This month, several senior officials in Russia's republic of Chechnya have been reshuffled or replaced. Meanwhile, strongman ruler Ramzan Kadyrov's children have been appointed to a number of government posts. Overshadowing all this are reports that Kadyrov, 47, is gravely ill, fueling rumors about his ability to rule and the future of the republic, which fought two separatist wars against Moscow in the 1990s and 2000s. Harold Chambers, an analyst focusing on nationalism, conflict and security in the North Caucasus, joins us to explain what it all means.

This week in Russia, a man was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison after he pleaded guilty to trying to persuade his friend to surrender to the Ukrainian army. Cases like this are on the rise, with over 5,500 desertion cases prosecuted in Russia in 2023 alone. Idite Lesom (Get Lost), an NGO founded in Georgia after Russia declared its "partial" mobilization in fall 2022, helps Russians escape from mobilization or from the front lines. In almost two years, Get Lost has helped over 500 conscientious objectors evade service. Its founder, Grigory Sverdlin, formerly director of the Nochlezhka homeless aid charity, spoke to The Moscow Times about the organization's work. Find us at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes/ https://twitter.com/moscowtimes https://t.me/moscowtimes_en https://www.instagram.com/themoscowtimes/

As Russia opens a new front in its invasion of Ukraine, the country has a new defense minister. Sergei Shoigu has been replaced with the economist Andrei Belousov. Who is he, and what does his appointment mean for Russia’s war machine? This week we talked with Ruben Enikolopov, a political economist and professor at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, about what to expect from Belousov’s new role. Find us at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes/ https://twitter.com/moscowtimes https://t.me/moscowtimes_en https://www.instagram.com/themoscowtimes/

This week, we spoke with Georgian experts about why the ruling party is trying to pass the "foreign influence” bill, the protests against it, and what negative consequences the country might face if it is adopted.

Feminist activist Zalina Marshenkulova joins us to discuss the Kremlin’s increasing pressure on women’s rights campaigners, the feminist movement’s influence, and her addition to Russia’s federal wanted list.

April 26 marks 38 years since Chernobyl, the world's worst nuclear disaster. In this episode, we discuss the legacy of this tragedy on modern-day Russia, how nuclear energy is used in Russia today, and its underexamined role as a Russian foreign policy tool. Find us at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes/ https://twitter.com/moscowtimes https://t.me/moscowtimes_en https://www.instagram.com/themoscowtimes/ Joining us is Vladimir Slivyak, co-chair of the Russian Environmental Group Eco-Defense and winner of the 2021 Right Livelihood Award.

We discuss Russia's place in the region with Rajan Menon, director of the Grand Strategy Program at the U.S. think tank Defense Priorities, and Israeli journalist Milan Czerny.

The Russian city of Orenburg is famous for its elegant lace shawls, which are so fine they can be folded up to be so small that they can fit in a goose's egg. But the city and its surrounding regions have hit the headlines for a different reason this week, as historic flooding from the Ural River has forced thousands of people to be evacuated. In this episode, we read out a dispatch from Orenburg by one of our reporters who went this week. Find us at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes/ https://twitter.com/moscowtimes https://t.me/moscowtimes_en https://www.instagram.com/themoscowtimes/

Russia has seen a resurgence in xenophobic sentiment since the suspected gunmen in the Crocus City Hall attack were identified as Tajikistan citizens. Moscow police have established special units to carry out document checks on motorways and in migrant hostels, and police raids targeting migrants have been seen in several Russian cities. This rise in migrant-phobia and xenophobia has drawn concern from NGOs and activists defending the rights of migrants and ethnic minorities in Russia. For this episode, we asked Alexander Verkhovsky, head of the Sova Center think tank which researches nationalism and racism in Russia, about the dangerous rise in these sentiments. We then speak with Vika Maladaeva, the co-founder of Free Buryatia and president of the Indigenous of Russia Foundation, about Russia’s problems with xenophobia. Find us at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes/ https://twitter.com/moscowtimes https://t.me/moscowtimes_en https://www.instagram.com/themoscowtimes/

The attack on Crocus City Hall has become the deadliest attack in Russia’s modern history. Its repercussions for Russian society are already being felt, with a spike in xenophobic sentiment against people from Central Asia. For this episode, we talked to Ruslan Suleymanov, an expert on Central Asia, about how the attack was possible in Moscow, despite the city’s heightened security measures. Find us at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes/ https://twitter.com/moscowtimes https://t.me/moscowtimes_en https://www.instagram.com/themoscowtimes/

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a former journalist for The Moscow Times, has been held in Moscow’s notorious Lerfortovo prison for almost a year on espionage charges that he, the U.S. and his employer vehemently deny. We speak to Evan’s friend, The Guardian's Russia correspondent Pjotr Sauer, about the first anniversary of Evan's arrest, the conditions he faces in prison, how he is doing, and the possible future of his case.

Russia's three-day presidential election is off to a start, with Vladimir Putin expected to secure an easy victory after sidelining the opposition, leaving only his hand-picked opponents on the ballot. Since the last presidential election of 2018, there have been significant changes to electoral legislation, significantly reducing the opportunities for independent observers to ensure the fairness of the process. Stanislav Andreychuk, co-chair of the independent election watchdog Golos, joins us this episode to discuss the nature of electoral fraud in Russia and whether anything can be done to combat it. Find us at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes/ https://twitter.com/moscowtimes https://t.me/moscowtimes_en https://www.instagram.com/themoscowtimes/

Russia celebrates March 8, International Women's Day, as a national public holiday. But in recent years, and especially after the start of the war in Ukraine, the Russian government has largely neglected gender-equality initiatives. Instead, the state has encouraged women to prioritize having children and passed new restrictions on reproductive rights. Sasha Talaver, a Ph.D. candidate in gender studies and a feminist activist, joins us this episode to discuss the evolution of women's rights in Russia and the role of women in Russia's anti-war resistance. Find us at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes/ https://twitter.com/moscowtimes https://t.me/moscowtimes_en https://www.instagram.com/themoscowtimes/

About 116,000 people have been subjected to direct political repression in Russia over the past six years, according to a recent study by the investigative outlet Proekt — the highest number since under Stalin's rule. For this episode, we analyzed the study’s results with Sergei Davidis, head of the Political Prisoners Support Program and a member of the board at the Memorial human rights group. Pavel Butorin, the director of the Current Time media outlet, then joins us to discuss the case of his wife, journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who was jailed last year on charges seen as politically motivated.

Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition figure, died in a remote Arctic prison on Feb. 16, sparking an outpouring of grief among his supporters and Russians who hope for a democratic, peaceful future. This episode is dedicated to remembering Navalny's life, his impact on Russian politics and the legacy he leaves behind. We first recap how the news of Navalny's death has played out in the headlines over the past week before hearing from ordinary Russians who are laying flowers at memorials across the country to honor the politician's memory, Navalny supporters, and people who knew him personally. Find us at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes/ https://twitter.com/moscowtimes https://t.me/moscowtimes_en https://www.instagram.com/themoscowtimes/

As the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine approaches, the Kremlin continues to rely on historical narratives to justify its aggression. In an interview with Tucker Carlson last week, President Vladimir Putin dedicated significant time to reciting his distorted view of Ukraine’s history, which calls Ukraine’s very statehood into question. Researcher Jade McGlynn joins us to discuss and deconstruct the mechanics and motives behind Russia's weaponization of history, and why Ukraine has been the primary target of this historical weaponization. Find us at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes/ https://twitter.com/moscowtimes https://t.me/moscowtimes_en https://www.instagram.com/themoscowtimes/

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russian comedians who have openly voiced their anti-war views have had to emigrate in order to keep speaking openly about politics. Some of them are starting to form communities with fellow comedians in countries that have become hubs for Russian exiles. In this episode, comedians Ilya Ovechkin and Denis Chuzhoy, who fled Russia shortly after the invasion, join us to discuss how they've continued to pursue their stand-up careers abroad. Find us at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes/ https://twitter.com/moscowtimes https://t.me/moscowtimes_en https://www.instagram.com/themoscowtimes/

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, there have been a number of scandals related to surveillance of Russians abroad by Moscow’s intelligence services and alleged Russian spies working in foreign countries. Investigative journalist Andrei Soldatov joins us to discuss the work of Russian intelligence services outside Russia — and how they put pressure on journalists, activists and public persons living in exile. Find us at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes/ https://twitter.com/moscowtimes https://t.me/moscowtimes_en https://www.instagram.com/themoscowtimes/

Russia’s republic of Bashkortostan, located in the Ural Mountains region, erupted in protests in mid-January following the arrest of Fayil Alsynov, a well-known local activist who was sentenced to four years in prison. In one of the few major protests since the invasion of Ukraine made public dissent almost impossible, thousands of people came to the small town of Baymak to show their support for Alsynov and call for his release. In this episode we speak with Abbas Galyamov, a political scientist from Bashkortostan now in exile, and Moscow Times journalist Leyla Latypova, who specializes in Russia’s ethnic republics, about the factors that catalyzed the protests and whether we can expect more rallies soon. Find us at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes/ https://twitter.com/moscowtimes https://t.me/moscowtimes_en https://www.instagram.com/themoscowtimes/

A widespread heating crisis and the controversy surrounding the "almost-naked party" have both dominated Russia's news headlines in recent weeks. In this episode, researcher Andras Toth-Czifra and music critic Artemy Troitsky join us to analyze these events and how they will impact the wider social mood across the country. Find us at: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MoscowTimes/ https://twitter.com/moscowtimes https://t.me/moscowtimes_en https://www.instagram.com/themoscowtimes/