PRO-RUSSIAN HACKING GROUP DECLARES "CYBER WAR" ON NORWAY
Following Norway's renewal of its strategic partnership agreement with Ukraine in late August, the pro-Russian hacking collective Server Killers has taken aim at the Nordic nation. The group has claimed responsibility for a large-scale cyber attack on Norway's digitization agency, Digdir, citing Oslo's financial and political support for Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, this attack represents part of a broader Russian hybrid war against Ukraine's European allies. The Server Killers attack marks the second time Russian hacktivists have targeted Norway since 2025. (TVP World, September 1, 2026)
RUSSIA BANS MEMORIAL
On September 3rd, Russia's Supreme Court declared human rights watchdog Memorial an "extremist organization," imposing an immediate ban on its activities inside the Russian Federation. Memorial won a Nobel Prize in 2022 for its work commemorating human rights violations in the Soviet Union and supporting political prisoners in modern Russia. The Supreme Court deemed these activities to be "anti-Russian in nature" and "aimed at destroying the basic foundations of Russian statehood."
Memorial has urged its supporters within Russia to refrain from donating or showing public support, since such actions represent criminal offenses in the wake of the court's ruling. However, the group promised to continue its support for Russian political prisoners from outside of the country. (TVP World, September 4, 2026)
TRUST IN PUTIN SLIPS AS THE WAR COMES HOME
This summer, Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval ratings fell to their lowest point since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, reflecting rising dissatisfaction among Russian citizens with the war. As of early September, support for Putin had declined to 65% from its pre-war tally of 89%. Moreover, only slightly over a third of Russian citizens in frontline regions now identify Putin as their "most trusted" politician. The slide in Putin's popularity coincides with an effective Ukrainian deep strike campaign targeting Russian oil and gas infrastructure and dual-use logistics centers, which has caused severe fuel shortages, soaring gas prices, and disrupted deliveries of commodities for Russian civilians. (New York Post, September 4, 2026)
[EDITORS' NOTE: Given the chilling effect of Russia's authoritarian political climate on pollsters and respondents alike, especially against the backdrop of the Ukraine war, the results of any public opinion surveys in Russia should be viewed with a high degree of caution.]
DANISH INTELLIGENCE: RUSSIA IS RECRUITING DANES FOR SABOTAGE
Following Germany's denunciation of Russia for an attempted drone attack on Leipzig airport, Danish intelligence service PET has revealed that Russia is recruiting Danish citizens to carry out sabotage against Danish defense firms with ties to Ukraine. Emil Gresholm, the head of PET, has confirmed that "Danish companies are also targets of concrete Russian sabotage planning, and that Russian intelligence services are actively preparing acts of sabotage directed at the defense industry in Denmark." PET has stated that it has obtained concrete evidence of Russian attempts to recruit Danes via social media and gaming platforms to take photos of Danish defense companies and infrastructure – crucial preparatory intelligence for planning acts of sabotage. (Reuters, September 3, 2026)
LATVIA, LITHUANIA CRACK DOWN ON RUSSIAN SHIPPING
Both Latvia and Lithuania are considering ending an agreement that allows for the transit of Russian grain through their ports. Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has said that allowing Russian grain exports through Lithuanian infrastructure goes against the country's values, but indicated that grain transit to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad would remain unaffected. The measure represents another means by which Eastern European nations are attempting to put the squeeze on Russia, as Moscow turns to Baltic trade routes as an alternative to Russian commercial shipping in the Black and Azov seas, which have been affected by Ukrainian deep strikes.(Ukrainska Pravda, September 5, 2026)
RUSSIA'S GRIP ON GLOBAL URANIUM TIGHTENS
Either directly or indirectly, Russia will control one third of the world's uranium production by 2040, according to analysts at the British Center for Strategic Advantage (CSA). While Russia only mines five percent of global uranium on its territory, Uranium One – owned by Russia's state nuclear energy agency ROSATOM – mines uranium in Kazakhstan, Tanzania, Namibia, and most recently Niger. CSA predicts that global demand for uranium could rise in coming years as countries continue to develop nuclear energy programs, providing the Kremlin with greater global leverage in the process. (Meduza, September 7, 2026)
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