The Kremlin is redefining what it means to be a writer in Russia.
Page B2From§Eachthe milkman edition — 31 August 2026
Putin moves against Russian literature as NBC News crew attacked in West Bank
Born in the age of letters, Russian literature now faces a new threat: the state's move to shape the canon. Putin comes for the word, and the shelf shrinks. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, an NBC News crew and a Palestinian woman are attacked by settlers. The page is censored, the camera is struck, and the record grows thinner. The tradition survives by being written and seen; both acts are now harder. Preceded in death by freedom of expression, survived by the memory of those who bear witness. In lieu of flowers, ask for the truth to be kept in print and on tape.
“Putin goes after books, and NBC takes hits in the West Bank. The word and the witness are both under fire; the page and the camera are the targets. When the story gets dangerous, the first thing to go is the truth.”
“It’s important to protect national identity, and sometimes that means reevaluating cultural works. As for the NBC News incident, well, tensions are always high in the region, and it's unfortunate that journalists are caught in the crossfire. But I wouldn't call it a pattern—did I say that? I meant to say it's an isolated event, probably.”
The receipts
An NBC News crew was in a Palestinian village in the West Bank when they were attacked by Israeli settlers over the weekend. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the incident. Leigh Kiniry reports.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.