Before Russia's elections, a journey through a 'ghost empire'

Human stories from a world in conflict. No Images? [Click here]( Russians go to the polls on Sunday and we shifted our focus to Russia this week. Putin will win a fourth term, so we looked behind Putin's Russia in our "ghost empire" series. Reporter Charles Maynes leads us through a selection of 85 Russian "demotivator" memes. Also, we examine the actors in Russia's participation in conflicts in Ukraine and Syria. Then, we take a deeper look into the infamous Internet Research Agency, which has trolled both US and Russian citizens. Finally, it seems like someone has decided that the illusion of Russia constantly winning is more important than the occasional win. Russia's shadow armies: Soldiers, mercenaries or volunteers? A close look at the conflicts in eastern Ukraine and Syria shows that the Russian definition of “soldier,” “mercenary” and “volunteer” seem to blur when convenient — often at the expense of those doing the fighting, and often to mask the stakes of Russia’s rise as a global power. In Ukraine, the war is cast as an internal conflict between a fascist Ukrainian government in Kiev and Russian-speaking separatists in the country’s east. In Syria, Russia's official version is that it is bringing war to ISIS at the invitation of its ally, Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. The truth is more complicated than that. [Learn more >]( A mole among trolls: Inside Russia's online propaganda machine Long before Americans heard about Russians using social media as part of a broader interference campaign in the 2016 US presidential elections, the Kremlin was trolling its own citizens. For years, reports have surfaced of nondescript buildings in St. Petersburg and Moscow that teemed with trolls who produced blog posts, comments and memes designed to influence opinions, sow confusion and sway voters’ opinions. Only the effort had little or nothing to do with the election of Donald Trump. It was born out of another controversial election. This time at home. [Learn more >]( A guide to Russian 'demotivator' memes Kremlin-backed trolling was alive and well at home years before Americans feared Russian meddling in their own elections. In this online underworld of paid seeders, twitterati and trolls, “demotivators” — Russian internet picture memes — play a special bottom-feeder role. Think of them as Kremlin talking points — state propaganda in picture form. Or, perhaps, a small, shadow slice of the Russian federal budget. Either way, Russian demotivators serve as a sad — and sadly informative — cog in the troll farm’s wheel of spin. [Learn more >]( In Russia, a 'ghost empire' rises Like “Make America Great Again,” “Russia Rising from its Knees” implies both can-do optimism and untapped anger. It promotes the idea that not only is their country flourishing again, but also that someone is trying to hold it back. Today, most believe it's America. Tomorrow, who knows? Loyalties can shift. And one gets the impression that somewhere in that lies the answer behind the way the Kremlin sells this ghost version of an empire to Russians. [Learn more >]( Vox [The US and 3 allies are blaming Russia for nerve agent attack on ex-spy]([wrote]( Three countries agree with Britain that “it was highly likely that Russia was responsible for the attack.” New York Times [T]([he uncounted]( An on-the-ground investigation reveals that the US-led battle against ISIS — hailed as the most precise air campaign in history — is killing far more Iraqi civilians than originally reported. Der Speigel [How Russia's eternal president has changed his country]( Russians will be going to the polls on March 18, but it is already clear who will emerge victorious. Vladimir Putin has been at the helm for almost 20 years — both dramatically changing his country and subjugating it at the same time. Reason [The 3 soldiers who tried to stop the Mai Lai Massacre]( About half the US soldiers participated; about half stood aside and refused to actively participate. But hardly anyone tried to help the victims, except for three men. Public Radio International (PRI) is a global non-profit media company focused on the intersection of journalism and engagement to effect positive change in people’s lives. We create a more informed, empathetic and connected world by sharing powerful stories, encouraging exploration, connecting people and cultures, and creating opportunities to help people take informed action on stories that inspire them. Its mission is to serve audiences as a distinctive content source for information, insights and cultural experiences essential to living in our diverse, interconnected world. [Support PRI]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website]( PRI Public Radio International Hear a Different Voice [Forward]( [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](