Year: 2020

On March 21, the New England Journal of Medicine published an article by a group of doctors who had for weeks been treating coronavirus patients in the small city of Bergamo in northern Italy, the European epicenter of the pandemic. “We are learning that hospitals might be the main Covid-19 carriers,” the Italian doctors wrote.…

A three-man crew blasted off to the International Space Station on Thursday, leaving behind a planet overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic. Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency and NASA’s Chris Cassidy launched at 8:05 a.m. GMT from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, where Covid-19 has caused changes to pre-launch protocol.  The crew told…

A fire that tore through a Moscow home for the elderly late Wednesday has killed four and put at least six people in the hospital with injuries, authorities said. Russia’s Investigative Committee, which handles major crimes, said either an electrical short-circuit or a faulty boiler has likely caused the fire. Its Moscow branch opened a…

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 88,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 8,672 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 63 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as…

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,…

President Vladimir Putin has announced a new aid package to doctors battling the coronavirus pandemic and ordered support for small businesses suffering under his paid “non-working” month in his third public address in as many weeks. Here’s a brief look at what he discussed during Wednesday’s televised meeting with regional governors and other officials: Frontline…

A leading endocrinologist who praised President Vladimir Putin’s efforts in combating the deadly coronavirus pandemic Tuesday was a onetime research adviser to Putin’s rumored daughter, according to Russian media. Ivan Dedov, president of the Health Ministry’s national endocrinology center and one of nine experts invited to consult Putin on the virus Tuesday, commended Putin for…

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…

Local authorities across Russia are facing criticism for distributing rotten food to low-income children being homeschooled during the coronavirus lockdown. The angry parents of children qualified to receive free school meals took to social media to share their government-issued rations, exposing the economic divide between wealthier and poorer Russian regions. Here’s a brief look at…

A grey-haired Muscovite speaks via video link from his flat. Diagnosed with the coronavirus late last month, he tells a doctor he doesn’t feel too bad but is still wheezing. This is a consultation via Moscow’s new telemedicine center, where doctors treat those who have tested positive but are well enough to stay at home.…

Prices for staple foods spiked across Russia in March, the latest figures from national statistics office Rosstat showed, as people rushed to stockpile and the value of the ruble fell because of the coronavirus outbreak.  Sugar prices rose by at least 16% in 23 Russian regions, while tomatoes were up 15%, garlic 9% and lemons…

A suspected drug dealer dressed as a food deliveryman has been detained with 500 grams of marijuana in quarantined Moscow, Russia’s National Guard said Tuesday. National Guard officers stopped the 37-year-old for a document check at a park that the authorities closed down due to the coronavirus outbreak.  “The perpetrator used a uniform of one…

Julia Dalakian is well-known favorite of Russian singers and stars. She has worked in the Russian market for well over 20 years, serving Moscow-based and foreign customers. Twice a year, the brand has been making 2 seasonal collections, introduced at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia since its very start.   JULIA DALAKIAN brand’s new collection MYSTERIOUS…

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 82,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 8,672 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 63 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as…

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 Russian satirist said Tuesday he had become the target of a criminal probe over spreading false information after he joked the coronavirus had been created in a secret Siberian lab. “Friends, a criminal case has been opened against me over yesterday’s humorous video in which I’m mocking a conspiracy theory about the coronavirus originating in…

The head of a top Russian research center told President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday that his lab was ready to start human trials of experimental coronavirus vaccines in June. Rinat Maksyutov, head of the Vektor State Virology and Biotechnology Center, said his facility proposed first-phase clinical trials of three vaccines from June 29, on 180 volunteers.…

Russia’s space agency Roscosmos has denounced U.S. President Donald Trump’s order allowing commercial lunar mining and the extraction of other resources in space, appearing to liken the policy to colonialism. Trump signed an executive order Monday establishing a U.S. policy which allows “commercial exploration, recovery and use of resources in outer space.” The Encouraging International…

Authorities have detained a group of shooting-sport enthusiasts in Far East Russia on charges of terrorism under the guise of testing its alleged leader for coronavirus, Russian media reported Monday. The Federal Security Service (FSB) raided the three suspects’ homes in the Sakhalin region over the weekend and a court placed them in pre-trial detention…

In Buryatia, a Russian region that shares a border with Mongolia, the entire region knows exactly when the coronavirus appeared and who patient “number one” was. Vadim Bredny, the rich owner of a popular retail store chain and a deputy in the city council of Ulan-Ude, flew in from Moscow on March 12. Eight days…

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday wished British Prime Minister Boris Johnson a speedy recovery from the coronavirus, saying his “optimism and sense of humor” would help him get better. “I would like to express my sincere support at this difficult moment for you,” the Kremlin quoted Putin as saying in a message to Johnson. “I…

Russia bribed football officials for the right to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday in the first explicit accusations of wrongdoing following years of suspicion. FIFA has been dogged by claims of corruption since 2010, when the global football governing body voted to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups…

Yevgeny Prigozhin, a sanctioned catering magnate with close ties to President Vladimir Putin, has sued opposition activist Lyubov Sobol for libel over her claims that he ordered a poisoning attack on her husband. Prigozhin is seeking Sobol and the pro-Putin religious television channel Tsargrad to retract her remarks made on the air last summer. Sobol’s…

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 74,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 7,497 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 58 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as…

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 UN board of inquiry investigating attacks on civilian establishments in Syria, including hospitals, has refrained from directly holding Russia responsible, according to a summary of its report published Monday. The coordinates of the sites had been communicated to the belligerents by the United Nations to protect them from air strikes. Without mentioning Russia, the…

Russia could stage its annual celebration of the Soviet victory in World War II without veterans because of coronavirus next month, according to its organizers’ letter cited by Russian media Monday. Questions have swirled over when and whether Russia would hold the massive military parade in Red Square to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory…

The United States on Monday branded a Russian far-right group as a foreign terrorist organization, the first time it has targeted white supremacists with tools regularly used against jihadist groups. The State Department said that the Russian Imperial Movement runs two paramilitary training camps in St. Petersburg and has pulled in neo-Nazis from across the…

Russia’s Justice Ministry has registered the political party founded by the co-creator of popular online game World of Tanks, the Kommersant business daily reported Monday, citing the party’s press service.  Vyacheslav Makarov announced the establishment of his Direct Democracy party earlier this year. Pundits have said that the appearance of new political parties in Russia…

The Kremlin faces the dual task of scaring Russians into self-isolation during the coronavirus pandemic while also tamping down public fears about the virus, the Kommersant business daily reported Monday. Most Russian regions have ordered lockdowns similar to Moscow’s in recent days as President Vladimir Putin declared April a “non-working” month to encourage self-isolation during…

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…

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman dismissed as disinformation a Russian media report Monday that he was to undergo artificial lung ventilation after being hospitalized with persistent coronavirus symptoms. Johnson said he tested positive for coronavirus on March 27 and was due to re-emerge from seven days of self-isolation Friday. Downing Street announced Sunday that Johnson…

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 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 69,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 6,343 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 47 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as…

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 64,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 4,731 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 43 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as…

Police detained a 32-year-old Russian man Saturday night after he allegedly shot and killed five of his neighbors with a hunting rifle in an apartment block. The incident happened around 10 p.m. in the village of Yelatma, some 320 kilometers east of Moscow in the Ryazan region, Russian media has reported. Reports say the alleged…

Christian Querouix, a 69-year-old pensioner, who shares his time between France and Russia, had a difficult choice to make. Should he return to France, one of the European countries most affected by the coronavirus, or stay in Russia where the number of infected people is growing by the day?  “I have diabetes and I am…

Two people were killed and six injured when a gas explosion ripped through a five-storey residential building outside Moscow on Saturday, with rescue workers still looking for survivors.  The blast took place in the town of Orekhovo-Zuyevo during stay-at-home orders aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The emergencies ministry said two people were…

After weeks of working on overdrive, Anastasiya Vasilyeva, a doctor turned activist, finally had some time to kill.  It was late Thursday morning and the head of the independent Doctors’ Alliance labor union had just passed the halfway point between Moscow and the Nizhny Novgorod region, six hour’s drive northeast of the Russian capital. Vasilyeva,…

As the new coronavirus that has killed more than 53,000 people worldwide continues to spread, Russia has stepped up its measures to tackle the pandemic and prevent its spread within the country. There have been 4,731 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far and 43 deaths. MT The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia as…

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church blessed Moscow on Friday to ward off the coronavirus, circling the city in a motorcade with a holy icon and reciting prayers. Patriarch Kirill’s convoy took a main highway around the Russian capital which is under strict lockdown measures and passed near the Kremlin walls, an AFP photographer…

Italy was engaged in a war of words with Russia on Friday over allegations Moscow hid spies among doctors it had sent to the country’s coronavirus epicenter near Milan. The unusual exchange between the traditionally friendly nations followed the publication of an Italian newspaper story about the purportedly nefarious nature of the Russian mission. The Russians came…

Moscow enacted a strict self-isolation order this week as city authorities seek to clamp down on the coronavirus pandemic that has infected nearly 3,000 of the Russian capital’s residents. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Thursday extended the quarantine until at least May 1, meaning 12 million people will be expected to stay in their homes for…

Doctors at one of St. Petersburg’s top hospitals have filmed a video appeal asking the public for protective gear as they prepare to admit coronavirus patients. Pokrovskaya Hospital in Russia’s second-biggest city has been repurposed alongside two other existing facilities to accommodate a potential influx of coronavirus patients this week. St. Petersburg is Russia’s third-most…

Air pollution in Moscow has significantly fallen as the coronavirus pandemic has pushed the city’s 12 million residents indoors and shuttered all nonessential business, the pro-Kremlin Izvestia newspaper reported Friday. The Russian capital has ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the country due to heavy traffic congestion which releases toxic fumes. Mayor…