About one in five Russians say their savings have shrunk since Moscow launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February. With the war grinding on and with the dislocations caused by military mobilization, economists say it is becoming harder for average Russians to cope.
The bodies of recently mobilized Russian soldiers are arriving back home, adding to dismay over the unpopular and clumsy draft process. Now Putin says the "partial" mobilization will soon wrap up but not everyone is convinced.
The governor of the Pskov region, northwest of Moscow, jumped at the chance to oversee the reconstruction of schools in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s Kherson region. His own region has an awful record at completing construction projects at home.
"In the last few years, Orbán’s post-truth regime has exported its tactics. It gives a helping hand to like-minded "illiberals" in the Western Balkans with media, political consultancy, diplomatic support and money."