Hungary held one of the most consequential elections in its modern history on April 12, with implications far beyond its borders. The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell traveled to Budapest to cover the vote at a moment of political uncertainty.
Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQod...
1/3: Today marks four years since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, and soon 12 years since Moscow first sent troops into eastern Ukraine and stole Crimea. The Barents Observer supports Ukraine. We have done so since 2014.
2/3: The Barents Observer supports Ukraine because it is the morally right thing to do, and because Russia’s imperial ambitions pose a threat to European security beyond Ukraine’s borders. We see that here in the Arctic border regions.
3/3: Russian influence operations have targeted core democratic values like free journalism, freedom of expression, regional politics, cross-border relations and cultural events. The dark shadows from the Kremlin walls will never succeed. We will spotlight them.
Слава Україні! 🇺🇦
Imorgen presenterer jeg et notat om sikkerhetsmessige og -politiske risikoer ifm olje og gassvirksomhet i Barentshavet. Mye bra folk er med, inkl @kariagam.bsky.social @gurimelby.venstre.no og @annekarin.klimastiftelsen.no
www.klimastiftelsen.no/arrangement/...
One of the last Russian general consulates in Northern Europe feel sorry for themselves.
This is definitely the speech of a man who needed to pass 3 separate cognitive tests in the same year.
#Davos26
OTD in 2022 my parody embassy informed you that Russia has no plans to "attack" Ukraine.
Which was sort of true. We had a plan. It was just really shit.
There could be Western fighter planes helping to protect millions of Ukrainian civilians from Russia's terror campaign to cut the supply of electricity, heating, and water during this exceptionally cold winter.
But there aren't.
Very good piece from @kariagam.bsky.social 👇
Here you can read in detail how #Russia uses imperial tactics to weaken Western resolve, in the Russian border state of #Norway.
"To counter Russian manipulation, we need increased public awareness, including among the Russian diaspora in Norway..."
Since 2022, Russian tactics of influence in Norway have taken on more provocative forms, while also increasingly operating in the grey zone, becoming more covert and harder to identify and attribute. Opinion piece by professor @kariagam.bsky.social with @uitnorgesarktiske.bsky.social
The Barents Observer in 2025: A year of censorship and repression. And victory against the Russian state
Not sure I understand why the Trump administration cares about Christians in Nigeria and not Christians in Ukraine
OTD in 1991 the soviet union collapsed. Its creation was a great catastrophe as millions of citizens suddenly found themselves involuntarily living in Russia.
You'd think the fact that the Russian constitution already says invading countries is illegal would mean we have no need to sign yet another treaty promising we won't invade countries.
But you would be wrong.
Meanwhile in Russia: State surveillance app Max is coercively implemented throughout universities, while WhatsApp, Telegram and other services are blocked.
ru.thebarentsobserver.com/studentov-v-...
Russia violates:
UN Charter
Nuclear NPT
Helsinki Accords
Belovezha Accords
Paris Charter
Budapest Memo
Black Sea Fleet Treaty
Ukr-Ru Friendship Treaty
Treaty on Azov Sea & Kerch Strait
Karkiv pact
Etc
But Russia we will sign a legal document that we won't attack EU...
Researchers Kari Aga Myklebost and Stian Bones, in collaboration with editor of The Barents Observer, Thomas Nilsen, have analyzed how Russia operates in relation to Svalbard. www.tv2.no/nyheter/adva... @thomasnilsen.bsky.social @stianbones.bsky.social @kariagam.bsky.social
"Russland forsøker å få med seg Trump-administrasjonen i retning av å lette på sanksjonene og åpne opp for økonomisk samarbeid i Arktis. Vi må snakke og skrive om det Russland gjør. Det i seg selv er en måte å avkle de russiske handlingsmønstrene." @kariagam.bsky.social @thomasnilsen.bsky.social
Armed mercenaries tied to Russia’s FSB and formerly linked to Wagner are now guarding Russian shadow fleet tankers. Hired through Moran Security, they wear camo, isolate themselves from crews, and often override foreign captains. Danish pilots say they act as the real authority on board
Disquieting paper from the 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘺𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴, Helsinki/FIN, on #Russia operations to destabilize #Svalbard & threatening all #Arctic, Dec 2025.
By @kariagam.bsky.social, @stianbones.bsky.social (both UiT #Tromsø) & @thomasnilsen.bsky.social (ed. @thebarentsobserver.com):
Kari Aga Myklebost, Havard Baekken, Stian Bones (eds.)
The Politics of World War II Memories in the North: Regional and Transborder Memory Politics in Russia and Norway // JSPPS 11, no. 2 (2025). Open Access:
www.ibidem.eu/en/Topics/So...
OTD in 2021 Russian MFA denied any preparations against Ukraine or aggressive intentions.
She was half right. We weren’t prepared.
#Svalbard is Norwegian territory & #NATO land. But bc of its special status, it is one of the most likely targets when Putin decides to escalate his war on #Europe further.
#Russia #Ukraine @kariagam.bsky.social @thomasnilsen.bsky.social
New paper about Russian subversive activities on Svalbard after 2014 is published by the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE). Written by the two UiT professors @kariagam.bsky.social &
@stianbones.bsky.social and Barents Observer editor @thomasnilsen.bsky.social
This new Hybrid CoE paper is a must-read for anyone interested in Svalbard and Russia’s hybrid activities on this strategically important Norwegian Arctic archipelago. 📝 @thomasnilsen.bsky.social @kariagam.bsky.social & @stianbones.bsky.social
Our paper about Russian subversive activities on Svalbard after 2014 is today published by the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE): Download, read and repost 🙌.
A grim example of how 🇷🇺 deliberately blurs out the distance between WWII and today's bestial war. Unveiled in Severomorsk on Tuesday, the monument to warriors fighting in 🇺🇦 partly include WWII uniforms, a Soviet flag and looks similar to those commemorating the Red Army's victory and sacrifice.
