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Novaya Gazeta. Europe

June 2026

Leaping to freedom. How one conscientious objector fled conscription in Russia by jumping from a moving train

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Mukhametov was 17 and living with his parents in the city of Kolomna, outside Moscow

I decided that I would not apply for asylum in Lithuania after all,
I decided not to pull the emergency brake as it can be very dangerous,
It goes against my convictions,
I prepared myself and braced myself for the fact that this was simply a bureaucratic procedure I had to go through,

Zelensky declares 40-day blitz on Russia as Moscow finds itself on the back foot amid worsening fuel crisis

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared a 40-day campaign of targeted airstrikes “against the aggressor state aimed at compelling it to end the war” on Thursday as the Kremlin found itself on the back foot as fuel shortages worsened across Russia

Zelensky: Russian relay stations in Belarus no longer being used to direct airstrikes

Though Belarus is Russia’s closest ally and allowed Russia to use Belarusian territory as a staging ground from which to launch its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Lukashenko has in recent months toned down his rhetoric against the Ukrainian leader, appearing to adopt a more measured tone

Ukrainian missiles strike Voronzeh plant supplying semiconductors to Russian military

As well as manufacturing integrated circuits and power modules for Russian missiles, the plant also produces components for combat vehicles used in Russian air defence systems

Mayor’s Telegram hacked to say ‘Moscow will burn’ as Ukraine continues assault on Russian capital

Following an apparent Ukrainian hack on Sunday evening, dozens of messages reading simply “MOSCOW WILL BURN” appeared on one of Sobyanin’s personal Telegram channels, along with a link to a campaign raising funds to buy drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces

I was woken up at 3:50am by a loud bang somewhere nearby, … thought it was a thunderstorm, and then there was another bang right next to me — the windows shook,

Fuel sales in Russian-annexed Crimea suspended as Ukrainian airstrikes cause critical shortages

Fuel sales have been completely suspended at petrol stations throughout Russian-annexed Crimea, the peninsula’s Kremlin-installed regional head, Sergey Aksyonov, announced on Sunday, as the effects of Ukrainian airstrikes on Russian oil infrastructure continued to be felt in the region

Sergey Aksyonovcrimea governor
Today, 21 June, from 9am, the sale of fuel at Crimean petrol stations has been suspended, whether paid for in cash, by card or using vouchers, for both individuals and businesses,

Security forces in Russia’s Penza region reportedly abducting civilians to fight in Ukraine

In a video posted by Penza resident Natalya Solomina on Wednesday, several women can be seen pleading with uniformed men outside a military recruitment office in an apparent attempt to prevent their loved ones from being taken away

Everyone is calling each other, warning people not to let men go out onto the street. A cashier at the shopping centre shouted at a lad who works there, right in front of me, telling him to stay inside and not go outside to smoke as they’re on the lookout there,

Interactive map: Attacks on Russian territory, updated in real time. As Ukraine fights back, the war has spread to at least 60 Russian regions

Novaya Gazeta Europe has created a map of attacks on Russian territory since the beginning of 2022

Massive Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow causes multiple fires at Gazprom oil refinery

Sergey Sobyaninmoscow Mayor
Air defense forces continue to repel a massive attack,

Funny games. Russian preschoolers will soon be subjected to pro-war indoctrination before they can even read or write

From September, Russian nursery schools will introduce its bespoke new propaganda programme for pre-schoolers, chillingly named Kind Games

At our nursery, they’re constantly collecting humanitarian aid for soldiers fighting in the war, and making cards for them. There have also been meetings with fathers serving in the ‘special military operation’, but these are for the older groups,
I think the only way to counter this is to talk to your child. Personally, I had to explain to my daughter what war is and why it is bad and frightening,
The children listened to very attentively, taking every word to heart, and were astonished to hear how soon this young man had become an accomplished soldier responsible for so many brave deeds and risking his life time and again to save the lives of his friends,
One day, my son told us that our country had been attacked,
We don’t discuss that kind of thing in front of our daughter, but she has recently started asking about war and soldiers,

EU proposes entry ban for Russian soldiers as part of new sanctions package

It comes after a coalition of 11 European countries called for harsher visa restrictions on Russian tourists at an EU ministerial meeting in Luxembourg last week

Russia convicted nearly 500 people on espionage-related charges last year

Five defendants were convicted on mixed charges, with four simultaneously prosecuted under both the “high treason” and “espionage” statutes

Ukrainian initiative publishes list of more than 1,000 Russian students who reportedly joined drone forces

The Ukrainian state-funded project I Want To Live has published a list of 1,059 students from Russian higher education institutions who have joined the Russian Defence Ministry's unmanned forces

Signing the contract gives me a route to state-funded study,