The DSR Daily Brief Newsletter – Friday, April 29, 2022

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Ukraine

Russia continues the forced deportation of Ukrainians, including kids. In other war crime news, Ukraine is bringing charges against Russian soldiers for the Bucha massacres and other atrocities.

Russia is planning a ‘press tour’ to peddle its counter-factual narrative. Ukraine’s foreign ministry encourages Ukrainian journalists not to lend it credibility.

Did you hear the joke about Russia’s corrupt army? The ‘Z’ (not a cyrillic letter) is actually half of a swastika. The other half got ‘lost in the warehouse.’

The Americas

‘Lula’ looks to unseat Bolsonaro in Brazil’s upcoming elections.

Remember Paul Manafort? The US Justice Department does. 

‘Nerd prom’ is upon us after a Covid hiatus. 

Europe and Central Asia

Ukraine’s banking system has miraculously remained operational despite a barrage of economic and logistical challenges. Russia’s, not so much. Yandex is selling its news and ‘infotainment’ services in Russia to Russia’s Facebook equivalent, VK.

Questions remain about who will be supplying ammunition for the Gepards Germany is sending to Ukraine. Also, it turns out Germany’s Bundeswehr is not in great shape. Protest art remains top-notch, however. 

Do they call them ‘Flipperoff?’ Russia is deploying dolphins in the Black Sea.

The Indo-Pacific

You know the Chinese economy is in trouble when the government loosens regulations – on native tech in this case. US and Chinese regulators are working together to keep Chinese companies from being delisted in the US. 

The Middle East and Africa

Nigeria institutes a 15-year sentence for ransom payments and the death penalty for abductions in an attempt to curb rampant kidnapping. 

Turkey’s president Erdoğan traveled to Saudi Arabia to establish ‘new ties.’ This follows a policy reversal in the Khashoggi trial. Investments à la the UAE and participation in a currency swap network are the driving forces behind the ‘charm offensive.’

An entire thesis could be written about Turkey’s complicated relationship with NATO countries and at least one was by a member of our team. Sadly, it looks like we have to pick our human rights battles once again as we rely on Turkey’s support for Russia-related challenges. In the longer term, Erdoğan’s descent into full-blown authoritarianism over the last two decades must remain on our radars. 

DSR Exclusives

For in-depth analysis, check out our sister podcasts on the DSR Network and stay tuned to the DSR Daily podcast for new and evolving stories from around the world. 

The DSR Network Team (Chris Cotnoir, Grant Haver, and Katherine Hill)