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Opposition Leader Emilia Slabunova Found Dead in Drowning Incident​

Emilia Slabunova, prominent opposition leader and former head of the Yabloko party, was found dead early this morning along the southern embankment of the Moskva River. Authorities have confirmed that her body was recovered by police near the Zamoskvoretsky Bridge at approximately 6:30 AM.

According to official reports from the Moscow Police Directorate, preliminary findings suggest an accidental fall resulting in drowning. "There are no immediate signs of foul play," stated Senior Inspector Dmitry Orlov. "Evidence at the scene is consistent with a tragic misstep near the bridge in the late hours of the night."

Slabunova, 68, was last seen leaving the Kremlin yesterday evening after a private meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Sources say no security detail accompanied her upon departure.

While investigators have not indicated suspicion of criminal involvement, political commentators and members of the opposition have expressed shock and skepticism over the sudden and unexplained death of one of Russia’s most vocal critics of government policy.

A full autopsy and toxicology report have been ordered. The Kremlin has not yet issued an official statement.

More updates to follow.

 

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"We Won’t Go Back" - Russian Youth Lead Protest March Amid Economic Breakdown​

In scenes not seen in over a generation, thousands of young Russians flooded the streets of central Moscow on Tuesday, demanding political change and economic accountability as the nation teeters on the edge of financial collapse once again.

Carrying homemade signs and wrapped in winter jackets against a seasonal December chill, students, first-time voters, and young professionals marched from Pushkin Square to the steps of the State Duma, chanting:
“No more cycles. No more silence. No more lies.”

The protest, largely spontaneous but rapidly organized online, was sparked by a worsening economic crisis. Inflation has surged once again, the ruble has plummeted to historic lows, and several regional governments have reportedly missed pension payments for the second month in a row. The Kremlin has remained largely silent, insisting the economy is under “external pressure” and remains “resilient.”

For many in the crowd, such language rang hollow.

“We were promised stability. Instead, we’re inheriting debt and fear,” said Lena Sokolova, a 22-year-old law student holding a Soviet-era jacket. “My parents survived the 1990s. They warned me this could happen again. I just never thought it would.”

This is the largest youth-led protest in the capital of recent memory, but the context now is more severe. Unemployment among young adults has reached 27% in urban centers. Several university programs in the regions have shut down due to federal funding cuts. Anxiety about returning to the chaos of the Russian financial crisis t lingers heavily.

“What we’re seeing is not just protest, it’s trauma resurfacing,” said political sociologist Andrei Lunev. “These young people were raised on the myth of post-Soviet stability. That illusion is cracking, and they’re responding before the concrete hardens again.”

Authorities monitored the march closely but refrained from dispersing the crowds. OMON riot police were visible near major intersections but remained in their vehicles. The Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a brief statement describing the protest as “unauthorized but under observation.”

Meanwhile, on social media, images of young protesters standing in front of riot shields holding up signs that read “We believed you” and “You said never again” quickly went viral, prompting solidarity marches in Kazan, Yekaterinburg, and Novosibirsk.

One particularly symbolic image shows a young protester holding a brick wrapped in newspaper dated back to the financial crisis, a clear nod to the last time Russia folded on its debt.

The Kremlin has not commented publicly on the demonstrations.

For many of the marchers, silence from the top only confirms what they already believe, that they are now the generation that must speak up, before history repeats itself.

More updates to follow.