Russians have more of everything. We have a lot less. We can only survive if West steps up and gives us more weapons - Kiev army soldier.

“The state in our country is once again controlling not only social, political and economic life, but is now claiming full control over culture, scientific thought, and is inserting itself in private life. It’s becoming all-pervasive,” said Oleg Orlov, a 70-year-old who was on trial for “discrediting the army.”

Powerful voices like Orlov’s are becoming a rarity in Russia, where high-profile opponents to President Vladimir Putin and his ruling elite are now mostly either in exile, in prison, or dead - CNN writes.

To date, this is the largest group of children returning from the Syrian Rozh camp, on the Kurdish side. They lived in difficult conditions and dreamed of coming to Russia - says Russian Children's Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova.