logo
Thursday Briefing: Your Russia Questions Answered

Thursday Briefing: Your Russia Questions Answered

New York Times2 days ago
By Katrin Bennhold
Good morning. Today, Anton Troianovski, our Moscow bureau chief, answers your questions about Russia and the war in Ukraine.
Plus, the other great Kurosawa.
Ask a Correspondent: Moscow Bureau Chief edition
It's our first edition of Ask a Correspondent, and we'll be answering some of the questions you sent for Anton Troianovski, our Moscow bureau chief. Thank you for all the thoughtful messages. You sent in so many great questions, it was hard to choose! You'll have more chances to grill Times journalists soon.
Anton was born in Moscow, but left what was then the Soviet Union when he was four and grew up mostly in the U.S. He has become a trusted guide to Russia's war in Ukraine, but he's also a lot of fun (read his account of snacking on frozen reindeer blood and this story on taking a crude oil bath at a spa in Azerbaijan.) I was lucky enough to briefly share an office with him: In 2022, when I was Berlin bureau chief, the Times moved Anton and much of his team to Germany when the war began. Today he leads a group of journalists reporting from inside and outside of Russia.
Now, we'll turn it over to Anton.
What's the biggest challenge that you face when trying to write a story and not being based in Moscow? It must be a challenge not meeting people face to face. — Daniel Heaslip, Ireland
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Examining reports Texas man who moved family to Russia died in Ukraine war
Examining reports Texas man who moved family to Russia died in Ukraine war

Yahoo

time28 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Examining reports Texas man who moved family to Russia died in Ukraine war

In late July 2025, amid high media interest in Derek Huffman, a Texas man who moved his family to Russia to escape LGBTQ+ values in the U.S., a claim (archived) circulated online that Huffman had died in combat after enlisting in the Russian armed forces. One X user wrote, "American Derek Huffman, who fled to russia over 'LGBT propaganda,' was killed on the front lines by a drone strike." The user attributed the claim to The Maltese Herald, a news site from Malta that ran the story on July 23, 2025. The claim also circulated on Facebook (archived), Instagram (archived), Threads (archived), Bluesky (archived), Reddit (archived) and TikTok (archived). Snopes readers searched our page, asking whether the claim was true. We found no evidence Huffman had died in combat at the time of this writing. The Huffman Time YouTube channel, where the family documented their move to Russia, told several commenters on July 24 that Derek Huffman was alive. We also found no evidence of a reported video showing Huffman's death. DeAnna Huffman, Derek Huffman's wife, told Snopes via email on July 25 that "we are not doing any interviews or answering any questions at this time." A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the department was "aware of unconfirmed media reports of a U.S. citizen killed in Ukraine," and reiterated a warning against U.S. citizens traveling to Russia. We also reached out to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to confirm whether Derek Huffman had died in combat and await a reply. The claim appeared to stem from a July 23 report in The Maltese Herald. That report, which the Herald has since updated, claimed Derek Huffman died in a drone strike on the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine war. It further claimed that footage of Huffman's death circulated online, but did not provide any links. We reached out to The Maltese Herald to ask why it initially believed the story to be true and await a reply. The updated version of the Herald's report included screenshots of the Huffman Time YouTube channel, run by DeAnna Huffman in her husband's absence, denying reports of his death. Despite this, the report still included the sentence "Derek Huffman, the US citizen from Texas, has been confirmed killed on the Ukrainian front lines by a drone strike." The Maltese Herald also had not updated an X post (archived) that claimed Derek Huffman died in combat. DeAnna Huffman, via the Huffman Time YouTube Channel, replied to a comment on July 24 reading, "Update: Derek has passed," writing in a series of comments: Why are you here lying? He's with his unit and for safety, not allowed to. Let people talk and lie. We know the truth, and when safe, it will eventually be widely seen. Yes, I understand you believe everything that the news says… and my husband and I have been laughing about it. You're more than welcome to believe the lies. Huffman said her husband was "alive and well." We found no reports in Russian media about Derek Huffman dying. On July 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media he had not previously heard about Huffman joining the armed forces but that it was possible for foreigners to volunteer. Snopes previously reported that Huffman enlisted with the Russian armed forces as a way to secure Russian citizenship for his family. Huffman said he moved himself, his wife and three daughters from Texas to Russia in order to escape LGBTQ+ values in the U.S. "Anti-Woke Dad Who Moved Family to Russia Sent to War Zone." The Daily Beast, 20 Jul. 2025, Bennetts, Marc. Texan Who Fled 'Woke' America Has Been Sent to Putin's Front Line. 22 Jul. 2025, "Derek Huffman Confirmed Killed by a Drone Strike." The Maltese Herald, 23 Jul. 2025, Huffman Time. "Girls Show Their Art, Summer Hats & Russian Life Updates 🇷🇺 | Big News & Fun Moments!" YouTube, 15 Jul. 2025, Reyes, Ronny. American Who Joined Russian Army to Escape "woke" US Has Been Sent to the Frontlines, Wife Says. 22 Jul. 2025, "Песков прокомментировал данные о добровольце из США Хаффмане на СВО." TACC, Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

World Court's Climate Change Opinion Could Alter Sustainability Reporting Debate
World Court's Climate Change Opinion Could Alter Sustainability Reporting Debate

Forbes

time33 minutes ago

  • Forbes

World Court's Climate Change Opinion Could Alter Sustainability Reporting Debate

Judges are seated as the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, opens hearings ... More into what countries worldwide are legally required to do to combat climate change and help vulnerable nations fight its devastating impact, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) After over two years of proceedings, the International Court of Justice released its Advisory Opinion relating to the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change on July 23. The Court found that large GHG emitting countries, like the United States, must take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including those of private business. While not directly addressing sustainability reporting, advocates will invoke the opinion to argue nations must implement reporting standards to monitor and force businesses to reduce GHG emissions. The ICJ was established in 1945 through the UN Charter to handle legal disputes between nations. Known as the World Court, it is an outlet for countries to settle civil disputes through a neutral court. The ICJ is composed of 15 judges elected by the UNGA and UN Council to serve a term of nine years. A country may only have one judge serving on the ICJ at a time. On March 29, 2023, at the request of Vanuatu, the UN General Assembly asked the ICJ to issue an advisory opinion on the legal obligations of countries in preventing climate change. The opinion, while non-binding, gives an indicator of how the Court may interpret future climate related litigation and guide future legislative development. Following two years of proceedings, including both written and oral statements, the Court issued its opinion, and a shorter summary of the opinion, on July 23. The 140 page opinion primarily focuses on interpreting obligations under existing climate treaties, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement. It also looked at a recent opinion by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea that found climate change obligations exist in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Finally, it considered customary international law. The court found that countries are obligated to take action to reduce GHG gas emissions. Failure to act could result in large GHG emitting countries owing reparations to smaller countries for the adverse impacts of climate change. Opening the door to a wave of litigation before the ICJ as developing countries seek compensation. Notably, these obligations do not arise exclusively from the Paris Agreement or the UNFCCC. The Court rejected arguments made by large countries, including the United States, Australia, and Germany, that the creation of a treaty that specifically addresses climate change overrides any other international law on the subject. This is known as lex specialis. The Court found a 'duty to prevent significant harm to the environment' exists under customary international law. The Court's rejection of lex specialis effectively renders Trump's exit from the Paris Agreement as moot when it comes to liability. The court established liability in two parts, or elements. "The main elements of the obligation of prevention in the context of protection of the climate system are (a) the environmental harm to be prevented and (b) due diligence as the required standard of conduct.' Looking at sustainability reporting, the relevant obligations are found in paragraphs 281 and 282 of the opinion, addressing the due diligence requirement. Quoting the ITLOS opinion, the ICJ stated that countries are required to The opinion then applied the standard to climate change. Sustainability advocates will use that obligation to argue that countries must enact sustainability reporting requirements. Sustainability reporting, and the broader environmental, social, and governance reporting, requires companies to disclose GHG emissions through financial statements. For now, sustainability reporting regulations only require companies to provide information. They do not require businesses to reduce GHG emissions. However, once the information is publicly available, advocates and interested nations can use that information to force companies to reduce emissions through regulatory action and the courts. As the European Union debates significant reductions to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, expect advocates to argue the changes violate the ICJ opinion. Similar arguments will arise in other jurisdictions around the world. However, the debate is political and the opinion is not legally binding. Countries and their elected leaders will choose whether or not to acknowledge the opinion. Application will come through the courts.

Friday, July 25. Russia's War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine
Friday, July 25. Russia's War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine

Forbes

time33 minutes ago

  • Forbes

Friday, July 25. Russia's War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine

KHARKIV, UKRAINE - JULY 24: A firefighter extinguishes wreckage of cars in a yard of residential ... More buildings where people gather after Russian shelling on July 24, 2025 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Russian army hit a residential area in the Kharkiv centre with two guided bombs. According to the city authorities, one of the hits occurred near a high-rise residential building; people are trapped under the rubble. The second hit was on a civilian enterprise, where a fire broke out. Dozens of people are known to have been injured because of Russian airstrikes on the city. At least 10 houses were damaged because of the hits, and about 15 cars were burning at the site. (Photo by Liubov Yemets/Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images) Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1,248. Between July 21-24, Russian strikes across Ukraine killed at least 12 civilians and injured more than 120 others. In the eastern Donetsk oblast, or province, systematic shelling and glide bombs killed six non-combatants and wounded 44 others. In northeastern Kharkiv oblast, Russian glide bomb and drone strikes killed at least three residents and injured more than 50 others. In southern Kherson oblast, drone attacks killed two civilians and injured 22 people, including two children, while in the capital, Kyiv, one individual was reported dead, with nine others injured. Government Bid to End Anti-Corruption Agencies' Independence Sparks First Wartime Protests in Ukraine On July 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed controversial legislation that would de facto place the country's independent anti-corruption bodies under government control. Passed in a rushed parliamentary vote, the law would effectively strip independence from two key institutions established after 2014 to combat corruption: the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). It brings their investigative functions under the oversight of the prosecutor general, a direct presidential appointee. Critics of the law argue that the prosecutor general is not a politically neutral figure and could be sensitive to pressure against launching investigations into members of the political elite close to President Zelenskyy. The adoption of the legislation followed raids on NABU offices, which, according to the institution, were carried out without court warrants. Ukrainian government officials defended the new law, citing concerns over Russian influence within NABU, which was allegedly unearthed by Ukraine's security services. 'The anti-corruption infrastructure will work, only without Russian influence – it needs to be cleared of that,' said Volodynyr Zelenskyy in his evening address on Telegram. Civil society, however, widely dismissed these claims, especially since the legislation was backed by lawmakers linked to pro-Russian factions in Ukraine's parliament. The apparent crackdown triggered the largest domestic protests since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Three days of peaceful demonstrations erupted in at least 16 Ukrainian cities, including key regional capitals such as Kharkiv, Dnipro and Lviv. The largest protests occurred in Kyiv, with attendance estimated at 1,000 to 5,000 participants. Footage circulated on Ukrainian media showed the main square near Kyiv's government quarter filled with protesters. One sign read, 'My father didn't die for this,' a rebuke against what many see as the rollback of anti-corruption reforms. In addition to outcry from Ukrainian society, Western allies immediately raised alarms about the law. Ambassadors of the G7 countries in Kyiv issued a joint statement expressing concern; the European Commission spokesperson, meanwhile, warned the law could jeopardize Ukraine's path toward EU accession since funding from Brussels is 'conditional on [Ukraine's] progress on transparency, judicial reform and democratic government.' The legislation was similarly met with concern from U.S. lawmakers. In a rare bipartisan joint statement, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, and Lindsey Graham, a Republican, applauded Ukraine's efforts to tackle corruption, even while under Russian attack, and expressed 'fear this law undermines much of that [anti-corruption]In response to strong domestic and international criticism, President Zelenskyy is set to propose a bill that will decrease Russian influence while maintaining the anti-corruption agencies' independence. NABU has already stated that this bill 'restores all procedural powers and guarantees of independence' for the anti-corruption institutions. Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Russia and Ukraine agreed to a prisoner exchange during the latest talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 23. However, the meeting, which was initiated by Kyiv and lasted less than an hour, failed to yield progress on a ceasefire or a summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukraine's negotiator, former defense minister Rustem Umerov, proposed such a summit by the end of August and suggested it may also include U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, Russia's lead delegate, Vladimir Medinsky, said such a meeting should only occur to sign an agreement. The two sides remain divided on ceasefire terms. Ukraine demands an unconditional halt to fighting; Russia, on the other hand, refuses a ceasefire due its ability to press its current battlefield advantage and a benign stance from President Trump; although his position appears to have shifted somewhat against Russia recently. Despite the stalemate in negotiations, the countries agreed to swap circa 500 prisoners-of-war and plan a larger exchange of 1,200 soldiers soon. Culture Front. A new documentary executive produced by world-renowned ballerina Misty Copeland premiered Tuesday night at a sold-out screening at Village East by Angelika in New York City. Titled Match in a Haystack, the feature-length film follows a group of Ukrainian female dancers as they attempt to stage their first performance since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Directed by five-time Emmy Award-winner Joe Hill, Match in a Haystack offers an intimate and urgent portrayal of art as survival — capturing the intersection of war, memory, and creative resistance. The film highlights the physical and emotional journey of artists determined to preserve identity and expression amid destruction. 'This film is a love letter to courage, to movement, and to the enduring role of artistry in the face of crisis,' said Hill during a post-screening Q&A alongside Copeland. The two were joined onstage by producer Stefanie Noll, director of photography Nathaniel Brown, editor Arielle Sherman, and Ukrainian-American composer Katya Richardson, whose original score adds emotional weight to the story. Following its New York premiere, Match in a Haystack is expected to screen at festivals and special events throughout the U.S. and internationally in the coming months. Ukrainian artist collective Open Group brings the sounds of war to Manhattan's High Line in their haunting video installation Repeat After Me (2024), screening daily after 5 PM through September 7 at 14th Street. Originally presented at the Polish Pavilion of the 2024 Venice Biennale, the work features Ukrainian civilians recalling the sounds of weapons they heard before fleeing their homes—then asking viewers to repeat those sounds back. Founded in 2012, Open Group's current members — Yuriy Biley, Pavlo Kovach, and Anton Varga — use collaborative formats to confront political and social rupture. By Danylo Nosov, Karina L. Tahiliani

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store