What a TikTok Ban Would Mean for the U.S. Defense of an Open Internet
Global digital rights advocates are watching to see if Congress acts, worried that other countries could follow suit with app bans of their own.
By David McCabe
I lead our Moscow bureau, a team of journalists covering a vast territory from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific and from the Arctic to the Caucasus and Central Asia. For the moment, much of our team, including me, is based in Berlin, given the risks now facing reporters working in Russia. My biggest focus right now is on President Vladimir V. Putin and his invasion of Ukraine. In general, I write about major events in Russia and try to unpack the opaque world of Russian politics. I also work to understand Russia’s role in the world and its fast-changing economy, as well as the dynamics in other former Soviet republics. I’m committed to exploring the changes in culture and society across these regions, as well as the global impact of the war in Ukraine.
I’ve covered Russia since 2018, when I arrived there as Moscow bureau chief for The Washington Post. I joined The Times the following year. I started my career in 2008 as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in New York. I wrote about commercial real estate and then telecommunications until 2013, when I moved to Berlin to cover Germany for the Journal.
My article about the thawing permafrost of Siberia was part of a Washington Post series that won the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting in 2020. I was also part of the Times team awarded the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting in 2023 for our coverage of the war in Ukraine. I was born in Moscow and grew up in Heidelberg, Germany, and St. Louis, Missouri. I hold a degree in social studies from Harvard University, where I wrote my senior thesis on the Kremlin’s push for influence on the internet.
Like all of my Times colleagues, I’m committed to upholding the standards of integrity outlined in our Ethical Journalism Handbook. For every story, I seek to speak to as many people as possible and do my best to understand what’s going on, and what it means. In covering Russia, it’s my job to talk to Vladimir Putin’s most active supporters as well as his fiercest opponents, and everyone in between. I work to find stories that aren’t being told, begin every reporting effort with an open mind and am committed to doing my job with empathy, nuance, accuracy and fairness.
Email: [email protected]
X: @antontroian
LinkedIn: Anton Troianovski
Anonymous tips: nytimes.com/tips
Global digital rights advocates are watching to see if Congress acts, worried that other countries could follow suit with app bans of their own.
By David McCabe
Anti-migrant rhetoric in the aftermath of the attacks at the concert venue outside Moscow has spurred fears that the tragedy could cause ethnic strife inside Russia.
By Anton Troianovski and Milana Mazaeva
The tragedy in a Moscow suburb is a blow to Vladimir V. Putin, coming only days after his stage-managed election victory.
By Sabrina Tavernise, Anton Troianovski, Will Reid, Rachelle Bonja, Patricia Willens, Dan Powell, Marion Lozano and Alyssa Moxley
The tragedy outside Moscow is a blow to a leader riding an aura of confidence only days after a stage-managed election victory.
By Anton Troianovski
American officials, who have assessed that a branch of the Islamic State was responsible, have voiced concern that the Russian leader could seek to falsely blame Ukraine.
By Anton Troianovski
By Paul Sonne, Anton Troianovski and Ivan Nechepurenko
Pro-Moscow forces had dismissed the alert as an attempt to scare Russians.
By Julian E. Barnes, Constant Méheut and Anton Troianovski
The Islamic State claimed the attack, the deadliest in the Moscow region in more than a decade.
By Valerie Hopkins, Ivan Nechepurenko, Aric Toler and Anton Troianovski
A day after a rubber-stamp presidential election, President Vladimir Putin said he would not back down in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
By Paul Sonne, Anton Troianovski and Nanna Heitmann
A rubber-stamp presidential election with no real competition allows Vladimir Putin to claim strong public support for his domestic dominance and the invasion of Ukraine.
By Anton Troianovski and Nanna Heitmann
The Russian leader claimed he had been ready to release Navalny in a prisoner swap when the opposition leader died last month at an Arctic penal colony.
By Anton Troianovski
Yulia Navalnaya, who has vowed to carry on her husband’s work, waited in line for hours with voters outside of the Russian embassy.
By Anton Troianovski
This was featured in live coverage.
By Anton Troianovski
Many appeared to be heeding a call by the opposition to express frustration by showing up en masse at midday. “We don’t have any other options,” said one woman.
By Anatoly Kurmanaev and Nanna Heitmann
The Russian leader struck a softer tone about nuclear weapons in an interview with state television. But he warned that Russia was ready to strike if its “sovereignty and independence” were threatened.
By Anton Troianovski
Although the funeral of Aleksei Navalny seemed to underline Vladimir Putin’s dominance of Russia, it was also a day when pent-up dissent, and optimism, re-emerged, if only briefly.
By Anton Troianovski and Valerie Hopkins
The police presence appeared heavy for the service. Some attendees shouted, “No to war” and “Russia will be free” as they marched to the cemetery where the opposition leader was to be buried.
By Valerie Hopkins
“We also have weapons that can strike targets on their territory,” Mr. Putin said in an annual speech. “Do they not understand this?”
By Anton Troianovski
Transnistria declared independence in 1992 but is not recognized internationally. The request by the territory’s legislature could fuel regional tensions as the war in Ukraine rages.
By Andrew Higgins
A scheduled service for the Russian opposition leader will be open to the public, but it is unclear whether the authorities will try to stop people from attending.
By Anton Troianovski
Allies of Aleksei Navalny said he was about to be freed in a swap. A Western official said discussions for his release and that of two Americans had been underway, but no deal was imminent.
By Anton Troianovski and Michael D. Shear
The Russian authorities have transferred the body, ending a grim battle for custody of his remains.
By Anton Troianovski
The costs of two years of war in Ukraine have been enormous. But many Russians are feeling optimistic.
By Paul Sonne and Josh Holder
Vladimir Putin is drawing on history to position himself in the realm of Russian rulers of the past. Critics say his grip on power is not as strong as it seems.
By Anton Troianovski
She said Russian authorities told her they would not release his remains unless she agreed to a “secret funeral.” Meanwhile, Aleksei Navalny’s widow met with President Biden.
By Anton Troianovski and Ivan Nechepurenko
A friend of the opposition leader discusses how Mr. Navalny mobilized a generation of young Russians and what happens now.
By Sabrina Tavernise, Rob Szypko, Mooj Zadie, Rikki Novetsky, Sydney Harper, Lisa Chow, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, Pat McCusker and Alyssa Moxley
Trump. Indian food. Matthew Perry. And books, books, books. Excerpts from letters obtained by The Times show Mr. Navalny’s active mind, even amid brutal prison conditions.
By Anton Troianovski
The sudden death of Aleksei Navalny left a vacuum in Russia’s opposition. His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, signaled that she would try to fill the void.
By Paul Sonne and Ivan Nechepurenko
The death of Aleksei A. Navalny in a Russian prison has been a blow to an opposition movement in which he was the figurehead. But it has also raised hopes of a united front against President Vladimir V. Putin.
By Anatoly Kurmanaev and Alina Lobzina
Although Aleksei A. Navalny’s cause of death is not known, his staff often worried that brutal conditions imposed on him in ever crueler prisons might lead to his death.
By Paul Sonne and Ivan Nechepurenko
A straight-talking former real estate lawyer, he stayed relevant even from prison, pleading with Russians not to give up or give in to their fears and railing against the “criminal” war in Ukraine.
By Anton Troianovski
This was featured in live coverage.
By Anton Troianovski
The reported death of Aleksei A. Navalny ushers in a new turning point for President Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia, underscoring both the Kremlin’s power and the potential for instability that continues to threaten it.
By Anton Troianovski
In a surprise address in Munich, Yulia Navalnaya said that if her husband, Aleksei A. Navalny, was dead, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia would “bear responsibility,” and she called on the world to “defeat this evil.”
By Peter Baker
This was featured in live coverage.
By Anton Troianovski, Andrew E. Kramer and Valerie Hopkins
This was featured in live coverage.
By Michael Schwirtz, Melissa Eddy and Anton Troianovski
Mr. Navalny, the leading opposition figure in Russia, died in prison, the Tass news agency reported.
By Anton Troianovski and Peter Baker
The Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, called President Biden experienced and predictable. But Moscow watchers said the comments most likely had an ulterior motive.
By Anton Troianovski
The Russian leader clearly believes he can now negotiate from strength, but the message in the Tucker Carlson interview was muddled, critics say.
By Paul Sonne and Anton Troianovski
In a two-hour interview, President Vladimir Putin of Russia was more direct than usual about how he sees his Ukraine invasion ending: not with a military victory, but a deal with the West.
By Anton Troianovski
A Russian plane shot down with a Patriot missile was probably carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war, U.S. officials say.
By Julian E. Barnes and Marc Santora
The interview, which Moscow said took place this week, would give the Russian leader a chance to reach a potentially sympathetic audience in the United States.
By Anton Troianovski, Jim Rutenberg and Paul Sonne
The Kremlin is sending a chilly message to antiwar Russians abroad: A new law will allow their property back home to be seized, and other countries are being pressured to crack down on them.
By Anton Troianovski
The message of resilience offered by Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky’s message, contrasted sharply with that of President Vladimir V. Putin, who glossed over the war in an effort to project a sense of normality.
By Constant Méheut and Anton Troianovski
A law making it illegal to discredit Russia’s army has ensnared thousands of Russians for even mild acts or statements against the war.
By Anton Troianovski, Yuliya Parshina-Kottas, Oleg Matsnev, Alina Lobzina, Valerie Hopkins and Aaron Krolik
Supporters of the Russian opposition leader lost contact with him 20 days ago, fueling concern about his health and whereabouts.
By Ivan Nechepurenko and Anton Troianovski
Despite its bravado in public, the Kremlin has indicated its interest in striking a deal to halt the war — so long as it could still declare victory.
By Anton Troianovski, Adam Entous and Julian E. Barnes
If companies want to leave Russia, the president is setting the terms — in ways that benefit his government, his elites and his war.
By Paul Sonne, Rebecca R. Ruiz and Nico Chilla
The Russian leader, in his annual news conference, said he was open to peace talks but showed no hint of compromise. “Peace will come when we achieve our goals,” he said.
By Valerie Hopkins and Anton Troianovski
The Russian leader suggested that Western support for Ukraine was drying up and also gave his first comments about Evan Gershkovich, an American reporter detained in Russia.
By Valerie Hopkins and Anton Troianovski
The trip is part of a series of diplomatic meetings by the Russian leader, and comes as Ukraine tries to shore up eroding Western support for its war effort.
By Ivan Nechepurenko, Anton Troianovski and Vivian Nereim
This was featured in live coverage.
By Anton Troianovski
This was featured in live coverage.
By Aurelien Breeden
Vladimir Putin has long projected friendly ties to Israel. But his silence since Saturday’s assault illustrates how the war in Ukraine has strained the relationship between the two countries.
By Anton Troianovski
This was featured in live coverage.
By Anton Troianovski
The Russian president said grenade fragments were found in the bodies recovered from the crash site after the Wagner mercenary leader’s plane went down in August.
By Anton Troianovski
It’s the latest sign that the Kremlin is exerting control over the remnants of the militia, whose outspoken founder fomented an anti-Moscow revolt.
By Neil MacFarquhar and Valeriya Safronova
The Russian leader assigned Andrei Troshev, a veteran of wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya, with the task of forming volunteer units to perform combat missions for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
By Valeriya Safronova
Pro-Armenian leaders in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh appeared to have surrendered to Azerbaijan’s demands.
By Ivan Nechepurenko and Anton Troianovski
The action in the Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh has left 25 people dead, the authorities say. And it’s raising fears of an expanding conflict.
By Ivan Nechepurenko
This was featured in live coverage.
By Matina Stevis-Gridneff and Anton Troianovski
By Anton Troianovski, Declan Walsh, Eric Schmitt, Vivian Yee and Julian E. Barnes
A shadowy fight is playing out on three continents for control of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s sprawling interests as head of the Wagner mercenary group. The biggest prize: his lucrative operations in Africa.
By Anton Troianovski, Declan Walsh, Eric Schmitt, Vivian Yee and Julian E. Barnes
By Anton Troianovski, Alina Lobzina, Sarah Kerr and Natalie Reneau
This was featured in live coverage.
By Julian E. Barnes
It could be hard for the Kremlin to find a way to neutralize the mercenary group after Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death while retaining its fighting power and geopolitical links.
By Paul Sonne and Valerie Hopkins
The Kremlin and its proxies rebuffed suggestions that it was responsible for destroying a plane that reportedly carried the chief of the Wagner mercenary group.
By Paul Sonne, Valeriya Safronova and Cassandra Vinograd
The Kremlin appears to be sending the signal that no degree of effectiveness can protect someone from punishment for disloyalty.
By Anton Troianovski and Valerie Hopkins
U.S. officials say they expect Ukraine to continue its attacks because they send a strong message: Kyiv can still strike back.
By Julian E. Barnes
The Kremlin appears to be sending the signal that no degree of effectiveness can protect someone from punishment for disloyalty.
By Anton Troianovski and Valerie Hopkins
The crash of a private jet is believed to have killed Yevgeny Prigozhin, who staged an armed rebellion against Moscow earlier this summer.
By Sabrina Tavernise, Michael Simon Johnson, Rob Szypko, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Alex Stern, M.J. Davis Lin, Michael Benoist, Marion Lozano, Rowan Niemisto and Chris Wood
A tycoon and a Putin ally, he built a paramilitary force that fought by Russia’s side even as he castigated its military leaders. He died at 62 in a plane crash, Russian authorities said.
By Valerie Hopkins
The officials stressed that multiple theories about what brought down a plane in Russia were still being explored. President Putin acknowledged the incident and spoke about Yevgeny Prigozhin in the past tense.
By Julian E. Barnes, Helene Cooper, Eric Schmitt, Riley Mellen, Muyi Xiao and Robin Stein
This was featured in live coverage.
By Anton Troianovski, Julian E. Barnes and Eric Schmitt
All 10 people on a jet linked to Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the founder of the mercenary group, were killed on Wednesday, Russian officials said.
By Anton Troianovski
This was featured in live coverage.
By Anton Troianovski
This was featured in live coverage.
By Anton Troianovski
The report by the Russian aviation authority did not
By Anton Troianovski
The Times tracked several months of Russian state messaging in the Kremlin’s effort to recruit soldiers.
By Anton Troianovski, Alina Lobzina, Sarah Kerr and Natalie Reneau
General Surovikin has not been seen in public since the Wagner rebellion and his whereabouts has remained a mystery.
By Valeriya Safronova and Anton Troianovski
The robotic Luna-25 spacecraft appeared to have “ceased its existence” after a failed orbital adjustment, the space agency Roscosmos said.
By Kenneth Chang, Alina Lobzina and Anton Troianovski
This was featured in live coverage.
By Anton Troianovski
This was featured in live coverage.
By Anton Troianovski and David Pierson
Reports from news agencies said at least 35 people were killed and 66 hospitalized in Dagestan, but there were no immediate reports of foul play or of a connection to the war in Ukraine.
By Anton Troianovski
Russia’s military made good on its threats to enforce its blockade of Ukraine, adding to the tensions in an increasingly active theater of war.
By Matthew Mpoke Bigg, Jenny Gross and Christiaan Triebert
The interception appears to be the first time Russia has carried out its promise to intercept such ships in the waterway.
By Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Christiaan Triebert
This was featured in live coverage.
By Anton Troianovski and David Pierson
Ksenia Sobchak, one of the best known media figures still in Russia, says her fatalistic stance just reflects a grim reality. Some liberals call her a Kremlin stooge, while hawks see her as disloyal.
By Anton Troianovski
The Luna-25 mission, years in the making, will try to put a robotic lander near the moon’s south pole.
By Kenneth Chang and Anton Troianovski
The strike was the third in the past week in Moscow, a sign of how no city in Russia or Ukraine appears to be safe from the war. Russia blamed Ukraine, which has yet to comment.
By Andrés R. Martínez and Anton Troianovski