Notices by Meduza in English (meduza_en@masto.ai)

On Friday, a Russian court sentenced three former lawyers of Alexey Navalny, convicting the attorneys of participation in the late opposition leader’s “extremist organization.” Meduza asked four lawyers what they think Friday’s verdict means for the future of their profession. https://buff.ly/40p3Jey

A small group of Russian diplomats broke off from a public tour of the Houses of Parliament in London last month and entered a part of the House of Lords that was “out of bounds." https://buff.ly/3WnLcOM

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 100 lawmakers and state officials have vowed to serve in the armed forces and pitch in on the battlefield. You'll never guess what happened next. https://buff.ly/3E0aUTa

A Russian court has sentenced three former lawyers of late opposition leader Alexey Navalny to prison terms of up to 5.5 years on charges of participating in an “extremist organization."
https://buff.ly/42hYYGl

President-elect Trump’s nominee for special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, had revised the incoming administration's timeline for a "solvable solution" to the war. https://buff.ly/4gLvyF6

Ukrainian drones attacked annexed Crimea and Russian regions overnight on December 30-31. The governor of Russia’s Smolensk region stated that debris from a drone “struck an oil depot, causing a fuel spill and a fire.”
https://buff.ly/4fAaGzj

Azerbaijan Airlines, Qazaq Air, and Flydubai have all suspended flights on some routes to and from Russia as investigations into the December 25 Azerbaijan Airlines crash in western Kazakhstan continue.
https://buff.ly/3Pg1IMO

The Israeli commercial airline El Al has reportedly suspended flights between Tel Aviv and Moscow for at least the next week. Russia's skies suddenly look even less safe than they already seemed... https://buff.ly/3DxjmJm

Ukraine has received its first $1 billion tranche from a $20 billion loan backed by revenue from frozen Russian assets, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced.
https://buff.ly/49QFpqk

Russia’s Muslim Spiritual Administration has withdrawn a fatwa permitting religious polygamy after receiving a formal notice from the Prosecutor General’s Office stating that it violated Russian law.
https://buff.ly/3ZPr9d0

Beyond costing Russia a key officer, the assassination of General Igor Kirillov "sows fear among senior military leaders and officials, revealing the Kremlin’s failure to protect its own," analyst Olga Lautman tells Meduza.
https://buff.ly/4gGGgw9

The important thing to know about Russian military service is that conscription, unlike "mobilization," is supposed to be for noncombat service. To circumvent this, the military is forging soldiers' signatures on contracts. Nikita Molochkovsky learned this the hard way. https://buff.ly/4g0R9Jf

Russia launched a massive strike on Ukrainian regions during the night of December 12-13, Ukraine’s Air Force reported.
https://buff.ly/49EFzRQ

Meduza is creating a list of things our foreign readers miss the most about Russia. We’ll ask our readers inside Russia to visit that site and snap a photo, film a video, or record some audio. Maybe it’s a monument you never saw. Or it could be your favorite corner bar. Let us know! https://buff.ly/4g5otyX

Authorities in Russia’s Tomsk region have announced that from January 1, college and university students who register for pregnancy care will receive payments of 100,000 rubles (approximately $975). At least 11 regions have announced similar initiatives.
https://buff.ly/4gvd3nV

The sudden overthrow of Assad in Syria has dumped a bucket of ice on the infamous “z-blogosphere,” triggering a mix of emotions and rationalizations among Russia’s most militaristic and widely read Telegram channels. https://buff.ly/41kK55K

Azerbaijani police have arrested at least six Meydan TV journalists in Baku. The Committee to Protect Journalists is calling for their immediate release. https://buff.ly/3DfFc3G

A dark trend has returned to Russia: far-right nationalists sharing videos of attacks on ethnic minorities and other “outsiders.” Experts say this revival of skinhead culture goes hand-in-hand with the authorities’ ubiquitous wartime propaganda.
https://buff.ly/3D22WIB

A Russian State Duma committee has proposed a bill to make it a felony for foreign nationals to provide support to Russia’s “adversaries” from within the country. Granting “financial,” “consulting,” or other assistance would carry up to 15 years in prison.
https://buff.ly/4f7uMjU

Putin has named lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein acting governor of the Kursk region, which has been partially occupied by Ukrainian forces since August 6. It's the second time this year the region has gotten a new governor.
https://buff.ly/3Vp02Ed