Best FSB Podcasts (2024)

1
The Kempeitai 1:41:55

9d ago1:41:55

1:41:55

We’ve heard about a lot of evil on Secret Police, but the actions of the Kempeitai and the wider Imperial Japanese Army are particularly poignant for their brutality and the extent to which violence prevails if you believe your enemy is inhuman. Who were the Kempeitai? How did the Kempeitai develop out of Japan’s long military history? What were th…

1
The long-term economic effects of Russia’s war in Ukraine 39:49

19d ago39:49

39:49

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the West has imposed over 16,000 sanctions on Russia, intending to cripple the economy driving the Kremlin’s war machine. But the much-anticipated collapse of Russia’s economy never came to pass. In fact, Russia’s wartime economy has proven to be surprisingly resilient, with the IMF estimating …

1
How can Ukraine hold the line against Russia? 30:40

27d ago30:40

30:40

It’s a tense moment for Ukraine. The optimism that followed Ukraine’s early successes on the battlefield in 2022 started to fade last summer as its counteroffensive failed to achieve a breakthrough. By late 2023, Ukraine’s then-commander-in-chief said the war had reached a “stalemate” — and by the start of the spring, things were looking even worse…

1
Kazakhstan's landmark murder trial 45:31

1M ago45:31

45:31

For the past two months, millions of Kazakhstanis have been glued to their screens, witnessing a landmark moment in the nation’s history: a murder trial live-streamed on YouTube. This was the trial of Kuandyk Bishimbayev, Kazakhstan’s former economic minister, who was convicted of torturing and killing his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, on November 9, 20…

1
‘The American faith’: Why Russia targets evangelicals in Ukraine 37:32

1M ago37:32

37:32

Historically, Ukraine has been home to people of a variety of faiths and religious denominations, and it’s been exceptionally “open to receiving a wide spectrum of religious communities” in the years since the collapse of the U.S.S.R, according to expert Catherine Wanner. This laissez-faire approach to religion stands in stark contrast to Russian s…

1
Corruption and co-optation in Russia’s autocracy 28:39

2M ago28:39

28:39

It’s strange days recently at Russia’s Defense Ministry. Amid the replacement of the agency’s head, police have brought large-scale bribery charges against at least two senior officials in the Defense Ministry, raising questions about the state of corruption in Russia’s military and the Kremlin’s approach to the phenomenon in wartime. Also earlier …

1
How Russian disinformation really threatens the USA 30:50

2M ago30:50

30:50

The leadup to voting this November will renew fears in the United States about Russian malign influence. That means more paranoia from politicians, more alarming op-eds and white papers from the institutes created and funded to draw attention to foreign disinformation, and more mutual suspicions among ordinary people on social media, where journali…

1
Returning to the talks that could have ended the war in Ukraine 33:01

2M ago33:01

33:01

Over the past few weeks, many in the think-tank community have argued about the negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv in the first two months of the full-scale invasion, following an article published on April 16 in Foreign Affairs, titled “The Talks That Could Have Ended the War in Ukraine: A Hidden History of Diplomacy That Came Up Short — but Hol…

1
How Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov dies 26:29

2M ago26:29

26:29

According to a new investigation from Novaya Gazeta Europe, Chechnya Governor Ramzan Kadyrov was diagnosed with pancreatic necrosis in 2019 and isn’t long for this world. Since then, he’s supposedly undergone “regular procedures,” including surgeries, at an elite hospital in Moscow. A bout of COVID-19 in 2020 reportedly further degraded his health,…

1
Stoppable: Building 1200 41:26

2M ago41:26

41:26

On this very special episode of The Asset, we showcase an episode of the newest podcast from the creative team that produced The Asset. Subscribe here. It was Valentine’s Day. While waiting for his Uber ride, the teenager texted a former girlfriend “You will always know I love you.” When they arrived at his destination, the young man gave the Uber …

1
Migration and discrimination in Putin’s Russia 46:43

3M ago46:43

46:43

It’s no secret that the economies of Central Asian countries like Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan rely heavily on labor migration to stay afloat. In 2022, according to the International Organization for Migration, remittances from Russia accounted for just over half of Tajikistan’s GDP, and made up more than 20 percent of the GDPs of Kyrgyzs…

1
The evolution of the Russian FSB 44:29

3M ago44:29

44:29

Look at almost any recent major news story from Russia, and you’ll find the Federal Security Service, better known as the FSB. Having failed to prevent the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack in Moscow last month, the agency has played a major role in arresting and apparently torturing the suspected perpetrators. It was FSB agents who arrested Wall S…

1
Daniel Roher and Julia Ioffe remember the Navalnys 48:43

3M ago48:43

48:43

It’s been seven weeks since a local branch of Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service published a brief news post about the death of opposition leader Alexey Navalny. “He went for a walk, felt sick, collapsed unconscious, and couldn’t be resuscitated.” Russian officials would later insist that Navalny died of natural causes — his mother was told that…

1
Stoppable: We Have a Visitor 40:38

3M ago40:38

40:38

On this very special episode of The Asset, we showcase an episode of the newest podcast from the creative team that produced The Asset. Subscribe here. One Wednesday evening, a young man began the drive from Columbia SC to Charleston SC, normally a two hour drive. He arrived in 90 minutes. It would seem he was in a hurry. Before walking into the Bi…

1
How terrorism’s geopolitics brought tragedy to Moscow 48:11

3M ago48:11

48:11

It’s been a little more than a week since a group of armed men walked into a concert hall just outside Moscow and gunned down dozens of defenseless people. A branch of the Islamic State active in South-Central Asia known as Islamic State – Khorasan, or IS-K, claimed responsibility for the Moscow attack in a statement through an affiliated media cha…

1
Stoppable: Strangers Welcome 36:44

3M ago36:44

36:44

On this very special episode of The Asset, we showcase an episode of the newest podcast from the creative team that produced The Asset. Subscribe here. A nursing student drove to a town 10 minutes from his home in Southern California. He planned to visit a House of Worship as members of the congregation were gathering to celebrate a holiday. The me…

1
Stoppable: "Be Careful" 53:57

4M ago53:57

53:57

On this very special episode of The Asset, we showcase an episode of the newest podcast from the creative team that produced The Asset. Subscribe here. A young man from a small town in Ohio, drove overnight 500+ miles to participate in a celebration of unity. Although he had few friends back home, he was welcomed into the gathering. He had worn all…

1
Is Europe preparing for a wider Russian invasion? 1:11:40

4M ago1:11:40

1:11:40

For decades, NATO’s European members have depended on the U.S. to bolster their defense. Perhaps nowhere is this reliance more acutely felt than in the Baltic countries, which joined the alliance 20 years ago this month, and experienced occupation in living memory. With Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine entering its third year and the future …

1
Politico’s Alex Ward on Biden’s Russia and Ukraine policy 30:51

4M ago30:51

30:51

U.S. President Joe Biden took less than two minutes to bring up Russia in his 2024 State of the Union address. “If anybody in this room thinks Putin will stop at Ukraine, I assure you, he will not,” Biden said, prompting a standing ovation. “But Ukraine can stop Putin if we stand with Ukraine and provide the weapons it needs to defend itself.” An u…

1
Stoppable: Murder/Suicide 57:51

4M ago57:51

57:51

On this very special episode of The Asset, we showcase an episode of the newest podcast from the creative team that produced The Asset. Subscribe here. An 18-year old traveled hundreds of miles from his home on a mission he kept secret from his family and best friend. A local man engaged the traveler and they talked for over an hour about history, …

1
The Russian space nukes scare 35:52

4M ago35:52

35:52

Last month, there was a sudden panic in the United States when House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner issued a statement warning of a “serious national security threat” and demanded that President Biden declassify related information. The American media subsequently reported that Turner was referring to alleged Russian plans to deploy nuclear weap…

1
Christopher Miller on how war came to Ukraine 37:37

4M ago37:37

37:37

To mark the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Moscow’s ongoing campaign to seize more territory, Meduza sat down with the author of The War Came To Us: Life and Death in Ukraine, Christopher Miller, the Ukraine correspondent for The Financial Times and a foremost journalist covering the country who was there on the ground when …

1
The death of Alexey Navalny 24:14

5M ago24:14

24:14

Meduza reports on opposition leader Alexey Navalny’s death in prison and speaks to experts about his legacy and the political science behind autocrats eliminating dissident threats. This week’s guests are Meduza journalists Evgeny Feldman and Maxim Trudolyubov and scholars Graeme Robertson and Erica Frantz. Timestamps for this episode: (0:43) Photo…

1
Yandex’s restructuring and the future of Kremlin tech control 27:30

5M ago27:30

27:30

After a year and a half of negotiations, Yandex founder Arkady Volozh and the company’s foreign shareholders have reached a deal to part ways with Yandex’s Russian assets. The Russian IT giant’s Netherlands-based parent company announced Monday, February 5, that it will sell a large portion of its operations to a consortium of Russian investors bef…

1
How Russia targets its critics abroad in wartime 41:20

5M ago41:20

41:20

The Russian government has a message for its citizens living in exile: nowhere is safe for you. For years, it’s made this threat clear by subjecting its critics abroad to intimidation, forced repatriation, and assassination attempts. And just as the Kremlin has taken increasingly draconian measures to silence dissent at home since launching the ful…

1
Stoppable 4:57

5M ago4:57

4:57

Listen to Episode 1 Here From the team that produced The Asset, District Productive presents Stoppable, the true crime podcast that explores the riveting and dramatic stories of people who become enthralled with the idea of mass killing to achieve their ends. The podcast delves into the back stories of perpetrators to solve the mystery of how and w…

1
How doomed presidential candidate Boris Nadezhdin rallied antiwar Russians 29:46

5M ago29:46

29:46

Boris Nadezhdin’s surname has its root in the Russian word for “hope,” and he’s inspired just that in tens of thousands of voters as the politician with an antiwar message who’s come the furthest in the country’s byzantine bureaucracy for presidential candidacy. Nadezhdin’s campaign says it’s collected roughly 200,000 signatures, which is twice wha…

1
Why hasn’t the West seized Russia’s frozen sovereign assets? 48:24

6M ago48:24

48:24

The U.S. government is reportedly becoming more “assertive” about backing the confiscation of roughly $300 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets to provide an alternative funding stream for Kyiv. The news comes amid faltering efforts in Europe and Washington to approve the budgetary allocations needed to sustain aid for Ukraine, which presumab…

1
The evolution of Russia’s combat recruitment 41:28

6M ago41:28

41:28

The Naked Pravda explores how Russia’s mobilization drive is pressuring society and capturing men for the invasion of Ukraine. This episode features Project “Get Lost” creator and director Grigory Sverdlin, whose human rights group helps Russians evade the draft and leave Russia (among other things). For a geopolitical perspective on Moscow’s mobil…

1
The Press Lounge with Serhii Plokhy: Why the West Has Failed Ukraine (And What Can Be Done About It) || Sister Podcast for the Brief 37:01

6M ago37:01

37:01

Summary In this episode of The Press Lounge, Ukraine War Brief's sister podcast, Yulia and friend of the podcast Mariia Shuvalova, literary critic and lecturer at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and Fulbright Scholar at the Harriman Institute at Columbia University in the city of New York spoke with Serhii Plokhy, Ph.D., Director of …

1
Bonus Episode! The Fingermen 24:40

6M ago24:40

24:40

V for Vendetta is a graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Llyod. The story shows a bleak future where the United Kingdom is run by a totalitarian government run by a political party called Norsefire. A masked vigilante known simply as "V" is bent on sparking a revolution, driven by a vendetta against those in the government t…

1
Memories of Russia 31:41

6M ago31:41

31:41

In a special holiday departure from The Naked Pravda’s usual coverage of Russian politics and news, Meduza in English’s social media editor Ned Garvey and senior news editor Sam Breazeale chat about their personal experiences living in Russia, what they found surprising there as Americans, and what still stands out today in their memories of the co…

1
F-16 Deliveries, Su-34 Fighters Shot Down, and a Bounty of Bavovna || December 26th, 2023 43:06

6M ago43:06

43:06

In today’s Ukraine War Brief, Rob talks about F-16 Deliveries, the implications of Ukraine shooting down five russian planes far behind the line of contact, and a bounty of bavovna. Donate to Yewleea's fundraiser, and thank you in advance! Ad-free timestamps: (00:00) Intro (08:17) The Contact Line (17:15) The Khortytsia OpStrat Group (20:08) The Ta…

1
Growing up German in Soviet Kazakhstan, with Lena Wolf 37:05

6M ago37:05

37:05

Answering the question “Where are you from?” has never come easily for Lena Wolf. As the descendents of 18th-century German settlers living in Soviet Kazakhstan, she and her family “didn’t exist as a group” in the history books or on TV. As a result, many of their neighbors equated them with the soldiers from Nazi Germany who had invaded the Soviet…

1
The Tonton Macoute 1:44:50

7M ago1:44:50

1:44:50

The Tonton Macoute was a secret police force established by Haitian physician and dictator, Francois Duvalier, better known as Papa Doc. The Macoute brutalized the Haitian people and hijacked the country’s Vodou traditions to invoke fear of a mythical bogeyman. We’re going to go through the history of Haiti: how it was found by Europeans, the slave…

1
EU Accession, Russia’s Economic Woes, Trump Blocks Ukraine Aid, and Why the War Isn't A Stalemate with Michael Kofman || December 16th, 2023 1:07:19

7M ago1:07:19

1:07:19

In today’s Ukraine War Brief, Yewleea talks about Ukraine’s EU Accession Moving Forward, russia’s Economic Woes, and Trump Holding Up Ukraine Aid. Hear from Michael Kofman, senior fellow in the russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Principal Research Scientist at CNA, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a…

1
How studying Russia became a paradox 31:07

7M ago31:07

31:07

There’s a paradox in studying Russia today: the country has become “more prominent in the news agenda and simultaneously less transparent for observers,” thanks to the invasion of Ukraine, Western sanctions, isolation, and the intensification of propaganda. This week’s show is devoted to studying Russia in conditions of growing non-transparency, wh…

1
Russia’s ban on the ‘LGBT movement’ 49:23

7M ago49:23

49:23

On November 30, the Russian Supreme Court outlawed an organization that doesn’t exist: the so-called “international LGBT movement.” The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by the Justice Ministry, which claimed the “international LGBT movement’s” activities showed signs of “extremism” and incited “social and religious discord.” The new ban w…

1
EXCLUSIVE: Major Sabotage, Storm Attacks Crimea, US Aid, Our Investigation into the FSB and Serhii Plokhy & Rory Finnin || December 1st, 2023 1:16:50

7M ago1:16:50

1:16:50

In today’s exclusive Ukraine War Brief, Yewleea talks about major sabotage, the "Storm of the Century" slams Qırım (Crimea), the US aid for Ukraine, and our investigation into the FSB. Professors Serhii Plokhy, the Mykhailo S. Hrushevs'kyi Professor of Ukrainian History and Director of the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University, talked …

1
Spotlight on Georgia 47:34

7M ago47:34

47:34

On November 8, 2023, the E.U. recommended that Georgia be granted candidate status, which it applied for in March 2022, just after Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The E.U. had previously only given Georgia what’s called a European Perspective, recognizing it as a potential candidate but stopping short of granting it candidate sta…

1
Massive Air Assaults on Kyiv, Getting Cranky in Krynky, and the Dutch Election 59:02

7M ago59:02

59:02

Summary In today’s Ukraine War Brief, Yewleea talks about massive air assaults on Kyiv, getting cranky in Krynky, and the Dutch election. Thank you to our guests, Julia Tymoshenko, activist, and Daniel Ridley, founder of Trident Defense Initiative and former Ukrainian Marine. (00:00) Intro (01:48) From the Contact Line (17:28) From the Temporarily …

1
How Russian comedians find the humor in exile 44:14

8M ago44:14

44:14

This week’s show spotlights the experiences of two comedians, “Dan the Stranger” (Denis Chuzhoi) and Sasha Dolgopolov, who emigrated last year after their opposition to the invasion of Ukraine made it unsafe to continue their careers in Russia. Despite the challenges of creating and performing comedy in a foreign language, they continue to ply thei…

1
Severe Sanctions, Surviving Under Occupation, and Misbehaving Deputies 1:06:54

8M ago1:06:54

1:06:54

Summary In today’s Ukraine War Brief, Yewleea talks about severe sanctions, surviving under occupation, and the Leopard 1 main battle tank. Network Our new podcast, The Press Lounge, is available on Apple iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Goodpods, iHeart Radio, Pandora, and coming soon to Amazon Music/Audible, and TuneIn! Our new episode is out wi…

1
Choking Off Crimea, Allies Demand LGBTQ Rights, and Joining the EU (Finally) || November 12th, 2023 1:13:05

8M ago1:13:05

1:13:05

Summary In today’s Ukraine Exclusive War Brief, Yewleea talks about Choking Off Crimea, Allies Demand LGBTQ Rights, and Joining the EU (Finally). We're the only media outlet to report that key Ukranian allies urge Ukraine to pass protections for LGBTQIA+ Ukrainians. Network Our new podcast, The Press Lounge, is available on Apple iTunes, Spotify, G…

1
How the USSR tried to run the world 43:41

8M ago43:41

43:41

This week, Meduza spoke to Dr. Sergey Radchenko about his next book, To Run the World: The Kremlin’s Cold War Bid for Global Power (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming in 2024), which explores the era’s diplomatic history, focusing on how narratives of legitimacy offer crucial insights for interpreting Moscow’s motivations and foreign policy. T…

1
The FSB DOES NOT want you to hear this ft. Kristaps Andrejsons 1:17:43

8M ago1:17:43

1:17:43

A conversation with Latvian journalist, and host of the Eastern Border podcast, Kristaps Andrejsons. We recap the Russian secret police series while Kristaps provides his unique perspective on my show, Soviet times, and the future of Russian security services. Please check out Kristaps' show: https://theeasternborder.lv Aquarius by Viktor Suvorov: …

1
Zaluzhny’s Op-Ed, Another Sunken Battleship, and Zelenskyy Cursing On Air || November 6th, 2023 48:20

8M ago48:20

48:20

Summary In today’s Ukraine War Brief, Yewleea talks about Zaluzhny’s Op-Ed, another sunken battleship, and Zelenskyy cursing on air. Network Our new podcast, The Press Lounge, is available on Apple iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Goodpods, iHeart Radio, Pandora, and coming soon to Amazon Music/Audible, and TuneIn! Our new episode is out with Char…

1
Why is anti-Semitic violence spreading in Russia’s North Caucasus? 28:44

8M ago28:44

28:44

On the evening of October 29, a crowd of rioters stormed the Makhachkala airport and then flooded the tarmac after a flight landed from Tel Aviv. The angry men had assembled amid reports circulating on the social network Telegram about Israeli refugees allegedly coming to resettle in Dagestan, supposedly with a diabolical plan to oust the native po…

1
Opinion Polls, Pogroms, and Traitors to Ukraine || November 3, 2023 36:55

8M ago36:55

36:55

Summary In today’s Ukraine War Brief, Yewleea talks about opinion polls, pogroms, and traitors to Ukraine. A pogrom is an organized massacre of a particular ethnic group, in particular, that of Jewish people in russia or eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, per the Oxford Dictionary. The literal translation from the russian is …

1
An 'Unholy Alliance' of russia, China and Iran, russia's Worst Losses in 2023, and Republican Politics || October 31st, 2023 48:21

8M ago48:21

48:21

In today’s Ukraine War Brief, Yewleea talks about the unholy alliance of russia, China and Iran, russia's worst losses in 2023, and Republican politics. Our new podcast, The Press Lounge, is available on Spotify! Yewleea spoke with Mstyslav Chernov, director of the documentary 20 Days in Mariupol. The Press Lounge is your window into the minds of p…

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