Russia's ruling party has initiated an appeal asking the country's leadership to start supplying military assistance to the self-proclaimed "people's republics" in eastern Ukraine, Interfax reported on Wednesday, January 26.

Police in Russia have added Oleg Navalny, the brother of jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny, to a federal wanted list, the nation's Interior Ministry reported on Tuesday. The announcement does not list the charges.

In early January, the American authorities withdrew a request to extradite Berlin-based Russian DJ Denis Kaznacheev. The U.S. had charged him with laundering hundreds of millions of dollars. As a result, a Berlin court placed Kaznacheev in pre-trial detention before releasing him on bail, while making it clear that Germany would not challenge his extradition stateside. In recent months, new details of the case have emerged: Kaznacheev was accused of running WebKazna -- a money laundering service on the dark web, -- supposedly naming the illegal business after himself. People close to the DJ think he was framed by a family friend. Meduza looks into how the story unfolded.

Imprisoned opposition leader Alexey Navalny and a number of his close associates have been added to Russia's list of "terrorists and extremists."

"The Russian Government is looking to install a pro-Russian leader in Kyiv as it considers whether to invade and occupy Ukraine," the UK Foreign Office said in a statement released on Saturday, January 22. The British authorities pointed to former Ukrainian lawmaker Yevhen Murayev as a "potential candidate," while also claiming to "have information that the Russian intelligence services maintain links with numerous former Ukrainian politicians." Commenting on this information, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab warned that there would be serious consequences should Russia try and invade Ukraine and install a puppet government. However, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declined to comment on the British intelligence report. In turn, Yevhen Murayev himself vehemently dismissed the allegations as "nonsense and stupidity." Meduza examines what is known about Murayev and the other former Ukrainian politicians the UK Foreign Office named.

The United States, UK, and Australia have started to withdraw the family members of embassy staff in Ukraine, as tensions between Russia and NATO countries continue to rise. On Monday, January 24, NATO confirmed that member countries had sent additional ships and jets to enhance deployments in Eastern Europe. In turn, the Kremlin's spokesman accused the alliance of provoking "an escalation of tensions." Meanwhile, the ruble's exchange rate against the U.S. dollar dropped significantly, prompting Russia's Central Bank to halt foreign currency purchases.

In the winter of 2021, Russia was rocked by large-scale protests demanding the release of opposition leader Alexey Navalny. After spending months abroad recovering from chemical nerve-agent poisoning, Navalny had returned to Russia only to be thrown in jail. During the ensuing pro-Navalny rallies, thousands of people were detained. Police in Moscow made so many arrests that the capital's detention centers were overflowing. As a result, many detainees were sent to a migrant detention center in Sakharovo, a village just outside of Moscow. The detainees shared striking accounts of how they were held on freezing buses outside the detention center for hours on end, only to be placed in overcrowded cells without bedding and basic hygiene products. Photographs taken inside the detention center drove these experiences home. At the same time, the detainees themselves recall the special atmosphere inside those same cells. One year later, Meduza reached out to those jailed in Sakharovo and asked for photographs of what went on there. Here are their snapshots.

Alexey Navalny's investigative team operating abroad has released a new report devoted to "Vladimir Putin's palace" -- a seaside mansion that's been under construction for years in Gelendzhik and linked to the Kremlin and the president's close friends. Exactly a year and a day ago, Team Navalny published an investigative report about the residence that has attracted more than 121 million views. In these new revelations, the jailed opposition leader's researchers say they've obtained real photographs of the palace's interior. The images apparently corroborate the accuracy of last year's 3D mockups that were created using leaked blueprints and furniture catalogs (including a design for a hookah lounge that contains a "dance pole").

The "Allied Resolve" joint military exercises between Russia and Belarus are underway. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Wednesday, January 19, that Russian forces have begun to arrive in Belarus for the first phase of the maneuvers, which will last until February 9. The second phase will run from February 10-20. According to open-source reports, Russian troops and hardware have already been spotted within 40 kilometers (25 miles) of the Belarusian border with Ukraine. Taking place against the backdrop of a flurry of diplomatic talks, the military exercises have further stoked international fears that Moscow is planning to launch an attack on Ukraine. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov insisted on Wednesday that the drills are not cause for concern.

Russian lawmakers from the Communist Party (KPRF) have submitted to the State Duma for consideration a draft resolution that proposes sending a formal appeal to President Vladimir Putin "on the need to recognize the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic."