Russia
Outposts of the Motherland
For decades, an elite university in St. Petersburg sustained Russia’s expertise on the Middle East and its influence abroad. Yet cracks in Russia’s supposed mastery of the region started to show around the turn of the millennium.
A Hostage’s Homecoming
Just over a month after New Lines and The Reckoning Project published an investigation into Moscow’s targeting and deporting of disabled children from Ukraine, a teenage boy was found and returned to his family.
New Lines’ Best of Syria Reporting
In this special issue of the Week in Review, we dive into the New Lines archives for a look back at some of our best essays on Syria
The Norwegian Archipelago That Became an Unexpected Melting Pot
The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is an experiment in internationalism, allowing non-Norwegians to live and work without visas and foreign entities to exploit minerals, but events beyond its icy shores mean that its two largest settlements are rapidly changing.
In a Propaganda Move, Russia Targeted and Deported Disabled Children From Ukraine
Over one year, reporters have tracked what happened to the forcibly deported, disabled residents of the Oleshky boarding school. We have followed the desperate attempts to bring them home and identified which Russian officials are responsible for abusing their rights.
Public Mistrust of Gaza Coverage Is Opening Space for Russia-Linked Media on the Left
A federal indictment recently revealed Russia’s efforts to buy influence on the American right. But Moscow’s links to far-left media like Grayzone run deeper, and a trust deficit created by woeful coverage of Gaza is expanding such outlets’ reach.
Why Niger Left the West and Embraced Russia
Last year’s military coup in Niger changed the country’s trajectory and rocked African geopolitics. After 60 years as a strategic Western partner, political and economic alliances were shattered in a week, and now the newly installed junta has found a friend in Russia.