NV Exclusive
In September 1991, on an airfield in Tushino, Moscow, hundreds of thousands of young Soviets gathered to watch Metallica. Attendance has been estimated at up to 1.6 million people, placing it among the largest concerts ever staged. What is beyond dispute is this: it unfolded in the heart of a collapsing empire.
In 2025, Ukraine recorded the highest number of civilian casualties since the first year of Russia’s full-scale invasion. According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the number of civilians killed and wounded in 2025 was 31% higher than in 2024 and 70% higher than in 2023. This is not a statistical anomaly. It is the result of a deliberate method of warfare.