Francesca Ebel,
Francesca Ebel is a London-based Russia correspondent with extensive experience covering conflicts and political turmoil in Russia, Ukraine, Tunisia and other regions. She holds a BA in Modern and Medieval Languages from Cambridge University and has worked for the Associated Press, the Economist, Politico Europe Magazine, among others. Fluent in Russian, French, Arabic and English.
76%
The Daily's Verdict
This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.
Bias
85%
Examples:
- Putin's troops are now pressing along an arc of three key points: Chasiv Yar, just west of the city of Bakhmut, which Russia captured in spring 2023; the small industrial city of Toretsk; and in rural terrain west of Ocheretyne.
- Russian forces have mounted an arc of attack in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, pushing through intense summer heat in a bid to extend Moscow's steady territorial gains and capture the city of Pokrovsk, a key transit junction.
- Russian forces managed to advance four miles west from Ocheretyne, forcing the retreat of a Ukrainian infantry brigade holding the line in the village of Prohres. Ukraine's 47th Mechanized Brigade was forced into a 'chaotic retreat' due to a lack of soldiers.
Conflicts of Interest
100%
Examples:
- Pro-Kremlin media appeared to play down a claim from Al Azaim Media, a Russian-language channel associated with the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, which posted a statement late Sunday that the attack was carried out in response to calls for attacks on behalf of the Islamic State organization...
- Russian lawmakers on Monday quickly blamed external forces, including Ukraine and NATO, for terrorist attacks on Sunday that killed at least 20 people in Dagestan...
Contradictions
75%
Examples:
- ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the attacks.
- Russian commanders are still relying on 'meat assault' tactics.
- Ukrainian forces are suffering from a shortage of soldiers and have been affected by election turmoil in the United States.
Deceptions
40%
Examples:
- A local lawmaker, Abdulkarim Gadzhiev, blamed Sunday's attack on 'the special services of Ukraine and NATO countries.' The pro-Kremlin head of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Leonid Slutsky, who heads the foreign affairs committee in the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, blamed 'Outside forces' aiming to divide Russians and 'sow panic.' Valentina Matviyenko, the head of the Federation Council, the upper chamber, called the attacks a 'tragedy planned outside Russia.'
- But even before local and national law enforcement had gained control over the violence on Sunday, officials were already blaming the United States and Ukraine.
- In a further sign of deep tensions between Moscow and Washington, several Russian officials including the deputy head of the Security Council, former president Dmitry Medvedev, linked the Dagestan attack to a Ukrainian missile strike Sunday on occupied Crimea.
- Peskov described the Crimea attack as 'absolutely barbaric' and blamed the United States and Europe.
- The gunmen opened fire at several locations in the two cities, including the Church of Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Derbent, where a priest, Nikolai Kotelnikov, 66, was killed. They also attacked the city's only synagogue.
Recent Articles
Russia Seizes Control of Urozhaine and Staromaiorske Villages in Intense Battle: Significant Loss for Ukraine Amid Escalating Conflict
Broke On: Tuesday, 30 July 2024Russian forces seize control of Urozhaine and Staromaiorske villages in Ukraine's Donetsk region, amid intense assaults and manpower shortages for Ukraine. Russian drone attacks target an oil depot in Kursk, raising tensions between the countries. The conflict continues to escalate with both sides facing significant challenges and losses. 
At Least 20 Killed in Coordinated Attacks on Synagogues and Orthodox Churches in Dagestan, Russia
Broke On: Monday, 24 June 2024In a series of coordinated attacks on synagogues and Orthodox churches in Dagestan's Derbent and Makhachkala, at least 20 people were killed and several injured. The assault followed an attack by an Islamic State splinter group by three months. No group has claimed responsibility, but ISIS-K praised the attack. The Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal probe into 'acts of terror.' Amid heightened tensions between Russia and its neighbors over Ukraine and NATO expansion, some officials blamed external forces, but there's no evidence to support these claims.