Georgii Chentemirov

Wagner Group continues recruiting in Murmansk

Despite Yevgeny Prigozhin's attempted coup, his mercenary group has not halted its efforts to draft men in Russian regions.
June 26, 2023

Asylum-seeking Wagner defector back in borderland

No war crimes against civilians, Andrei Medvedev claims: “No Wagner fighters allowed themselves to do something illegal. If this had happened, this man would be shot right on the spot.”
June 23, 2023

Mayor of Karelian capital Petrozavodsk signs up for war in Ukraine

Vladimir Lyubarsky intends to join a Chechen battalion known for its war crimes and extreme brutality in the onslaught on the neighbouring country.
June 19, 2023

“Opposition and emigration are two sets that do not intersect.” Interview with Viktor Vorobyov, Russia's first “foreign agent” lawmaker

Member of the Komi State Council Viktor Vorobyov is “jammed” in broadcasts of sessions, but voters still listen to his speeches. Vorobyov leads the Communist Party faction without being a member of the party; he does not support the war in Ukraine, although the party he represents in parliament is all in favor of it. Finally, Viktor Vorobyov is a “foreign agent” who, a year after being given this status, continues to work in the legislative body. The Barents Observer spoke to the anomalous lawmaker about public sentiment, fear and why it is important for a politician to stay at home.
June 13, 2023

Police in Murmansk detains 15-year old girl for wearing pin with Ukrainian colours

The teenager who has lost her father on the battlefield in Ukraine explained to police that she wants "peace in the world."
June 09, 2023

Fewer visas, more sanctions, more expensive insurance. How the border between Norway and Russia is closing

The number of Russians entering Norway is declining. And it will decrease further because of sanctions pressure and visa policy. Travel, which until recently was a routine thing for residents of border regions, will soon become a luxury inaccessible to most. The Barents Observer tried to figure out why.
June 07, 2023

Arkhangelsk student Olesya Krivtsova cut her electronic tracking bracelet and left Russia

A court ruling in January placed Olesya Krivtsova (20) under house arrest awaiting a trial that could give her 10 years in jail for sharing an anti-war post on social media.
March 16, 2023

Wagner Group opens recruitment center in Murmansk

The mercenary company is offering Russian northerners 240,000 rubles (€3,000) per month for assignments in Ukraine.
March 15, 2023

In north Russian towns, silent manifestations of support for Ukraine

One year after the start of the onslaught, flowers in blue and yellow colours appear in downtown Petrozavodsk and Murmansk.
February 24, 2023

“Let the whole world know that there are people like my daughter.” Snitches and a sledgehammer: the case of Olesya Krivtsova

A 20-year-old student from Arkhangelsk faces 10 years in prison for anti-war posts. She has been reported to the police by a criminal who dreams of killing gays.
February 23, 2023

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