Russian police chief’s son accused of raping sleeping woman during livestream — Meduza The son of a district police precinct chief in Yakutsk invited a young woman to his home, got her drunk, and raped her while she slept — streaming the assault live on Bigo Live and collecting…

A Russian police chief's son allegedly livestreamed himself raping an unconscious woman on Bigo Live. The stream got 9,000 likes, and viewers sent donations. The victim's brother, a soldier fighting in Ukraine, organized a sting to force an on-camera apology. meduza.io/en/feature/2...

Lenfilm to produce series based on book by Russia’s Investigative Committee chief — Meduza Lenfilm studio will produce a multi-part series based on a book by Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, the agency’s press service announced.

Alexander Bastrykin heads Russia's Investigative Committee, the agency that prosecutes opposition figures and journalists. He also writes books about historical crime-solvers. One of those books is now being adapted into a multi-part TV series by a state-backed studio. meduza.io/en/news/2026...

Chechen police hold mother for more than two days after ex-husband accuses her of abducting daughter, rights group says — Meduza A mother of two has gone silent in Chechnya after her ex-husband accused her of abducting their daughter, the human rights group Marem reported on April 16.

Chechen authorities have held a woman incommunicado for over two days with no legal basis, rights activists say. The case shows how family law disputes in the region can bypass federal courts entirely, resolved instead through outright coercion. meduza.io/en/news/2026...

Russian TV host and blogger deletes Instagram post criticizing corruption in Russia — Meduza Aiza, a TV host and blogger who was previously married to the Russian rapper Guf, has deleted an Instagram post in which she spoke out about problems in Russia. A link to the video address she…

A popular Russian influencer, in a viral online post, told Putin that governors hide bad news from him and called for a public communication channel. The Kremlin's response: Putin already knows everything, no further discussion needed. meduza.io/en/news/2026...

BBC Russia reports shadow fleet vessel likely caused Black Sea oil spill near Russian coast — Meduza The vessel Sofia, sailing under a Russian flag, was likely responsible for a large oil slick discovered near Anapa at the end of last week, Igor Shkradyuk, a representative of the environmental…

A Russian shadow fleet tanker near Anapa may have released 300–350 tons of oil products into the Black Sea. So far, only about 28 tons have been recovered, and an environmentalist group warns that current cleanup efforts are insufficient. meduza.io/en/news/2026...

Russia’s Leningrad Region to deploy mobile fire groups at critical sites to counter drone attacks, staffed by reservists — Meduza The Leningrad Region will establish additional mobile fire groups at industrial facilities and critical infrastructure sites, staffed by reservists, Governor Alexander Drozdenko announced after…

The St. Petersburg region is now deploying "military fire groups" at industrial sites to defend against drone attacks. The threat has reached deep enough into Russian territory that local reservists are being recruited to guard domestic infrastructure. meduza.io/en/news/2026...

Russia approves 10-year statute of limitations for privatization cases, with exceptions for anti-corruption and ‘extremism’ grounds — Meduza Russia’s government on April 16 approved and submitted to the State Duma a bill establishing a maximum 10-year statute of limitations for privatization cases. The bill has been published in the lower…

After 2022, Russia began seizing assets from its own entrepreneurs — not just foreign firms. Grounds included procedural violations from decades-old privatizations, an owner's foreign residency, or even alleged "extremist" ties. A new bill tries to set limits. meduza.io/en/news/2026...

Russia’s economic reserves ‘largely exhausted,’ development minister says — Meduza Russia’s economic situation is more difficult now than in recent years, with a strong ruble, high interest rates, a labor shortage, and budget constraints having largely exhausted the country’s…

Russia's own Economic Development Minister says the country's internal reserves are "largely exhausted" after years in which businesses quietly absorbed wartime pressures, such as labor shortages and rising wages. meduza.io/en/news/2026...

Pro-Kremlin blogger leaves psychiatric hospital after criticizing Putin, says conditions were ‘pretty rough’ — Meduza Pro-Kremlin blogger and informant Ilya Remeslo has left a psychiatric hospital, he announced on his Telegram channel. He spent 30 days at the facility.

Ilya Remeslo made his name helping bring a criminal case against Alexei Navalny. Then he criticized Putin. Thirty days later, he walked out of a psychiatric facility, describing conditions worse than prison. meduza.io/en/news/2026...

Zelensky warns Belarus against joining war, cites Venezuela as cautionary example — Meduza Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said military activity in Belarus has increased.

Volodymyr Zelensky says Belarus is building roads to the Ukrainian border and positioning artillery there. He warns that the U.S. capture of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro shows what happens to leaders who "make mistakes." meduza.io/en/news/2026...

Kommersant reports Russia seeks to ban hosting providers from supplying computing capacity to VPN operators — Meduza Russian authorities are seeking to ban hosting providers from supplying their computing capacity to website and information system operators that provide access to content blocked in Russia.

Russian authorities are seeking to ban hosting providers from supplying their computing capacity to website and information system operators that provide access to content blocked in Russia.
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Report: Russia’s aviation regulator asks Transport Ministry to ban power bank use on flights — Meduza Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency has asked the Transport Ministry to ban the use of power banks on aircraft, following an incident aboard a Ural Airlines flight in which such a device caught…

Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency has asked the Transport Ministry to ban the use of power banks on aircraft, following an incident aboard a Ural Airlines flight in which such a device caught fire mid-flight.
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Report: Russia’s Interior Ministry cuts off banks’ access to passport database without explanation — Meduza All Russian banks have been unable to access Interior Ministry databases to verify passports through the Interdepartmental Electronic Interaction System (known by its Russian acronym SMEV) since…

All Russian banks have been unable to access Interior Ministry databases to verify passports since April 15, the business outlet Forbes Russia reported.
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Russia’s state pollster records 6 straight weeks of declining approval for Putin — Meduza The state-owned pollster VTsIOM recorded a decline in the approval rating for Russia’s president for the sixth consecutive week.

The state-owned pollster VTsIOM recorded a decline in the approval rating for Russia’s president for the sixth consecutive week.
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Report: Apple warns Russian iPhone users that unofficial Telegram client Telega contains malicious code — Meduza iPhone users in Russia are being warned that Telega, an unofficial Telegram client, “contains malicious code,” the Telegram news channel Ostorozhno Novosti reported, citing readers.

iPhone users in Russia are being warned that Telega, an unofficial Telegram client, “contains malicious code,” the Telegram news channel Ostorozhno Novosti reported, citing readers.
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Russian businesses warn AI regulation bill would raise costs and restrict access to advanced technology — Meduza Russia’s largest companies and business associations say a bill on state regulation of artificial intelligence would create serious risks for businesses and the public if passed in its current form.

Russia’s largest companies and business associations say a bill on state regulation of artificial intelligence would create serious risks for businesses and the public if passed in its current form.
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Soldier kills guard escorting him back to his unit in St. Petersburg, then is detained again — Meduza A soldier who fled his unit and was detained by military police killed one of the guards escorting him back to his base in St. Petersburg, Russia’s federal Investigative Committee reported.

A soldier who fled his unit and was detained by military police killed one of the guards escorting him back to his base in St. Petersburg, Russia’s federal Investigative Committee reported.
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Report: Telegram works without a VPN for some users in Russia, but reason is unknown — Meduza Telegram users in Russia began reporting on the evening of April 16 that the blocked messenger had been working without a VPN for several hours, writing in channel comment sections and group chats,…

Russia blocked Telegram in March and then cracked down on VPNs. Now the messenger is spontaneously working again for some users, with no explanation from authorities. meduza.io/en/news/2026...

Russian propagandist’s interview sparks debate over whether he deserves sympathy — Meduza On April 13, Ksenia Sobchak released an interview with TV host Anton Krasovsky, a figure known for moving from liberal circles into Russia’s conservative camp. Once a recognizable journalist…

Anton Krasovsky — once a liberal journalist, now a Russian propagandist — was fired from state television for urging the "drowning" of Ukrainian children. His unsteady, troubled appearance in a new interview has estranged friends asking whether he deserves any sympathy. meduza.io/en/feature/2...

Suspect kills police officer, wounds 3 in Russia’s Orenburg Region before fleeing — Meduza One police officer was killed and three others wounded when officers tried to detain a suspect in Russia’s Orenburg Region, the regional Interior Ministry reported. The suspect fled and is being…

A man on Russia's federal wanted list opened fire on police when he spotted them approaching in Orenburg Region, killing one officer and wounding three before escaping. He remains at large. meduza.io/en/news/2026...

Russia-linked crypto exchange involved in sanctions evasion suspends operations after hack — Meduza The crypto exchange Grinex said it would suspend operations following what it described as a large-scale cyberattack “bearing signs of involvement by foreign intelligence services,” according…

Grinex, a crypto exchange used to help Russian businesses evade sanctions, has suspended operations after a hack that drained over 1 billion rubles from user wallets. It blames "foreign intelligence services" for the attack. meduza.io/en/news/2026...

Report: Russian courts begin treating VPN use as aggravating circumstance in drug cases — Meduza Russian courts have begun applying amendments passed in 2025 that treat the use of VPN services as an aggravating circumstance in criminal cases, the independent Russian media outlet Verstka reports.…

In two recent drug cases, defendants were sentenced more harshly because they used tools to bypass Russia's internet restrictions. Court records use deliberately vague language — "software & hardware tool" — leaving it unclear whether it was a VPN, Tor, or something else. meduza.io/en/news/2026...

Report: Russian Ka-52 pilot who posted farewell video is alive and has gone AWOL — Meduza Alexei Zemtsov, a Ka-52 helicopter pilot and senior lieutenant who runs the Z-channel “Voevoda Veshchaet” (Voevoda Broadcasts), posted a video saying he intended to “exercise the right of a final…

Alexei Zemtsov, a Russian pilot who runs a pro-war Telegram channel posted a video saying he was going to take his own life due to pressure from high-ranking military officials. He is reportedly still alive and on the run.
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Samsung removes support page that showed how to sandbox Russia’s state-backed Max app — Meduza Samsung published a support page showing users how to isolate apps, using Russia’s state-backed messaging app Max as an example.

Samsung published a guide to isolating untrusted apps — keeping them walled off from your other data — and chose Russia's state-backed messaging app Max as the example. The tutorial was quietly removed after journalists drew attention to it. meduza.io/en/news/2026...

Report: FSB unit linked to Navalny poisoning now controls Russia’s internet — Meduza The FSB’s Second Service (Service for the Protection of Constitutional Order and Combating Terrorism) has taken control of Russia’s internet and is behind the blocking of WhatsApp and Telegram and…

The FSB’s Second Service has taken control of Russia’s internet and is behind the blocking of WhatsApp and Telegram and the crackdown on VPNs, the independent Russian business outlet The Bell reports.
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Russia charges journalist and former TV producer with inciting terrorism over social media comments — Meduza Russian authorities have opened a criminal case against journalist and former television producer Kapitolina Averina on charges of publicly inciting terrorism. She has been held at a pretrial…

Russian authorities have opened a criminal case against journalist and former television producer Kapitolina Averina on charges of publicly inciting terrorism.
meduza.io/en/news/2026...

Volunteers in Russia rescue oil-soaked birds as new petroleum slick hits Black Sea coast — Meduza Volunteers in Anapa are again rescuing birds contaminated by petroleum products, and the worker leading the effort says the pollution comes from a new spill. Goar Avanesova, a volunteer with the bird…

Volunteers in Anapa are again rescuing birds contaminated by petroleum products, and the worker leading the effort says the pollution comes from a new spill.
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Report: Russia’s Gosuslugi government portal blocks access for users with VPN enabled — Meduza Russia’s Gosuslugi government services portal has blocked access for users inside Russia who have a VPN enabled, the independent Russian news outlet Verstka reported on April 16.

Russia’s Gosuslugi government services portal has blocked access for users inside Russia who have a VPN enabled.
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France releases Russian shadow fleet tanker after Marseille court imposes fine — Meduza France has allowed the Deyna, a tanker linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, to leave the port of Marseille, the maritime news outlet Maritima reports. The vessel put to sea on April 16 and is heading for…

France has allowed the Deyna, a tanker linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, to leave the port of Marseille, the maritime news outlet Maritima reports.

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Russian forces kill 13 across Kyiv, Odesa, and Dnipro in overnight missile and drone attack — Meduza Russian forces struck Ukraine with missiles and drones overnight on April 16 in a massive attack.

Russian forces struck Ukraine with missiles and drones overnight in a massive attack, killing 13.
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