Day: January 7, 2020

  • Russian Orthodox Leader Rails Against ‘Foreign’ Domestic Violence Law

    Russian Orthodox Leader Rails Against ‘Foreign’ Domestic Violence Law

    Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill has accused lawmakers who seek to re-criminalize domestic abuse of “borrowing” the draft law, as well as the concept of domestic violence, from abroad.  Russia scrapped criminal punishments for first-time domestic abuse offenses in 2017. A series of high-profile murder and domestic violence cases has pushed lawmakers to begin work toward…

  • Putin Makes Rare Visit to Syria, Meets Assad Amid Middle East Tensions

    Putin Makes Rare Visit to Syria, Meets Assad Amid Middle East Tensions

    Vladimir Putin met Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Tuesday, the Russian leader’s second trip to Syria since Moscow intervened decisively on the Syrian president’s behalf in the country’s civil war. The visit comes at a time of heightened regional tension — Assad’s other main military ally, Iran, has said it will retaliate against the United States…

  • The Year’s Best Art Scandal: Moscow Art Biennale

    The Year’s Best Art Scandal: Moscow Art Biennale

    As the only remaining independent, English-language news source reporting from Russia, The Moscow Times plays a critical role in connecting Russia to the world. Editorial decisions are made entirely by journalists in our newsroom, who adhere to the highest ethical standards. We fearlessly cover issues that are often considered off-limits or taboo in Russia, from…

  • 8 Migrants Killed in Moscow Greenhouse Fire

    8 Migrants Killed in Moscow Greenhouse Fire

    At least eight migrants have been killed in a greenhouse fire southeast of Moscow, emergency officials told Interfax on Tuesday. The blaze broke out in the Moscow region district of Ramenskoye and spread across an area of 240 square meters in the early hours of the day, authorities said. A statement on the Emergency Situations…

  • Russian Clinic Treated Mercenaries Injured in Secret Wars Abroad

    Russian Clinic Treated Mercenaries Injured in Secret Wars Abroad

    A St. Petersburg clinic that is run and partly owned by people with ties to President Vladimir Putin has provided medical treatment to Russian mercenaries injured abroad, according to three people with knowledge of military contractors being treated, a clinic employee, a reporter’s witness account and company records. The previously unreported medical treatment for private military…

  • Nigerian Pirates Abduct 2 Russian Sailors, Embassy Says

    Nigerian Pirates Abduct 2 Russian Sailors, Embassy Says

    Two Russian sailors have been captured by pirates off the coast of Nigeria, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported Tuesday, citing the Russian Embassy in Abuja. The two Russian crew members of the Ambika oil dredger were abducted by unidentified armed men on Jan. 2 alongside a third crew member from India, Nigeria’s Premium…

  • The Year’s Best in Art Collectors and Their Works

    The Year’s Best in Art Collectors and Their Works

    As the only remaining independent, English-language news source reporting from Russia, The Moscow Times plays a critical role in connecting Russia to the world. Editorial decisions are made entirely by journalists in our newsroom, who adhere to the highest ethical standards. We fearlessly cover issues that are often considered off-limits or taboo in Russia, from…

  • Russian Archaeologists Uncover Rare Amazon Warrior Women Burial

    Russian Archaeologists Uncover Rare Amazon Warrior Women Burial

    Archeologists have for the first time discovered three generations of ancient Amazon women warriors buried in a single tomb around 2,500 years ago in present-day Russia. Experts say the women warriors, who belonged to a nomadic people that dominated Eurasia called the Scythians, may have inspired the Amazons depicted in Greek mythology. A Russian Academy…

  • Russia’s VTB Sues Mozambique State Firm at Center of $2B Debt Scandal

    Russia’s VTB Sues Mozambique State Firm at Center of $2B Debt Scandal

    Russian state lender VTB has filed a lawsuit in Britain’s High Court against a Mozambican government company it lent hefty sums to as part of a project now at the center of a $2 billion debt scandal, an online court filing shows. The filing, dated Dec. 23, names as defendants the Mozambique state and Mozambique…