Context | 20 dec., 2024 | English
How TikTok Almost Won the Presidency for Romania’s Far-Right Candidate
TikTok, other social media platforms, and paid advertisements helped propel Romanian far-right presidential candidate Călin Georgescu to a surprising victory in the first round of the election. Here’s how it happened.
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Climate disinformation peddlers target the Vatican and US Congress
A movement originating in Ukraine has been spreading globally to systematically deliver climate disinformation under the guise of climate change awareness. Although its main premise — the world ending in 2036 — may seem fringe, its proponents recently secured an audience with Pope Francis and engaged a registered lobbyist to work on their behalf in the US.
Documenting war crimes and lives upended by Russia’s invasion: Inside our Ukraine reporting project
The project began with a simple idea: to compile and publish periodic news bulletins spotlighting potential war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine — written by journalist Yana Skoryna, our first Ukrainian employee who had fled to Romania after the invasion.
Firehose of Falsehood: How far-right used TikTok to spread lies and conspiracies
TikTok feeds in Central Eastern European countries, including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Romania and Poland, have been filled with conspiracy theories and fear-mongering resembling Russian disinformation — and to the benefit of the far-right.
82-year-old widow flees embattled Vovchansk as Russian attacks devastate city
Under a relentless barrage of Russian attacks, much of Ukraine’s city of Vovchansk is now reduced to ruin, forcing
Men in Ukraine fear draft after conscription age lowered in war with Russia
Petro from Ukraine’s central city of Poltava is about to turn 25 and he’s worried about becoming “cannon fodder” in
The Ukrainian tennis player who picked up arms to defend his country
A month after Ukrainian tennis star Sergiy Stakhovsky announced his retirement from professional tennis, he was on vacation in Dubai
Ukrainian teenager witnessed torture while illegally detained by Russian forces
Vlad Buryak was 16 years old when he was illegally detained at a Russian checkpoint as he tried to flee from the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in southeastern Ukraine. Russian officials there had discovered he was the son of Oleh Buryak, the head of the Zaporizhzhia State Military Administration.
Slaying of Ukrainian soldiers amid botched Avdiivka retreat sparks war crime claims
Inna Pavlova struggles to hold back her tears as she recalls the moment she knew Russian troops had killed her 29-year-old son after he was captured in Ukraine’s fierce battle for Avdiivka in the Donetsk region.
Ukraine launches criminal probe into alleged persecution of journalist who investigated SBU officer
Ukrainian prosecutors have launched a criminal probe into the alleged persecution of an investigative journalist who was served draft papers in a suspected reprisal for revealing the dubious property portfolio of the country’s national cybersecurity chief.
Journalists in Ukraine face multiple threats amid Russia’s war
Since Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine began, dozens of journalists have disappeared, some have been kidnapped or threatened, and some have been killed by occupying forces, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says.
Fight continues to return displaced children as Russia’s war in Ukraine drags on
Mykhailo Lebedev was 15 years old when Russian forces rolled into Mariupol and separated him from his sisters. Unlike many of the children in Ukraine displaced into Russia or the territories held by Moscow’s forces, the teenager was lucky to escape.
As war in Ukraine drags on, some refugees dream of returning home
Yulia Romashkevich remembers the shock two years ago when she woke up in the early hours to the sound of Russian airstrikes on Ukraine. “My daughter woke up to eat,” she recalls. “I heard the first explosion and immediately started waking my husband.”
“It is a horror”: Some Ukrainians dear there won’t be justice for Russia’s war crimes
As Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine enters its third year, allegations and evidence of war crimes committed by Moscow’s forces continue to mount. International efforts are being made to prosecute the crimes, but many are worried that a majority of the incidents will never make it to trial.
Blindness is on the rise in Ukraine. Some wounded soldiers are hopeful in rehab
Computer programmer Bohdan Shyn had no prior military experience when he volunteered to sign up at his local conscription office in Kamianske to fight against Russian forces in Ukraine.
The volunteer battalion providing emergency medical aid on Ukraine’s frontlines
Mykyta Zavilinskyi recalls trying to save a wounded soldier on Ukraine’s frontlines where he works as a volunteer paramedic.
Ukrainian student delivers aid, facilitates evacuations on war’s frontlines
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, 19-year-old IT student Maksym Chechykov wanted to help his country’s war effort. But he is not a trained military man.
Little boy severly burned in Russia missile attack dances on
During a visit to see his grandparents with his mother in Ukraine’s central town of Vinnytsia in the summer of 2022, life for eight-year-old Roman Oleksiv changed forever when Russian airstrikes struck the town.
“Collecting body parts”: Ukrainian woman recounts harrowing Bakhmut escape
Svitlana Klymenko remembers some of the dark scenes she witnessed in the city of Bakhmut in the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion when the 44-year-old was sheltering in a cramped basement with her husband and teenage daughter.
Effects of war in Ukraine will lead to rise in disease, early fatality
High levels of psychological stress during wartime, deteriorating medical services, and limited access to healthcare in Ukraine are leading to a sharp rise in health conditions across the country two years after Russia launched its full-scale war.
“Gun to my stomach”: Mariupol former theatre director survived 10 months of Russian captivity
When Russian forces launched a vicious assault against Ukraine’s port city of Mariupol in the spring of 2022, the city’s former artistic director Anatoly Levchenko knew his family should have fled. But by then, it was too late.
From journalists surveilled across Europe to a Polish MP linked to organized crime. The Organised Crime and Corruption Watch edition no. 10
Jurnaliști din mai multe țări europene au fost victime ale supravegherii în ultimul deceniu, dar mulți sunt de părere că fenomenul continuă. Reporterii de investigație din Polonia dezvăluie că un parlamentar recent ales are legături cu o firmă conectată cu crima organizată. În România, un partid de extremă dreapta și partidul prim-ministrului ungar Viktor Orban împărtășesc narative aliniate cu Rusia în scopuri politice, iar în Cehia, un grup religios din Danemarca este în centrul atenției în contextul preocupărilor legate de abuzul asupra copiilor.
Russia War Crimes Diary: Ukraine edition 25
“10 years ago, Ukraine started a new page of struggle, 10 years ago, Ukrainians launched their first counteroffensive,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a speech last month marking the 10th anniversary of the Euromaidan protests. “Against lawlessness, attempts to deprive us of a European future.”
From grain import scams in the European Union to vast amounts of money disinformation can generate in Slovakia. The Organised Crime and Corruption Watch, regional edition no. 9
From grain import scams in European Union countries bordering Ukraine to a lithium-ion battery waste plant scandal in Hungary, from a reckless Russian spy to the vast amounts of money disinformation can generate in Slovakia – this is The Organised Crime and Corruption Watch, regional edition no. 9.
Mental health crisis grips Ukraine as war with Russia continues
Ukraine is in the grip of a mental health crisis with a large majority of people in the nation at war showing signs of mental health issues for which they may need to seek psychological help, according to Ukraine’s health minister.
“Held at gunpoint”: Teachers in occupied Ukraine subjected to abuse, torture
Viktor Pendalchuk remembers the moment Russian soldiers first came for him. Dozens of them, all heavily armed, arrived at the Ukrainian headmaster's family home. “They handcuffed me, kicked me, and put a bag over my head,” he said. “I was held at gunpoint.”
Months of torture by Russian forces left young Ukrainian man broke, but hopeful
In the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 25-year-old Andriy Buriachkov was captured and detained by Moscow’s forces. He was detained for three months in a cramped, dingy basement and subjected to brutal torture.
In Ukraine, anger grows over reckless public spending as war drags on
To vent his anger and frustration over what he believes is reckless government spending by a regional authority in northern Ukraine as the war with Russia drags on, Ukrainian activist Ivan Kaverin made a bold statement by dousing their local council building with pig’s blood.
Trailblazing Partnership: News organizations launch European coalition
In a landmark development for the field of cross-border data-driven reporting, four distinguished investigative outlets are joining forces to form the Collaborative Journalism Europe in a Global Context (CJEGC) coalition.
A civic initiative seeks justice in Ukraine for Russian war crimes
In the wake of Russia’s full-scale of invasion Ukraine, dozens of civil society groups have joined forces with the Prosecutor General’s office in the war-torn nation to methodically log and report war crimes committed by Moscow’s troops.
Ukrainian children in Romania struggle amid teaching assistant shortfall
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, millions of refugees – mostly women and children – fled to neighboring countries seeking safety from the war.
The myriad problems facing Ukrainian refugees in Romania
In the days and weeks after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, millions of refugees fled across the war-torn nation’s borders as they sought safety in other countries from the war. It was the largest exodus of people in Europe since the Second World War.
The Organised Crime and Corruption Watch—regional edition no. 6: Vicious attacks force journalists to self-censor across the eastern part of the EU
Journalism is under attack worldwide. The trend, worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic and the anger surrounding it, has been amplified by politicians inciting hate against those who criticize them.
Ukrainian war correspondent on hope, working on the front line
Ukrainian war correspondent Anastasia Volkova says she has gotten used to falling asleep to the sound of explosions. Nowadays, the 30-year-old journalist doesn’t even take shelter when air raid sirens sound.
Russia’s full-scale war is shattering a children’s education in Ukraine
Since the full-scale war started, Ukraine’s educational facilities have suffered significant material damage as well as human losses with teachers, students, and parents being killed by Russian aggression.
Russia War Crimes Diary – Ukraine edition 24
As Russia’s 18-month war against Ukraine drags on, Moscow’s forces have been conducting a sustained campaign attacking Ukraine’s Danube River ports with the aim of choking the war-torn nation’s grain exports.
The failure of the Ukraine Task Force: the government has blocked European money for refugees with shadow projects
Ukrainian refugees told Context.ro that they were forced to return to the bombed areas because the Romanian state blocked aid money for months.
“Every child is important”: Head of rescue network vows to continue fight for minors abducted by Russia
As Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine drags on, concerns are growing about the plight of thousands of Ukrainian children who have been forcibly deported or relocated to Russia or territories held by Moscow’s forces, tearing apart families in what amount to war crimes.
Deadly gifts: Unexploded mines are plaguing Ukraine amid war with Russia
Far beyond the frontlines of the war in Ukraine, danger lurks in everything from common household items to children’s toys to public parks, many of which are littered with unexploded ordnance left behind by Russian forces who aim to sow fear and carnage across the war-torn country.
The Organised Crime and Corruption Watch. Regional edition no. 5: How EU countries spy on their citizens
This collaborative newsletter is based on the research of seven investigative outlet members of The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.
‘I thought my life was over’: Ukraine dam blast unleashed dual humanitarian, environmental disaster
In the small hours of early June, 50-year-old hairdresser Iryna woke up to find her home in Ukraine’s south partially submerged in water.
Corruption and bureaucracy hinder Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts
As Ukraine looks to rebuild itself during and after the war, official corruption is a major concern among Western leaders who fear it could undermine their support for the war-torn nation as well harm its long-term security and its hopes to one day join the European Union.
The Organised Crime and Corruption Watch—regional edition no4. Healthcare corruption part II
This collaborative newsletter is based on the research of seven investigative outlet members of The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
“This is ecocide”: Environmental costs grow as Russia’s war drags on
The deputy head of Ukraine’s State Environmental Inspection, Dmytro Zaruba, told Context.ro in an interview that the destruction last month of the massive Kakhovka dam has only exacerbated the dire impact of the war on the environment.
The Organised Crime and Corruption Watch – regional edition no3. Healthcare corruption part I
Corruption in the healthcare sector is unfortunately widespread throughout much of Eastern Europe. In Romania, recent indictments highlight the role of healthcare workers in diverting funds from patient care.
Russia War Crimes Diary – Ukraine edition 23
As Russia's war in Ukraine drags on, the conflict is becoming increasingly violent and the accusations against Moscow of war crimes are mounting, backed up by a mountain of evidence by various authorities and journalists.
“We’ll get everything back,” Ukraine’s culture minister vows in interview with Context.ro
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, more than 1,500 culturally significant artifacts have been damaged and a third of them have been stolen or totally destroyed, minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said.
Russia War Crimes Diary – Ukraine edition 22
The true fallout of the deadly Kakhovka dam failure in southern Ukraine in early June, which killed at least 21 people and left thousands homeless, is only now beginning to be understood by officials and experts.
“Lucky to survive”: Ukrainian woman who lost everything in dam collapse
The colossal volume of water unleashed by the catastrophic breach of Ukraine’s massive Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro river in the country’s southern Kherson region left thousands of residents fleeing for their lives to escape the deadly deluge.
“My boss harassed me”: Romanian whistleblower pays price for flagging corruption
The Bucharest Tribunal stated recently that a whistleblower from the Ministry of Transport, headed by Sorin Grindeanu from Romania’s leftist Social Democrat Party, was subjected to reprisals after filing complaints about alleged official corruption concerning public contracts.
Tate Brothers file was sent to court. They are accused of human trafficking, rape and being part of a criminal group
The criminal file of controversial social media star Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, in which they are accused by Romania’s anti-mafia prosecutors (DIICOT) of human trafficking in continuous form, rape in continuous form, being part of a criminal group, altering the integrity of computer data and violence was sent to court for trial on Tuesday.
Firehose of Falsehood: Context.ro flagged pro-Kremlin disinformation, Facebook removed the content
A team of investigative journalists from the Firehose of Falsehood project which spanned 13 countries, mapped out the online disinformation ecosystem in Central and Eastern Europe, including Romania.
A Romanian millionaire’s continued oils transports to Russia
In 2022, months after Russia invaded Ukraine and the European Union had leveled sprawling sanctions against Moscow, a Romanian businessman continued using a fleet of shipping oil tankers to transport Russian oil.
Russia War Crimes Diary – Ukraine edition 21
The massive Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro river in southern Ukraine collapsed on Tuesday, leaving emergency service workers scrambling to evacuate residents as thousands flee from major floods.
“Everything is destroyed”: aerial images of Ukrainian town reveal post-apocalyptic scenes
Ukraine’s once flourishing town of Maryinka situated in the southeast Donetsk region now resembles a post-apocalyptic wasteland, satellite images reveal, highlighting the stark and brutal reality of Russia’s invasion.
Russia War Crimes Diary – Ukraine edition 20
As Ukraine prepares to launch its much anticipated counter-offensive against Russian forces, a fresh wave of Russian attacks hit the eastern city of Bahmut, where Moscow’s troops are accused of deploying illegal phosphorus bombs.
The Organised Crime and Corruption Watch. Regional edition no2.: Stolen Millions in EU Funds (II)
Reporters from The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) network uncovered in the past decade dozens of EU funds frauds.
Russia War Crimes Diary – Ukraine edition 19
As Russia’s bloody war against Ukraine grinds on, Kyiv is preparing to launch a much-anticipated counteroffensive against Moscow’s invading forces.
Billionaire Steinmetz sued OCCRP and RISE Project Romania and demanded the deletion and censorship of the investigations about him
Billionaire Benyamin Steinmetz is asking in court for the deletion of all investigations published by OCCRP and RISE Project and wants the journalists to be prohibited from publishing any other articles that refer to him in the future.
A Ukrainian teenager’s return from a Russian deportation camp
Ukrainian teenager Vitaliy Vertash is one of the thousands of children from the war-torn country to have been unlawfully deported to a Russian “re-education” camp for minors in territories occupied by Moscow.
Russia War Crimes Diary – Ukraine edition 18
For over a year now, Ukraine has been bravely facing down Russian aggression as Moscow’s forces attempt to undermine Ukrainian culture, language, and values, and above all, demoralise its people into abandoning the war effort.
Russian captivity, a daughter left behind for half of a year
After nearly half a year in Russian captivity, Ukrainian military nurse Viktoria Obidina finally reunited with her young daughter who she’d been torn apart from at a Russian checkpoint just weeks after Russia invaded.
The Organised Crime and Corruption Watch. Regional edition no1.: Stolen Millions in EU Funds
This is a collaborative newsletter researched by seven investigative outlets members of The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. The team will explore an organized crime or corruption topic for each edition and showcase the most relevant facts.
Russia War Crimes Diary – Ukraine edition 17
As Russia’s war against Ukraine grinds on a series of alleged war crimes are being levelled against Moscow. On Monday, the New York Times reported that the International criminal Court will open two war crimes cases
“Street littered with bodies”: a Ukrainian journalist first at the Bucha massacre
Dmytro Komarov, a Ukrainian journalist was one of the first to arrive at the gruesome scenes after the Russian soldiers retreated. A premiere of his new documentary was broadcast on the war’s anniversary in late February.
Russia War Crimes Diary – Ukraine edition 16
Indeed, a year later, Kyiv stands. A year later, Ukraine stands, and much of the free world stands with Ukraine.
“We sat and prayed”: detention in a Russian concentration camp
In the first week after Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, Moscow’s forces rolled into the small northern village of Yagodnoye where they rounded up more than 350 locals, some at gunpoint, and led them into a cramped basement where they were detained for weeks in what has been described as a concentration camp.
Russia War Crimes Diary – Ukraine edition 15
But behind the high-level diplomacy and tragic accidents, the brutality of war continues to play out. War crimes continue to be logged organisations, journalists, and citizens in the hope of holding those responsible for war crimes to account.
“Hell on earth”: Civilians recount Russia’s deadly Dnipro strike
When air-raid sirens rang out over Ukraine’s southeastern city of Dnipro on a Saturday afternoon in mid-January, many continued with their daily tasks. Almost everyone, nearly a year after Russia launched its invasion, had grown accustomed to hearing the high-pitched battle warnings. Then the Russian missile struck.
Russia War Crimes Diary – Ukraine edition 14
Russian missiles this weekend struck a residential apartment block in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro where 1,700 people reportedly lived and left at least 40 people dead, Ukrainian authorities said. It is the deadliest attack on civilians in the war-torn country in months.
Official: Russia’s actions against children amount to war crimes, genocide
A Ukrainian human rights official who visited what he described as “children's torture chambers” in Kherson after Russian forces fled says charges should be tried separately from other war crimes if brought before an international court.
Russian War Crimes Diary: Ukraine edition 13
More than 10,000 Ukrainian children have been illegally deported to Russia, placed in orphanages or sanatoriums, and many ultimately adopted by Russian families, according to a report carried out by The Washington Post.
Russian War Crimes Diary: Ukraine edition 12
As Russia’s 10-month-old war rages on in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a series of daring trips this week to defy Moscow’s attempts to demoralize the war-torn nation as winter drags on.
Russian War Crimes Diary: Ukraine edition 11
As Moscow’s forces continue to bombard Ukraine with targeted attacks on energy infrastructure as winter takes hold, the embattled nation is making strides in its aerial defenses, according to the Ukrainian President.
Russian War Crimes Diary: Ukraine edition 10
Nearly 300 days have passed since Russia launched its bloody incursion into neighboring Ukraine. Since then, many Ukrainians count the war in days as a wry nod to Moscow’s failure to capture the capital Kyiv, in just three days as it had expected.
Russian War Crimes Diary: Ukraine edition 9
It’s been 10 months since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — a country whose people are now battling against winter as well as war.
Russian War Crimes Diary: Ukraine edition 8
The European Parliament this week voted overwhelmingly to recognise Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, a move it said spotlighted “the atrocities carried out by Vladimir Putin’s regime against Ukrainian civilians,” and pushes for Russia’s further isolation internationally.
Russian War Crimes Diary: Ukraine edition 7
As Russia’s war in Ukraine drags into its ninth month, Moscow’s forces have this week been bombarding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in the hope to leave the war-torn nation in the cold and dark as winter begins to grip.
Russian War Crimes Diary: Ukraine edition 6
Despite Russia intensifying its threat of new attacks, Ukraine continues its fight as it receives strong support from the U.S. and much of the western world. But as the war drags on, a key element is that of documenting Russian war crimes in detail – especially from de-occupied areas – which reporters from all over the world continue to do.
Russian War Crimes Diary: Ukraine edition 5
As Russia’s war in Ukraine drags on into its ninth month, concerns are growing over how the war-torn country can counter a Russian push to destroy energy infrastructure, triggering blackouts which risks leaving millions of Ukrainians in the dark without heating as winter approaches.
Russian War Crimes Diary: Ukraine edition 4
As Russia continues its onslaught of shelling against Ukraine, Ukrainians defending their homeland continue to exhibit remarkable bravery against Moscow’s bigger and more powerful forces.
Russian War Crimes Diary: Ukraine edition 3
As Moscow intensifies its strikes all over Ukraine in response to a series of humiliating battlefield losses, more civilians are losing their lives in the 9-month-old war.
Russian War Crimes Diary: Ukraine edition 2
Since Russia launched its invasion on Ukraine on 24 February, much of the Western world has faced down Moscow’s aims by rallying together to supply the war-torn nation with an unprecedented level of humanitarian and military aid.
Russian War Crimes Diary: Ukraine edition 1
As Russia’s war in Ukraine drags into its seventh month, more evidence of a shocking series of war crimes committed by Russian forces is coming to light.
INTERVIEW: “Panama Papers Marked a Change in Journalistic Behavior” – Frederik Obermaier
Frederik Obermaier: Offshore companies create a parallel world. We have the normal world where people on main street, you and me are living, and then you have to be parallel, offshore world, where the richest and super richest basically decide which laws they want to stick to and which ones not.
Automotive Industry Scores Billions for Their Polluting Hybrids from European Recovery Fund
European car manufacturers are some of the biggest beneficiaries of the European Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF). These Brussels billions have been earmarked to accelerate the green transition. Problem is, part of these automotive investments could actually extend fossil fuel use, and with it, the stifling dependence on Russian gas and oil.
Brussels Conceals Records on Recovery Billions, Despite Transparency Pledge
EU member states and the European Commission negotiated behind closed doors on how to spend the Covid-19 recovery fund’s 723.8 billion euros. Journalists from across the bloc requested that the Commission provide insight into those discussions. But even though it pays lip service to the importance of transparency, the Commission is refusing to disclose hundreds of documents.
The Recovery Files: Scrutinising the Billions from Brussels
The EU has set up a 723.8 billion euro recovery fund to help member states boost their post-pandemic economy. But there is a lack of democratic oversight on how those European billions will be spent.
