Joshua Yaffa
Joshua Yaffa is a contributing writer at The New Yorker and the author of “Between Two Fires: Truth, Ambition, and Compromise in Putin’s Russia,” which won the Orwell Prize in 2021.
The Prisoners in a Cellar in the Ukrainian Village of Novyi Bykiv
A pattern of indiscriminate violence committed by Russian forces appears to have taken hold in a number of towns and villages in the Kyiv region.
Why Do So Many Russians Say They Support the War in Ukraine?
In a climate of wartime censorship, the mere expression of an unsanctioned thought begins to feel like a protest action.
What the Russian Invasion Has Done to Ukraine
After thwarting a quick victory for Russia, Ukrainians are galvanized—and facing a punitive assault.
Inside Kyiv’s Metro, a Citywide Bomb Shelter
Across Ukraine, especially in the cities where Russia’s onslaught has been particularly intense, underground spaces have become precious.
War Comes to Kyiv
Residents are facing nightly air strikes, food shortages, and the prospect of taking up arms to defend the capital.
A Sleepless Night of Russian Air Strikes in Ukraine
The attacks confirmed that a real war is coming, one that will result in a horrific and bloody toll.
Inside the High-Stakes Fight to Control the Narrative on Ukraine
As Putin searches for a pretext to invade Ukraine, the Biden Administration has moved to release, in real time, what it knows of Russia’s war plans.
As Washington Predicts a Russian Invasion, the Mood in Kyiv Is Alarmed and Aggrieved
Ukraine is in the position that it has so resolutely tried to avoid: trapped between the irreconcilable power struggles of other states.
Putin’s Next Move in Ukraine Is an Open Question in Moscow
The saga has unfolded as a kind of Rorschach test: with each phase, Putin seems to be either laying the groundwork for a blitzkrieg invasion or searching for a face-saving way to back down.
The Historical Dispute Behind Russia’s Threat to Invade Ukraine
Putin claims that, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the U.S. promised not to expand NATO beyond East Germany. Does he have a case?
The Great Siberian Thaw
Permafrost contains microbes, mammoths, and twice as much carbon as Earth’s atmosphere. What happens when it starts to melt?
Why Is Russia Threatening to Invade Ukraine?
For Putin, the current standoff is a chance to overturn what he sees as an unjust post-Cold War order—and create a new one in its wake.
Why Russia Hasn’t Cracked Down on COVID-19
The country’s fragile political climate has repeatedly undermined its response to the pandemic.
A Black Communist’s Disappearance in Stalin’s Russia
What happened to Lovett Fort-Whiteman, the only known African American to die in the Gulag?
The Victims of Putin’s Crackdown on the Press
Since April, ten media outlets and twenty journalists have been targeted by the state.
How Hacking Became a Professional Service in Russia
The outfit behind the Colonial Pipeline attack had a blog, a user-friendly interface, and a sliding fee scale for helping hackers cash in on stolen information.
Russia Beat the World to a Vaccine, so Why Is It Falling Behind on Vaccinations?
The problem, it seems, is both supply and demand.
How Bellingcat Unmasked Putin’s Assassins
The collective’s innovation has been to recognize that the digital-age panopticon actually works in two directions.
The Russians Protesting Putin in Their Personal Lives
Since Alexey Navalny’s arrest, some Russians are reëvaluating their compromises, questioning whether the price of success—or merely getting by—has become untenable.
With Navalny Headed to Prison, Russia’s Political Battle Enters a New Stage
Will Putin regret putting the country’s opposition leader behind bars?
The Prisoners in a Cellar in the Ukrainian Village of Novyi Bykiv
A pattern of indiscriminate violence committed by Russian forces appears to have taken hold in a number of towns and villages in the Kyiv region.
Why Do So Many Russians Say They Support the War in Ukraine?
In a climate of wartime censorship, the mere expression of an unsanctioned thought begins to feel like a protest action.
What the Russian Invasion Has Done to Ukraine
After thwarting a quick victory for Russia, Ukrainians are galvanized—and facing a punitive assault.
Inside Kyiv’s Metro, a Citywide Bomb Shelter
Across Ukraine, especially in the cities where Russia’s onslaught has been particularly intense, underground spaces have become precious.
War Comes to Kyiv
Residents are facing nightly air strikes, food shortages, and the prospect of taking up arms to defend the capital.
A Sleepless Night of Russian Air Strikes in Ukraine
The attacks confirmed that a real war is coming, one that will result in a horrific and bloody toll.
Inside the High-Stakes Fight to Control the Narrative on Ukraine
As Putin searches for a pretext to invade Ukraine, the Biden Administration has moved to release, in real time, what it knows of Russia’s war plans.
As Washington Predicts a Russian Invasion, the Mood in Kyiv Is Alarmed and Aggrieved
Ukraine is in the position that it has so resolutely tried to avoid: trapped between the irreconcilable power struggles of other states.
Putin’s Next Move in Ukraine Is an Open Question in Moscow
The saga has unfolded as a kind of Rorschach test: with each phase, Putin seems to be either laying the groundwork for a blitzkrieg invasion or searching for a face-saving way to back down.
The Historical Dispute Behind Russia’s Threat to Invade Ukraine
Putin claims that, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the U.S. promised not to expand NATO beyond East Germany. Does he have a case?
The Great Siberian Thaw
Permafrost contains microbes, mammoths, and twice as much carbon as Earth’s atmosphere. What happens when it starts to melt?
Why Is Russia Threatening to Invade Ukraine?
For Putin, the current standoff is a chance to overturn what he sees as an unjust post-Cold War order—and create a new one in its wake.
Why Russia Hasn’t Cracked Down on COVID-19
The country’s fragile political climate has repeatedly undermined its response to the pandemic.
A Black Communist’s Disappearance in Stalin’s Russia
What happened to Lovett Fort-Whiteman, the only known African American to die in the Gulag?
The Victims of Putin’s Crackdown on the Press
Since April, ten media outlets and twenty journalists have been targeted by the state.
How Hacking Became a Professional Service in Russia
The outfit behind the Colonial Pipeline attack had a blog, a user-friendly interface, and a sliding fee scale for helping hackers cash in on stolen information.
Russia Beat the World to a Vaccine, so Why Is It Falling Behind on Vaccinations?
The problem, it seems, is both supply and demand.
How Bellingcat Unmasked Putin’s Assassins
The collective’s innovation has been to recognize that the digital-age panopticon actually works in two directions.
The Russians Protesting Putin in Their Personal Lives
Since Alexey Navalny’s arrest, some Russians are reëvaluating their compromises, questioning whether the price of success—or merely getting by—has become untenable.
With Navalny Headed to Prison, Russia’s Political Battle Enters a New Stage
Will Putin regret putting the country’s opposition leader behind bars?