Year: 2020

Russia has been seeing an increase in coronavirus infections despite a series of confinement measures, prompting President Vladimir Putin to warn of “extraordinary” scenarios.  Here are five things to know about the epidemic in Russia: Where is the virus spreading? Moscow, with a population of more than 12 million people, is the coronavirus epicenter in…

After a deluge of imported coronavirus cases, a province in northeastern China is offering cash rewards of up to 5,000 yuan (700 USD) for help in catching people who illegally cross the Russian border. Weeks after the cancelling international flights and banning entry to foreigners, China is still struggling to contain a spike in imported…

Ukraine said Tuesday only small isolated fires remain at the scene of a blaze that erupted 10 days ago in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, scene of the world’s worst nuclear accident in 1986. “There is no open fire,” the emergency services said in a statement, adding that radiation levels are within the norm. Chernobyl polluted…

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has threatened an investigative journalist Monday for a “provocative” story on the Russian region’s strict anti-coronavirus measures, the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper reported. The story, authored by Novaya Gazeta journalist Yelena Milashina, cited quarantined Chechens as saying Sunday that they stopped reporting coronavirus symptoms for fear of being labeled “terrorists.” Kadyrov…

A lack of aid for Moscow’s small and medium businesses hit by the coronavirus lockdown will lead to mass starvation and widespread protests, opposition lawmakers have reportedly warned Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Moscow and its 12.7 million residents have been under lockdown since March 30, with all nonessential businesses and activities suspended until at least May…

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 119,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to slow the pandemic’s spread within its borders. There have been 21,102 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 170 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as of April 14.…

Russian nationals in Italy are offering Italians money to film themselves thanking Russia and President Vladimir Putin for recent coronavirus aid, Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper reported Sunday. Russia dispatched army medics in March to help disinfect hospitals and care facilities in a northern Italian region that has been hit hardest by the country’s coronavirus outbreak.…

The Russian economy has been rocked by the coronavirus outbreak, and the breakdown of the OPEC+ oil production pact between Russia and Saudi Arabia. The turmoil has shocked traders around the world and resulted in sharp volatility on the Russian stock markets and swings in the value of the ruble. The latest on the markets,…

Hundreds of firefighters on Monday battled a forest blaze in Ukraine’s Chernobyl exclusion zone while officials insisted there was no risk to the ruined reactor and nearby storage facilities for nuclear waste. “There is no threat to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the storage facilities,” Volodymyr Demchuk, a senior official from Ukraine’s emergency service, said…

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…

Russia’s coronavirus outbreak is deteriorating and its new cases are getting more severe, President Vladimir Putin warned Monday as the country reported its highest day-to-day spike in infections to date. Russia has reported 18,328 overall coronavirus cases and 148 total deaths, making it the world’s 15th most-affected country as of Monday.  “We see that the…

China’s northernmost province has tightened its border controls to prevent new coronavirus infections from neighboring Russia, Bloomberg reported Monday.  A growing number of Chinese nationals have returned from Russia with the virus, threatening a second wave after the country where the pandemic originated has largely brought its domestic outbreak under control. The estimated 250 coronavirus…

Alisa Yereminva, age 21, readies food to bring to her elderly relatives. For the past two weeks, to do this Yeremina first has to ask permission and then wait for approval by text message. While Moscow was considering the use of digital passes to enforce coronavirus lockdown measures, the entire 3.8 million population of Russia’s republic…

The chief editor of Russia’s leading business newspaper Vedomosti has deleted a column critical of Igor Sechin, the head of the state-controlled oil giant Rosneft, three weeks after his controversial hiring at the outlet. The move is acting editor-in-chief Andrei Shmarov’s second decision to alter or delete an article related to Rosneft since Vedomosti’s new…

Nearly 90 residents at a nursing home in western Russia are suspected to have contracted the coronavirus after one of its employees contracted the fast-spreading virus, regional officials said at an emergency meeting Sunday. The staffer at the nursing home in the Smolensk region town of Vyazma had gone to work without symptoms as recently…

Thousands of Russian Orthodox Church parishioners across the country celebrated Orthodox Palm Sunday on April 12 as Russia saw record numbers of new coronavirus infections. Officially, the Church has urged its 164 million worshippers to pray at home during the pandemic, with many offering live-streamed liturgies online. However, the Church has refused to close its…

Moscow is tightening its lockdown with digital passes this week as the Russian capital’s coronavirus count surpassed 10,000 cases and officials warned of a continued influx of patients. Here’s an overview of what the citywide pass system means for Muscovites’ everyday life: When does it start? — Digital passes will become mandatory this Wednesday but…

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…

The Russian economy has been rocked by the coronavirus outbreak, and the breakdown of the OPEC+ oil production pact between Russia and Saudi Arabia. The turmoil has shocked traders around the world and resulted in sharp volatility on the Russian stock markets and swings in the value of the ruble. The latest on the markets,…

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 114,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to slow the pandemic’s spread within its borders. There have been 15,770 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 130 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as of April 13. April…

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…

More than half of China’s coronavirus infections reported on Sunday originated from a Russian flight to Shanghai the day before, a potential sign of the severity of Russia’s outbreak, Bloomberg reported, citing Shanghai’s Municipal Health Commission. The news comes as China — the country where the virus originated — now seeks to stave off a renewed outbreak…

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 108,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to slow the pandemic’s spread within its borders. There have been 15,770 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 130 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as of April 12. MT…

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…

The head of Russia’s space agency on Saturday accused Elon Musk’s SpaceX of predatory pricing for space launches, which is pushing Russia to cut its own prices. “Instead of honest competition on the market for space launches, they are lobbying for sanctions against us and use price dumping with impunity,” Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin wrote on Twitter. Rogozin,…

An inmate was found dead Saturday after a riot and a blaze swept through a Russian prison under a coronavirus lockdown in eastern Siberia, authorities said. Trouble erupted at penal colony No 15 in Angarsk on Thursday with authorities blaming prisoners, while human rights activists said inmates self-harmed en masse to protest systematic mistreatment. On…

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 100,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to slow the pandemic’s spread within its borders. There have been 13,584 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 106 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as of April 11.…

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…

A prison in Siberia reported disturbances at a high-security penal colony Friday, while local campaigners called the incident a full-blown riot and posted images of fire on the premises. Russia’s penal service said inmates at the No 15 penal colony in Angarsk “attacked a guard” while others cut themselves with glass from broken surveillance cameras.…

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Friday spoke with U.S. counterpart Donald Trump for the third time in two weeks, discussing the coronavirus pandemic and global oil prices. Putin earlier told the U.S.-Russian crew aboard the International Space Station that the ISS is “an example of an effective partnership of our countries” as the world fights…

Russia said it would launch a criminal investigation on Friday after Czech officials removed a statue of a Soviet-era general in Prague.  The bronze statue of Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev was taken down last week to make way for a World War II memorial, prompting the Russian embassy to protest. City officials in the Czech…

Update: In a statement Friday, Sobyanin confirmed that Moscow will gradually introduce a digital pass system to enforce lockdown rules starting April 14. The first stage will introduce passes for trips to work, the second stage will introduce them for other trips and the third stage will introduce them for trips within the region. Moscow Mayor…

Poland held a scaled-back memorial on Friday for the air crash that killed president Lech Kaczynski and dozens of others in Russia a decade ago, amid a lockdown to control coronavirus. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called for a show of unity similar to that which brought the country together in 2010 to help get through the…

Moscow’s health department has warned the city’s clinics that many coronavirus tests return false negative results, the Kommersant business daily reported Friday. A new study this week placed the accuracy of Russia’s Covid-19 tests at 70% to 80%, with the rest being false negatives. Medical experts have raised concerns about the quality of testing in…

Moscow’s hospitals and ambulance service are working at peak capacity after a sharp rise in those hospitalized with serious coronavirus complications, a senior city official said Friday. The densely populated capital with more than 12 million residents has the largest outbreak in Russia, with 7,822 confirmed coronavirus cases out of a national total of almost…

At least 170 doctors and patients at a hospital in central Russia have tested positive for coronavirus in preliminary tests, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported Friday. The Kuvatov Republic Clinical Hospital, the main hospital in the city of Ufa, was placed under strict lockdown on Monday after at least five doctors and two…

Moscow’s indefinite coronavirus lockdown has left the city’s vulnerable homeless population with an impossible choice — find shelter or risk paying steep fines, while facing the danger of becoming infected with a potentially deadly disease.   In many European countries, where the coronavirus has hit hard, spaces including hotels, office buildings and gymnasiums have been converted…

A detention center east of Moscow has been placed under lockdown after the alleged death of one of its inspectors, the Mash Telegram channel reported Friday. The republic of Marii-El, some 700 kilometers east of Moscow, is Russia’s 12th most-affected region with 63 confirmed coronavirus cases. Authorities reported Marii-El’s first death Thursday, identifying the patient…

Moscow has not yet reached the peak of its coronavirus epidemic, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Friday as the Russian capital saw yet another record surge in infections over the past 24 hours. Russia is currently the world’s 17th-most affected country with 11,917 officially reported coronavirus cases as of Friday. Moscow accounts for two-thirds of all…

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…

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 95,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to slow the pandemic’s spread within its borders. There have been 11,917 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 94 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as of April 10.…

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…

The Russian economy has been rocked by the coronavirus outbreak, and the breakdown of the OPEC+ oil production pact between Russia and Saudi Arabia. The turmoil has shocked traders around the world and resulted in sharp volatility on the Russian stock markets and swings in the value of the ruble. The latest on the markets,…

A family in central Russia tried to wait out the coronavirus pandemic in the woods until they were forcefully returned home, police in the Sverdlovsk region said Thursday. A relative tipped off the authorities Monday that her brother, his wife and their three children had been gone for more than 24 hours. The family’s patriarch…

Russia on Thursday launched a probe into three World War II-era atrocities in areas occupied by Nazi forces. The investigation was opened following findings in historical archives about killings in several locations in southern Russia’s Rostov region, including Zmiyovskaya Balka, a village where “no less than 27,000 people” were shot by firing squad. The massacres…

A three-man crew docked successfully at the International Space Station Thursday, leaving behind a planet overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic. Russian space agency Roscosmos said the Soyuz MS-16 capsule “docked successfully” in a statement on its website. Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos and NASA’s Chris Cassidy reached the ISS at 1413 GMT, just over…

A funeral home in central Russia is offering to stream funerals online for free to help clients maintain social distancing during the deadly coronavirus pandemic, local media reported Wednesday. Russia’s republic of Bashkortostan, located 1,400 kilometers east of Moscow, has confirmed 22 of the country’s more than 10,000 coronavirus cases as of Thursday. Like many…

Moscow is planning to track foreign tourists’ movements through smartphone geolocation for coronavirus prevention after Russia reopens its national borders, the Kommersant business daily reported Thursday. Russia shut its borders indefinitely last month as its number of Covid-19 cases began growing exponentially, with more than 10,000 confirmed infections and 76 deaths as of Thursday. Moscow,…

Authorities in Moscow have begun issuing digital QR code passes to employees of city-funded media and large companies, as well as volunteers, despite pledges not to enforce the coronavirus lockdown with the technology, BBC Russia reported Thursday. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin ruled out using QR codes to police people’s movements during the monthlong lockdown as long…