Infuriated, not intimidated: How Iran united the Gulf monarchies against itself
New security threats and economic losses in the Middle East have forced the leadership of the Gulf monarchies to quickly make clear whose side they are on.
Dior plans to reopen its stores in Moscow in 2028, Kommersant reports
Dior stores suspended operations in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, the company has retained its trademarks and, in some cases, leased premises.
“Hostage-taking, stealing money, and state terrorism”: Detention of cash-in-transit guards escalates conflict between Ukraine and Hungary
Kyiv demanded the release of the detainees and requested that the European Union investigate the incident.
Pro-Kremlin Matryoshka bot network spreading terrorist attack scares ahead of Germany’s regional elections
The campaign on X includes 10 unique videos related in one way or another to the election, the Bot Blocker Project
@antibot4navalny.bsky.social reports.
Ukraine’s Navy says it struck a Russian helicopter with a drone on the Sivash drilling platform in the Black Sea for the first time
Russia uses the platform as an observation point, and also to deploy EW systems and short-range air defenses.
Asian buyers turn to Russian oil amid strikes on Iran, but experts say the Kremlin’s gain will be short-lived
The potential benefits — and drawbacks — for Moscow depend on how long the war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran lasts.
Russian Orthodox icons have begun depicting participants in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Orthodox priest Andrei Kordochkin said this is the first time the sacred space has portrayed specifically named soldiers who took part in the ongoing war.
“Don’t gather in groups in this country, not even to dance”: 45 Iranians celebrating Ayatollah Khamenei’s death detained in Moscow
All of those detained were later released, apart from a dentist who was handed 10 days of administrative arrest.
“What bastard builds a school inside a military base?”: Residents of Iran’s Minab speak out about the school strike
The Insider, together with Vox Harbor, examined Telegram posts by locals confirming that the school was located in a former IRGC building.
The drinking buddy: Dmitry Medvedev’s “wallet” profits from Oreshnik missile production while making wine in Italy
@ezhovs.bsky.social's latest investigation spotlights the relationship between the wine-loving Russian ex-president and his former university classmate.
Board of War: Trump’s “peace” body risks reigniting Gaza conflict
Trump’s grand plans for the embattled enclave are colliding with realities on the ground: Hamas has no intention of laying down its arms, and Israel has no plans to withdraw.
Russia to be represented at the Venice Biennale for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine
As Putin’s cultural cooperation envoy comments, “politics exists in a temporal dimension, whereas cultures communicate in eternity.”
Alabuga Polytech in Russia’s Tatarstan launches social media campaign to recruit minors for the assembly of Shahed drones
Videos obtained by science-focused publication T-Invariant show teenage students describing benefits for making attack drones, which are used against Ukraine.
At least five Russian warships damaged by Ukrainian drone strikes in port of Novorossiysk
According to initial reports, the anti-submarine ships Yeysk and Kasimov were hit, along with the minesweeper Valentin Pikul.
Russia’s Transport Ministry blames Ukraine for attack on Russian LNG carrier Arctic Metagaz in Mediterranean as photos show hole in hull
According to Moscow, the Ukrainian sea drones that allegedly struck the sanctioned vessel were launched from Libya.
Belgium issues €10 million fine against detained Iranian-owned tanker Ethera, a vessel under sanctions for carrying Russian oil
The “shadow fleet” tanker was sailing under a false flag and was seized by the Belgian armed forces on March 1.
Investigation finds Iran secretly acquired the Russian facial recognition system FindFace
FindFace was developed by NtechLab, one of Russia’s key surveillance technology companies, founded in 2015 and linked to the state defense corporation Rostec.
Managing chaos: The Iranian regime is surviving without a hierarchical leadership structure — for now
State collapse in Iran still appears to be a more likely outcome than a flourishing democracy, writes @rusi.bsky.social senior research fellow Antonio Giustozzi.
It’s the bomb: How Putin drew Europe into a new nuclear arms race
Putin’s nuclear blackmail and the expiry of the New START treaty have triggered a shift in the West’s attitude toward the world's deadliest weapons, writes national security expert Eliot Wilson.
Stronger than bin Laden: Al-Qaeda is thriving on global chaos
One of the world’s largest international terrorist organizations is predicting the imminent outbreak of World War III — and is seriously counting on emerging as one of its victors.
Sanctioned Russian LNG carrier Arctic Metagaz catches fire in the Mediterranean Sea
Data from @starboardintelligence.com showed the ship stopped transmitting an AIS signal on the evening of March 2 as it exited Malta’s exclusive economic zone.
Six Gulf states say they are ready to respond to Iran’s attacks as experts assess prospects of military action
While all six GCC countries underscored their right to retaliate, opinions differ on whether direct military confrontation will follow.
Russia’s central bank files lawsuit in Luxembourg challenging the freezing of Russian assets in the EU
The suit challenges a regulation adopted by the Council of the European Union on Dec. 12, 2025 to provide for the “temporary” blocking of assets.
Greek and French frigates headed to Cyprus can protect the island from Iranian-made drones but not missiles, expert says
“Neither side is willing to declare war. But at some point it will become intolerable,” military expert David Sharp explains.
Russia’s Supreme Court designates the Russian Antiwar Committee a “terrorist movement”
The ruling was issued by the same judge who declared the nonexistent “international LGBT movement” and “international Satanism movement” as “extremist” in Russia.
Kazakhstan denies asylum to former employee of Navalny’s St. Petersburg office pending extradition to Russia
Yulia Yemelyanova was detained at Almaty airport during a layover last summer due to the fact that her name appeared on a Russian wanted list. She applied for asylum after being arrested.
Kyrgyzstan’s deputy PM denies plans to sue the EU, says firms supplying banned goods to Russia will be closed
Speaking to The Insider, the official walked back claims that Bishkek was ready to take Brussels to court over potential secondary sanctions.
“Brace yourselves for Spartan conditions”: Russia makes fun of its tourists stranded in the UAE amid Iranian strikes
“If you are an orphan and a social recluse without friends or acquaintances, message us by email,” the instruction reads.
