Month: May 2020

Russian space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin once ridiculed the lack of a U.S. manned flight programme, saying it might as well “deliver its astronauts to the ISS by using a trampoline”. Six years later Elon Musk and NASA had the last laugh. “The trampoline is working,” quipped the 48-year-old U.S. entrepreneur at a post-flight news…

Russia has lost its long-held monopoly as the only country able to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station following the flawless manned launch by U.S. company SpaceX. The Russian space agency congratulated the United States and Elon Musk’s SpaceX on the first crewed flight ever by a private company, but experts said the launch…

Russia’s space agency, until now the only one able to fly astronauts to the International Space Station, on Sunday congratulated the US SpaceX company over its successful launch of a manned rocket. Saturday’s launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida was the first of American astronauts from U.S. soil in nine years, and the…

There have been 405,843 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 4,693 deaths. May 31: 3 things you need to know today Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has ordered to lift some of Moscow’s coronavirus restrictions starting June 1. All non-food shops and some service sector businesses will be able to re-open, he said. The city…

Authorities have predicted a higher death toll in May compared to last month, attributing this to deaths among patients who were hospitalised during the peak of the epidemic several weeks ago. Officials in Moscow — the worst-hit city in Russia — on Thursday released details of mortality statistics for April in an effort to quash…

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday demanded that Russia free a former marine accused of spying in Russia after the man underwent urgent surgery in a Moscow hospital. Fifty-year-old Paul Whelan had emergency hernia surgery late Thursday after suffering “severe abdominal pain,” his brother David Whelan said in a statement Friday.  Paul Whelan,…

There have been 396,575 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 4,555 deaths. May 30: 3 things you need to know today Russia confirmed 8,952 new coronavirus infections Saturday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 396,575. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has ordered to lift some of Moscow’s coronavirus restrictions starting June 1. All non-food shops…

Authorities have predicted a higher death toll in May compared to last month, attributing this to deaths among patients who were hospitalised during the peak of the epidemic several weeks ago. Officials in Moscow — the worst-hit city in Russia — on Thursday released details of mortality statistics for April in an effort to quash…

When Russian scientists boasted that they had tested a coronavirus vaccine on themselves, reactions ranged from praise of their commitment, to outrage over their methods. Their actions hint at a difficult reality for Russian policymakers — the country is no longer the vaccine developer it was in Soviet times and it is struggling to match…

Paul Whelan, a U.S. ex-marine currently on trial in Russia on espionage charges, has had an urgent hernia operation at a Moscow hospital, his brother said Friday.  Whelan had “emergency hernia surgery” after experiencing “severe abdominal pain” overnight, his brother David Whelan said in a statement, citing information from the U.S. Embassy. The operation was…

Several protesters have been detained outside Moscow’s police headquarters Friday as solo pickets demanding the release of a journalist arrested for a similar picket this week continued into their second day. The latest detentions follow those of eight prominent journalists at the same location Thursday for protesting the 15-day jailing of their colleague, activist and…

There have been 387,623 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 4,374 deaths. May 29: 3 things you need to know today Russia confirmed 8,572 new coronavirus infections Friday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 387,623. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has ordered to lift some of Moscow’s coronavirus restrictions starting June 1. All non-food shops and…

Sea ice along Russia’s Arctic coast is quickly vanishing as temperatures in the region have been reaching record highs. With the retreating ice comes tanker traffic. On May 19, the Christophe de Margerie kick-started this year’s Northern Sea Route shipping season on a voyage across the eastern part of the coveted shipping lane. The vessel…

Moscow health authorities have more than doubled the city’s April death count from coronavirus or related cases as questions continue to surround Russia’s comparatively low mortality rate. The city’s health department said Thursday that 1,753 more people died in April than on average in the past three years. Covid-19 directly caused 636 of those deaths,…

The Russian government has swung into action to encourage its citizens to holiday at home this summer in a bid to kick-start the coronavirus-battered domestic tourism industry and ensure that people spend their rubles in Russia. In a string of speeches earlier this week, the authorities announced they would start lifting tourism restrictions — with…

Russian opposition activist Sergei Mokhnatkin, who alleged abuse during his years in prison, has died after a long illness at age 66, writer Viktor Shenderovich announced Thursday. An engineer by profession, Mokhnatkin said he stumbled into activism in 2009 when he attempted to defend a woman being beaten by police during a protest for the…

Authorities have predicted a higher death toll in May compared to last month, attributing this to deaths among patients who were hospitalised during the peak of the epidemic several weeks ago. Moscow — the worst-hit city in Russia — reported 2,332 new cases. Officials in the capital on Thursday released details of mortality statistics for…

Early wildfires caused by a historically warm and snowless winter have ignited concerns of “zombie” fires re-emerging across the Russian Arctic, scientists and activists have said. European climate scientists said Wednesday that satellite images “hinted” at remnants of last year’s blazes returning to the Arctic Circle. Ground measurements across last summer’s wildfire hotspots are needed…

Russian authorities said Thursday that a small number of spectators would be allowed at stadiums when the country’s Premier League restarts its suspended season next month. In mid-May, Russia’s football association said that the country’s Premier League would restart its suspended season from June 21 behind closed doors.  But on Thursday, the association said it…

Russia said on Thursday the United States was acting in a dangerous and unpredictable way, after Washington withdrew from a key military treaty and moved to ramp up pressure on Iran. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the comments after Washington announced it would end sanctions waivers for nations that remain in a nuclear accord…

After backing rival sides in Libya’s long-running conflict, Russia and Turkey appear to have agreed to avoid direct confrontation and instead carve the country into “spheres of influence,” analysts say.  The oil-rich North African nation has suffered almost a decade of violence since longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi was toppled and killed in a 2011 uprising…

Several prominent Russian journalists were detained in central Moscow on Thursday for staging solo pickets in support of a fellow journalist who was jailed earlier that day. Mediazona chief editor Sergei Smirnov and Ekho Moskvy journalists Tatyana Felgenhauer and Alexander Plyushchev had been protesting the arrest of popular journalist and activist Ilya Azar. Azar was…

Starting Monday, Muscovites will be allowed to walk outside for the first time in two months — with a number of restrictions still in place — as the Russian capital eases some parts of its lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus. “The new walking rules may seem too complicated. I am not pleased with…

Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s plan to bomb Mars to make it suitable it for human life is a front to deploy nuclear weapons in space, Russia’s space chief said Wednesday. The SpaceX founder and CEO has occasionally floated his controversial plan to terraform the Red Planet by setting off thermonuclear explosions above the planet’s polar…

Russia is coordinating with countries including France to invite their leaders to attend a massive military parade in Moscow on June 24, the Kremlin said Thursday. President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday announced the annual May 9 Victory Day parade would held in June after postponing the event last month to slow the spread of the…

There have been 379,051 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 4,142 deaths. May 28: 3 things you need to know today Russia confirmed 8,371 new coronavirus infections Thursday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 379,051. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has ordered to lift some of Moscow’s coronavirus restrictions starting June 1. All non-food shops and…

Russia will no longer include asymptomatic coronavirus patients in its daily count of new infections and deaths, the Health Ministry said Wednesday. Russia has confirmed 379,051 coronavirus infections as of Thursday, the world’s third-highest number of cases. Its official death toll of 4,142 is one of the lowest among countries with similarly high cases. More…

One in four Russians believe that the global coronavirus pandemic is made-up, according to a survey by Moscow’s Higher School of Economics (HSE) cited by the RBC news website Thursday. Out of 30,000 Russians polled online since March, 23.2% called the pandemic “an invention by stakeholders.” Another 9.6% said its dangers are exaggerated. Among the…

Officials have predicted a higher death toll for May than April, attributing this to the deaths of hospital patients who were admitted during the peak of the epidemic several weeks ago. President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hailed a trend towards stabilization in the country’s virus situation and Thursday’s number of new cases was below 9,000…

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov on Wednesday said he is “healthy,” even demonstrating that his arms don’t have IV marks, after rumors that he was hospitalized with possible coronavirus. Kadyrov appeared in an Instagram-streamed interview with his aide Akhmed Dudayev, who heads the regional channel Grozny.TV, days after his own popular account was deleted from the…

Russia on Wednesday seized 40 tons of European cheeses smuggled into the country in breach of an embargo on EU food imports, the customs service said.  The cheese was found at a port near the northwestern city of St. Petersburg in four containers labeled as a component used to produce rubber. The shipment included Dorblu blue…

Russia announced on Wednesday that the coronavirus pandemic has forced it to postpone two international summits set for St. Petersburg in July. Officials responsible for the BRICS and SCO summits “decided to postpone” both events scheduled for July 21-23 in Russia’s second city, according to a statement on the Kremlin website. The decision was made “taking into…

Russia’s head of coronavirus information has suggested that global anxiety over the pandemic is misplaced, his latest controversial comment after saying that the infection would kill as many people as it needs to. Doctor and television presenter Alexander Myasnikov was appointed in April to his new role of informing Russians about coronavirus treatment and prevention…

Moscow is ready to open non-food shops and certain service-sector businesses as well as begin allowing walks outside starting next Monday, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Wednesday at a videoconference with President Vladimir Putin. Sobyanin had extended the Russian capital’s strict lockdown — including its controversial digital pass system — until May 31 even as Putin…

There have been 370,680 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 3,968 deaths. May 27: 3 things you need to know today Russia confirmed 8,338 new coronavirus infections Wednesday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 370,680. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has proposed lifting some of Moscow’s coronavirus restrictions starting June 1. In a televised videoconference with President…

The Russian military announced Wednesday it had opened a field hospital in the North Caucasus region of Dagestan where authorities are struggling to contain a coronavirus outbreak. Army doctors built a 100-bed facility in Botlikh village and “medical staff are ready to receive and treat patients,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement. The top…

The United States on Wednesday accused Russia of intercepting one of its patrol planes over the Mediterranean Sea near Syria in an “unsafe, unprofessional” manner. The U.S. Navy released footage showing two Russian Su-35 fighter jets intercepting a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft from the U.S. 6th Fleet, which oversees operations in the region. The footage,…

A former Russian governor has sued President Vladimir Putin over what he believes is his wrongful dismissal following his series of questionable comments and incidents. Putin relieved Mikhail Ignatyev from his 10-year governorship of the republic of Chuvashia in January due to a “loss of trust.” Ignatyev made headlines that month for calls to “wipe…

Russia’s bicycle sales have spiked by 6,000% so far this month as Russians gradually emerge from self-isolation after more than six weeks of nationwide coronavirus lockdown, the online retail giant Wildberries told state media Wednesday. Overall, Russia’s largest online retailer said sporting goods sales jumped sixfold on May 1-24 compared with the same period in…

The leader of Russia’s Communist Party said he believes that an eventual vaccine against the new coronavirus is part of a capitalist plot to implant microchips into humans and ensure their “digital enslavement,” wading into a viral social media conspiracy theory. The false claims allege that U.S. billionaire Bill Gates plans to use microchip implants…

The number of new cases has been steadily dropping and authorities have begun easing lockdown measures in some parts of the country. Restrictions have been eased in many areas though hard-hit Moscow remains on a strict lockdown until at least the end of May. On Monday, President Vladimir Putin made a rare lockdown appearance in…

Russians’ trust in state institutions has fallen during the coronavirus outbreak while their sense of self-reliance is up, according to poll results cited by the RBC news website Tuesday. The results were published nine weeks into a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of Covid-19 that has caused significant damage to an economy already hurt…

Russia plans to test its unmanned “doomsday nuke” in its Arctic waters this fall, one year after a fatal nuclear-powered missile accident led to a radiation spike in a nearby city and grabbed international headlines. The nuclear-powered Poseidon underwater drone will be test-launched from the Belgorod submarine, an unnamed defense industry source told the state-run RIA…

More working-age Russians have died in early 2020 than in the early months of 2019, a senior health expert said Tuesday amid questions over Russia’s relatively low coronavirus death toll. “Over three months in January-March 2019 in Russia, 36,584 working-age people died, while in [the same period of] 2020 it was 37,346,” Interfax quoted the…

Russia recently sent fighter jets to Libya to support Russian mercenaries fighting for strongman Khalifa Haftar, the U.S. military command for Africa (Africom) said Tuesday, in a major escalation in the long-running conflict The military fighter aircraft left Russia and first stopped in Syria where they “were repainted to camouflage their Russian origin” before arriving…

Russia has begun manufacturing the prototype of its first strategic stealth bomber, the state-run TASS news agency reported Tuesday, as the country presses ahead with the modernization of its military. Quoting defense industry sources, TASS said the state-controlled United Aircraft Corporation was overseeing the project. It said material was being shipped for the project and that…

President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian military to hold its landmark parade marking the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II next month as the country appeared to have stabilized its coronavirus outbreak. Putin postponed the May 9 parade celebrating Victory Day due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus within…

Hundreds of relatives of former Chechen separatist fighters have signed an open letter accusing the investigative Novaya Gazeta newspaper of lying about their alienation from society. State television in Russia’s republic of Chechnya on Monday published the scathing reaction to research into the lives of separatists’ widows and children across the North Caucasus. The research,…

At least four people were killed after a strong wind storm hit Russia’s fifth most-populous region, the state-run TASS news agency reported Tuesday, citing the regional prosecutor’s office.  Wind gusts reached up to 28 meters per second in the Sverdlovsk region Monday, toppling trees and causing widespread blackouts that left 130,000 residents without power. Footage…