Reading archive 2020-03-27

‘Diminishing returns’: What can change Putin’s course in the Ukraine war?

Russian generals are getting killed at an extraordinary rate

The Kremlin tries to stifle Radio Free Europe — and its audience surges: As the U.S.-funded broadcaster is forced to shut most of its Russian operations, its Web traffic indicates that Russian people are eagerly consuming its stories

Russia’s war in Ukraine galvanizes extremists globally: Some are seeking combat experience that authorities fear could incite violence far from today’s front line - "Now, contrary to the Russian president’s claim that denazification justifies his invasion, neo-Nazis in Germany and beyond aren’t casting their lot with Ukraine alone, say security and intelligence officials. Rather, the conflict has exposed a rift among extremists.

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"Other extremist channels feature pro-Russian communications. A group called Free Saxony recently told its followers that the conflict was 'largely fueled by NATO,' condemning smear campaigns against 'friends of Putin.' 

"In some instances, Russian groups have glorified extremist support for the war that is being expressed worldwide. The Russian Imperial Movement, a militant far-right faction designated a terrorist organization by the United States, brought attention on social media to a convoy in Belgrade, Serbia, in which ultranationalists and neo-Nazis flew the Russian flag. “The car rally successfully made its way through Belgrade, reaching at the end the Russian embassy, where the Serbian people once again loudly expressed their support,” read the Russian Imperial Movement’s announcement, according to a report from the Middle East Media Research Institute shared with The Washington Post."

Russian troops’ tendency to talk on unsecured lines is proving costly

US Army veteran who has volunteered to fight in Ukraine says he amps himself up for battle by thinking about 'punchable' Tucker Carlson

Meet the nuke the U.S. keeps in Europe, waiting to not be used: It’s estimated there are 100 of these B61 nuclear bombs there, designed to unify NATO and deter Russia