The Insider is a Russia-focused, independent media outlet. We're fully committed to investigative journalism and to debunking fake news. theins.press/enhttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.presshttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvnpqlylgs27“Bear attacks will intensify, and the government will blame the beasts — the only solution it knows is to shoot them,” expert says So far in 2026, at least 12 people have been killed in bear attacks across the country — and 530 bears have been shot. https://theins.press/en/news/29719916 Sep 2026 17:59 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvnpqlylgs27https://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvnliih7bc2yRussian agents plotted assassinations in U.S. and Europe in first documented Russian intelligence attempt to kill on U.S. soil The U.S. charged two Russians, two Cubans, and a Venezuelan with plotting acts of sabotage and murders of Russian dissidents. https://theins.press/en/news/29719816 Sep 2026 16:43 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvnliih7bc2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvnl76yoik2yRussian regions are cutting back on bonus payments for contract soldiers signing up to fight in Ukraine Some regions are lowering signing bonuses to initial levels, despite persistent personnel shortages at the front. https://theins.press/en/news/29719616 Sep 2026 16:38 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvnl76yoik2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvnkimb7fc25Russian military receives sniper rounds assembled with American and Finnish components Russian weapons manufacturer Promtekhnologiya is supplying the armed forces with cartridges assembled using high-precision bullets made in the U.S. and Finland. https://theins.press/en/news/29719516 Sep 2026 16:25 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvnkimb7fc25https://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvnje5jm522sCourt frees drivers whose trucks were used in Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb attacks on Russian airfields The four men were released after prosecutors said the evidence collected against them was insufficient. The operation put one-fifth of Russia’s combat-ready long-range bombers out of action. https://theins.press/en/news/29719416 Sep 2026 16:04 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvnje5jm522shttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvnithnolk2sRussian general who told Putin Kostyantynivka had been captured killed in Ukraine Maj. Gen. Anton Grunis reported that the city — still not under Russian control — had been captured in July. He was awarded the title “Hero of Russia” a month later. https://theins.press/en/news/29719316 Sep 2026 15:55 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvnithnolk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvni3o5s4s2sRussia-installed officials in occupied Sevastopol begin seizing property from owners with relatives in Ukraine A new list of properties earmarked for seizure claims targets either helped the AFU or acted “to the detriment of Russia’s security.” https://theins.press/en/news/29719116 Sep 2026 15:42 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvni3o5s4s2shttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvl4ipprqk2iUkrainian forces liberate 75 square kilometers in Operation Vivaldi near Lyman Andriy Biletsky, the commander of Ukraine’s 3rd Army Corps, noted that Ukrainian drone units had also cut the enemy’s logistics in the area. https://theins.press/en/news/29716215 Sep 2026 17:09 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvl4ipprqk2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvl37uf2sk2sChechen activist Mansur Movlaev survives suicide attempt in Kazakhstan detention center while awaiting extradition to Russia “I’m tired of injustice...They'll torment me, torture me and kill me, and then they'll say I did it myself...I won't let them torture me again!” Movlaev’s suicide note read. https://theins.press/en/news/29716015 Sep 2026 16:46 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvl37uf2sk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvl2dp6hts2sRussian warship fires flares at Danish military helicopter, PM Mette Frederiksen calls incident part of Moscow’s hybrid warfare campaign The Danish military said the Russian frigate fired two flares at one of its helicopters, which was routinely photographing the ship in international waters. https://theins.press/en/news/29715815 Sep 2026 16:30 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvl2dp6hts2shttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvkwqsbfkc2bKim pro quo: North Korea is emerging from international isolation by backing Russia’s war in Ukraine Since 2023, military aid deliveries to Russia have become a key source of revenue for North Korea’s budget, fueling unprecedented economic growth. https://theins.press/en/politics/29715515 Sep 2026 15:26 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvkwqsbfkc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvj6xxmcg22sBerlin-based German-Ukrainian businesswoman Ilona Wiener charged with spying for Russia In late 2023, Wiener began passing information to Andrei Mayorov, a GRU officer serving under diplomatic cover as a deputy military attaché at the Russian Embassy. Mayorov was expelled from Germany in 2026. https://theins.press/en/news/29713814 Sep 2026 22:48 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvj6xxmcg22shttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvj5fvsckk2sPutin-linked boxing executive Umar Kremlev helped pay for Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding in the Bahamas, @propublica.org reports Kremlev, described as a “personal friend of Don,” paid about $100,000 to rent one of the private islands where the reception was held and another $70,000 for fireworks. https://theins.press/en/news/29713714 Sep 2026 22:20 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvj5fvsckk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mviwwgsqc22mZelensky urges dismissal of Ukraine’s prosecutor general after he leaves country amid corruption probe Early in September, anti-corruption authorities exposed a criminal organization headed by a high-profile Prosecutor General’s Office representative. https://theins.press/en/news/29713314 Sep 2026 20:24 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mviwwgsqc22mhttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvitxfpv3s2lA “Russian March” with prayers for Putin: Russia holds four major religious processions involving far-right groups At the Moscow procession, Patriarch Kirill called on participants to pray “for our Orthodox president and for our armed forces. https://theins.press/en/news/29710914 Sep 2026 19:31 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvitxfpv3s2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvirs5s3ss22Leningrad Region authorities acknowledge fuel crisis, propose rationing amid “nuclear” lines at gas stations Since the start of summer, Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries have resulted in persistent fuel shortages inside Russia. https://theins.press/en/news/29713114 Sep 2026 18:52 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvirs5s3ss22https://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvikaxwzls2oSatellite images show 21 shelters at suspected Russian naval drone base at Lake Donuzlav in occupied Crimea Up until now, Russia has used naval drones against Ukraine in very limited numbers. https://theins.press/en/news/29712614 Sep 2026 16:37 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvikaxwzls2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvifcf4kkc2oRussia's Matryoshka bots impersonate celebrities in new campaign targeting U.S. midterms with calls not to vote for “pedophile Democrats” The new campaign flagged by @antibot4navalny.bsky.social uses the likenesses of well-known Hollywood figures like Christopher Lloyd and Sarah Jessica Parker. https://theins.press/en/news/29712214 Sep 2026 15:09 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvifcf4kkc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvi7a57esc2bSuspect in Leipzig airport sabotage reportedly linked to Russian military intelligence German intelligence already knew of Oleg L.’s possible ties to the GRU when he entered the country. He was not placed under surveillance, according to Welt am Sonntag. https://theins.press/en/news/29711514 Sep 2026 13:20 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvi7a57esc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvi67u6jhk2b“Fairly disciplined workers”: Russia’s prison service is replacing penal colonies with forced labor centers — and making money from it FSIN now has access to new revenue, while Russian companies can draw on a workforce almost entirely devoid of rights. https://theins.press/en/society/29711014 Sep 2026 13:02 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvi67u6jhk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvi3ydro7s2fAnthropic says it disrupted a Russia-based operation to engineer an autonomous kamikaze drone swarm using Claude A small freelance group handling both civilian and military contracts ran the project, per the company's latest threat intelligence report. https://theins.press/en/news/29710714 Sep 2026 12:22 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvi3ydro7s2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvi3ael33c2hBaltic export: The Insider identifies the Russian agents of influence working to destabilize Latvia's upcoming elections Fourteen political parties will be competing for 100 seats in the Saeima on Oct. 4. Moscow is closely monitoring the campaign. https://theins.press/en/inv/29698214 Sep 2026 12:09 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvi3ael33c2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvbdt3za622oAdvertising network AdNow collects Romanian users’ data via scam ads and sends it to servers in Russia’s Novosibirsk, investigation finds Similar Russian ad operations have funded sites promoting far-right politician Călin Georgescu and the AUR party, according to local investigative outlet Snoop. https://theins.press/en/news/29707511 Sep 2026 19:54 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvbdt3za622ohttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvbd2mz7722oEU plans sanctions on Tatarstan head Rustam Minnikhanov and nine others over forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia Over 15 organizations could also face sanctions in October, mainly children’s camps and educational and sports centers, The Insider has learned. https://theins.press/en/news/29707111 Sep 2026 19:40 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvbd2mz7722ohttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvbckn7fe22oRussia-linked hackers used Claude agents to target Ukraine and steal military drone technology, Anthropic report finds The hackers showed particular interest in firmware related to machine vision — technology that allows drones to interpret visual information from cameras and other sensors. https://theins.press/en/news/29707211 Sep 2026 19:31 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvbckn7fe22ohttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvay6sx4oc2qEU renews work on plan to use frozen €200 billion in Russian assets, with proposal to move funds out of Belgium Belgium is concerned that if the assets are used to support Ukraine, Russia could sue, leaving Brussels exposed to the legal consequences. https://theins.press/en/news/29706211 Sep 2026 16:25 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvay6sx4oc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvaxwn4x4c2vRussian recruiters lure foreigners with jobs in construction and IT, kidnap them, and send them to war, Amnesty International @amnesty.org finds Some of the documented cases appear to qualify as human trafficking under the definition of the UN Palermo Protocol. https://theins.press/en/news/29706311 Sep 2026 16:21 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvaxwn4x4c2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mvav7njrtk2qCanada sanctions eight Russians over deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children Those sanctioned include Russian Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov, head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Grigory Gurov, and "Movement of the First" youth organization head Artur Orlov. https://theins.press/en/news/29705911 Sep 2026 15:32 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvav7njrtk2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mv7vzstvdc2lBack to a brighter future: The left is set to return to power in Sweden after the failure of right-wing reforms Ahead of Sweden’s parliamentary election on Sept. 13, polls show a steady lead for the center-left opposition — a rare precedent in Europe. https://theins.press/en/politics/29704511 Sep 2026 06:14 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv7vzstvdc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/theins.press/post/3mv6ypeihfc2qPolice find more than 160 potential sabotage targets in notebook of detained German eco-activist The manhunt lasted several days, covering energy facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg and Saxony. Up to 1,700 officers took part in the search. https://theins.press/en/news/29704410 Sep 2026 21:29 +0000at://did:plc:lysaow3f2tl5mp65wfphmv6q/app.bsky.feed.post/3mv6ypeihfc2q