last weekend’s restaurant bomb & drone attacks on Wildberries warehouses. Plus, the Putin 2027 calendar is out already: what messages does it contain?

Steve Rosenberg: Russia Selling "Anti-crisis Petrol" to Counter Fuel Shortages

Aug 7, 2026 | Today’s Russian papers report on Russia’s “Anti-crisis petrol” – lower grade fuel now being sold “to prevent a petrol shortage.” One paper warns: “regular use of lower grade petrol” causes problems for modern cars. Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil facilities have sparked summer supply problems.

Steve Rosenberg: The Language of War: How Moscow Describes Its War on Ukraine

August 6, 2026 | In today’s Reading Russia: a look at the language Moscow uses to describe the war on Ukraine. Plus, more on the consequences of Ukrainian drone attacks. And a Hollywood blockbuster (unofficially) hits Russian cinema screens.

Steve Rosenberg: "The Spirit of Anchorage Is Over" - Russian Paper on the Failure of the Alaska Summit

Aug 5, 2026 | What will be the consequences of Ukrainian drone strikes on Wildberries warehouses? One Russian paper today: “Russian enterprises will face a deterioration in financial performance due to rising logistics costs & damage to warehouse infrastructure.” Plus, "The spirit of Anchorage is over", one paper concludes as it recalls last year's Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.

How Putin Seized the Oligarchs' Billions | Martin Sixsmith

Aug 4, 2026 | “By the end of the 1990s, the oligarchs were essentially running the government.”

Former Russia correspondent at the BBC and author of 'Suing the Kremlin: The Battle for Putin’s Billions' Martin Sixsmith reveals the process undertaken by Vladimir Putin to retrieve money and power from Russia’s oligarchs.

Five Dead in Moscow Region as Ukraine Continues Warehouse Strikes | BBC News

August 4, 2026 | At least five people were killed and 10 more injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on a warehouse close to Moscow overnight on Monday, the region's governor has said.

The official did not specify what had been targeted but Ukraine has been carrying out strikes on facilities operated by Wildberries in recent weeks, often dubbed the "Russian Amazon".

Kyiv says the depots are used to supply the Russian military, which Moscow denies. Local officials also said Wildberries warehouses were targeted in the St Petersburg and Tver regions overnight.

Russia also launched strikes against parts of Ukraine, killing at least four and injuring several people.

Steve Rosenberg: What Are the Russian Papers Saying about the Moscow Restaurant Bombing?

August 3, 2026 | What are this morning’s Russian papers saying about Saturday’s restaurant bombing in Moscow?

Ruth Ben-Ghiat in Discussion with Anne Applebaum about Russia

August 1, 2026


THE NEW YORK TIMES:

Trump Backs Away From Deal to Let Ukraine Build Patriot Missiles: The president of Ukraine had warned that the country was running out of Patriot interceptors, the most reliable weapon it has to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles. »

Steve Rosenberg: "Agriculture in Crisis": Russian Newspapers Write about Russia's Economic Problems

July 31, 2026 | Today one Russian paper claims Ukrainian strikes “haven’t yet caused Russia damage that could be regarded by the authorities as a reason to compromise.” Meanwhile, Russian “agriculture is plunging into crisis…construction already deep in the red.”

Putin Is Selling Off Russia's Gold. Is the War Economy Losing Steam? | DW News

July 30, 2026 | Russia has started selling gold from its reserves. It is not a sign of imminent collapse, but it does show Moscow is relying more heavily on the financial cushion built to withstand sanctions and war.

NATO Confirms Russian Missile Landed Inside Poland | DW News

July 30, 2026 | The western military alliance NATO has confirmed that a Russian missile came down in Poland, some 50 kilometers from the country's border with Ukraine, during a night of widespread Russian aerial attacks across Ukraine. Anja Kueppers-McKinnon speaks to DW's NATO expert Teri Schultz about NATO's response.

Steve Rosenberg: Some Russian Regions Experiencing "Fuel Discomfort" - One Russian Paper on the Fuel Shortage

July 28, 2026 | One of today’s Russian papers notes that yesterday the Duma speaker “repeated five times ‘Russia. Putin. Victory.” He was later awarded a medal (by the president). Meanwhile, some Russian regions are still experiencing “noticeable fuel discomfort”.

Steve Rosenberg: "Back to Square One": Russian Newspaper Downbeat on Ukraine War Diplomacy

July 27, 2026 | “We’re back to square one,” declares one Russian newspaper this morning on “efforts to settle the Russia-Ukraine conflict.” Another paper quotes Vladimir Putin as saying “We didn’t start a war”, nearly 4 ½ years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Steve Rosenberg: Drone Attacks on Russian Online Retailer Wildberries: Reaction in the Russian Press

July 23, 2026 | Coming up: what this morning’s Russian papers are saying about the Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian online retailer Wildberries. Also in the papers: “Russians expect prices to soar.” Plus, an interesting editorial about “a cacophony of ideologies.”

Russia Cannot Win in Ukraine: Yale Historian Odd Arne Westad Explains Why | DW News

July 18, 2026 | Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine lasts longer than the First World War. Can these wars really be compared? How long could the war in Ukraine last, and how might it end? What risks does Vladimir Putin face if he expands the war to other regions of Europe?

Odd Arne Westad, a Norwegian historian, professor at Yale University and an expert on the history of the Cold War, as well as on the history of China and East Asia speaks to DW about history lessons for Russia, Europe and the world. His book, published in the spring of 2026, is called ‘The Coming Storm. Power, Conflicts and the Warnings of History”.