Kathryn Diss

5 days ago | abc.net.au | Kathryn Diss

A second-round of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine has ended without a major breakthrough as other nations say they must be prepared for war with Moscow. Britain's Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer says the threat of Russia can't be ignored and he's announced  the UK will expand its nuclear-powered attack submarine fleet.

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Kathryn Diss

On Christmas Day last year, Finland and Estonia got an unwanted shock. A power line that ran along the seabed between the two countries was damaged, slashing electricity flow by two thirds. The next day, Finnish police boarded and seized a ship carrying Russian oil bound for Turkey on suspicion of cutting the line along with four nearby internet cables. The Cook Islands-registered ship, named the Eagle S, was later found to have dragged its anchor along the ocean floor for more than 100 kilometres.

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Kathryn Diss

Finding out what life is like inside the Russian occupied territories of Ukraine is difficult for journalists. For those on the ground, it's dangerous to talk about. But sources in the captured areas say Russia is now seizing homes owned by Ukrainians who fled the invasion. It's forcing those who stayed to take on Russian citizenship just to access basic services like healthcare.

1 week ago | abc.net.au | Kathryn Diss

In Mariupol, speaking out can be deadly. Vladimir Putin's forces captured the city on Ukraine's Black Sea coast in the early stages of their full-scale invasion. Life there has changed significantly for the residents who remained. To keep their homes and access to basic services — including healthcare — they've been forced to become Russian citizens. Some Ukrainian men have even been recruited to fight for Moscow's military.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Kathryn Diss

It was as though it came straight from a spy novel.  There was a beautician, a love triangle and a mixed-martial-arts fighter. The operations were run out of a dilapidated guesthouse in a British seaside town. Children's toys, car keys, water bottles and even a pair of glasses were used to hide covert surveillance devices. There were fake identities purporting to be those of accredited journalists, UN ambassadors, law enforcement officers and health workers.