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.

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?

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.”

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.”

Steve Rosenberg: What Are Russian Papers Reporting about Fuel Shortages and Ukrainian Drone Strikes?

Jun 22, 2026 | One Russian paper today writes that Ukrainian drone strikes “aim to create a sense of crisis amongst Russians.” In Crimea “the sale of fuel to the public is suspended.” Another paper: Russia’s offensive in Ukraine will continue: “for that we will always have enough fuel.”

Steve Rosenberg: How Are Russian Newspapers Reacting to the Ukrainian Drone Strike on Moscow?

Jun 19,, 2026 | Today’s Russian papers call yesterday’s large-scale Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow “a record attack”, but claim “Russian attacks do more damage to Ukraine than they’re doing to us.” One paper wonders: “From Moscow’s perspective, what level of escalation is permissible & controllable, and what isn’t?”

Steve Rosenberg: Russia: Drone Attacks & "Unscheduled Repairs at Oil Refineries"

June 17, 2026

Steve Rosenberg: Russia's Barred from the FIFA World Cup. But What Are the Russian Papers Saying about It?

Jun 11, 2026 | In today’s Russian papers: how are the “fuel crisis, petrol sales restrictions, drone strikes, flight delays” affecting Russians’ holiday plans? What “victories” does Moscow think it has already gained?

Plus, reaction to the start of the FIFA World Cup, which Russia is banned from taking part in.)

Steve Rosenberg: Russian Holidaymakers Using Fortune-telling Cards to Predict When Airports Won't Be Shut by Drones

June 8, 2026 | With Ukrainian drone attacks continuing to force temporary shutdowns of Russian airports, one Russian paper today reports that “Russians have started to use fortune telling cards to tell them what date they should fly off on holiday.”

Steve Rosenberg: "Petrol Sales Restricted in Many Russian Regions" Russian Media Reports

Jun 8, 2026 | One Russian paper today reports that “In many Russian regions there are restrictions on the sale of petrol.” Another, reveals that, in Crimea, hotel bookings are “down 31%...& hotel cancellations double due to the fuel crisis.”

Steve Rosenberg: "Russian Regions & Big Business Arming Themselves to Defend against Drones" - Russian Paper

June 1, 2026 | Headline in one of today’s Russian papers: “Russian regions and big business are arming themselves to defend against attacks by Ukrainian drones.” Plus, the story of a newspaper article from last week that has disappeared.

Steve Rosenberg: “Unscheduled Repairs at Oil Refineries” Causing "Restrictions on Fuel Sales" in Some Russian Regions

May 28, 2026 | From today’s Russian papers: “The number of Russian regions with restrictions on the sale of fuel is multiplying.” The reason given? “Unscheduled repairs at oil refineries.”

Steve Rosenberg: Russians Who "Harm Russia" from Abroad May Have Their Property Seized

May 27, 2026 | In today’s Russian papers: “nuclear rhetoric” in the Duma. And a new law that allows the seizure of property from citizens who’ve left the country and who “continue to harm Russia” from abroad.

Steve Rosenberg: Russia: Reports of a "Split" on Whether or Not to End Russia's War on Ukraine

May 26, 2026 | Today’s Russian papers publish Moscow’s threat to launch a new wave of “systematic strikes” on Kyiv. But one paper reports on a “split [inside Russia] between those in favour of continuing the special military operation and those who believe it’s time to end it…”

Steve Rosenberg: Today’s Russian Papers: The Student Dorm Attack & One Article I Didn’t Expect

May 25, 2026 | Today’s Russian papers lead with the strike on the student dorm in Starobilsk. Also today, one newspaper suggests that through Russian history “major geopolitical losses were sometimes more useful than brilliant victories.”

Steve Rosenberg: "Russia and Belarus Flex Their Nuclear Muscles," Reports Russian Paper

May 22, 2026 | In today’s Russian papers: “nuclear muscle-flexing,” carrots and cabbages, “two scenarios” for Russia’s future and what a Russian singer said after getting an award from Vladimir Putin.