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Charlie Hancock

@hancock2001.bsky.social
1.1K followers 456 following 113 posts

Opinion Editor at The Moscow Times – Pitch to c.hancock@themoscowtimes.com | Also studying MA IR&War at KCL and writing "Crisis Europa" Substack on European security | Ex-Bloomberg | My Views | Also on bird app, trying to post here more

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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Moscow's told us to expect its flagship Sarmat ICBM to come into operation soon for several by this point. Leaked documents show how manufacturing and logistics issues put the Kremlin's ability to deliver a long way behind its rhetoric.
themoscowtimes.com
Sarmat Missile Held Back By Repeated Delays Despite Kremlin Boasts, Leaked Documents Show - The Moscow Times
On May 12, Moscow announced that its flagship RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile would be put on combat duty by the end of the year.
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The Moscow Times @themoscowtimes.com · 27/07/2026
Russia’s ambitious claims about its nuclear capabilities come years before defense manufacturers can meet the deadlines needed to make them real.
themoscowtimes.com
Sarmat Missile Held Back By Repeated Delays Despite Kremlin Boasts, Leaked Documents Show - The Moscow Times
On May 12, Moscow announced that its flagship RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile would be put on combat duty by the end of the year.
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
V. interesting to hear from a former Gazprom exec now fighting for 🇺🇦 about problems facing Russia's gas industry 🇺🇦 drone strikes, shadow fleet seizures, sanctions etc. grab headlines. But less discussed is how 🇷🇺 is reliant on imported tech to maintain its gas infrastructure
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Just been on @lbc.co.uk talking with @shelaghfogarty.bsky.social about why Keir Starmer is hesitant to hike defence funding despite orders for the arson attack targeting him coming from Russia, and what governments can learn from the Baltics and Scandinavia in talking to citizens about the threat
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
@elisethomas.bsky.social Hi Elise. Hope all's well. Please could you drop me an email at c.hancock@themoscowtimes.com ? I tried to email you about an article but it bounced
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The Moscow Times @themoscowtimes.com · 14/04/2026
Unable to pick up their cargo from Russian oil terminals damaged by Ukraine, dozens of aging tankers are at risk of suffering oil leaks. Experts warn they could also carry out sabotage against subsea cables in the Gulf of Finland.
themoscowtimes.com
Idling Shadow Fleet Tankers Threaten Baltic Security and Environment, Experts Warn - The Moscow Times
Dozens of Russian shadow fleet tankers are idling in the Gulf of Finland as they wait for oil terminals damaged by Ukrainian air strikes to resume operations, in what experts say raises the risk of sa...
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Meduza in English @meduza.io · 23/12/2025
How do you commission opinion journalism on Russia during the war in Ukraine? The Naked Pravda spoke with Moscow Times opinion editor @hancock2001.bsky.social about the challenges that now define the job. meduza.io/en/episodes/...
meduza.io
Moscow Times opinion editor Charlie Hancock discusses the challenges of commissioning commentary on Russia amid the war in Ukraine — Meduza
Opinion journalism on Russia has become a high-stakes enterprise since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, shaped by audiences sharply divided by politics and geography. At the center…
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
I don't use this site often because, as unwieldy as the other-place is, it's still better set up for news. But it's interesting that 90% of the engagement I've had for the past month is from obvious bots that don't even pretend not to be Russian anymore.
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
If anyone at Yale or BYU wants to get in touch to talk about how your university is handling being banned in Russia, my DMs are open
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 09/06/2025
As if you needed more evidence of the cult of masculinity in Russia, Elena here is complaining that her "Z" cat decoration came without any bollocks
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
Sure, dude
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
I spent a few days this week at an airbase in the northern 🇳🇱, talking with fighter pilots and military planners about NATO's largest air exercise, practicing how to respond to a Russian attack (or any other adversary). I also got up-close with the jets, but not in the cockpit
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
After a brief illness-induced pause, @ekesa.bsky.social and I are back with stories from 🇹🇷, 🇪🇪, 🇬🇪 and 🇦🇿, joined by @Turkova , talking about her experiences of tightening media freedom in Russia and the US. Youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWnP... Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/4o6l...
youtube.com
All Out on the Eastern Front #7: Protests in Istanbul; Estonia tightens voting law; fighting for VoA
YouTube video by All Out on the Eastern Front
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Pyotr Kozlov @kozlov.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
In Moscow, officials believe that Washington — which doesn’t view the exact dividing lines as a major priority — will pressure Kyiv to concede even more territory than Russia has been able to seize by force. www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/03/23/p...
themoscowtimes.com
Playing for Time: What the Kremlin Wants in New Talks with the U.S. on Ukraine - The Moscow Times
As high-level delegations from the U.S. and Russia arrive in Saudi Arabia for the second round of bilateral talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, Moscow’s envoys will have one goal on their mind: ...
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The Moscow Times @themoscowtimes.com · 04/03/2025
#OpEd If Russia won't take responsibility for killing of MH17's 298 passengers, we can't trust them to ensure peace in Ukraine, argues Sander van Luik, whose brother Klaas Willem was killed when the plane was shot down.
themoscowtimes.com
Kremlin Accountability for MH17 is Essential for a Credible Peace - The Moscow Times
Opinion | The trust between a parent and child is unparalleled, built on natural affection and honesty.
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The Moscow Times @themoscowtimes.com · 04/03/2025
The Kremlin worries that a potential deal with the U.S. to secure its control over Ukraine, restore diplomatic ties, lift sanctions and launch joint resource development could be derailed by the Trump-Zelensky clash, @kozlov.bsky.social reports.
themoscowtimes.com
Kremlin Fears Trump-Zelensky Clash Could Harm Its Shot at a Grand Bargain - The Moscow Times
The Kremlin is increasingly worried that the emerging rift between the U.S. and Ukraine could derail a potential agreement between Washington and Moscow, The Moscow Times’ sources say.  As U.S.
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The Moscow Times @themoscowtimes.com · 28/02/2025
#OpEd While the rest of the world is shutting the door to the corrupt super-rich, President Donald Trump is welcoming them in, warns @cjcmichel.bsky.social.
themoscowtimes.com
Trump Is Rolling Out the Red Carpet for Russian Oligarchs - The Moscow Times
Opinion | For years, so-called golden visas have been one of the favored tools of the crooked and corrupt around the world.
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
For Crisis Europa, I wrote a little something about what it is like to be an on-the-ground reporter at the Munich Security Conference.
charliehancock.substack.com
A Journalist's-Eye View of the Munich Security Conference
50 heads of state, 150 ministers, and hundreds of experts and journalists. Here's an insider's view of what it is like to report from the world's largest gathering of political and military leaders.
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
Throughout my time at the #MunichSecurityConference I was struck by two narratives: the pessimism of many delegates that Washington was abandoning a complacent Europe and 🇺🇦 to Russia’s whims, and the insistence from 🇪🇺 leaders that talks were more productive than many assumed
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
Another report from the #MunichSecurityConference #MSC2025
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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.eu · 15/02/2025
Scholz, at #MSC2025 said that Germany cannot spend more on defence by cutting in other areas as the citizens would be against it. @ecfr.eu actually asked exactly that question, and 40% of Germans (against 36%) say they would want more money for defence even if it meant cutting spending elsewhere.
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Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
A foreign service employee tells me their team can no longer access Politico, NYT or Bloomberg -- even though they have paid subscriptions to all of them. "It is critical to our jobs" to have this access, says this employee.
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
My report from the #MunichSecurityConference #MSC2025
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The Moscow Times @themoscowtimes.com · 12/02/2025
Trump’s defense secretary also said it was “unrealistic” to expect that Ukraine could return to its pre-2014 borders and urged European NATO members to end their dependency on Washington for security.
themoscowtimes.com
No U.S. Peacekeepers to Ukraine, Defense Secretary Hegseth Says - The Moscow Times
BRUSSELS – U.S.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 11/02/2025
Breaking News: Russia released a U.S. prisoner — a teacher who was arrested on charges of bringing medical marijuana into Russia in August 2021 — as part of a deal negotiated by President Trump’s Middle East envoy. The terms of the exchange were unclear.
nytimes.com
Russia Releases U.S. Prisoner After Talks With Trump Envoy
The Kremlin freed Marc Fogel, a teacher held for more than three years on drug charges, in a deal negotiated by Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Middle East envoy.
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Samantha Berkhead @samberkhead.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
ICYMI, you can follow @themoscowtimes.com’s reporters and editors on Bluesky too: @leylalatypova.bsky.social @macktubs.bsky.social @hancock2001.bsky.social @nedgarvey.bsky.social @kozlov.bsky.social
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Kraut @derparrot.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
My friend Katya, who is half-Georgian half-Ukrainian, has started a podcast that will focus on the news, politics, and events in countries we sometimes call "Eastern Europe" www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5WW...
youtube.com
All Out on the Eastern Front #2: Protests in Slovakia; Georgia; Moldovan energy deal; Poland vs. ECJ
YouTube video by All Out on the Eastern Front
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Ekaterina Shengeliya @ekesa.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
@hancock2001.bsky.social and I have a podcast now! :)
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Dalibor Rohac @daliborrohac.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
What a joy to discuss Slovakia, Fico's career and his unhinged conspiracy mongering with the brilliant @ekesa.bsky.social & @hancock2001.bsky.social! open.spotify.com/episode/3ppO...
open.spotify.com
All Out on the Eastern Front #2: Protests in Slovakia (cont.); human trafficking in Georgia; Moldovan energy deal; Poland vs. ECJ
All Out on the Eastern Front · Episode
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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 08/02/2025
The US government has now gutted all of the tools created to fight kleptocracy. It's going to be up to other democracies to save their political and financial systems from anonymous flows of cash. www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/02/07/w...
themoscowtimes.com
Washington Has Given Up the Fight Against Kleptocrats. Here’s What Democracies Should Do - The Moscow Times
Opinion | On Feb. 6, new U.S.
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The Moscow Times @themoscowtimes.com · 07/02/2025
#OpEd In a single day, the U.S. has eliminated or kneecapped its most successful anti-corruption tools, leaving the door wide open for Russian oligarchs and more, warns @cjcmichel.bsky.social. www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/02/07/w...
themoscowtimes.com
Washington Has Given Up the Fight Against Kleptocrats. Here’s What Democracies Should Do - The Moscow Times
Opinion | On Feb. 6, new U.S.
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The Moscow Times @themoscowtimes.com · 07/02/2025
NEW: Moscow is celebrating Donald Trump’s move to sanction the International Criminal Court as a game-changer that will weaken the court’s global influence and hamper the West’s efforts to isolate Putin and his inner circle, officials told MT.
themoscowtimes.com
Kremlin Gloats as Trump Sanctions International Criminal Court - The Moscow Times
Russian officials are celebrating U.S.
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The Moscow Times @themoscowtimes.com · 07/02/2025
Russia said its forces had seized the mining town of Toretsk in east Ukraine after months of heavy fighting, allowing Moscow to push further into the Donbas region. Kyiv denied Russia had full control of the town.
themoscowtimes.com
Russia Says Captured Key Mining Town of Toretsk in East Ukraine - The Moscow Times
Russia said Friday its forces had seized the mining town of Toretsk in east Ukraine after months of heavy fighting, allowing Moscow to push further into the Donbas region.
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
New from Crisis Europa: Without support for election monitors and corruption-busting independent media in Eastern Europe and initiatives that teach Ukrainian children wartime safety, Europe will become more vulnerable to foreign security challenges.
open.substack.com
How Suspending USAID Puts Europe's Security At Risk
Why a cartoon about the adventures of a bomb-sniffer dog makes the continent stronger.
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
For my blog Crisis Europa I wrote up some of the key takeaways from last week's discussion about the future of EU security with former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö.
charliehancock.substack.com
Europe Has Tools Available To Ensure Its Security
Lessons from Chatham House's (on the record) panel with the former President of Finland.
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Seda Sumeimanova went missing after being abducted from St. Petersburg, where she fled after her relatives threatened to kill her for escaping an arranged marriage Lena Patyayeva wrote this (link in reply) about her campaign for her friend's release
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The Moscow Times @themoscowtimes.com · 23/01/2025
Sauli Niinistö, who left office in 2024, said that Europe should be involved in dialogue with Moscow about ending the invasion of Ukraine.
themoscowtimes.com
Former Finnish President ‘Annoyed’ Europe Not Talking to Kremlin About Ending War - The Moscow Times
LONDON — Former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said he was “annoyed” that Europe is not playing a central role in efforts to engage the Kremlin in discussions on ending Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
I'm looking forward to reporting on #MSC2025 for @themoscowtimes.com. I'm especially interested in speaking to people working on Ukraine's war effort, Western support for Ukraine, and combatting Russia aggression and espionage toward Europe and NATO. If that's you, get in touch!
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The Moscow Times @themoscowtimes.com · 20/01/2025
#OpEd The new administration must lead NATO to respond decisively to Russia's attacks on the alliance because Moscow is waging war on the West in the shadows, not just on Ukraine's battlefields, warns Jordan Warlick.
themoscowtimes.com
U.S. Leadership is Essential to Fight Russia’s Covert War on the West - The Moscow Times
Opinion | In 2007, President Vladimir Putin stood before the Munich Security Conference and stated clearly that Russia considers itself at war with the West.
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The Moscow Times @themoscowtimes.com · 17/01/2025
#OpEd Real Ukrainian lives in the country's east are being treated as bargaining chips as they face brutal repression under Moscow's control, warns Jade McGlynn.
themoscowtimes.com
We Can’t Condemn the People of Occupied Ukraine to the Reality of Russian Occupation - The Moscow Times
Opinion | “The Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine” is such a dehumanizing phrase.
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Casey Newton @caseynewton.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
NEW: Meta has quietly dismantled the system that prevented misinformation from spreading in the United States. Machine-learning classifiers that once identified viral hoaxes and limited their reach have now been switched off, Platformer has learned www.platformer.news/meta-ends-mi...
Behind the scenes, the company was also quietly dismantling a system to prevent the spread of misinformation. When the company announced on Jan. 7 that it would end its fact-checking partnerships, the company also instructed teams responsible for ranking content in the company’s apps to stop penalizing misinformation, according to sources and an internal document obtained by Platformer.

The result is that the sort of viral hoaxes that ran roughshod over the platform during the 2016 US presidential election — “Pope Francis endorses Trump,” Pizzagate, and all the rest — are now just as eligible for free amplification on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads as true stories.
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The Moscow Times @themoscowtimes.com · 14/01/2025
EXCLUSIVE: The Kremlin has been in direct contact with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s team in the lead-up to his Jan. 20 inauguration, Russian government officials told The Moscow Times.
themoscowtimes.com
Kremlin Courts Trump Behind the Scenes as His Foreign Policy Rhetoric Rattles U.S. Allies - The Moscow Times
The Kremlin has been in direct contact with U.S.
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The Moscow Times @themoscowtimes.com · 10/01/2025
Assassins linked to the Chechen regime have already targeted people in Europe and Turkey. A shooting in Uzbekistan indicates Kadyrov's footprint could extend into Central Asia.
themoscowtimes.com
Kadyrov Linked to Suspects in Botched Uzbekistan Assassination - The Moscow Times
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is believed to be sheltering two men linked to plots to assassinate two Uzbekistani officials last year, according to an Uzbek source personally familiar with the situati...
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
This week on Crisis Europa Romania sits along multiple strategic frontiers for NATO and hosts initiatives with the potential to protect the whole continent But despite record investment, 🇷🇴 own armed forces are struggling to shake-off its communist-era deficiencies
charliehancock.substack.com
Romania's Military Modernisation Is Built On Crumbling Foundations
Big-ticket purchases can't paper over the weaknesses stopping Romania from achieving its potential as a keystone in Europe's security.
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
This week on Crisis Europa: Romania, Syria and reflections on British civil defense. While I research next week's analysis (between my job and studying) I have made a quick list of articles and books that I think will be of interest to my readers.
charliehancock.substack.com
The Crisis Europa Review: What a Week That Was.
What you should read and listen to this week.
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
Have been craving halva for the past few days so decided to do something about it It looks a little gloopy but tastes very promising (rose, saffron and pistachio). Let’s see how it sets overnight…
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
I promised you all I’d do this, so I did.
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
Factchecking English-language interviews by Russian officials is always interesting because you find yourself having to investigate statements that are either an outright lie or just bad English, but are wrong either way (I'm watching the Carlson-Lavrov interview)
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Charlie Hancock @hancock2001.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
I've launched a substack where I write about security issues threatening Europe, and how countries are managing them (or failing to) This week, while many countries are telling citizens they may face a war, 🇬🇧 isn't. Why not? Please consider subscribing to my new project Key points in 🧵
charliehancock.substack.com
Britain Learned the Wrong Lessons From the Blitz. That Makes Us Vulnerable Today
Modern civil defense requires preparation, not just perseverance.
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Christopher Miller @christopherjm.ft.com · 04/12/2024
Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte has accused Russia of assisting North Korea’s nuclear programme in exchange for Pyongyang sending troops to help its war against Ukraine, the first such claim by a senior western official. @henryjfoy.bsky.social @financialtimes.com on.ft.com/3ODhjWe
on.ft.com
Nato’s Rutte says Russia supporting North Korean nuclear programme
Alliance chief claims Moscow’s help for Pyongyang could destabilise Korean Peninsula and threaten US
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