Olesia Krivtsova

North Russian region of Arkhangelsk spends hundreds of millions on aid to occupiers of Melitopol

A non-profit called the Directorate of Social and Infrastructure Projects is modernizing boiler houses, renovating residential buildings and changing water supply networks in the occupied Ukrainian city. It is all tacitly funded by public money from the Arkhangelsk regional budget.
April 24, 2024

Young men from north Russian navy towns refuse to fight. Many face years in jail for desertion

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the military court in Zaozersk, Kola Peninsula, has filed 76 cases against men that refuse to sign contacts with the Armed Forces.
April 17, 2024

Marina-Viktoria from Murmansk is jailed 3 times for holding a photo of Aleksei Navalny

The photo of the killed opposition leader is 'extremist material,' a court in the north Russian city decided.
March 15, 2024

"Journalists are not criminals," Roman's sign reads, but exactly that's what he was sentenced for

On March 6 a city court in Moscow sentenced RusNews journalist Roman Ivanov to seven years in prison for violating the law on fake news about the Russian army.
March 06, 2024

Arkhangelsk university boosts commitment for warriors returning from Ukraine battlefields

The agreement with the "Defenders of the Fatherland" foundation was signed by Rector Elena Kudryashova with the Northern (Arctic) Federal University (NARFU) in Arkhangelsk.
February 09, 2024

“They deceived my child.” The story about Mikhail Avdonin who was detained following a possible FSB setup

Mikhail Avdonin from Arkhangelsk in northern Russia was detained by FSB officers in September 2023. Investigators claim he sneaked into a military unit to set fire to military facilities on instructions from the Freedom of Russia Legion. His parents say that after Mikhail’s arrest the young man was beaten and charged with “attempted terrorist attack” and “preparation for treason”. The Barents Observer spoke with the young man's parents and also learned about possible provocation by the FSB.
January 30, 2024

Russians stand in lines and travel hundreds of kilometers to sign up for Nadezhdin, the presidential candidate with an anti-war agenda

The Barents Observer spoke to those collecting signatures for Boris Nadezhdin, the only Russian presidential candidate who promises to end the war in Ukraine and free political prisoners. The police are interested in activists, people travel from other cities to sign for Nadezhdin, and the procedure itself is called a legal way to protest against the war and the Putin regime.
January 25, 2024

Russian Prosecutor General declares publication DOXA an "undesirable organization"

The incrimination of the independent media outlet was initiated by member of State Duma Andrei Lugovoi, the man involved in the killing of Putin-critic Alexander Litvinenko.
January 25, 2024

“I'd just like to sit quietly tonight.” Arkhangelsk political prisoner Ruslan Akhmetshin is free

Ruslan Akhmetshin, an activist and photographer from Arkhangelsk in Northern Russia, who was sentenced to 2.5 years in October 2022, was released from prison on December 15. The reason for his conviction was several comments and shared posts on social media in which the activist did not agree that Victory Day is a holiday of fun. In an interview with The Barents Observer, Ruslan spoke about his feelings on his first day of freedom, prison life and plans for the future.
January 09, 2024

Russian universities promote re-election of Putin

The president’s self-nomination is supported by the Arkhangelsk-based Northern Federal University (NArFU) and Northern State Medical University, as well as by the Murmansk Arctic State University.
January 08, 2024

Pages