Russia
Europe’s Plan to Wean Itself off Russian Gas Just Might Work
Russia has made good on threats to reduce supply—leaving the EU to navigate several tough winters of energy squeezes.
By Matt Reynolds
TikTok Is ‘Shadow-Promoting’ Banned Content in Russia
The company said it would prevent Russia-based users from uploading new content—but their videos are still showing up on FYPs.
By Vittoria Elliott
The Rise and Fall of a Bitcoin Mining Sensation
Compass Mining grew quickly during crypto’s halcyon days. Now, its customers and their thousands of mining machines are stuck.
By Gian M. Volpicelli
2 Refugee Crises—and Their Dark Lessons for the Coming Famine
Disinformation dehumanized one group of refugees as a 'demographic weapon,' even as another was welcomed with open arms.
By Yasmin Green
Russia’s War in Ukraine Reveals More Problems in Space
While Roscosmos will likely continue its commitments on the ISS for at least a few more years, it’s not clear what comes next.
By Ramin Skibba
You Pay More When Companies Get Hacked
Plus: Google delays the end of cookies (again), EU officials were targeted with Pegasus spyware, and more of the top security news.
By Matt Burgess
How Tor Is Fighting—and Beating—Russian Censorship
Russia has been trying to block the anonymous browser since December—with mixed results.
By Matt Burgess
Russia Is Quietly Ramping Up Its Internet Censorship Machine
Since Vladimir Putin blocked Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in March, Russia has been pushing away from the global internet at a rapid pace.
By Matt Burgess
The January 6 Secret Service Text Scandal Turns Criminal
Plus: The FCC cracks down on car warranty robocalls, Thai activists get targeted by NSO's Pegasus, and the Russia-Ukraine cyberwar continues.
By Lily Hay Newman
Russian ‘Hacktivists’ Are Causing Trouble Far Beyond Ukraine
The pro-Russian group Killnet is targeting countries supporting Ukraine. It has declared "war" against 10 nations.
By Matt Burgess
The Post-Roe Privacy Nightmare Has Arrived
Plus: Microsoft details Russia’s Ukraine hacking campaign, Meta’s election integrity efforts dwindle, and more.
By Andrew Couts
Russia Should Pay for Its Environmental War Crimes
The legal challenges are steep, but scientists are recording the war’s devastating impact on Ukraine’s land and wildlife.
By Jenny Morber
In Russia, Western Planes Are Falling Apart
After months of sanctions that have made critical repair parts difficult to access, aircraft operators are running out of options.
By Chris Stokel-Walker
Russia Is Taking Over Ukraine’s Internet
In occupied Ukraine, people’s internet is being routed to Russia—and subjected to its powerful censorship and surveillance machine.
By Matt Burgess
How Ukraine Is Winning the Propaganda War
As the Russian siege drags on, Ukraine's media campaign has shifted from glorified myths to accounts of everyday bravery.
By Morgan Meaker
Smartphones Blur the Line Between Civilian and Combatant
In Ukraine, civilians are valiantly assisting the army via apps—and challenging a tenet of international law in the process.
By Lukasz Olejnik
Google's Russian Empire Faces an Uncertain Future
After filing for bankruptcy, Google could withdraw from Russia or antagonize the country's regulators from overseas.
By Morgan Meaker
Volodymyr Zelensky on War, Technology, and the Future of Ukraine
In a one-on-one interview with WIRED, the embattled president expresses clarity amidst the chaos.
By Geoffrey Cain
How the Kremlin Infiltrated Russia’s Facebook
VKontakte was created to empower free speech, but it has instead enabled government censorship and arrests.
By Morgan Meaker
Open Source Intelligence May Be Changing Old-School War
Intelligence collected from public information online could be impacting traditional warfare and altering the calculus between large and small powers.
By Alexa O'Brien
This Hacktivist Site Lets You Prank Call Russian Officials
To protest the war in Ukraine, WasteRussianTime.today auto-dials Russian government officials, connects them to each other, and lets you listen in to their confusion.
By Andy Greenberg
The US Plan to Document War Crimes in Ukraine
The government-funded Conflict Observatory will use open source tools and satellite imagery to gather evidence of human rights violations.
By Vittoria Elliott
How One Company Helps Keep Russia’s TV Propaganda Machine Online
Russia is using satellites controlled by French operator Eutelsat to broadcast state-run programming. A grassroots group is pushing for that to stop.
By Justin Ling
The Case for War Crimes Charges Against Russia’s Sandworm Hackers
A group of human rights lawyers and investigators has called on the Hague to bring the first-ever “cyber war crimes” charges against Russia’s most dangerous hackers.
By Andy Greenberg