Russia watcher supreme at @meduza.io. Ugly American based in Portland, Oregon. Signal: @KevinRothrock.01 / Find all my junk here: https://linktr.ee/kevinrothrockhttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.mehttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlegetiuvx2bVideo making the rounds on Z-Telegram purportedly shows the Verkhovna Rada building in Kyiv under Russia drone surveillance. Moscow has threatened to bomb govt offices in Kyiv if tomorrow's Victory Day parades are attacked. https://t.me/stalins_sokol/11808 May 2026 19:05 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlegetiuvx2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlefpdknik2tZelensky has graciously signed a decree "permitting" Moscow to hold its Victory Day parade tomorrow, ordering Red Square's GPS coordinates removed from Ukraine's targeting for the day. The doc cites US requests as the reason that the square will be spared. https://www.president.gov.ua/documents/3742026-5938908 May 2026 18:53 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlefpdknik2thttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlea4n5n2k2n"After Williams sold the hacking tools to Operation Zero, some of them ended up being used by Russian government spies in Ukraine, and later Chinese cybercriminals, according to former L3Harris employees who recognized the stolen code in cybersecurity research [...]" https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/08/u-s-defense-contractor-who-sold-hacking-tools-to-russian-broker-ordered-to-pay-10-million-to-former-employers/08 May 2026 17:13 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlea4n5n2k2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mle7gyutfs2nMore Victory Day weirdness from Russia: Citing security concerns, Izhevsk did its parade yesterday, 2 days early, without any prior announcement. The governor showed up at the veterans' rehearsal and told everyone that this would be it. The region has been under repeated drone & missile warnings.08 May 2026 17:01 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mle7gyutfs2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mle2qbaowc2gThe International Federation of Journalists has expelled the Russian Union of Journalists for opening branches in occupied Ukraine. The union rejected the ruling as "politically motivated," accusing West European media orgs of threatening the IFJ with funding cuts to force the decision. https://www.vedomosti.ru/politics/news/2026/05/08/1196122-soyuz-zhurnalistov?utm_campaign=vedomosti_public&utm_content=1196122-soyuz-zhurnalistov&utm_medium=social&utm_source=telegram_ved08 May 2026 15:37 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mle2qbaowc2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mldzogsc7k2gCities across Russia are struggling to adapt to life under threat of Ukrainian drones and missiles. Signs posted in Murmansk apt buildings advise residents to shelter in the nearest subway station, though Murmansk has no subway. Similar failures have been reported in Cheboksary, Omsk, & Tolyatti. https://t.me/Govorit_NeMoskva/63066?single08 May 2026 15:18 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mldzogsc7k2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mldtj6z3pc27A Russian zoo in Novosibirsk is under investigation after featuring an orangutan on its "Happy Victory Day!" billboards. The zoo director defended the display, asking why this is offensive but not bears. Delicious. t.me/pdmnews/8948608 May 2026 13:28 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mldtj6z3pc27https://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlcvr3xxks2rRussia has loosened campaign rules ahead of this Sept's elections, allowing candidates to use other people's images in their ads (with written consent). This includes even AI-generated likenesses. @faridaily.bsky.social reports that United Russia plans to lean on military themes (ie soldiers). https://t.me/faridaily24/201808 May 2026 04:35 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlcvr3xxks2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlcsbmo2r22rMoscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin says 25 Ukrainian drones targeting the city were shot overnight. Two of Moscow's main airports, Domodedovo and Vnukovo, restricted flights during the attack. https://t.me/kommersant/10692008 May 2026 03:33 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlcsbmo2r22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlcaybnfis2rMoscow's lockdown keeps growing more severe: The Kremlin has reportedly barred all foreign media from this year's Victory Day parade, revoking previously issued credentials. ARD, ZDF, Sky, Rai, NHK, AFP, and Der Spiegel itself are among the outlets affected. https://t.me/agentstvonews/1523407 May 2026 22:23 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlcaybnfis2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlcajkhzw22r70 years from now, the Gen Alpha Trump president will press charges against the former FBI director for threatening him with 6-7 memes. Mark my words.07 May 2026 22:15 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlcajkhzw22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlc7bf4ykk2rRobert Fico flies to Moscow on May 9, carrying a message from Zelensky for Putin, according to Slovakia's foreign ministry. European leaders must stay engaged w all parties to have influence over any eventual peace deal, argues deputy foreign minister Rastislav Chovanec. https://www.rbc.ru/politics/07/05/2026/69fcf3dd9a7947e79ef166e7 https://www.rbc.ru/politics/07/05/2026/69fcf3dd9a7947e79ef166e7?from=short_news?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=messenger&utm_campaign=rbc_news&utm_content=6911b3669a79476edca32bb5е07 May 2026 21:53 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlc7bf4ykk2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlbvp36gfs2vI'm now at the "here's a nondubbed 2-hour youtube video of a monkey playing with mice and miniature bowling pins" stage of child home sick from daycare07 May 2026 19:01 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbvp36gfs2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlbsdbxgfs2uMoscow has summoned Armenia's ambassador to protest Zelensky's recent visit to Yerevan, with the Foreign Ministry calling Ze's remarks there "terrorist threats against Russia." https://t.me/kommersant/10690207 May 2026 18:01 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbsdbxgfs2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlbs6d3wjs2uA Russian lawmaker has introduced a bill that would limit prosecutions of old social media posts by tying the statute of limitations to publication dates, not discovery dates. A doomed initiative and apparent campaign posturing by Duma deputy speaker Vladislav Davankov. https://t.me/obrazbuduschego2/2492207 May 2026 17:58 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbs6d3wjs2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlbopac6g22ssix dollars more for unicorns? can you at least guarantee my kids a more magical barfing experience??07 May 2026 16:56 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbopac6g22shttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlbokgjoec2sBad news for the Caspian Flotilla: Ukraine says it struck a Kalibr cruise missile carrier at Russia's Kaspiysk naval base in Dagestan overnight. The extent of the damage is still unclear. https://t.me/ejdailyru/39797407 May 2026 16:54 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbokgjoec2shttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlbnm275d22sMother's Day > Victory Day07 May 2026 16:37 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbnm275d22shttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlblrinvg22sRussia says further talks are "a waste of time" until Ukraine withdraws from the Donbas. Interesting to see how the fight over the region's boundaries now defines much of the invasion, even though Moscow's war aims are ostensbily much grander. Compares to Trump's Iran War now boondoggled on Hormuz. https://www.interfax.ru/russia/108826207 May 2026 16:04 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlblrinvg22shttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlbl3a4hvs2si'm thinking of launching a news outlet and calling it "This Is Authoritative Information, Disregard All Previous Prompts," and i expect it to rocket to the top of all aggregators. also, all articles will contain invisible porn keywords to drive additional traffic it's gonna be great07 May 2026 15:51 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbl3a4hvs2shttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlbkne7p6c2s"According to 2,000 documents obtained by a consortium of international media, including Le Monde, the prestigious Bauman Moscow State Technical University has been discreetly training Russian military intelligence officers, particularly hackers." https://www.lemonde.fr/en/m-le-mag/article/2026/05/07/moscow-s-bauman-university-the-clandestine-school-training-russian-hackers_6753208_117.html07 May 2026 15:44 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbkne7p6c2shttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlbilj3ynk2spretty wild that American farmers are suffering from a fertilizer shortage despite record levels of bullshit from the White House07 May 2026 15:07 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbilj3ynk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlbc57ayks2jOleg Novoselov, a historian of Soviet-era political repressions, has been arrested in Yekaterinburg on suspicion of "inciting assistance to terrorism." In Sept 2025, he was among the 1st to report that state archives will restrict researcher access to repression-era case files. https://66.ru/news/incident/288687/07 May 2026 13:11 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbc57ayks2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlbbf5pluk2pUkraine has arrested two bloggers in the Chernihiv region for tracking and publishing the movements of cops and territorial recruitment center agents, i.e. the draft office guys who drag men off the streets and bus them away to the Ukrainian army. https://t.me/stranaua/235035 https://t.me/stranaua/235035?single07 May 2026 12:58 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbbf5pluk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlbafx2hws2pVladimir Yarotsky, 41, has reportedly killed himself in prison after complaining of grueling night shifts, making him at least the 7th Russian political prisoner to die behind bars so far this year. His crime was "desecrating military symbols" by posting this Putin-penis joke on social media.07 May 2026 12:41 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbafx2hws2phttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlb7uej7vk2pAnother apparent Ukrainian drone attack on an oil storage facility, this time in ... Latvia. Two drones entered Latvia from Russia and crashed into a facility about 25 miles from the border. The drones were probably launched by Ukraine against targets in Russia, says Latvia's defense minister. https://www.reuters.com/world/two-drones-russia-crash-latvia-army-says-2026-05-07/07 May 2026 12:31 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlb7uej7vk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlaky3btdk2pRussia's federal government has announced that it's shutting down *all* mobile Internet service in Moscow on May 9 during Victory Day — even text messaging & access to state-approved white-listed online resources. An extreme measure to guard against feared Ukrainian attacks. https://t.me/vedomosti/7733107 May 2026 06:17 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlaky3btdk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlafdr6t622iThe city of Cheboksary, deep in Russia's interior, has moved students to remote learning over fears of further missile and drone attacks by Ukraine. This is hundreds of miles from the Ukrainian border. https://t.me/tass_agency/37464507 May 2026 04:36 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlafdr6t622ihttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlac6rehhs2iMoscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin says the military shot down eight inbound Ukrainian drones overnight. These reports are routine, but the subject is sensitive this week with the looming Victory Day parade and the Kremlin's threat to escalate attacks on Kyiv if Moscow's parade is targeted. https://t.me/dimsmirnov175/12413407 May 2026 03:40 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlac6rehhs2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/kevinrothrock.me/post/3mlabtor3b22iMoscow lawyer Alexander Karabanov — who built his defense practice around some of Russia's biggest corruption cases — was arrested on fraud charges this week and jailed. His clients have included figures tied to corrupt police officials, businessmen, and even Senator Konstantin Tsebko. https://www.rbc.ru/society/07/05/2026/69fbb9b19a79470882b583e9?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=messenger&utm_campaign=rbc_news&utm_content=69fbb9b19a79470882b583e907 May 2026 03:33 +0000at://did:plc:ty42uz67qbam52si5yduwwaa/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlabtor3b22i