Day: March 29, 2019
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Decision made to implement major gas processing and liquefaction project near Ust-Luga
Release March 29, 2019, 19:00 Today, Gazprom and RusGazDobycha made a decision on the final configuration of the project for a large-scale complex that will process ethane-containing gas and produce liquefied natural gas (LNG) near the settlement of Ust-Luga, Leningrad Region. The parties have thus moved to the implementation stage in the project. The project envisages the construction of capacities for the processing of 45 billion cubic…
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Down By The River: Moscow’s Iconic Northern River Terminal
The terminal stands dusted in snow in this photo from 1959. Because ships could depart for the White, Baltic, Black and Caspian seas, and the Sea of Azov, from here, the terminal is sometimes referred to as the Five Seas’ port. S.Preobrazhensky / mos.ru
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Police Fired, Unit Disbanded for Siding With Protesters in Russia’s Ingushetia
More than a dozen patrol officers have been fired in Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Ingushetia for failing to disperse protesters rallying against a controversial land swap deal. The Ingush population took to the streets this week to demand their governor’s resignation and a public vote on the border agreement signed last fall with the…
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Rock Opera to the Rescue
How do you save a church? Call in a heavenly choir. That’s what St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Moscow decided to do. To raise funds for desperately needed repairs to their historic 135-year-old church, the church invited the Stas Namin Theater to perform their production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” on April 2. And Stas Namin…
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Russian Airplane Passenger Sets Seat on Fire, Sparking Anti-Lighter Push
A Russian airline passenger risked burning down the plane he was on after inadvertently setting his own seat on fire this week. The Red Wings airline passenger learned his seat was on fire after complaining to flight attendants about a burning smell shortly after takeoff, the RBC news website reported. “The seat smoldered because the…
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Dozens of Crimean Tatars Arrested on Terrorism Charges
Russian authorities have detained at least 23 Crimean Tatars on suspicion of being members of a banned Islamic group this week. The Federal Security Service (FSB) raided the homes of 25 Crimean Tatars in Simferopol, detaining 20 on Wednesday and three more the next day. The predominantly Muslim ethnic minority has largely opposed Russia’s 2014…
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Russia Enjoys the Show in Tight Ukrainian Election
A chocolate baron, a comedian who plays a president on television and a former prime minister hoping third time’s the charm. These are the leading candidates for the Ukrainian presidency as voters head to the polls on Sunday for the second time since the 2014 Maidan Revolution and Russia’s annexation of Crimea the same year.…
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Russian Scientology Churches Raided in Fraud Investigation
Russian security forces have raided the offices of the Church of Scientology in Moscow and St. Petersburg on Thursday in connection with an investigation into defrauded homebuyers. Investigators believe the church may have transferred around 3 billion rubles to its U.S. headquarters in recent years, according to the state-run TASS news agency. The funds were…
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Russian Navy Escorts NATO Ships in Black Sea on Way to Ukraine
Two Russian naval vessels are closely escorting NATO warships in the Black Sea that are headed toward Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday. The commander of a NATO maritime group said Dutch, Spanish, Canadian, Turkish, Romanian and Bulgarian frigates entered the Black Sea on Thursday. The warships are part of the alliance’s defense cooperation…
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U.S-Hired Firm Audits Russia’s Rusal For Compliance With Sanctions Deal
A firm hired by the U.S.Treasury Department is auditing Russian aluminum giant Rusal to check whether it is complying with the terms of a deal under which Washington agreed to lift sanctions on the company, Rusal said. The audit is the first glimpse of how Treasury is policing whether Rusal and its parent company En+…
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Abramovich-Built Stadium in Russia Slated for Demolition Over Safety Concerns
An ice hockey stadium built in Siberia by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich for an estimated $150 million will now be demolished over safety concerns, 12 years after it was first opened to the public. First inaugurated in 2007 in the Siberian city of Omsk, the arena was donated by Abramovich to the local Avangard Hockey…
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Russia Threatens to Block Popular VPN Services to Prevent Website Access
Russia’s communications watchdog threatened on Thursday to block access to popular VPN services which allow users to gain access to websites which have been outlawed by Moscow. Russia has introduced tougher internet laws, requiring search engines to delete some results, messaging services to share encryption keys with security services and social networks to store users’…