February 28, 2026

New War in the Middle East, Student Mobilization, and Lankov's Deportation. "Terrible News" with Kirill Martynov

Every Saturday, Kirill Martynov, editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta Europe, comments on the most important news that happened in Russia and the world over the past week. A joint strike by Israel and the USA on Iran. Possibly, top leadership representatives of the country died. Several months ago, the Iranian authorities brutally suppressed popular protests - thousands of people died. How effective are external interventions in the fight against tyranny? Russian students are massively invited to serve as drone operators. What guarantees are there that they will not end up in assault units? Is this a new wave of hidden mobilization or just preparation for it? Demographer Raksha was found at his dacha, Koreanist Lankov was deported from Latvia, Walter Benjamin was banned for Russians due to an essay on hashish. And other cultural news that describes reality more accurately than newspaper headlines. Watch the main events of the week with comments from the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta Europe, Kirill Martynov.