The Naked Pravda

On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, The Naked Pravda speaks with journalist and author Lucian Kim to ask the questions that still don’t have settled answers: Was this war the product of one man’s radicalization, or something deeper — an imperial culture that generates aggression with or without orders from the top? Why didn’t Putin march on Kyiv in 2014, when Ukraine had no army and most of its citizens didn’t yet see Russia as an enemy? And is Putin really the inscrutable black box that analysts make him out to be, or has he been telling us exactly what he intends for decades?

Lucian Kim has been covering Russia since Putin’s first term in office — more than two decades of on-the-ground reporting, including time in the Kremlin press pool and as NPR’s Moscow-based correspondent. He is now a senior Ukraine analyst at the International Crisis Group. His book, Putin’s Revenge: Why Russia Invaded Ukraine, published by Columbia University Press, is now available in paperback. Use the promo code CUP20 at checkout for a 20-percent discount.

Timestamps for this episode:

• (02:25) How do you write about Putin’s psychology when his inner world is a black box?
• (09:02) Has Putin’s COVID isolation hardened him permanently?
• (09:48) Why didn’t Putin order a full-scale invasion in 2014, when Ukraine was defenseless?
• (14:24) In an “adhocracy” of freelancers, who bears responsibility for Russian aggression?
• (18:11) Did Putin kidnap ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych or rescue him?
• (23:00) Why frame the conflict as a generational clash over Soviet memory?
• (29:30) Is there still reason for hope in Russia’s younger generation?

Как поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно

It’s no secret that Russia relies on high salaries and sign-on bonuses to recruit soldiers to fight in Ukraine. Despite staggering battlefield losses, an estimated 30,000 men still enlist every month. But after four years of full-scale war, the cost of finding volunteers is only rising steadily, and the burden is falling on Russia’s regions. 

Why have hundreds of thousands of men joined the Russian army? How much does it cost to sustain recruitment? And is it only a matter of time before Vladimir Putin will be forced to declare another mobilization? In this episode of The Naked Pravda, deputy editor Eilish Hart explores the big questions behind Russia’s recruitment numbers with Dr. Janis Kluge, a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin.

Time stamps for this episode:

• (2:14) Where the data comes from: Using federal and regional budgets
• (6:59) Quotas and pressure: How the top-down recruitment system works
• (9:03) Why men enlist: Bonuses, debt, and coercion at the margins
• (11:43) What recruitment really costs
• (16:50) Bonus shopping: Recruits traveling to the highest-paying regions
• (21:43) Will Putin mobilize again? Scenarios and warning signs

Как поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно

As the full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth year, resistance to Russian occupation has undergone a radical transformation. The public displays of defiance that defined the war’s early days — with civilians blocking tanks and holding street protests — have long been crushed by the Kremlin’s ruthless occupation regime. By blending systematic brutality, bureaucracy, and pervasive surveillance, Russia has sought to extinguish dissent and erase Ukrainian identity in occupied regions. But this has only forced the resistance deeper underground.

In this episode of The Naked Pravda, deputy editor Eilish Hart sits down with Dr. Jade McGlynn, the head of the Ukraine and Russia program at the Center for Statecraft and National Security at King’s College London, to discuss this shift. Drawing on her extensive field research and recent report for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Dr. McGlynn analyzes how resistance efforts have adapted to survive life behind the front lines.

Time stamps for this episode:

• (2:36) Early resistance and public defiance in occupied Ukraine
• (10:43) Organized resistance and intelligence
• (14:23) Differences across Ukraine’s occupied territories
• (24:20) The challenges of researching Ukrainian resistance
• (30:08) Diplomatic efforts and perceptions in Ukraine

Как поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно

In this week’s episode, host Kevin Rothrock sits down with RFE/RL senior international correspondent Mike Eckel to discuss his January 28 investigation into the bizarre case of Nomma Zarubina: The FSB, Lies, and Drunk Texting the FBI. A 35-year-old Russian woman and mother of a young daughter, Zarubina was jailed in Manhattan this past December — not for traditional espionage or even “espionage-lite,” but after a spiral of erratic behavior that included lying to the FBI about her contacts with Russia’s FSB and harassing a federal agent with drunken, late-night text messages.

In a conversation that explores the blurry legal line between cultural promotion and foreign-agent activity, Eckel unpacks how Zarubina fits into a wider “parade of fools” — a recent trend of Russian figures like Maria Butina and Elena Branson who secretly networked at the Russian state’s behest. The discussion also highlights the personal unraveling of Zarubina, whose meltdown and subsequent taunting of the FBI (“Catch me baby, so many spies”) offer a grim look at the human cost of Russia’s fringe intelligence operations.

Timestamps for this episode:

• (3:27) Details of the investigation
• (7:05) Comparisons to other Russian agents
• (17:27) Zarubina’s unusual behavior
• (20:38) The case’s legal implications and future outlook

Как поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно

As the full-scale invasion of Ukraine nears its four-year anniversary, The Naked Pravda looks back even further to the origins of the conflict that began nearly 12 years ago. This episode features a deep dive into the 2013–14 Euromaidan Revolution and its counter-movement, the Antimaidan. William Jay Risch, a professor of Russian and Eastern European history at Georgia College, joins the podcast to discuss his forthcoming book, Ukraine’s Euromaidan: From Revolutionary Euphoria to the Madness of War. 

In this interview, Risch challenges prevailing Western narratives by examining the marginalization of leftist voices during the revolution and the missed opportunities for broader political mobilization. He also discusses the agency behind the “Russian Spring” counter-protests, explaining how escalating revolutionary violence and Russian intervention weakened Ukrainian unity and contributed to where the country finds itself today. 

Time stamps for this episode:

• (3:22) Euromaidan’s evolution
• (12:27) The role of identity and class politics
• (19:20) The impact of Russian intervention
• (25:09) The aftermath and current state of Ukraine

Как поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно

At first glance, the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro might look like an obvious disaster for Vladimir Putin. Russia has lost a key partner, and the prospect of Venezuelan oil flooding the market could depress prices even more, further constraining the Kremlin’s ability to fund its war against Ukraine. Then there’s the embarrassing contrast between the U.S. operation in Caracas, which was over in hours, and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which is now entering its fifth year. But the reality might be more complicated. To better understand what Trump’s Venezuela operation could mean for Moscow, Meduza spoke with political scientist Seva Gunitsky and Russian oil-industry expert Craig Kennedy.

Timestamps for this episode:

• (2:17) Why Maduro’s ouster could be good for Putin
• (16:00) A turning point for the global order
• (24:36) The sorry state of the Russian oil market
• (35:58) Washington’s seizure of a Russian-flagged ship

Как поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно

Opinion journalism on Russia has become a high-stakes enterprise since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, shaped by audiences sharply divided by politics and geography. At the center of these pressures are editors tasked with deciding which arguments deserve a platform, how much context readers need, and what constitutes responsible discourse. Few desks confront these challenges more directly than the opinion section of The Moscow Times.

Against that backdrop, The Naked Pravda spoke with Charlie Hancock, the outlet’s opinion editor, about how the job has changed in recent years. In the interview, Hancock describes her path into Russia-focused journalism, the unexpected editorial challenges that emerged early in the war, and the debates that now shape opinion writing on Russia. She also discusses navigating legal and political constraints, handling reader criticism, and balancing sharply divergent viewpoints while maintaining editorial coherence — and her own sanity.

Timestamps for this episode:

• (3:16) Unexpected editorial challenges
• (6:58) Handling criticism and reader engagement
• (8:36) Publishing under Russian state repression
• (18:35) Navigating legal and political constraints
• (20:39) Balancing diverse opinions

Как поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно

Earlier this year, Telegram raised $1.7 billion from convertible bonds — funds earmarked to pay off debt due next year, leaving about $745 million in surplus. In December 2024, in its first profitable year, the company reportedly earned a profit of $540 million on revenue of $1.4 billion. This year, Telegram’s profits are expected to top $700 million on $2 billion in revenue. The social network reportedly has more than 1 billion monthly active users, including 15 million paid subscribers — a figure that has doubled over the past year.

In November 2025, the French authorities fully lifted their travel ban on billionaire Pavel Durov, Telegram’s founder and CEO, who was arrested in Paris in August 2024 on charges alleging complicity in crimes facilitated through the platform. In the past two years, Durov has granted hours-long interviews to podcaster and YouTuber Lex Fridman and American journalist Tucker Carlson. Durov also spent two days talking to Russian journalist Nikolay Kononov, who recently published a new book that updates his “14-year investigation into Pavel Durov’s strategy and mindset, and the epic of Telegram.” The book, The Populist: The Untold Story of Pavel Durov and Telegram, is now available in English. Kononov spoke with The Naked Pravda about Durov’s conservative political views, his uncompromising managerial style, and Telegram’s efforts to navigate regulatory risks while expanding its global user base. 

Timestamps for this episode:

• (2:22) Tech feudalism vs. late capitalism
• (12:28) Telegram moderation politics
• (16:15) Telegram’s cryptocurrency journey
• (22:13) The future of Telegram and Pavel Durov’s vision
• (30:38) Durov’s mindset in 2025

Как поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been without a chief of staff for more than a week. His former right-hand man, Andriy Yermak, resigned on November 28, hours after anti-corruption agents raided his apartment in Kyiv. The investigators were looking into a $100-million kickback scheme in Ukraine’s energy sector that has already cost several high-level officials their posts.

The timing of the biggest political scandal of Zelensky’s presidency couldn’t have been worse: news of the scheme broke just as the Trump administration pushed ahead with another round of talks to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. Among his many other roles, Yermak was Ukraine’s lead peace negotiator.

To put this enormous shake-up into context, Meduza senior news editor Sam Breazeale spoke to journalist Simon Shuster. A Ukraine expert and staff writer at The Atlantic, Shuster interviewed Yermak the day before his resignation. He also enjoyed extensive access to Zelensky and his circle while writing his 2024 biography The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky. Originally published in English, The Showman is now also available in Russian from Meduza’s own publishing house.

Timestamps for this episode:

• (1:39) The Zelensky administration without Yermak
• (5:40) The role of martial law
• (9:09) Negotiations and peace talks
• (22:57) Zelensky’s transformation and future
• (29:59) The governance challenges of wartime corruption

Как поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно

Belarusian pro-democracy activist Andrei Sannikov recently joined Beet editor Eilish Hart for a conversation recorded on the sidelines of the Halifax International Security Forum. The interview focused on the Trump administration’s growing engagement with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, including efforts to secure the release of more than a thousand political prisoners. In these negotiations, Lukashenko has leveraged a tactic honed by his regime over decades of authoritarian rule.

Sannikov knows the consequences of that system firsthand. He ran against Lukashenko in the 2010 presidential election, was badly beaten by riot police, and served time in prison after protests erupted over the rigged vote. From exile, he has watched Minsk turn prisoner releases into bargaining chips, trading a few high-profile dissidents for sanctions relief and then refilling the prisons with new detainees.

Against the backdrop of Trump’s second term and renewed U.S.–Belarus engagement, Sannikov warned that Washington risks falling into a familiar trap. While the White House celebrates diplomatic “breakthroughs,” Lukashenko continues to imprison more Belarusians than he frees, raising the unsettling question of whether outreach to Minsk delivers any real progress or merely legitimizes repression.

Timestamps for this episode:

• (3:06) Trump’s second term and Belarus relations
• (9:48) Lukashenko’s role in the Ukraine war
• (11:17) The geopolitical impact of Belarus breaking isolation
• (15:13) The future of Belarus: Neutrality vs. alliances
• (21:52) The importance of political prisoners and democratic resistance

Как поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно